Jade Audio EA3

After using this product for several weeks, we have decided to write a review about our experience.

If you know about Fiio, you should also know that Jade Audio is a sub-brand of Fiio. It looks like the sub-brand is specifically focused on budget line-up and they did a very good job in that.

Who are we?

You must have noticed that above I wrote “we”. But who are “we”? I am Artem and I love rock, pop-punk, and old school hip-hop. My favorite band is Кино. My friend’s name is Bogdan, he is a big fan of Queen and Sex Pistols. I am 16, and Bogdan is 15 years old… We are young, very young. But we both love music and want to share a little bit of that passion here. Neither of us are fluent in English, so we hope you can forgive any grammar mistakes.

We are amateurs and are not trying to be professionals. We just want to share our love for music and how headphones make that experience better or worse.

Unboxing

The box that holds the earphones is a white box that is mostly blank. On the back of the box you can see Fiio logo.

First we thought that there was not a lot, but when open the carrying pouch we found that this package has more things that we first thought. The earphones are black and look good in the foam. The pouch is also nice because when not using the earphones we can just put them in pouch and the earphones will not scratch or damage.

Both of us think the unboxing is nice and that Jade Audio put their energy to make the experience nice.

Quality and design

We are used to earphones that come with phones. As most of you know, they are usually nothing special. They last a couple of months and then they break. Jade Audio EA3 is very different. It not only has a removable cable, which is completely new to us, but it is also of better quality.

I am impressed that a earphone this cheap can be so well built. We are also not used for an earphone to go over the ears, but we will talk about that in the next segment.

Comfort and new over-ear design experience

As we mentioned previously, we have never used over ear earphones. This is the first time that we have tried something of this kind and we are not disappointed. I specifically liked the over ear design because if I am talking to someone, I can just take out the earphone out of my ear and it will hang over my ear, and once I stop talking to someone I can continue listening to my music.

Speaking of music, we want to talk about how it is listening to this earphone. I really like this headphone because it really allowed me to enjoy music much more. I know this because when I go back to my phone earphones, music just sounds boring and lifeless.

The 13mm driver makes music sound alive. This is meant in just about every way possible. The soundstage is tremendously larger, the bass is fuller and deeper, the vocals sound more complete, and the treble is clearer. All these things together make it a very good earphone.

Bass

This is the most noticeable upgrade from small phone earphones, it is what makes it sound big. We finally know what sub-bass means.

I really felt blown away going back and listening my favorite songs. Tupac’s California Love felt like refreshing a memory that got lost in time. It’s like discovering your favorite food for the second time. The bass feels clean and powerful without bleeding into mids.

On the other hand, Bogdan really enjoying some modern hits like slowthai’s Doorman.

Midrange

Midrange sounds very nice and wide. Everything from vocals to instruments sounds better, much better. I personally really liked and enjoyed listening to Кино - Видели ночь. It really made happy because I can relate to it, it’s a happy song about being a teenager.

Bogdan also agrees with me that the midrange sounds much better than on the normal phone earphones. He really liked listening to the guitar in Dead Kennedys Uber Alles

High frequency

Moving on, the treble reason is pronounced and pleasant in its detail ability. Because it is pronounced, aggressive music sounds perfect to me, but it’s also nice to hear the snare & percussion in hip-hop.

We noticed many people think there is too much treble and it’s too harsh, but neither me or Bogdan found this to be true for our ears. This IEMs are definitely designed for treble lovers like us and people who like aggressive sound.



Final thoughts

It is really amazing how different and better a $40 IEM sounds. It is a very big improvement from earphones that come with your smartphone. If you are just starting out in this hobby and want to get something that will improve your listening experience by a lot then Jade Audio EA3 might be a good option

Jade Audio ea3 review narratives






How come? :
I believe what is interesting to me is finding out something new; discovering what I did not know before, especially if it’s something that I like. I mean, it’s not to the level of Christopher Columbus discovering America, but we both share in our pursuits in that it’s not only about the money or review sample. And my honesty means that I protect my credibility to do reviews again in the future, and that is important to me.

Setup:
I chose a set of music or playlist, and they all come from online streaming. Therefore I was limited to using a Mac. And thereby I only had the Creative G5, VE Odyssey, and Advance Accessport Lite on hand to DAC and amplify the music. If you own the G5 you would know that it does not support the Mac OS. I was able to use the optical input of the G5 connected to the Mac’s headphone jack with the proper optical cable. I have not yet been able to save streaming to micro SD card yet, so none of my DAPs were included in this review.



Sound:
The Jade Audio ea3 sounds beautiful and drives a lot of bang for the buck. The sound signature is V shaped but audiophile friendly bass tuning. And in my setup, more on that later, ea3 was not treble harsh nor required burn in. Spectrally speaking, bass, mids, and highs, are not the highlight of the show in my opinion. In fact I was not drawn to the different segment of the spectrum to identify distinct sound characteristics. They’re all there, but nothing special stood out in their respect. By the way the ea3 responds well to eq and more bass can be achieved. But what is special is the cleanliness and speed of the response as a whole. The ea3 sounds very transparent and reveals a lot of detail. So that alone should be plenty of motivation to go out and find out more about this new iem. But there is more to consider.

At this stage in earphone/headphone development there are, believe it or not, more things to consider when selecting the favorite one. We are blessed today with many many options on the table. And sobering to say I can mention two things the ea3 is not. It does not do voice like Sennheiser HD600. I know, but who does beside Sennheiser. I’m just a messenger. And secondly the space on ES3, that is KZ ES3 does space presentation better to me. And I like sound to come from everywhere like in a big place where they play music or perform music for the fans. I was told they do those things at the Clubs. As I recall F9Pro had large space presentation. Enough of this focusing all my attention to a couple of things that is only important to me.

Moving on, I wanted to point out that in real life there are things we can not do without help. For instance, if Steve Jobs not invented the iPhone, would we be buying smartphones every year. We would have never done that without a tool to give us leverage to overcome physics. The physics being why would I need a new phone every year. Well in headfi land the physics can be things like: “what in the world is she saying in the song?” The tool to use for leverage is the ea3. This iem is so revealing and so detailed and makes music so separated in sound space you can pick out the words like never before. In one song that I heard streaming and I was doing the dishes, I heard “petty groove.” So I searched like most sensible people on Youtube for songs with “petty groove.” By the way I was using my iPad on the table to listen via my Mpow bluetooth headphones. I failed miserably to find that song. And later I learned the song was “Panic Room.” After listening with the ea3 I heard panic room. I’m just saying, if I had the ea3 before that I would not have gone through that horrible ordeal. We at headfi must get answers, and quickly.

Build and function:
The ea3 comes with basic preformed ear hook and 0.78mm 2 pin connector headphone cable. It’s good but not great. But considering the price point, this comes with Knowles BA. And it comes with additional tips but I only needed to use the ones already on the ea3. See pictures for more detail. The fitting for the 2 pin connector could be better designed to prevent premature failure. Otherwise everything looks and feels premium and light weight. The fit was comfortable for me. Because this is cable up wearing iem, it does take a minute to put this on, one ear at a time. If you practice piano using headphones, this can get a bit in the way when taking breaks between practice runs. By the way ea3 was so clean and revealing, the digital piano’s sounds limitation could be heard.

Comparison:
I used the KZ ES3 and the Sony MH755 for comparison with the ea3. I felt the ES3 and MH755 were on the same level. But the ea3 was on another level of performance. The ea3 was just more transparent, cleaner and more uncolored, faster response, better separation, better detail, and more capable. However with that said I would still keep ES3, and I don’t think I can get much for the MH755 if I tried to sell it, so no reason to dwell on that thinking. I just like the sound presentation of the ES3 with its big space presentation just like the F9Pro. The ES3 is more colored to the KZ house sound, which I appreciate despite not being transparent.



Value/Conclusion:
Some people may say ea3 cost $40 and others may say $50 or more. I say it would cost less if you get it at Amazon because you’re dealing with an official Jade Audio distributor, and Amazon offers intangible benefits like peace of mind. I think ea3 is a competitive player in the less than $100 iem market. And I think ea3 offers Knowles BA which is well respected. But the most important things are the sound, comfort, value, and compatibility/applicability. Sound is good; comfort is good; and value is more than competitive. But compatibility/applicability depends on each to their own. For instance, ea3 might serve as a filler to a slot in the rotation that is wanting of something differently special. Also some people may have G5 or similar DAC/amp that is warm and treble rolled off, and the ea3 would not come across overly treble boosted. So it depends on you.
Last but not least my playlist included EDM where ea3 really shines.

Jade Audio is sub brand of Fiio, and we can see they're trying to make more cheap but great performer and more affordable things for compete with other strong cheap iem manufactors like KZ or Moondrop etc... And yes they can.
İ will make fully objective review with all my sincerity.

Package:

Simple package with nice cotton zipper and lot of silicon tips. Package looks simple but accessories really enought .Competitors usually not include case, that's a plus.

Fit and Build Quality
Fit is really good, it has soft edges, small and ergonomical. Suitable for long listening. EA3 made greater performer about fit issue against similar price ranged competitors like CCA C12 or Tin Audio T2. Cable is thin but strong, silver colour shines. Also it has a soft hooks advantage for wearing. Shell made of hard plastic feels OK for me but not on the İbasso İT level. But not bad as C12 too. Acceptable. Also marble pattern on shell looks attractive. İn a nutshell, EA3 has great fit and ergonomy with nice cable and acceptable shell. I find isolation about avarage

Sound Quality: There's a balanced sound with some dynamic bass bump.

Bass :With benefit of dynamic driver, bass can goes fairly deep but not except a great deep sub bass. Good for price range. Mid bass is little shy and not too quick. General bass quality is more on smoother way. It can touch your ear but not overwhelming.

Midrange: Thanks to hybrid design. Mids are full and balanced. Instruments are crispy and lively. Seperation and clarity about average. Vocals comes not for or intimate, realistic and succesfull. I can say sound is not harsh or painful more relaxed and full sounding iem.

Treble: Treble is bright and detailed. Control is about average and with some source can be toward to sibilance but i did not encounter problems with treble. Not so much airy or clear but it's pretty OK for general sound signature. Extension is fairly enough you dont feel muddy.

Sounstage:Soundstage is about average but i can say it goes more deep than wide. There's some air with instruments. Sounds not comes muddy but also not feels very airy too.

Summary: Pretty good for price range, there's nice balance about sound with good dynamic power. Very suitable for long session listening with great fit and not congested sound .

Comparision:
CCA C12 :C12 gives more sharp, detailed, dynamic sound with more bass. But also it can be harsh and goes sibilance sometimes. Not controlled as EA3. Also fit, build and cable is better on EA3. Depends for your style there's not clear winner.

Love Your Pocket – Jade Audio EA3 IEMs Review


Jade EA3 is made by a sub-base company of FiiO named Jade Audio, and they are priced at 40 USD. They will get compared with FiiO F9 PRO, Shozy Hibiki, and with REVONEXT QT3. Given their price point, they will mostly be paired with less expensive sources, or ultraportable DAPs like M6 from FiiO, so the pairing part will be combined in the build quality section of the review.









Introduction



If you haven’t heard by FiiO yet, I really invite you to read some of my reviews about their products, because they’re one of those really awesome companies who does everything they can for their customers and helped shape the current audio world that we know. They are a large-ish company now and it is recommended to get their products from their official channels rather than directly from FiiO, unless you live in China, as your local sellers can serve you a bit better than FiiO can directly from China (since shipping a package will include taxes, shipping costs and all).



