[blackwolf1006]

  Hi guys, i bought a layla and am running it out of a ak100ii and i noticed that some details are drowned out by the vocals. Is my unit faulty or is it supposed to sound like that?

 balanced?

 

[O2mo]

   balanced?

 
yea, balanced.

 

[RMSKFX]

My Layla's  sound better in unbalanced on my AK380....but with the amp the balanced sounds better. It's a better balanced output circuit that the amp has even over the AK380

 

[zeissiez]

Today I finally had the opportunity to audition the Layla with an AK380. The reference IEM I used was a pair of Merlin. With that, I have completed listening to some TOTL IEMs from a few makers. Here's a list of IEMs I heard, here I split them in groups as I auditioned them:
 
Group 1: Merlin vs Mentor vs Mason vs 846.
Group 2: Roxanne vs 846 vs Merlin.
Group 3: Oriolus vs K3003 vs 846 vs Merlin vs IE800.
Group 4: Oriolus vs K10U vs Merlin.
Group 5: Layla vs Merlin.
 
As you can see, I often used my 846 and Merlin as reference. 
Group 1: This was the session after which I bought the Merlin, before that my main IEM was the 846. The Unique Melody IEMs had a very spacious, open, airy sound. The 846 sounded congested next to the UMs, I decided to get a pair of UM IEM to replace the 846. To me the 12-BA Mason was top of the group, with a precise, open soundstage, rock solid imaging, thick and bold sound. The Mentor was very good too, pretty much in the same league as the Mason, but the treble was too hot for my taste. At the end, I got the Merlin, as it had the best bang for the buck, and I opted for a more relaxed sound this time. But the Mason's sound had always lingered in my mind ever since.  
Group 2: My first experience with JH IEMs. The sound of the Roxanne was bigger and more balanced than the 846, imaging was better too, but to my surprise, it sounded congested next to the Merlin. There seemed to be a lack of air.  
Group 3: No contest, in the battle of TOTL universals, the Oriolus was head and shoulder above the K3003, 846 and IE800. Only the Merlin matched it in openness. The Oriolus had a very coherent, open, spacious, musical sound. A-Bing the two, the 846 sounded small and the bass sounded disjointed from the mid, imaging was not as solid as the Oriolus. The K3003 had a nice balanced sound, but in a much smaller scale than the Oriolus, and each note sounded thinner. IE800 had a much smaller soundstage, and the bass was over-blown.
Group 4: I read a lot of good things about the K10U, and I liked the sound. It's very musical, coherent, and non-fatiguing. The bass had great details, and the mid was full and sweet. But, the Oriolus was better. There's bigger space, particularly in soundstage depth, each note sounded more solid and defined, the treble was more extended yet not fatiguing. 
Group 5: I expected the Layla to trounce the Merlin, given the price difference and the stardom of the JH brand. But I was rather disappointed. The images was too up front and in the head, and there's a lack of soundstage depth, and they sounded congested and a bit muffled. The Merlin has thinner notes and poorer bass definition, but it's much more airy, better clarity and had better treble. No, the Layla did not trounce the humble Merlin. From what I recall, the Mason has a similar tone as the Layla, but with a better soundstage, more air and clarity.
 
To summarise my findings: The two best IEMs I have heard was the Mason and the Oriolus. Without direct comparison, I couldn't call which is better. If we look at the internet, we see Roxanne, Layla, K10U being the best IEMs. I thought so, but after listening to some of these lesser known IEMs, they were clearly not. If u r in the market for a top IEM, I would advise you to check around the smaller brands, you might be surprised.

 

[Simon T]

Today I finally had the opportunity to audition the Layla with an AK380. The reference IEM I used was a pair of Merlin. With that, I have completed listening to some TOTL IEMs from a few makers. Here's a list of IEMs I heard, here I split them in groups as I auditioned them:

Group 1: Merlin vs Mentor vs Mason vs 846.
Group 2: Roxanne vs 846 vs Merlin.
Group 3: Oriolus vs K3003 vs 846 vs Merlin vs IE800.
Group 4: Oriolus vs K10U vs Merlin.
Group 5: Layla vs Merlin.

