Jerry Harvey Audio Sirens Series Roxanne Universal IEM

Isolation is excellent with the spinfit tips, Bass response is just like no other I've ever tried, it almost literally blows you away with the punch and quick decay. prolly a little too punchy. but at $1350 i paid i expected a lot more from this iem. theres nothing special in the midrange n treble. midrange esp vocals is not rich/lush enough for my taste. treble is just a plain veiled boredom. imaging is average. I rather pay for a c6iem at half the price which offers similar sound signature n overall technicalities

At the moment, I have the original pair of roxannes with the left (what I noted as defective) earpiece replaced. Upon reopening them and listening, I heard very obvious channel imbalance. With the left earpiece being stronger, more clear and with a bit better balance. The right earpiece is from an original early set. The following review is based mostly on the original pair I owned which may not be representative of the quality of the product you would be receiving now.

EDIT:
Why did I give this 1/2 a star? Simply because the experience with these has been absolutely awful.
I found out after talking to a few audiophiles about my pair that the left earpiece may be broken in some way. Basically the mids were muffled and sounded off. Very noticeable if you paid attention to it/ know what to listen for. Otherwise it would just sound like something is off overall. This coming in after all the cosmetic defects and delays is REALLY disappointing. I send emails with no response. I call and get connected to Andy who listens to me and tells me he'll send me a pair first thing Monday morning (Monday being May 19th) and that he would quality check it himself. Well here I am updating this on June 12th with no further response and no replacement after confirming by email that he would send me a replacement on May 19th. This has been an overall awful experience dealing with JH for a $1300 pair of earbuds.


I'd like to start by reminding everyone these are my current impressions and can change depending on certain factors.

After a whole long mess and some back and forth and other dealings I've ended up with a repaired pair of Roxannes UF. These are VERY different from the original pair I had in terms of sound and design. The new ones are larger, more bulbous, have much better treble response / clarity to my ears and are just superior in my opinion. I assume the previous ones may have just been a quick dash to get them out the doors considering the delays they were facing.


Date received:
March 27th, 2014
Last updated:
Aug 7th, 2014

So let's start this.
The source gear I'm using:
Fiio X5
Nexus 5
Sansa clip zip

Music I listen to:
A bit of Jrock
Various instrumentals
Various types of soundtracks
Very little pop / electronic

Most of what I listen to is lossless with certain exceptions. However, I would not use those exceptions for reviewing purposes.

No, these are not high end audiophile DAPs. I understand that. If you wish to stop right here and ignore the rest of my impressions that's up to you.

What I want from headphones are something balanced/neutral. I used to be more of a treble head but lately I'm finding myself wanting a present bass-line that I can tune in on if wanted while still having my mids and treble. I don't care as much about soundstaging, this is a secondary aspect to my ears. Spaciousness is something I do appreciate though. I like some sweetness to my headphones. I dislike the more dry/electronic headphones like the HD700, Beyer T1, AKG K701. If those are headphones you enjoy then I don't think my review will be overly applicable to your situation. My outer ears are fairly small. I guess in this case head size doesn't matter.

Table of contents
1. Comfort
2. Build Quality
3. Sound


1. Comfort
I have small ears so often find myself using the small or medium eartips for most IEMs
I don't know if the shape of my ears is just abnormal (I've never had molds done) but these don't fit that well.
I've tried quite a fair amount of tips from the Sony silicone tips to complies to the stock tips and more. The ONLY tips that give me a good seal with comfort are these black double flange tips my friend gave me. Everything else has either been uncomfortable or didn't seal. Even then the newer JH Roxanne UF are very large and have trouble fitting in my smaller ears. But it's more than manageable with these tips.


2. Build quality
The earpieces themselves feel very sturdy. I wouldn't worry about them at all. I do however wish there maybe was a locking mechanism for the eartips to stay in place because on several occasions I've had eartips slide off while I'm taking the Roxannes out of my ears leaving me carefully grabbing at the little bit of the eartip protruding.
I like the cable. Hopefully the new cable I received won't be as bad as the first one. Currently the cable seems fine but the first cable I had had the tendency to unravel itself.
The proprietary connectors feel quite secure.
I always feel like the box for the bass tuning is the weakest link but it's fairly out of the way and should fit in your pocket without a problem.

3. Sound
Probably the most important yet most biased section

I've been keeping the bass adjustments fairly high, despite me saying I prefer neutral, because it seems the double flange tips severely reduce bass.