That being said, it should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with FiiO, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank FiiO for providing the sample for this review, with me being responsible for paying the custom taxes. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Jade Audio EA3 IEMs find their next music companion.







About me



https://audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html







Packaging



First things first, let’s get the packaging out of the way:












EA3 does not come with much, just the IEMs and extra tips. FiiO usually has better packages, and it feels like the Jade sub company will save you some bucks on the package but still offer the same quality we’re used to seeing from FiiO.







What to look for when purchasing a high-end In-Ear Monitor



https://audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html







Youtube Video











Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort



The build quality is great, pretty plastic but pretty comfy. The body is large enough to fill most ears, but still not big enough to be uncomfortable for those with smaller ears. The cable is detachable, and of an excellent quality for the price point, which is 40 USD. The large dynamic driver is visible from the outside.






Happily, there is no driver flex with the EA3, FiiO managed to cut it out, with a vent, and there is no cable microphonic either. The default tips are not great in quality, and if possible, I would recommend upgrading to better tips, but they are nowhere near as bad as the default tips that most entry-level chifi iems come with, so it should be good to go, especially for the new audiophile who isn’t looking for Final Tips or Spinfit Tips in particular.



The term Chifi basically comes from the idea of Head-Fi and other headphone / earphone -related ideas ending in -fi, and Chi-Fi comes from Chinese-Fi, which applies to most Entry-Level earphones coming from China.



The drive factor is good, EA3 is medium to drive, not particularly sensitive to hiss, so it will work with any portable or ultraportable DAP, like FiiO M5, Shanling M2x, Hiby R3PRO, and even with DAC/AMPs like Lotoo Paw S1, Earstudio HUD100 or FiiO Q5s.



All in all, EA3 feels like a nicely built IEM, and although it is fully made of plastic, the design is original, and better than the alternatives from KZ which are always ripoffs after bigger, better products.







Sound Quality



Speaking of an IEM with a warm, and beginner-friendly signature, you can absolutely go for EA3 if you’re a fan of warmer signatures with a large bass, holographic and wide presentation, and if you like having a lot of impact. They are not very relaxing, since the midrange is quite uplifting and the treble is too, EA3 is a touch forward in general, and if you want something to relax to, FiiO has the darker-sounding F5. Most of their other IEMs, like the F9PRO, FH7, and FA9 are quite energetic. FH5 is borderline between being relaxing and being quite uplifting and energetic.






The bass of the EA3 is the central element of their sound, with a nice amount of body and impact. IT is a natural to slow timed bass, but it reaches very low, down to the 25 Hz range, which is excellent. The bass warms up the midrange, and it bleeds a bit in the mids, creating a feeling of warmth for the entire sound. There’s a good amount of detail and clarity with the EA3, as they are able to outline two or three basslines in complex tracks, but they are not quick enough for death metal and aggressive music.



The midrange is also pretty natural in speed, so they never come through as analytical, rather being pretty natural, pretty sweet and pretty musical. Indeed, where FiiO as a brand is known for fairly analytical and clear / somewhat bright and cold IEMs, it looks like the Jade sub-brand is going for warmer signatures. The soundstage is pretty wide, and not very deep, and EA3 has a pretty holographic presentation.



The treble is somewhat uplifted overall, enough so that the signature never feels dark, but not enough for me to call it traditionally V-Shaped. The treble has a fairly natural presentation, not a lot of grain, and if I was to complain about anything, I would have wanted a bit more sparkle. All in all, the signature is very versatile, works for classical as well as it works for rock and meal, but also for EDM and Pop.







Comparisons



The main competitor list for the Jade EA3 includes a ton of IEMs, since the Chifi producer market releases a new Chifi IEM every week, and not every one of them dies in a few months. I tried to pick a few important competitors, so I will be comparing the EA3 with FiiO F9PRO, Shozy Hibiki and Revonext QT3.






Pairing the Ea3 with smartphones like the Huawei P20, or Xiaomi Redmi Note 9s is a great ideea too, although most of the competitors generally ask for better sources, so if you’re wondering about pairing, Ea3 is simply not picky, which is why I skipped the pairing part of the review.



Jade EA3 vs FiiO F9PRO ( USD vs USD) – FiiO F9 PRO is quite a bit more expensive, but this doesn’t stop the EA3 from having some advantages over FiiO’s previous ace. Starting with the warmer sound, the sound also has a wider soundstage, and Ea3 is easier to drive and pair with DAPs and even smartphones, so it is much simpler to recommend, especially if you’re a beginner in Audio and want to see how a high-quality IEM sounds like.



Jade EA3 vs Shozy Hibiki MK II ( USD vs USD) – Hibiki is pretty cool by itself, but it lacks the package, and the detachable cable to be as cool as the Jade Ea 3. The sound also has better bass, and better low reach on the Ea3, and better treble extension, air and sparkle on the Ea3. Hibiki is more forward and even warmer than EA3, to the point where the sound is a bit fuzzy. All in all, Ea3 is more recommended in general than the Hibiki MKII in ever aspect, except for the plastic that touches your ear, which had a more comfortable finish there.



Jade EA3 vs Revonext QT3 ( USD vs USD) – QT3 is an unique case, because it has a lower end package, but it has a more detailed sound. It is more V-Shaped, and has a brighter treble, which may sound appealing at first, but that treble is quite shrill and metallic, in comparison to the more natural and less fatiguing treble of the EA3. All in all, if you want a super V-Shaped sounding IEM, you can go for QT3, but if you want something that’s warm, impactful and more comfy to listen to long-term, then EA3 is a better option.







Value and Conclusion



The value of the Jade EA3 is better than that of most Chifi IEMs, because the sound is really good, and they have a good build quality, along with an excellent comfort.






This being said, it is no news for FiiO to get the ergonomics right, and so far they had excellent ergonomics and build for every one of their IEMs, from the days of F9 all the way to FH7 and FA9 which have been released recently. No driver flex, paired with a nice cable makes it really easy to recommend the Jade EA3 more than the other options out there in the sub 50 USD price range.



The sound is warm, pleasant, it provides the listener with an impactful and uplifting presentation, but it doesn’t miss out on the treble, like Xelento did, and the sound also has a pretty wide and holographic presentation, making it easy to listen to the Jade EA3 regardless whether you enjoy rock, pop or electronic music.



At the end of this review, if you want a great IEM for 40 USD, if you’re looking for fairly good comfort, and if you don’t mind the plastic, if you want a good cable, along with a nice dynamic, punchy sound with a warm tint, the Jade EA3 is an awesome option and the IEM I can easily recommend you, even now, a few months after I posted the original Youtube Video Review.







Full Playlist used for this review

While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.


Youtube Playlist



Tidal Playlist

https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b







I hope my review is helpful to you!

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First, I would like to thank Jade Audio for sending out the the EA3 free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

I did all the listening on my Hiby R3 Pro. Source files are all FLAC 16bit, 44.1k or better.

CONSTRUCTION

The EA3 is a hybrid iem with a massive 13.6mm polymer diaphragm dynamic driver and a genuine Knowles 33518 balanced armature for high frequencies. With this driver combo I expected robust bass response and smooth, detailed mids and highs and I was not disappointed. More on this later.....

The shells are blue plastic with beautiful celluloid guitar pick material inside bearing the Jade Audio logo. They are very light and all day comfortable. I like that Jade Audio tried something different in the design of the shells. I play guitar, so this appeals to me. The cable is very nice! I love the look and feel of it.

BASS

With the huge 13.6mm drivers, I expected potent, but slow bass. I was only half right. The bass is powerful alright but is very well controlled. Kick drums are mighty and fast and deep. It is not a bass-head iem, but it will be enough for all but the most avid bass-heads. I like it! Good sub bass extension.

MIDS

Mids are smooth, detailed and not hugely recessed. It is a V shaped signature but not overly so. Again, I like it! Vocals and guitars sound detailed and smooth with just enough edge to cut through the mix. Low mids are full but not bloated, yielding full, powerful male vocals and thick, chunky guitars.

TREBLE

I have heard some reviews describing the treble as sibilant. I disagree. Yes, the treble is elevated but it isn't sibient in my experience. I just Installed tips with a slightly smaller bore and turned down the treble by a couple decibels and it's great. The detail from that Knowles ba is nicely detailed and silky. Just adj your eq if they are too bright for your taste. They are smooth, but they will not mask any sibilance that is on the recording. If it's there, you will hear it, good or bad.

SOUNDSTAGE

With all that treble detail, the stage is nice and wide with average depth. I love the air around voices. There is a good sense of space and individual instruments can easily be picked out. Acoustic instruments sound wonderful.

COMMENTS

I really enjoy these with classic rock and other thick, powerful mixes in particular though, they are enjoyable with most all music types. They bring out a lot of details that I was missing before. They are very easy to drive even with modest source equipment. I am very impressed with the EA3 and I look forward to more from Jade Audio/Fiio in the future. To build such a nice iem with an actual Knowles driver at this price is impressive. I am a fan!

EA3 is an IEM from the brand Jade Audio (a sub-brand of Fiio). EA3 features a hybrid setup: 1BA (Knowles 33518) + 1DD (13.6mm with polymer diaphragm).



Disclaimer:
This item has been sent to me through Jade Audio’s EA3 Review Tour, free of charge. I was required to write an honest review and not overstate the advantages. Everything said in this review is my opinion and how I feel about the EA3, I had no external/outside influence on my opinion.



Design:

EA3 features a stunning design.
You have to give them credit for the beautiful shell and smooth shape.
I just can't get enough of the shine off my black version.

If you was to catwalk for a fashion show, you could easily bring the EA3 and I can assure you that they wouldn't disappoint. I have the black version, which I prefer over the Weathet (blue) color, but it's all about personal preference. They are very stealthy and not in your face.

The Jade Audio logo underneath the shell gives a very bold, classy and serious look to it, this is mainly due to the beautiful cursive typography of the Jade Audio logo. The design of the EA3 can be compared to that of luxury and classic cars from 40's and 50's. Strong and sexy. The black finish looks even better than in the digital photos.

I like what Jade Audio did with the celluloid plate (it sits underneath the shell, it’s the part where the Jade Audio logo is placed on the IEM’s) because it features subtle shimmery/satin spots which mainly react differently according to the lighting.

You can probably conclude by now that Jade Audio, from a design point of view, absolutely nailed it with the EA3. Also not to forget, both the shells themselves and the housing of the 2-pin connectors are labelled for left and right, this makes connecting them the easiest part.



Build quality:

I have to say that overall, I'm quite satisfied with Jade Audio's job here. I didn't find any flaws or issues which would make me say that they have a bad build quality or feel cheapish. Yes, not all the fields in terms of build quality are spot on, but it might be too much to ask for from a sub $50 set of IEM's. What I can say, is that it's a solid and well built product.

Can we talk about the shell for a moment? It's as smooth as a babies bum. I think that mentioning that there are no sharp edges is a bit too obvious.
What is worthy of mentioning, is that it doesn't have any parts and points where your fingernails get stuck on, even in the part where the two parts of the shells are connecting, my fingernail glides over it.
The nozzles are angled and made of aluminum, the grills are also metal (they aren't going anywhere). The nozzle has a nice lip which makes sure your ear tips don't go anywhere.
Jade Audio definitely took the overall shell's build quality seriously.

