[Deezel177]

Turns out my Jolene's got finished but didn't pass QC. The boys are working overtime to crank it out by Monday though! Apparently they had to start from scratch so I'm surprised they are saying it'll be ready to ship on Monday if it passes QC; I hope the reason it didn't pass is because of any challenges due to my ear canal shapes and that it all works out.

One question I have for the group is about ear impressions and wearing a mask during the impressions which I did. I looked it up and apparently it's possible for it to contort the shape of your ear thus messing up the impressions, but I asked my audiologist a day later and she said she checked my mask and it was fine. What do you guys think? All in my head?

That's unlikely. When an IEM doesn't pass QC, it's likely because the final measurement doesn't line-up with the target frequency curve they've set for the model. Maybe, it's one of those cases reported earlier on the thread of a driver not functioning correctly. It's great that they've upped their QC to catch issues like those now. That's likely why they have to start from scratch. I've heard from a lot of IEM brands that building an all-new unit with new parts is much easier than trying to dismantle a finished unit and salvaging the drivers and shells. Because, then, you'd have to try to pry everything open carefully, clean off all the old glue, re-test everything to make sure they work, etc.

If you look at JH's lab tour video, they mention that they're able to rush IEM builds into a 1-2 day process for emergencies. I've heard the same from a lot of brands as well; pulling an all-nighter to fulfil an order from, say, an artist who has a gig the very next day, etc. The reason why CIEM builds generally take at least 4 weeks is that there are so many orders, that they have to parse them out into mini production runs.

When it comes to masks, it definitely depends on what kind you're wearing, how tight the straps are, etc. I used to wear a brand with adjustable straps, and those never intruded on my customs. The one I've got now, though, is more of the traditional kind, and I find that that affects how my customs fit. But, again, it's highly dependent on what kind of mask you're wearing, and I'd trust the judgment of the audiologist if I were you. Also, my scenario is a mask affecting the fit of a CIEM that was made with impressions sans-mask. Whereas, if your CIEMs were made with impressions taken whilst wearing a mask, that may not be as big an issue when you're listening to them sans-mask, if that makes any sense at all.

Hey could you please give me another highlight, see I am wondering how Jolene vs u18t vs u18s does extensions in all frequencies. Like you said a more extended treble that offers echoes and longer fading out expansive echoes on Jolene vs Lola.

Also how sharp is the clarity/definition of notes? Does Jolene win in details crispness clarity? Like how scalpel precise are the notes rendering who does it best among the 3 ?

Thanks for your help.

Well, I already did those comparisons on my impressions post; page 15 of this thread. But, I'll expand on them here. Keep in mind, though, that I have the A18t and A18s, which are the custom versions. A lot of people have said that they sound different to the U versions. The customs tend to be slightly warmer or darker.

To me, the Jolene is quite a bit sharper-sounding than the A18s, because it doesn't have the A18s's light droop towards the mid-treble. So, you'll get more of that clarity there. The A18s also has a warmer, woolier bass, because it emphasises more of the mid-bass. Whereas, the Jolene has a sub-bass focus, so its low-end is more punchy and rumbly, but without as much warmth or wetness making its way toward the mids. Their midranges are largely similar tonally. The A18s's has a bit more boldness to it, because it has a bit more 2kHz presence, but they're not far off. In terms of texture and definition, though, I'd say the Jolene has a slight edge.

Compared to the A18t, the Jolene doesn't have as bold or loose of a midrange. It's got more control there with cleaner separation between instruments, along with, again, clearer, more palpable textures. Whereas, the A18t's instruments tend to be fuller, more forward-sounding and expressive. Down low, again, the A18t has more warmth and wetness to it, which then affects its midrange, while the Jolene has heaps more physicality, surface area and detail, because of its twin woofers, whilst keeping a hair more distance with its midrange at the same time. And, up high, both in-ears are articulate, but with peaks in different frequencies. The A18t has more low-treble than mid-treble, while the two are more balanced on the Jolene. So, transients on the A18t are bright and articulate, but not as crisp, while the Jolene's have more of that sparkle of them.

Spatially, the Jolene edges out both the A18t and A18s on every axis, because it tends to, again, rein in the frequencies that'd usually take up the centre-image (the mid-bass and the upper-mids). So, you'll get a much larger, cleaner and tidier image on the Jolene, but you'll get a looser, silkier, more intimate sound on the A18t and A18s, so it'll be up to your preferences there. When it comes purely to the clarity, definition, sharpness and precision of notes, though, the Jolene is certainly the winner.

In terms of both low- and high-end extension, I'd say the Jolene is the victor of both too. Its DDs have a more palpable, more physical rumble than either of the A18's BAs. The Jolene's bass has more attitude to it too, which imbues a solid, clean drive to kick drums. And, it's got more air to its upper-treble as well. So, little nuances like decays and shimmers are more audible on the Jolene.

 

[GiullianSN]

That's unlikely. When an IEM doesn't pass QC, it's likely because the final measurement doesn't line-up with the target frequency curve they've set for the model. Maybe, it's one of those cases reported earlier on the thread of a driver not functioning correctly. It's great that they've upped their QC to catch issues like those now. That's likely why they have to start from scratch. I've heard from a lot of IEM brands that building an all-new unit with new parts is much easier than trying to dismantle a finished unit and salvaging the drivers and shells. Because, then, you'd have to try to pry everything open carefully, clean off all the old glue, re-test everything to make sure they work, etc.

