I’d like to give a shout out to HiFiMAN for lending me this system as a loaner.
The Jade II headphone is the first electrostat that I’ve listened to. Previous to the Jade II I owned the HiFiMAN HEKv2. I thoroughly enjoyed its pleasant sound signature, but after a while I felt that something was lacking: notes sounded too soft for my tastes, too rounded and too laid back that kept me from feeling engaged. I felt like I was in a dream while I was listening to the HEKv2, but I didn’t like it. Unfortunately there was also some peak going on in the treble region that prevented me from really enjoying the music.
I can safely say that the Jade II has improved on the HEKv2 in almost every way, but let me get to the specifics of why the Jade II stands out to me:
Build quality and comfort – the build quality of this headphone is a blessing and a curse. The Jade II headphone is mainly made of plastic and the headphone uses the newly designed HiFiMAN headband system. I find that this headband isn’t ideal for the longevity of this headphone – I almost always hear the headband squeaking whenever I stretch it out. It makes me feel that I’m dealing with a cheaper, more fragile product.
However I think that this material was chosen in consideration to the headphones weight, which is extremely light. I’d also like to point out that I have an average head and I barely had to adjust the headband in order to get an almost glove-like fit. It feels like the headphone conforms to the shape of my head which is a really nice touch, like a plug-and-play type of feel.
Sound – if I were to sum up the sound of the Jade II headphone I’d say that it has an effortless and engaging presentation. I feel like I’m listening to the music as a whole, rather than each part of the spectrum being separated. It’s like each part of the sound spectrum is in balance with the other, blended and liquid-like.
The treble is beautiful. It’s smooth yet extremely extended. This is probably the best treble presentation that I’ve ever listened to. Zero fatigue, zero grain and one-hundred percent on point. I also think that the sound-stage capability of the Jade II gives the treble its omnipresence. The sound-stage is taller than it is wide, but it also has great depth. I can hear articulation from instruments in the high registers because I’m almost forced to hear it, but in a good way.
The mid-range is clear and coherent. It is full, and voices sound very distinct from the instruments. I feel like nothing is lost when the Jade II is presented with complex music. However, I feel congestion when the volume is turned up a lot – this is where I think distortion does become present. I believe that this headphone performs at its finest at moderate to low listening levels.
The speed and attack of this headphone is superb. Everything is given room to breathe, to show off and then go away into a black background. This also lends itself to the bass which packs quite a punch. Although the quantity of the bass is lacking I believe it more than makes up for it in other areas such as attack, decay and texture. From what I’ve heard electrostatic headphones lack a lot of grunt in this area and it seems to me that the Jade II has put itself on top of the competition with its bass performance. It’s there and it’s palpable.
Concerns – other than the build quality, I feel some may not like, what I feel, is the more intimate presentation of the Jade II. There are also times when sounds are so close that they lack definition and texture – mainly in the lower mid-range. Lastly, I do not think that the amplifier that this headphone is packaged with is worth it. I plugged this headphone into a Stax SRM-1mk2 and it sounded nearly identical. However, the amp IS built very well. Finally, for some reason I would be concerned about the re-selling price point on this headphone and whether or not there will be takers for it but hopefully these reviews will shed some light on this headphone!
Thanks again, HiFiMAN!
