[mikemercer]

WOW
 
Now, I've always admitted I'm no IEM expert, or even a big fan of em!!
 
But, it was fate, and luck that I was the first to actually write about the JH-13 Pros (pre- Freqphase) for Positive Feedback!!
I knew Jerry from my days at Atlantic Records - he used to handle the in-ear-monitors for our top artists!
So when I saw him at CanJam 09 I didn't know he sold Ultimate to Logitech and started JH-Audio!
 
GREAT man, cool as hell too.
 
The JH-13s did something for me, sound-stage wise and their capability with regard to re-creating a sense of air and space,
a sparkle there that I didn't think the Roxannes
couldn't possibly best...

 
Well, not only do the Roxannes - IMO, throw the deepest, widest soundstaging I've heard in high end IEMS,
but their bass response is wickedly fast and controlled. That sort of bass was admittedly missing on the JH-13s for me - 
 
as I LOVE over-ear, or on-ear. But the Roxannes slam with such authority in the low end and lower midrange,
and they have amazing detail retrieval and such dimensionality.

Roxannes and the AK240 - WHOAH - silky mids, gloriously extended highs, and the bottom is so solid, but it actually sounds
a BIT bloated down there next to the Glove Audio A1 playing the same tracks at 44.1/24-bit - but the Glove is still
warming up...

The soon-to-be-released Glove Audio (under CEntrance) A1 DAC/Amp for OG AK 120 & 100!!
I'm using my AK120 as storage here - but the Glove Audio A1 and Roxannes kill the new A&K players (AK100 II & AK120 II - IMO)
and its gonna be $599!
 
But, in the meantime - once again, for me, JH Audio has refined the edge of the sonic arts in IEM music playback.
I'm blown away - I could never sleep with IEMs in, even the JH-13s - but the fluidity of the sound of music through the Roxannes
is so textural, so dimensional that I forget about em!
 
and that's the goal of ANY Hi-fi system to me: whether high end two-channel in-room, over-ears, on-ears,  - I wanna connect to
the music so bad I forget about the gear, as it's just the vehicle.
 
DAMN - these are just other-worldly for me, 
in terms of their overall gestalt and sound clarity and coherency - DAMN again!!!

 
Full reviews coming!! love the folks at JH Audio too...

 

[robm321]

^ well put.

 

[mikemercer]

^ well put.

Thank you sir!
 
These are truly captivating!!

 

[Audiowood]

Thank you sir!

These are truly captivating!!

Very nice lighter.. Nothing beats a cigar, fine wine and good music listening at late night.. Nice mini review!

 

[PMA]

Hello all,
 
I just received my Roxanne's and so that I don't have to go through the entire thread, I wanted to ask a couple of questions from other users:
 
- JH Audio shipped some material that is supposed to go around the IEM body and I believe help with the seal.  Is anyone using this and if so, is it recommended?
- Do 3rd party cables exist yet and if so, do they truly improve sonic performance?
 
Cheers,
Paul

 

[headwhacker]

Hello all,


 


I just received my Roxanne's and so that I don't have to go through the entire thread, I wanted to ask a couple of questions from other users:


 


- JH Audio shipped some material that is supposed to go around the IEM body and I believe help with the seal.  Is anyone using this and if so, is it recommended?


- Do 3rd party cables exist yet and if so, do they truly improve sonic performance?


 


Cheers,


Paul

 


I tried the softwrap that comes with Roxanne and my JH16. Unless you wrap it correctly, it's going to make the seal worse. In my opinion, if you have to use it to get a satisfactory seal better sent your Roxanne back for refit.

My overall impression with cables is they do not add anything to improve sound provided the cable is of high quality and well built. The stock cable I believe is already excellent. It can make the sound worse if the solder joints and connector is bad. Good cables becomes bad over time due to wear and tear.