To my ears:

Overview:

Up for review today is the Jerry Harvey Audio Roxanne, which I got in a trade. This is very similar to the newer Roxanne I guess, but it's an older version that you can't get anymore – the new version has the full name written out on the faceplate. These used to retail for $1,599, but are listed as out of stock everywhere and are no longer listed on JH's website. They still have 12 drivers per side and apears to share the same Sounddrive IV tech as the newer version with four drivers on the lows, mids, and highs. It's possible that the only difference is that JM doesn't really appear to make universal IEMs anymore, at least there aren't any listed on their site. Regardless, they're likely very close and likely shares the same DNA as the ROXANNE. Anyway, you only really care about how it sounds anyway right?

Accessories/Earpads/Eartips (8/10):

Mine were definitely a used pair, so some of the accessories were missing. What the ROX should come with is a custom Flygirl hard case, a tiny screwdriver, a wax tool, and a sticker…and that’s about it. Oh, and it comes with quite a few sets of ear tips as well. Overall, it’s not the worst accessory pack I’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely not the best either – that honor is still shared between the Elysium and the Mezzo LE. The ROX earns 6 points here. I used both my Spinfit W1 and my Final Audio E Type tips with these – I definitely recommend the E types, though both worked just fine.



Cable (7/10):

The cable is tangly, has a proprietary 4-pin design, and are 3.5mm only. Built into that cable is a cool bass-tune feature that only works with the stock cable. So, if you want a new cable, you’d have to contact JH to get a new one, I believe they make them in 4.4mm termination now. You can also get 2-pin and 8-pin on the IEM side – whatever that is. THAT’S A LOT OF PINS! The cable screws into the top so you won’t accidentally tug on the cable and pull it out – a very nice feature. The bass-tune feature is definitely the coolest part about these and lets you adjust from almost no bass to tons of bass – much more effective than a stupid switch on the IEM that slightly changes… nothing. That said, it’s not what I’d call an amazing cable, and if I had the option to use a different cable like the Kinera Leyding or Ace – I would in a heartbeat.

Build Quality/Comfort (8/10):

The build quality is good. The IEMs appear to be solid acrylic throughout the entire body, with metal pieces inserted inside for the tubes and the cable connector. These don’t look like they’re going to break easily, chip, or scratch – they’re definitely made for the professional. And, while I don’t LOVE the cable, it’s built tough.

These don’t sit in your ears, they stick out of them quite far, which actually makes for a pretty comfortable fit as long as you have good ear tips on them. They also have the skinniest nozzles I’ve ever seen, which is great for people with tiny ear holes, but makes for a weird experience for everyone else (sorry Josh.) If you hate IEMs sitting inside your ear, or you have weirdly shaped ears, then JH IEMs are made for you – they’re designed to fit in everyone’s ears since they’re built for bands on the road touring. So, just expect a long, skinny nozzle and it sticking out of your ear a bit and you’ll be good. I find them to be quite comfortable as they don’t touch my ear anywhere unlike the Elysium.

Sound:

Check out the Frequency Response Graph below to see how much of a difference the bass tuning makes with these IEMs. I have these turned up to about 2/3rds of the way up, all the way up was WAY too much bass for me, but 2/3rds was perfect. Also, these are super easy to drive with volume at 40-45/100 on UNBALANCED - awesome. I’m driving these from my Shanling M6 Ultra using Tidal Hifi and the stock cable.

Lows (20/20):

I’m starting off with the Mid-bass/Sub-bass test I’m using David Guetta’s “I’m Good (Blue).” Obviously, the bass is going to be good here since you can adjust it to whatever you like. The impact from the intro bass drums is great and the sub-bass at 0:38 is also really good, both in quality and in quantity. These IEMs are a cheat-mode for bass. Not enough bass? Turn it up! It gets to AHHH levels of bass. Too much bass? Turn it down – though it’ll never hit no bass at all.

Up next is Demon Hunter’s “I Am A Stone,” which I use to test whether the bass is too strong and overwhelms the mids as that is just as important as how strong/good the bass is. At 2/3rds on the bass adjust, this song is just about as perfect as I’ve ever heard. The bass doesn’t overwhelm the mids like the Meteor can – but once again, you can make the bass overwhelm here if you want. Yeah, it’s a gimmick, but it’s a really cool one and I’ll give the ROX max points on bass here because it’s not just adjustable, it’s good.

