i_don't_know
1000+ Head-Fier
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Things to take note of:
a) I'm still training my ears
and
b) Everyone hears things differently
Therefore, YMMV.
Enjoy the review!
Almost two months ago (sorry for the delay Peter), I received a pair of s-JAYS in the mail to review. To be honest, after reading Martin's review at ABI to get an idea of what they would sound like, I was expecting bloated bass, mids that "just barely made it", and horrible highs. Fortunately, I was wrong, and as it turns out, these IEMs are actually quite nice! I'll get into specifics on the sound a little later on.
[size=xx-large]Box and Accessories[/size]
The back of the box shows a list of contents (which seems to include accessories and the different parts of the IEM itself). The list is as follows:
1. s-JAYS earphones
2. sliding ring
3. Y-connection
4. 3.5 mm stereo mini-plug
5. Extension cord 90 cm (35 in)
6. Silicon rubber sleeves (various sizes)
7. Protective filters
8. Foam sleeves (one size fits all)
9. Stereo splitter
10. Airplane adapter
11. Earphone bag
What should have been in the little window on the back, but I was eager to take it out.
There is one pair of each of the tip sizes, which include XXS, XS, S, M, and L silicones and a "one size fits all" pair of foamies. The mediums come pre-installed.
A couple selling points printed on the front of the box. I'll get to that bass impact and sound isolation later.
From a marketing standpoint, the packaging is all about presentation and attracting attention on the shelf - and JAYS has scored big with this one. The s-JAYS are packaged in a box made of beautiful matte black cardboard with two circular windows on the front displaying the earphones themselves embedded in their lime green internal packaging, and a larger, rectangular window on the back showing off the different tips included.
Accessories include an extension cord (which I think is absolutely necessary considering how short the stock cable is, unless you're planning to stick your DAP in your shirt pocket), a couple different sizes of tips, replacement filters, a stereo splitter so you can plug in with a friend, an airplane adapter for those long boring movies on your flight to (insert place you want to fly to here), and a little purse thing that, personally, I'm afraid to use because it looks like zipping it up will crush anything bigger than a marble that you put inside. That's one thing I'll admit JAYS should improve upon - the storage pouch. Just make it big enough for the earphones and some spare tips, without having to cram them in, and we're golden.
Overall, packaging was simplistic yet impressive, and the plethora of accessories was a welcome surprise.
The tiny storage pouch.
[size=xx-large]Burn-In[/size]
As I'm sure you all know, there is some dispute over the effectiveness of attempting to burn-in balanced armatures. But these throw something new into the mix.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the Siren armature driver. I'm not sure if this is the exact driver that is inside the s-JAYS, but it should give all of you a general idea of the goodies inside. The s-JAYS are apparently the first IEM to utilize this new driver design, so I thought I'd give them a chance in the beginning to see if they'd burn-in. When I first got them, there was some sibilance, the mids were recessed, and the bass was a little heavy (not bloated, just heavy). Also, they seemed overly reactive to equalization to the point where it was a little weird. After about three days of listening, they started getting better - quicker, more detailed, and less bass-heavy. Listening fatigue was also decreased to the point where it was no longer a problem due to the sibilance becoming non-existent except on terrible recordings. They also began to form their own sound signature that was less and less affected by equalization. I'm not sure exactly how much listening time these have gotten over the past two months, but I think it's safe to say that either:
a) They take a while to get used to and the "mental burn-in" is a bit longer than with certain other IEMs.
or
b) They begin to open up a little after about 10-15 hours, and continue to do so for an undefined length of time (I'm going to guess mine probably stopped sounding different after about 30 hours. This is the first time I've tried to keep track of burn-in time, and it's so hard to tell when you've finally hit that "sweet spot").
Anyway, I did not notice any sonic changes after the first week or two (keep in mind I'm in high school and have a lot of schoolwork to do and essays to write, so within those two weeks, I think I got no more than 50 hours of listening in).
[size=xx-large]Fit and Isolation[/size]
A horrible close-up of these beautiful IEMs. By the way, my thumb nail is not brown at all, it's the lighting. Though I probably should get the nail clippers anyway.
The housings themselves are sort of fat, and this actually helps in terms of isolation. They seem to really plug up your ear canals, and when I have them on, I can't hear a thing except for my music! But the odd shape of these IEMs made me have to fiddle with them for a while, and I finally decided that with the medium silicones, wearing them over the ear was best for me because their curved design caused the tips to sort of "hook" up into my ear canals.
[size=xx-large]First Impressions (After Initial Burn-In of 10-15 Hours)[/size]
The s-JAYS next to my S639F, with the song "Better Together" on pause.
