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Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 DUAL CARBON IEM
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Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 DUAL CARBON IEM
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Product Description
Our latest IEM marks the long-awaited return of JVC audiophile products to the US. With dynamic drivers among the largest in their class, a premium all-metal housing, and three pairs of interchangeable nozzles, the HA-FDX1 delivers next-level sound you can fine-tune to your liking.
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keyboard_arrow_downachan1735
82
Sep 6, 2019
These are quite bloody expensive. For $150USD, sure but $250 is asking too much for a single dynamic driver IEM... Hell even the free Samsung/AKG buds have a dual driver configuration and more or less meet the Harman target...
j444
98
Mar 21, 2020
The ex800's treble is similarly uneven as the ex1000's. It's just more damped, so it's less aggressive, but doesn't offer the clarity and detail of the ex1000 and FDX1. The ex1000 are actually more similar to the FDX1 in tonality than the ex800 imo, but neither of the Sonys has the treble smoothness of the FDX1.
YikW
22
Dec 19, 2019
Some initial impressions:
Personal Bias: I listen almost exclusively to classical and instrumental tracks and have a background in orchestral music (flute and piccolo). The most important sonic aspects to me are timbre/tonality, clarity, instrumental separation. The ultimate comparison for me would not be to another headphone, but rather to live performances and my personal experiences with instruments.
The Good:
The Mixed
The Bad
TL;DR: Analytical, well-separated, and balanced sound. Well-built (seemingly) but very heavy. Not necessarily rich or 'musical' in presentation.
- The FDX1s have incredible separation and resolving capabilities. Timpani rolls sound like true rolls, not a drone of sound. I can easily distinguish between instrument groups and parts in orchestral recordings with no congestion. Fugues and Mahler symphonies are must try if you are into classical music with these.
- Timbre feels spot on for most instruments. Plucked strings and percussion are especially good with a sharp attack and short but still within the realm of natural decay.
- I don't have enough experience in analytical listening to tell which, if any neutral target the FDX1 follows. To me, they sound balanced in the sense that no instrument group seems emphasized over any other. Pretty much exactly what I was looking for.
The Mixed
- The shells are very well built, but feel a bit too heavy for me to wear cable down. Comfort is excellent with Final E tips (the spiral dots are a bit soft for me) worn cable up. The rotating nozzle is very cool, but I worry that the extra moving parts will cause durability issues later on.
- The bass response seems to be controversial, here's my take on it. The FDX1 has very good bass extension and detail. The sub-bass is deep and textured; I can easily hear the difference between woodwind and string bass contributions. I've heard some say that they lack rumble. I'm not sure what's going on there since there is plenty of rumble in the bassoon and string bass heavy tracks that I've tried them on. What I will say is that such instruments are not emphasized very much in overall presentation. This might be a bad thing for bass heads. I think it's pretty ideal for orchestral music.
- Imaging is average and sound stage is only slightly above average in size. I haven't really heard anything significantly better though.
The Bad
- With the blue (actually green) filters, the lower mid-range feels slightly recessed making cellos sound thinner than usual. The green (actually blue) filters fix this but I feel like they take away some of the energy in the upper woodwinds. A conundrum for me.
- They definitely don't sound as 'fun' as say an MH755 on electronic tracks with booming bass. Not a deal breaker for me since the resolution and timbre still make them enjoyable, but probably not a strong point for those genres.
TL;DR: Analytical, well-separated, and balanced sound. Well-built (seemingly) but very heavy. Not necessarily rich or 'musical' in presentation.
(Edited)
YikW
22
Dec 31, 2019
VixxZThe white nozzles sound sharp, but not unlistenable for me (thanks piccolo). They add a lot of air in upper woodwind heavy passages, which is cool. My problem with them is that the bass lines sound recessed in the overall presentation. Not a bad choice for certain tracks though.
dgt5
245
Dec 18, 2019
First impression is a bit underwhelming....
My preferred tuning is something along the lines of an Audeze LCD-X. If you like the Grado house sound (bright, anemic bass), you will probably like these.
The build quality and comfort are top notch.... but the sound just isn't what the reviewers describe. Bass extension is surprisingly non-existent for a dynamic driver. Midrange is perfect with stellar vocals and detail. Treble extension does add nice sense of space and energy.... but it becomes overbearing if you turn up the volume. I fiddled with all the tips and filters.... but nothing really tames the brightness.
Not sure I believe "burn-in" is anything more than our ears acclimating to a sound signature.... but I'm hoping one of the two happens the more I listen.
I am listening to tidal MQA through a Dragonfly red, so I think they are reasonably well driven.