As you can see, I often used my 846 and Merlin as reference. 
Group 1: This was the session after which I bought the Merlin, before that my main IEM was the 846. The Unique Melody IEMs had a very spacious, open, airy sound. The 846 sounded congested next to the UMs, I decided to get a pair of UM IEM to replace the 846. To me the 12-BA Mason was top of the group, with a precise, open soundstage, rock solid imaging, thick and bold sound. The Mentor was very good too, pretty much in the same league as the Mason, but the treble was too hot for my taste. At the end, I got the Merlin, as it had the best bang for the buck, and I opted for a more relaxed sound this time. But the Mason's sound had always lingered in my mind ever since.  
Group 2: My first experience with JH IEMs. The sound of the Roxanne was bigger and more balanced than the 846, imaging was better too, but to my surprise, it sounded congested next to the Merlin. There seemed to be a lack of air.  
Group 3: No contest, in the battle of TOTL universals, the Oriolus was head and shoulder above the K3003, 846 and IE800. Only the Merlin matched it in openness. The Oriolus had a very coherent, open, spacious, musical sound. A-Bing the two, the 846 sounded small and the bass sounded disjointed from the mid, imaging was not as solid as the Oriolus. The K3003 had a nice balanced sound, but in a much smaller scale than the Oriolus, and each note sounded thinner. IE800 had a much smaller soundstage, and the bass was over-blown.
Group 4: I read a lot of good things about the K10U, and I liked the sound. It's very musical, coherent, and non-fatiguing. The bass had great details, and the mid was full and sweet. But, the Oriolus was better. There's bigger space, particularly in soundstage depth, each note sounded more solid and defined, the treble was more extended yet not fatiguing. 
Group 5: I expected the Layla to trounce the Merlin, given the price difference and the stardom of the JH brand. But I was rather disappointed. The images was too up front and in the head, and there's a lack of soundstage depth, and they sounded congested and a bit muffled. The Merlin has thinner notes and poorer bass definition, but it's much more airy, better clarity and had better treble. No, the Layla did not trounce the humble Merlin. From what I recall, the Mason has a similar tone as the Layla, but with a better soundstage, more air and clarity.

To summarise my findings: The two best IEMs I have heard was the Mason and the Oriolus. Without direct comparison, I couldn't call which is better. If we look at the internet, we see Roxanne, Layla, K10U being the best IEMs. I thought so, but after listening to some of these lesser known IEMs, they were clearly not. If u r in the market for a top IEM, I would advise you to check around the smaller brands, you might be surprised.

Thank you zeissiez, I find your impressions very useful. Been trying to find more about the Mason, it's great to find some valuable comparison with some of the IEMs I own or auditioned before like the Layla.

Could you please elaborate a little more the Mason vs Oriolus vs K10?

Thanks again

 

[jmills8]

Today I finally had the opportunity to audition the Layla with an AK380. The reference IEM I used was a pair of Merlin. With that, I have completed listening to some TOTL IEMs from a few makers. Here's a list of IEMs I heard, here I split them in groups as I auditioned them:

Group 1: Merlin vs Mentor vs Mason vs 846.
Group 2: Roxanne vs 846 vs Merlin.
Group 3: Oriolus vs K3003 vs 846 vs Merlin vs IE800.
Group 4: Oriolus vs K10U vs Merlin.
Group 5: Layla vs Merlin.

