: Expert Tuning with Rich Vivid Signature, Natural Emotional Vocals, Fantastic build and design, Great cable included
: May be out of some peoples price range - but then again this is a flagship product
This is my review originally posted on http://www.earphonia.com/earphones-iems-ciems/jomo-samba-pro-audio-ciem-review/
Jomo Audio is a Singapore local company that crafts in ear earphones that sound and look wonderful. They are well known and highly respected in Singapore but have little exposure in Europe.
So it was a privilege to be contacted by them to review their flagship release – The Samba Pro Audio 8 Driver custom in ear earphone.
Manufacturer Description
We are excited to introduce the brand new custom IEM, SAMBA, to our new Pro-Audio in-ear monitors lineup!
Samba was the result of our extensive R&D in custom IEM. Packed with 8 carefully tuned balanced armature drivers, provide you the most excited and vivid sound you’ve ever wanted.
Seamless connection between tri-bands crossover produce the most coherent sound. From deepest bass, through the richest vocal and to the clearest instrument, you will not miss a single note.
Effect Audio’s latest Ares II cable were built inside the Samba and it is the stock cable by default.
Specification:
Eight Precision Balanced Armature Drivers Dual Low, Dual Mid and Quad High configuration
Three ways crossover
Effect Audio Ares II Inter-drivers wiring
FR: 20Hz – 20kHz
Sensitivity: 116dB
Impedance: 19 ohms
Noise Isolation: 26dB +/- 3dB(Custom Version)
Price Range: SGD2399-2699 – approximately USD1700-1900 (range due to different options)
Official Product Page: http://www.jomoaudio.com/collections/featured-product/products/samba-pro-audio-iem
Review/Impressions
Packaging/Presentation:
I was very pleased to see that my case of preference was included with these earphones. Pelican Cases are fantastic for storing and protecting earphones.This one has a nice branding label with black on brushed silver backing.
Accessories
It comes with 3.5 jack adaptor, airplane adaptor, cleaning tool, case clip and a very useful velcro strip.
This is very handy for keeping the cables together nicely. No eartips are needed as these are custom in-ear earphones.
Cable
As a lot of you know, I am a big fan of ‘Effect Audio’ for their well engineered and beautiful cable range.
So the addition of the Ares II cable was an excellent choice to compliment the Samba CIEM.
Also the exact same cabling is used inside the Samba as well, so the signal flow should be extremely compatible.
I selected the single ended cable but you can choose balanced also if you prefer.
Earphone Fit
My history with Custom IEMs has been very poor in the past, with many fit issues due to either poor cast/scans of ears taken, inaccurate precision of shell creations or both.
This was not the case with the Jomo shells, these are the best fit of any CIEM, in fact of any earphone I have ever owned.
I am extremely impressed with their precision of build and exact replication of the casts sent to them.
Build Quality
The shells are smooth and solid with no air bubble imperfections. The bores look cleanly machined to let the signature flow unimpeded and the 2 pin socket is smooth and tight fitting.
As it is clear from these shells and many others Jomo has produced, his attention to detail and professionalism really is impressive and shows in the end result of his work.
His artistry and design compositions are bold yet contemporary, there are a number of options he provides but he is also able to incorporate your own unique designs.
Digital Audio Player Parings:
Using the Lotoo Paw Gold the Samba signature was very precise and detailed but didn’t feel as musical as with the AK380CU.
Using the Cowon Plenue S the Samba pairing worked well. The signature is a little more spacious and treble presence seems somewhat softened.
The signature feels refined, however the weighty richness felt more reduced when compared to the AK380CU signature.
Pairing with the striking looking Astell & Kern AK380 Copper DAP everything was fuller and more engaging.
Treble detail was very precise but in no way clinical or harsh.
The rest of my review is based on this AK380CU pairing using the Ares II supplied cable.
If you want more information about this cable there is a review of the plus series cable in the Ares II series which is very similar in the cables section of my site.
Sound Signature:
Due to the excellent build precision I was able to get a nice deep fit and perfect seal on both ears, ensuring that there is no frequency leak due to fit issues.