The cable. This is the aspect which has me divided.

The build quality itself is pretty good, it features a metal housing for the 3.5mm jack, both the housing of the Y-spliter and chin slider are metal as well. And the little guy which many forget to mention, the cable tie. It is also very well done, it is soft.. but it seems like it likes everything around it so much that it gets caught on everything.

Then there are the clear plastic housings of the two pin (0.78mm) connectors. It would've been nicer and better if they were also metal, but even in this case, the plastic used is actually of high quality, not one of those muddy and cheapish plastics used on some cables. Both of the plastic housings are labeled for Left and Right. Not only this, but they are color coded too.. I don’t know for you, but for me this is a very handy feature. When you need to pick them up, you immediately know that blue goes into your left ear, red into your right. Good job here Jade Audio!

A problem which I solved my way (do at your own risk) the ear guides. They weren't uncomfortable from the beginning, but they were too twisted inside of themselves. I did it with caution, and made sure to hold the part of the cable closest to the housing (clear plastic part) with two fingers, making sure that this part doesn’t get bent (this is because you don’t want to disconnect and damage the connection inside). After I did this, the ear guide took an ear-shape, you can see this in my video review too.
Accessories:

Nothing spectacular here. A soft carrying case which doesn't feature any branding, and spare ear-tips.
I didn't find the case too useful and functional due to the pure nature and shape of the IEM's (this case would work for something like any of those earphones you get with your smartphone). I found myself using my hard case which did its job.

I found myself leaning towards the medium red tips, the black tips just made them even more harsh. The tips fit pretty well, and you have 6 pairs to pick from (S/M/L)




Comfort:

Did someone mention cozy?
These are simply 10/10 in terms of comfort. You can wear the EA3 for days, they simply melt inside your ears. When I have the EA3 in my ears, I forget they are even in. If that doesn't tell you enough about its comfort, I don't know what will. The comfort aspect is simply spot on, and I truly haven't found them uncomfortable at any point. You know when you are tired after work and just melt in your sofa? Mhm that's exactly how feel about the comfort aspect.

Functionality and convenience:

The EA3 is very functional, it truly is a great replacement for your daily drivers such as those earphones which come with your smartphone.

What do you do with your phones stock earphones? You watch videos, movies, play games and of course- listen to music, you basically do everything with them. In the same way, the EA3 is a great all-purpose IEM's which do all of those jobs fine, I wouldn't say that they are focused on one specific listening element or task.

The carrying case itself isn't too functional, but is a handy case for storing other sensitive objects or earphones. Both the cable tie and the chin slider are functional.

The IEM's themselves are easy to drive, both my Samsung S8 and Macbook Pro were able to drive them with no problem. With my S8 I can push them to around 50-68% before they become too loud and unbearable. With my Mac it's a different story. I listen to them at 2 bars when I'm listening to people speaking (video courses), and at around 5-6 bars when I'm listening to music. When I'm watching movies I also can turn them up to 5-6 bars.

If you travel and use your smartphone as the main source for listening, you may want to pay attention to this part. I found that if you are keeping your phone in your pocket and taking it out often, it's not very convenient. What do I mean by this? Simply the cable gets caught on the inside of the pockets (even with sweatpants). This creates a risk to damage the cable itself. The short and slim metal housing of the 3.5mm plug might be the cause. HOWEVER: if you absolutely are not a daily traveler who needs to take their phone out of their pockets every 5 minutes, this is nothing to worry about.



Sounds isolation:

Fantastic. Another element which Jade Audio got spot on. When I put these on (without music), I can barely hear somebody talking to me, when music is playing.. not a single word. I haven't tried them out in a busy public transport, however I did use them on bus and didn't find any trouble, very pleased with their sound isolation.

Sound leakage:
Even though the EA3 has two vent holes, it has pretty minimal sound leakage, which I am pleasantly surprised with. While I cannot provide you with accurate measurements, I hope you got the basic idea. Sound leakage will not represent a problem in public transport if you keep the volumes below 50%, however if you push them louder you will get some sound leakage which might present a problem in some places, at the end of the day you have to keep in mind that this is a pair of vented IEM’s.

Sound:

Lows- Let me start this off by saying that these are sub-bass monsters. The sub-bass digs deep and rumbles.
EVEN at low volume it hits, this leaves me very satisfied with it. The sub-bass has both weight and rumble at low volumes.
However the issue is that the sub-bass is stronger than mid-bass. This creates an imbalance, which leaves me with the impression that the mid-bass lacks both weight and punch compared to the monster sub-bass which completely eats it. Sub-bass is more dominant, making it over-dominate mid-bass. The mid-bass is like a little kid compared to the sub-bass. Some people may misunderstood what I wrote above, by no means is the EA3 bass-light, and mid bass is completely fine, however if you are a basshead you will probably be left wanting more.
I found Hanz Zimmer's "Why so serious?" at mark 3:30 to be a very good test for sub-bass, the EA3 has plenty of it, I recommend you to give this track a try (shout out to Generic over at the "The Headphones Community" from whom I discovered this track's sub-bass)

Mids- This is an aspect which can definitely be worked on in the future. Mids sound very weird and funny.
Vocals are very boxy, and completely lack depth. It truly feels like the vocals are fixed in the nozzle of the IEM's. The thing is that only vocals are fixed, so while the instruments and other aspects of music have great depth, imaging, and dynamics, the vocals are kind of in your face. I was really able to separate the music by vocals and instrumental part, by this I mean that the "two layers" can be separated and noticed with ease. This being said, vocals don't sound natural, they appear to be "on top" and trapped in that space (which is fixed and separated from the rest). When music can be separated in layers, music doesn't sound unified, which isn't a good thing. As I mentioned in my video, they simply cut through the mix.

Besides the vocals, I found the EA3 reveling great detail and having great resolution. I truly noticed and heard elements in music which I never heard before. Suddenly music has more elements and you hear things in songs which you have never heard before, the micro detail which EA3 reveals is very enjoyable and a true different experience

Highs- There's not much needed to be said here, they are bright. I am treble sensitive and for me even at average levels they are piercing and harsh, however this is exactly why I loved them. Treble lovers will seek for this kind of a quality, however for me, not something which MY ears appreciate(d). In all honesty, because I am treble sensitive, I kept my volumes extremely low. I actually loved these IEM's because of their (at first harsh) treble, yes you heard that right- a treble sensitive person said it. I explained why in my video review.

Update: Now after they have been with me for over a month, I can say they lean to the brighter sound, however they are not harsh anymore and the treble has tamed down. I still enjoy and prefer to use the at lower volumes as though I don’t find any reason to push the volume louder, the main reason is the bass response from the 13.6 mm DD. I used to listen to extreme volumes jut to get “enough” bass, that’s not the case with the EA3 which broke my bad habit of extreme volume listening.

Soundstage:

I was pleasantly surprised with the soundstage that EA3 offers. Vocals aside, it has both good depth and imaging. The soundstage is definitely above average and the spotlight of the EA3. I enjoyed watching movies with them, and I am sure these would be pretty handy for gaming as well, especially for games where space is important (Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Rainbow Six Siege...). The soundstage goes beyond the IEM's themselves, an this is one of the biggest pro's of the EA3. The soundstage jumps outside of the earpieces, and you are guaranteed to enjoy this new dimension to music.
I mentioned in my video review that these break the usual virtual space which is limited to the earphones themselves, EA3’s soundstage extends outside of the nozzle of the IEM’s in the same way an open-back headphone would (of course the soundstage of the EA3 and an open-back headphone cannot be compared for obvious reasons)



Conclusion:

Overall Jade Audio EA3 is a superb for low level listening, a great all-purpose IEM and an IEM which will give another dimension to your music with either it's soundstage, sub-bass extension or the micro-detail revealing. I wouldn't say that these wouldn’t meet the high standards of audiophiles, however for someone who is looking for a high quality daily driver which has authentic certifications, information, these are for you. Many are too skeptical to jump into Chi-Fi and you can start with these, you will find the great options which are available in the Chi-Fi world. I am enjoying them quite a lot, and am beyond satisfied. They are a noticeable upgrade from your phone’s stock earphones, and they are very comfortable.

I hope you enjoyed the read and the content. Critics and feedback are welcome. I had a lot of fun and time invested into this whole review, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it. I think I said all the details and things I wanted to say. I am aware of some areas for improvement, I will be working on making my content even better the next time.





My Burn in process:
I proceeded to burn my EA3 by playing two playlists, from the start to the end with no pause. The volume was around 6-7 bars on my Macbook Pro (Early 2015).
The two playlists on Spotify (~22 hours):



And then I proceeded to make a playlist out of most of my music on my phone (~20 hours)

After this, I jut used them daily for watching videos, listening to music of course, and other tasks.

I do want to recommend another playlist which I haven't used but is definitely useful (100h and it also has silence, so you don't have to worry about damaging your device):

Disclaimer: I would like to thank Jade Audio for the review sample. I don't have any affiliation with any company or review site. Audio were reproduced from Topping D50 and JDS Atom.

SPECS
Impedance: 18 ohms
Earphone sensitivity: 108 dB (1mW)
Frequency response range: 5Hz-40KHz
Driver: Dynamic (13.6mm) + Knowles BA (33518)
Weight (with cable): 21g


PACKAGE
Good accessories with pouch, cable and two type of eartips, black and red. Red tips have wider bore compared to the black one.

CABLE
Silver plated copper cable with 96-cores and ear-hook + chin slider. Looks alright but feels a bit thin.


BUILT
Material is mainly plastic, decent but not a luxury. It doesn't look as bad as it seems but definitely not close to the official illustration.

SOUND
- Bass did not fail to deliver as expected from the large driver. It's good, punchy and about the right amount.
- Mids are good with details and clarity. Male vocals are a bit recessed compared to female vocals. High pitched female vocals can cause sibilance. (Update: Sibilance are virtually gone after long term break-in.)
- Treble is boosted, sounds faster and have plenty of micro details. Its probably somewhere close to borderline of sharp and harsh. Depending on the tracks, long period at hi-volume of listening can be fatiguing/piercing.
- Soundstage is above average and wide.
- Isolation is very good. The tips provided sits well in the ear.
- Need a proper source for full potential drive and sound. Tried with a tablet, it sound plain ordinary. With an amp it's a different beast.

CONCLUSION
The EA3 is a good entry point for Chi-fi. For it's ~$40-50 price point, it's hard to find an IEM with a Knowles BA. It's excellent for EDM but may not be so on others such as hip-hop/rap. Lowering the volume level may help with the above issues. Besides the built and cable kinda lower than average quality, there's really not much fault to mention.

Disclaimer:
I’d like to express my gratitude to JadeAudio for providing the free review sample for the JadeAudio EA3 tour.
I am not affiliated with any company or review site.
In this review.
I used the standard equipment of the JadeAudio EA3, the earphones were warmed up for 48 hours.

Specifications:

Hybrid system (1DD 13.6 mm, 1 BA Knowles 33518)
Sensitivity: 108dB (@ 1mW)
Frequency response: 5Hz - 40kHz
Impedence: 18Ω

Accessories:

Soft bag
Detachable 3.5 mm 0.78mm cable (2pin)
Silicone tips (Black and Red) of S/M/L sizes

Design:

EA3 is well assembled, its parts are of good quality; the cable is quite soft, its quality is also excellent, as well as all other Fiio cables.


