[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

Of course it has. And that's when we talk about "changing the game".
 
You're talking about an iPod. For me iPod was clearly a game changer. I don't see many "Walkmans" (brand name, so I guess it's not "Walkmen around anymore - neither tape/CD nor mini disk. It also created a whole new market, even though mp3 was already invented.
  
Carrying around an amp is not really something to desire for a portable system today.
People were actually happy to have gotten rid of anything extra (your list e.g.) to carry around.
Going back that road with an extra amp, connector cables, in-ears + box, player and probably an extra bag for it? I don't think so.
The sound quality could be twice as good as my current JH-13s, I wouldn't carry around an amp.  
For me it's definitely the less the better. 
 
There are and always be certainly people who'd like to stand out or try to be something special (Recent vinyl hype despite all technical reason. Anybody ever asked why there's no VHS hype - the picture quality is so much better?) and you might run into somebody carrying all this stuff - fine. A game changer? Nope. 
 
Computers used to be as big as rooms and back than people were stunned by their performance, which seems ridiculous compared to nowadays computer technology.
Would you, as a private person and casual user, dedicate an extra room for a new computer if it's twice as fast as todays top computer systems? 
 
Building an active in-ear system (JH-A is not the first nor only company btw)  might be a starting point for something new but as long as it's not portable enough we're not there, yet.
 
 
For a dedicated home listening rig and if somebody is willing to spent the dough on one of the possible best ear-/ headphone systems around, be my guest. As a portable device - no way!
 
 
 

forget about whether the 3A is portable or not, the system as a whole is one of the best headphone rigs out there, it will be able to hold its own against even some of the best home rigs. thats why its a game changer, specially once you consider the size and cost.
 
on another note, who else had made an active in ear system, since i dont think many other people have heard of it?

 

[wolfen68]

I heard the 3A in Chicago when it was originally announced.  While I love the JH-13's (they are something special), the 3A system did nothing for me. 
 
I was expecting some "Wow" but never heard it like, for example, the first time I heard the SR71b balanced.

 

[kiwirugby]

Quote:

 
Building an active in-ear system (JH-A is not the first nor only company btw) 

Who was the first to and what other companies build an active in-ear system?

 

[Spyro]

Update after 9 days with JH13.
 
I can safely say my IEM journey is over.  It was a fun ride, perhaps 20 something IEM's purchased, many more than once...fully enjoyed all of them to a certain extent but could ALWAYS point to at least one shortcoming or flaw.  Even with those final several pairs (UM3x, W3, SE535, GR10)....all excellent but no one of those is really superior to the other, just different.  The JH13 is CLEARLY (no pun intended) a big step up into a whole new level of audio.  I am finding it heavenly straight out of an Ipod.  Literally everything I throw at it, it does it effortlessly.  Exceptionally clean, pristine yet very natural and musical.  As Jerry Harvey himself stated on twitter when comparing JH13 to JH16.....there is literally no improvement to be made with JH13, JH16 is only giving you more bass.
 
Not to overuse a cliche' on Head-Fi here, but I am hearing things on my recordings I never heard before.  And this is after owning most of the top universals. It is a flawless IEM.
 
I am literally blown away by the JH13.  

 

[airwax]

The JH13s are really very special IEMs. Clear, effortless, and fun at the same time. Truly amazing. It seems like the standard, the reference to which other IEMs will be compared.

 

[Spyro]

Not that I ever had cattaracts or anything but compared to everything else it feels like an entire "haze" layer is pealed away with JH13.
 
GR10 is probably closest as far as transparency but doesn't have the fullness of sound that JH13 has.

 

[Chrisbay]

Quote:

forget about whether the 3A is portable or not, the system as a whole is one of the best headphone rigs out there, it will be able to hold its own against even some of the best home rigs. thats why its a game changer, specially once you consider the size and cost.
 
on another note, who else had made an active in ear system, since i dont think many other people have heard of it?

Like I said as a home rig, "Yes, be my guest!". Granted.
 
I use my "JH-13" at home and out and about.
It's pretty much, beside the occasional use of a pair of "Creative"cheapo in-ears ("EP630") with custom ear-protectors, the only phones I use.
For me a top-tier iem (in my case the "JH-13") beats everything because it's the best of both worlds: sq and portability!
Letting alone the comfort.
I put them in and they disappear - there is nothing competitive to a custom-iem.
 
Before that I intensively tried and used  "Beyerdynamic", "Sennheiser", "AKG", "Pioneer", "Stax" and "Audio Technica" headphones and "Shure" in-ears.
 
If I had the desire for the ultimate home rig I'd probably try the "3A" as well but I'm set and neither need nor want another system.
 
*I think "Compact Monitors" tried something with active crossovers but not officially, I believe.
So, I withdraw that statement above since I'm not sure if there were other companies. My apologies if I gave a false impression.
 

 
 

 

[roy_jones]

Quote:

Not quite portable though.
So, no game changer for me.

 

 
I agree with you.  I suspect that we'll eventually see a revision of the original JH3A that will be more in line with a truly portable solution, not unlike what's happened with the HiFiMan 801 and the subsequent 601/602 revisions.  I'm not sure how much space in the unit is occupied by the bass control, but for me, that would seem to be extraneous. 

 

[roy_jones]

Quote:

Update after 9 days with JH13.
 
