Thanks for this review! More people definitely need to consider this at this price point. Got extra lucky with discounts and copped them for around $40 last year when they released. Your review basically lines up with how I hear them with my library.
Thank you! Man 40$ really is a bargain for the JT1. Glad you had such luck. Fiio is releasing a lot of solid stuff recently, their more expensive headphones were also quite well received and I really want the FT3 haha.
@@absolutelyaverageaudioreviews yeah! I really wanted to wait for reviews before getting them. But at $40, I had to take the gamble. Glad it paid off! And yeah, FT3 is very interesting. It's at a really competitive price point though. A recent one that came out is the Aune AR5000. Hope you get a chance to review em!
Actually, the cable is very microphonic from the point where it splits into left and right, especially when wearing a hoody. However, the sound is very good. Sometimes the bass is too much though (the headphones' biggest flaw) ... Haven't experienced any shoutiness with vocals yet.
Its just a typical 3,5mm with a little mic integrated in the cable and works with any onboard realtek stuff. If you have a combined mic/audio input you should use that if you wanna use the mic.
So I have not listened to the Audio Technica, but looking at the frequency response graphs the Fiio is bassier and the ATH is more evenly balanced. Both have a cut in the lower midrange so clean up the bass and then go up again, but all in all the Audio Technica is brighter and should have a more forward midrange. So it really depends on what you want. I guess the ATH is a bit more "hifi" with a cleaner sound but which could get too harsh. The Fiio is pretty aggressive sounding too, but more mainstream and in my opinion a really fun sounding headphone with fantastic comfort and build quality for less than half the price of the MSR-7. You just want to enjoy music and listen to various genres? Get the Fiio. You want to more "professionally" listen to music, dont care about a little more brightness with a headphone that still sounds good and is not overly neutral? Get the Audio Technica.
There are quite a few out there and it highly depends on what sound profile you like and what do you want to listen to with the IEM. If you want a nicely balanced IEM that is not to bassy and is pretty good with details and separation, the Simgot EA500LM gets pretty good reviews. I have not listened to that though, but Simgot seems to be a capable company. If you want to have a good bassy sound with a present midrange, take a look at the Tangzu Fudu Verse. I really liked that one, it works for all genres and is really comfortable. For a more neutral sound (maybe not enough bass for electronic music), take a look at the Truthear Hexa or the 7hz Sonus. The Hexa has a bit less bass and is a bit less aggressive, but both have a very enjoyable tuning.
Fidelio is definently wider (open backs usually just sound wider). When I had the Fidelios I was looking around sometimes thinking there was something behind me haha. Both are V-shaped, so boosted Bass and Treble. JT 1 does have significantly more Bass, more punch and rumble. Fidelio sounds abit more natural and realistic with guitars and vocals, the upper midrange of the JT 1 is more aggressive. People sometimes found the X2HR to be pretty sibilant and harsh, but I never had this problem and the JT 1 sounds more intense to me. Still, not by far. Funnily the more I think about it the more you could say the JT 1 is kind of a closed back equivalent to the X2HR, but more extreme in its tuning.
I borrowed a balanced cord for my sondaras 4.4mm then I hooked it up to my tube amps and equalizer I turned down the bass a bit and I'm telling you these sound better than my 660 s2s
Isolation is okay, but obviously not comparable with ANC Headphones, even regarding passive isolation. A bit bulky for using these for commute. Also maybe a bit too loose for walking around outside. Its nice when sitting down or recording but impractical for your usecase I guess.
@@absolutelyaverageaudioreviews I was considering the HE400SE but after I got my Shuoer S12 and Truthear Hexa I realized that I'm pretty sensitive with timbre and dont like the Planar timbre 😂. Prob gonna save up more for either R70x, Aune AR5000, or HD600
Yeah Planars do have a special sound to them that sometimes sounds more clean and other times more artificial. I though the HE400SE was really nice but the stupid headband was killing me. The AR5000 is an interesting new headphone, but besides the good reviews I have heard it can get pretty harsh in the upper midrange. Still, really interesting and I kinda want it haha. The R70X and the HD600 both are really natural and inoffensive sounding, kinda evergreens in the audio world. Guess you should choose the R70X if you want a bit more bass and laid back sound.
Don't take my word as gospel as I am very much an amateur in this space. But I had the M40X for about 6 months last year. Sold them off as I just didn't enjoy them - especially at the price I got them for of ~$120. So take what I say with that context. Obviously, if you can get them cheaper, the value increases. Sonically, I think they were fairly inoffensive. I didn't find them bassy. Not the most textured bass, but thumpy enough. The treble wasn't sparkly or airy, but also means they weren't fatiguing and harsh. So I actually found them relatively neutral but with a clockwise tilt, so leans slightly warm. But, and I assume this was intended, they just sounded dry and boring - not necessarily lifeless, but getting close to that. I didn't hate how they sounded, but I also didn't find myself reaching for them over my HE400SE. Comfort wise.... they were not comfortable. 😅 YMMV of course, but they were hella tight and they're definitely close to being on ears more so than over ears. So yeah, had to sell them. Bought the JT1 a few months after I sold off the M40X - got lucky and only paid about $40 for them. And I really like them. Definitely bassier and warmer than the M40X and the treble definitely leans darker. But they're just much more fun to listen to, while still sounding relatively balanced and correct. There's enough treble to balance out the bassier tuning to still give some sense of detail. Separation is solid as well. And the most important part? They're really comfy! Clamp is almost perfect. Tight enough to prevent movement, but loose enough to still be comfortable for long sessions.
I can completely support what the other guy is saying. The M40X are far more neutral and are actually more often recommended for professional use than the more expensive Version, the M50X, because they have less of a bass emphasis and more treble. Which really could make them sound rather boring to listen to for a more casual listener. The JT1 has a far more punchy and impactful bass response while still retaining a a good midrange because the bass has a nice cut in the region where things get muddy if you have too much of an elevation there.. I do think the treble can get somewhat hot on the JT1 with some songs (ears really are extremly different regarding sensitivity when it comes to higher frequencies), but mostly I really enjoy its tuning. For below 100€ its also really good with imaging and separation of whats going on in a song. And of course the JT1 is a million times more comfortable. :D
The ATH40X is characterized by the fact that you involuntarily listen to them not so much enjoy the music, but observe how well the recording is made🤣. however, they were created for this...
