JH Audio JH16 Pro Custom In-Ear Monitors

i own both westone es 5 and jh 16. i have to say westone offers much better quality, comfort and service.
the socket on jh16 broken twice within last year. had to sent it back twice for repair and wasted almost 200$, 
their customer service is very unprofessional!! give it a try if you don't believe
followed up several times on status, got a reply a week later and told me she was on vacation (no auto-reply), asked for repair cost and another week of waiting. 
 
their CSR seems to be so proud of their product and don't even know how to care or respect customers' feeling. They probably did a good job on marketing and Artists relationship, but not regular customer and audiophiles.
 
If you are not a famous Artist, go find another brand. at this price, you deserve respect and better service

I've had UE11s for the past 8 years and I finally made the jump to JH16. They are worth every penny. The bass is light years ahead of UE11s and just so much more full-bodied and multi-layered - like biting into a hearty piece of finely aged steak! The bass never indecorously encroaches upon the decadent mids and highs, which are just delicious. Absolutely the best IEM on the market today for the price and for the casual listening. The fit is spot on and the acrylic feels so much more stout and denser than whatever material my UE11s were made out of. These IEMs are simply a triumph and the soundstage from them are just MEGA! I am rediscovering all my favorite songs, immersing myself in them, what an IEM!
 
Update: to think that these IEMs couldn't get any better, I ended up getting a TWag V3 balanced cable and an RSA protector. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The bass has more impact, the mids sound even more lush, and the highs sound even crisper. There is DEFINITELY more instrument separation on top of it and a very noticeable increase in soundstage.

 
  

JH16Pro Freqphase Custom In Ear Monitor
8 driver, triple bore design
10hz - 20 kHz
Impedance: 18 Ohms
$1149 
 
I once met Jerry about 10 years ago when he was still with Ultimate Ears.  At the time, I had no idea this man would eventually design one of the coolest, most shockingly yummy and satisfying headphone experiences ever.  Sonic Gold, my friends.  Sonic Gold, indeed.  I don't want to bore you with information in the beginning of this thread, so I will start off with the Conclusion first.  You can read the details afterward.  That is just how I roll...#likeaboss
 
 

 
The After
 
Audio FREQ's unite! The JH16 Pro Freqphase is scores high marks pretty much across the board. I highly recommend this monitor for anyone looking for a fun, highly musical, highly engaging, far from stark neutral experience. This is the stuff of the future, no question about it.  Something extremely personal and tailored for emotionally driven sonic experiences that can make or break your day.  After all, what is this hobby all about if not to enjoy music to the fullest potential imaginable.  Invoke something inside of you, escape from reality.  Sonic Drug Overdoses and Digitally allocated trips.  Getting lost for a few moments out of the day and forgetting the stresses in life, perhaps to mend a broken heart or slowly wallow into the deepest, darkest regions of space.  It is all about the musical journey, isn't it?  I can't speak for others, all I can say is that there are times when life can really get you...which headphone are you going to reach for when life knocks on your door?  The JH16 Pro is pretty much the best all arounder in the CIEM world that I am aware of. It is not the best, but it sure is one of the most fun and lively, most highly engaging and coherent experiences I've had in many years.
 
One for the money, two for the show...Hail to the King, Baby!  
 
 
The Before
 
 
A few years ago, the original JH16 was hailed as one of the best sonic experiences a human being can get in a custom inner ear monitor. ( CIEM for short )  Somehow, as if struck on the head with a bolt of lightning, or perhaps abducted by aliens, he was able to squeeze out the final 10% of what the elder JH16 was capable of:  He called it Freqphase.  It is Future Tech and in my opinion at the forefront of modern audio methodology, something that would be right as rain inside Captain Picards ears. Yes, the character was definitely an Audiophile and advocate of losing yourself in great music! 
 