The albums I used to test the sound of these earphones throughout the course of the review were:
"In Between Dreams" - Jack Johnson (affected by Loudness Wars)
"Absolution" - Muse (ridiculously affected by Loudness Wars)
"Out of Exile" - Audioslave (ridiculously affected by Loudness Wars)
"Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix" [REMASTERED] - Jimi Hendrix (affected by Loudness Wars)
"Matters of the Bittersweet" - Matthew Santos (NOT affected by Loudness Wars)
[size=large]Lows[/size]
Lows seemed to extend pretty low, but with some "straining" (awkward word choice alert) around the lower threshold of their frequency response. In other words, bass was pretty clean until a certain point at which it seemed to slowly get a little less refined all the way down to 20Hz. It never got to the point where it was necessarily "bad", however. The bass overall was quite punchy, most likely due to the speed of the armature design of the Siren drivers. Most, if not all, signs of bloated bass had disappeared by this time. Bass impact was also heavy, but satisfyingly so, in a way that I could imagine would make electronica and hip-hop sound excellent. There was also a midbass hump, which exists in many bass-heavy IEMs and headphones. But the bass was not really overwhelming. In fact, it paired quite well with the acoustic music I tested, consisting of Jack Johnson and Matthew Santos. The bass was ever-so-slightly overwhelming in certain parts of certain songs by Matthew Santos, especially the song "Shadows in a Shoebox". All albums tested exhibited good bass through the s-JAYS at this point.
[size=large]Mids[/size]
At this point, all vocals except for those of Jack Johnson appeared at least slightly recessed. Both Hendrix's guitar playing and Tom Morello's catchy riffs and solos and heavy use of effects were able to cut through the mix, however, and present themselves just behind the bass. I decided to wait a while before judging the mids.
[size=large]Highs[/size]
By this time, all signs of sibilance had disappeared, except for Matt Bellamy's vocals which seemed to have been affected in the mastering process. Highs were acceptable, but did not sparkle, and were a tiny bit recessed. I decided to wait this one out as well.
[size=large]Detail[/size]
Pretty good, especially for the price. Actually, these made certain bad recordings sound HORRIBLE, which I guess you could say is a good thing. If your music is recorded poorly, these will throw it in your face, along with a handful of rocks and some red pepper for good measure. They don't reveal quite as much as the Phonak Audeo PFE, but what they do reveal, they will use as a weapon against you. Bad recordings will just pass the listenable mark. Once again, this isn't a bad thing.
[size=xx-large]Final Impressions (right now)[/size]
[size=large]Lows[/size]
Lows did not change, for the most part. They may have become slightly less prominent, but the difference is negligible.
[size=large]Mids[/size]
All vocals except for Matt Bellamy's are now heard as they should be. I believe that Matt's slightly higher-pitched voice may be responsible for this. I'm assuming there is some sort of bias toward the "lower" (note the quotation marks) mids, which I have decided is most likely the focal point of the s-JAYS' sound signature. Other than Matt, however, these are doing an excellent job with vocals!
[size=large]Highs[/size]
The highs seem to have become a little more pronounced than before (though they are still no where near as pronounced as the bass, and are positioned a little behind the lower mids). I'm also hearing a couple details in the upper frequencies that I hadn't heard before with the s-JAYS (most likely due to the slight recession that used to be there). Overall, the highs are presented in a very "smooth" manner. On the other hand, they still do not sparkle. Treble heads, the s-JAYS are not going to be your cup of tea.
[size=large]Detail[/size]
Detail has stayed the same overall, but has improved slightly in the upper frequencies.
[size=xx-large]Conclusion[/size]
Overall, the s-JAYS are a well-priced IEM (the lowest I found was equivalent to about $53 on Amazon UK, which is GREAT for what you get with these) with a sound signature that focuses on the upper bass and lower mids. If I could sketch out a frequency response graph of what I hear with these, I would draw a gradual ascent from the 20Hz to the midbass range, a midbass hump that continues into the lower mids, a gradual descent through to about 500 or 600 Hz, a drop at about 750Hz (probably not even close, but it's late, lol), a spike back up at about 1000Hz that is slightly below the level of the lower midrange, and a *generally* flat response from there until 20kHz, possibly with a VERY gradual descent from about 10kHz-20kHz.
I know, it sounds like the s-JAYS are inaccurate bass monsters, but trust me, they're not. Especially for the price, they are very good. They just seem to be a little picky with the recordings and, in some cases, the music you throw at them. That midbass hump isn't ridiculously huge, and though I have heard better, it isn't really overwhelming either. They do well across a pretty broad variety of genres, though I can't imagine a classical fan enjoying these. For electronic music such as techno, hip-hop, etc., however, I think these are winners. Even for most rock, they perform quite well.