Third party cables is nice to improve aesthetics and convenience. Specific to Roxanne, if a third party cable maker comes up with a better cable with a more convenient/neat looking bass pot then that's the only time I will consider one. But if you are looking for a cable to improve how the Roxanne sound, you better spend the money for something that can actually make a difference.

I looked at cables once and I tried a silver cable on my JH16. I can't discern any difference compared with the stock cable. At first, I thought the cable can make a difference when I initially tried it with a universal IEM (H-200). But it's actually the inconsistent fit and tips the make the sound different rather than the cable.

 

[mikemercer]

  Thank you sir!
 
These are truly captivating!!

HERE's my review for Head-Fi fellas!
 
I asked if it could get featured on the main page, since I got a bunch of emails about it.
I'm not sure if that's Kosher anymore - to ask.
 
But I sincerely hope you dig it!!!!!

 

[mikemercer]

Very nice lighter.. Nothing beats a cigar, fine wine and good music listening at late night.. Nice mini review!

thanX brotha!
and you're right!!

 

[PMA]

 

  Hello all,
   
  I just received my Roxanne's and so that I don't have to go through the entire thread, I wanted to ask a couple of questions from other users:
   
  - JH Audio shipped some material that is supposed to go around the IEM body and I believe help with the seal.  Is anyone using this and if so, is it recommended?
  - Do 3rd party cables exist yet and if so, do they truly improve sonic performance?
   
  Cheers,
  Paul

 


I tried the softwrap that comes with Roxanne and my JH16. Unless you wrap it correctly, it's going to make the seal worse. In my opinion, if you have to use it to get a satisfactory seal better sent your Roxanne back for refit.

My overall impression with cables is they do not add anything to improve sound provided the cable is of high quality and well built. The stock cable I believe is already excellent. It can make the sound worse if the solder joints and connector is bad. Good cables becomes bad over time due to wear and tear.

Third party cables is nice to improve aesthetics and convenience. Specific to Roxanne, if a third party cable maker comes up with a better cable with a more convenient/neat looking bass pot then that's the only time I will consider one. But if you are looking for a cable to improve how the Roxanne sound, you better spend the money for something that can actually make a difference.

I looked at cables once and I tried a silver cable on my JH16. I can't discern any difference compared with the stock cable. At first, I thought the cable can make a difference when I initially tried it with a universal IEM (H-200). But it's actually the inconsistent fit and tips the make the sound different rather than the cable.

 
Thanks for the info.  Very helpful.  My Roxanne's fit well without the softwrap so I'll forego that.  Also, good to know that the stock cables are probably all I'll need.
 
Cheers,
Paul

 

[mikemercer]

  Hello all,
 
I just received my Roxanne's and so that I don't have to go through the entire thread, I wanted to ask a couple of questions from other users:
 
- JH Audio shipped some material that is supposed to go around the IEM body and I believe help with the seal.  Is anyone using this and if so, is it recommended?
- Do 3rd party cables exist yet and if so, do they truly improve sonic performance?
 
Cheers,
Paul

hey there Paul!
 
I haven't needed the material, thankfully my seal on my Roxannes are actually better than my original JH-13-Pros (upgraded to Freqphase)!!
Not sure how that happened - but thank God it did!!
 
Moon Audio Silver Dragon cables were actually the cables that Jerry Harvey told me himself to get for my JH-13s!! He said that, and he couldn't account for it - that when he tested his earphones on his bench with the Silver Dragons he actually averaged 3-4dB more gain! Sounds CRAZY I know - but coming from Jerry - I listened! And the Moon Audio Silver Dragons brought EVERYTHING forward without being too aggressive-sounding! The bass response was more extended - the mids were more coherent, and the highs had way more sparkle!
 
But I also find the stock cables on the Roxannes pretty damn good!
I know Drew at Moon Audio is either still working on Silver Dragons for the Roxannes now - or he'll have em SOON!
I'm going to try them out for sure - as they became my reference for my Audeze cans as well! Plus - he's got the best adapter system (like ALO's - with the mini-XLR) IMO.
 