(Edited)
keyboardman64
29
Dec 22, 2019
dgt5Well, doesn't sound like any Grado I've heard. But I'm using one of the colored ones.
joeftan
388
Dec 22, 2019
I agree. These are really genre specific. Quite cold and sterile sounding, but with amazing resolution. Think DD timbre with BA precision. Also, think lean, fast BA bass. They are superb for most of classical music and jazz, and are also great with a lot of intimate female vocals. Not so good with cellos and male vocals. Quite poor with modern pop, most rock, and EDM. The bass does respond decently to EQ. I’m glad I have them, for variety, and a very different sound signature. Plus, they didn’t cost me over $1,000.
shotgunshane
127
Sep 5, 2019
DeaditeHey, If you want to know more about some of us, head on over to SBAF and check us out. Our community IEM modding wizard j444, came up with the mod on the FD01 and a bunch of us loved it. We’ve got a thread dedicated to it. And now we’re pretty pumped about Drop working with the JVC engineers to replicate, and in some ways improve, what we’ve been championing for a while now. All for less money. For me, as a long time Head-Fi and SBAF guy, this is one of the coolest things to happen in our hobby.
(Edited)
mkubota1
37
Sep 9, 2019
DeaditeI totally get your skepticism. But yeah- unless you're new you should know SGS, james444, a certain kitty cat, and the reputations that they carry. Me? I'm a complete shill; so you've got me. =) But in a few months you'll have a few hundred more opinions. Again, I get it. But hang tight...
BurritoJustice
85
Sep 23, 2019
@CEE_TEE I recommend adding Crinacles finished review to the description, he gave it a glowing review and an A- grading. This solidly puts it as the cheapest in its rank and deservedly so.
rapoon
42
Oct 3, 2019
BurritoJustice"This solidly puts it as the cheapest in its rank and deservedly so."
No, it isn't. The MDR-EX800ST/MDR7550 have an A= grading, and despite the listing of $350, they've been available for <$250 for years. Furthermore the line between the MDR-EX800ST/MDR7550 and MDR-EX1000 (S- grade) is unequivocally subjective as the variance is little more than a preference for treble.
(Edited)
j0sch
4
Apr 1, 2021
Hello dear mass drop friends, id have a question and i was wondering if anyone was able to help me out. What do you suggest, between these options?
JVC HA-FDX1
Audio-Technica ATH-E50
Shure SE215
FiiO FH5 or FA7
FINAL E5000
To give a bit of context. I usually listen to pop, rap-hiphop, rock or EDM music. I like bass but don't go all out so wouldn't see my self as a base wh°re much rather id say i like a warm sound. I love a wide soundstage. I usually use my phone in conjunction with a ddhifi tc35i to listen to music.
i than you for any and all comments
j0sch
4
Aug 1, 2021
Sorry for the late answer. What do you prefer between the starfield, blessing 2 dusk and the wf-1000xm4? have you tried, and what do you think of the noting one's?
The FXD1 are solid, they have a good sound but for me lack color, or warmth dk if that's right. Best of wishes
KUR1SU
30
Aug 2, 2021
j0schHere's an updated list of IEMs I own:
Apple Airpods Pro
Sony WF-1000XM4
Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk
Moondrop Strafield
JVC HA-FDX1
Etymotic ER4XR
Sennheiser IE40PRO
Astrotec Lyra Nature
Final A4000
Here's a list of headphones I own:
Focal Elex
Audiotechnica ATH-W1000Z
Philips SHP9600
Sony WH-1000XM3
Feel free to ask more questions about these, I also have another list of IEMs/headphones that I have sold, but pretty much everything is mid-fi/low-fi, it's pretty much where my interest lies (and I couldn't afford more expensive ones before anyway).
Regarding your question, the technicality really stands out on the B2D, albeit a very similar FR for ER4XR, B2D, and FDX1. ER4XR is an accurate but boring kinda flavor, whereas FDX1 is the most musical/"flavored" among them to my taste. Starfield I haven't listened to in a while but it has definitely more flavor than the other ones and more bass, and is very excellent on its own and for its price. WF-1000XM4 definitely worse on technicality, some pretty nice bass, but you could tell it's definitely worse in terms of sound quality (honestly haven't listened to this one in quite a while so don't remember too much, could check for you if needed). Noise canceling wise it's similar to Airpods Pro, but I sold them before I got the 1000XM4 so I can't do a comparison. These are comfortable for me but might not for others, just like B2D, also comfortable for me. Also ANC on both are worse than WH-1000XM3 for sure; if XM3 is a 10 XM4 is probably a 7.
Let me know if you have more questions!
mahp
182
Jan 21, 2020
I want to get these but the QC issues are a problem. Are these from the same batch?
(Edited)
mahp
182
Jan 30, 2020
Sound: better than my zsn pros, and massdrop nuforce edc. Using mid filters for now, very clear i can hear details i have not heard. Clear bass, distinctive.
Build: awesome so far weighty, no l/r marks on the earbuds so i am guessing they are interchangeable? Cable is nice however i want over the ear ones.
(Edited)
Dr.KennethNoisewater
76
Jan 31, 2020
Haha, Beats is garbage so I won't put much into that. :) Ah, so if it's just people returning them, then that is a very different thing. I'm not really a fan of people who do that. You bought it and it's not up to a seller to make you like it. Returns are for defects.
Adolfo_hitlery
1
Sep 13, 2019
I am a poor student who barely have enough money to survive my university life. Do you think it's worth getting those and starve in next few months?
The_Almighty_Juan
7
Sep 25, 2019
Adolfo_hitleryi bit the bullet, but i already have a meal plan so i wont starve
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