Fit:

The seating is good in general, although the headphones extend slightly beyond the ears, they are still comfortable to wear.

Insulation:

The headphones have very good insulation. For the first time, being outside I didn’t have to increase the volume in the player, as I had to do with my other headphones. Every little sound and the bass could be heard well despite noisy traffic.



Source: LG G7 (Sabre ESS DAC), Audioquest Dragonfly Black, PC.

Sound:

In regards of timbre/tone EA3 has a V- or U-shaped feed, very neat in my opinion, with little emphasis in low and high frequencies. The sound is well balanced, it’s energetic and voluminous with good performance in any frequency range, the junction of the drivers is inaudible.

Low frequencies:
The bass is well structured, it might be not fast, but well worked through. The subbass could be heard well in the lower range, dynamic emitter effectively transmits this component.
The earphones are not bass-head, but at the same time the bass is on a good solid and deep level, it goes rather deep but doesn’t dominate nor overload the rest of the range. There is a good weight, density and hit. In my opinion bass as well as high frequencies are very well balanced and easily controlled.

Mid frequencies:
Mid frequencies are presented quite well, it is not an even middle, but they are not squandered nor clamped, they are simply less emphasized compared to low and high frequencies. In general, the resolution is at an average level.

High frequencies:
High frequencies of EA3 are of good quality, their nature and quantity are at a high level. Resolution, length and micro-details are all present and, important to note, without any sibilants. High frequencies are not tiring, they are present exactly in the necessary amount without excessive brightness, moreover, with good resolution thanks to the excellent driver from Knowles.

The width and deepness of an imaginary scene is slightly above average in my opinion, instruments in a musical part are determined quite accurately and are well positioned, which is not bad at all for a two-driver circuit.
The scene in the headphones is at a good level, there is a good volume, separate instruments could be heard well. The voices sound natural without any sharpness or constriction.



Comparisons:

Xiaomi Pro HD (1DD dual + 1 BA) - a generally brighter V-shaped feed, the bass is not so deep and less controllable, high frequencies are strongly emphasized, which on many recordings can be tiring. Middle range pinned more significantly than in EA3. EA3 has better technical features, such as presentation of small details, separation of instruments and sound stage. Insulation and fit are better in EA3.

Brainwavz B400 (4BA) - headphones with a disposition to darkness, bass is well defined but does not dominate, it is faster compared to EA3, but not so deep. In EA3, the bass is warmer with good subbass. Mid frequencies are slightly better in B400, they are present in large volumes and are not relegated to the background. As for high frequencies, the two headphones are approximately similar.
High frequencies in B400 both quantitatively and qualitatively present but not accented and slightly pushed back, thereby the feed is balanced. The scene and volume are slightly higher in B400, the insulation and fit are approximately similar to EA3

**** HQ6 (6VA) are bright and light-coloured compared to EA3 and Brainwavz B400, there is less bass, earphones fit and ear pads affect the sound a lot. The mid frequencies are emphasized more compared to EA3 and Brainwavz B400. High frequencies are quantitatively higher in **** HQ6, but at the same time they are too bright and tiring over time. Insulation and fit are better with EA3.

Conclusion:

JadeAudio EA3 is an excellent inexpensive IEM, it has good design parameters, a nice sound signature with excellent timbre, wide soundstage and good isolation. I consider them genre universal for almost any music.

JADE AUDIO EA3 REVIEW:

SOUND: 7/10
CONSTRUCTION: 7.5/10
ACCESSORIES: 8.5/10
VALUE: 7.5/10

JADE AUDIO is a new subsidiary brand of well known FIIO company, but with a more budget oriented philosophy. The fact FIIO manufacture mass market product and use variety of audio technology and material permit to Jade Audio to take advantage of extremely competitive low cost audio parts.

This can be shown in drivers implementation of the entry level earphones I will review today, wich is call Jade Audio EA3 and use both a 13mm dynamic driver and Knowles balanced armature. Priced 40$, it certainly is the cheapest IEM using this type of hybrid implementation.



The Knowles 33518 model used in EA3 is very same than FIIO FH1 and even IKKO OH1. When I read this my curiosity was intensely trigered, because even if this entry level Knowles BA isn’t perfect, it sure is better than cheaper one we can find in most sub-50$ price range (with the exception of Audiosense T180 and T260).

Now, let’s see in this review if Jade Audio know how to tune an hybrid earphones right to offer a cohesive tonal and timbre balance.

You can buy the Jade Audio EA3 for 40$ on Amazon.

DISCLAIMER: I wanna thanks Jade Audio for sending me this review sample after I contact them. As always, i choose my review sample and cannot be influence by anything or anybody (with the exception of my subjective hearing).

SPECS:

• 
  
  
  • Brand Name: JadeAudio
  • Connectors: 3.5mm
  • Control Button: No
  • Active Noise-Cancellation: No
  • Style: In-Ear
  • Communication: Wired
  • Vocalism Principle: Hybrid technology
  • Volume Control: No
  • Wireless Type: None
  • With Microphone: No
  • Model Number: EA3
  • Resistance: 18Ω
  • Frequency Response Range: 5-40000Hz
  • Sensitivity: 108dB
  • Waterproof: No
  • Is wireless: No
  • Line Length: 1.2m
  • Plug Type: Line Type

IN THE BOX:



Unboxing is minimalist, nothing to write about, it’s similar to KZ and TRN box presentation. But unlike them you have at least an okay 4 cores silver plated cable, generous amount of eartips and a quite cute carrying case, wich is a big plus.


CONSTRUCTION& DESIGN:



For the price construction is okay. It’s all plastic, not resin plastic, just average plastic. Part are glued quite fasdtly as back plastic plate show some imperfection, like stocked glue. Nothing disastrous. 2Pin connector is plastic and it make meworry of durability a little. Nozzle is metal. Housing is translucide enough to contemplate the big ass dynamic driver in it, wich is very impressive to see....but we see too that the balanced armature is litteraly hide in nozzle and take all the place in there: again worrysome but for another reason wich will be confirmed in the review. All in all, not a bad built but neither a particularly sturdy looking one.



DESIGN is sleek and comfy, use of thin plastic housing make it very light. Fit is very similar to KZ ZS10pro or TRN IM1. As expected with UIEM, you need to wear it over ear, but your not obligate to use earhook cable as it will not fall from your ears without one (unlike bad fit or too heavy iem can do).

ISOLATION is average as well as sound leakage. But it do not have back venting hole but still its have a little venting hole on top of housing wich leak potential noise at high volume.

DRIVEABILITY is strangely source dependant, not in the sens it’s hard to drive, quite the contrary at 18ohm of impedance and 108db of sensitivity. Nope, it’s about whole audio source pairing that can tend to boost or tame the mids and highs. I would not call EA3 as versatile in sinergy, these would benefit from warmer source even if it will affect technicalitier, musicality will sound more balanced and enjoyable.


SOUND:

Gear used: Ibasso DX90, Xduoo X20, Xduoo XD-05plus, Xduoo XQ25 and (infamous) Zishan T1



I’m always afraid when the balanced armature of an hybrid iem is implemented into the nozzle , because from my experience the result is often shouty, sibilant, hollow or plain wrong in tonal balance. While the EA3 isn’t as disastrous as KZ or TRN offering due to a more mature sounding BA, the tonal issue as well as hint of harshness and lower end veiling is sure present.

So, my overall subjective appreciation isn’t very positive, well, if I only judge the sound without thinking about the extremely low price. In fact, i was expecting bass monster while i got instead a V shape with extra upper mids presence, wich is rather typical chifi tuning.

Tonality isn’t natural and rather bright and thin. Bass control isn’t impressive and tend to mix up with overall sound, it isnt thigh neither punchy, feel tamed in impact lacking definition and texture. Mid range is shouty and dry, thin and again lacking precise definition for a more accurate imaging. Treble is fowards, agressive, sometime metallic and harsh. As well, it lack sparkle.



SOUNDSTAGE is good in wideness and tallness, not very deep or airy.

IMAGING is rather hollow and lack sharpness. The intimate presentation do not help for instrument separation definition. All appart from treble sound air less.

TIMBRE is dry, artificial and thin. Unpleasant and not musical. Bass timbre is thicker and more natural.

TONALITY is warm for the bass and bright for mid and treble.

BASS have more sub presence than mid bass punch, it’s quite thick and weighty even if little boomy in its presentation. Extension isn’t very natural and have serious emphasis in sub. Timbre is near texture less, wich make separation of sub and mid bass not precise. Bass presentation lack in both resolution and definition, opposite of well rounded low end. Still, for rap, pop or electronic, it’s enough good I guess.

MID RANGE feel unbalanced and shouty, confusing fowardness with clarity. It isn’t agile as we could expect with this Knowles BA model, even if the overall timbre is very similar to the IKKO OH1 (wich was a problem) the mid range isn’t as articulate and rounded. Vocal have notable sibilance with both male and female singer, timbre is thin and artificial, tonality is dry and metallic. Transparency is just enough but what you hear behind it isn’t pleasant. I did not like any instruments or voice rendering with the EA3, cello sound thin, voice are breathy, violin show tonal weakness, piano lack weight and impact. Apart for rap and electronic, the EA3 crualy lack refinement in musicality and naturalness. At low volume mid range harshness is less problematic for instrument like violin, but we talk about lowering DB of sibilance here.

TREBLE is quite agressive, but offer fast attack and good snap in upper treble. It can dig good amount of micro details, wich is interesting for electronic music but will sound too harsh and bright with acoustic percussion that need more realist presentation. Hit hat and cymbals can sound splashy or overly fowarded. Even snare can sound too in your face. The EA3 are quite violent earphones and this is even more evident at high volume. Problem is that at low volume attack is tamed....so you most choose your own poison here. Here, we must not confuse bright fowards high with crisp or sparkly one, because EA3 highs lack natural decay and brilliance, it’s crunchy, rough and artificial. Immature treble head might like it.

-QUALITY OF-

SUB BASS: 7.5/10
MID BASS: 7/10
MID RANGE: 6.5/10
TREBLE: 6.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.5/10
IMAGING: 6.5/10
TONALITY: 7/10
TIMBRE: 6/10
ATTACK-DECAY: 7/10


COMPARISON:



VS BQEYZ KB100 (50$):

Construction as well as sound is from another league here.
SOUNDSTAGE is slightly more intimate with KB100 tough it tend to be less easily congested because of way better IMAGING with precise instrument placement, wich is very evident with whole mid range. BASS isn thigher, more punchy and faster, as well, we have more realist texture, but its extend shyly compared to EA3 beefy rumbly sub, wich is seriously more bass head than flatter KB100. MID RANGE is so more refined and realist with KB100, make the EA3 unbareably shouty after hearing to it, its superbly balanced, do not feel artificially push fowards, so smoother and more natural in timbre as well as more accurate and refined, EA3 sound very primitive and agressive compared to it and way more sibilant with vocal. TREBLE follow same path, while the EA3 is like a machine gun shoothing everything he can dig at you, KB100 is balanced, less trebly, and you dont encounter splashyness and harshness like with EA3, its softer in extension too, wich will perhaps give you less brillance and sparkle, but here it’s positive because EA3 brilliance is overly metallic.
If your a basshead that isnt treble sensitive, you might find the EA3 more exciting and fun. If your a serious audiophile, you will applause the more balanced and neutral tuning of KB100 as well as more natural timbre and imaging.