 

 
Time Alignment is another term often used for what this "Freqphase" does.  Basically, all the sonic qualities from the lowest lows to the highest upper regions, all travel into the ear canal at roughly the same time.  In turn, everything sounds extremely coherent, effortless and down right tasty.  It is as it should be.  Most of you know this already so I won't go into detail on how CIEM's work. I predict that in the not too distant future, perhaps at the turn of the next decade, all headphones will employ their own version of this Freq'ed Out Time Alignment.  As cellular phones have advanced so far over the past generation, so too will Audio and Video products of all types.  Time Aligned audio equipment will become the social norm to the future youth of the world, they will be ignorant to the fact that we older Audio junkies had to wait for someone to finally get it right.  Don't feel bad.   Hi-Fi years are like reverse dog years, we've been in the dark ages for what seems like forever.
 
The JH16ProFR is not my favorite custom.  That title goes to my lovely UM Merlin.  Personal preference.  I prefer the tonality of the Merlin, but regard the JH16 as the Alpha of the pack. The JH16 trumps pretty much every Custom I have ever owned, and have I owned a few:  The original JH16 and 13, Westone ES5, Clear Tunes CT200, Livewire Triple, 1964 Earz, and lastly the Xfinity X3.  
 
 
 
The Gear
 

 
 
My primary home Dac lately has been the ALO International, prior to that it was the Matrix Mini.  Yes, I am a balanced snob.  I tossed my Matrix Mini into storage the instant I found out that it wasn't a true balanced design and that conversion from single ended to balanced was taking place inside of it.  I never dove deep into it, but once I heard my gear on the International I felt solidly enough to disregard the Mini indefinitely.  Sure, it sounded pretty darn good...but I'm a snob.  Remember?  More to come on the International soon, I will provide a link to a detailed review of it coming soon.  I also use a Black Dragon 3.5mm to ALO Balanced Interconnect from Moon-Audio. 
 

 

 
 
The Deep End
 
 
The Low End Bass Experience is positively sublime, solid, weighty and ever so satisfying...but only when properly fed the right source.  Out of my primary portables which include the AK120 and the Cowon J3 ( review of the AK120 also coming soon ) the low end is seriously lacking in potential liquidity and overall shock value.  With my HPL Balanced cable and International in Dac mode that is fed by Foobar2000 and the savory Real Bass Exciter DSP, the JH16 becomes a bass monster.  In more portable setups, something like this J3 > Black Dragon 3.5mm to ALO Balanced Interconnect > Internationals Balanced Output > JH16, the experience is shoulder shrug worthy at best to my ears.  Yes, it is quite special in this setup, but a substantial step down from a great Desktop setup.  Balanced or not, the JH16 sounded great and seems heavily dependent on source quality over amplification.  It is a light weight in my opinion and does not at all require anything more than Low Gain settings on most portable amplifiers.  When I am feeling Dubsteppish, I turn to the J3+International as my portable source due to that insane low end customization equalizer.  She hits hard and deep, but noticeably more chunky compared to one of the more upper tier portables.  For all other occasions on the go, I turn to the AK120 by itself. 
 
I wouldn't call the JH16 a Bass Head CIEM, but I would say that Bass Heads won't be upset by the lack of low end kick and rumble that is possible with the proper setup.  What I love about this Freqphase thing is that my original JH16 seemed to mask the mids noticeably more than the Freqphase version does when I feed it some low end EQ.  Got a Bass Booster on your portable source or amp?  No problem. The JH16 can handle it.  You get an ever so gentle warmness to it without morphing into something colored.  It is right on that border of typical Hi-Fi speaker setups but with a slight tint to make it both "Fun and Hi-Fi" at the very same time.  
 
Blue Sky's
 
Sure, most people rave about the Mids of this monitor, but hardly anyone raves about the upper regions.  Let me tell you something: I totally forgot Sibilance even existed when I first heard these.  The higher regions of the spectrum are absolutely, shockingly polite.  They retain solid bite factor without being overly forceful.  This is extremely rare with the customs that I have owned, only the ES5 in my opinion even comes close to this yet is still a light year away from the presentation quality of the upper areas.  Screaming guitars, violins and even harsh piano key strikes remain highly engaging without being harsh or too snappy.  ( Gosh, I hate when headphones make me wince.)  Thankfully, the JH16 remains extremely fun without being boring and while portraying supreme clarity all around.  All of the above applies to the Mid range and vocal experiences.  I need not say more about it. 
 
