[midoo1990]

You have fit problems.I sent my 13s for a refit as I was like you,the bass was not lacking and I had vaccum like feeling but the sound was warm and not transparent and I heard a max 5% improvement over my universals so I knew something wasn't right.

4 days later after fiddling with them,I detected that the arms of the iems are touching my lower part of my ear canal which may have resulted in the muffeled sound.also there was pressure build up and the left piece was looser than the right and the right was too tight.

Bottom line,wait 2-3 days to detect the problem and then email Adam and describe war you hear to him or better yet telephone Jerry because he designed both the triple fi and 16 so he will know what you are talking about.

I find it hard to believe that all these reviews from very honest members tend to be exaggeration.

 

[Hcjung10]

Quote:

That Hifiman looks like one of the biggest scams out there, if you ask me.  I'd sell it pronto if I were you and get something tried and tested.
 
 
 

You havent tried the machine.
If you get the HM-801, you don't have to carry around an iPod + amp.
And in my opinion, my HM-801 sounds better than my former iPod classic + iQubeV2 combo.
Basically, you don't have to carry two things around when you have the HM-801 since you have a pretty god amp module already inside when you get the player.
It is hugely convinient.
 
And, really, I only got the HM-801 because it can play 92/24 FLAC.
Have you tried to play THAT on a non-rockboxable modern ipods?
 
And sorry about getting off topic =)
Just... Comments like that make me mad.
 
EDITED: spelling mistakes

 

[dallan]

Ya I listen to a lot of 24 bit stuff on my 801, that is relatively new-maybe a month at most.  I find the sound on the 801 way more dynamic and 3D than my ipod classic out of the doc.   The 801 way surpassed my expectations. 
 
I do use an external amp on both.  My pico is going back for a bad jack this week though so now using a Hornet M which has more bassy warm sound but not as low a noise floor and detailed.  I like the Pico, hopefully it won't take forever for Justin to get it back to me, i have heard some rough stories.

 

[FortisFlyer75]

Quote:

You havent tried the machine.
If you get the HM-801, you don't have to carry around an iPod + amp.
And in my opinion, my HM-801 sounds better than my former iPod classic + iQubeV2 combo.
Basically, you don't have to carry two things around when you have the HM-801 since you have a pretty god amp module already inside when you get the player.
It is hugely convinient.
 
And, really, I only got the HM-801 because it can play 92/24 FLAC.
Have you tried to play THAT on a non-rockboxable modern ipods?
 
And sorry about getting off topic =)
Just... Comments like that make me mad.
 
 

 
I concur there Jung10, i have been biting my lip with some of the comments today, one persons crap is another mans treasure?, i mean guys we could go around all day talking about scams, pricing and performance to cost ratio and other peoples so called exagerated post's.
 
I do not see the substance behind some of these of the cuff remarks slatting something then not explaining the reasoning behind it, especially on a product that is not even the subject matter! 
 
With recent posts relating to disappointment of SQ  straight out of the box and dismissing the complexity of custom fit's and it not been an exact science in been right first time why do people have the patient's of a nat and not read these valuable post's mainly in the 13 section the way thie 16 thread is going, and better still talk to JHA about it first before condeming a lamb to the slaughter in bitterness because of what they cost to what they experience with in the first five minutes of having it??
 
Am i defending my purchase by saying the above because i spent so much on my 16's for example? - No, like to think not considering i demoed the 13 & 16's for four days before i decided if an extra $700 was worth it to or not to me for the extra performance over my universal iem in the IE8 or SE530 i had back then. 
 
When you buy a pair of custom ear monitors as used by artist on stage you are also paying for the work and hand craftsman ship that goes into them unlike a mass produced factory that can knock out a thousand universal iem units a day as opposed to say 30 for example of the one of the top of the line ear monitors you can get. You are paying a certain premium always for something that is best in class of any product you buy plus they still have to make a profit on top. 
 
 
Also when i demoed the JHrange the first time at my UK dealer from the bottom model up starting with the JH5, straight away there was an improvement in SQ that i could clearly hear, over the universal iems i had and only got better from there as it went up the range,
 
i would of been happy with the 11pros if i had too, but the 13's then had even more crispness and cleaner detail and neutrality to it that after a while it was hard to go back to listening to the 11pros and to be honest the 13' and 16's are down to personal preference as both are very good and have their own traits which in my view is not better than the other, just different.
 
