PROS
- Pleasant, warm sound
- Very comfortable
- Affordable
- Punchy bass
- Ethereal soundstage
CONS
- Non-removable cable
- Overly large
VERDICT
JVC accomplished something that’s not very easy to do: produce a pair of headphones that makes you want to listen again to all of your favorite music and keep going until you run out of things to listen to. Their recipe for success is a combination of great comfort with punchy bass and soundstage that is guaranteed to take you on a small journey through time and space.
The JVC HARX900 are a versatile pair of closed-back headphones with an easily recognizable home-listening DNA. Their overly large cans and non-removable cable would make portable listening a hassle, but the ethereal soundstage and warm sound signature are likely to make you want to take them with you everywhere you go.
Design and build quality
Everybody who had the chance to see the JVC HARX900 pointed out how freakishly large they are. That’s because the housing needs to accommodate 50mm drivers and ensure that the durable construction is spread out on a large surface to prevent discomfort.
A good news is that the large size doesn’t come with an equally heavy weight. Combined with the comfortable padding and the well-designed headband, you can listen for hours on end without ever experiencing any discomfort at all.
The earpads are large enough to wrap around ears of all sizes and they let in enough air not to cause excessive sweating.
The single-sided cable is, unfortunately, hardwired to the left earcup. This throws off the weight balance and deprives you of the option to exchange it for a different one. At least, the cable is reasonably thick and appears to be very durable.
Those of you who like to modify their devices will be pleased to know that, due to the sheer size of the earcups, these are probably the most easily modifiable headphones on the market. You can try stuffing the earpads so the driver angles more directly at your ear or even replace the earpads completely with an aftermarket solution.
Sound quality
Let’s start with we liked the most about the sound of these headphones: the extra wide soundstage. Because you ears are relatively far away from the drivers, you get to enjoy a true sense of space and instrument separation. Watching movies or playing games becomes an utterly immersive experience that is hard to describe with words alone.
This feeling is made even enjoyable when the bass kicks in. The 50mm neodymium drivers can effortlessly reproduce even the deepest frequencies and sub-bass roars. At the same time, they manage to keep the sound free from any coloration, only adding a bit of a warm sound.
As 64-ohm headphones, they can really benefit from a dedicated headphones amplifier. An iPad or iPhone can drive them reasonably well, but you will certainly notice the difference.
What’s in the box?
The packaging of the JVC HARX900 includes only a basic adapter from 1/8″ to ¼” and nothing more.
