[b0ck3n]

I haven't heard the se530s, but I can testament that the JH16s have both plenty of deep bass and sparkling treble. Just heard the ES5 and it only made me want the JH16 more.

 
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Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to wait till my JH 16's arrive before making any decisions. Though I think I'll just stick to using them unamped for now and add the amp when I have the money.
 
mrspeakers: since you've owned the se530's, how do you think they compare to the JH 16 pros unamped? The main flaw with the shures in my opinion are the rolled off highs. Also the sub-bass sound like it's rolled off to me as well below ~50Hz. I've tried EQing the 530s, but still can't get the treble and deep bass I was looking for. Hopefully the JH 16's meet my expectations and more.

 

[dj nellie]

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I haven't heard the se530s, but I can testament that the JH16s have both plenty of deep bass and sparkling treble. Just heard the ES5 and it only made me want the JH16 more.

 

 

What did you not like about the ES5?  I'm assuming you just heard demos of the ES5 and JH16? 
 
The SE530 is an OK IEM but I felt that it had an artificially forward midrange, no extension in either treble or bass, and a generally veiled and congested presentation.  The JH16 is much more neutral, and more fun due to its ability to capture low-level details and project a broad soundstage.

 

[aLm0sT]

Just received my JH16 today. As promised, here are some pics:
 

 

[mrspeakers]

Quote:

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to wait till my JH 16's arrive before making any decisions. Though I think I'll just stick to using them unamped for now and add the amp when I have the money.
 
mrspeakers: since you've owned the se530's, how do you think they compare to the JH 16 pros unamped? The main flaw with the shures in my opinion are the rolled off highs. Also the sub-bass sound like it's rolled off to me as well below ~50Hz. I've tried EQing the 530s, but still can't get the treble and deep bass I was looking for. Hopefully the JH 16's meet my expectations and more.

I love the 530, and still use it sometimes.  The 16 simply does more well, it preserves the clear midrange but adds in a whole octave at the bottom, and some extension at the top octaves that the 530 lacked.  That's with any gear....

 

[dj nellie]

Nice looking set.  Nah, don't expect the tips to be symmetrical at all.  If you do find that one side isn't sealing as well as the other, you can ask them to add some more width to the tip and it only takes a few days.  But, in my experience it's a fine line between getting a perfect seal and adding so much width that the sound becomes muffled and congested.  I'd say, give it a few days and see how it feels.  What may feel like a loose fit initially can tighten up with the right method of insertion and as your ear canal adjusts to conform to the shape.
 
You'll have to experiment, but for me finding the right fit is about finding the right combination of (1) the orientation of the tip when first inserted, (2) the depth of insertion, (3) how much to pull back on your ear to allow the tip to slide in further, and (4) how much to rotate the tip to get it to lock.  For me, my left tip just locks in almost automatically with little fuss, while the right takes a few tries and 10 minutes or so for my ear canal to gradually envelope the shape of the tip.

 

[mrspeakers]

Ear canals are asymmetrical. 
 
Search the thread for test tones to validate your fit, or simply rub your fingertips together at various positions around your ear.  If you can hear the rubbing they need to be thickened up.  It's worth it, the bass blooms when the fit is tight.

 

[aLm0sT]

just came back from the audiologist because i wanted to get another impression of my left ear for comparison and because I'm thinking that the initial impression might have been a bad one.
actually got it for free! =))
the impression is indeed a bit thicker than my IEM so JHA might need to put another layer on the stem.
I'll listen to them for a couple more days and depending on whether my ear will adjust or not I'll send them back for refit.

 

[b0ck3n]

I only got to listen to universal demo versions of the ES5 and JH16 for about an hour each, and the only way I could do a fair comparison was to run them on headphone out on my iPhone 4. I listened to lossless tracks from a broad range of genres. I am a fledgling larva of an audiophile at best, so do please take these impressions with a pitcher of salt.