I can tell you one thing - I'm certainly enjoying mine.
a) I'm still training my ears
and
b) Everyone hears things differently
Therefore, YMMV.
Enjoy the review!
Almost two months ago (sorry for the delay Peter), I received a pair of s-JAYS in the mail to review. To be honest, after reading Martin's review at ABI to get an idea of what they would sound like, I was expecting bloated bass, mids that "just barely made it", and horrible highs. Fortunately, I was wrong, and as it turns out, these IEMs are actually quite nice! I'll get into specifics on the sound a little later on.
[size=xx-large]Box and Accessories[/size]
The back of the box shows a list of contents (which seems to include accessories and the different parts of the IEM itself). The list is as follows:
1. s-JAYS earphones
2. sliding ring
3. Y-connection
4. 3.5 mm stereo mini-plug
5. Extension cord 90 cm (35 in)
6. Silicon rubber sleeves (various sizes)
7. Protective filters
8. Foam sleeves (one size fits all)
9. Stereo splitter
10. Airplane adapter
11. Earphone bag
What should have been in the little window on the back, but I was eager to take it out.
There is one pair of each of the tip sizes, which include XXS, XS, S, M, and L silicones and a "one size fits all" pair of foamies. The mediums come pre-installed.
A couple selling points printed on the front of the box. I'll get to that bass impact and sound isolation later.
From a marketing standpoint, the packaging is all about presentation and attracting attention on the shelf - and JAYS has scored big with this one. The s-JAYS are packaged in a box made of beautiful matte black cardboard with two circular windows on the front displaying the earphones themselves embedded in their lime green internal packaging, and a larger, rectangular window on the back showing off the different tips included.
Accessories include an extension cord (which I think is absolutely necessary considering how short the stock cable is, unless you're planning to stick your DAP in your shirt pocket), a couple different sizes of tips, replacement filters, a stereo splitter so you can plug in with a friend, an airplane adapter for those long boring movies on your flight to (insert place you want to fly to here), and a little purse thing that, personally, I'm afraid to use because it looks like zipping it up will crush anything bigger than a marble that you put inside. That's one thing I'll admit JAYS should improve upon - the storage pouch. Just make it big enough for the earphones and some spare tips, without having to cram them in, and we're golden.
Overall, packaging was simplistic yet impressive, and the plethora of accessories was a welcome surprise.
The tiny storage pouch.
[size=xx-large]Burn-In[/size]
As I'm sure you all know, there is some dispute over the effectiveness of attempting to burn-in balanced armatures. But these throw something new into the mix.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the Siren armature driver. I'm not sure if this is the exact driver that is inside the s-JAYS, but it should give all of you a general idea of the goodies inside. The s-JAYS are apparently the first IEM to utilize this new driver design, so I thought I'd give them a chance in the beginning to see if they'd burn-in. When I first got them, there was some sibilance, the mids were recessed, and the bass was a little heavy (not bloated, just heavy). Also, they seemed overly reactive to equalization to the point where it was a little weird. After about three days of listening, they started getting better - quicker, more detailed, and less bass-heavy. Listening fatigue was also decreased to the point where it was no longer a problem due to the sibilance becoming non-existent except on terrible recordings. They also began to form their own sound signature that was less and less affected by equalization. I'm not sure exactly how much listening time these have gotten over the past two months, but I think it's safe to say that either:
a) They take a while to get used to and the "mental burn-in" is a bit longer than with certain other IEMs.
or
b) They begin to open up a little after about 10-15 hours, and continue to do so for an undefined length of time (I'm going to guess mine probably stopped sounding different after about 30 hours. This is the first time I've tried to keep track of burn-in time, and it's so hard to tell when you've finally hit that "sweet spot").
Anyway, I did not notice any sonic changes after the first week or two (keep in mind I'm in high school and have a lot of schoolwork to do and essays to write, so within those two weeks, I think I got no more than 50 hours of listening in).
[size=xx-large]Fit and Isolation[/size]
A horrible close-up of these beautiful IEMs. By the way, my thumb nail is not brown at all, it's the lighting. Though I probably should get the nail clippers anyway.
The housings themselves are sort of fat, and this actually helps in terms of isolation. They seem to really plug up your ear canals, and when I have them on, I can't hear a thing except for my music! But the odd shape of these IEMs made me have to fiddle with them for a while, and I finally decided that with the medium silicones, wearing them over the ear was best for me because their curved design caused the tips to sort of "hook" up into my ear canals.
[size=xx-large]First Impressions (After Initial Burn-In of 10-15 Hours)[/size]
The s-JAYS next to my S639F, with the song "Better Together" on pause.