I have a gripe.  It is a small gripe...but still a gripe.  The JH16 is certainly not the most dynamic presentation in a custom you can get, but I will say again that it is probably the most coherent.  Your 10-2 o'clock range is extremely well focused but it remains far from the best monitor for stereo separation width and depth.  That reach out into space feel is not as eye popping as say the ES5 or the Merlin, nor is it as wide as the Merlin in this case, but those customs seem to lose something in the music in most tracks I listen to.  Something is missing, things seem too wide to be considered realistic.  ( Once again the JH16 Coherency reigns supreme in this area )  My gripe is the lack of stereo separation. The CT200 and the ES5 certainly beat the JH16 in airiness and separation of instruments...but lag behind everywhere else. 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
Most tracks off The Essential Michael Jackson collection were beautifully restored and cleaned up over their original CD release counterparts. Special music cues that cause my jaw to drop were mostly found on the vinyl to CD conversion and were mostly post-digital compression.  I enjoy the older analog sound to the more modern digital compression that is very common with recordings post 1990 or so.  
 
Billie Jean Highlights:  Shockingly engaging drum taps at the very beginning of the track that are followed by an airy low end.  Vocals presented in a middle ground effect that is closer to forward than laid back, but still mid-ground to my ears.  The clarity throughout the entire spectrum is top tier and unrivaled, in my opinion, with the JH16 and compared to other customs I have owned.  Stellar, but still more enjoyable on the LCD2 and the Merlin, both known for excellent low end oomph and lush presentations.
 
Can You Feel It:  Due to the last few years of my Audiophile life being devoted to Planar Magnetics, I had forgotten how well this specific track was recorded back in the day.  Wide, Spacious and dynamic.  A perfect setup for the JH16 and significantly more enjoyable in terms of dynamics and an overall spacious yumminess compared to the likes of my LCD2 or HE-6.  Noticeably less grain on the JH16 than these two headphones via the International as my Dac.  Always nice to not feel like a level 100 Kingler isn't Vice Gripping my head while I listen to my tunes.  
 
 

 
Another great Album that is overlooked by the majority of my local friends and fellow Audio Hobbyists would be the Jazz Audiophile Voices Collection.  What a fantastic barrage of sonic bliss that spans from the 1940s all the way into modern times.  Due to the golden mid range and supreme clarity of the JH16 Pro, this is one of my favorite albums to listen to.  Most of these tracks are void of clutter, are slow paced and focus on the voice more than the instrumentals softly playing in the background.  A fantastic vocal experience.  I have found that tracks with focus on a vocal track and lean on the low end bass seem to play equally as nice on my portable rig as they do on my desktop setup.  This is not the case with most genres, but in particular, Jazz seems seems to be one of the better genres to listen to on the go with portable rigs that are not ultra high end.  Even the AK120 doesn't seem to have the same dynamic presence my desktop rig has, sure it is grand, but not stellar and reaching into the heavens.  Thankfully, I am a Jazzophile and most of my music collection is filled with this type of music.  I'm a product of the 40s in my mind.  Born into the wrong era it seems.  Most of my favorites are from that swinging jazz and ice berg lounge type of big band feel.  These Voice collection albums are excellent.  Definitely check them out if you get the chance.  The JH16 is the only headphone outside of the Stax 009 that I want to use with Jazzy Genres...
 