VS BLON BL-03 (30$):

Construction and tonality of BL-03 is from another league here.
SOUNDSTAGE is a little wider and taller with BLON but little less deep. IMAGING is similar too, wich mean it’s not highlight of both, but i feel it more accurate with BLON. BASS is more textured, realist, punchy and balanced with BLON, EA3 is more sub-bassy, boomy and weighty with less natural extension and extra sub slam emphasis. MID RANGE is less recessed with the EA3, but tonaly ackward and more sibilant than more natural sounding BLON. Vocal are pleasant with BLON, and plain violent with EA3, as well i feel its wider and better separated with BLON. TREBLE of both is slightly bright, but the BLON have thicker highs with some texture to it, while the EA3 is more about brilliance and splashiness. Highs are agressive and little unbalanced, more artificial than BLON wich isn’t a treble champion and lack some natural decay.

CONCLUSION:

While the Jade Audio EA3 isn't what I would consider a bad earphones, I feel they miss the opportunity to take full advantage of the good balanced armature they have by implementing it badly. Sure, we can tame both treble and mids harshness to some extend by using warm audio source, but this will inflict in imaging precision wich in first place isn't the most impressive.

Tuning work of EA3 is audacious, they really want to give budget audiophile everything: beefy bass, ultra clear mids and detailed analytical treble. Problem is, it can't be achieve without sounding shouty and overly agressive. While this can be interesting for treble head audio enthusiast, I cannot understand how you can find this type of harsh treble musical.

The Jade Audio EA3 are agressive bright sounding earphones with a vividly fowards tonality, if you listen to electronic, rap or pop, I think it's not a bad buy but there better choice out there.

We are in 2020 after all and Chi-Fi have come a long way since the (superior) UrbanFun Hybrid craze 5 years ago.

For more audio reviews, please give a look at my BLOG

Let me start off by saying that I paid for these with my own money!
I heard a lot of hype over this product and that usually keeps me away unless it's sent to me.

The package was very minimalist and contents slightly better.

The different eartips and cable were a welcome change as they were of decent quality. I liked the look of the case but the materials and size make it useless for even the IEM itself that barely fits into it with no room for accessories or extra parts.

The build quality is excellent reminding me of much more expensive earphones.
The cable is thin but looks great and is far better than anything some other brands provided, similar look and feel to the KBear F1 cable but with preformed ear hooks.
The unit itself consist of 1BA(Knowles)+1Dynamic Hybrid with 0.78 2pins a Detachable silver cable terminating into a 3.5mm connection, 3 different size eartips and 2 different kinds. One being for bass and a very small cloth case.

Sound:
A decent amount of soundstage with definitely some unexpected separation and clarity in mid and highs.
Bass is very good punchy tight and pleasant but not the bass cannon I was expecting yet it is sufficient enough to bring a smile to my face for some tracks.
Treble is very detailed but it tends to be a ear killer on some songs even if this can be fixed with EQ, tips and um a cable change... maybe?
I paid over $40 and so here's a honest opinion from someone not handed the product and who doesn't care even if he was, I'm going to keep it simple.
Is it good yes, do I like it better than say the KZ ZSX no, does it sound as good yes but definitely not better.
In my honest opinion this is a decent IEM of good quality and even though I ordered the blue and got gray.. yuck! Jade Audio/ Fiio has done a great job with this being a budget IEM.
BUT I can think of three off hand I like better and in or under this EA3's price range. The Kinera Sif, The TRN V90 and the beloved BLON but only because it's cheaper in price.

Disclaimer #1:
I would like to thank Jade Audio for providing this unit free of charge for an objective review under the JadeAudio EA3 Review Tour.


Disclaimer #2:
The Jade Audio EA3 is extremely source, tip and cable sensitive (for cable believers). For purposes of this review, I used the stock SPC cable and the stock red silicone tips (see more details below under "Accessories" on how the different stock tips change the sound signature of the EA3).

The EA3 is also sensitive to the volume one uses it at (Fletcher Munson curve). At lower volumes, the perceived sound is U shaped and more balanced, but becomes quite V shaped at higher volumes. For purposes of this review, I played it at a moderate volume so as to make it an "average" of both sound signatures.

Also, I would recommend at least 10 - 15 hours burn in for this set. I know not everyone believes in burn in, but when I heard the EA3 OOTB, I was actually quite disappointed as the lower treble/upper mids were very harsh and it had quite bad sibilance and a woolly bass. After leaving it to burn in overnight, the lower treble/upper mids harshness and sibilance was smoothed a lot (FWIW it may be brain burn in, but it sounded much much better).






Specifications:
- Driver: 1 x Knowles 33518 BA driver and 1 x 13.6mm dynamic driver
- Sensitivity: 108dB (@ 1mW)
- Frequency response: 5Hz - 40kHz
- Impedence: 18Ω
- Cable: 2 pin detachable cable


Accessories:
In addition to the IEM, it comes with:
- Soft carry zipper bag
- Detachable 3.5 mm SPC stock cable (2 pin)
- Multiple silicone tips (Black and Red) of S/M/L sizes






Build/comfort:
The EA3 is built of good quality resin. It is very ergonomic, comfortable and light. There are no hard/awkward edges, and I can wear it for hours without issues.

I did not note any driver flex.

The stock cables and tips are quite usable OOTB, unlike some other CHIFI.
There are 2 kinds of stock silicone tips included, red ones are of larger bore diameter and make the sound more U shaped, whereas the black stock ones (smaller bore) make the sound more V shaped, and though these black ones boosted the bass quantity, they also were bordering on the harshness for the lower treble/upper mids for me. I found that KZ starlines helped tame the lower treble/upper mids to more acceptable levels for me and are my go to tips for the EA3, but the red stock ones should be quite usable for treble sensitive folks, YMMV as we have different ear anatomies and treble tolerances.

The stock SPC cable is functional but on the thinner side. It is also quite stiff at the earhooks, and may drag the IEM out of the ears if the eartip fit is not good. This can be fixed with using a hair dryer to heat and mould the earhooks into your preferred ear shape. I know not everyone believes in cables changing the sound signature, but I found the stock SPC cable bordering on too bright in the lower treble/upper mids, and after cable rolling about, I found copper cables lower this area more to my liking, though at the slight expense of loss of treble details. But for trebleheads, I think they'll like it with the default black tips/cables.

I'm borderline treble sensitive and overall felt that the red stock tips and stock SPC cable are still within the treble tolerances for me.


Isolation: Very good, estimated about 20 dB isolation. I tried it on the subway and bus and though there is slight loss of the bass frequencies, it is still a good transit IEM for me, with most of the details preserved while travelling in noisy environments. Considering the EA3 is a vented set, the isolation levels are quite comparable to some pure BA unvented sets.


Timbre:
Very good for a hybrid. The Knowles BA handling the mids/treble is well tuned for timbre, it definitely sounds accurate for acoustic instruments, in contrast to some CHIFI that incorporate Bellsings at this price range that have an artificial/"metallic" timbre in the treble frequencies. The EA3's knowles timbre won't beat a well tuned DD timbre, but I'm very picky about timbre for instruments and this passes my timbre test with room to spare.

The note weight especially at the mids and treble frequencies is a bit towards the thinner side, maybe vocal lovers will find it a bit thin. Personally I would have preferred a bit more meat in the note weight there.

It is quite uncommon to see Knowles drivers being used at the EA3's pricing, so we have to thank Fiio/Jade Audio for giving a good pricing despite incorporating higher quality drivers.
Like other Knowles BA sets, the notes are quite rounded/transparent and clean compared to Bellsings, some people may think the notes are too clean though.


Soundstage: Wide, almost as wide as the more expensive Audiosense T800. It won't beat some earbuds or open backed cans of course, but the wide soundstage was quite a surprise for me at this price range.





Sound:
The EA3 is a bright IEM, and trebleheads will love it. Its sound signature changes with the volume you play the IEM at (Fletcher Munson curve). At lower volumes, it sounds more U shaped, while at higher volumes it is closer to V shaped with boosted bass/treble.

The EA3 is very easily drivable, though amping and higher powered sources did increase the dynamics/soundstage/details and tightened the bass a tinge.

I didn't hear any hiss on the EA3 with desktops, laptops or smartphones.

I tested the EA3 at moderate volumes with a smartphone, Ziku HD X9 DAP and a desktop -> Khadas tone board -> Fiio A3 amp. In view of it being a bright IEM, it would be better to pair warm sources with the EA3 IMHO.

As discussed, the EA3 is U shaped or V shaped, depending on the tips used/volume played at. It has excellent extension at either ends. Technicalities (imaging, clarity, details, instrument separation) are very good for a multi BA/hybrid set at this price range, considering it has only 2 drivers. When the EA3 is compared to the more expensive Audiosense T800 (8 BA), it has a similar bright U shaped signature that focuses on details/technicalities more than the "musicality" of single DD sets, though the T800 has better technicalities (no surprise since the T800 costs 6 times more with 6 more drivers).


Bass:
Quantity wise, the EA3's bass is north of neutral but not at basshead amounts. The EA3's subbass is of more quantity than midbass. There is minimal mid bass bleed, but a complaint of mine is the midbass is a bit flabby and undefined. Amping and different tips help improve this flabbiness to some extent, so do explore around to see what suits you. And as stated above, the tips play a big part in the quantity of bass.

Subbass extends very well, and bass decay is about average for a DD bass. Texturing/layering of the bass is muffled as above and the bass speed is not the fastest, so it's not the best quality bass especially when complex bass lines are involved. Personally I would have preferred a bit more midbass thump too, but I'm a basshead, so maybe this may not be a universal opinion.


Mids:
The upper mids are more forward than lower mids, so female voices are more forward than male voices. The mids have great details and clarity, though due to the tuning, male voices may be on the thinner side.

As per the volume played/ear tips used, this will influence the perception of how recessed the mids will be. With stock red tips and lower volume, the mids appear to be less recessed than with black stock tips/higher volume.

With stock SPC cable/stock black tips, the 2 - 4 kHz area is a bit hot, but the red tips are useful in taming the upper mids area for me.


Treble:
Extends very well and is bright and airy. Very good microdetails in the treble region, trebleheads will love this set, though maybe I would recommend it with caution in treble sensitive folks. Cymbals can get occasionally splashy. As per the upper mids, the lower treble and upper treble can get a bit hot with stock cable/stock black tips. Like its bigger brother the Audiosense T800, for these kinds of detailed sets, there's gonna be a tradeoff between brightness at the treble region and technicalities/details. I'm borderline treble sensitive, and I found that with the stock SPC cable and red tips, the EA3 is just below the border of being harsh and is still tolerable for me. I do find female vocals can get fatiguing after long listening sessions, so treble sensitive folks might wanna cable/tip roll.

I found the note weight to be on the thinner side for the treble frequencies, but nevertheless, timbre was quite accurate for a BA treble for acoustic instruments, with the well rounded Knowles resolution shining here.

There was very mild residual sibilance after 15 hours burn in, and the lower treble/upper mids harshness improved markedly with burn in too.


Comparisons:
I decided to compare the EA3 with other multi BA/hybrids of different price ranges below. I had given away the TRN IM2 and KZ ZS10 Pro but managed to loan them back for a day to do some A/B testing with the EA3.
I did not compare the EA3 with single DD sets as the different transducers have inherent weaknesses and strengths and it would be comparing oranges to apples as such.

