i have been waiting to make a post on my initial impressions of these things for quite some time. i'm thrilled to finally have them and to have the opportunity to share my experience thus far with others on this site.
let's get some things straight: Not much experience here with incredibly good headphones. I had a pair of Technics back when I used to try spinning...you know the ones...full sized, sealed, chrome detail that looks like the 1200MkII decks?? they are OK...but as i learned more, started to reflect on their blatant flaws. These were definitely club phones, to be used (and abused) in a club setting, with lots of ambient noise.
i moved on to the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's, which I would have to say, in comparison to the Sennheiser HD280's, which a few friends have, seem to be a great phone for their price point. Stronnnng bass, relatively recessed but smooth mids and nice, non-sibilant highs.
Anyway, onto the JH-16. Let's break this down by category:
Fit:
I know now just how extremely important this is. I have a great seal when not moving on both sides but feel as though my left earpiece is too long. I notice this because of a few things:
When i move my jaw side to side it breaks the seal slightly while the other one stays perfectly seated. There is no pain when inserted, just a heightened sensitivity that seems to hint towards pain. When i looked at the wire and how it ran over my ears, i first thought that i just did not bend them the same but it seems apparent now that the wire coming from the left earpiece flares a little further from my head. it looks as though it is doing this because it is not seated as deeply as the right side. When pushing on the front edge in my attempt to seat the earpiece further, it gets pretty painful. On the right side, after having worn them for about an hour, I am already starting to feel as though the IEM is disappearing (I just have to keep from tugging the wire, lol). The left side, however, feels a bit uncomfortable.
I tried the Sensaphonics audio test and it seemed that everything was ok on the seal, but like i said, this was only when nothing moved. I cannot tell how much this is detracting from the listening experience because when i am very stationary the music sounds to be about the same volume on both sides.
As far as overall comfort, these things are awesome! Like little gems stuffed in my head. I always had comfort issues after about an hour when wearing full sized phones because my head is very pointy at the top (no jokes) and it would form a pressure point on most headphone padding. I also have very large ears (again...) and they would be sore after about an hour to the point that i would want to remove the phones and rub them.
Lows:
I thought the M50's hit low....these things have unbelievable low end extension that reminds me of big old car audio subwoofers. it is ironic...i absolutely love the depth and quantity of bass but it makes me really crave the visceral bass that only a big speaker can produce. I have actually considered getting a line splitter and running a low frequency signal to a sound transducer built onto my office chair...probably the best of both worlds IMO...something like an I-Beam or whatnot.
I see now what people mean when they are discussing the texture to bass. It is amazing how quick these things react, and it allows the bass to stay very controlled. I am hearing space between notes that I did not know existed. It is an awesome feeling to really hear every piece that an artist puts into music, especially electronic music IMO. With live stuff, I have a sense of what instruments are supposed to sound like and what to expect from real life experience, but with house and dnb and dubstep, etc., the sky is the limit as far as strange, "pretend" sounds are concerned. I have found myself confused by the way in which certain artists could produce the general sound that they presented, but now that everything is so clear I can see all the pieces. I would even suggest that IEMs of this level would be great teachers to up and coming electronica producers, giving them a chance to really understand on a basic level how artists layer their music.
Mids:
At first the JH-16s seemed as though they had a very forward sounding presentation with emphasis on the mids. I realize now that I had been listening to a phone that was dominated by the bass portion of the spectrum and it was a bit dipped in the mids. This gave the M50's a great sense of space, but ironically the 16's have tons more space and the separation of instruments is still all there and well positioned, albeit having a balanced frequency response.
Highs:
The 16's have wonderful highs. At first I thought they were a bit too bright but as with the mids i realize that i have become accustomed to a signature that is not faithful to the entire frequency spectrum. These are not sibilant in the least bit (as long as the recording is not) and I find that the highs, albeit much more present than in my prior experience, are very pleasant and add to the amazing realism these phones deliver.
Hearing an artist's lips and mouth make funny sticky mouth sounds when they speak or sing may seem silly to someone who doesn't get into this stuff but i am assuming you all know what i mean....those little cues are what differentiate a decent system from an absolutely astounding listening experience. The JH-16 highs really amplify the connection I have with the artists for this reason, in that i feel like i am watching them closely. I think of music as time travel...if i have a system that is revealing enough to convince my mind that i am there then for all intensive musical purposes, i really am. I choose to be in the studio with Carlos Santana during his first recording of Europa...or on stage with Garth Brooks in front of a hundred thousand people...these phones really help amplify my ability to do that in my mind. the less convincing it takes the more i can let my thoughts go and just fall into that place that i want to be.
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Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. The artwork could have come out a bit better but honestly I am not concerned. The pattern is sweet nonetheless. I figure if I am going to send them back (no!) for the left fit issue I may ask them to polish up a couple specific spots that look a little bit less than par. They are completely smooth and shiny all over, though, and the wires seat completely to the base of their insertion spots.
One other thing....which i think may have more to do with the iBasso D10 when it is in charging/listening mode.....every 5 or 10 minutes i would hear a brief, quarter second or so airy hiss, much like when the unit is turned off (for those who have experience) only in the left earpiece. I dont notice any other issues with this earpiece as far as proper functionality, so i dont think this is a driver issue.
I hope you could gather some useful information from my post! feel free to ask questions or elaborate on this post. Cheers!
