JVC HA FW10000: High-end in-ear headphones can have a completely different design. Some manufacturers
are experimenting with hybrid models, others put 5-7 armature drivers in each earphone, and still others manage to pack planar emitters into a mini-format.
JVC developers, in the course of creating their best in-ear model, decided to go a completely different way, combining high technology with Japanese traditions and the main canons of High End.
The current flagship of the line – the JVC HA-FW10000 model – was released for the 10th anniversary of
the branded “wooden” series. Although this happened a long time ago, in 2018, it is still the
main reference in terms of quality and the main donor of technology for other models.
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JVC HA FW10000 Wood Cone
The first association that arises when you hear the phrase “wooden diffuser” is, of course, Wood Cone Acoustics and popular JVC stereos that were equipped with it. It was a real High End in its format – and the memories of the Wood Cone series are extremely positive. But it is one thing to make a sufficiently
large speaker cone for acoustics out of veneer, and it is quite another to implement the same technology
in microformat.
The solution is extremely interesting and makes it possible to control the frequency response with high accuracy – it all depends solely on the degree of perfectionism that the developers will show because you only need to choose the ideal ratio of materials.
All this was not enough for JVC engineers, and they decided to take control of the movement of the airflow. Small bulges and dots cover the section of the housing opposite the speaker cone, dispersing sound that does not enter the sound duct directly
Design and Build Quality
It is easy to see that the approach to sound tuning is in line with the best traditions of High End. A classic transducer that combines natural wood and high-tech carbon, the use of craft materials for precise frequency response correction, and the widespread fight against reflections – all this indicates the developers’ attention to the smallest details. And many more nuances reinforce this impression.
The JVC HA-FW10000 model, released for the Wood series anniversary, pays homage to the clarinet, a woodwind instrument with numerous metal parts, showcasing the Wood headphones’ unique character while accurately playing notes.
The wires leading to the plus and minus of each channel extend from one connector to another and do not have any additional connections or ramifications in the signal path. The copper conductors are naturally oxygen-free and highly purified, and the double insulation creates good protection not only against mechanical damage but also against the microphonic effect and the transmission of micro-vibrations.
Perfectionism, manifested in every detail, is the main difference between High-End class devices and all the others. In pursuit of absolute perfection, developers strive to eliminate the slightest negative factors at any cost and, as a result, get the opportunity to raise the sound quality one or more steps higher.
And that is why the JVC HA-FW10000 is an absolute, one hundred percent High-end End. But enough about hardware and philosophy. It’s time to talk about sound.
Sound
Along the way, I managed to listen to literally everything, including very intricate genres. The playlist included new age, eurodance, metal, progressive of all sorts, classics of different scales, experimental electronics, the notorious Japanese drums, and a ton of free jazz. In a word – everything that only had enough imagination.
And as a result, absolutely everything (even drums) was very interesting to listen to. The music was natural, exciting, and realistic. Any live recording breathed energy, immersed in the atmosphere, and did not let go of attention for a second. In a word – mysticism and witchcraft, not otherwise.
The model’s stunning detail, wide frequency range, and dynamic possibilities led me to a decision to
review its magical properties on an impartial measuring stand.
JVC HA FW10000 Measurements
On the frequency response graph, three unusual moments immediately catch your eye. The first is the absolute linearity of the characteristic right up to 2 kHz. I have never seen such a smooth schedule of such duration before. Usually, the frequency response is already trying to bend somewhere in the region of 200-300 Hz, and for all headphones, it begins to noticeably drift away around 1 kHz or earlier.
This is pure physics – in these areas, the influence of the headphone case, the ratio of the internal volume
and the load chamber that the listener’s ear creates, etc. affect. Here we see only pathetic attempts to
break the frequency response somewhere in the 500–1000 Hz section, which the engineers successfully stopped. Looking at this, someone can assume that the 3kHz boost was done consciously and deliberately.
And now take a closer look at the frequency response graphs of the JVC HA-FW10000 headphones at
the very beginning of this section. I did not apply the smoothing function to them. If you look closer to the
right edge, you can see a slight tremor in the region of 18-20 kHz, and there are barely noticeable waves
in the bass range. Everything else looks almost flawless. How is this possible? Either magic or the wood-carbon-plastic sandwich is really not prone to resonance. From the word “absolutely”.
As for the graph of harmonic distortions, JVC HA-FW10000 is trying to convince us that they are not
the product of magical forces or the creation of an alien civilization. With a very good, but achievable with real headphones, distortion corridor of 0.25 … 0.1% in the 60–2,000 Hz section, the graph dances fervently in the bass zone, rising locally to 3–4%.
Yes, and the notorious hump of the frequency response at 3 kHz is accompanied by a hump-clone on
the distortion graph – did you still fail? Thus, at least by distortion, we can conclude that the
headphones were still made by people – and they are not 100% perfect. But only 98-99%.
Conclusion
JVC HA-FW10000 are exceptionally original and original headphones: both in terms of appearance and in terms of engineering solutions. In technological terms, this is a whole exhibition of achievements –
after studying the model in detail, even in the High-End paradigm, it begins to seem that half of the
bells and whistles are redundant.
However, it is enough just to listen to JVC HA-FW10000 to believe in absolutely all the audiophile excesses that the JVC HA-FW10000 is filled with. It is completely unclear what exactly creates all this magic. I don’t even want to change the cable to an alternative one (for example, balanced).
Pros and Cons of the JVC HA-FW10000 In-Ear Headphones
Pros:
- Exceptional Audio Quality
- Superior Build Quality
- Comfortable Fit
- Impressive Soundstage
- Natural Silk Cable
Cons:
- Price
- Sensitivity to Cable Microphonics
- Limited Customization Options
JVC HA-FW10000 In-Ear Headphones Price
Almost: $1,999.95. You can check the Updated Price Here
JVC HA-FW10000 In-Ear Headphones Specs
Transmitter: dynamic, 11mm carbon-coated dome with wood bezel
Frequency range: 6-52,000 Hz
Impedance: 16 ohm
Sensitivity: 102 dB
Maximum power: 200mW
Cable: OFC 4n with MMCX connectors
Weight: 21.5 g
