Drop x JVC HA-FDX1 DD IEM: The second coming of ...

Discussion in 'IEM Measurements' started by purr1n, Aug 10, 2019.

  1. luisdent

    luisdent Facebook Friend

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2021
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Location:
    Texas
    awesome. thanks. any recommendation for alternative tips with those bore dimensions?
     
  2. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

    Staff Member Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    6,706
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Clear, clear water
    Are you looking for wide bore, narrow bore or something more average?

    I haven’t paid attention to the exact measurements but all these fit the FDX1 nozzle:

    Azla SednaEarfit - regular is nearly as tall as an Mee Audio dual flange. It’s wide bore too. The regular black are a stiffer silicone. Lights are softer but haven’t tried those yet.

    Ortofon - an average bore; very supple silicone; super comfortable

    Sony Hybrid or MH1 and Final E tips- will stretch to fit if you want a narrow bore. Narrow bore warms up the FDX1 a hair.
     
  3. crenca

    crenca Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    May 26, 2017
    Likes Received:
    4,288
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Southern New Mexico
    I have had these since Monday (new from Drop), and wanted to say a couple of things. These are my first IEM's in quite a while, and the last DD IEM I heard was some HifiMan model a few years ago that was not good at all.

    1) I want to say that these are even brighter in the upper mids/lower treble than I expected even from all the mention here in this thread. I put in the green nozzles in yesterday thinking they were the mid filter, but I just went to switch to the blues and I realized the greens I already had in were the most stuffed/damped filter, so another color switchero from the factory. Even through a DNA Starlett and with the most damped filter, I am EQing 2-4k down about 5 db and they are still a bright listen to my ears (slightly - certainly not a downslope). I listen to Focals (Clear, Utopia, Stellia) and HD6XX with little to no EQ normally so those are my direct comparisons

    2) With the above filter/EQ, I am still hearing quite a bit of sibilance in vocals and overly splashy and slightly grainy treble. The treble reminds me of my Bose QC35's I wear on the elliptical everyday.

    3) Timbre is good, but inner note detail/nuance is about where you would expect a good =< $500 product would be.

    With those critique out of the way I am actually appreciating and enjoying these alot. The strengths are as everyone is saying: Surprising good detail and separation, headstage, timbre, bass, etc. I am really noticing the lack of over-ear cup effects, as well as the isolation.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2021
  4. Ronion

    Ronion New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    USA
    These are the IEMs that led me here. Thank you for all the work that went into them. A stellar product. My filters also came reversed, but beyond that their QC was spot on. I have devised my own PEQ on the Qudelix 5K that put them on another level (for my own personal satisfaction). The Spiral Dots are my new favorite tip and since I use 2 different sizes I essentially got 2 working pairs and I’m going to try them on my old Sennheiser AMBEOs. Just for fun. For future reference, does anyone know exactly which Spiral Dots these are?
     
  5. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,103
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    These are Spiral Dots+, which are softer than the original Spiral Dots (without the '+'). AFAIK you can't buy these separately.

    The most recent version are Spiral Dots++, which are similarly soft on the outside, but with a more rigid stem. You can buy these separately from Amazon Japan:

    https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/EP-FX10M-B-Replacement-Spiral-Medium-Black/dp/B07NX64RZJ/
     
  6. Ronion

    Ronion New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    USA
    My “like” icon doesn’t work, but thank you so much. Too bad the bore is too large for the Ambeo. Funny thing is that I always figured they were big. I didn’t know what big was... that doesn’t sound good. Ha ha
     
  7. Ronion

    Ronion New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    USA
    Figures that something so nice doesn’t come cheap. At least they are available.
     
  8. Ronion

    Ronion New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    USA
    I tried to do a little tip rolling on these to see if some of my other tips may have a positive impact, but nothing I own is subjectively better than what comes in the box. There’s a YouTube video where the reviewer prefers 3 Spin Fits models, 2 of which I own. Neither of them work poorly for me but treble clarity, bass depth and soundstage is definitely negatively effected by them. It doesn’t turn this silk purse into a sow’s ear, just a reduction in quality/clarity across the board. It’s interesting to me that these Spin Fit tips had the opposite effect on other IEMs. I’m thinking that nozzle size is largely responsible, but I’m still fairly new to shallow insertion IEMs really. The only thing that disturbs me about the Spiral Dots is how comfortable they are. That may sound stupid, but I keep feeling like they are going to slip out or something. There’s just no pressure points. No nagging tight spots. Nothing to make me feel like they are in there securely. I’ve done plenty of dog walks (about 10 miles total) without any troubles, but still it’s a bit weird. Every other IEM I’ve tried has been slightly uncomfortable even with the most comfortable tips I could find. I’m also shocked by how well the Spiral Dots isolate. They are the closest to Etymotics in that regard that I’ve used. Definitely more so than the Spin Fits. I tried several other tips including some memory foam and various generic ones that came with other IEMs. The Spin Fits cp100 and 145 would be my second choice in this situation. I may order the ++ version of the Spiral Dots if anyone thinks it’s worth it. Just for fun. Maybe the harder stem will give me some pressure to make them feel more secure? I wonder how or if they effect the sound quality. I do think the (or rather what should be the) blue filters might be slightly too dark in the 2-3kHz region and I’m going to do what should be the green filters later on tonight just to see. Not that the Blue are all that far off, but when you have options, why not use the best for me. I can easily EQ with any source I regularly use, but what if I’m feeling lazy and just want to plug into my iPad. The more I use these, the better value they are.
     