If you look at JH's lab tour video, they mention that they're able to rush IEM builds into a 1-2 day process for emergencies. I've heard the same from a lot of brands as well; pulling an all-nighter to fulfil an order from, say, an artist who has a gig the very next day, etc. The reason why CIEM builds generally take at least 4 weeks is that there are so many orders, that they have to parse them out into mini production runs.

When it comes to masks, it definitely depends on what kind you're wearing, how tight the straps are, etc. I used to wear a brand with adjustable straps, and those never intruded on my customs. The one I've got now, though, is more of the traditional kind, and I find that that affects how my customs fit. But, again, it's highly dependent on what kind of mask you're wearing, and I'd trust the judgment of the audiologist if I were you. Also, my scenario is a mask affecting the fit of a CIEM that was made with impressions sans-mask. Whereas, if your CIEMs were made with impressions taken whilst wearing a mask, that may not be as big an issue when you're listening to them sans-mask, if that makes any sense at all.


Well, I already did those comparisons on my impressions post; page 15 of this thread. But, I'll expand on them here. Keep in mind, though, that I have the A18t and A18s, which are the custom versions. A lot of people have said that they sound different to the U versions. The customs tend to be slightly warmer or darker.

To me, the Jolene is quite a bit sharper-sounding than the A18s, because it doesn't have the A18s's light droop towards the mid-treble. So, you'll get more of that clarity there. The A18s also has a warmer, woolier bass, because it emphasises more of the mid-bass. Whereas, the Jolene has a sub-bass focus, so its low-end is more punchy and rumbly, but without as much warmth or wetness making its way toward the mids. Their midranges are largely similar tonally. The A18s's has a bit more boldness to it, because it has a bit more 2kHz presence, but they're not far off. In terms of texture and definition, though, I'd say the Jolene has a slight edge.

Compared to the A18t, the Jolene doesn't have as bold or loose of a midrange. It's got more control there with cleaner separation between instruments, along with, again, clearer, more palpable textures. Whereas, the A18t's instruments tend to be fuller, more forward-sounding and expressive. Down low, again, the A18t has more warmth and wetness to it, which then affects its midrange, while the Jolene has heaps more physicality, surface area and detail, because of its twin woofers, whilst keeping a hair more distance with its midrange at the same time. And, up high, both in-ears are articulate, but with peaks in different frequencies. The A18t has more low-treble than mid-treble, while the two are more balanced on the Jolene. So, transients on the A18t are bright and articulate, but not as crisp, while the Jolene's have more of that sparkle of them.

Spatially, the Jolene edges out both the A18t and A18s on every axis, because it tends to, again, rein in the frequencies that'd usually take up the centre-image (the mid-bass and the upper-mids). So, you'll get a much larger, cleaner and tidier image on the Jolene, but you'll get a looser, silkier, more intimate sound on the A18t and A18s, so it'll be up to your preferences there. When it comes purely to the clarity, definition, sharpness and precision of notes, though, the Jolene is certainly the winner.

In terms of both low- and high-end extension, I'd say the Jolene is the victor of both too. Its DDs have a more palpable, more physical rumble than either of the A18's BAs. The Jolene's bass has more attitude to it too, which imbues a solid, clean drive to kick drums. And, it's got more air to its upper-treble as well. So, little nuances like decays and shimmers are more audible on the Jolene.

Stop those praising comments and comparisons… I stopped buying IEMs…

 

[Vitaly2017]

Stop those praising comments and comparisons… I stopped buying IEMs…

Me I am fully primed for Jolena, Lola that I just acquired literally makes my fourté sweat lmao

 

[GiullianSN]

Me I am fully primed for Jolena, Lola that I just acquired literally makes my fourté sweat lmao

I almost got the Lola last year, ended up with the Layla… when they did bring the Jolene, it was I shot at the heart. It’s been hard to hold myself here. Jolene Jupiter is the design. Just need to click purchase… hahaha

 

[NJoyzAudio]

Following up on my initial posting for the Jolene’s I made about a month back, where I mentioned I ordered the Jolene’s with the older 4pin connector with the intent to do some cable changes.
I own converters to make MMCX and .78mm 2 pin cables work on the JH Audio 4Pin connectors and these have the bass adjusters on the adapter. While not ideal, it lets me cable roll and will let me know if a cable I’m looking at is in the ball park or not for the sound signature I’m chasing when using JH Audio IEM’s before pulling the trigger to have a custom JH Audio cable built. Hence my reason for having my Jolene’s built with the 4pin Connector vs. the 7Pin connector. Also to note the Jolene’s and cables I mention here were all purchased, nothing was given to me for what I am writing below.