So from my first personal experience now with customs if anyone is hearing something only slightly better than their universal iem's with a pair of JHpros then they either have WAX in their ears, the source is crap to the point you will not benefit from any better than a pair of universal's or the fit is not right! 

 
If anything i think the sound of these 16's is even better than i could if imagined even when i had four days with the demo's which impressed me when i mad my choice, that is when i hold them in with some pressure that is as I have a fit issue with mine surprise, surprise and they sound average with out me holding them in, on par with a pair of universal iem's almost as they loose a lot of micro detail and seem distant with the bass not quite as defined or clean. 
 
Did i throw my toy's out of pram by just doing needless ranting, er no, i asked for advise first from fellow head-fiers that may of had the same experience whilst also waiting for my email reply  back from JHA on the subject before i passed any judgement and wrote them off all together. 
 
Oh and after numerous listening sessions now with my beloved K702's with modded ALO SXC cable i cannot listen to them for too long ( an hour or so at most) now as even though they do not sound like crap or anything all of the sudden by any means, they are missing a lot of factors with detail and over all sound cohesion of soundstage and seperation i can only get from the JHpros now. 
 
So if anyone is interested in a K702 with modded cable as i am seling them for anyone not impressed with their jhpros....
 
So unless my 16's still sound average after a few refits down the line i will reserve been negative and save judgement until i have exhausted all avenues until i get the perfect fit and sound, otherwise if not then i may delete this post, become a monk and go back to a pair of SE530's!

 
Step 1; Look left, look right, if clear then cross the road.
 
Step 2; Read post's, read post's again backward's, ask for help and advise,then if product not the same after more than a few refit's repeat step 1 but without looking.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[dallan]

Gotta say in fairness that it took me a bit to wrap my mind around the JH13s at least when i first got them.  I am sure that it a custom or JHAudio thing.   I found that i had to listen more into the music and it was a different experience, but became very addictive.

 

[Trogdor]

Quote:

You have fit problems.I sent my 13s for a refit as I was like you,the bass was not lacking and I had vaccum like feeling but the sound was warm and not transparent and I heard a max 5% improvement over my universals so I knew something wasn't right.

4 days later after fiddling with them,I detected that the arms of the iems are touching my lower part of my ear canal which may have resulted in the muffeled sound.also there was pressure build up and the left piece was looser than the right and the right was too tight.

Bottom line,wait 2-3 days to detect the problem and then email Adam and describe war you hear to him or better yet telephone Jerry because he designed both the triple fi and 16 so he will know what you are talking about.

I find it hard to believe that all these reviews from very honest members tend to be exaggeration.

 
Spot-on.
 
I agree with the other poster as well, if custom IEMs are only marginally better than your universals then either:
 
1)  Your source is total crap and can't reproduce the frequency response needed to enjoy custom IEMs (I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE AS WELL)
 
2)  You have subtle fit issues which are common with custom IEMs (I knew how good custom IEMs were many years ago and this single factor has prevented me from buying them until very recently since I have access to one of the best audiologist in the world for this particular skillset)
 
3)  You have too much wax in your ears!  I love my TripleFi's (and I just bought the Comply's, thanks!) and again have used them since their inception (AND NO they are not tuned for the iPod, where did you get that?  I have the original Limited Edition ones, never heard of that) but they are NO WAY near a custom IEM.
 
Something is off...
 
PS I will be listening to the 801 next month.  And yes I am in the camp right now that the unit is WAY OVER PRICED for what it offers.

 

[chaz_flhr]

Galatian  are you using lower than 320kps files  ? these phones are very source and fit dependant. but when things are right you will experince somthing you never thought possible . a good fit seals well and is comfortable to the point of not felling anything in your ear but blissful sound  .

 

[Ypoknons]

Quote:

 Second it really depends on the recording. I only have marginal increase in sound quality on most of my Metal Recordings, but that makes perfect sense. I just listened to "A Perfect Circle" though and the increase in sound quality was very obvious. I could here the lips opening when the singer started and base impact was huge and very low.
Again i don't feel like the increase justifies 800 $ more compared to the Triple.Fi's + Comply Eartips, but then again you also pay for an increase in comfort and perfect fit right out of the box, so I suppose the price is somewhat justified.