Mids (14/20):

Weaving The Fate’s “The Fall” is my test song for clean/dirty guitars and vocals with background instruments to see how clearly the vocals can be heard. You can’t adjust how the mids are going to sound, so the question here is can they keep up with the ROX’s bass? Honestly, they’re a little muddy/veiled. These are not $3k+ IEMs, and the vocals still sound good, but both the clean and distorted guitars sound like they’re coming in from behind some foam. The vocals do this a tad as well, but not to the same level. They’re above average, but not by a ton – 3/6 points here.

Staind’s “Something to Remind You” has clean electric guitars and wonderful vocals – this song tests the vocal quality and background noise. This is quite a bit better than the previous song. Yeah, there’s still a tad bit of a veil, but the entire range of this song sounds better, definitely above average. The only place it gets a bit muddy is when Aaron Lewis sings low notes, which is a common problem with this song, and one of the reasons I use it. The bass guitar sounds really good though and doesn’t overwhelm the mids. 6/7 points

To test classical instruments in the mids, I’m using The Piano Guys' “Code Name Vivaldi.” The intro strings come in nicely, but not the best I’ve heard. The bass-string instruments come in hard and sound really nice. I actually had to turn the bass down to ½ for this song to prevent it from overwhelming the rest of the instruments. It works really nicely there. Yes, there’s still a little bit of fuzz on here and it’s not the best I’ve ever heard this song, but it’s pretty good and better than quite a few. 5/7 points here.

Highs (15/20):

To test sibilance on headphones I use Panic! At The Disco’s “High Hopes. There’s a bit of sibilance on this song, which is a little surprising based on the FRG, which shows a hard drop in those frequencies. That said, it’s better than most and not offensive unless you’re listening for it. 5/6 points here.

Dream Theater’s “The Alien,” is the highs test song I use to see if the cymbals/high-hats/snare drum can be clearly heard and distinguished from the rest of the music (also good for instrument separation.) I’m a bit surprised here since I can actually hear the cymbals and snares quite clearly despite the treble dip, though it’s not quite top-notch treble, it’s definitely better than the EJ07. Yet another good showing from the ROX – 5/7 points to Gryffindor JH Audio.

Michelle McLaughlin’s “Across The Burren” is another of my favorite highs/sharpness test songs as it can easily sound painful on some headphones. There’s a bit of sharpness here, but not enough to make me stop listening to the song like on some headphones. I also had to turn down the song to 33/100 on the volume, which helped with the sharpness. So, again not a bad treble showing, and none of the treble pieces had the fuzziness that I saw on the mids – an overall good presentation and 5/7 points to the ROX.

Soundstage/Instrument Separation/Imaging (4/10):

I use MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” to test soundstage, instrument separation, and imaging. This is definitely a weakness of the ROX. The soundstage feels low-mid range in size. The instrument separation is mid-tier and very 2D sounding, and the imaging is just OK. The ROX only earns a 4/10 here as it is just below average across the board.

Comparisons:

This is a challenging comparison section to write since the only other IEM I have with the bass-tune tech built into the cable is also made by JH Audio. Both the 16V2 and ROX measure pretty similarly on the FRG, so it’s no surprise that they sound pretty close. The main differences are: almost nothing. The bass is basically the same, the fit is basically the same, and the looks are basically the same. The 16v2 comes with a thicker cable in silver rather than black. The tuning differences are minuscule and aren’t really worth mentioning – check out the FRG if you want to know how they’ll sound with your specific preferences.



Conclusion:

The JH Audio ROX is a surprise since I’d never heard of JH Audio until just recently. They’re focused more on the professional audio crowd since they were originally created for Van Halen by John Harvey. The ROX brings a fun tuning with surprisingly good treble and a fun bass-tune gimmick to the consumer market. If you love bass, or just want the ability to turn it up or down as needed, don’t mind the mids being a little fuzzy, and like decent treble with just a tad of sharpness/sibilance, then the ROX should definitely be on your wish list. These really do compete in the $1,000+ range and the bass control is not just a gimmick - a 74 is a good score from me and only 12 points under my top IEM.