I was surprised at how strong the ES5 bass hits. I've gotten the impression that the 16 is a good bit north of neutral bass-wise, but I think the ES5 is too. It has more foreward mids than 16, and more laid back and smoothe highs. It makes for a very rich, thick even, sound with quite a bit of warmth. JH16 has more sparkle in the highs and sounds drier and colder than ES5 but to me in a good way that sounds less coloured. I'm told that the ES and UMx series have a bump around 3-5khz to make up for a decrease in frequency response in that area when you put a pair of plugs in your ears. This would explain why many who enjoy alot of accoustic live music find these to sound very natural and lifelike. I prefer the bigger sound-stage of the JH16 as opposed to the very intimate experience that the ES5 offers.

I would love either given time to adjust to the different signatures. They are very different from eachother and in that respect you're certainly not wasting your money getting both. If I'm to pick one area in which the ES5s really shine it would be a male singer/guitarplayer performing alone à la Steven Wilson on transmission 7.1.

Quote:

What did you not like about the ES5?  I'm assuming you just heard demos of the ES5 and JH16? 
 
The SE530 is an OK IEM but I felt that it had an artificially forward midrange, no extension in either treble or bass, and a generally veiled and congested presentation.  The JH16 is much more neutral, and more fun due to its ability to capture low-level details and project a broad soundstage.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

 
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I haven't heard the se530s, but I can testament that the JH16s have both plenty of deep bass and sparkling treble. Just heard the ES5 and it only made me want the JH16 more.
 

I have both the 16's and ES5 and like you prefer the 16's, I also have the 13's and also prefer those over the ES5. others might feel differently but that's just my opinion and I feel the ES5 just seriously lacks bass but otherwise is comparable to the 13's.

Amazing how we can hear things so differently.  I can't imagine EVER describing my ES5 as seriously lacking bass, or even slightly lacking.

 

[b0ck3n]

Are you sure there isn't a fit issue? I listened to a universal with shortened foam tips, which allowed for a good seal without getting in the way of the sound bores. Still, a full custom should only make for an increase in bass response, and the ones I listened to were quite weighty in the low end, more than enough to satisfy my needs and the one area in which I didn't think the JH16s out-performed the ES5s.

I haven't heard the se530s, but I can testament that the JH16s have both plenty of deep bass and sparkling treble. Just heard the ES5 and it only made me want the JH16 more.

 

I have both the 16's and ES5 and like you prefer the 16's, I also have the 13's and also prefer those over the ES5. others might feel differently but that's just my opinion and I feel the ES5 just seriously lacks bass but otherwise is comparable to the 13's.

 

[dj nellie]

Quote:

I have both the 16's and ES5 and like you prefer the 16's, I also have the 13's and also prefer those over the ES5. others might feel differently but that's just my opinion and I feel the ES5 just seriously lacks bass but otherwise is comparable to the 13's.

Can you elaborate on why you prefer the 16s?
 
I'm planning on getting the ES5 soon and now I'm worried that I won't like its signature as much as I do my JH16s.  I've never been a fan of IEMs that have forward midranges at the expense of rolling off other frequencies (UM3x and SE530 IMO), and I'm not saying this describes the ES5.  I'm hoping that the ES5 are in the same league as JH16 in terms of resolution and clarity, but give me a noticeably different--and not worse to me in any way--flavor.  I guess I'd be willing to sacrifice some of the JH16's soundstage for some more intimacy and midrange richness.  Am I making the right choice?

 

[b0ck3n]

At this point I strongly advice auditioning the ES5 before letting your wallet out. The ES5 will definitely give you a different flavour than the JH16, but it is mid forward and the highs will seem rolled off at first - if you're like me used to bright and sparkly highs and quite enjoy them that way. ES5 is just very smooth and laid back. I tried the W3, UM3x and ES5 back-to-back, and I felt that the ES5 sounded alot like the UM3x, but it does everything alot better. I only listened to the UM3x for 5-10 minutes though as I was anxious to spend most of my time on the ES5.
 

How'd you say the SR-71b pairs up with the JH16?
 
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Can you elaborate on why you prefer the 16s?
 
I'm planning on getting the ES5 soon and now I'm worried that I won't like its signature as much as I do my JH16s.  I've never been a fan of IEMs that have forward midranges at the expense of rolling off other frequencies (UM3x and SE530 IMO), and I'm not saying this describes the ES5.  I'm hoping that the ES5 are in the same league as JH16 in terms of resolution and clarity, but give me a noticeably different--and not worse to me in any way--flavor.  I guess I'd be willing to sacrifice some of the JH16's soundstage for some more intimacy and midrange richness.  Am I making the right choice?