I'm blown away by the Roxannes!!
 
If you guys didn't catch it - 
 
HERE'S MY REVIEW OF THE ROXANNES 
here at Head-Fi!!
 
Another review coming for Audio360.org!!

 

[gcannon]

Great review Mike!  I have a pair of Roxanne CIEMs on order thru Drew at Moon Audio and your review is making more excited about receiving them!  I had the good fortune of spending an afternoon at Drew's office and tried a number of options.  He only had the 16s for me to try with an AK240 and a Chord Hugo.  To me the Hugo blew away the AK240 and Drew agrees. I got the Roxanne's, the Hugo, and Siver Dragon cables for the toslink connection to a RWAK100.  I also got Silver Dragon cables for my HE6's and the USB cable from my PC to the Hugo. 
 
He is working with Jerry on the cable for the Roxanne'and he won't release them until they are where he and Jerry want them to be.  Hopefully about the same time I get my Roxanne's.  I highly recommend Drew and his passion for head-fil audio!
 
Quote:

  hey there Paul!
 
I haven't needed the material, thankfully my seal on my Roxannes are actually better than my original JH-13-Pros (upgraded to Freqphase)!!
Not sure how that happened - but thank God it did!!
 
Moon Audio Silver Dragon cables were actually the cables that Jerry Harvey told me himself to get for my JH-13s!! He said that, and he couldn't account for it - that when he tested his earphones on his bench with the Silver Dragons he actually averaged 3-4dB more gain! Sounds CRAZY I know - but coming from Jerry - I listened! And the Moon Audio Silver Dragons brought EVERYTHING forward without being too aggressive-sounding! The bass response was more extended - the mids were more coherent, and the highs had way more sparkle!
 
But I also find the stock cables on the Roxannes pretty damn good!
I know Drew at Moon Audio is either still working on Silver Dragons for the Roxannes now - or he'll have em SOON!
I'm going to try them out for sure - as they became my reference for my Audeze cans as well! Plus - he's got the best adapter system (like ALO's - with the mini-XLR) IMO.
 
I'm blown away by the Roxannes!!
 
If you guys didn't catch it -
 
HERE'S MY REVIEW OF THE ROXANNES 
here at Head-Fi!!
 
Another review coming for Audio360.org!!

 

[mikemercer]

 

Thanks SO much for the kind words!!
and YES!!!!
 
I'm psyched for Drews cables too!!

 

[gcannon]

  Thanks SO much for the kind words!!
and YES!!!!
 
I'm psyched for Drews cables too!!

BTW - I bookedmarked your review as I want to try some of the music you played on the Roxanne's. You got me interested in expanding my horizens beyond classic rock and pop.  I will google the titles, but are they avialable on HDTracks or some similar site?

 

[PMA]

I was able to do an A/B comparison of the Roxanne's to my JH16's (non freq phase) last night at the studio.  I went back and forth with recorded music and found that the JH16's are brighter overall with a bit less bass vs. the Roxanne's that seem warmer and more balanced with good low end as shipped from JH Audio.  Will take some adjustment but the differences are very noticeable but in a good way.
 
Cheers,
Paul

 

[LFC_SL]

I just had AK120 and that is clearly not the DAP I would recommend for the Roxanne. 901 and Hugo work well with it. Have not tried AK240 with it yet (away for mod).

Roxanne is revealing iems
Not all dap sounding good pair with Roxanne
I am agreed ak 120 pair with Roxanne is not good
Ak 240 pair with Roxanne is good
Ak 240 + amp like Mass Ko Bo 395 or Wagnus epsilon S = very good to excellent
Ak 240 + Hugo = excellent

IMO

AK240 much better than AK100/AK120. First gen devices were thick sounding for my tastes. Not heard new mk2 versions yet. AK240 amp section not as good as Hugo