1) TRN IM2 (1 DD + 1 BA) (sub $20 USD) (V shaped)
- Isolation about on par (both very good).
- Soundstage narrower on the TRN IM2.
- Mids are more recessed on the TRN IM2 even with the black silicone stock tips on the EA3.
- Technicalities and timbre poorer on the TRN IM2. The TRN IM2 has quite an artificial timbre for acoustic instruments in fact.

2) KZ ZS10 Pro (1 DD + 4 BA) (~ $40 USD) (V shaped)
- Isolation slightly less on the ZS10 Pro.
- Soundstage narrower on the ZS10 Pro.
- The ZS10 Pro has more midbass than subbass, unlike the EA3, and the ZS10 Pro's midbass quantity was more than the EA3. Quality wise, the ZS10 Pro's midbass had some bleed and is also a bit muddy.
- Harsher upper mids/lower treble on the ZS10 Pro.
- Timbre poorer on the ZS10 Pro, with some artificial (metallic sounding) upper frequencies.
- Technicalities are only a tinge better on the ZS10 Pro, which once again emphasizes the adage the tuning is of greater importance than driver count.

3) NiceHCK M6 with BGVP filter (2 DD + 4 BA) ($120 USD) (U shaped)
- Isolation poorer on M6.
- Soundstage slightly narrower on M6.
- Has more rolloff at either extremes (bass/treble) for the M6 compared to EA3.
- Timbre better on M6. Note weight thicker on M6. Notes are smoother on M6.
- Technicalities slightly better on M6, with tighter and more accurate/speedier bass on M6.

4) Audiosense T800 (8 BA) ($298 USD) (U shaped)
- Isolation better on T800.
- Soundstage about on par.
- Extension of subbass and treble about on par with EA3.
- Timbre better and note weight thicker on T800.
- Technicalities are better on T800, with faster bass speed and better bass texture. T800's bass is technically a BA bass, but due to the vented subwoofer and tuning, it sounds like a DD bass with a DD like decay, but is still faster than the EA3's bass.

5) Westone W30 (3 BA) ($400 USD) (Mild U shaped)
- Isolation better on W30.
- Soundstage slightly narrower on W30.
- Treble and subbass extension less on W30.
- Timbre slightly poorer on W30 but notes are smoother on W30.
- Technicalities marginally better on W30 compared to EA3. W30 has lesser midbass but W30's bass is faster and cleaner with less decay (as expected on a pure BA bass in W30).


Conclusion:
The EA3 is a very good sub $50 USD IEM. It has great technicalites, great timbre for acoustic instruments, wide soundstage and very good isolation and is well suited for most music genres. In fact, I think it would make a very good entry IEM for those new to this hobby, or even as a gift, as it is quite ready to be used OOTB with the accessories provided. It is not too far away in sound quality and technicalities from pricier sets, and can hold its own against more expensive competitors as detailed above. Seasoned audiophiles and headfiers will probably already own something that is overall better than the EA3, but they're going to be pricier, and probably with diminishing returns involved.

The EA3 is very tip/cable/source/volume sensitive, and borders on the brighter side for the lower treble/upper mids with the black stock tips/stock cables. The included red tips tames these areas. Trebleheads will love this set, it may not be the best option for treble sensitive folks, but considering I'm borderline treblesensitive, I still enjoy the EA3 with the stock red tips/tiprolling, cable rolling or pairing warm sources and playing it at a lower volume.

A small complaint of mine is the midbass muffledness, but nothing much to fault for the cheap pricing and considering it does very well at most other areas.

All in all, Jade Audio has made a very good and affordable first release into the competitive sub $50 CHIFI market, but incorporating pricier (but higher quality) Knowles drivers, yet keeping the price low, and I can't wait to see and hear their future releases.

EDIT 2020-10-20: From 4.5/5 to 4/5. Because at the price it is at, other newer iems are a better option.

EDIT 2021-07-11: demoted the rating from 3.5/5 to 3/5 due to the GS Audio GD3A.


Disclaimer: Thank you Jade Audio for providing this free unit under the JadeAudio EA3 Review Tour. I’m not affiliated with any company or review site.

Price: 40 usd


Specifications:

Driver: 1 x Knowles 33518 BA driver and 1 x 13.6mm dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 108dB (@ 1mW)
Frequency response: 5Hz - 40kHz
Impedence: 18Ω
Cable: 2 pin detachable cable


Accessories:

Soft bag

2 pin 3,5mm SPC cable with earhooks

Wide bore S/M/L

Small bore S/M/L

Cable: extremely thin 4 core SPC cable, makes it seem a bit fragile/cheap and also makes it very easy to tangle. It has a chin slider that actually works.
Has Ear hooks which is something I prefer to have, but the connector on the EA3 is slightly protruding and the 2 pin is does not sit completely flush.
If you want something that connects without sticking up a bit then you have to buy a cable with the TFZ/NX7 style. This makes the cable seem like it wasn’t made for the EA3.


Build: made of resin and feels on par with TFZ No.3 which cost a bit more than double the price of the EA3 so it is very well done for this price.
However due to there being a vent hole under the 2pin and the protruding fit. When you are walking against wind it picks up a lot of wind noise, more than other iems do. Not a problem if you use a hood to cover yourself but still annoying.

( The vent hole is the one under the 2pin connector)
Fit: fits like KZ´s, which to me is very good and stays in place. Doesn’t protrude from your ears that much, but still not really recommended for sleeping with.

Comfort: No sharp edges combined with this shell form makes the comfort top notch.

Isolation: very good as it covers your ear, the only iems with better isolation are either Customs or “custom” like for example the Audiosense T800.

Setup: Fiio M11, stock wide bore Large tips and stock SPC cable.

Lows: sub bass focused overall, quite powerful and fast it is a mix of tight and boomy bass, songs that are boomy are boomy and songs that are tight are tight which is good. Although I personally prefer tight bass more.
Mid bass are a bit more boomy than sub bass though but also lesser in quantity compared to sub bass. This makes the EA3 more suited for EDM rather than say Hip-hop. For example the song Lollipop by Lil Wayne, sound quite muddy and not powerful enough to sound good while the blon 03 sounds better.
The biggest issue is on songs like Hiroyuki sawano´s Pretenders, the mid bass sounds really tame and makes it unfun. (03 also doesn’t have a tight bass but its more powerful which makes it more fun). The sub bass however allows EDM to really shine with powerful bass.

(sidenote when used with my JDS Labs Atom the lows became much tighter and sounded VERY good)

Mids: more female focused than male but still quite even, female vocals can be a bit sharp but It is never sibilant for me. Mids in general is recessed compared to the sub bass and highs, it can also be a bit shouty but not sibilant for me. Nothing special about the mids as it’s the typical sound you get in chifi.

Highs: well extended and boosted makes this a clear v/u-shaped profile, it is energetic and fun but can also make listening to it fatiguing. (not sibilant)

Soundstage: very good for this price range, can easily tell where everything is in a game like overwatch and this also translates well into soundstage in music. Makes live music sound very lively and real.

Tonality: sound a bit off actually, not really natural to me.

Details: very good details due to the Knowles balanced armature, but that might also be a factor in why the tonality sound off. As the highs is quite boosted (may also give some “fake” details), but not enough to get sibilant.


Comparisons:

Blon-03 (CNT DD) : blons have more mid bass than sub, kinda like the opposite of the EA3 and also sound similar in both speed and Tigthness/boom.
Mids and highs sound more natural/organic, mids are similar in that the female vocals are the focus. Highs are lesser in quantity compared to the EA3 can make it less fun, but also makes it more natural.
The EA3 has better technicalities, like detail, instrument separation and soundstage.
In general, the 03 have a L-shaped profile and the EA3 is V/U-shaped. Slower songs, Hip-hop,rock, metal and Hiroyuki sawano sounds better on the blon. While faster songs, EDM are better on the EA3.

LZ A6 Mini (1 DD,1 Piezoelectric driver): mini have much more highs and is very likely to be sibilant to many people (I can just barely handle it before it gets sibilant) and is VERY airy. The airiness makes the highs sound a bit unnatural.
No contest when it comes to technicalities, detail, instrument separation and soundstage are on a different level on the mini.
Mids are however much more even on the EA3, the mids specifically the male vocals on the mini sound extremely recessed compared to everything else.
Bass is much tighter and also faster on the mini compared to the EA3, mid bass is a bit higher in quantity and sub bass sounds very similar in quantity, but its much tighter on the mini.
Genre/song are more versatile on the mini except for songs that have either a mix of male/female vocals ( female vocals is dominating the male vocals) or male only vocals, ( sound recessed compared to everything else), songs that is bad in recording quality ( it gets exposed and you can hear all the bad stuff) and stuff that has a lot of highs ( those can be very sharp on the mini) for example Hiroyuki sawano RE:I AM is very sharp and sibilant for me which makes it nearly unlistenable .



Conclusion: in conclusion, while I believe that the EA3 doesn’t really add anything new to the ever-growing chi-fi market. It is a very great starting point for someone that just got into chi-fi or even iems in general as it is good to go OOTB and nothing dealbreaking. Like the blon-03 where you pretty much have to tip-roll your brain cells out and change cables. The EA3 is good OOTB.

Thank you for reading this review and thank you again Jade Audio.

Disclaimer: This is a review unit sent by Jade Audio. This does not affect my judgement of the sound and other aspects of the iem. All sound comparisions are made in respect to what i currently own unless otherwise mentioned. All sound impressions were made on Fiio K1, M3K and my Realme phone as well, stock setup unless otherwise mentioned.

For a full list of my inventory feel free to check out my profile page.

I will give a brief description of the journey from unboxing to having listened to it for a few days time, along with a few comparisions.

Unboxing: A Treat for the eyes






I can't go about the description of the iem without mentioning its celluliod faceplate on display thrown right at you during the unbox. I think it looks pretty sweet. Upon first glance you also get to see a case which looks and feels pretty soft, but sturdy enough to protect the iems. Having owned mostly hard cases or super soft bags (that come with sony in ears), i quite like this aspect of the iem.

Included are The iem heads (mine are in a sky blue colour), a silver cable that is not too long, not too short (mine is without a mic), 6 pairs of ear tips. Out of them 3 pairs are black, red ones are wide bore. By default the black tips are on. More on how they change the sound in later sections. We see regular L & R markings on the earbuds and cable. The cable is a straight 2 pin 3.5mm cable. (Not balanced)

Also has a user manual with instructions about the correct way to have the polarity of the cable. And a bunch of stuff about how to wear them, in the very improbable case that you are not from this planet.

Sound Description:



Putting them in the ears for the first time (without burn-in)

At first, i notice a hefty soundstage, scratchy/tingy/tinny treble, a good amount of bass, i was sure that these definitely need burn in and should not be judged before. They sounded too sharp and unbearable, a few minutes running from them was not doable. They were easy to drive, even from my phone, goes really loud.

After burn-in for around 20-30 hours

Treble relaxes a lot, there still is a bit of sibilance and is uncomfortable. The EA3's Hybrid Driver setup creates a mostly U-shaped frequency response.

Rating them in terms of Comfort they would get a rating of 5/5 no doubts here. Accessories and build would get a 4.75/5

Sound overall to me would be a 3.0/5. (Without cable swap)

The EA3's bests most of my earphones at this price range in terms of soundstage width. Very comparable to the Tin T2's. Layering is excellent. Thats about it there.

