[pizzafilms]

 
I was looking into Alien Ears FRC-3's and Ultimate Ears 4's when I discovered JH Audio info on these forums.

 

SO glad I did.

 

After an initial email inquiry and their quick response, I found out that Jerry was headed to LA today and would meet me with some demo units. Very cool.

 

I just got back from a good hour or so meeting with Jerry where I tried the 5's ($399), 7's ($699), and 13's ($1099) and I have to say I was blown away by all of them. They each had a slightly different signature that was completely musical and natural. In all honestly, I actually liked the 5's the best...and I'm positive that I was not talking myself into it because of the price. I was especially glad to see that after hearing the 13's and then going back to the 5's that there wasn't a Mercedes to Chevy kind of difference...at least to me. Basically, all of the monitors were "Mercedes".

 

So there you go -- I immediately placed an order for some 5's and I'm now in the counting the days phase.

 

One other thing: For anyone who has any doubts, let me tell you, Jerry Harvey is the real deal. Besides being gracious and friendly, he absolutely knows what he's talking about. He sounded like the perfect balance of engineer/craftsman/musician/designer. HE SIMPLY GETS IT. And to make it even sweeter, you're basically getting the experience and quality of Ultimate Ears, but without the compromises of a massive corporation (Logitech) and with the added refinement that Jerry has brought to his new line. 

 

I'm a huge fan.

 

PS - For what's worth, my point of view is from a musician (keyboard player) and professional FOH sound engineer. I'm not an audiophile. 

 

(sorry about the partial repost...the other thread's title didn't reflect JH Audio)

 

[goodvibes]

I tried the 5s 13s and 16s. Thought the 13 were the most accurate relaxed and neutral but thought the 5s a ridiculously good value. I wish somebody would directly compare these to the trips. I may just pop for a pair of customs if I new which of these was top dog. I certainly can't see another 2 way beating the 5s. Mids are great. At CanJam, I preferred them to the 535 which I also liked.

 

[budda007]

I'm really considering the Jh-5's. How is the low end difference in the single lows vs. dual low's?

 

[trab]

pizzafilms,
 
Can you be more specific why did like JH-5 the most? What kind of music do you hear?

 

[pizzafilms]

The difference to me was that the lows were slightly boomier and the mids slightly smoother, BUT the highs seemed less pronounced. 
 
When I mentioned that to Jerry, he was a bit surprised. He said that the 7's had the same high end driver tuned the same way as the 5's so the high end shouldn't have changed at all. I guess it's possible that it was the way my ears perceived the difference to the enhanced bass between the 5's and the 7's. I did go directly from listening to the 5's to the 7's.
 
I then went from the 7's to the 13's and then back to the 5's, and as I said, the difference REALLY wasn't day and night to me between any of them. Yes, the 13's were slightly smoother and neutral, but it wasn't a $700 difference. Not even close.
 
When I put the 5's back on at the end, after the 13's, I smiled immediately and told Jerry that they sounded great. He was very happy and said that all of his products are all tuned within a very strict range and he wasn't there to up-sell me anything. 

 

[pizzafilms]

trab, 
 
To be more specific, I have a playlist on my iPhone that's a group of songs that I know VERY well and know what they should sound like though anything ranging from simple in-ears, to high end home audio systems to big PA systems. No, they're not lossless, but they are 256 AAC files.
 
It's all stuff that's very well engineered, like: Diana Krall, Sting, Donald Fagen, KT Tunstall, Michael McDonald, Pat Metheny and some of my own recordings.
 
If you know live sound production, it's kinda like putting a Shure SM 58 on a singer. Yes, there are many higher end mics that you could use, but you absolutely know that a 58 will just plain work and sound great no matter what. That's what the 5's were like.
 
As I said, I was listening to very well engineered music in a very controlled environment, but I will also be using them for live sound monitoring, which of course I didn't get a chance to try out. But as Jerry reminded me that the 5's and the 7's have basically been the workhorses of the concert industry for many years. He meant the UE versions, but his current 5's and 7's have been updated. He explained to me that when Ultimate Ears got some bigger investors, he didn't like it, but they had to go with some slightly lower end components. Now he was able to put exactly what he wanted into his new line without compromise, so his 5's and 7's are basically next generation UE 5's and 7's.

 

[pizzafilms]

It's been exactly one week since I met with Jerry Harvey and checked out his 5's, 7's and 13's and subsequently placed my order for the JH-5's. They got here this morning and I couldn't be happier.
 
Perfect fit.
 
Perfect sound.
 
Perfect customer experience.
 
I can't believe how much easier they go in and out of my ears compared to my Livewires, which were incredibly painful as well. The SQ doesn't change at all no matter what I do with my mouth. Like I said, the fit is just perfect and comfortable. First time.
 
They sound nearly identical to the way I remember the demos did last week. Warm, without too much thump and nice extended highs. Smooth and natural. Very easy to listen to.
 
The entire process couldn't have been any smoother...or quicker. I mean, really...one week turnaround (!) and everyone from Jerry to Jamie and Brittany were extremely together and responsive. I didn't get any custom artwork or anything fancy, so maybe that helped.
 
So if you couldn't tell, I've got nothing but the highest recommendations.
 
 

 

[JoeyRusso]

Talk about a cool experience, it doesn't get much better than that.  Thanks for sharing your success story.  Enjoy your new ear candy and happy listening..

 

[slaters70]

very interesting, I considered the JH5s a while back, but decided to stick with universals. Now, I am happily listening to some Russian (Fischer Audio) dual driver BAs. But these might be the way to go for me someday, since spending more than $500 is just out of whack for me. Thanks for the post.

 

[ethan961]

Those are some nice looking molds! One would nearly not be able to tell the difference between those and a UM remold, which are known for superb molding without any artifacts or mold ridges, which JH is not usually known for.
 

 

[rawrster]

Those definitely look pretty nice Sounds like a good experience for you so enjoy your customs.

 

[pizzafilms]

I'm surprised to hear you say that, ethan961. Check out the photos on their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/JHAudio?ref=ts#!/JHAudio?v=photos&ref=ts. Lots of stunners. Mine are simple by comparison -- and the molding is simply perfect.

 

[ethan961]

Oh for sure there definitely are some great works, I've just heard of reports that people's have been good but not perfect.
 
JH usually is known for great quality, but not usually perfect like yours.
 
Perhaps it was just while they were massively backlogged and (comparatively) rushing through orders. That's entirely understandable, and really, it makes barely any difference if there's a little mold ridge.

 

[JxK]

They look great. Happy listening for many hours to come pizzafilms!
Now, if someone could manage to do a sleek ct6 and jh5 comparison, I'd be one happy headfier.
 

 

[hdahs143]

If you could, summarize what you thought the differences were between the 5's & 7's, and if you think the difference is worth $300. Im looking at those 2 and use will primarily be on stage monitoring, and some ipod use. I sing and play guitar so mids and highs take precedence over boomy bass. Thanks for your time.