I’m posting what is probably a much too long write up here but after doing a lot of cable rolling/testing discussed in more detail in the PlusSound forum, I settled on having a new PlusSound Palladium Plated Hybrid (or PPH, a Palladium Platted Copper and Palladium Platted Silver combo cable) 8 wire made with the JH Audio 4pin connectors and the Bass Adjustment module.
And what I’m hearing on this Jolene/cable combination matches closely Deezel177 excellent review of the PlusSound PPH here
https://theheadphonelist.com/plusso...alate-cleanse-an-in-ear-monitor-cable-review/

To cut to the chase.
The Stock SPC, 8 wire braided stock cable does a REALLY good job.
With the stock cable the Jolene’s are very natural to neutral in its sound. Just a nice clean sound with nice clear highs, very clear and slightly forward mids, good bass, and really good sub bass extension.
I think many will be happy with the combo as is.
For many out there the Standard SPC braided 8 wire cable will probably be enough, and at the risk of igniting a religious war in this thread, the stock cable gets smoother and easier to listen to with around 100 hours of burn in

And at the risk of igniting a 2nd religious war, changing the cable on the Jolene will change the sound signature.
I was able to run a number of cables from SPC, to GPC copper cables, to straight copper, to straight silver, to GPS, to silver blends, to multi silver/blend cables (EA Leo2 Octa being one example, my existing PlusSound Tri-silver for JH Audio being the other) I went into this initial testing with an open mind and no preconceived notions, just hoping something I had existing or low cost for a new custom would be the fit.
In my existing inventory or borrowed from others I did not find a good fit OVER THE STOCK CABLE with the existing cables I had on hand.
I found what I had was either too bright, or overly warm or bass centric. Some killed the mids and made the sound very U or V Shaped and It took too much away from what I was hearing on the stock cable. Again the stock cable is NOT bad.
But… I knew I could improve on the stock cables clarity and improve the front to back soundstage and maybe get a little more on the highs.

Talking to Christian at PlusSound (Can whole heartedly recommend this!, very easy person to talk to) what I was hearing with these other cables and why they weren’t what I was looking for, and where I wanted to go, we both came to the conclusion his Palladium Plated Hybrid (PPH) which is a combination of Palladium Plated Cooper and Palladium Plated Silver type 6 Litz wires is where I should go. I will acknowledge this is NOT a trivial investment and for many years would never would have made this type of investment, but after seeing results I Like over the years changing cables, and as others in this forum have mentioned the Jolene’s represent a value vs. other TOTL IEM’s out now topping $4K-$7K, I get what I feel is an even better sound signature and for me a good value even with the cost of the PPH cable vs these other IEMS. (and I have auditioned many of of these TOTL IEMs being compared to the Jolene's)
Is it that much better than the stock cable? YMMV and a ROI justification you will need to search your own conscious with.
Again I fully acknowledge this is not an investment all will make.

I’m glad I listened again to Christian (As he helped me tune my JH Audio Roxanne’s with a purchase of his Tri-Silver cable to be my up to now go to IEM’s over others I own) and here is what I found with the Jolene’s and can whole heartily recommend the Jolene / PPH Combo to anyone who is also willing to make the investment as they just opened everything up and added a level of clarity/pureness of tone from the stock cable and did nothing bad.

While out of the box the Jolene’s had great soundstage left to right, it did not have the deepest soundstage front to back.
With the cable change to the PPH I’m getting depth to the soundstage now, but even more impressive is that I’m getting layering and pinpoint location of sounds on stage, yet hearing space (air) between the performers/instruments. Many reviewers of the PPH cable mention this, but in Deezel177’s most recent review he details this and mentions this would be an ideal pair up with the Jolene’s. I fully agree!
I can hear instruments and sounds more in 3D layers, with some below or above to the left and right and others next to each other but yet can still hear one is closer to the front of stage.
The already wide soundstage of the Jolene’s seemed to widen a tad bit more with the PPH.
With the PPH the sound is outside of my head and I’m amongst the instruments, and performers.

With the Jolene’s the straight silver and silver blend cables were good, but tended to go to the “bright” side of sound, and sometimes there was a harsh bite on some tracks
No such problems with the Jolene/PPH combo despite part of the cable make up being a silver cable. I believe the Palladium plating has much to do with this.

The PPH’s highs were clear, clean without ever going to bright/overbright/fatiguing. Female vocals were a joy to listen to with a presence/weight to them. High Hat and cymbals are clear and a joy to listen for.
The high mids are clear, precise with instruments and vocals in this register clear and steady
The mids are clear, neither recessed or too forward. IMO opinion the stock cable placed the mids a little more forward, the PPH hits it just right. Male voices in this register are clear and warm. But despite being a copper cable also, this is NOT a warm cable one would normally associate with copper, again associate this with the Palladium Plating but this time on the copper cable.
The PPH cable just has a nice tone/timbre that a straight silver or silver blend sometimes does not have, as many silver cables lean more towards a clinical sound.

Guitars both acoustic and electric sound just right with the tone being what you associate being in the same room as the guitar being played. This can be truly appreciated on this HW combo with tracks that have both types of guitars playing. A test track I use is an older song from CSNY “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” (Playing in the attached Photo) which has a great mix of Acoustic and Electric instruments and a lot of 2 and 3 part harmony and left to right staging. The song is really memorable with the Jolene’s and while I know the song well, on the Jolene’s I’m enjoying it as if hearing for the first time.

The lows are strong, steady and clear with a nice amount of sustain, yet have a good decay (almost an Oxymoron saying this) and as others have noted analog like.
The lows are very entertaining on this cable. Kick Drum hits are just clear and strong but never overpowering as an example. Bass Guitar and upright bass is fun to listen to.
But the Sub Bass on this cable/combo would entertain any bass centric/basshead listener. CLEAR, STRONG, present and impressive. Subwoofer like in quantity and quality that I was NOT getting on the stock cable or in this quantity on the either the Leo2, the Tri-silver or the other cables I ran through during my testing. Listening to a track from Janet Jackson (Someone to call my lover) which is definitely mixed with a lot of sub bass in mind, you get this rumble down low that you almost feel more than you hear.

