JVC FD01: A new contender for best DD IEM?

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by james444, Jun 20, 2018.

  1. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2015
    Likes Received:
    4,495
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    42°S
    56711208-6FC1-4575-9F52-F423F9965D68.jpeg

    Swab rolling...
     
  2. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    Did you try to rotate the nozzles? Just asking, since it might not be obvious that they have 360 degree rotating nozzles.
     
  3. captkirk

    captkirk Khan's BFF

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,877
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Sactown-ish
    I did to better results, but still found that the included tips were not right. Either too small or too big. It's not a deal breaker, as I'd likely invest some time to find a solution.
     
  4. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,790
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I'm however many months into these and still really enjoying them cotton balled, especially balanced out of the GO V2A. They have excellent balance, extension and dynamics. The mids have a really nice balance of detail and body. The weakness are bass detail/texture and soundstage but they're not bad, just not great.

    The bronze nozzle is developing some gunky green corrosion which hopefully won't infiltrate the driver.
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2018
  5. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    The modded JVC FD01 have become my primary IEMs and I prefer them over all other DDs in my collection.

    IMHO, blocking the entire nozzle diameter with filter material is unfavorable for bass transients and detail. I strongly recommend leaving an air duct open, as shown in this post:
    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...ender-for-best-dd-iem.6500/page-4#post-217030

    I still have the Sony EX1000, which have been my DD bass reference for many years. Listening to my modded FD01 and the EX1000 side by side, the JVC's bass is almost at eye level in quality. The Sonys are still a tad better, but not by much.

    Pretty much everything else other than bass is superior on the JVCs. So overall, I clearly prefer them to the EX1000.
     
  6. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,557
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Finland
    @james444, out of curiosity what sources do you use?
     
  7. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    Mostly just my LG V30. I'm not much into super expensive audiophile DAPs.

    When I'm out and about, I don't like having a wire attached to my smartphone. Then I usually carry my Shanling M0 in a breast pocket, which is attached to the FD01 via Linum Bax cable. I still use my LG V30 as music player and stream wirelessly via BT-LDAC to the M0. Funny thing is that this chain sounds equally good as the wired connection directly from the V30.
     
  8. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,557
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Finland
    Thanks. That Shanling looks promising and so does that Linux Bax cable.
     
  9. jafnvaegi

    jafnvaegi Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    99
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    NOVA
    If it's not too much trouble, do you mind posting an image of the BaX connected to the FD01 and a side-by-side with the stock cable to get a visual impression? I do like the stock cable quite a bit but the Linum cables are definitely more ideal in weight and while wearing glasses. I had a first gen 2-pin Music version years back before the BaX was released.
     
  10. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    f**k. Lost one of my modded nozzles (fell out of a hole in my pocket). I need to figure out WTF I did with the rest of the nozzles now.

    Anyone have a set I can pay for?

    edit: crisis averted. Found the f'ing nozzle.
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2018
  11. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria

    Stock cable vs. Linum Bax:

    [​IMG]
     
  12. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    The linum cables have unusually high impedance. Doesn't really matter with the impedance curve of the JVCs but they have pissed me off with some IEMs.
     
  13. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,557
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Finland
    Out of curiosity, can you point me towards some reliable steps how to measure cable resistance?
    I thought these linum cables where supposed to be very low in resistance.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2018
  14. shotgunshane

    shotgunshane Floridian Falcon

    Staff Member Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    6,304
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Clear, clear water
    Linum posts the impedance on their site,
    Music: 2 ohms
    BaX: 1.5 ohms
    Super BaX: 0.75 ohms

    For reference the standard Plastics One cable that comes with most ciem is somewhere between 1.1 and 1.25 ohms if I’m not mistaken.
     
  15. jafnvaegi

    jafnvaegi Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2015
    Likes Received:
    99
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    NOVA
    Appreciate it @james444 Just got an email that Linum about their upcoming black Friday sale. For anyone interested, it's going to be 35% off their SuperBaX and the 1st Gen BaX balanced, plus 20% off 2nd Gen BaX and Music cables - sale starts Thurs. 22nd 9:00a CET.
     
