[bflat]

looking at the 2 pics from that link it's a quad round braid cable, not an Exo6 or 8.

Right it's a 4 wire Exo series. However the Litz strands inside each wire are individually insulated so they can connect the 4 pins on the ear pieces with using just 2 wires per side.

 

[prismstorm]

Guys I just got the Layla 3 days ago and I have found the carbon fiber faceplate with the AK brand logo insert is not seated evenly as shown in the photo. The right edge of the teardrop / guitar pick faceplate is slightly protruding out compared to the left side which sits flush to the titanium bezel. As a result I can see blemishes and gaps on the right side. Also I have seen a lot of air bubbles trapped in between the carbon fiber weave and the acrylic shell. Are these normal or should I be bothered?

 

[RMSKFX]

Mine wasn't perfect but the sound is....not too worry

 

[speedracer1]

Guys I just got the Layla 3 days ago and I have found the carbon fiber faceplate with the AK brand logo insert is not seated evenly as shown in the photo. The right edge of the teardrop / guitar pick faceplate is slightly protruding out compared to the left side which sits flush to the titanium bezel. As a result I can see blemishes and gaps on the right side. Also I have seen a lot of air bubbles trapped in between the carbon fiber weave and the acrylic shell. Are these normal or should I be bothered?

I purchased my first pair in March and was and early adopter.  I'm extremely careful about caring and protecting my audio gear but the Layla's unfortunately developed a crack in the shell.  I just got them replace on Saturday with a brand new pair!  Honestly I love the sound of my first pair (hard to part with) but the fit and finish was less then my expectations.  That said the new pair is virtually flawless and the sound is actually improved over the first pair too (very specific recordings).  The transport case that protects them came with several holes in the carbon fiber and I can see daylight thru it.  Good thing I kept the first case.
Sincerely,
-Speed 

 

[prismstorm]

I purchased my first pair in March and was and early adopter.  I'm extremely careful about caring and protecting my audio gear but the Layla's unfortunately developed a crack in the shell.  I just got them replace on Saturday with a brand new pair!  Honestly I love the sound of my first pair (hard to part with) but the fit and finish was less then my expectations.  That said the new pair is virtually flawless and the sound is actually improved over the first pair too (very specific recordings).  The transport case that protects them came with several holes in the carbon fiber and I can see daylight thru it.  Good thing I kept the first case.
Sincerely,
-Speed 

Did you go back to the shop you bought in or to a distributor / repair center for the exchange? So the new pair don't even have the air bubbles I mentioned?

 

[speedracer1]

I recommend that you go back to the shop you purchased your Layla's from.  Allow the vendor to "do the right think" if your dissatisfied. I have two very powerful xeon lights (used for detailing exotic cars) and I've used those lights and natural sunlight as well and I have not noticed any air bubbles trapped in the acrylic casing of both IEM's
-Speed 

 

[speedracer1]

  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.

I credit Piercer with this one.  I contacted Snugs and they will service the USA!  So today I'm getting my impressions made thanks to Dr. Julie Glick (Musicians Hearing Solutions).  Piercer did you hear anything regarding if snugs modified the Layla's template to make the holes "fractionally larger" yet?
Sincerely,
-Speed

 

[eprtvib]

someone with layla and hifiman 901s/lotoo paw gold combo? are better this dap option to another like sony zx2 with amp? very thaks

 

[prismstorm]

  I recommend that you go back to the shop you purchased your Layla's from.  Allow the vendor to "do the right think" if your dissatisfied. I have two very powerful xeon lights (used for detailing exotic cars) and I've used those lights and natural sunlight as well and I have not noticed any air bubbles trapped in the acrylic casing of both IEM's
-Speed 

So I went back yesterday and the shop did open up a new Layla stock to see if it's any better (only shot I had as they would only open one). The new one had one iem being almost perfect but the other side having the same problem as the ones I have on hand but in an even worse state. The shop told me I cannot swap the 'flawless' one only as there will be channel imbalance since 'I have burned in' my pair and also JH has matching serial numbers inside and they would know we only swapped one of the pieces in the future should I ever bring it back for maintenance. Thus, I was forced to make a decision between either my pair or the new pair, notwithstanding that both were not assembled without flaws. 
 
