[Monsterzero]

Is that mines that you received by chance? I sent it to the Island

Yep. Not a day out here goes by that I dont miss the west coast weather. Arizona in three years or bust!

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

Yep. Not a day out here goes by that I dont miss the west coast weather. Arizona in three years or bust!

That system isn't too loud but it sounds super good.

 

[silverbot01]

I'd be very interested in borrowing the Jade II. I'm located in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA which is where Axpona is hosted so I got to try the Jade II for a small amount of time, but really giving it time to sink in and enjoy would be awesome and I'd love to write a review.

I've had the HE400i,HE560, and still have a HE1000v1, so I'll also be able to compare it to Hifiman's other non-electrostatic products as well as comparing it to my Stax system.

 

[kennylim]

Amsterdam, Netherlands here. would love to take part!

Always liked sound signature of the Hifiman family.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Woah, seems this threadb turned to fun quite a bit

Hope the other tour people are having tons of fun!

 

[Olumm]

just got notification that the Jade II is coming to me. I will update once they get here and afterwards I will provide detailed impressions.

 

[Monsterzero]

My time with the Jade 2 is just about up,and I'd like to thank @TeamHiFiMAN for the chance to take part in this loaner tour.

I felt that the Jade 2 is a fantastic sounding system,but only under certain circumstances.
The level of clarity,detail and transparency is the best I've heard of any headphone. I was not expecting it to sound as good as it does,frankly. With that level of detail,I did not detect any hint of sibilance either Quite the accomplishment.

The bass response at moderate volume levels was also better than expected. I have never spent much time with an e-stat before,but have read plenty about various STAX models over the years and bass,or a lack thereof was often a point of contention,so I wasnt expecting much in the way of bass from the Jade 2,but I was pleasantly surprised. Its by no means a basshead headphone,but it didnt sound anemic or overly thin to me either.

I absolutely loved the mids too. Not recessed,not shouty,not too forward. Just right.

There are however things about the system that I did not like,namely volume of the system,and how the system sounded as the volume was raised. I detailed all the good and not so good points in my video review.



In short,if you enjoy listening at moderate volume levels and appreciate being able to hear everything you will love the Jade 2.

 

[Olumm]

Just picked up the Jade II system from my local UPS and got it home. First impressions... BIG BOX!

In a seriousness. The energizer is built like a TANK. It reminds me when I got my Woo Audio Wee in... solid metal construction (don't worry, I do plan on running the Jade II through the Woo Audio Wee connected to the Emotiva A-100). The electros themselves are quite light. Holding them compared to the L700 there is little difference in weight....maybe the Jade II is a bit lighter....maybe, but holy god are they just better built. The L700 creak and rattle when you just look at them, and the Jade II rattles and cracks as well, but it's not the kind of ratting and cracking that reminds me of the 1980's era Happy Meal toys. I don't feel like the Jade II is going to break if I adjust it wrong, where as the L700 feel like they are an aggressive sneeze away from total destruction.

Let's talk about the cable... it's the worst part about the Jade II so far. I mean, it's like cheap plastic straps used for truck beds, AND it's micro phonic as hell. Please Hifiman...take a note out of the Stax playbook and just use a flat rubber cable. PLEASE.

Here is how I will be listening to the the Jade II over my time with it.

Source - Foobar2000
Tidal - meh, "quality" streaming...
Spotify - for the more affordable streaming solution.

DAC - Geshelli Labs ENOG2 Pro (both XLR and RCA)


First listening impressions....

First Song - Jolene, by Dolly Parton from the album Jolene (1974) (Spotify)

My father used to BLAST this song when he and my mother got in an argument, and now as an adult I find that HILARIOUS. As a child I didn't understand it, but for anyone that is not aware of this song it's Dolly begging a lady named Jolene not to take her man just because she can.

