[sparktography]

My JH16s finally arrived today! Initial impressions are wow and ow. They are going to take some getting used to regarding putting them in and out quickly. It took me almost 4 minutes to get them in the first time, and 3 to get them out. Very comfortable while in, but every time I pull it out of my right ear the tab that fits into the lower part of my ear is rubbing and starting to hurt.
 
Sound is freaking amazing! Even straight out of my iPhone 3GS these are the best earphones I've heard in my life, hands down; heck - they even make my Grado 325's sound dull and hollow. Running the JH16s off my iBasso D4 acting as a DAC for ALAC files sounds even better than my loudspeaker setup at home. The bass is low and punchy (yet very accurate), and  everything else is incredibly precise. I'm hearing some new details for the first time in my favorite tracks as I take them through their paces.
 
I'm a total basshead and normally have the bass pumped up in my EQ. For the first time I've found a listening rig that I consider to have enough bass impact with a flat EQ setting. In fact with the bass booster EQ setting on my 3GS I might just have to say (for the first time ever) that there is too much bass.
 
Hoping I get used to pulling them in and out of my ears quickly. Given how perfectly the left one slides in I may just have to have the right one refit slightly to tone down the 'tragus lock' at the bottom of my ear.
 
More thoughts to come once I've put some hours on these and really seen what they can do on a wider variety of music.

 

[sparktography]

I'm really starting to wonder if I have a fit issue on the right earpiece. The left one slides in and out easily, but the right one hurts every time I take it in or out. It's like my ear canal has a slight bulge at the end, and I need to force the bulge through a narrower portion of my ear canal to seat it.

 

[Guidostrunk]

So I'm guessing by this statement that these would not be a logical choice for an on stage musician due to sweat issues. Just curious.
Quote:

There is no "rattle" but JHA doesn't use silicone filling unlike some other competitors in their pro-line of customs, only in their aviation product line.  It's completely unnecessary.  The only thing that can kill these is moisture thru the sound tubes, so you'll want to avoid excessive sweating seeping in during exercise as it can permanently damage the drivers and would not be covered under the 2-year warranty.

 

[cooperpwc]

No. Warp's comment is equally true of all IEMs - and IEMs are ideal for stage performers. Inner ears don't sweat. You just want to be careful to wipe them down when you take them out.

 

[3X0]

Quote:

Inner ears don't sweat. You just want to be careful to wipe them down when you take them out.

This is true. But I find that my earwax liquefies after periods of exertion, which may or may not be more dangerous (doubtlessly more gross) than sweat, so I no longer use customs while exercising.
 
Since I've discovered my earwax tends to liquefy even in simple prolonged listening, I've started to deep clean my 13s using 91% isopropyl alcohol all the way down the bores to the filters.
 
I do remember in an interview JHA had with touring musicians that moved to JH11s, the subjects mentioned that their previous customs (Sensaphonics, I think) were destroyed by moisture.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Quote:

No. Warp's comment is equally true of all IEMs - and IEMs are ideal for stage performers. Inner ears don't sweat. You just want to be careful to wipe them down when you take them out.

Gotcha. Not that i do rigorous activity anymore, got injured at work that almost left me paralyzed

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

This is true. But I find that my earwax liquefies after periods of exertion, which may or may not be more dangerous (doubtlessly more gross) than sweat, so I no longer use customs while exercising.
 
Since I've discovered my earwax tends to liquefy even in simple prolonged listening, I've started to deep clean my 13s using 91% isopropyl alcohol all the way down the bores to the filters.
 
I do remember in an interview JHA had with touring musicians that moved to JH11s, the subjects mentioned that their previous customs (Sensaphonics, I think) were destroyed by moisture.

 
I have some liquid ear wax issues too although I don't exercise with my IEMs (ES5). I keep my ears clean and I wipe my IEMs regularly with sterile audio wipes. (I am more concerned about ear infection than damage to the drivers; I still think the latter unlikely from wax with normal maintenance.) I also store the IEMs in a desiccant case which I think is most important. Damage is cumulative over the long term so you want to keep IEMs dry.

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Gotcha. Not that i do rigorous activity anymore, got injured at work that almost left me paralyzed

Ouch. I am nursing a bad broken leg here so I heart you.
 

 

[mrspeakers]

Just sent my molds in for a pair of 16s to replace my beloved SE530s.  I must admit to having been driving the 530 via iPod, and having had no appreciation for how important a DAC and AMP combo could be.  
 
Having just purchased the iBasso D12, I'm finding the 530 had way more air and detail than I ever appreciated, with beautiful balance and a much stronger top-end than I'd believed.  
 
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the 16s will really make a sizeable difference.  I fully expect the bottom octave to be totally different, as even with the D12 the 530 is pretty void of sub 50Hz content.  
 
I may add a RSA Protector and a balanced cable to get the most of the 16 (I am a huge fan of balanced amps).  The D12s DAC is just flawless, that ought to be a supreme setup for the 16s...  

