You are absolutely right
After using my drop jvc for weeks now.I think this is the best iem id ever bought…when i say that the bass is lacking its just im so used to the bass off my fh5 and argonmk3 but in reality, they just have a boosted bass while the jvc have the perfect amount of bass what music should have.this is the only iem that i can listen on all types of genre
and they are the cheapest “A” rank on crinacle website
Hmm i was thinking of getting headphones,… hd 6xx to be exact. But now you got me interested more in the jvc’s. What’s your opinion and suggestion?
To bring a bit of background: never heard decent headphones ever, just got into the audio world a few months ago, i’ve got chifi iem that made me go woah at least 5 times lol (Kz zsx)
@ upgrade
As a former owner of hd6xx they are one of a kind headphones! there’s no headphone on earth that can match their midrange performance no matter their price is.
If you got amp/dac - hd 6xx
if not then hd58x is almost sound the same like the hd 6xx if not better…and on a lower cost(because they sound like hd660s which is more expensive
That’s great news! I always am reluctant to recommend something so strongly since audio is subjective, so I’m glad it’s working out for you. Did you just get accustomed to the tips, or did you change them up? I own better iems, but I keep coming back to these. The sound isn’t perfect, but it’s really good for most genres I listen to, especially for the price. If it was a headphone, I would say it sounds like it costs twice the amount.
@upgrade, I haven’t heard the KZ ZSX, so I can’t really make a comparison. I think both options are very good, but if you go for the 6xx you will 100% need to invest in a DAC/Amp so there’s added cost there. I personally would want to go a step further and get a tube amp to get the most of it, so when you factor that in the JVCs are a much more affordable option. I don’t think they sound all that much alike, but both are very competent at what they are trying to do.
Hahah i’m buying the 6xx then, i’ll get an amp later. Is it still phenomenal to listen to without an amp dac, coming from no prior ‘good headphone audio’ experience? I’ll be amp-less for around 6 months to a year.
With no amp, it will sound thin and be tough to power off of a phone/onboard PC audio. Definitely would recommend the 58x in you case
Yeah @onaha i will invest in a dac/amp and tube amp at some point. I’m just giving myself room to grow if that makes sense. I’ll be getting a decent amp, a ‘better’ headphone than 58x, the 6xx, a dac down the line. Tube amp is on my list for sure. I just can’t get all at once.
But yeah, i was considering the cost. The jvc would be cheaper for me. But i don’t know what to expect really. Should i go headphone route or iem route. I’m picking headphone for now, but i don’t know if i’m making the right choice. Because this will cost a lot xD
they sound great on my LG V30 which have ESS quad dac.but they sound even better with my ifi nano black label portable amp/dac…the thing with sennheiser hd series is that they will scale the better your amp/dac is
Ok so I largely agree with the sentiment here regarding the FDx1. They are hyper detailed at the risk of bring fatigueing, but they dont fully cross that line for me. No real issues with comfort. I will likely get a cable guide for over ear, but I like being able to wear them down as well.
The part I’m getting used to is these are cold sounding(lower mids and bass) compared to my neutral reference in EX800st, while treble detail is more aparent as a result. The 800 is still my benchmark, but I cant help but feel this driver is very capable and can be easily warmed up with minor eq.
With eq the sound very nicely envelops the stage and the sound is more correct to my ear/preference.
Eartips, while its hard to get final E tips on and off they do work well and help with punch, but it still lacks the warmth I crave. All types of spirals sound good as well as horn tips(slight vocal emphasis/shout). Xelastec work as well, but there is a slightly harsh transition into the treble for me.
Top earphones ranking:
I find them to be quite enjoyable for casual listening when I switch on the bass boost on my FiiO K3 to be tbh honest
Hey, I’m curious about the EX800ST. According to graphs, it looks exactly like what I would prefer, as it has a nice dip at 4kHz where the JVC has a spike that makes it sound brighter than I would like. How is the bass impact and warmth on the EX800ST compared to the FDX1? I find that the bass impact is excellent on the JVC once you get rid of that 4kHz peak with EQ.
The seal is the biggest factor with the EX800ST, I started using the Xelastec tips and it has good punch, they are warm and full bodied too, but the driver has good proficiency so it never seems muddy to me. It EQs well if you dont like it too. Compared to the JVC its like fire and ice. The JVC is so precise and detailed, but it is cold sounding. Ive not had an issue with bass impact on the EX, where with the JVC there was not any weight to the notes the way I like so to improve it I have a 2db bump from sub to mid bass and its pretty nice that way. 
I hope this helps, sorry if its on the ramble-y side.
They’re back at Drop. And at $175, they’re fantastic value.
how do these compare to the wood variant? also, are these so good that their performance maintains the value proposition when compared against the competition at the same price point? good audio is always good…but if they underperform at their price point, they may not be worthy of your hard earned coin.
One of my favorite IEMs, more than certainly competitive with anything $200-250. Fantastic timbre and balance, treble can be too spicy but picking the most muted filter can help if you are sensitive, fit is also something to be wary of compared to UIEM shape, I personally had to work hard to get a secure fit.
Usually never cheaper than $140 used, so $175 is a solid new price.
Yup. The clarity, resolution and coherence is way above the price point. Only caveats are, they are heavy, so seal can be broken when walking and isolation is poor. You will hear the environment, which partly negates the great technicalities when used outside.
I don’t think this set gets enough attention despite it’s unnatural timbre which is a potential dealbreaker.