This song has a strong baseline that should be present throughout the whole song, and while it is present it's not as deep and dynamic as other non-electrostatic headphones. The voice from Dolly is front and center, while the guitar tracks are hard-pan right and left, as it should be. I can tell that these are electrostatics, as there is no decay...at all. The instrument notes hit and are then immediately gone. This electrostatic images as good as any other that I have had the pleasure of hearing. Staging is tight and not exceeding more than the ends of my shoulders, but damn is the vertical space huge. These have larger vertical spacing than the L700 for sure.

Second Song - when the party's over, Billie Eilish (aka Robert Eyelash thanks to Dwight K. Schrute - look it up on YouTube.) from the album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (2019) (Foobar2000)

Yes, I know this might not be a good track to test with, but dammit I love her voice.

This song in particular shows off her vocal range and is WELL over-recorded. The good news is that the Jade II shows how overly done this track is recorded and at :58 in to the track there is a strong bass hit that slides down. There is so much distortion in the initial hit that you can tell the electrostat is just trying like hell to do something with it other than just distort and fart in your ear. The whole section during that bass line is distorted, even with her voice breaking up. The good news is that during the more quiet parts of the song, particularly at the end when it's just her voice and a quiet piano the Jade II shines at reproducing her voice... natural and airy. Second song in and I am impressed.

Third Song - Fat Bottomed Girls, Queen from the album Jazz (1978) (Tidal)

Here's the thing about this song... it's not easy to reproduce this track correctly. The intro is the men singing in harmony, and without the proper response handling in the mids/treble they can all blend together to sound like congested mess. The good news is that that Jade II handles this reproduction quite well and gives enough space between the lads to make sense out of each of their voices. The second challenge comes with the separation between the instruments midway through, including the clap track. Again, the Jade II handles this quite well and the chorus blends it all well in to a great listening experience.

TL;DR - So far this system is showing itself to be quite a good challenger to the Stax L-series lineup. Leaning a bit on the lean/brighter side, but as is the case with most electrostats. Stay tuned for more after I have had some time with it... I plan on putting this system through it's paces. ;D

 

[jamato8]

Just picked up the Jade II system from my local UPS and got it home. First impressions... BIG BOX!

In a seriousness. The energizer is built like a TANK. It reminds me when I got my Woo Audio Wee in... solid metal construction (don't worry, I do plan on running the Jade II through the Woo Audio Wee connected to the Emotiva A-100). The electros themselves are quite light. Holding them compared to the L700 there is little difference in weight....maybe the Jade II is a bit lighter....maybe, but holy god are they just better built. The L700 creak and rattle when you just look at them, and the Jade II rattles and cracks as well, but it's not the kind of ratting and cracking that reminds me of the 1980's era Happy Meal toys. I don't feel like the Jade II is going to break if I adjust it wrong, where as the L700 feel like they are an aggressive sneeze away from total destruction.

Let's talk about the cable... it's the worst part about the Jade II so far. I mean, it's like cheap straps used for truck beds, AND it's micro phonic as hell. Please Hifiman...take a note out of the Stax playbook and just use a flat rubber cable. PLEASE.

Here is how I will be listening to the the Jade II over my time with it.

Source - Foobar2000
Tidal - meh, "quality" streaming...
Spotify - for the more affordable streaming solution.

DAC - Geshelli Labs ENOG2 Pro (both XLR and RCA)


First listening impressions....

First Song - Jolene, by Dolly Parton from the album Jolene (1974) (Spotify)

My father used to BLAST this song when he and my mother got in an argument, and now as an adult I find that HILARIOUS. As a child I didn't understand it, but for anyone that is not aware of this song it's Dolly begging a lady named Jolene not to take her man just because she can.

This song has a strong baseline that should be present throughout the whole song, and while it is present it's not as deep and dynamic as other non-electrostatic headphones. The voice from Dolly is front and center, while the guitar tracks are hard-pan right and left, as it should be. I can tell that these are electrostatics, as there is no decay...at all. The instrument notes hit and are then immediately gone. This electrostatic images as good as any other that I have had the pleasure of hearing. Staging is tight and not exceeding more than the ends of my shoulders, but damn is the vertical space huge. These have larger vertical spacing than the L700 for sure.