 

Full Review: https://audiorambles.com/jh-audio-roxanne/


Introduction
When Jerry Harvey Audio released the JH Roxannes, they were revered as somewhat of a technological marvel. In 2019, while even companies like Knowledge Zenith may be releasing 8-driver IEMs, the audio landscape was vastly different back in 2013. The integration of 12 drivers in a single shell back then was virtually unheard of,combined with Jerry Harvey’s proprietary “Freqphase”, “SoundrIVe” technologies, and an adjustable bass port, the Roxannes made waves round the community.

The Police might fervently disagree, perhaps “put(ting) on the red light” might be necessary to own one, especially with the latest editions selling at $1899 USD, and the initial retail price in 2013 set at $1299 USD. Though there have been multiple revisions since then, the following review is based on the JH Roxanne V1, my personal favourite of the line-up.

Given it’s almost cliché to add a mini write-up about Jerry Harvey and Van Halen on any JH Audio review, we’’ll just get right down to business. While they’d definitely “Sting” your wallet, the Roxannes make it obvious that they’ve effortlessly withstood the test of time.

Build Quality, Fit, Comfort and Isolation


Aesthetics (8.5/10): The Roxannes are beautiful, with JH Audio tastefully implementing a Carbon Fibre faceplate upon a dark, translucent, smoke grey shell, proudly displaying her 12 drivers in all their beauty. Upon the CF faceplates, perch JH’s signature logo on one side, and “Roxanne” in cursive red on the other.

Build Quality (10/10): I’d hesitate to give anything other than a perfect score to the Roxannes for their sturdiness. “Handmade in the USA” has always been a big part of JH’s marketing, and does show in the build quality of their products. Strong and tough shells, proprietary 4-pin cable design with a locking mechanism, and reinforced braided stock cables. I’d doubt it gets any better than this.

Fit and Comfort (9/10): While the sheer size of the Roxannes (any version of them) may have elicited complaints from many in the Community, my ears have perhaps been blessed by Jerry Harvey himself, given the Roxannes fit amazingly well for me, and I often forget they’re even there. Be warned, however, given they’re still behemoths compared to most offerings on the market, and will not sit flush in your ears, and instead protrude a fair bit. The memory wire is not a significant issue as it only encompasses a small part of the braided wire. Auditions before purchase are of utmost importance.

Isolation (9/10): Excellent isolation, blocking out almost all of the noise present on public transportation.



Bass Tuning Port

In short, the bass tuning port works. Using the included tuning tool, bass can be varied for both left and right earpieces respectively, with up to 5 recommended configurations, 8, 10, 12, 2 and 4 o’clock. In essence, each notch adds more bass (both sub and mid), as well as emphasising and warming the lower mids.

At 8 o’clock, the Roxanne sounds almost slightly bass-light in nature. The Roxane still hits with good texture and impact, but quantity just isn’t sufficient for me. Lower mids are more recessed compared to the upper mids, which are perceptually more forward due to the lower treble boost being more prominent. In this configuration, you can expect clearer, cleaner sound, at the cost of a less musical presentation.

At 4 o’clock, the Roxannes are a different beast all together. Bass quickly becomes the emphasis of the show, as it is pushed all the way in front with tremendous impact and power. The lower mids warm up significantly and become quite thick, losing some speed in the process. The upper mids are now recessed relative to the rest of the mix, with the lower treble boost dialled down slightly comparatively.

As you can tell, the bass port does make the Roxannes extremely versatile, almost making it an IEM with two distinctive sonic signatures.

Sound


This review will be based on the Roxannes with the bass adjustment port set at 12 o’clock, what I consider to be the most balanced tuning.

Bass (9.5/10): While I’ve always been a huge proponent of Dynamic Drivers over Balanced Armatures for lower frequencies, the bass on the Roxannes pokes holes at the aforementioned argument. The bass goes as low as sets like the IER-Z1R, and produces similar deep, thunderous rumble on tracks like “Royals” by Lorde.

Midbass slam and impact is more than comparable to the best dynamic drivers out there for tracks like Muse’s “Neutron Star Collision”, which also showcases the sheer speed the Roxannes are capable of while carrying such weight. Midbass bleed into the mids is almost non-existent, it’s clean with little bloat.

Bass never feels slow, instead managing to be resolving while still maintaining natural decay on instruments like Drums or Cellos. It’s extremely detailed, basslines are full and authoritative, while achieving refined texture like that of a Dynamic Driver. Simply fantastic bass.