 

 
Ah here is where the fun begins, at long last.  Despite most of my tunes referencing the old school Jazz genres, I do enjoy a wider but still random and splashy laundry list of other genres.  I've been known to rock out with Metallica, heck I met Lars a while back...he smelled kinda funny but it was awesome to see him play 5 ft away from me.  I do blues, rhythm & blues, jazz, funk, soul. I can handle rock, pop, country, heavy metal, fusion, hip hop, rap, Motown, operetta, show tunes. In fact, I even listen to polka! However Caribbean is a type of music, I regret to say, which has not been, is simply not, nor will ever be a part of my repertoire. Ahem...moving on.  I've lately gotten into the Dubstep thing.  I'm sorry, Nonstop is a genius and I just can't stop watching some of his videos.  I thought it impossible, but I'm enjoying the really hardcore Dubstep scene from artists and bands like Watch The Duck's.  The beats and lyrics are so catchy and fun.  I enjoy Skrillex and find the bass Drops to be moderately enjoyable in comparison to my Merlin for example.  Which for this genre especially, seems on par with my LCD2.  Yummy Bass at its best without a doubt, but lacking that envelopment.  Something about this genre just does not go over to well with the JH16 to my ears.  Lindsey Stirling's - Crystallize is a track I enjoy very much and I just can't enjoy it as much with the JH16 as I do with my LCD2 or Merlin's.  It just doesn't sound right.  This is subjective of course, but I feel the JH16 low end to be more reference with excellent deepness than warmth or envelopment.  It is solid bass, but not expansive, which is the type of tonality to the low end frequencies that I seem to prefer for anything Bass oriented that is not an upright bass or invoked in a classical track from bassy instruments.  It does the job well, but not great for tracks highly centralized to Bass in general.  This is definitely more of a rocking out custom than a bass head custom.  Something to enjoy most genres and performing very well, but definitely lacking a bit for bass-centered music...still supremely clear though! Believe it or not, I just want more bass out of the JH16 on the go and hoped it would respond much more deeply on my portable rig.  On my desktop rig that low end seems more plentiful but that is due to some DSP usage I think.   On the go, however, things are not up to my standards, especially not after keeping the UM Merlin as my primary portable.
 
For everything else, I feel comfortable in placing my customs in my inventory box for storage for a while.  I personally wanted the JH16 Pro's low end to be a bit more warm and expansive, wide and enveloping.  Instead, its more precise, solid and supremely clear.  I wanted more texture, more off a wild tendency to it, but that is just my two cents on the subject, pretty much everything else is untouchable to my ears.  
 

 
-24bit

Damn - I wish I had bought these IEMs years ago.  This is just an unbelievable improvement in comparison with my UE 10 - which were breathtaking in 1996.  The JH16 just explode with attack and bass slam - but are just terrific across the entire sound spectrum.  It's like having a portable $50K stereo in your pocket. 

Perfect fit first try, using a closed mouth ear impression.  Funny thing is that this thing hits my ear bones.  For some reason, my ear canal is not soft tissue, it's hard bone.  I can't even wiggle it, it stays in place, and I may even break it with my ear canal if i press hard against it.  If it were any bigger or smaller, it would not of fit.  The wierd thing is that the seal stays even when I talk, or make facial contortions. 
 
Anyway, when I first got them, I tried to listen to them, too warm.  Oh gosh the music is just insanely warm.  I switched out to silver cables, and it got a bit brighter, a bit more tolerable but still noticeably warm.  I plugged it into a friends sansa clip and wow, warmpth almost totally went away, music sounded insanely good compared to what I got.  So its either my music tracks all 320k mp3 converted to ipod aac is really poor quality, or my JDS labs c5 amp is really warm, or my ipod nano isn't all that great, or all of the above! 
 
One thing is for sure though, without a good source, the JH16's will sound horrible.  It exposes all the midbass tenfold in a bad recording, if you give it bass boost.
 
Edit:  Okay, I just bought myself a cheap sansa clip zip, and rockboxed it.  Turned down the 250 hz -3db (and turned up 30hz and 100 hz + 6db, then overall bass +5db)  and everything became perfect!  The cleanest most detailed sound I've ever heard came out of that tiny little cheap device!  --as well as the jh16's. It was my ipod nano and amp that was coloring the tracks big time. The clip zip  just made my 'high end' portable gear totally worthless, but this review is not about the clip zip so I'll end it there. 

Bought my JH16 PRO Freqphased around the end of April, received it after 7 weeks. Been enjoying them around a month or so.