Second Song - when the party's over, Billie Eilish (aka Robert Eyelash thanks to Dwight K. Schrute - look it up on YouTube.) from the album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (2019) (Foobar2000)

Yes, I know this might not be a good track to test with, but dammit I love her voice.

This song in particular shows off her vocal range and is WELL over-recorded. The good news is that the Jade II shows how overly done this track is recorded and at :58 in to the track there is a strong bass hit that slides down. There is so much distortion in the initial hit that you can tell the electrostat is just trying like hell to do something with it other than just distort and fart in your ear. The whole section during that bass line is distorted, even with her voice breaking up. The good news is that during the more quiet parts of the song, particularly at the end when it's just her voice and a quiet piano the Jade II shines at reproducing her voice... natural and airy. Second song in and I am impressed.

Third Song - Fat Bottomed Girls, Queen from the album Jazz (1978) (Tidal)

Here's the thing about this song... it's not easy to reproduce this track correctly. The intro is the men singing in harmony, and without the proper response handling in the mids/treble they can all blend together to sound like congested mess. The good news is that that Jade II handles this reproduction quite well and gives enough space between the lads to make sense out of each of their voices. The second challenge comes with the separation between the instruments midway through, including the clap track. Again, the Jade II handles this quite well and the chorus blends it all well in to a great listening experience.

So far this system is showing itself to be quite a good challenger to the Stax L-series lineup. Stay tuned for more after I have had some time with it... I plan on putting this system through it's paces. ;D

With some time I think you will hear more bass, that is well done and also, for me, I hear more decay but that also comes with some time. The entire soundstage will open more. Layering also improves,.

 

[Olumm]

With some time I think you will hear more bass, that is well done and also, for me, I hear more decay but that also comes with some time. The entire soundstage will open more. Layering also improves,.

I don't doubt it. I am now listening to Wingbeats (Max Cooper Remix) by Hidden Orchestra from the Dawn Chorus Remixes.

In my opinion... it's a great track for soundstage and imaging. I am hearing the strings further away than I would normally expect from my trusted HD600, and the drums that come in at 1:17 are deeper in the stage as well.

 

[wormsdriver]

Ok here's my take on this system. I want to thank Hifiman for conducting this tour and allowing me to preview this system in the comfort of my own home for two weeks (nice!).

I'll start things off by commenting on the packaging and build of the jade II system. First of all this is an electrostatic headphone and amp/energizer system. Cost is $2500 USD MSRP.

I received a big box in the mail, upon opening it I was greeted with two boxes inside the big outside box. I found both the headphones and energizer to be well packaged and protected for their journey.

The amp is of substantial size and weight. It is all black made of heavy steal. The front has a power button, small LED white light indicator light that lights up when powered on (not too bright which is a good thing). Two five pin electrostatic headphone outs, a toggle switch for switching between balanced and single ended inputs and last but not least is a big volume knob. The knob has a well defined marker to indicate where the volume is at and I found the volume knob very good during usage, no complaints there.

The headphones are pleasantly lightweight and most definitely comfortable. The cable is also very lightweight and I'm pleased to say that I did not find it microphonic at all during usage. Cable is hardwired like most electrostatics (I believe). It is approximately 6.5ft long which I found to be pretty much an ideal length for my use. Pads are a hybrid of velour and leather, the cups are huge so I found them very spacious and they also have enough depth for my ears not to touch the driver grill all though they sit very flat parallel to the sides of my head. The materials used on the shell itself are plastic, the ouside grills are made of very thin and cheap metal. Metal gimbals, and headband with some additional plastic on the headband on the part that holds the leather head strap and has the Jade II/Hifiman logos. Overall the headphone does feel on the cheaper side for the cost of it. The most troublesome part is that the headphone is creaky every time I take it off or put it on my head. At one point I also felt/heard a slight bit of creaking while I was wearing them on my head and I was chewing on something.

Sound:
This is my first time hearing an electrostatic rig and I'm pleased to say it did not disappoint! Indeed these are very fast sounding headphones.

