SteveKiwi
100+ Head-Fier
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They really are surprisingly good. Not as good as the Jolene, but in some ways similar.
Particularly with regards to being "analog" which is very surprising for a 7 ba driver set.
Jh Audio Jolene Impressions and Discussion
- Thread starter immortalsoul
- Start date
Particularly with regards to being "analog" which is very surprising for a 7 ba driver set.
GiullianSN
Headphoneus Supremus
Don’t make me buy it……..
SteveKiwi
100+ Head-Fier
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- 385
GiullianSN
Headphoneus Supremus
Ok… back to my Hendrix saga.
As I got the Jolene and everyone said, starting from Jerry himself, the Jolene is the most analog IEM on the lineup. So I went take dust off my old and forgotten bands like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits… you the idea. All classic Rock bands from the classic analog studios. I never heard so many classic rock bands in sequence for so long as since I got the Jolene. Guitars sounding raw, like when recording couldn’t last long and couldn’t have many takes. Like Sabbath recording a full album in a day.
I usually rotate my IEMs randomly as I feel like, I usually don’t care much how each one sounds for specific genre, because sometimes I start listening to Lil Wayne and end up listening to Mayhen. (And, I really like all my IEMs)
But just taking Hendrix and “Why isn’t Jolene called Jimi?”
A matter of coincidence I started the day with the LX and put some Jimi to liste…man ow man how odd Jimi sounded on the LX, I didn’t have that raw guitar right away when “All along the Watchtower” started. Everything sounded compressed and dark. I thought “all right, this is an LX, it’s capable..but that’s something strange here.”…. Let it go, but then “Purple Haze“ started… ”enough…where‘s my Jolene?”
So went back and heard both songs again… and then all that openess and raw guitar, drums and Jimi’s voice were back. The image and soundstage feels like I’m the drummer looking as Jimi singing in front of me. His solo on “All along the watchtower” around 2:00 sounds great.
Purple haze first 30s shows deep riff with raw “claps” on the drums that just show a great ability with dynamics, then Jimi’s voice well placed on one side then rolling off further away.
Then the list keep going, Voodoo Child classic start and them playing with the imaging just amazing…
Fire, the drums well cemtered again, with the guita on one side,, then the back vocals jumping on the other and Jimi centered, all perfectly separated and sounding “real”… “raw” as the music used to be back then.
Little Wing, if you don’t get goose bumps by the ”realism” of this song with Jolene, you’re just doing it wrong. This was the closest I could get of a IEM to sound like one of those over $100k show system full of Macintosh tubes and amazing turntable I heard a few years back on a show here in Melbourne.
Foxey Lady…Jimi sounds whispering and singing on my left year while the rest of the song fills both sides. And some back vocals jumping in now and then whispering on the right year. Totally intentional recording.
Final thoughts:
I could keep going forever, but I will let stop here. Jimi is just an example of how these sound, any of those classic rock bands will be a totally different experience from what I have had before. You can even notice more clearly the manual imaging being applied. Like, you can feel the non perfect changes and “good enough” thinking of the time compared to today’s as computerised songs that you can repeat 1000 times and change with software to your liking. Done by hand with some micro bumps that I imagine myself looking the guys recording it.
I think the main message with the Jolene is it’s Raw feeling of the old songs recording. That’s the word that comes more to mind when listening to Jolene.
I’m completely aware of it’s flaws (e.g. high bass, low mid), don’t worry. For some modern songs my other IEMs may fit better, but since I got the Jolene I can’t listen to classic albums with any other IEM.
If you want to follow my thoughts while reading…Here’s the playlist.
Congratulations for being patient in reading my lost thoughts.
As I got the Jolene and everyone said, starting from Jerry himself, the Jolene is the most analog IEM on the lineup. So I went take dust off my old and forgotten bands like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits… you the idea. All classic Rock bands from the classic analog studios. I never heard so many classic rock bands in sequence for so long as since I got the Jolene. Guitars sounding raw, like when recording couldn’t last long and couldn’t have many takes. Like Sabbath recording a full album in a day.
I usually rotate my IEMs randomly as I feel like, I usually don’t care much how each one sounds for specific genre, because sometimes I start listening to Lil Wayne and end up listening to Mayhen. (And, I really like all my IEMs)
But just taking Hendrix and “Why isn’t Jolene called Jimi?”
A matter of coincidence I started the day with the LX and put some Jimi to liste…man ow man how odd Jimi sounded on the LX, I didn’t have that raw guitar right away when “All along the Watchtower” started. Everything sounded compressed and dark. I thought “all right, this is an LX, it’s capable..but that’s something strange here.”…. Let it go, but then “Purple Haze“ started… ”enough…where‘s my Jolene?”
So went back and heard both songs again… and then all that openess and raw guitar, drums and Jimi’s voice were back. The image and soundstage feels like I’m the drummer looking as Jimi singing in front of me. His solo on “All along the watchtower” around 2:00 sounds great.
Purple haze first 30s shows deep riff with raw “claps” on the drums that just show a great ability with dynamics, then Jimi’s voice well placed on one side then rolling off further away.