 
I have to say the JH16Pro Freq-phase are outstanding.  < That's the short version for those who would post TLNR (too long : did not read).  Take advantage of the 15% off pre-Xmas sale NOW!
 
Associated Gear:  My impressions are with my iPad 3 using lossless music and Pico Slim with TWag LOD, as well as with CCK and Pico DAC, and also right from the headphone jack of the iPad 3, iPad mini, and iPhone 5.
 
Photos:  To follow soon, as I am having artwork added to them now.
 
Music Used:  To follow soon, as the list is quite long.
 
Build and Fit:  I originally wanted them in clear acrylic like my first JH13Pro, and think I mentioned that they could add an inconspicuous logo if they wanted to - so I got the Freq-phase logo in thin black lines which is hard to see.  The right monitor is slightly looser than the left, but it's almost impossible to break the seal with extreme facial contortions.   The only time the right seal breaks is when I yawn, and when I'm done yawning it automagically seals again without touching them (sucking sound and all).  
 
My only other issue was that sometimes it felt like the left side was very slightly louder than the right, unless I'd press the right monitor in about 1mm.  At first I was worried that the volume was different due to the looser fit on the right, but then after trying a few more IEM I realize that over time I have developed very slightly more hearing loss and tinnitus on the right than the left.  Sucks to be me (at 50 years old).  The more I worked with the placement and position, I was able to get proper channel balance vs my other IEM, especially when I wrapped some Saran-wrap around the ear-piece stem on the right.  JHA is adding two coats to the right ear-piece now that my review is done.
 
Efficiency is good, and I usually have the iPad volume set between 30-50%, and never more than 60%.  I once tried pushing the iPad well past 70% volume and the sound gets bright and harsh, in addition to being too loud, although the bass doesn't falter.  Switching to the Pico Slim showed much better high-volume performance than what the un-amped iPad can offer, which is not unexpected, as well as producing higher volumes than a sane person can stand.  Regardless, the un-amped iPad can deliver higher clean sounding volume levels with these than I would normally listen, and the iPad amp only starts to fade at levels higher than I would actually use.  Despite the efficiency, they still have less hiss than my ES3X with noisy desktop amps (i.e. ALO Amphora, Nuforce DAC-100).
 
Performance:  Performance is nothing short of outstanding.  I can't think of anything I would change in these.  Sure, if I hear something better in the future I'll know it, but my wish list is empty right now.
 
BASS - In comparison to my old JH13Pro from 2009 which came out on top in my "Three Flagship Custom IEM Review", these have better mid-bass impact and presence.  And they do a better job of connecting the deep bass hump to the mid and upper-bass, without bleeding into the midrange.  And in no way is the bass overdone.  The JH16Pro FP have a bass that's deep, fast, powerful, impactful, and blends perfectly into the mid-bass and upper-bass.  It completely avoids the excessive mid-bass hump of the UE11Pro, and seems to offer the mid-bass impact of the ES5 + the deep bass extension of the JH13Pro.
 
With my JH13Pro I would sometimes feel like I had a subwoofer in the room that was crossed over too low, with a small gap in the mid or upper bass as the sound transitioned into the midrange.  The old JH13Pro have a big deep-bass thump but not quite as much punch higher up.  It was like a slight disconnect was there - the acoustic string bass thump often came from everywhere but not always in relation to the more directional sound of the string pluck, fret slap, and scratch of the fingers on strings.  Not so with the JH16Pro FP.  It's all perfectly connected and seamless.
 
Midrange - The JH16Pro FP's midrange is also more present and lively than the JH13Pro, while the JH13Pro's mids are really sweet but sometimes a little distant.  One reason I was preferring my ES5 lately over the JH13Pro was their improved mid-bass impact but also their warmer, richer, and fuller mids.  The ES5 mids felt more vivid but not as forward as the ES3X, and were warmer sounding than ES3X to boot. The JH16Pro FP give me all that and more.  They seem a little more transparent and not quite as forward as even the ES5, although improved in presence over the JH13Pro.  Goldilocks would say this is just right.  And the very small or mild upper mids peak in the ES5 is not present with the JH16Pro FP, making them more transparent than ES5 as well.  
 