Now about the Hifiman HM-801. I remember the difference between my iPod touch first generation and my iPod classic that I own currently. That was a HUGE increase in sound quality which I did not hear with the Hifiman and the Triple.Fi's. In fact I had to decrease the mids on the custom equalizer to have the sounds more closely to the iPod. Now with the JH Audio 16 Pro's I keep the equalizer off and it seem to sound slightly better in the mids then the iPod. So actually i think the frequency response on the Hifiman HM-801 is flatter than the one on the iPod, considering that the JH Audio products are supposed to be more flatter in response then the UE products. It actually states on the product description of the Triple.Fi's that they are especially made for the iPod, so I believe they are tuned to the iPod whereas the JH Audio 16 Pro are just simply flat in comparison.
Again I could have probably gotten a PMP with a flatter frequency response for a lot less money.

Bottom line is: I think there is a lot of exaggeration going on in this forum and many people think higher price equals better sound quality. I for one have learned my lesson.

Unfortunately yes, there are way too many poor recordings in this world and no equipment you throw at them will ever make them better. If there are vinyl or vinyl rips make sure to get your hands on them, they're usually mastered better. I usually find the best recordings in jazz and classical, but there's some pretty good prog rock mixes out there (Pink Floyd, of course), I like the OK Computer vinyl rip and Tool's Lateralus is supposed to be ok. The thing is, I wouldn't put too much weight behind UE vs JH, Jerry was still running Ultimate Ears when the triple.fi was born. Don't you get a bigger soundstage with the JH16? But then if it's mostly metal and rock it might not be that obvious. 
 
For me, most of my upgrades on this forum were worth it, but I didn't really have stratospheric expectations for anything. I have made a few mistakes here and there. 
 
Quote:

Btw, i'm not as crazy as to spend $2.5k+ on two earphones that have such a similar sound signature. I won the 13s from FFF. Since i'm one of the few who do own both 13s and 16s, i feel that posting my impressions is the least i can do since not many have the chance (or nuts) to spend this much on both iems.

Very good, you will innovate and become Gundam.

 

[Galatian]

Ok I guess I have to clearify my post: it's not like i don't hear an increase at all. It's just not as "much" as i expected. Partly that's probably because from all those posts here I was expecting soooo much that they of course could not possibly meet up. Now after listening to them for quite a while I have to say I appreciate them very much and i enjoy the really good fit.
It's like it expected them to also make coffee and give me a massage while listening to music, but of course they are only made to reproduce music as faithfully as possible, if you get the analogy

But at reproducing music from a good source (I'm using lossless flac files) they are really superb.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Quote:

Ok I guess I have to clearify my post: it's not like i don't hear an increase at all. It's just not as "much" as i expected. Partly that's probably because from all those posts here I was expecting soooo much that they of course could not possibly meet up. Now after listening to them for quite a while I have to say I appreciate them very much and i enjoy the really good fit.
It's like it expected them to also make coffee and give me a massage while listening to music, but of course they are only made to reproduce music as faithfully as possible, if you get the analogy

But at reproducing music from a good source (I'm using lossless flac files) they are really superb.

Sounds like you are  disillusioning yourself, if you really think they aren't working right give an email/call jhaudio and let them decide instead of worshipping them because others feel like it.

 

[midoo1990]

Sounds like you are  disillusioning yourself, if you really think they aren't working right give an email/call jhaudio and let them decide instead of worshipping them because others feel like it.

I agree,you are spot on.no need to justify your purchase based on others experiance,if you are not blown away,send Adam an email and tell him what you hear,he is very helpful.

 

[Galatian]

Sounds like you are  disillusioning yourself, if you really think they aren't working right give an email/call jhaudio and let them decide instead of worshipping them because others feel like it.

Ok what does it need to sound like? I hear more bass, which is also more detailed and reaches further down. Also I can hear more details, as I have even heard somebody in the recording room say something, before the song started on the new Pain of Salvation album for example. Then it is also much easier to distinguish between the different instruments, while a lot are playing at the same time. I guess you would call that resolution?



Meaning is: How am I supposed to know what they should sound like?

Also how do I know iF I have fit issues? They seem to snuggle up perfectly and all the "tests" described on the forum indicate that I have a perfect fit...

 

[sanity8me]

Galatian, even though you may have a fit issue, you may also just very well be underwhelmed at what appears to you as only a subtle SQ upgrade from your TF10's, especially since you may have been expecting an $800 (~70%) difference. This is very common on Head-Fi.
 
Not sure why this hasn't been brought up yet, but there are many on Head-Fi who spend significantly more than that just for a 10-15% difference, and in their minds that's huge. I would agree with them for the most part, but to each his own and not everyone has the financial backings to do this. I, for one, am not on this boat.
 