Running through my 60’s-80’s Rock, Varied Jazz collection, 60’s-90’s R&B collection and even classical music, FLAC and High Bit Rate MP3’s has been entertaining and sometimes hearing things new/different on tracks I’ve listened to 1000s of times before. Streaming via TIDAL MQA and Amazon HD, these IEM’s is just “fun”.
Are there better IEM’s out there? Maybe, but not at the value the Jolene’s represent IMO.

I’ll end here by saying..The Jolene’s are great out of the box.
For ANYONE on the fence about buying the Jolene’s, MAKE the move it is worth it with the stock cable.
But for anyone wanting a little more, even with the 7pin connector cables options are opening up.
Don’t be shy to try as IMO It is the ideal platform to start with for those who do like to tune.
To me the change I made, did make them even better.


Will just say that ALL I will wrote above is IMO, and as with anything I post I always like to remind folks YMMV

I don’t consider myself a reviewer, just someone who enjoys audio (hence my handle name), and likes to share information

Thanking in advance all who take the time to read this post!

 

[Nace]

Whereas, if your CIEMs were made with impressions taken whilst wearing a mask, that may not be as big an issue when you're listening to them sans-mask

I really hope you're right! My concern is that it could have pulled my ear in just enough to make it feel a little loose when I wear then without a mask; hopefully my perfectionist attitude is getting the best of me and it will be fine. I know I should trust my audiologist who is top tier at JH Audio's Burbank studio, but I can't stop myself from worrying until I try them out

Either way I couldn't be more happy with the decision I made with the Jolenes. One follow-up question I have for you is about what the process would look like if they aren't a good fit. Do you know how much time is allowed before I can go in for another impression? Is that second impression charged? Is there a certain amount of time that can pass before you have to pay a refitting fee for JH Audio whereas if you do it quickly it is free? Thanks so much

 

[Nace]

Following up on my initial posting for the Jolene’s I made about a month back, where I mentioned I ordered the Jolene’s with the older 4pin connector with the intent to do some cable changes.
I own converters to make MMCX and .78mm 2 pin cables work on the JH Audio 4Pin connectors and these have the bass adjusters on the adapter. While not ideal, it lets me cable roll and will let me know if a cable I’m looking at is in the ball park or not for the sound signature I’m chasing when using JH Audio IEM’s before pulling the trigger to have a custom JH Audio cable built. Hence my reason for having my Jolene’s built with the 4pin Connector vs. the 7Pin connector. Also to note the Jolene’s and cables I mention here were all purchased, nothing was given to me for what I am writing below.

I’m posting what is probably a much too long write up here but after doing a lot of cable rolling/testing discussed in more detail in the PlusSound forum, I settled on having a new PlusSound Palladium Plated Hybrid (or PPH, a Palladium Platted Copper and Palladium Platted Silver combo cable) 8 wire made with the JH Audio 4pin connectors and the Bass Adjustment module.
And what I’m hearing on this Jolene/cable combination matches closely Deezel177 excellent review of the PlusSound PPH here
https://theheadphonelist.com/plusso...alate-cleanse-an-in-ear-monitor-cable-review/

To cut to the chase.
The Stock SPC, 8 wire braided stock cable does a REALLY good job.
With the stock cable the Jolene’s are very natural to neutral in its sound. Just a nice clean sound with nice clear highs, very clear and slightly forward mids, good bass, and really good sub bass extension.
I think many will be happy with the combo as is.
For many out there the Standard SPC braided 8 wire cable will probably be enough, and at the risk of igniting a religious war in this thread, the stock cable gets smoother and easier to listen to with around 100 hours of burn in

And at the risk of igniting a 2nd religious war, changing the cable on the Jolene will change the sound signature.
I was able to run a number of cables from SPC, to GPC copper cables, to straight copper, to straight silver, to GPS, to silver blends, to multi silver/blend cables (EA Leo2 Octa being one example, my existing PlusSound Tri-silver for JH Audio being the other) I went into this initial testing with an open mind and no preconceived notions, just hoping something I had existing or low cost for a new custom would be the fit.
In my existing inventory or borrowed from others I did not find a good fit OVER THE STOCK CABLE with the existing cables I had on hand.
I found what I had was either too bright, or overly warm or bass centric. Some killed the mids and made the sound very U or V Shaped and It took too much away from what I was hearing on the stock cable. Again the stock cable is NOT bad.
But… I knew I could improve on the stock cables clarity and improve the front to back soundstage and maybe get a little more on the highs.

Talking to Christian at PlusSound (Can whole heartedly recommend this!, very easy person to talk to) what I was hearing with these other cables and why they weren’t what I was looking for, and where I wanted to go, we both came to the conclusion his Palladium Plated Hybrid (PPH) which is a combination of Palladium Plated Cooper and Palladium Plated Silver type 6 Litz wires is where I should go. I will acknowledge this is NOT a trivial investment and for many years would never would have made this type of investment, but after seeing results I Like over the years changing cables, and as others in this forum have mentioned the Jolene’s represent a value vs. other TOTL IEM’s out now topping $4K-47K, I get what I feel is an even better sound signature and for me a good value even with the cost of the PPH cable vs these other IEMS. (and I have auditioned many of of these TOTL IEMs being compared to the Jolene's)
Is it that much better than the stock cable? YMMV and a ROI justification you will need to search your own conscious with.
Again I fully acknowledge this is not an investment all will make.