Treble - The highs are smooth and refined, but with exceptional detail and sparkle, yet not rounded at the edges of the attacks despite their silky smoothness.  They're probably a little smoother than my ES5, which are excellent with good material and sources but can sometimes be a little irritating or brutal with some bad recordings, although the ES5 are still an improvement over the ES3X in that regard.  Both Westone IEM are brutally revealing with bad recordings, while the JH13Pro and JH16Pro are a little more forgiving while giving up nothing.  You can still tell if the recording is poor, but it doesn't get on your nerves as easily.
 
Imaging and soundstage is good for an IEM, and I really can't ever pinpoint the sound as coming from tiny little speakers in my ear canal.  Everything sounds coherent, and as if it's coming from sources both inside and outside of my head, with their own point source of origin.  With IEM I never get as much outside of the head imaging as I do with the HD800, SR-009 and HE-60, but almost all of my custom IEM are superior in this respect to my universal IEM.  It's too early to definitively say how this compares to my ES5 and JH13Pro or the others, but at the moment I'd say the out of head imaging is the best of my custom IEM.
 
Summary - The JH13Pro, ES5 and JH16Pro FP are not terribly far apart in performance and enjoyment (at least with my sets), but they are distinctly different in some areas.  So far I give the nod to the JH16Pro for their accuracy, transparency and balance.  I enjoy all three IEM a great bit, and I still prefer the ES5 + older JH13Pro over the ES3X and UE11Pro (as I did in my 2009 three flagship customs review).  But, if I had to pick just one the JH16Pro FP would be it - but It may not be the same for you.
 
My ES3X and UE11Pro are still quite nice, but they are not at the same level of performance as the above IEM, and they really don't see much use anymore.  The ES3X and UE11Pro still make a nice set of backup monitors for me, but when one is spending this much money on custom IEM it just makes sense to go for one of the 2-3 top-tier customs.  I've heard demo sets of UE18Pro and UERM at RMAF, as well as some 1964 Ears and Unique Melody demos, but I don't know how the full custom would sound and nothing in the demo reached out and grabbed me saying, BUY ME.  When I compared the JH13Pro Freq-phase demo to the JH16Pro Freq-phase demos at RMAF, I could still hear the basic sound signature differences between the 13 and 16 that says buy the 16's.
 

I orederd a pair of JH 16Pro IEMs in May. It is now June 15th. Since ordering the first pair, I have returned at my cost of $21.15 each time, the IEMs three times. Each time, Caleb Ellis, who manages the department that makes the IEMs, said he could not explain what had happened.
 
The left IEM of the first pair fitted perfectly with the impressions I paid an audiologist $100 to make and send to JH Audio in Florida.  The right one was painful. I called to complain and was told by Caleb, to return them to JH Audio at my expense, which I did.
 
Ten day later, they arrived again. This time, not only did the right one fall out of my ear but so did the left one. I called again and again returned them at my expense.
 
Ten or so days later the IEMs arrived. Neither would stay in my ears. I called again and was again told to return them at my expense, which I did. About two weeks later, the IEMs arrived. So did a box containing IEMs for someone named Irvin. Mind did not fit; (neither did Irvin's).
 
This time Caleb sent a prepaid label for the return of my IEMs and those intended for Irvin. Mine were returned about ten days later. Neither would stay in my ears. Caled suggested that I visit the audidologise again and pay her another $100 to have another pair of impressions made, Apparently JH Audio had damaged the first set of impressions, the pair with the perfect left-ear monitor, and wanted another opportunity to make a pair that would fit me. I refused and demanded a full refund.
 
Caleb said he would have Jerry, the owner's wife, call me. When she had not by the following afternoon, I again paid to have the IEMs shipped to Florida.
 
Unless you want to chance an experience like mine, order IEMs from another conpany.

