[thapchild]

I've always loved high quality sound.  From $8000 car stereo systems when I was in my early 20s to my $7000 surround system.  Sound/Music has always been important to me.  I know that they make $40k, even $100k surround systems, but my wife would leave me if I spent that much.


My headphone search started about 4-5 years ago when I got my first iPod.  I got a set of Shure E3G, for slightly under $200.  I rocked out with them for a few months but ultimately they had too harsh highs, and lacked bass.


My next set of earphones were UE Super.Fi 4vi.


I liked them more than the Shure E3G in almost every way.  Less harsh highs, decent mids, and improved bass.  But ultimately they only lasted around 6 months until i purchased my Tripple.Fi 10vi.


Improved clarity over the spectrum, slightly more bass, clear vocals, and mids.  Not harsh, but very present highs.  I loved them.


I've had my UE Tripple.Fi 10 for close to 4 years now. (and one replacement later 'left sub driver quit working') One day I got a while hair up my arse and wanted more bass.  I mainly listen to either Alternative Rock/Punk or Rap.  Both of which I like to hear/feel the bass.  Amped my Tripple.Fi 10 sound nice.


I purchased Super.Fi 5eb.  Bass was definitely there.  But it was muddy, blended into the mids, and the mids were washed out, missing, and the highs were very very harsh.  I didn't like them at all.  If I could add their bass to the TF 10, ... maybe... but they also bled (dynamic driver for the bass I'm guessing).  Sold 3 days later.


After considering almost every alternative, I decided to go custom.  At first I was going to get the UM Merlins, but the bleeding from the Dynamic Driver shuned me away.  Sitting in an airplane rocking out, I don't wanna be "that guy".  I hate "that guy".


I finally settled on the JH16pro.  I love my TF10 so much, it should share a similar sound signature.


Today they arrived, here are my impressions.


They sound very very similar to the TF10.  More clear, more precise.  But not having listened to my TF10 for a few hours I didn't go "OMG these totally destroy my TF10".  They sound good, fit excellent.  I can't hardly tell they are in my ears.  The bass doesn't sound as overpowering as people claimed.  Perhaps they were retuned with freqphase?  Honestly its slightly more than the TF10.  In swap comparisons they sound almost identical.  The bass is cleaner on the JH16, but not necessarily "more".  The highs and mids sound cleaner, slightly better imaging, and larger sound stage.


I expected more bass, and am slightly disappointed in that regard, however amped and EQ'ed they sound amazing.  Through my iPhone they sound almost identical to the TF10.  Which isn't JH's fault, the iPhone is just a bad source.


They do have a VERY VERY VERY slight "hiss" when plugged into my M18X laptop, where I don't notice that on my TF10.  Though it's very very very very slight.  I'm really nitpicking here.


They are clean. Very comfortable.  A perfect fit.


Very glad I didn't get the JH13, I was afraid the 16 would have too much bass, but that's not all the impression I'm getting.  Maybe I'm a bass head, maybe my seal isn't perfect, but they sound balanced to me.


Here is a pic of my custom JH16Pros.


 


 





 

 

[antberg]

Well,i did like your post and congratulation for your new purchase.
Now,is it indeed a little strange about the excessive similarity with the TF Universal,i mean for the price and all that fuzz you should be surprised and obviously detect a huge difference against your customs.Not blaming you,not at all.You may could very well compare those models you own with specific Hi-Resolution recordings and multi-digit expensive equipment to confirm yourself you did for sure made a justifiable new audio purchase.But as you sad the IPhone is clearly a bad source...
Did you had a chance to compare your same JH model but without that kind of "Freqphase"?To me is just another excessive marketing operation,like we had not enough of audio scam...
Take care

 

[thapchild]

Quote:

Well,i did like your post and congratulation for your new purchase.
Now,is it indeed a little strange about the excessive similarity with the TF Universal,i mean for the price and all that fuzz you should be surprised and obviously detect a huge difference against your customs.Not blaming you,not at all.You may could very well compare those models you own with specific Hi-Resolution recordings and multi-digit expensive equipment to confirm yourself you did for sure made a justifiable new audio purchase.But as you sad the IPhone is clearly a bad source...
Did you had a chance to compare your same JH model but without that kind of "Freqphase"?To me is just another excessive marketing operation,like we had not enough of audio scam...
Take care

 
I posted that as my initial reaction, only have listened to them for about an hour.
 
Again, not using my TF10 for about 24 hours, and then using the JH16, I wasn't OMG these are amazingly better.  But in direct comparison with my Green Day 24 bit, 192kbps HD ablum it's pretty apparent.  Even 320kbps mp3s it's clear the highs/mids just destroy the TF10.  The bass is also more clear, just not "THAT" much more in quantity.  I still must EQ the Sub bass to get it to a level I like.
 
That being the sole reason I decided to upgrade in the first place (the bass) it was the thing I was looking for instantly.  Now after 3 hours of listening, putting my TF10 back in, they sound like crap.  Which is amazing because yesterday I thought they were so much better than other products I've listened to.
 