I’m glad I listened again to Christian (As he helped me tune my JH Audio Roxanne’s with a purchase of his Tri-Silver cable to be my up to now go to IEM’s over others I own) and here is what I found with the Jolene’s and can whole heartily recommend the Jolene / PPH Combo to anyone who is also willing to make the investment as they just opened everything up and added a level of clarity/pureness of tone from the stock cable and did nothing bad.

While out of the box the Jolene’s had great soundstage left to right, it did not have the deepest soundstage front to back.
With the cable change to the PPH I’m getting depth to the soundstage now, but even more impressive is that I’m getting layering and pinpoint location of sounds on stage, yet hearing space (air) between the performers/instruments. Many reviewers of the PPH cable mention this, but in Deezel177’s most recent review he details this and mentions this would be an ideal pair up with the Jolene’s. I fully agree!
I can hear instruments and sounds more in 3D layers, with some below or above to the left and right and others next to each other but yet can still hear one is closer to the front of stage.
The already wide soundstage of the Jolene’s seemed to widen a tad bit more with the PPH.
With the PPH the sound is outside of my head and I’m amongst the instruments, and performers.

With the Jolene’s the straight silver and silver blend cables were good, but tended to go to the “bright” side of sound, and sometimes there was a harsh bite on some tracks
No such problems with the Jolene/PPH combo despite part of the cable make up being a silver cable. I believe the Palladium plating has much to do with this.

The PPH’s highs were clear, clean without ever going to bright/overbright/fatiguing. Female vocals were a joy to listen to with a presence/weight to them. High Hat and cymbals are clear and a joy to listen for.
The high mids are clear, precise with instruments and vocals in this register clear and steady
The mids are clear, neither recessed or too forward. IMO opinion the stock cable placed the mids a little more forward, the PPH hits it just right. Male voices in this register are clear and warm. But despite being a copper cable also, this is NOT a warm cable one would normally associate with copper, again associate this with the Palladium Plating but this time on the copper cable.
The PPH cable just has a nice tone/timbre that a straight silver or silver blend sometimes does not have, as many silver cables lean more towards a clinical sound.

Guitars both acoustic and electric sound just right with the tone being what you associate being in the same room as the guitar being played. This can be truly appreciated on this HW combo with tracks that have both types of guitars playing. A test track I use is an older song from CSNY “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” (Playing in the attached Photo) which has a great mix of Acoustic and Electric instruments and a lot of 2 and 3 part harmony and left to right staging. The song is really memorable with the Jolene’s and while I know the song well, on the Jolene’s I’m enjoying it as if hearing for the first time.

The lows are strong, steady and clear with a nice amount of sustain, yet have a good decay (almost an Oxymoron saying this) and as others have noted analog like.
The lows are very entertaining on this cable. Kick Drum hits are just clear and strong but never overpowering as an example. Bass Guitar and upright bass is fun to listen to.
But the Sub Bass on this cable/combo would entertain any bass centric/basshead listener. CLEAR, STRONG, present and impressive. Subwoofer like in quantity and quality that I was NOT getting on the stock cable or in this quantity on the either the Leo2, the Tri-silver or the other cables I ran through during my testing. Listening to a track from Janet Jackson (Someone to call my lover) which is definitely mixed with a lot of sub bass in mind, you get this rumble down low that you almost feel more than you hear.

Running through my 60’s-80’s Rock, Varied Jazz collection, 60’s-90’s R&B collection and even classical music, FLAC and High Bit Rate MP3’s has been entertaining and sometimes hearing things new/different on tracks I’ve listened to 1000s of times before. Streaming via TIDAL MQA and Amazon HD, these IEM’s is just “fun”.
Are there better IEM’s out there? Maybe, but not at the value the Jolene’s represent IMO.

I’ll end here by saying..The Jolene’s are great out of the box.
For ANYONE on the fence about buying the Jolene’s, MAKE the move it is worth it with the stock cable.
But for anyone wanting a little more, even with the 7pin connector cables options are opening up.
Don’t be shy to try as IMO It is the ideal platform to start with for those who do like to tune.
To me the change I made, did make them even better.


Will just say that ALL I will wrote above is IMO, and as with anything I post I always like to remind folks YMMV

I don’t consider myself a reviewer, just someone who enjoys audio (hence my handle name), and likes to share information

Thanking in advance all who take the time to read this post!

It seems they don't have the 7-pin option yet, bummer! Super interesting stuff.

 

[Deezel177]

I really hope you're right! My concern is that it could have pulled my ear in just enough to make it feel a little loose when I wear then without a mask; hopefully my perfectionist attitude is getting the best of me and it will be fine. I know I should trust my audiologist who is top tier at JH Audio's Burbank studio, but I can't stop myself from worrying until I try them out

Either way I couldn't be more happy with the decision I made with the Jolenes. One follow-up question I have for you is about what the process would look like if they aren't a good fit. Do you know how much time is allowed before I can go in for another impression? Is that second impression charged? Is there a certain amount of time that can pass before you have to pay a refitting fee for JH Audio whereas if you do it quickly it is free? Thanks so much

With the large majority of brands, refits are free for the first 30 days. I don't know whether or not it's the same with JH, though. If they don't fit perfectly immediately, I'd say give yourself 2 weeks to adjust. Afterwards, you'd theoretically have another 16 days to consider your decision.

