Quote:
Originally Posted by dweaver View Post
OK I changed my mind a bit. I will will start with a basic overview of all 3 IEM's from a build perspective and then pick songs from different genre's and do A/B/C comparisons of the song with each IEM. I will switch up the order in which I listen to each song with each IEM. I have started with Jazz using 2 songs for comparison.
Comfort and design
FX40: The comfort of this IEM is not bad but I do find it to slightly less than the N-ergy and they are trickier to insert. I like the lightness of this IEM. The cable is light but does not feel cheap.
N-Ergy: This is the first flat tangle resistant cable I like. It is lighter than the others I have tried and not nearly as rubbery. I like the control talk button for controlling songs and talking on my iphone as well. The IEM itself is very comfortable in ear and microphonics are negligable when I use the clip to hold the cable in place. This IEM needs to be worn downwards though due to the control talk button not allowing it to be over ear.
FXD80: I think I know why I eventually got rid of the MTPC's I used to have. The FXD80 like that IEM is made out of good old solid metal making them a tank but they tug on my ears causing a bit of pressure flex in ear which I find distracting. The cable quality is top notch and when worn over ear the microphonics are not to bad.
Tangle free: N-Ergy>FX40>FXD80
Comfort: N-Ergy>FX40>FXD80
Ease of insertion: N-Ergy>FXD80>FX40
Cable quality: N-Ergy=FXD80>FX40
Microphonics: N-Ergy>FXD80=FX40
Isolation: Is about equal across all 3 IEM's.
Jazz
Diana Krall's "Walk on By"
FX40: The bass is a bit to strong as is are the cymbals. It's almost like the music is deliberately accented. The mids are actually nice but I keep getting distracted by the ways the cymbals are being produced. The piano is also not as prominent. The sound stage also feels slightly artificial. The overall effect is not bad and certainly musical but strongly coloured.
N-ergy: The bass is more in the background acting as accompaniment and so are the cymbals. The mids are slightly more delicate and transparent allowing more emotion to shine through Diana's singing the mids are on the bright side. The piano section of the song stands out a bit more and like Diana's singing is more delicate. There is no false sense of sound stage but the sound stage is just as large or larger than the FX40.
FXD80: The bass is nice and controlled, but ever so slightly stronger than I like but very close to ideal, cymbals are delicate and nicely in place. Singing is a bit throaty and warm, this makes the IEM more relaxed but loses some of the tranparency, but will never be called to energy. The piano section is slightly darker like the singing. The sound stage is clear and realistic.
Overall winner: N-Ergy=FXD80>>FX40, I have personally prefer the N-Ergy but for many they will disagree and give the winner to the FXD80 due to it's stronger bass and slightly stronger treble, others will also appreciate the warmer mids of the FXD80. Bottom line is if you prefer a brighter sound while still being slightly less treble accented you will like the N-Ergy if you like a warmer sound with more accents in the bass and treble go FXD80. The FX40 comes in a distant 2nd/3rd.
Patricia Barber "Light my Fire"
FXD80: The bass is nicely situated it has excellent weight to the rest of the song. Patricia's voice is dark and almost smokey. Cymbals are all in place and sound just about perfect for the song. The overall feeling of the song is weight with spikes of treble as cymbals hit throughout the song. The sound stage is natural and large.
N-Ergy: The bass is more in the background and slightly to quiet for the song. Patricia's voice is clear and while not sibilant is bright. Cymbals are slightly more present and the song is not as heavy feeling with more energy while never losing it's sense of smoothness. The sound stage is natural and large.
FX40: The bass is strong and a bit fat sounding, treble is overly emphasized. Patricia's voice sound very clear and is warm. The sound stage is large and a bit artificial sounding. The song while sounding artificially enhanced does sound nice in a strange sort of way with the exception of a few moments here and there where the bass or the treble becomes to much.
Overall winner: FXD80=N-Ergy>FX40, This is another virtual tie between the FXD80 and the N-Ergy and like the Diana Krall tune is because both IEM's offer different glimpes into the song that are equally compelling. The FX40 while still comng up the rear sounded more pleasing with Patricia Barber than Diana Krall.
Classic Rock
Eagles - Hotel California
N-Ergy: The guitar at the beginning of the song along with cymbals are nice and clean. the bass line sounds natural and right for the songs. Vocals sound very clean and clear and not recessed a problem with this particular song. Sound stage is large and instrument separation is very nice.
FX40: Bass sounds nice but slightly over cooked, cymbals are slightly stronger than they should be placing them way to forward. Vocals are clear but behind the bass line and cymbals making the song sound off. The is overall sense of exaggeration to the song with the sound stage sounding artificial. Cymbals often sound harsh and metallic.
FXD80: Bass line sound nice and natural, guitars sound subdued, cymbals are clear and present. Vocals sound slightly recessed losing clarity and dynamic. The sound stage is clear and natural sounding. Cymbals have a bit of a tendency to sound over cooked at different parts of the song.
Overal winner: N-Ergy>FXD80>>FX40, the N-ergy simply out class both JVC's on this song with clearer vocals and bass and treble that properly paces those vocals.
Meatloaf - Two out of Three Ain't Bad
FXD80: Bass guitar sounds a bit overwhelming at the beginning of the song, cymbals similarly sounds a bit over cooked. Vocals sound clear and clean and warm. The sound stage sounds large but their is an overall sense of exaggeration from the bass and treble placing the instruments in front of the vocals.