I can safely say my IEM journey is over.  It was a fun ride, perhaps 20 something IEM's purchased, many more than once...fully enjoyed all of them to a certain extent but could ALWAYS point to at least one shortcoming or flaw.  Even with those final several pairs (UM3x, W3, SE535, GR10)....all excellent but no one of those is really superior to the other, just different.  The JH13 is CLEARLY (no pun intended) a big step up into a whole new level of audio.  I am finding it heavenly straight out of an Ipod.  Literally everything I throw at it, it does it effortlessly.  Exceptionally clean, pristine yet very natural and musical.  As Jerry Harvey himself stated on twitter when comparing JH13 to JH16.....there is literally no improvement to be made with JH13, JH16 is only giving you more bass.
 
Not to overuse a cliche' on Head-Fi here, but I am hearing things on my recordings I never heard before.  And this is after owning most of the top universals. It is a flawless IEM.
 
I am literally blown away by the JH13.  

 
I don't intend this to come off as anything critical towards you, but it's so difficult as a reader to try to make sense out of total 180 degree reversals like the one you seem to have made with the JH13pro's bass response.  Makes it very difficult to interpret your comments and observations, which is weird, considering you have a fair amount of experience with higher end IEMs.  It's one of the more frustrating things to come across as a reader of head-fi reviews. 
 
As a side note, I think JH explained that he did a lot of work on the crossover with the JH16 that he views as an improvement over the 13, as well as the triple bore.  I don't know if it makes for a better IEM, but to suggest there's no improvement at all between the two might be slightly overstated, even if sound signature preferences are still more significant. 

 

[dallan]

Quote:

 
I agree with you.  I suspect that we'll eventually see a revision of the original JH3A that will be more in line with a truly portable solution, not unlike what's happened with the HiFiMan 801 and the subsequent 601/602 revisions.  I'm not sure how much space in the unit is occupied by the bass control, but for me, that would seem to be extraneous. 

There was no revision to the 801's there was a lower end model that is more affordable and smaller.  If I was interested in the JH3A and they came out with a more affordable more portable model that had lower sound quality, i would be no more interested in that as i am in the 601/602's.  If you want to sacrifice SQ for space then just use the headphone jack of an ipod like the rest of the general public.

 

[Spyro]

 
Quote:

 
I don't intend this to come off as anything critical towards you, but it's so difficult as a reader to try to make sense out of total 180 degree reversals like the one you seem to have made with the JH13pro's bass response.  Makes it very difficult to interpret your comments and observations, which is weird, considering you have a fair amount of experience with higher end IEMs.  It's one of the more frustrating things to come across as a reader of head-fi reviews. 
 
As a side note, I think JH explained that he did a lot of work on the crossover with the JH16 that he views as an improvement over the 13, as well as the triple bore.  I don't know if it makes for a better IEM, but to suggest there's no improvement at all between the two might be slightly overstated, even if sound signature preferences are still more significant. 

I thought I was clear about that?? 
 
I was coming from JH5's which are quite a bit heavier and bassier sounding (not necesarily in a good way) and addressed this after 2-3 days with JH13.  It was an adjustment period.  Perhaps you did not follow the thread, whether this one or the JH5 versus JH13 one.  Perhaps I just should have waited a week to post anything.
 
For clarification, I suppose a handful of guys would prefer a bassier sounding IEM given the fact I find the AMOUNT of bass on JH13 to be slightly less than W3, UM3X and perhaps just a tiny bit less than SE535 but a tiny bit more than GR10.  But from a quality standpoint (texture and tone) it kills them all mercilessly. It has a ton more bass than ER4P if that also helps.  
 
In addition, of about 10 possible criteria one could come up with, even upon my first impressions, only the one criteria about bass was the only thing I questioned.  Everything else I said was phenomonal over what I had heard with other IEM's.  If in doubt and you like your bass and a more colorful sound, certainly go for JH16 I guess.
 

 

[roy_jones]

Spyro, this was your post after you received your JH13pros:
 
 
Quote:

Just got my JH13's today:
 
What:  Where is the bass?  What are all of these drivers doing?
 
Amazing treble, transparency and "space" within the sound but quite lacking in fullness of sound and bass considering the amount of drivers.
 
Been listening to JH5's before this, fit is same so I know it is not a fit issue.
 
Do my ears just need to adjust?  Somewhat dissapointed at this point.

 
People responded by suggesting that your IEM's most probably are damaged, based on the tone of your response.  Normally I would just chalk it up to inexperience and an overreaction based different sound signatures, but that didn't seem to be a viable explanation, given your history of having used various IEM's.
 
Hopefully you can understand why your response would seem confusing to an outside observer.  You've since clarified that you experienced an adjustment to a different sound signature.  Your observations about the bass quantity in comparison to other IEM's still seems out of line with the general consensus. 
 
If I hadn't assumed you were a more veteran, sophisticated head-fier for some reason when I saw your name, this wouldn't have caught my attention.   

 

[Eric_C]

I have a question for all you happy JH13 owners (of whom I am exceedingly envious):
Since you got the JH13, have you gotten rid of/stopped using your full-sized headphones at home, if you have any?

 

[airwax]

Quote:

I have a question for all you happy JH13 owners (of whom I am exceedingly envious):
Since you got the JH13, have you gotten rid of/stopped using your full-sized headphones at home, if you have any?

I haven't stopped listening to my HD600. But since the JH13s arrived, the listening time has been diminishing. I'm usually out though so the JH13s serve me well as part of my portable rig. I still try to listen to some of my other earphones. I like hearing different presentations of the music I listen to.

 

[Bina]

I just sold my AKG K701 after getting JH13, no reason to use AKG anymore.