 

[Nace]

With the large majority of brands, refits are free for the first 30 days. I don't know whether or not it's the same with JH, though. If they don't fit perfectly immediately, I'd say give yourself 2 weeks to adjust. Afterwards, you'd theoretically have another 16 days to consider your decision.

Well THAT'S a huge relief! I'll have to look into their policies on that but I'm happy I'll have plenty of time to consider it. Is the turnaround time for refits about the same as the initial turnaround, or is it sped up a bit?

And speaking of that PPH cable, do you know if they will ever implement a 7-pin connection for it? Love the idea of its airiness and soundstage expansion and slight smoothing of the treble that it sounds like it could do for the Jolene, but here I am stuck with the 7-pin on the way!

Update: It would appear as though they are covered for a 30-day period for free refitting, but seems like if it was a problem with the actual impressions done, I would have to pay out of pocket for new impressions, while them remaking it is what is free and covered. Does that sound like I have that right?

 

[NJoyzAudio]

Well THAT'S a huge relief! I'll have to look into their policies on that but I'm happy I'll have plenty of time to consider it. Is the turnaround time for refits about the same as the initial turnaround, or is it sped up a bit?

And speaking of that PPH cable, do you know if they will ever implement a 7-pin connection for it? Love the idea of its airiness and soundstage expansion and slight smoothing of the treble that it sounds like it could do for the Jolene, but here I am stuck with the 7-pin on the way!

Update: It would appear as though they are covered for a 30-day period for free refitting, but seems like if it was a problem with the actual impressions done, I would have to pay out of pocket for new impressions, while them remaking it is what is free and covered. Does that sound like I have that right?

Nace,
I have asked Christian at PlusSound and he said as soon as he can get a quality source for the connectors, he will. He mentioned the JH actual connector does not give him enough room for his cables.
It looks like Eric at Eletech has made his own, I’ve seen others say they use the actual JH Audio connector but pictures they have posted, they look different, so there may be sources coming. (Fingers crossed as the new connector does look much nicer, and there is the advanced sealing vs. the older 4pin)

Hang in there as it was a little while after JH Audio moved to the 4pin connector before others began making cables for them.
It’s coming, but my being impatient, asked and found JH Audio will make their CIEMs with the older 4 pin and went that way.

 

[Deezel177]

Well THAT'S a huge relief! I'll have to look into their policies on that but I'm happy I'll have plenty of time to consider it. Is the turnaround time for refits about the same as the initial turnaround, or is it sped up a bit?

And speaking of that PPH cable, do you know if they will ever implement a 7-pin connection for it? Love the idea of its airiness and soundstage expansion and slight smoothing of the treble that it sounds like it could do for the Jolene, but here I am stuck with the 7-pin on the way!

Update: It would appear as though they are covered for a 30-day period for free refitting, but seems like if it was a problem with the actual impressions done, I would have to pay out of pocket for new impressions, while them remaking it is what is free and covered. Does that sound like I have that right?

It depends on how extensive the refits are. If it’s just adding a bit of material here and shaving a bit off there, then it should be very quick. If they have to make a whole new shell, then that’d probably take longer.

I spoke to Christian about it, and he said he doesn’t have the 7-pin plugs to work with yet. So, a PLUSSOUND cable with the 7-pin connector probably won’t be in the cards any time soon.

Yeah, you’d probably have to pay for new impressions, because the audiologist and JH are different entities. You’re paying for different services.

At the end of the day, though, it really is just a matter of waiting and staying calm for now. It’s completely normal to feel that anxiety while waiting for a custom product; questioning everything that could possibly go wrong. Trust me, I know. But, yeah, just try your best to wait patiently and not think about it.

 

[mashuto]

Well THAT'S a huge relief! I'll have to look into their policies on that but I'm happy I'll have plenty of time to consider it. Is the turnaround time for refits about the same as the initial turnaround, or is it sped up a bit?

And speaking of that PPH cable, do you know if they will ever implement a 7-pin connection for it? Love the idea of its airiness and soundstage expansion and slight smoothing of the treble that it sounds like it could do for the Jolene, but here I am stuck with the 7-pin on the way!

Update: It would appear as though they are covered for a 30-day period for free refitting, but seems like if it was a problem with the actual impressions done, I would have to pay out of pocket for new impressions, while them remaking it is what is free and covered. Does that sound like I have that right?

Here's what I understand having just gone through this.

If you had an audiologist at their office do it for you, I think you are probably going to be ok.

Also if it's just a little loose you probably won't need a whole new shell made, but maybe just a little extra material added in one or two key spots. That's definitely covered for 30 days for free refits. That 30 days also starts from the day they ship to you, not the day they start production. And they were clear with me that when I needed refits, since I contacted them about it within the 30 day window, even if the iem didn't get back within the window, they would still honor it.

Believe me though, I had the same anxiety and JH was very reassuring that whole way.

As for things being perfect... Well, they aren't quite. The impression on my right side was likely just a tiny bit looser than my left, and the iem on the right didn't fit quite as tight, but also caused some discomfort on the helix(?, Antihelix maybe?). The refit helped and I'm satisfied with how they fit, but it's still not exactly perfect. Doesn't seem to be affecting the sound or experience at all.