 

[Tooki]

I've been lurking around, so I'm not exactly new to this forum. But I saw this topic on JH16s and ES5, and having just received my ES5 a few weeks back, I hope I'll be able to help by giving opinions on it compared to my JH16s.
 
Some history. I was at Can Jam in Chicago last year, and I tried the ES5, JH13, JH16 demos. I had a listen between the ES5 demos, and it left a very big impression on me with its forward mid range, meaning it was really good for female vocals which I listen to a lot. However, it was not yet released then, and the JH16s were the only ones with a promotion along with free ear impressions, so that was the path I went,
 
Fast forward to 6 months later: I was using my JH16s mostly from the output from my portable players and my laptop onboard sound, and I was kind of satisfied, but I always felt something was missing from the vocals. The thumping bass kind of overpowers the music. I was constantly thinking of the ES5 and its mid range, so I got it, and along with it, a uDAC-2, and a pair of ALO SXC cables.
 
The uDAC-2 came first, followed by the cables. My ES5s were still in the lab at that time, so I applied these upgrades to my JH16s one stage a time. The uDAC-2 brought my JH16s to a new level, which was not surprising having came from onboard sound. I listen to a lot of live orchestral music, and enjoy lots of instruments playing at the same time. The layering of the instruments really brought out the potential of the JH16s. And I would have been satisfied at this point, but..
 
The ALO SXC cables came next. I was planning to use them with my soon-to-arrive ES5s, but I wanted to see how it would go with the JH16s. I guess I wasn't prepared for the improvement. It was day and night over the stock cable. That was really a moment when I finally understood the satisfaction of bringing the equipment to the next level. The improved sound staging, bass control, and clarity.. it left a bigger impression on me than the uDAC-2 upgrade. At this point, I was totally satisfied with my set up. I started to realize that the flaws I saw in the JH16s have been fixed, and I started to wonder if I should have bought my ES5s.
 
The ES5s came half a week later. It sounded as I had remembered from 6 months back. Smooth, lush mid range. However, I lost all excitement for it, most of it having gone towards upgrading my JH16 setup. A point that was constantly brought up about ES5s was that the bass was not lacking. That I have to agree. However, the bass on the JH16, when it is well controlled, and layered from the rest of the music, it's really addictive. I'm really biased towards the JH16s now, but I can't dismiss the ES5s, as they're two totally different animals. It's a personal preference, and I just find myself grabbing my JH16s most of the time out of my uDAC2. I leave my ES5s for use with my portable players, as they're lighter, slightly smaller, and sound better unamped.
 
I could go into more details, but post is getting long. Main point here, is that if you're deciding between the JH16s and the ES5s, It's a personal preference thing. But for those who have one of the JHs, and are planning to get other IEMs, it would be a nice idea to try changing the source/cables, and be surprised at what those could do to the JHs. A much bigger satisfaction than hopping on another path, and it's probably the cheaper solution as well. Just my two cents.

 

[Jajo]

Has anyone experienced unbalanced sound coming from their JH's?  I was toying with my sound settings on my Mac, and if I balance the sound all the way to the right, it sounds less loud than if I balance it all the way to the left.  
 
Could this be a problem with my Mac, my JH's, or my own ears (which I hope isn't the case).  Please let me know, you could send a PM if you like
 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

At this point I strongly advice auditioning the ES5 before letting your wallet out. The ES5 will definitely give you a different flavour than the JH16, but it is mid forward and the highs will seem rolled off at first - if you're like me used to bright and sparkly highs and quite enjoy them that way. ES5 is just very smooth and laid back. I tried the W3, UM3x and ES5 back-to-back, and I felt that the ES5 sounded alot like the UM3x, but it does everything alot better. I only listened to the UM3x for 5-10 minutes though as I was anxious to spend most of my time on the ES5.
 

How'd you say the SR-71b pairs up with the JH16?
 

Please clarify if you are talking about the universal fit demos or if you have have actual fitted ES5 and JH16.  Because the demos give an approximation of the final sound, but any flaws you hear with the demos are usually gone with the proper full custom.