Mids (8.5/10): The Roxannes belt her lungs out in the midrange department, presenting accomplished male and female vocals alike. The midrange is resolving and detailed, though not quite “in-your-face” in the latter department, preferring to showcase them in the backdrop for listeners to pick up. Transition from bass to the midrange is flawlessly smooth. In the 12 o’clock configuration, it’s a very balanced presentation, with above average note weight.

Deep, weighty male vocals like Andrea Bocelli’s and Michael Buble’s shine on the Roxannes, as they clearly convey their weight, power and texture. The relatively thicker presentation of the lower mids never sounds sluggish or congested. While the Roxannes have a warm tilt to the midrange, female vocals are never compromised. They’re clean and sweet with good air, and have similar presence to their male counterparts, though perhaps on occasion just ever so slightly veiled by the warmth.

Highs (8.5/10): The transition from linear upper mids to slightly boosted lower treble might be slightly jarring initially (especially due to the mild sibilance present in the region), but becomes less of an issue on getting used to it. The trade-off, however, is the gobs of detail which becomes apparent on hi-hat and cymbal heavy tracks like Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” or Air Supply, with some of the most natural decay I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.

Upper treble extension, though perceptually reduced by the relatively darker tuning, is similarly fantastic upon closer inspection. On the bright side, fatigue in the upper treble is a complete non-issue, and the treble is otherwise smooth barring the hint of sibilance on the lower treble.

Soundstage, Imaging, Seperation and Timbre (9/10): The Roxannes casts an amazingly wide stage which is equally matched by its depth and height, creating an out-of-head experience, a true accomplishment for any in-ear monitor. Imaging is no slouch either, with instruments getting their own pockets of space in accurate positions on stage in live recordings, though occasionally marred by the slight warm midrange tint. Complicated, messy tracks like “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men are also no match for the Roxannes, who breeze past them with ease. Timbre is natural from top to bottom, with instruments sounding as they should.



In case I haven’t made it obvious enough, I am in love with the Roxannes. The twelve drivers in each shell work in perfect harmony, delivering a big, bold sound that is musical yet detailed. Their warm and slightly dark tint may not be for everyone, especially listeners who prize absolute clarity and detail. If they match your preferred signature however, and their price and size aren’t enough to deter you, they’re a definite keeper, even after all these years.

So when I got my HD800, they were so good from the first hour with every song and genre, when compared to other top tier flagship headphones, that I wrote a quick review to give them a no brainer five stars and then filled that review in slowly. Same deal here. These are getting close to the resolution, spatials and sound quality of a good full sized headphone. Not quite there yet -- for example, they're not as detailed, e.g., as my HD800 driven by a Burson Conductor ES9018, and they're similarly noticeably deficient in other respects when compared to a proper full sized -- but they're better than other high end IEMs in this respect, such as the Shure SE846 and IE800. I'll add more to this later, but basically right now every dimension of sound is better with these. Detail, spatials, treble (although these have a warmer sound signature than those other two), mids, bass (the SE846 has good sub-bass, but the Roxanne's bass is better defined; yes, there's detail in bass), balance between the frequencies, everything  . . . 
 
On comfort, they are definitely big (maybe twice the size of the SE846 in terms of volume? and much much bigger than the IE800) but I am having no problems whatsoever fitting them and so on. They're like the SE846 in that respect (but not as good as the IE800, which are super easy to pop in and out).
 
Edit1: They're clearly "warm" on the frequency scale, sort of like an Audeze LCD2. So if you want a bright headphone you may not like these. This is true even if you turn the bass all the way down (which you do via two screws on the line, one for the left ear and the other for the right ear). If I were designing them, I would have moved them a tad bit up on the frequency chart, but I can't criticize JH for that decision since you can't please everyone on the warm/neutral/bright debate. Note this is very slightly exacerbated if you move from the rubber/silicone type tips to the comply foam tips, which create a super air-tight seal and thus magnify the bass (and consequently cause you to perceive less treble).
 
Edit2: If you like the fact that IEMs put the music right  in your head, and you don't like the way full-sized headphones create some imagined distance between you and the sound, then you won't like these. It occurs to me that some people might like that closed in feel of a traditional IEM. It's a little odd listening to an IEM that presents music in this way.
 
 

I have to say, when I first saw them, 12 bands per driver! Isn't that a bit over the top? But after listening to a demoed pair for just 5 mins with my iPod, I bought a pair, they are really that good! I got the AKR03 version though, not sure if they are the same as the JH Audio version.