The albums I used to test the sound of these earphones throughout the course of the review were:
"In Between Dreams" - Jack Johnson (affected by Loudness Wars)
"Absolution" - Muse (ridiculously affected by Loudness Wars)
"Out of Exile" - Audioslave (ridiculously affected by Loudness Wars)
"Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix" [REMASTERED] - Jimi Hendrix (affected by Loudness Wars)
"Matters of the Bittersweet" - Matthew Santos (NOT affected by Loudness Wars)
[size=large]Lows[/size]
Lows seemed to extend pretty low, but with some "straining" (awkward word choice alert) around the lower threshold of their frequency response. In other words, bass was pretty clean until a certain point at which it seemed to slowly get a little less refined all the way down to 20Hz. It never got to the point where it was necessarily "bad", however. The bass overall was quite punchy, most likely due to the speed of the armature design of the Siren drivers. Most, if not all, signs of bloated bass had disappeared by this time. Bass impact was also heavy, but satisfyingly so, in a way that I could imagine would make electronica and hip-hop sound excellent. There was also a midbass hump, which exists in many bass-heavy IEMs and headphones. But the bass was not really overwhelming. In fact, it paired quite well with the acoustic music I tested, consisting of Jack Johnson and Matthew Santos. The bass was ever-so-slightly overwhelming in certain parts of certain songs by Matthew Santos, especially the song "Shadows in a Shoebox". All albums tested exhibited good bass through the s-JAYS at this point.
[size=large]Mids[/size]
At this point, all vocals except for those of Jack Johnson appeared at least slightly recessed. Both Hendrix's guitar playing and Tom Morello's catchy riffs and solos and heavy use of effects were able to cut through the mix, however, and present themselves just behind the bass. I decided to wait a while before judging the mids.
[size=large]Highs[/size]
By this time, all signs of sibilance had disappeared, except for Matt Bellamy's vocals which seemed to have been affected in the mastering process. Highs were acceptable, but did not sparkle, and were a tiny bit recessed. I decided to wait this one out as well.
[size=large]Detail[/size]
Pretty good, especially for the price. Actually, these made certain bad recordings sound HORRIBLE, which I guess you could say is a good thing. If your music is recorded poorly, these will throw it in your face, along with a handful of rocks and some red pepper for good measure. They don't reveal quite as much as the Phonak Audeo PFE, but what they do reveal, they will use as a weapon against you. Bad recordings will just pass the listenable mark. Once again, this isn't a bad thing.
[size=xx-large]Final Impressions (right now)[/size]
[size=large]Lows[/size]
Lows did not change, for the most part. They may have become slightly less prominent, but the difference is negligible.
[size=large]Mids[/size]
All vocals except for Matt Bellamy's are now heard as they should be. I believe that Matt's slightly higher-pitched voice may be responsible for this. I'm assuming there is some sort of bias toward the "lower" (note the quotation marks) mids, which I have decided is most likely the focal point of the s-JAYS' sound signature. Other than Matt, however, these are doing an excellent job with vocals!
[size=large]Highs[/size]
The highs seem to have become a little more pronounced than before (though they are still no where near as pronounced as the bass, and are positioned a little behind the lower mids). I'm also hearing a couple details in the upper frequencies that I hadn't heard before with the s-JAYS (most likely due to the slight recession that used to be there). Overall, the highs are presented in a very "smooth" manner. On the other hand, they still do not sparkle. Treble heads, the s-JAYS are not going to be your cup of tea.
[size=large]Detail[/size]
Detail has stayed the same overall, but has improved slightly in the upper frequencies.
[size=xx-large]Conclusion[/size]
Overall, the s-JAYS are a well-priced IEM (the lowest I found was equivalent to about $53 on Amazon UK, which is GREAT for what you get with these) with a sound signature that focuses on the upper bass and lower mids. If I could sketch out a frequency response graph of what I hear with these, I would draw a gradual ascent from the 20Hz to the midbass range, a midbass hump that continues into the lower mids, a gradual descent through to about 500 or 600 Hz, a drop at about 750Hz (probably not even close, but it's late, lol), a spike back up at about 1000Hz that is slightly below the level of the lower midrange, and a *generally* flat response from there until 20kHz, possibly with a VERY gradual descent from about 10kHz-20kHz.
I know, it sounds like the s-JAYS are inaccurate bass monsters, but trust me, they're not. Especially for the price, they are very good. They just seem to be a little picky with the recordings and, in some cases, the music you throw at them. That midbass hump isn't ridiculously huge, and though I have heard better, it isn't really overwhelming either. They do well across a pretty broad variety of genres, though I can't imagine a classical fan enjoying these. For electronic music such as techno, hip-hop, etc., however, I think these are winners. Even for most rock, they perform quite well.
I can tell you one thing - I'm certainly enjoying mine.
