Weaknesses of the JH13?

I dont own one but here's my thoughts anyway

Like all other custom IEMs/IEMs, they have some downside such as:

- Little soundstage compare to fullsize
- Quite hurt when you put it in
- Can't sell it to others

As far as sound quality goes, for an iem, they really have no weakness IMO. Yes, there are other headphones that have a larger soundstage, but the soundstage you get from these is in no way a compromise or weakness.

There are full size headphones that I prefer, like the Stax O2, but you`re talking about a headphone that is going to cost you four to ten times as much or more once you factor in the source and amp costs to get full value from them.

You also have to remember that the people who have these headphones, have a very wide ranging experience with other headphones, from those who have heard nothing that would even remotely compare before they jumped on the bandwagon, to those, like myself (admittedly with limited experience), who have heard just about all of the top tier headphones with high quality sources and amps.

I think from the more experienced head-fiers, we have heard that while these are certainly amazing headphones, there are also full size headphones that compete, and even outshine the JH13s. But that isn`t to say that there is anything wrong with the JH13s. It`s all just a matter of preference.

There is one thing I dislike about the JH13 though and that is the stock cable. While it sounds ok, it is not the best made cable. The braid on mine is unravelling in a couple of places, the rubber at the Y split is falling apart, and, of course, it has turned green. A cable upgrade will remedy this negative though.

Some of its pros are also part of its weaknesses...
..and most of these weakness points go for all custom mold IEMs.

* Takes time to get ahold of.
Since you first have to get ear impressions at a local audiologist and ship these impressions to JH Audio in the US. First then they can starting making and in turn shipping it your way. You can not just drop by a local store and pick them up.
* Low resale value.
Since they are custom mold to your ears and will most certainly not fit anyone else ears. Someone way be able to refit them, but the selling value will be low.
* Possible fitting issues.
Some complain about improper fit. Hence they need to be shipped back to JH Audio for adjustments, then hope for a proper fit the second (third, ..) time.
* Smaller sound/head stage.
Its sound/head stage is not quite on par with some of those full size headphones.

Besides the sound/head stage point I find them to be very competitive sound wise to any full size headphone.
Definitely going to get a pair some day...

*they make every other iem unlistenable
*you will delete any mp3 below 320 and spend hours/days reripping to flac
(tounge firmly in cheek with these comments)

Wait...what? You just posted your impressions. But you don't have the JH13?

well, customs shouldn't hurt when used, and also you could just sell it and the seller could get remolds. As far as sound goes I would expect them to be near flawless.

one may find them "too detail" to enjoy music. more like dissecting the entire audio spectrum.

yea that's a solid "weakness" alright.. or at least something to consider.

You are right, no headphone, speaker, etc. is perfect. However, I can easily say, for me, the JH13 has been the single greatest audio purchase I have made. I am fortunate that I was able to purchase them without the consideration of what the resale value is and as some may know, holding on to gear is not one of my strengths.

Congrats on getting a pair! Oh wait, I just read the last line, you don't have them yet.

This thread is chock full of conjecture fail.

They do not hurt when inserting (or removing); on the contrary, they feel comfortable and secure; disappear both figuratively and physically after a few minutes. I find them a joy to wear for extended periods, and they only just arrived.

They do not sound like a dry, dissecting, surgical tool, nor does the detail retrieval seem contrived. They are resolving, accurate, neutral, and present recorded music in a very enjoyable manor. They present gobs of detail from a simple DAP; true, but with a great source, they are just sublime.

Arguments about the size of the soundstage (which is surprising for an in-ear) when compared to full size cans are subjective and difficult, as full size cans vary in imaging and soundstage to a very large degree (and some are smaller than the JH13's). Pointless to make a comparison (or conjecture) unless comparing directly to a particular can. They do present a nice cohesive image of the recording in all directions.

A non-user in another thread even cautioned to be careful when inserting as they "look fragile and might break." Although hollow (and for a reason), they feel quite sturdy; believe you'd have to drop them on a hard surface without the wire (as previously experienced by one user) to damage the shell. Severe shock damage to the BAs is more of a concern, but they are a precision piece and any owner would care for them as such.

No audio reproduction product is perfect or even near perfect, but this product gets relatively close and what it does makes it a good value. Whether these custom IEMS float your boat is no different than any other custom; no one buys them factoring in resale; it's simply a reason to choose a different product.

I very much suspect any weaknesses considered by actual users will be embedded within their reviews or general writings, and not within this thread, making it solely a place for negative speculation and conjecture. Is this what we want from this great forum?

well said mate =)

Correct! I have auditioned the JH-13 Pro, but do not own one.
It is very high up on my list though...

Since most comments so far have been from people who don't own them, I wonder where the smaller soundstage comments are coming from as that's not been my experience with the JH13 compared to other headphones. "Soundstage" with headphones is already just a wrong concept, but since I think we all understand, for the most part, that we're talking about the illusion of depth, width, height, and being able to sense the placement of instruments as accurately as possible, as if we could imagine being there, I've found the JH13s do as well as almost any headphone in this way. We're really talking about imaging here, and the ability of the headphones or iems to reproduce the directional cues as they were positioned during recording and mixing, and I've been exceptionally pleased with JH13s, and sometimes amazed, in this regard since day one. Yes, you do get a bit of that in-the-head sense, but we're talking about headphones. Yes, my R10s are a little better at bringing a desired lifelike sense to me, as are my O2s, but seriously, within the limitations all headphones have at this time (except for the Smyth Realiser system, which is a whole different thing), I've found the JH13s to be better than most headphones in this area, and it's the music itself (recording, mixing and mastering choices) that offers different experiences.

Weaknesses? I seriously can't think of any (again, as far as headphones go) except if you have fit or build issues, but they can be corrected.