To get back to some sound impressions... The soundstage on these is still throwing me for a loop. While center imaging is still decidedly in my head, it's fairly wide (for an iem) to the point that stereo separation is much more pronounced than I am used to. Coupled with the ever so slightly looser fit on the right, I thought maybe there was a channel imbalance at first or that maybe the seal on the right wasn't as good, but center images are definitely dead center and I'm pretty sure it's just that I have to adjust to that stereo separation. It's especially noticeable on older tracks with harder panned instruments. It's quite something.

Oh yeah and I'm still absolutely smitten with these. Just such a natural sound. Dare I say that their marketing materials about these being very analog are spot on. I gave my 64 nio (my old personal favorite) a brief listen and they just sounded... Off. I know I would adjust back, but I'm just enjoying the Jolene too much still to choose not to use them. I'm finding them fairly versatile for different genres too.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Here's what I understand having just gone through this.

If you had an audiologist at their office do it for you, I think you are probably going to be ok.

Also if it's just a little loose you probably won't need a whole new shell made, but maybe just a little extra material added in one or two key spots. That's definitely covered for 30 days for free refits. That 30 days also starts from the day they ship to you, not the day they start production. And they were clear with me that when I needed refits, since I contacted them about it within the 30 day window, even if the iem didn't get back within the window, they would still honor it.

Believe me though, I had the same anxiety and JH was very reassuring that whole way.

As for things being perfect... Well, they aren't quite. The impression on my right side was likely just a tiny bit looser than my left, and the iem on the right didn't fit quite as tight, but also caused some discomfort on the helix(?, Antihelix maybe?). The refit helped and I'm satisfied with how they fit, but it's still not exactly perfect. Doesn't seem to be affecting the sound or experience at all.

To get back to some sound impressions... The soundstage on these is still throwing me for a loop. While center imaging is still decidedly in my head, it's fairly wide (for an iem) to the point that stereo separation is much more pronounced than I am used to. Coupled with the ever so slightly looser fit on the right, I thought maybe there was a channel imbalance at first or that maybe the seal on the right wasn't as good, but center images are definitely dead center and I'm pretty sure it's just that I have to adjust to that stereo separation. It's especially noticeable on older tracks with harder panned instruments. It's quite something.

Oh yeah and I'm still absolutely smitten with these. Just such a natural sound. Dare I say that their marketing materials about these being very analog are spot on. I gave my 64 nio (my old personal favorite) a brief listen and they just sounded... Off. I know I would adjust back, but I'm just enjoying the Jolene too much still to choose not to use them. I'm finding them fairly versatile for different genres too.

I feel the same when I go from lola to my fourté
Lola just sound more realistic. I can imagine how Jolene does it even better

 

[NJoyzAudio]

Here's what I understand having just gone through this.

If you had an audiologist at their office do it for you, I think you are probably going to be ok.

Also if it's just a little loose you probably won't need a whole new shell made, but maybe just a little extra material added in one or two key spots. That's definitely covered for 30 days for free refits. That 30 days also starts from the day they ship to you, not the day they start production. And they were clear with me that when I needed refits, since I contacted them about it within the 30 day window, even if the iem didn't get back within the window, they would still honor it.

Believe me though, I had the same anxiety and JH was very reassuring that whole way.

As for things being perfect... Well, they aren't quite. The impression on my right side was likely just a tiny bit looser than my left, and the iem on the right didn't fit quite as tight, but also caused some discomfort on the helix(?, Antihelix maybe?). The refit helped and I'm satisfied with how they fit, but it's still not exactly perfect. Doesn't seem to be affecting the sound or experience at all.

To get back to some sound impressions... The soundstage on these is still throwing me for a loop. While center imaging is still decidedly in my head, it's fairly wide (for an iem) to the point that stereo separation is much more pronounced than I am used to. Coupled with the ever so slightly looser fit on the right, I thought maybe there was a channel imbalance at first or that maybe the seal on the right wasn't as good, but center images are definitely dead center and I'm pretty sure it's just that I have to adjust to that stereo separation. It's especially noticeable on older tracks with harder panned instruments. It's quite something.

Oh yeah and I'm still absolutely smitten with these. Just such a natural sound. Dare I say that their marketing materials about these being very analog are spot on. I gave my 64 nio (my old personal favorite) a brief listen and they just sounded... Off. I know I would adjust back, but I'm just enjoying the Jolene too much still to choose not to use them. I'm finding them fairly versatile for different genres too.

Mashuto

Glad your enjoying your Jolene's as while I was waiting for mine to be built, read a number of your posts and your interactions with others on this forum as you got yours and just kept me antsy to get mine.
Give your ears some time to adjust to the fit of the JH IEMs
My findings is once your use to the fit, others including CIEMs, somehow don't feel as nice. Maybe coming out of another JH Audio CIEM (Roxanne's) which are also a larger CIEM, I didn't have the adjustment period.
I've had my Roxanne's in for long (5+ hour) flights and never felt like I had to pull them out. Looking forward to my first flight with the Jolene's
But agree with you 100% these by far have been the best sounding CIEM/IEMs I own and are my "go to" IEMs by far and just sound right vs others I own

Based on this thread you and Nace have started, maybe this is a good time to mention the customer service at JH Audio when it comes to fit and finish from JH Audio
While I've never had to do a refit, for those I have talked to that have, they have said IF the refit process was started before the initial 30 day period, JH worked with them until the fit was right, even beyond the stated time.
My own experience, I sent a thank you email to the team that worked with me to get my initial order in, and to make sure they had the older 4pin connectors.
In my email I mentioned how they sounded great, and the fit was even better than my Roxanne's which are about 3 years old now.
But I mentioned that for the finish, how on one side the lightning strike gold lines looked as if there was a dirty fingerprint on them before they got clear coated, and a couple of cosmetic issues with the carbon fiber when compared to my existing Roxanne's
I mentioned that the sound was so great I did not want to send them in.