We come to the gripe with this earphone: its highs, The highs can get fatiguing after listening for long sessions, especially while using the red tips. I wish there was less amount of (around -3db) 7KHz frequencies. The black tips make it a lot more tolerable, they seem to reduce sound pressure, but make the sound more V-shaped. The red tips on the other hand gives a clearer stage at the cost of the knowles ba hitting almost directly through that huge metal nozzle.

Overall its a in your face, overly crisp set with a wide sub bass. It is definitely a no for treble sensetive people and for bassheads.

Bass is wide and planar like. Amount is plentiful but is well controlled doesnt bleed into mids. It could use a tinge more mid-bass slam.

Timbre is better after active burn-in. Drums and guitars sound good. Guitars especially are excellent. Sound lacks body and emotion with stock cable. The signature is such that it makes everything hyper-detailed. This earphone has no chill.

How is it with music?

Played from the Fiio K1/M3K.

These are pretty versatile across most genres if it is instrumental, its strong point being metal, rock, electronic orderwise.

Aphex Twin sounds spicier than ever on this. The atmosphere is captured well, the high notes are sharp and trilling all around you, bass is well separated.

The Prodigy sounds good as well. Electronic music sounds impactful and alive, almost too alive.

Voices sound boxy and closed off in a space, and very monotonous. Especially female vocals. The main component of music is the voice. If it fails there, it pretty much fails for songs.

Using it with my phone seemed to make it a better combination because most mobile DAC's tend to have a darker sound. The earphones brightened them up to pleasing levels.

It wouldn't be the best choice for monitoring purposes, to me the best use case for these is to watch movies on, playing games is equally fun.

Why get it?

When will you feel the need to buy this if:

1. If you own a KZ multi driver in ear within this price range, that you are unsatisfied with/want an upgrade from it in terms of build/ accessories and sound quality both and already have the silver 8 core cable.

2. You want a fairly good set to watch movies on/game on in this budget, not for music.

After around 1 week of having them...

Mod Update: Changing the cable on the EA3 makes a significant improvement to the sound. I think its the stock silver cable that is giving it so much sharpness. I did a cable swap with the KZ/JC ALLY 8 core silver cable. It is less harsh now. Makes the mid bass more prominent. 0 sibilance at lower volumes. Adds a much needed body to the sound. Although listening for longer durations can be still fatiguing.



After changing the cable, i'd bump up the sound rating to 3.5/5. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a budget iem, if i have to swap cables in the end.

Final verdict on the EA3: Games sound good. Guns sound so clear and placed accurately and pop out well. Movies are a good to listen to. Music is clear but not so good, vocals are a big turnoff. Some dampening needs to be done on that knowles BA to make it less sharp. This is not my music iem.

Jade Audio is a subsidiary brand of Fiio. The EA3 is their first foray into the low-price segment of the IEM market. It comes in a choice of translucent black or blue colourways with an angled 2 pin 3.5mm 4 core silver-plated copper Litz (spelt Leeds on the EA3 FAQ?) unbalanced cable. The case is soft but useable. There is a selection of sized silicone tips for bass or balanced sound.



The EA3 is a hybrid design, consisting of single 13.6mm dynamic and Knowles 33518 balanced armature drivers. The polycarbonate shell is translucent and nicely finished with a raised 0.78mm 2 pin socket next to a small driver vent. The 5.8mm angled nozzle is aluminium with a tiny lip. The fit is very comfortable for my ear with minimal protrusion. I can actually put my voice dictation headset over the earpiece with minimal pressure on the external auditory meatus.



I tried the medium tips as well as generic foams, triflanges and biflange Spinfit CP240 – see picture. Overall I found the wide bore tips (foam or silicone) to provide a more accurate sound profile, maintaining an unadulterated sound but they also allowed the edgy treble to remain. The narrower bore tips accentuated the bass but also the piercing treble. Foams deepened the bass and warmed the midrange but the aggressive treble was unchanged. My preferred tip was the supplied red stem silicone (leftmost in picture below).



The EA3s were a free unit from Jade Audio in return for my unbiased opinion. They were not required to be returned. I am not affiliated with Fiio or Jade Audio in any way.

iBasso DX220, Amp1Mk2, AMP8, High and Medium gain, filter 3, Mango OS
Electro Acousti hybrid 8W, Penon CS819 hybrid 8W, NiceHCK 16-3, FAAEAL 4N copper.
The units were burnt in for 100 hours before testing.

The sub-bass is extended but only average in resolution and detail. There is minor loss of mid-bass ascending through the registers. The midrange is slightly recessed and compressed but not to a degree that is unpleasant. Male vocals feel natural and female vocals are a little grainy and occasionally shrill. Percussion is crisp with good attack but on some tracks it becomes aggressive. Soundstage is above average. Using the Mango OS EQ to moderate the 3.3k-16k bands removed the piercing quality but thankfully not all of the ambience.

AMP1 is a midcentric module which I thought might help the V-shaped nature of the EA3. The sound is a little more comfortable than the AMP8 with a deep sub-bass, a nicely neutral midrange but unfortunately still piercing highs. I had to put the EQ back on.

The EA3 sounds better with a copper cable than a hybrid, indicating that a change in overall tonal balance and temperature is required for comfortable listening. The NiceHCK had greater resolution and control compared to the FAAEAL. The hybrids were fun to listen to for a short while, widening the soundstage but also accentuating the lows and highs. In all cases, EQ was needed to tame those aggressive, piercing highs. I also had to reduce the gain from high to medium to allow a more granular control of the volume and distortion. For the DX220, I preferred the more balanced sound of the Amp1Mk2.

A pleasing form factor, adequate accessories and manufacturing quality infrequently seen in this price bracket. What’s not to like? A piercing treble that can only be sufficiently attenuated via EQ. Personally I would prefer the hardware to shine unaided and unadulterated, but in this case, EQ was the only way to enjoy these ‘phones. If that is your modus operandi, all is well.

Note: I would like to thank Jade Audio who sent me a free pair of the EA3 to review as part of the Jade Audio EA3 Preview Tour. These are my thoughts on the EA3 as someone who prefers a balanced sound signature and is sensitive to sibilance.



The EA3 by Jade Audio (FiiO's new subsidiary brand) features one balanced armature (Knowles 33518) and one 13.6mm dynamic driver. The set comes with a 2-pin detachable cable (3.5mm / silver-plated copper) and a selection of small and medium bore tips.



Initial Impressions

When I first listened to the EA3 they sounded very bright with a harsh treble presentation. Leaving them to play from my DAP overnight seemed to help with the initial harshness.

Process

I listened to a wide range of music during the first few listening sessions then I put together a playlist on Tidal and listened to each track with the FiiO M11 (low gain / slow roll-off filter) using New Bee silicone tips (the stock tips were too big), stock cable and no EQ. I found the EA3 to be comfortable to wear for longer listening sessions.

(Note that I listened to the EA3 only with music and that these are my just my personal listening impressions of the EA3, however if you like a sound signature that has an emphasis on treble you may have a different opinion)



Listening Impressions

Overall I find the timbre to be a bit strange on the EA3 and I think that is mainly due to the emphasis on treble and more specifically because the Knowles BA is placed close to the stem. I found that vocals can sound slightly back on some tracks and some instruments seem artificially boosted in the higher frequencies. Sub-bass is there but mid-bass can seem lacking on certain tracks where they don't sound overly dynamic. Soundstage and separation are quite good but the emphasis on treble can make certain instruments sound overly emphasised. At lower volumes the EA3 is quite listenable and nothing really stands out as being overly dominant, but when turned up to normal listening levels they become very bright to my ears and sibilance is present. I also found the EA3 to be quite sensitive to source and recording.

Conclusion

Given these are $39.99 USD I think that they are good for listening at lower volumes but for critical listening or higher volumes I find them quite bright, so be aware if you are sensitive to treble or sibilance. It would be interesting to listen to these alongside the new FH1s and see how they compare, given the way that they both graph.

In a strange turn of events, Fiio decided to launch a sub-brand called Jade Audio where they would rebrand their existing products, perhaps cut a few corners and price them temptingly low.

Good idea, innit?

Jade Audio EA3 is the only IEM (so far) in Jade Audio’s lineup, and the rest are either Bluetooth amps or the solitary TWS earbud.

Fiio positions the EA3 as a successor to the FH1, which retailed for $99 at launch and had a… less-than-adequate sound to my ears.

So, did Fiio manage to bring out something competitive in the budget range? Let’s find out.

(Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Definitely the expectations from a $15 IEM won’t be the same as a $150 one, and that’s the approach taken while assigning scores. Fiio/Jade Audio was kind enough to send me a review unit. Disclaimer)

Sources used: LG G7, Questyle QP1R, iPhone SE

Price, while reviewed: ~$45. Look out for sales and discounts.


Build: Yet-another-resin-shell IEM. Not too long ago these 3D-printed Resin shells looked awful (the cheap ones that is). Things have changed for the better and the EA3 actually looks and feels solid in hand.
The outer face-plate is quite attractive and has a hologram-like depth to it. Esp the Black version looks classy. I am not a fan of the Blue version however as it looks rather cheap, especially the inner-side which looks cheap in both color versions. Thankfully that is not exposed while wearing them so it’s not too big an issue.
The inner-side also houses the vent-hole for the large dynamic driver (13.5mm PET coated diaphragm). Finally, the metal-nozzle (with a substantial lip) houses the Balanced Armature driver (Knowles 33518) — the same model as the old FH1. I am not a fan of this particular BA driver placement as it leads to harsh highs and upper-mids, but let’s talk about that in the sound section.
The connector is 2-pin, protrudes slightly from the back, and felt solid.
In short, good build quality, even though paint-job and finish of the Blue version is less than ideal.
4/5



Accessories: The accessory set does not have any major omission on the face of it. You get a soft carrying pouch, a nice SPC cable (it might be thin but I didn’t find any issues with the build quality or sound, though I don’t like these memory wires in general), 6 pairs of eartips of two different types (narrow and wide bore), and a small cable wrap.
The tips are of decent quality, but I opted for Spinfit CP-100 as they fit me better.
My biggest gripe is that carrying case. It’s too soft and literally just acts as a fancy cover for the IEMs without adding any actual protection. A semi-hard/hard carrying shell would be more practical.
4/5

Comfort: The EA3 is rather comfortable to wear. The memory wire of the cable might not work for some of you, in which case a cable swap is necessary, but it worked fine for me once I got the hang of it. The tips are something I swapped, but the stock tips might be enough. Since the IEM does not have any strange protrusions on the inner side, it has an overall smooth shape and a snug fit is possible, making it suitable for work-outs and morning runs. Isolation is also above-average, making it a good option for commute.
4.5/5


Now, on to the sound.

Just to rehash: this is a single dynamic + single BA hybrid with the drivers placed in a coaxial arrangement instead of using tubes/wave-guides and placing the BA driver much deeper into the IEM shell. While this arrangement can alleviate some of the cross-over issues with multiple tubes (mismatched tube length can cause phase issues), placing the BA driver so close to the nozzle usually doesn’t allow room to add dampers. Without dampers — the BA drivers often sound harsh and artificial, and this was the biggest concern for me heading into the review.