Then the list keep going, Voodoo Child classic start and them playing with the imaging just amazing…
Fire, the drums well cemtered again, with the guita on one side,, then the back vocals jumping on the other and Jimi centered, all perfectly separated and sounding “real”… “raw” as the music used to be back then.
Little Wing, if you don’t get goose bumps by the ”realism” of this song with Jolene, you’re just doing it wrong. This was the closest I could get of a IEM to sound like one of those over $100k show system full of Macintosh tubes and amazing turntable I heard a few years back on a show here in Melbourne.
Foxey Lady…Jimi sounds whispering and singing on my left year while the rest of the song fills both sides. And some back vocals jumping in now and then whispering on the right year. Totally intentional recording.
Final thoughts:
I could keep going forever, but I will let stop here. Jimi is just an example of how these sound, any of those classic rock bands will be a totally different experience from what I have had before. You can even notice more clearly the manual imaging being applied. Like, you can feel the non perfect changes and “good enough” thinking of the time compared to today’s as computerised songs that you can repeat 1000 times and change with software to your liking. Done by hand with some micro bumps that I imagine myself looking the guys recording it.
I think the main message with the Jolene is it’s Raw feeling of the old songs recording. That’s the word that comes more to mind when listening to Jolene.
I’m completely aware of it’s flaws (e.g. high bass, low mid), don’t worry. For some modern songs my other IEMs may fit better, but since I got the Jolene I can’t listen to classic albums with any other IEM.
If you want to follow my thoughts while reading…Here’s the playlist.
Congratulations for being patient in reading my lost thoughts.
Last edited:
GiullianSN
Headphoneus Supremus
Give me a couple examples and I will let you know as well.
Listening to "Amorphis - battle for light" right now and to be brutally honest, it lack the punch of the kick drums typical of Amorphis (battle for light), Sabaton (Bismack), Sepultura (Territory), Trivium (In the court of the dragon), Tyr and others...on the other hand, each hit on the drums are quite clean and defined, pushed to the brighter side. I would definitely be happier with a couple dBs around that area. Those bands and modern recordings sound more like "demo tape". Maybe, because of the Analog tuning intention.
When you go to something like "Judas Priest - Painkiller", Jolene is another IEM, the story changes completely. It just sounds right to me.
To my ears, anything before 2000 just sound right, as it is supposed to be, no coloration as the majority of the gear today. Just raw. After 2000 it's hit and miss.
Other thing that reminds me when listening heavy songs on Jolene is Horn speakers... That wide and open high-mids to high. (Food for thought
)Of course...all these comments are based on my ears and the music I listen.
immortalsoul
1000+ Head-Fier
I like old school death metal and some technical death metal, bands like Death, Carcass, Necrophagist, Archspire. I have the Roxanne, Lola and Layla and I am kinda a fan of how Jerry tune his iems and I am wondering if I should get the Jolene or if I am set with what I have. The Roxanne out of Acoustic research ar-m2 is the one I like the mostGive me a couple examples and I will let you know as well.
Listening to "Amorphis - battle for light" right now and to be brutally honest, it lack the punch of the kick drums typical of Amorphis (battle for light), Sabaton (Bismack), Sepultura (Territory), Trivium (In the court of the dragon), Tyr and others...on the other hand, each hit on the drums are quite clean and defined, pushed to the brighter side. I would definitely be happier with a couple dBs around that area. Those bands and modern recordings sound more like "demo tape". Maybe, because of the Analog tuning intention.
When you go to something like "Judas Priest - Painkiller", Jolene is another IEM, the story changes completely. It just sounds right to me.
To my ears, anything before 2000 just sound right, as it is supposed to be, no coloration as the majority of the gear today. Just raw. After 2000 it's hit and miss.
Other thing that reminds me when listening heavy songs on Jolene is Horn speakers... That wide and open high-mids to high. (Food for thought
Of course...all these comments are based on my ears and the music I listen.
GiullianSN
Headphoneus Supremus
Layla x Jolene:
Death - Flattening of emotions / Suicide Machine
Jolene - Wide, open, live like sound. starting from the first 30s drums with well defined hits, but definitely not punchy. Basically the whole mix is clear and defined.
Layla - Clear skew to the left side of the frequency. Drums sound much more fuller, guitars as well, but doesn't sound as natural. Fells like the whole band is playing on an small room wanting to explode.
Carcass - Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Jolene - Drums snare, high hat and cymbals are more balanced with the kick drums. Guitars are not that heavy, but more clear. the whole thing sounds more open and covering a better frequency range. Like a Bigger open venue.
Layla - Kick drums quite prominent, compared to the rest of the instruments and even the drums itself. Another clear example of skew to the left side of the frequency. Everything sound heavy and contained in an small space. Like a Basement venue.
Just quick comparing these 3 songs, Jolene sounds quite "bright", but on a good way, on a way of clarity and definition. with the Layla, as soon as the kick drums kicks in
P) it overcome the rest of the song. Guitars are always pushed to the warm side. Just feels compressed.If you like your songs clear, a bit brighter and detailed, Jolene. If you like the the dark and heavy songs to sound that way, Layla.
