JH Audio JH16 Pro First Impressions - Page 219

What cables do you have?

Strangely, out of all the cables I tried:

Stefan Audio art E series,

Whiplash Twag V3

Whiplash Twag v3/TWcu hybrid

Westone Cable for W4R and ES5

I like the westone cable the most. Yes they muffle the sound a bit and is not as clear as the rest in the group. However, it gives weight to male vocal and made the JH16 non-analytical, much easier to listen to. This is the only cable that made me want to listen to the JH16.

Humor me, are $350 cables at all worth it?  I mean do they actually make that big of a difference?

They key is also finding the right pairing for the 8A. I actually found it quite difficult to get great synergy with this IEM... But once I found it, wow :).

I'm starting to notice that most of the negative critiques regarding the 16's boil down to source, and not so much that actual headphones.  They sound like absolute crap if you plug them into a bad source--i.e. macbook.  They sound decent if you plug them into a iphone, although none of the frequencies are at all controlled.  But once you plug them into a good source, they just come alive.  They have the potential for greatness, people just have to find the right synergy.  They only minor gripe I have is that the 16s accentuate the bass everywhere.  So if I want to listen to some ambient or downtempo, I'm getting more bass than I think should be there. 

True. I find the pairing bewteen my 8A and HDP-R10 just amazing. I tried my old JH16 with the HDP-R10 it just cant beat the 8A.

But my JH16 pairs well with my HM-801.

But it seems that the 8A is a better all rounder.

Yeah. JH16 pairs with GAME+801 like nothing else. 801's sound really fits JH audio CIEMs. I heard of GAME amp card is actually tuned with JH13. 8.a has more extended treble and warmer upper midrange, so it's slightly more all-rounder. But still neither of them IMO is a balanced CIEM. But I do agree 8.a pairs with dx100/HDP-R10 better than JH16.

regardless new or old JH16. They sound very similar.

You should hear the 8As on the N1 ;)....

Sorry. What is the N1?

Difference is huge, it's more perceivable than a 350 dollars amp. Trust me.

But the problem is, it is a change in all departments including resolution, sound-stage, frequency response.

Yes the TWag makes the JH16 sounds so revealing and add a bit to the depth, but in the mean time, it makes the already quite bright JH16 even brighter, and make the already quite fast and tight bass even tighter and faster, all in all, it becomes a surgical knife rather than a tool to enjoy music. While using the Westone cable, the JH16 will sound less clear but the over-all sound is darker, with meatier vocal (this is what all JH phone lacks, especially the 13).

Humor me, are $350 cables at all worth it?  I mean do they actually make that big of a difference?

To me the JH16 doesn't lack "meaty" vocals but that depends on a lot of things so it will vary based on your set up. With a pico slim amp, an ipod classic and the twag v3 the jh16 sounded dark and heavy, some people like that but I don't. The twag v2 on the other hand sounds perfect for me. 

Cables can change the entire sound of your iems, yes they make a huge difference.

And I imagine there is no real way of trying before buying with these twag cables?

You should hear the 8As on the N1 ;)....