As you can see, I often used my 846 and Merlin as reference. 
Group 1: This was the session after which I bought the Merlin, before that my main IEM was the 846. The Unique Melody IEMs had a very spacious, open, airy sound. The 846 sounded congested next to the UMs, I decided to get a pair of UM IEM to replace the 846. To me the 12-BA Mason was top of the group, with a precise, open soundstage, rock solid imaging, thick and bold sound. The Mentor was very good too, pretty much in the same league as the Mason, but the treble was too hot for my taste. At the end, I got the Merlin, as it had the best bang for the buck, and I opted for a more relaxed sound this time. But the Mason's sound had always lingered in my mind ever since.  
Group 2: My first experience with JH IEMs. The sound of the Roxanne was bigger and more balanced than the 846, imaging was better too, but to my surprise, it sounded congested next to the Merlin. There seemed to be a lack of air.  
Group 3: No contest, in the battle of TOTL universals, the Oriolus was head and shoulder above the K3003, 846 and IE800. Only the Merlin matched it in openness. The Oriolus had a very coherent, open, spacious, musical sound. A-Bing the two, the 846 sounded small and the bass sounded disjointed from the mid, imaging was not as solid as the Oriolus. The K3003 had a nice balanced sound, but in a much smaller scale than the Oriolus, and each note sounded thinner. IE800 had a much smaller soundstage, and the bass was over-blown.
Group 4: I read a lot of good things about the K10U, and I liked the sound. It's very musical, coherent, and non-fatiguing. The bass had great details, and the mid was full and sweet. But, the Oriolus was better. There's bigger space, particularly in soundstage depth, each note sounded more solid and defined, the treble was more extended yet not fatiguing. 
Group 5: I expected the Layla to trounce the Merlin, given the price difference and the stardom of the JH brand. But I was rather disappointed. The images was too up front and in the head, and there's a lack of soundstage depth, and they sounded congested and a bit muffled. The Merlin has thinner notes and poorer bass definition, but it's much more airy, better clarity and had better treble. No, the Layla did not trounce the humble Merlin. From what I recall, the Mason has a similar tone as the Layla, but with a better soundstage, more air and clarity.

To summarise my findings: The two best IEMs I have heard was the Mason and the Oriolus. Without direct comparison, I couldn't call which is better. If we look at the internet, we see Roxanne, Layla, K10U being the best IEMs. I thought so, but after listening to some of these lesser known IEMs, they were clearly not. If u r in the market for a top IEM, I would advise you to check around the smaller brands, you might be surprised.

You love the real speaker sound of a dynamic driver. BA Drivers are great when they work with a DD Driver !

 

[Duncan]

Congested and muffled isn't a Layla trait at all, poor fitting tips (Complys??) and / or poor impedance matching lead to those traits, either that or the other products listed are super zingy!!

 

[robm321]

 
Today I finally had the opportunity to audition the Layla with an AK380. The reference IEM I used was a pair of Merlin. With that, I have completed listening to some TOTL IEMs from a few makers. Here's a list of IEMs I heard, here I split them in groups as I auditioned them:
 
Group 1: Merlin vs Mentor vs Mason vs 846.
Group 2: Roxanne vs 846 vs Merlin.
Group 3: Oriolus vs K3003 vs 846 vs Merlin vs IE800.
Group 4: Oriolus vs K10U vs Merlin.
Group 5: Layla vs Merlin.
 
As you can see, I often used my 846 and Merlin as reference. 
Group 1: This was the session after which I bought the Merlin, before that my main IEM was the 846. The Unique Melody IEMs had a very spacious, open, airy sound. The 846 sounded congested next to the UMs, I decided to get a pair of UM IEM to replace the 846. To me the 12-BA Mason was top of the group, with a precise, open soundstage, rock solid imaging, thick and bold sound. The Mentor was very good too, pretty much in the same league as the Mason, but the treble was too hot for my taste. At the end, I got the Merlin, as it had the best bang for the buck, and I opted for a more relaxed sound this time. But the Mason's sound had always lingered in my mind ever since.  
Group 2: My first experience with JH IEMs. The sound of the Roxanne was bigger and more balanced than the 846, imaging was better too, but to my surprise, it sounded congested next to the Merlin. There seemed to be a lack of air.  
Group 3: No contest, in the battle of TOTL universals, the Oriolus was head and shoulder above the K3003, 846 and IE800. Only the Merlin matched it in openness. The Oriolus had a very coherent, open, spacious, musical sound. A-Bing the two, the 846 sounded small and the bass sounded disjointed from the mid, imaging was not as solid as the Oriolus. The K3003 had a nice balanced sound, but in a much smaller scale than the Oriolus, and each note sounded thinner. IE800 had a much smaller soundstage, and the bass was over-blown.
Group 4: I read a lot of good things about the K10U, and I liked the sound. It's very musical, coherent, and non-fatiguing. The bass had great details, and the mid was full and sweet. But, the Oriolus was better. There's bigger space, particularly in soundstage depth, each note sounded more solid and defined, the treble was more extended yet not fatiguing. 
Group 5: I expected the Layla to trounce the Merlin, given the price difference and the stardom of the JH brand. But I was rather disappointed. The images was too up front and in the head, and there's a lack of soundstage depth, and they sounded congested and a bit muffled. The Merlin has thinner notes and poorer bass definition, but it's much more airy, better clarity and had better treble. No, the Layla did not trounce the humble Merlin. From what I recall, the Mason has a similar tone as the Layla, but with a better soundstage, more air and clarity.
 