 

[sparktography]

Now that I've had the JH16s for a few days I wanted to write up a few more thoughts on them. I'm starting to get used to the fit, and might not have to send them back now that I'm learning to put them in correctly. They shame my Grado 325is' in every way, so I decided to do more head-on comparison to my B&W 501 + sub setup at home. I don't have a ton of audio experience, so I like the right technical terms, but here I go:
 
The B&W's are 'richer' and fill the room with sound, but the JH16's are much more 'detailed'. Re: room filling the JH16's sound more.... empty? than the B&W's, but you can hear a lot more little details than you can with the 501's, each insturment in rock music is clear and distinct . The JH's sound more like you are listening to an actual band play, but through a long, large tube? The B&W's sound more like listening to an amplified DJ set with no actual musicians, but there it's much more enveloping than the JH16s.
 
The bass on the JH16's is much more intricate. On the sub at home it's a rumble you can feel, but just a rumble. On the JH16's you can't feel it, but you can hear every bit of a snare kick, and the last little nuance of a crunchy goa/psy bassline.
 
The JH16's are much less forgiving. Low-quality music, or poorly mastered music is tolerable on the 501's, but muddy, flat, and dull on the JH16s. I have a bunch of old 128kMP3s from my early collection that I'd previously been able to listen to on cheap headphones, but I can't stand them with the JH16s - I'm setting up smart playlists in iTunes to only sync 256k AAC or higher to my 3GS, and all net-new media purchases are going to have to be CD's ripped to ALAC.
 
Final verdict: I prefer my home setup for electronic music with a thudding bass due to the impact bass can have rattling around a room, rather than rattling around my skull. For anything with vocals (rock, alternative, indie, soundtrack, pop) the JH16's are the clear winner with so much more detail - it sounds much more like a live performance than speakers. It's stunning how good the JH16's sound, particularly considering they are ultimately portable and are getting a lot of use on the bus and in the office at work.  
The bass edge for electronic music is a narrow one, particularly when amped with the D4. I'm ordering a topkit and a OPA2227 from HiFlight for the D4, and will be interested to re-do the electronic comparison with the 2227 given that I'm a total basshead, and Ron himself described that amp as too much bass on the JH16s.

 

[sparktography]

Ah - some information from a friend of mine who know's my rig and was able to help put some context into my observations:
 
That's by design, your IEMs have small drivers that weigh practically nothing so they enable a level of transparency that your B&Ws simply can't match, and your current sub is terrible because it can't do anything else but go THUD, no definition, no resolution, no precision. This is I was suggesting the Velodyne as your next logical purchase. That 'richer' fill the room sound your B&W's give is actually them smearing/coloring the sound due to their large heavy drivers not being able to accurately reproduce the signal being fed to them. In order to overcome this you need mains (and a sub) that have lighter/faster drivers, something along the lines of genesis technologies, magnepan, or even *shudder* martin logan, and of course a velodyne digital drive series sub. 
 
(Un)fortunately that will put the rest of your components in the signal chain under a microscope and as good as the elite is as a surround receiver it's far from transparent, esp its power amplifier stage and you'll be able to hear your electronics like you haven't been able to before. And thus continues the vicious cycle of being an audiophile

 
 
<cue the more you know graphic>

 

[3X0]

Quote:

That's by design, your IEMs have small drivers that weigh practically nothing so they enable a level of transparency that your B&Ws simply can't match, and your current sub is terrible because it can't do anything else but go THUD, no definition, no resolution, no precision. This is I was suggesting the Velodyne as your next logical purchase. That 'richer' fill the room sound your B&W's give is actually them smearing/coloring the sound due to their large heavy drivers not being able to accurately reproduce the signal being fed to them. In order to overcome this you need mains (and a sub) that have lighter/faster drivers, something along the lines of genesis technologies, magnepan, or even *shudder* martin logan, and of course a velodyne digital drive series sub. 
 
(Un)fortunately that will put the rest of your components in the signal chain under a microscope and as good as the elite is as a surround receiver it's far from transparent, esp its power amplifier stage and you'll be able to hear your electronics like you haven't been able to before. And thus continues the vicious cycle of being an audiophile

 
 
<cue the more you know graphic>

That's mostly sound, but who in their right mind would recommend a Velodyne subwoofer over a SVS subwoofer or a JL Audio subwoofer?

 
I digress..

 

[sparktography]

Well, when the time comes to upgrade my home rig I'll have to take a look at all of them. For now I've spent my cashwad on the JH16's  though and need to be happy with them until I get more money

 
Quote:

That's mostly sound, but who in their right mind would recommend a Velodyne subwoofer over a SVS subwoofer or a JL Audio subwoofer?

 
I digress..

 

[mrspeakers]

Woo hoo!  My new 16's are supposed to arrive this afternoon.  I found this photo of them on the JH Audio Facebook page.  
 

 

[sparktography]

Nice Shpongle graphics!
 
Speaking of which I should try some Shpongle tracks on mine.
 
Quote:

Woo hoo!  My new 16's are supposed to arrive this afternoon.  I found this photo of them on the JH Audio Facebook page.