Michelle is made in higher level of exterior design by 3D-printing technology and hand craft than previous Siren series. This feature definitely appears from the nozzles tilted by about 10 degrees than normal iems helping users to insert stably and deeply into canals and get comfortable fit. However, you might use smaller size ear cap because of the long-length nozzle compared to housing body.
Sexy look!
In JHaudio dedicated leather case, there are small, medium and large size 1 pair each of ear caps and a nozzle cleaning tool. Those bundle ear caps have smooth feel, be not exposed to dirt and cover 1/3 of Michelle’s nozzle entrances. When using 3rd party ear cap products or not, I recommend that you need to manage with nozzle cleaning tool included. The reason for this work is that the big nozzle entrance is easily exposed to foreign bodies.
Michelle is made in higher level of exterior design by 3D-printing technology and hand craft than previous Siren series. This feature definitely appears from the nozzles tilted by about 10 degrees than normal iems helping users to insert stably and deeply into canals and get comfortable fit. However, you might use smaller size ear cap because of the long-length nozzle compared to housing body.
In JHaudio dedicated leather case, there are small, medium and large size 1 pair each of ear caps and a nozzle cleaning tool. Those bundle ear caps have smooth feel, be not exposed to dirt and cover 1/3 of Michelle’s nozzle entrances. When using 3rd party ear cap products or not, I recommend that you need to manage with nozzle cleaning tool included. The reason for this work is that the big nozzle entrance is easily exposed to foreign bodies.
Unfortunately, not recent 2pin connectors
There are 2.5mm balanced and 3.5mm stereo cables can connect Michelle’s units by detachable 2 pins connectors. Those cables are designed with silver-plated copper wire flatted and wrapped around Kevlar fiber string for improving durability. Also, those have L type jack plugs that can be used for various mobile devices like smartphones. Left(blue) and right(red) indications are revealed in the inner part of the cable’s connectors can easily distinguish them.
The intertwined cables based on 3 signal wires are made with Kevlar fiber that have strong elasticity and not easily come loose. The cables’ Y-split and jack plug are covered with flexible robber in slim size which help to reduce touch noise. The cables’ length is about 4.9 fts (150cm) longer than general iems. This feature is probably useful for plugging into stationary device or laptop.
You can replace with 3rd party cables by Michelle’s 2 pin connectors. However, the connectors are designed to be more narrow than recent version of 2pin that not compatible with some 3rd party products. And they may be weakened so I hope that do not change cables frequently if possible.
Specfication
Type: Universal fit IEM
Driver: 3 BA (3way)
Impedance: 18 ohm
Noise isolation: -26dB
Cable: 1.5 m (silver-plated Copper)
Component
Michelle IEM unit
2pin to 3.5mm stereo cable
2pin to 2.5mm balanced cable
Leather zipper case
Silicon ear-caps S/M/L (each)
Test equipment
Astell&Kern AKJr/XB10/AK240SS/AK70/AK300/AK320/AK380
Cowon Plenue D/M/M2/1/S, Fiio X3ii/ X5ii, Sony ZX100
Apple Macbook Air 2015/ iPhoneSE/ iPhone7
LG V20/ G5, Samsung Galaxy6/ Galacy7
Chord Hugo
Recommend Environment
Digital Audio Player
Astell&Kern AK70/ AK300/ AK380
Cowon Plenue D/ M2/ S
Ear-caps
Spinfit CP100, ROJET RX-04 Memory-foam
Music Gerne
Classic jazz, New Orleans jazz
Blues, Folk Rock, R&B, Soul
If you own or know about previous JHaudio Siren series, Michelle probably shows unexpected sound tendency. Unlike the previous sound tendency which had focused on mastering quality to catch finely the sound drawn on the stage with heavy tone, Michelle concentrates on expressing sensibility of instruments’ harmonic overtone characteristics.
Overall sound imaging is drawn from little bit close to the listener’s forehead and similar with listening in first seat from the stage. Intensively mastered sessions in mid-range perform closely, and other remains lay back. This performance is more noticeable with simpler instrument composition and reduces masking with mid and low-range.
The tonal balance of mid-range is quiet liquid that provides to feel the sounds of vocals, guitar strings, piano keyboards touch musically. The response is a little bit slow unlike other BA products and give difficulty to catch fast harmonic such as synthesizers and electronic guitars. It optimized at analogue instruments not digital.
The slow roll-off in the high-range aids sound stage little bit widely, on the other hand, the tonal balance of high seems to be stuffy. Therefore, unable to feel harsh strings’ harmonic overtones that indicate just like shortage of high frequency. In sound source focused on mid and low, probably does not give uncomfortable with monitoring. However, you might have trouble with finding details of high such as classical music based on strings.
The damping that occurs to bass is like the bass guitar riff, blows strongly and roll off rapidly. Thanks to clamed and deeply heavy tone of low, Michelle has fine performance with wind instruments playing. Otherwise, not suitable for electronic bass expression.
This one is best for me.
If Michelle’s deafened high and excessive low is burdensome, recommend to listen with third party ear-caps. The originals are designed to prevent ear waxes and obstruct nozzle tube passages. This concept may form extra resonance and distort some parts of high and low. This phenomenon can be improved by replacing the ear-caps, which not covered nozzle entrances and need to be a little bit stiff. Even so, some are not mounted properly owing to thick and long length nozzle.
Attached 2.5 balanced cable extends Michelle's bass range more widely bringing out more natural bass texture and sound field. As the volume of the bass is expanded, the proportion of mid-to-high is reduced. If you’d like to control emphasis on the bass, just try to change ear-caps shaping brighter treble.
One of the most attractive features of Michelle is that when it is used in various equipment environments, the tone of tonal balance distorts not that much. There remain some differences with bass volume and high resolutions, thus suggest matching with neutral or brighter sound devices better than heavy.
If without evident output structure defect, possibly listening to music smoothly on smartphones or laptops. However, for stationary products and wireless amplifiers that have far higher output power than portable digital audio players, it subjects to white noise easily. So, need to connect devices directly without additional equipment.
Oh! My Michelle!!!
Conclusion
Michelle is the entry product of JHaudio released at the intermediate price targeting users using portable devices. Even without the collaborated brand Astell & Kern products, it is able to feel highly qualified sound imaging and the stable midrange without large undulation in various device-matching environments. Unlike the previous series, it adopts with 3D printing technology and raised the housing design quality to the high level. Give it a try with Michelle if you want to experience sexy design, concentrated sound on mid& bass, and JH audio brand.
This content also is posted in
"Premium Headphone Guide Korea" vol.16
magazine in Korean language.
This review is written without any constraints.
But, Michelle is a personally purchased product by myself.
I did not receive this from any manufacturers.
This is my first English review.
Please understand even if I do not
express audiophile words accurately.
Thank you for reading this.
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