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immortalsoul
1000+ Head-Fier
W
When you described the Jolene is like describing Roxanne compared with Layla. I personally use the the silver dragon cable for Layla to take some of the darkness and I noticed that if you feed Layla with a lot of power also take away some of the darkness. I am quite curious about Jolene, the only thing that I am worried is that it is going to be too bright and some people say the bass is not quite enough not even on the full setupLayla x Jolene:
Death - Flattening of emotions / Suicide Machine
Jolene - Wide, open, live like sound. starting from the first 30s drums with well defined hits, but definitely not punchy. Basically the whole mix is clear and defined.
Layla - Clear skew to the left side of the frequency. Drums sound much more fuller, guitars as well, but doesn't sound as natural. Fells like the whole band is playing on an small room wanting to explode.
Carcass - Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Jolene - Drums snare, high hat and cymbals are more balanced with the kick drums. Guitars are not that heavy, but more clear. the whole thing sounds more open and covering a better frequency range. Like a Bigger open venue.
Layla - Kick drums quite prominent, compared to the rest of the instruments and even the drums itself. Another clear example of skew to the left side of the frequency. Everything sound heavy and contained in an small space. Like a Basement venue.
Just quick comparing these 3 songs, Jolene sounds quite "bright", but on a good way, on a way of clarity and definition. with the Layla, as soon as the kick drums kicks in
If you like your songs clear, a bit brighter and detailed, Jolene. If you like the the dark and heavy songs to sound that way, Layla.
davidmolliere
Headphoneus Supremus
I like Jolene so much I am thinking about an upgrade cable... I'll ask Christian at PlusSound looks like he only has 4 pin on catalog but maybe he'd do 7pin... I'll sure go full copper with Jolene.
Also since I don't plan on using anything else than full throttle I think I don't need an attenuator : am I right to think that if you don't put one in, it's like being at max bass?
Also since I don't plan on using anything else than full throttle I think I don't need an attenuator : am I right to think that if you don't put one in, it's like being at max bass?
GiullianSN
Headphoneus Supremus
Eletech definitely has the 7pin from what I saw.
I'd personally keep the attenuation just in case I want to try that cable with other JH IEMs.
Yeah...my Roxanne experience is quite low (BTW I have a classified add to buy an AION Roxanne if anyone is interested). But definitely Jolene and Layla are almost extreme opposites. They can live together and fill different roles. Neither are bad or exceptional, both have flaws. But they do really well what they are intended for. (just keeping my head around the base of JH audio, they are a musician focused brand, so the tuning are alike)
My Layla are my babies, most beautiful IEMs I ever put my hands on. (Who cares how it sound, right?)
If the attenuator isn't put in, it'd indeed be at 100% at all times.
davidmolliere
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks but apparently only for Aeneid...
and good point for the other JH IEMs
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NJoyzAudio
100+ Head-Fier
davidmolliere
Jolene's really do respond to cable changes nicely, and you can "fine tune" to get to the sound signature you want, easily.
Christian has been working on a 7pin connector that can accept the larger cables he uses. Contact to see where he is on these, as when I last spoke to him he said he was close to releasing.
For my CIEM Jolene's I had them made with the older 4pin connector, since I found out JH Audio today is only using 4 of the 7pins currently, and the ability to cable roll NOW, trumped the better connector.
I posted earlier in the thread my observations of the cable rolling I did, and freely admit not everyone will end up where I did, be it personal tastes or budgets.
But for me it still represents a value with a cable change, as I'm seeing in threads here on head-fi people pretty regularly, changing out the cable on the Traillii ($6K IEM give or take) with either the EA Centurion (a $4K cable) or the Eletech Aneid (a $2.4K cable). Be still my wallet, not for the faint of heart at those prices.
Eric @ Eletech did make a custom cable for MVRaz but not sure he offers it as a Bespoke item now, but ask.
Others are listing 7pin connector availability, but either I've not used their cables and can't/dont feel comfortable commenting, or when I contacted them, they admitted they are still working on it, so YMMV there too.
Love seeing the comments for Jolene, as I was an early adopter and just was disappointed it has not received the press or following I think it deserves.
I'd stack the Jolene's against many of the other IEM's getting the lion's share of the press at the moment, and while just IMO, I've heard many of the current top of mind TOTL IEM's that friends have or via shows like CanJam and I just keep coming back to the sound signature of the Jolene's as it is the sound I want.
But it's just IMO and as I tell others Your Milage May Vary (YMMV)
Hope you find the sound signature your chasing!
davidmolliere
Headphoneus Supremus
@NJoyzAudio To be fair Jolene is pretty amazing with the stock cable, so it's only the dragon chasing here but it's so good it deserves the extra touch on top IMHO
Thanks for all the info!
Thanks for all the info!
NJoyzAudio
100+ Head-Fier
davidmolliere
Fully agree, they are amazing with the stock cable, and I did mention this in my write up, but they are equally amazing in what sound you can get out of them with the right cables!
They need to be good ones though as you mentioned the stock cable is good, and many will just stop there.
Good luck to you in your chase of the sound signature you're looking for!
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