I've tried the TF10's quite a while ago and remember being very impressed with their sound signature. I've also just recently had a chance to briefly listen to my friend's SM3's, which are considered to be the big dogs at the moment in the univsersal IEM world. Compared to my previous custom's, the ES2's, they were better in every department besides the mids and obviously comfort. They definitely crushed the TF10's - sounding much closer to a custom than a universal. I can tell you this though: straight out of a Clip+, IMO, the JH16's sounded at the very least 25% better. With an amp, I wouldn't be surprised if it's closer to 45%, but I didn't get a chance to try this out.
 
So this is where subjectivity comes to play, 25-45% may not be a substantial enough of an increase in SQ to someone who was expecting a 110% increase. I personally, for the first time as a member on Head-Fi, am very content with the level of sound fidelity I am experiencing with the JH16's right out of my GoVibe Petite amp, as well as my Clip+.
 
I would say give Adam a call to double check on your fit issue, but you may just need to give it some more time. The changing of a sound signature, even if it is considered an upgrade, sometimes requires time to get adjusted to. It's like taking the time to appreciate a new girlfriend in respect to an ex who you had a long relationship with and who you always believed to have the perfect traits for you. It obviously didn't work out with the ex, so give the new girl a chance. You will be hard pressed to find a more intimate and engaging girlfriend.

 

[Oomingmak]

Quote:

Ok what does it need to sound like? I hear more bass, which is also more detailed and reaches further down. Also I can hear more details, as I have even heard somebody in the recording room say something, before the song started on the new Pain of Salvation album for example. Then it is also much easier to distinguish between the different instruments, while a lot are playing at the same time. I guess you would call that resolution?



Meaning is: How am I supposed to know what they should sound like?

Also how do I know iF I have fit issues? They seem to snuggle up perfectly and all the "tests" described on the forum indicate that I have a perfect fit...

What you're hearing is about right. What you should understand is that a lot of people on this forum are audiophiles and a 10% increase in sound quality is huge for them and they would spend hundreds of dollars for that alone. If you aren't this passionate about sound quality then you're probably better of not taking their reviews too seriously. That said, with the JH13, I have the JH16 too but I won't comment on that because the fit is poor and I need to send it back, the difference in sound quality between it and universal IEMs or even some over the ear cans can be likened to watching regular television vs hdtv. You'll pay thousands of dollars for better resolution but it's not like you're going to be watching all of your favorite programs in 3D. I really really love music and so to me, the difference in sound quality is quite noticeable. The reverb of the bass, the impact of the kick drums, the resonance of the high end without a hint of sibilance all while maintaining incredible transparency isn't something that you'll find in any universal. You have to consider what the JH13 provides or in your case the JH16 vs what's currently on the market.

 

[dj nellie]

Whew...just got back from 3 weeks in Egypt and South Africa.  I was lucky to get my JH16s the morning I flew out, so I got pretty familiar with them and their sound with my portable sources (Touch, Clip+ and S9) and my Protector.  The 16s provided a pretty awesome soundtrack for my first trip to Africa.
 
I plan to write more extensive impressions eventually, but in response to recent posts I want to say that the 16s, straight out of the headphone out of my portable sources, isn't necessarily a night and day improvement over my Westone 3 + UM56 combo.  I'd say the level of detail and clarity are better, the soundstage is noticeably wider, and the imaging is far better.  But I can see how some people could be slightly underwhelmed if they were expecting a $800+ improvement over the top universal IEMs. 
 
Owning the JH16s has confirmed to some degree my belief that the W3+UM56 combo is one of the best bang for the buck portable setups.  I do think that there has been a lot of hyperbole thrown around about the JH13s/16s that may be setting some people up for disappointment.
 
Having said that, however, I feel that the 16s haven't yet shown me all they have to offer.  I'm waiting on my TWag Protector cable, and I haven't tried them with any high-end DACs or sources.  But even unamped from my portable sources, I'm very happy with the sound I'm getting and it is better in every way than what the IE8, W3, TF10, and SE530 offered me.  Whether the improvements are worth the extra money is something for each person to really think about before rushing to a decision.
 
I may need to qualify my opinions by stating that I do have fit problems--the left and right sides tend to pop out a bit if I look up or to the sides.  However, I still think I've heard how the 16s are supposed to sound, since I get a good seal if I sit still and look slightly down.  I'll be sending back for a refit mainly for comfort reasons.