To summarise my findings: The two best IEMs I have heard was the Mason and the Oriolus. Without direct comparison, I couldn't call which is better. If we look at the internet, we see Roxanne, Layla, K10U being the best IEMs. I thought so, but after listening to some of these lesser known IEMs, they were clearly not. If u r in the market for a top IEM, I would advise you to check around the smaller brands, you might be surprised
 

 
Nice impressions. Always good to learn about the smaller companies that don't have the marketing power behind them. Thanks. 

 

[A2029]

Congested and muffled isn't a Layla trait at all, poor fitting tips (Complys??) and / or poor impedance matching lead to those traits, either that or the other products listed are super zingy!!

 
Agreed. I don't get why people keep purchasing the AK products when they have the JH Layla or Angie. The output impedance on them (even for the balanced output impedance of 1 ohm) is way too high for the balanced armature drivers in these IEMs. People can trust maybe ~1-5% of the reviews that people are giving on the JH Layla and Angie's as most people have no idea that they are pairing them with amps that have very poor impedance matching.

 

[piercer]

   
Agreed. I don't get why people keep purchasing the AK products when they have the JH Layla or Angie. The output impedance on them (even for the balanced output impedance of 1 ohm) is way too high for the balanced armature drivers in these IEMs. People can trust maybe ~1-5% of the reviews that people are giving on the JH Layla and Angie's as most people have no idea that they are pairing them with amps that have very poor impedance matching.

 
Really? Do you live under a bridge?

 

[piercer]

OK, so my snug earphone custom tips arrived today...
 

 
They are well made and the silicon is robust. Snugs have had a really hard time getting templates for the Layla, but managed to recently and so are now able to make them.
 
They fit very well 
 

 

 
They are very comfortable -the most comfortable tips I have ever worn. The soundstage is more airy and light, and so I am very impressed.
 
There is one small issue I think, and if fixed will probably make them even better. The output holes in them are a little small compared to the sound tubes of the Laylas.
 

 

 
The people at Snugs are talking to the lab to see if they can enlarge the holes fractionally. I'll keep you posted.

 

[A2029]

Really? Do you live under a bridge?

Yes, really. Have you seen the electrical impedance curve for the JH's??

They need to be paired with amps with <0.5 ohm output impedance.

The 1-5% I said before was being overdramatic...

 

[bflat]

  OK, so my snug earphone custom tips arrived today...
 
 
They are well made and the silicon is robust. Snugs have had a really hard time getting templates for the Layla, but managed to recently and so are now able to make them.
 
 
 
The people at Snugs are talking to the lab to see if they can enlarge the holes fractionally. I'll keep you posted.

 
Nice! How much do they stick out versus standard tips? I've managed to get by with plain silicon tips and letting the nozzles extend about 1.5mm out from the end of the silicon tip. Good seal and nothing getting in the way of the tiny bore holes.

 

[piercer]

Yes, really. Have you seen the electrical impedance curve for the JH's??

They need to be paired with amps with <0.5 ohm output impedance.

The 1-5% I said before was being overdramatic...

 
Where can I see the electrical impedance curve?

 

[lethe27]

Would love it if there was a vendor who offered a product similar to the snugs within the US.