Lows: The huge dynamic driver does its job rather well I’d say. With proper seal, the bass is voluminous, and definitely packs a punch.
The sub-bass reaches as low as 20Hz, and from 30Hz downwards you can feel the sub-bass rumble. Sub-bass is accentuated over mid-bass, and the mid-bass doesn’t bleed into the lower-mids (which, along with the treble, seems to be solely handled by the BA driver).
Bass is not the fastest with a slightly longer decay than the BA driver, but that’s expected at this price point. Difference between bass notes is not the most evident, esp mid-bass lacks texture.
Another thing to note — the dynamic driver has a warm tone, while the BA driver sounds bright. This leads to tonal incoherence on certain tracks.
In summary: the sub-bass is really good, mid-bass lacks texture, but overall actually good for the price-range.
4/5

Mids: Mid-range throughout is handled via the BA driver, and that is the root of all issues with the EA3. As I mentioned previously, this “BA in the nozzle” design never works, and it hasn’t worked for Fiio as well.
The mid-range is recessed due to the overall signature being V-shaped, but not too recessed to be an issue. However, it’s the performance of the midrange that’s the issue here rather than their prominence.
The lower-mids lack body, thus male vocals are rendered too thin and overly bright. Baritone vocals especially lack the depth. E.g. Colin Hay’s I Just Don’t Think I’ll Get Over You completely lacks the depth and texture of the vocals on EA3. The upper-mids on the other hand are too accentuated, leading to shouty female vocals.
Everything in-between is rather fine actually, as acoustic guitars have a crispness to them while the snare hits are substantial and rather realistic sounding. But the thin lower-mids and the overly emphasized upper-mids that leads to shoutiness and sibilance (e.g. on this track) can be deal-breaker for many.
Ah yes, the mid-range timbre . It’s typical BA timbre: hollow sounding, or “plasticky” as many like to call them. They just don’t sound natural to me, so there’s that. At least the mid-range detail retrieval is above average for the price bracket.
3/5

Treble: Treble is my biggest gripe on the EA3.
There are too many peaks in the presence region/lower-treble, and that leads to a fatiguing listen. I often commute for hours with my IEMs, and in one such commute, I couldn’t use the EA3 for over half an hour at a time due to the fatiguing treble. Peaks around 4, 6, 8KHz are very evident, especially the latter two causes splashy treble that can make cymbal-heavy metal tracks a challenge to listen to. E.g. on Have Heart’s The Unbreakable, the cymbal hits sound overly thin while the growling vocals are borderline harsh.
Crash cymbals often sound splashy, while ride cymbals have the tendency to decay too early. Violins, depending on tracks, can sound moderate to overly bright. And for the upper-treble regions, there is decent upper treble reach with peaks around 11KHz or so from my listening tests, but due to the unnaturally quick decay of the BA driver, the sensation of “airy” treble is not as evident.
Detail retrieval is also above average on the treble region and many of the micro-details are picked up.
Overall, while the EA3 is good at picking up details, the tonality and tuning issues overshadow the technical abilites.
2.5/5


Soundstage: EA3 has a really well-rounded soundstage. Soundstage has about the same depth/height, while the width is slightly larger in comparison. In fact, the soundstage is perhaps the stand-out of these IEMs, along with its sub-bass response.
I highly doubt anyone will be disappointed with the EA3’s soundstage, and it leads to a really nice experience while watching movies/series.
4.5/5

Imaging: The imaging is not as exceptional as the soundstage. The layering of instruments is good enough for the most part, but sometimes tend to be too close together in the mix (due to the closer proximity of the BA driver).
Another issue is the placements of instruments that are supposed to be on the top-right/top-left regions. They are often shifted more to the right/left. Surprisingly bottom-right/left positioning is fine, which was a bit odd.
3.5/5

Bang-for-buck: A year or two back, the EA3 would likely be considered a great buy “for the price”, as it’s built fairly well, has a complete accessory set and while the tuning has its share of issues — it’s passable if you listen to mostly bass-heavy stuff.
But the times they have changed.
Due to the availability of a few better tuned models in this price segment, this one is just not the “shut up and take my money” stuff anymore. The soundstage is exceptional, and the sub-bass is very good, but the sibilant mid-range and overly bright treble makes it a hard call.
Tough break.
3/5

Source and Amping: These are very sensitive and run on almost anything. However, do note that the output impedance of your source needs to be low enough (ideally ~1 ohm or less) due to the BA hybrid nature of the IEM. Also, pairing it with a warm source might alleviate some tonality issues, though I doubt they will be fixed outright.


Select Comparisons

vs Final E1000: Final E1000 is the entry model of the final E-series lineup (review coming soon, hopefully). However, it has the most balanced tuning of the whole E series. But let’s start from the build quality.
Both IEMs are plastic made, but the fit and finish on the E1000 is a bit better. However, EA3 has a detachable cable, so it gets the nod instead due to potentially better durability. E1000 however is more comfortable and isolates better.
Accessories-wise, EA3 trumps the E1000, though the E1000 does come with the absolutely awesome Final E-type tips.
As for the most important facet — sound, E1000 is far more relaxing in terms of tonality. There are no odd peaks anywhere and you can listen to them for hours. Sub-bass is more visceral on the EA3, so bass-heads will probably pick them over the E1000. However, E1000 bass has a much better texture and slightly faster decay. Vocals on the E1000 are also noticeably better represented without any sibilance or thinness. Treble follows a similar story.
Where the EA3 trumps the E1000 is overall detail retrieval and soundstage. Imaging is about same on both.

vs BLON BL-03: Ah, the mighty BLONs! First up, the build quality, and here it’s about on par for both, though I have trust issues with the BLON’s 2-pin connector housing. Comfortwise EA3 is miles ahead, same story when it comes to accessories.
However, I much prefer the sound of the BLONs. While it doesn’t have such a hard hitting sub-bass, it makes up for that with punchy, well-textured mid-bass. Then comes the mid-range and vocals where the BLONs are quite a bit ahead. Detail retrieval, treble extension and soundstage are the areas where EA3 takes the cake, while imaging is BL-03’s forte.

vs KZ ZSX: The ZSX costs a bit more than the EA3, but they are both under $50 nowadays on AliExpress. In terms of build quality, accessories and comfort — EA3 is the winner.
As for the sound, EA3 again gets the point for bass response as ZSX is pretty poor in that regard. Mid-range is a bit better tuned on the ZSX with less instances of sibilance while having more micro-details than the EA3. Treble also follows a similar story, with the ZSX having more micro-details and better instrumental separation overall. Soundstage goes to EA3, while imaging is better on the ZSX.


Conclusion

Fiio’s idea of launching a cheaper sub-brand aka Jade Audio is a good one. However, their first IEM under this new branding lacks the finesse to be a stand-out.

While the EA3’s sub-bass response will cater well to bass-heads, mid-bass lacks the resolution you’d expect from such a large driver. The tonality issues of the midrange and treble, coupled with an overly bright tuning that can cause listening fatigue rather quickly makes it a hard sell. The soundstage, good build and accessory set are nice bonuses, but when the core tuning is flawed these garnishes don’t add much more.

I hope Fiio gets back to the drawing board and either ditches the BA driver altogether, or goes for individual tubing inside the IEMs with proper dampers installed to make the most out of the (rather capable) BA driver. They already have a good single-BA IEM in the market (FA1), so it's just a matter of effort on their part to come up with something competitive in the budget range.


Test tracks (as Tidal playlist): https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/04350ebe-1582-4785-9984-ff050d80d2b7Test tracks (as YouTube playlist, often updated):

INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMER:
The Jade Audio EA3 is an in-ear monitor (IEM) utilizing a 13.6 mm dynamic driver and a Knowles 33518 balanced armature. It currently retails for $40. Jade Audio provided me with the EA3 in exchange for a fair and objective review.
This review is also available on my blog: https://medium.com/bedrock-reviews/jade-audio-ea3-review-a013da71be3d

SOURCES:
I have evaluated the Jade Audio EA3 with my JDS Labs The Element using local FLAC and Spotify Premium. Visit my last.fm page to get an idea of what I listen to.

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:
The review package I received is likely not representative of the Jade Audio EA3’s retail packaging, as a sticker on the box slim white box reads “The product will probably be upgraded; pictures are for your reference only.” Inside the box are the IEMs, a detachable .78 mm 2-pin cable, a zippered cloth carry purse, and 12 pairs of silicone eartips in two different colors (S, M, L). The tips with red cores are slightly more conical in shape than the tips with black cores, which are more rounded in shape.

BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN:
The Jade Audio EA3 has a high-quality resin housing with a mesh-covered metal nozzle. The nozzle has a substantial lip to secure the eartips. The faceplate has a dark smoky pattern set under the surface upon which the Jade Audio logo is set in metallic script. “L/R” indicators are printed in white adjacent to the 2-pin ports. The 2-pin connectors use a standard flush-fitting design but the IEM-side ports are raised slightly from the housing body. This creates an unsightly gap between the housing and the 2-pin connectors. There is a single circular vent on the inner face of the earpieces.

The 2-pin cable included with the EA3 has strain-relief above the straight 3.5mm jack housing and below the Y-split. The 3.5 mm jack and Y-split hardware are metal. The cable uses preformed clear plastic earguides and has a chin-adjustment slider. The oversized 2-pin connectors have raised markings to indicate left and right. My biggest issue with the cable is that the section below the Y-split is coiled rather than braided, which reduces its visual appeal to me.

COMFORT / FIT / ISOLATION:
The Jade Audio EA3 is intended to be worn cable-up. It has a shallow to moderate insertion depth. I did not find them to be comfortable even for short periods of wear. The nozzle angle is odd and the ergonomics of the inner housing body are poor. It was difficult to get a good seal with the included eartips. Secureness of fit is average. I experienced mild driver flex on one side.

MEASUREMENTS:

My measurements were conducted with a Dayton iMM-6 microphone using a vinyl tubing coupler and a calibrated USB sound interface. The headphones are driven using my Element, which has an output impedance of no more than 1 ohm. The measurements use a compensation file derived from relating my raw measurements to published measurements from Crinacle and Antdroid. The measurements are presented with 1/24th smoothing. The magnitude of the valley around 7k is a coupler artifact. There is a resonant peak around 8k. Measurements above 10k are not reliable.

SOUND:
The Jade Audio EA3 has a V-shaped tuning that is on the bright side.

The EA3 emphasizes sub-bass over mid-bass. Sub-bass extension is very good but not best in class. Slam is moderate. When listening to bass-oriented music I found myself wishing for slightly more impact and weight to percussion. Bass articulation and speed are surprisingly good but bass texture is lacking.

The midrange has a thin, bright tonality. The limited mid-bass recedes sharply across the transition into the lower midrange, which avoids congestion and muddiness but also warmth to a large extent. Intelligibility is very good for both male and female vocals, though female vocals are slightly forward of male vocals. Instruments in the lower midrange are well-separated from male vocals. There is a bit too much presence and timbre is dry and plasticky. Female vocals sound parched.

The treble, while not quite harsh to my ears, is overemphasized and uneven. Cymbal hits are splashy and diffuse. Detail retrieval is excellent but there is a fatiguing amount of sparkle. Soundstage is quite wide and instrument separation is good. Imaging is lackluster in comparison.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
The Jade Audio EA3 is easy to drive.

CLOSING WORDS:
The Jade Audio EA3 is not competitive with the majority of IEMs at or below its price point I have had the opportunity to review in the last year.