The FDX1’s tuning is well balanced (With blue or green filters.) and very resolving, especially for a single DD set.
Lean neutral gang should look no further than this if they think the Blessing 2 won’t fit them well.
Not my favorite set, but it’s pretty impressive what JVC accomplished with the FD01 which was fixed with some modding.
OK, a little background. So, I’m a happy FDX1 owner for more than a year. It’s my favourite IEM, with a wonderful tonal and technical balance. Last year I was mostly expanding my headphone collection, so this year I reserved the funds for a little IEM exploration. For a long time I’ve heard nice things about Tanchjim Oxygen, so when I’ve heard about $99 Oxygen “clone” (Tripowin Olina), I’ve decided to take a chance. What was my expectations? Potential side grade. Less detail, more soundstage, more dynamic, better treble extension, slightly energetic upper midrange.
So let’s compare:
1 < 2
Olina wins it for me. Good build and really like the look.
1 < 2
Olina. With IEMs is the same as with headphones, the lighter, the better. Less fiddling with position.
1 > 2
FDX1 wins it. Unfortunately, FDX1 isolation is bad, but Olina is new benchmark for bad isolation. As I’ve hear Oxygen is similar or worse, so at least I understand the design choice. However, this makes it almost unusable outside or in a noisy environment.
1 > 2
It’s a trade off between precision and tactility. Olina bass is much more fun and tactile. Sub bass is much better on Olina. FDX1 bass is better controlled and more clear and detailed. I’m torn on this, but to my surprise, I give the preference to FDX1.
Test tracks:
Chameleon - Trentemoller
Sadness - Enigma
They Just Haven’t Seen It - San Holo
1 > 2
What Olina gains in sparklines, loses in detail and fatigue, especially on higher volumes. Also energetic upper mids kind of negate Olina’s lower frequencies. FDX1 mids are more detailed and smooth. Olina’s more aggressive and rough.
Test tracks:
Crazy - Daniela Andrade
My Work - JFDR
1 < 2
Definitely better treble extension on Olina, with the price of a little rougher response.
Test tracks:
Red Light Zone - Colonia
1 > 2
FDX1 has excellent tuning. Only nitpicks are non impactful sub bass and rolled off treble.
Olina has very good tuning. Energetic upper midrange limits you to medium volumes (not bad per se). Bass is dynamic and tactful but relatively uncontrolled and echoy, which influence the overall clarity. Also focus on the midrange kind of impedes bass perception. So there is kind of negative feedback, bass degrades mids, mids impedes bass. Treble is excellent.
Overall FDX1 is more smooth and enjoyable listen.
1 > 2
FDX1 is on another level. Olina is very good, but tier or two below FDX1.
1 >= 2
Olina has biggest soundstage I’ve heard in IEM. This is Olina’s forte. Imaging seems better on the FDX1. Maybe product of it’s clarity. Despite of it, I remain somewhat unimpressed with Olina’s soundstage as it stays squarely in IEM territory. However, I am impressed with FDX1 imaging, so my slight preference goes to it.
1 < 2
Olina is more dynamic IEM. FDX1 is somewhat dynamically constrained.
1 > 2
Despite Olina’s nice soundstage and dynamic sound, I think that clarity, resolution and imaging are on the FDX1 side. It is a technically better IEM.
1 > 2
At 1/2 of FDX1 price (1/3 in my case, with transport and import duties), Olina is very competitive and maybe the best IEM at $100 bracket. However, FDX1 (if available at $200) is probably the best single DD under $700.
FDX1
Pros: resolution, tuning (with green nozzle), design
Cons: heavy, isolation, sub bass, treble extension
Olina
Pros: really big soundstage, great punch n’ slam, comfortable build, great looks
Cons: abysmal isolation, which makes it unusable in the noisy environments, hot upper mids. Hot upper mids would be manageable on medium volume, but with low isolation this makes them unusable outside
Olina is very nice for the price, maybe even the best in the price bracket. Detail is with the best is the price bracket, probably behind ER2XR.
So did it meet expectations?
Less detail? Yes.
More soundstage? Yes.
More dynamic? Yes.
Better treble extension? Yes.
Slightly energetic upper midrange? Yes.
Side grade? Eh? Well, now we enter deeply in the field of personal preferences. FDX1 is problematic outside, Olina is borderline unusable. But, disregarding that, are the technical trades off worth it? Well, for me… no. What I did conclude, is that I prefer detail retrieval and imaging to IEM soundstage and even dynamics. Bounded with great tuning, it makes FDX1 easy preference. However, for those who find FDX1 clinical, lacking sparkle, sub bass or dynamics, Olina might be a good choice, especially for the price. Take in the account that it is not usable in noisy environments.
All in all, Olina is an interesting IEM and this experience made me appreciate more FDX1 and made me more aware why I love them and also see some minor nitpicks I didn’t noticed before.
FDX1 is definitely more resolving than the Olina, but doesn’t have the fun factor of the Olina nor the soundstage width (This is open for debate tho.) You can’t go wrong with either IMO.
That being said, I do use my own FDX1 on a weekly basis when swapping out IEMs, I do appreciate it’s super clean sound, stock cable is a heavy MF tho, always wear mine over head like a traditional IEM, not the most comfortable fit but it’s serviceable.
Just got a B2:Dusk from another head.fi member, will be testing both out when I get that in the mail, I think both are similar on sheer detail retrieval.