  16. JK47

    JK47 Guest

    Finally picked these up yesterday from the FedEx drop location after I missed two delivery attempts. The first attempt the driver actually looked at me as he pulled away as I ran from my garage and flagged him down... he still took off, lol. What a douche. He sure didn't stop after the rock I threw hit the back of his truck).

    I compared these to my Sony EX1000 with 4.4mm balanced stock cable. Whoa, these JVC's sound good right from the get go out of my Sony ZX300, and from my iPhone Xs with lightning cable adapter (the EX1000 doesn't sound good from a phone, EX1000 crave power).

    I've played around with the EQ on the ZX300 for a while when using the EX1000, trying to get rid of that sharp treble spike. Dropping the EQ in that range never quite sounded right, so I finally got around to raising the lower end instead, and jumpin' Jehova it worked out better than trying to take out the top end.

    IMG_1584.jpg

    The JVC FD-01 ooze's quality, right from the packaging, cable, housing, and system to switch out nozzles with their nano indexing marks.

    Quick impressions with my favorite of the bunch, the blue nozzles.

    FD-01- Bass is boomy and ever so slightly bloated sounding compared to the non EQ'ed EX1000. The Eq'ed EX1000 take's the cake in the bass texture and quality department quite handily.

    The mid range is another story and the FD-01 pulls away easily with a clean, crisp, and detailed sound (I found the red nozzles that were completely filled with gauze, lacking detail). The EX1000 lacks the finer details, and sounds almost muted and dead in comparison.

    The FD-01 is borderline too crisp up top but manages to reign it in... just. They definitely have a feeling of more space and extension in the high range than the EX1000, dare I say air?

    I also briefly compared them to my on the go traveling IEM, the Audio Technica IM-02. The FD-01 sounded more open with a bigger sense of space, and of course the FD-01 had a much stronger low end presence.

    Tracks/CD's used in listening sessions were:

    -2Pac's 1996 OG pressing of "All Eyez on Me"

    -The Euro Disco Magnum Opus track by Boney M... "Rasputin" (7+min extended version), man those balalaika (Russian Banjo) are so crisp and concise on the FD-01 when they drop into the mix !!! Ripped from vinyl onto my Tascam DA-3000

    -Tracy Chapman's self titled debut album, original cd pressing

    -The Doobie Brothers greatest hits

    -Slayer's "Show No Mercy"

    The only knock that somewhat bother's me is the weight of the FD-01, other than that they are pretty awesome, and reasonably priced compared to a lot of IEM's these days.
     
  17. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,568
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Going to get rid of my Andros soon and this was the only thing I felt would be a reasonable replacement for them without spending at least $1k. These tick all my boxes: DD, well built, detachable cable, easily moddable (this barely even counts as a mod), and reasonably priced. Looking forward to settling down with these as my main IEMs. Thanks again to james for finding these and doing the legwork on fixing them!
     
  18. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    Funny enough, there's a limited Edition of the FD01 on Amazon Japan that comes with an extra pair of "apple bronze" nozzles.

    I'm pretty confident though, they'll sound the same as the others lol...

    [​IMG]
     
  19. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    Measurements of the JVC FD01 with the $30 TRN BT20 true wireless earhooks. While the BT20 only supports SBC and AAC (no aptX or LDAC), the results are actually pretty decent in my book. As are my subjective listening impressions with the LG V30 via BT5.0 / AAC. Fit is a little tricky due to freely rotating MMCX connectors, but once fitted they feel more secure in my ears than true wireless IEMs.

    I'll be mostly using the TRN BT20 with the JVC FW01 woodies though, because when I'm out and about, I prefer a less analytical and somewhat warmer / bassier sound signature.

    Warning: there are MMCX and 2-pin versions of the TRN BT20 available. If you order these, be sure to select the correct version.

    Frequency response (wired = red, wireless / BT20 = blue):
    [​IMG]

    Impulse response wired:
    [​IMG]

    Impulse response wireless / BT20:
    [​IMG]
     
  20. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,568
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Got my FD-01 in today. Used calipers to cut 6mm wide strips in the lengths of 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, and 15mm. I loaded 12-14 into the nozzles and now it’s testing time!
     

Share This Page