For obvious reasons I went into a state of deep struggle as my choice was between 'two evils': two minor-flawed ones versus one significantly flawed and the other side okay kind of decision. In the end I kept my pair and only exchanged the cable, since on the 3.5mm cable I had the white potentiometer scale on the bass adjuster was only printed partially and some parts could not even be seen (faded away). The pair I could have exchanged for had no air bubbles whatsover though on the body, so I am still pondering if I should have exchanged.....
 
In the shop's words, JH insisted to build these by hand and that's why the QC is so uneven and questionable (shoddy), that their (JH) philosophy is that as long as the thing sounds fine, cosmetic defects should not be a problem, a notion I cannot agree with I'm afraid, especially at this price point. I should add that during the unboxing at the shop I received a mini screwdriver with a transparent handle with an end too wide to even operate the variable bass, although the shop instantly exchanged the correct blue-handled one for me so the problem was solved immediately.
 
On a side note, I also noticed that there were two accounts of printing error, one on the back of the outer box sleeve description ("Recorded by Eric Clapton and released in 1970 on Layla and Other Love Songs. was Layla inspired by Clapton's unrequited..." - should be "Layla was inspired"?) and one inside the owner's manual where the 0 db neutral bass setting was described as being 12'o clock position and not 7:30. Overall, the standard of quality control was not impressive.
 
I have swapped over to the 2.5mm balanced cable and I now notice noise / feedback / distortion whenever there is playback of heavy treble sounds (e.g. high-pitched piano notes played heavily). I have no idea whether this is because of a bad connection, or a thing of the balanced cable (I have not noticed this with the single-ended stock cable), or that the iem is fault. I will have to head back to the shop once more today.   

 

[M-13]

To my ears 12:00 position is indeed neutral and not 7 o'clock. I think someone called AK and verified this to be true?
 
I do realize Jude said 7 o'clock was neutral in his video but the manual... I go with my own ears and for me 12 o'clock is where my personal "neutral" is at

 

[cantara256]

  To my ears 12:00 position is indeed neutral and not 7 o'clock. I think someone called AK and verified this to be true?
 
I do realize Jude said 7 o'clock was neutral in his video but the manual... I go with my own ears and for me 12 o'clock is where my personal "neutral" is at

I called and verified: yes, 12pm is neutral... on the universal.
 
If you have a custom Layla, "neutral" is actually 7am (yes I called JH Audio and asked them)... Though I'm afraid the custom even at 7am isn't quite neutral either. It still has a bit of that "JH Audio" house sound, e.g. Roxanne's dark/muddled sound (to my ears), but only very slightly.
 
Anyone who has owned both custom and universal Layla notice the same thing?

 

[prismstorm]

So for the Universal everything left of 12:00 is actually 'negative' bass (- dB)? But from all the descriptions it reads from neutral to +15dB at 60Hz and nothing about minus bass

 

[pphx459]

12 also seems very neutral to me, it sounds the best there or at 1oclock anyway

 

[shotgunshane]

So for the Universal everything left of 12:00 is actually 'negative' bass (- dB)? But from all the descriptions it reads from neutral to +15dB at 60Hz and nothing about minus bass

No. There is no negative amounts of bass on the universal. 12 o'clock may sound more right or better to some ears but its's quite boosted over a diffuse field standard (there is always the argument for more bass over diffuse field, i.e. the Harman target). I directly compared to the UERM and around 9 o'clock or so had similar bass levels. I'd have to go back and read my notes for the exact position. UERM bass has a slight boost as well, so the lowest Layla setting is going to be closest to diffuse field flat.

 

[pphx459]

I'm confused then why did jh say for the universals its at 12? Not even sure why there would be a difference between customs and the universals either..