JH Audio Layla Impressions Thread
Jan 22, 2016 at 4:29 AM Post #1,336 of 2,420
hey guys, I have a question.  I'm considering getting a DAP with a balance output. How does balanced differ from single ended? (besides power)
What I really want to know is, is the stereo image different? Is it the same signal to each ear?
 
thanks in advance!
 
Jan 22, 2016 at 5:22 AM Post #1,338 of 2,420
  hey guys, I have a question.  I'm considering getting a DAP with a balance output. How does balanced differ from single ended? (besides power)
What I really want to know is, is the stereo image different? Is it the same signal to each ear?
 
thanks in advance!


On the AK380, the single ended output is better than the balanced output, with the human voice image much clearer on the single ended output than on the balanced out.
 
Jan 22, 2016 at 1:19 PM Post #1,339 of 2,420
   
Completely agree with that!
 
But to go even further, one can take the foam tips and cut them, only not at the tip, but at the rear side! And, of course, remove that foam that is interposed between the bores and your ear membrane first, as it has the opposite effect of the silicone tips: muffles the sound.
 
Cutting the tips until they are at the same level with the tip of the IEM itself will reduce the interference to a minimum, giving you the closest version of its actual sound.
 
I did that with a pair of Shure 'olives' and wouldn't change those with anything else (it took a bit of work though, but it was so worth it). It's hard to imagine that the custom will be much different from that, IMO.

 
Yeah man, pictures!
 
Jan 22, 2016 at 3:23 PM Post #1,340 of 2,420
 
 
 
 
You can do the same with silicone tips. I had the best results with the included ones and with the Sony hybrids. But I still prefer the sound of the foamies, better isolation, fuller sound.
 
Jan 22, 2016 at 8:38 PM Post #1,341 of 2,420
I don't know about all this... :rolleyes:  I personally really didn't like the memory foams that came with the Layla's. It seemed to muffle the highs and create bloated bass.

All foam tips do this with IEMs as they suck up the high frequencies. Plus Jerry Harvey included the silicone tips as the standard tips. If he thought the complys were the original tuning he should have stuck them as the default tips. I figured he included them for people who have trouble getting seal with the silicone. I do agree that if you're having trouble getting a good seal/fit with the silicone then you're forced to go with the memory foam, but if you get wonderful seal and sound from silicone... to my ears I prefer that sound and feel like it's more neutral/reference than foam/complys

Anyway... everyone has different ears and different tastes. For me the original silicone tips are the bees knees and create my own idea of reference sound with the added benefit of velvety lushness that is evenloping. This characteristic does not come from coloration of the frequency response, but just the sheer capabilities of the 12 drivers to produce incredible dense/rich tones without using the trick of mid-bass bloat tuning.


This is why he cut the overhang of the foam off. Foam overhang getting crushed over the nozzle opening causes the muffling. Once properly trimmed, foam will have properly damped treble without reflections and sligjhtly less bass due to porous seal. Silicones will sound brighter and bassier. All that being said, waiting on comply foam shape to bounce back is annoyingly slow. I tend to use silicone in general for ease/quickness of use. YMMV.
 
Jan 22, 2016 at 10:22 PM Post #1,342 of 2,420
Well, IME the olives sound bassier/fuller than the silicone, and I also found a way to quickly and efficiently insert the IEMs in my ears, without squeezing and then having to wait for the foams to regain their shape. I could be lucky though, my ear canals have pretty much the width of the medium olives.
 
Jan 22, 2016 at 11:18 PM Post #1,343 of 2,420
I've noticed that the way my silicones are now installed and the way they came installed is that they're flush with the end of the nozzle.
 
Just the way you guys created the same effect by cutting your foam tips in your photos. The silicones create zero overhang. No silicone exists beyone the nozzle.
 
Depending on the diameter of my earcanal there might be close to no silicone to reflection too, given that the nozzle is pretty wide with the three bores. The nozzle will take up 95% of the room and the silicone surrounding it might be very small depending on the ear canal size and insertion depth.
 
What I'm saying is that the effect of the silicone tip on sound can be minimal and might not be all that different from what you comply/shure foamy guys are trying to achieve because of my ear canal shape and size. We may be hearing very similar kind of sound.
 