  9. Ronion

    Ronion New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    USA
    The ‘Green’ filters just nail it for me. I have kicked down 4.3kHz by 2 dB and bumped a broader q filter at 25Hz by 1 dB and another at 16kHz by 2 dB and that has just taken these to a supreme level. Nothing I’ve played has sounded off to me with that and subjectively it’s utterly enveloping. Unless something breaks, these will never leave my collection. I’m not saying the filters will be perfect for everyone, or even that I’ll never touch them, but these just sound great like this on every genre barring stuff that intentionally sounds bad. These may not be the final word in neutrality, soundstage, imaging, isolation or resolution, but they are an easy $200 to spend without regrets and they do all those things very well and they may well be when final word in comfort for me.
     
  10. Baten

    Baten Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2018
    Likes Received:
    1,134
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    EU
    High-five, I use mine all day every day, green filter too. Love the sound. Not sure most people would prefer the green filter, but for me it hits the spot :)
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2021
  11. Ronion

    Ronion New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    USA
    I listened so long today I had to recharge my Qudelix! I’m sure it’s spot on for me. I don’t need to EQ it. That’s just to take it over the top.
     
  12. MrSheep

    MrSheep New

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2021
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Poland
    I just recieved JVC FDX1. First impressions are really positive, but i would prefer more high frequency shimmer (my favourite IEM of all time and the one that i am still using is Audio-Technica CK10 - with tri-flange tips and deep insertion, so i might be a little biased coming from them). After initial listening i have chosen filter with medium damping (in my case the blue one). I still prefer Sony EX800/1000 when it comes to DD IEMs, but JVC are much more usable outdoors. Overall i am quite happy with the purchase and i can recommend FDX1 to anyone who is looking for great sounding DD set.
     
  13. twinkletoes

    twinkletoes New

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2021
    Likes Received:
    17
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Singapore
    These are currently on sale for $175 on Drop right now, $154 if you use their "SAVE21" discount code.
    An insane deal that I feel should be pointed out :)
     
  14. Ronion

    Ronion New

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2021
    Likes Received:
    16
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    USA
    I really think these are a bargain, I man a screaming bargain at $200. Whoever gets them at this price has me envious.
     
  15. DivineCurrent

    DivineCurrent New

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2017
    Likes Received:
    25
    Trophy Points:
    13
    Location:
    US
    I just had to pick up a second set for $159 with that discount code, that's just too good of a deal to pass up. It's such a sleeper IEM hardly anyone talks about anymore, too bad because I prefer it to $900+ IEMs I've tried. I use EQ with the stock filter to make it sound like my Clear MG Pro, and damn do they deliver. I'd take them over any closed back I've tried including the Elegia. I'm also using the newer EP-FX10 Spiral Dot++ tips which are a better material and more comfortable than the stock ones, to me at least.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2021
  16. HockeyFan12

    HockeyFan12 New

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    It's probably something obvious I'm missing but I removed these from the stock cable and can't figure out which is right and which is left when attaching them to my new cable (Shure BT2 adapter).

    Are all dynamic IEMs less isolating than BA IEMs because of the vents? Or the nozzles might just be big for my ears and not sealing as well. Thanks.
     
  17. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2016
    Likes Received:
    11,622
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NOVA
    Home Page:
    This is a feature, not a bug - you can rotate the nozzles so each monitor can be either left or right. And, so you can do over-ear or downward (i.e., earbud style) cable routing. Nifty!
     
  18. HockeyFan12

    HockeyFan12 New

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Cool! Thank you! I was hoping it was something along those lines but worried I did something stupid.

    I think they sounded better wired but still pretty good!
     
  19. HockeyFan12

    HockeyFan12 New

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2017
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I can't get a decent fit with these!

    What comply foam tips would be compatible? I tried looking it up on comply's website and found nothing. Thanks!
     
  20. Metro

    Metro Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,639
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Comply Smart Core and Comply 600 size work.
     

Share This Page