They have a very good level of transparency. Resolution is also up there and competes fairly well with other flagship headphones I would say, maybe not Utopia levels from what I remember but a step below it... maybe two. Soundstage I feel is well rounded with good depth, and width. Instruments have good layering but not to where it's distracting to the music as a whole. Much like the soundstage, I feel dynamics are good in this headphone, nothing to write home about but definitely not lacking either.
Overall I'd say they are tastefully tuned with no particular offenses that stand out. I find them engaging and fun, not at all clinical, cold or anemic for that matter. Mid bass seems to have a bit of a bump, treble is detailed, extended and not at all offensive or too laid back. Midrange is where I feel it could use just a tiny bit more something... Voices could sometimes use maybe a tiny bit more body, some more soul/magic for lack of a better term. Guitars could use a tiny bit more grunt or grit at times. This is really nit picking since I only came to this conclusion while trying to really pick at something and not really during regular listening sessions. Even the vast majority of youtube videos I watched where sound quality could be a big hit or miss were all enjoyable and also revealing at the same time. Definitely a good all around headphone in my book, fast, engaging, non fatiguing while still being nicely detailed!

Equipment used: Sony laptop > optical cable > RME ADI 2 Dac fs > both balanced and single ended inputs to Jade II Electrostatic system
Most listening tracks were through Tidal Hifi or my own lossless files. As mentioned above I also enjoy quite a bit of live recordings off of youtube, good stuff! I mainly listen to rock, classic rock, pop music/rnb (60's, 70's, 80's), a little bit of jazz and classical for testing purposes. I did try out a couple of some bass heavy hip hop tracks and if you are a real basshead then these probably won't quite do it for you.
One more thing, I listen at moderately high volumes the volume knob was usually at 11 to 12 o'clock (around 76db) and had no complaints really. If I turned it up higher I did sense things losing focus and getting fuzzy but I was unsure if it was the headphones or my hearing since I can't listen at that volume for any substantial amount of time. BTW, it seemed like the volume didn't go substantially much higher as I went past 12 o'clock when I tried it.

Again, I'd like to thank Hifiman for the opportunity of demoing this system in my home. I hope to also have the opportunity to demo the He6se before pulling the trigger on either one.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Dipper Mouth]

Hi,
I know that I look like a newbie in the forum but It would be a great chance to try electrostatic headphones. Started with dynamic drivers and started exploring the planar technology. It would be a great chance for me to introduce myself to a new world and have the opportunity to explore with a great company.
Located in Toulouse / FR and willing to participate in this loaner program.

 

[ngoshawk]

I am in possession of the other tour unit (one of many?...). The box sits below me as we had district Futbol play for our daughter-unit. Might open it tomorrow, lol.

 

[ngoshawk]

Tonight is the first listen after having it for a week...why? Someone failed to include the power cord for the amp when it was sent to me... HiFiMan sent another and it arrived today. I will state that I am enjoying the Tedeschi Trucks Band right now. MAN, Susan's voice is sensuous. Concert-like sound in my ears, and it is good...

 

[negura]

I am posting my impressions after some hours with the Jade II:
- very spatious stage, big drivers do this well. Tall/wide image, but not as deep as it is tall.
- effortless sounding with beautiful midrange and detailed crisp treble. The treble is only relatively linear. There are some dip/peak areas, but I did not pick up anything similar to the planar magnetic headphones dip areas.
- fast and very resolving
- in terms of body they are not thick sounding, but rather neutral/natural. They sound neither dark nor bright. Close to neutral, which is great. I like this.
- good quality bass, with a noticeable drop in the lowest bass ranges
- construction/fit/finish could be better. Not impressed with the cables, and unfortunately with stats they are not removable.
- no stat fart. Must have some ports somewhere that I do not see and this possibly impacts the bass.

Equipment used: MSB DAC V stack, Jade II amp/headphones

In short, I've really been enjoying my time with the Jade II so far. They are very good all arounders (from acoustic, classical to metal), but won't rock anyone's boat with bass heavy content.