But yeah... all of this is very interesting dicussion. I'm glad we can get a good taste of what the customs might sound like
 
Jan 23, 2016 at 9:08 AM Post #1,344 of 2,420
This is obviously an equalizer issue (as was said too.) I run mine out of a Cayin C5 amp. I preferred the C5 over the Mojo for the wide-screen soundstage and the treble spark. The Cayin is known to have a little treble peak for sparkle. And thus I absolutely prefer the foam tips since they tame that treble peak so it's just right. People who don't use equalization (or can't, like me, because of amplifiers) use tips for EQ. Like how everyone prefers the yellow foamies with Shure se535 because they add a bit of treble, technically doing what the red edition ltd does to that phone.
 
That said I suspect I will be messing around with a whole lot of different tips in the future, also doing some banzai clipping as was suggested.
 
Jan 24, 2016 at 1:57 PM Post #1,345 of 2,420
From my own experience and common impressions from other Layla owners, I think the general guideline is:
 
  1. Make sure the bores are always free and clear of any material from the tips. If you are using other 3rd party tips, it's a good idea to push the nozzle tip just 1mm or 2 past the end of the tip as long as you don't touch the end of the nozzle to any part of your canal.
  2. If your canals are not much bigger than the bare nozzle, use the smallest silicon tip that just seals the gap
  3. If your canals are significantly bigger than the bare nozzle and/or more triangular in shape, use foam tips and make sure it is a tight fit
  4. If your bend in your canals is very sharp and the nozzle comes very close to touching your canal wall, make your insertion depth more shallow
  5. If your bend in your canals is more gradual and angled more or less as the nozzles are designed, insertion depth a purely a comfort factor
 
 
I have a set of custom JH16 and can see what my inner ear looks like so it's easier for me to get the right tips for the Laylas. Using the guidelines above, my canals are small, oval in shape, and the bend is pretty sharp so I use the green Westone Star Tip which is shallow and smallest size. This works out perfectly for sound and comfort.
 
If you don't have impressions as reference, you have to go by feel. Carefully try the bare nozzles and get a feel for how much room you have in your canals and if the tip of the nozzles touch the bend in the canal. Having a friend help is a good idea. Having a spouse/significant other help is not a good idea because you will also have to explain to him/her why you have $2600 ear buds!
 
Jan 24, 2016 at 5:29 PM Post #1,346 of 2,420
I have found the difference between tsx500 and ts500. Apparently, the picture tells that the tsx500 is wax gaurded and ts500 is not.

I have used both and haven't heard the wax guard impact the SQ.  I use the tsx. 
 
Jan 25, 2016 at 1:15 AM Post #1,347 of 2,420
How time flies.
 
If you are spending quality time with Layla:
IYO, how does she compare with…
 
a.     a. 64Audio U12 (1599)?
b.     b. Noble K10U (1599)?
c.     c. AKT8IE (999)?
        
       TIA.
 
 
 

 
Jan 25, 2016 at 4:28 AM Post #1,348 of 2,420
How time flies.

If you are spending quality time with Layla:
IYO, how does she compare with…

a.     a. 64Audio U12 (1599)?


b.     b. Noble K10U (1599)?


c.     c. AKT8IE (999)?


        


       TIA.

 

 

 


I have layla n u12. Layla beats u12 in micro details especially and treble quality. BUT, since getting the u12, i've been spending more time with it than the Layla.
While others say the bass is bloated, It sounds right to me. Sorry can't really expound but i know whether i like something or not, and i like both. More often than not i'd grab the u12 4/5. The layla i've been using to pick equipment generally if i want to check gears.
 
Jan 25, 2016 at 7:28 AM Post #1,349 of 2,420
Thanks for the feedback, mrmax.
I was just wondering if Layla is (still) considered the most 'transparent' IEM (SQ-wise) today 
cool.gif
 ?
 
Jan 25, 2016 at 8:26 AM Post #1,350 of 2,420
Thanks for the feedback, mrmax.
I was just wondering if Layla is (still) considered the most 'transparent' IEM (SQ-wise) today :cool:  ?


Canalworks LQ-05 is the answer you seek..
 

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