FX40: bass is seriously exaggerated, guitars have a slightly twangy aspect to them, cymbals have a hollow feeling to them or sound very metallic. The vocals sound harsh crossing the line into sibilance. The overall effect is like listening to the song through a bad radio. Sibilance runs throughout the song making it sound very static like.
N-Ergy: Piano at the beginning of the song sound clear, bass sounds realistic, vocals are perfectly clear and present, guitars sound energetic, cymbals sound clean and not over done and in place with the song. The overall feeling is like Meatloaf is in the front and the music is accompanying his singing from behind. The sound stage sounds natural and large.
Overall winner: N-Ergy>FXD80>>FX40. After these two songs and other I have listened over the past two days it is clear the N-Ergy is much better suited for classic rock with a more balanced sound allowing the vocals to be more properly situated in the songs.
Hard Rock
AC/DC - Let There be Rock
N-Ergy: The over all speed of this song appears to be slightly more than the IEM can handle but not so much I didn't enjoy the song it was just obviously muddled a small amount. The mid and treble energy was readily apparent and worked well for the song. Sound stage... well let's face it this song isn't about sound stage :-).
FXD80: The first thing I noticed was a lack of energy from the mids. The next thing I noticed was the detail and ease at which the IEM kept up with the speed with more bass presence.
FX40: Bass sounds big and slightly out of control, treble energy is to string making the cymbals sound very static like. The song is very blurred and becomes painful and almost un-listenable at the end of the song.
Overall winner: FXD80>N-Ergy>>>FX40, I give this song to the FXD80 which while lacking a bit of midrange energy was able to properly keep up with the songs speed and also had a bit mire bass presence needed for the song. If you like more energy though then the N-Ergy will work better. The FX40 was not even close.
Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused
FX40: Bass is large and in my face with a fat and uncontrolled abandon, Roberts singing actually sounds not bad until all the crazy insane treble energy kicks in. Sibilance is prevelant throughout different aspects of the song. Sound stage feels cavern like and artificial. When the song isn't going to fast the FX40 sounds not bad in a distorted fun sort of fashion but the cymbals completely ruin the song most of the time.
N-Ergy: Bass line sounds controlled and natural, Roberts voice sounds clean and in the right place within the song, no sibilance from his voice but good energy. Cymbals sound good and are in the right position within the song. The speed of the song seems to be managed OK by the IEM. The sound stage is large and sounds very natural. I like the overall placement of everything within the song.
FXD80: Bass is big but in control, I find it slightly to heavy but it's not bad overall. Roberts singing is clean but sounds like it is slightly distant to the rest of the music. Cymbals are clear but slightly to forward but controlled. During the faster part of the song the FXD80 keeps up admirably.
Overall winner: N-Ergy=FXD80>>FX40, I found the N-Ergy seemed to be the most balanced while the FXD80 the most articulate and the FX40 coming up somewhere in the very distant rear.
Mid comparison interlude
I thought I would take a small break from comparison for a moment and just discuss what I have noticed up to this point.
I think it's clear by this point that I like the N-Ergy quite a bit but that the FXD80 is holding it's own as well, while the FX40 is simply not competing. So I will give some general observations about each.
N-Ergy is an apt name for this new Monster as it's signature is all about high energy dynamics. This IEM is all about the midrange and treble, with a strong attack, guitars have quite a bit of bite and singers sound edgy while cymbals have great decay and not too heavy crash. Bass is present but is definitely not in the drivers seat.
FXD80 is the fastest IEM in the round up easily keeping up with what has been tossed at it so far. It's midrange is more distant and less energetic. Guitars and singing sounds clean but lacks bite or edginess making the IEM less fatiguing. Bass plays a more up front role and cymbals have more energy on the crash than the N-ergy while having very close to the same level of decay.
FX40 is like a younger sibling trying to imitate it's big brother\sister and failing miserably. The bass and treble are splashy and out of control, the sound stage is cavern like at times and almost always artificial sounding. The overall effect is a distorted and stressful view of everything played.
End if mid comparison interlude
Classical Orchestra
While I love classical music I am not super knowledgable so I won't be able to make a detail technicical analysis of the music for things like are the various instruments in the right place in the sound stage. I will attempt to identify if I am hearing depth as well as width in the sound stage though.
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 - "Choral": II. Molto Vivace
N-Ergy: The timpani at the beginning of the song sound reasonably powerful. All instruments sounds clean and clear with good instrument separation. Even at it's most complex the song sounds cohesive without a sense of blurring amongst the competing instruments. I like the natural feel to the sound stage which has good width and reasonable depth to it. They are not as good as the best IEM's I have heard but are above average. Nothing feels out of place or missing in the music.
FXD80: The timpani at the beginning of the song sounds powerful without being to much. All instruments sound clear and clean with good separation. The overall music is very detailed but more relaxed than the N-Ergy. The sound stage is wide and deep. Like the N-Ergy nothing feels really out of place or missing.
FX40: The timpani at the beginning of the song sounds large and slightly exaggerated. The song is reasonably coherent but there is a cavern like quality to the performance. The sense of distortion never really leaves throughout the song.
Overall winner: FXD80=N-Ergy>>FX40, this genre is equally done by the FXD80 and the N-Ergy IEM. The slight differences are the N-ergy has a bit more midrange clarity and energy while the FXD80 is more relaxed in the mids but has slightly more punch in the bass. Bothe have very nice sound stages but the FXD80 may be slightly more 3 dimensional. The FX40 while not really competing sounded better with this genre than anything I have compared so far.