I was asked to send photos, and so I did with my Roxanne's side by side so they could see the difference in visual presentation.
Next thing I know I get an email saying a new pair was being made, and that they would work with me on not having to return my current IEM's until the others ship.
It seems they were concerned that the photo's did show they were not at a level of quality they wanted out in public.

I like the look of Carbon fiber and have other IEM's with Carbon Fiber or Carbon Fiber mixed faces.
I work with Carbon Fiber products so know what a properly cured/autoclaved carbon fiber part looks like and what one not properly prepped looks like also
I've worked with other makers who's basically told me Carbon Fiber is hard to work with and that I should expect visual defects in a Carbon Fiber part. JH Audio is NOT that kind of company, they give a Sh!t. More than I can say about some other companies.
My current Jolene's are not that bad.
Are they as pristine in appearance as my Roxanne's were? No.
Were they the worst looking Carbon Fiber item I own? NOT BY A LONG SHOT!
But I guess visually my Jolene's are not up to JH Audio's standards, so they are working with me to get me new units. Gotta love a company that stands behind their product and are customer service oriented
To read Nace's comments that they are redoing his does NOT surprise me, as ALL of my dealing with JH Audio, they care about the finished product, and all my dealings with JH Audio's customer team have been extremely positive to date.

Just wanted to throw this out there for you and Nace both and to take time to give Kudo's to the JH Audio customer experience team.

 

[mashuto]

Mashuto

Glad your enjoying your Jolene's as while I was waiting for mine to be built, read a number of your posts and your interactions with others on this forum as you got yours and just kept me antsy to get mine.
Give your ears some time to adjust to the fit of the JH IEMs
My findings is once your use to the fit, others including CIEMs, somehow don't feel as nice. Maybe coming out of another JH Audio CIEM (Roxanne's) which are also a larger CIEM, I didn't have the adjustment period.
I've had my Roxanne's in for long (5+ hour) flights and never felt like I had to pull them out. Looking forward to my first flight with the Jolene's
But agree with you 100% these by far have been the best sounding CIEM/IEMs I own and are my "go to" IEMs by far and just sound right vs others I own

Based on this thread you and Nace have started, maybe this is a good time to mention the customer service at JH Audio when it comes to fit and finish from JH Audio
While I've never had to do a refit, for those I have talked to that have, they have said IF the refit process was started before the initial 30 day period, JH worked with them until the fit was right, even beyond the stated time.
My own experience, I sent a thank you email to the team that worked with me to get my initial order in, and to make sure they had the older 4pin connectors.
In my email I mentioned how they sounded great, and the fit was even better than my Roxanne's which are about 3 years old now.
But I mentioned that for the finish, how on one side the lightning strike gold lines looked as if there was a dirty fingerprint on them before they got clear coated, and a couple of cosmetic issues with the carbon fiber when compared to my existing Roxanne's
I mentioned that the sound was so great I did not want to send them in.

I was asked to send photos, and so I did with my Roxanne's side by side so they could see the difference in visual presentation.
Next thing I know I get an email saying a new pair was being made, and that they would work with me on not having to return my current IEM's until the others ship.
It seems they were concerned that the photo's did show they were not at a level of quality they wanted out in public.

I like the look of Carbon fiber and have other IEM's with Carbon Fiber or Carbon Fiber mixed faces.
I work with Carbon Fiber products so know what a properly cured/autoclaved carbon fiber part looks like and what one not properly prepped looks like also
I've worked with other makers who's basically told me Carbon Fiber is hard to work with and that I should expect visual defects in a Carbon Fiber part. JH Audio is NOT that kind of company, they give a Sh!t. More than I can say about some other companies.
My current Jolene's are not that bad.
Are they as pristine in appearance as my Roxanne's were? No.
Were they the worst looking Carbon Fiber item I own? NOT BY A LONG SHOT!
But I guess visually my Jolene's are not up to JH Audio's standards, so they are working with me to get me new units. Gotta love a company that stands behind their product and are customer service oriented
To read Nace's comments that they are redoing his does NOT surprise me, as ALL of my dealing with JH Audio, they care about the finished product, and all my dealings with JH Audio's customer team have been extremely positive to date.

Just wanted to throw this out there for you and Nace both and to take time to give Kudo's to the JH Audio customer experience team.

I have had them long enough at this point that I think I have likely finished any adjustment period. Any differences in fit are unfortunately likely just there, and not a matter of waiting for adjustment.

Again though, I am sure it was more down to how the impressions were made and my ears just doing what they were going to do, and not anything related to JH doing anything wrong. And while the fit between left and right is slightly different, I get a good seal, they are comfortable, and they sound excellent.

I imagine at this point it I wanted left and right sides to fit exactly the same I would probably need to get new impressions done again and a whole new shell made and hope that somehow this time my right ear didn't do the same thing it did each time previously.

I do agree though, their customer service was definitely good and they were certainly willing to work with me and hear me out even through my rambling emails and my obvious anxiety at wanting to get them just right.