As I always do with all my earphone reviews I burned these in for 150 hours before starting to listen to them.
From the get go I am very impressed, it sort of reminds me of the first time I listened to the FitEar 334 famous Japanese earphones.
The signature fullness hits you first but it does not feel coloured at all, it is kind of neutral but has a very energetic feel and dynamic engaging presence to it.
The bass is full but in no way dominating. It is expertly controlled with great recovery on fast paced and dynamic tracks.
It stays rich and deep without any clouding of resolution. The focus spans primarily low to mid range but glides higher when needed.
The layering is very smooth and even though you can clearly identify the separation distinctly, it expertly weaves the layers together to create a detailed tapestry of sound, with all the instruments clear and well placed.
Pianos sound real with a natural weight very difficult to capture, key notes are sustained accurately and decay perfectly.
Soundstage is wide but not hugely so, just enough to create an engaging rounded signature without feeling too thick.
Mids are solid but not overly warm, just covering the ranges beautifully and adding to the coherent signature.
Vocals are natural sounding and clear, relaying an emotional richness. Every shift of air movement is captured effortlessly making you feel like it is being sung just for you on well mastered tracks.
As the name Samba is inspired from the lively energetic Brazilian created dance which can be seen in the Rio carnival, this earphone certainly lives up to it’s name and shares many synergies with the Brazilians.
Much like the Brazilians the Samba Pro is:
- An eclectic, beautifully tuned earphone that takes a myriad of diverse qualities and consistently rises upward with its spirit to produce an amazingly coherent solid and resilient sound signature.
- It shines with lively vitality and energy , there is no treble harshness, just well balanced precise rendering and richness.
- It has a fun, open and welcoming musicality which radiates joy to those who wish to join this private party.
- It’s well toned, with a firm weighty character yet agile and dynamic.
For me the Samba earphones deliver a carnival of audio pleasures, the signature blended and energetic with a unified feel of the crowd grooving as one, each and every participant uniquely contributing their own detail and expression to build something larger than their solo.
It creates a coherent wave of soulful joy, bringing light and vibrancy, thoroughly immersive, keeping you deep in that musical moment with its expert tuning and vivid inspiring signature.
Here are a couple of brilliant Samba inspired tracks I like:
Airto Moreira – Samba De Flora
This track starts with well paced precise raw percussion and deep drums pushing, rising into a crescendo of energetic grooves – designed to release the dancer in you.
The piano now takes over the focus and is then complimented by beautiful vibrant Portuguese vocals, laden with spirit and verve.
These energetic, passionate vocals trade the lead with the piano sometimes joining strengths equally to perfect effect.
A number of complex percussion breaks get your head moving with their infectious sounds.
The piano solos control all now with passion and strength, slamming hard with emotion.
The pace builds with energy and the familiar vivid vocals rise and fill the track to the end.
Elza Soares – Mas Que Nada
The start of this track doesn’t hold back and it’s straight to the point.
It firmly punches in with classic Samba percussion and Elza’s unique soulful voice hits every note in time with great pitch and rhythm.
As her voice takes the lead with raw emotion you can’t help but feel the groove. The track builds into a crescendo and leaves you wanting for more as it fades out.
The Jomo Samba Pro handles both tracks expertly, the detail and complexity between the instruments is clearly resolved but still extremely musical. The piano notes sound real with a natural feel, each note is rendered with dynamism, managing to portray the passion of the pianist with great accuracy. The vocals energy and pace are captured by this earphone giving you a live feel, nothing sounds clinical or overly technical. Musicality is abundantly present at all twists and turns as the tracks build to climax. Bass punches and extends with a well balanced presence adding to the depth. The Samba Pro earphones navigate the rhythm and electrifying energy of the tracks effortlessly.
I’m so in love with the energetic passion of the Jomo Samba Earphones all that’s left for me now is to get on a plane to Brazil!
When ordering the Samba please mention this sonickarma headfi and the earphonia.com review, Jomo can be contacted on info@jomoaudio.com.
This is my review originally posted on http://www.earphonia.com/earphones-iems-ciems/jomo-samba-pro-audio-ciem-review/ and also posted here on headfi to share