Paid about US$1200, including custom fit, and am overseas.
 
A very highly detailed and balanced IEM. I have an iPod only filled with audiophile grade music. Put in anything else, and you hear warts and all of lesser recordings. I use this with my portable set up, which is played through the CypherLabs DAC and the Go-Vibe Porta Tube amplifier. Cables are ALO but I really did not notice any difference with any good quality cable used.
 
One criticism I often read seems to centre on the bass heavy skew in terms of tonal balance. I have a different opinion on this. I have played the electric bass guitar for many years, in live sessions as well as in the studio, and I can feel the bottom end which is not muddy. I rarely find this in headphones, and the punchy thump of the bass is different from a headphone that can extend all the way down to the lowest note of the 5- or 6-string bass (the sixth string does not count as it is in the higher octave). Again, the bass amps/speaker sound different with a 15 inch woofer and say, a 4x10 bass cabinet. Depending on the soundtrack, the bass can be dominating or laid back, but this is just merely an accurate portrayal of the source. In short, I find the JH16 able to portray the deepest regions well without drowning the mid or higher frequencies.
 
Nothing more to add to the higher frequencies as they sound highly revealing, but without any unwanted sizzle. I love the phones, but still am wondering why they cost so much. The UE TF10 which I have, comes very close to it, but with less extension at the bottom and the highs sound a bit harsh only when compared with the JH16. Without the comparison, I would be happy to continure to use the UE TF10 which I have for some time now. (must be at least two years).
 
Overall, the JH16 is accurate, but not sterile in any way in its presentation with the gear I'm pairing it with. Very good low extension, where it becomes exceptionally difficult to reproduce with each Hz below 30Hz.
 
 

Incredible sound but took some time to get use to full custom IEMs

This is an initial impression of the JH16s right as I got them out of the box.
 
Value:
 
I gave these monitors a 3-star value because these things really are expensive. I wouldn't call this the "perfect" monitor with the "perfect" sound you're looking for. But these do sound very very good. Nothing comes close to the quality you see and hear on these monitors.
If you have the budget, then go get it. If not, there are so many IEMs out there that will give you an amazing experience.
 
Audio Quality:
 
I haven't scrutinized the sound quality coming out of the 16s. But I must say this. Garbage in = Garbage out. 
Feed the Jh16s with FLACs, 320kbps MP3s and you'll hear heavenly music. 
Put on a 128kbps sample and watch your world fall apart.
 
Aside from that, all I can say is that these monitors give off amazing clarity and details. 
As a singer and performer, I would want nothing less than accurate sounds off my band members and accompanying music. These things definitely deliver.
 
Design:
 
Nothing beats custom artwork. 
The things you put on the monitors are yours and yours alone. 
The designs on my unit are close to my heart.
JH Audio definitely delivered on this aspect. 
 
Comfort:
 
There is the initial "learning curve" on how to put these custom earpieces in properly. (It took me about 10 minutes trying to fit the right earpiece in my ear). 
Once they're locked in place, they're locked. The earpieces won't fall or let loose as long as you send in quality ear impressions.
 
Isolation:
 
Once you put them on, they'll block out noise more than any IEM i've tried. You won't feel deaf, but it surely blocks out all unecessary sound so that you can enjoy your music at lower levels of volume.
 
Overall:
 
A great buy if you have the budget. You won't be dissapointed in the JH16s, but again, there are great IEMs out there that can give you the bang for your buck. 
 
If you desire clarity, details, and studio-like sound reproduction, go for these monitors. Just remember, garbage in = garbage out. 

Nice full range frequency response IEM's, the best I have heard. I play out DJing and doing  live performances, and also do lots of field recording. They are much smaller in size in comparison to my UE-18's (Ultimate Ears). They do have a slightly different sound signature compared to the UE-18's and UE-10's. The sound though isn't hugely different then the UE series IEM's. I found the sound only slightly different we are only talking very slight differences. I had some issues with my fit not working out the first round, but overall I am very happy with these IEM's.
 

Please see my detailed review/comparison thread here.