The JH16 are just clear, crisp, smooth.  An example "Imogen Heap - You know where to find me" around 2:50 seconds in there is a vocal part with tons of other dialog in the background, piano, percussion, and it sounds amazing on the JH16, on the TF10 is sounds muddy, less clear, almost like a 30 dollar IEM.
 
The more I listen the more I like it.  Esp amped, running through my PC.  Some day I'm going to have to break down and buy a portable iPhone amp.

 

[mark_h]

Takes a while for the brain to catch up with new customs, listen to them for a week and then go back to the tf10 rather than a/b-ing. love the artwork and colour!

 

[thapchild]

Quote:

Takes a while for the brain to catch up with new customs, listen to them for a week and then go back to the tf10 rather than a/b-ing. love the artwork and colour!

 
Thanks! Took me weeks while saving up to pick out a design.  I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out, they didn't rotate and scale the logo like I had it set in their website design page, but I do like them none the less, and they are good enough not to complain about the artwork.  I ended up designing the logo in photoshop the evening I ordered them.
 
As for the sound the more I listen the more I'm liking what I hear.  Imogen Heap sounds amazing on them.  It's an awesome experience.

 

[Spyro]

You would have definitely been dissapointed with JH13.  They have "significantly" less bass than JH16 but you are right, JH16 aren't bass cannons either.  Just a very nice sub-enveloping overall fullness to the sound.
 
Wow,,,4 years with TF10?  For anyone that could stand to use them for 4 years I have to ask what tips were you using?

 

[thapchild]

Quote:

You would have definitely been dissapointed with JH13.  They have "significantly" less bass than JH16 but you are right, JH16 aren't bass cannons either.  Just a very nice sub-enveloping overall fullness to the sound.
 
Wow,,,4 years with TF10?  For anyone that could stand to use them for 4 years I have to ask what tips were you using?

 
I think the JH16 are breaking in some, they appear to have more bass now than when I first put them in about 5 hours ago.  Perhaps my brain has turned to mush from 5+ hours of straight music.
 
I used comply medium T-500 tips.  Though in the last two months I tried out the Comply Medium Ts-500 tips and like them even more.  I only use comply tips, the silicone tips that come with IEMs don't isolate as much, nor fit/feel as comfy.  I just go through a few boxes of comply per year, though the Ts-500 with the spherical shape seem to last WAY longer for me.

 

[Bazirker]

This has been a very helpful review for me. Do you have any final impressions of the JH16 versus the TF10?

 

[kenz]

Coming from the older JH13 pro, would it make sense to go for JH16 pro Freqphase?
 
Demoed the old JH16 pro but didn't find it in the slightest better than JH13 pro, other than more bass.

 

[nelamvr6]

The hiss from your computer is not the fault of the JH16s, it's the fault of your computer.  The JH16s are simply revealing something that the TF10s couldn't.
 
IEMs don't generate hiss.  If you get a better source you'll probably have better results.

 

[Bazirker]

The hiss from your computer is not the fault of the JH16s, it's the fault of your computer.  The JH16s are simply revealing something that the TF10s couldn't.
 
IEMs don't generate hiss.  If you get a better source you'll probably have better results.

While this is true, it's worth noting that some headphones are more prone to revealing this hissing than others. My Atrios do a great job of hiding poor source quality compared to TF10's, for example.

The JH16 are known to be somewhat sensitive, hence they reveal poor sources when your previous headphones may not have. I would consider that a fault of the IEM.

 

[nelamvr6]

No offence intended, but:
 
A set of headphones being revealing can only be considered a fault if you're looking for a set of headphones that are not revealing...
 
If you're looking for a set of cans that don't reveal what your source is outputting, I guess I question exactly what you're looking for.
 
If you need a better source, you need a better source.  Don't blame the headphones.

 

[Bazirker]

LOL ok, that's a pretty good argument. I got nothing.

*tips hat*

 

[thapchild]

  No offence intended, but:
 
A set of headphones being revealing can only be considered a fault if you're looking for a set of headphones that are not revealing...
 
If you're looking for a set of cans that don't reveal what your source is outputting, I guess I question exactly what you're looking for.
 
If you need a better source, you need a better source.  Don't blame the headphones.

 
I'm quite aware that it's the source's issue, not the IEM, it's just something to note, that with some laptops the do produce a hiss, or are sensitive to the hiss output from the laptop.  The Mac Book Pro is a very common (and expensive) laptop, I'm disappointed there... but at the laptop, not the JH16.
 
My alienware M18XR1 doesn't hiss.  It's audio is the best i've ever experienced though my JH16 pros.  Superior to my Onkyo receiver, every iPhone/iPad I've used (almost every model), Mac Book, ect.  It's one thing that Dell did right in that laptop.  The integrated sound card/chipset is very powerful, and sounds amazing.
 
Over a year has passed, and I still love my JH16 pros.
 
 
 
 

  Coming from the older JH13 pro, would it make sense to go for JH16 pro Freqphase?
 
Demoed the old JH16 pro but didn't find it in the slightest better than JH13 pro, other than more bass.

 
 
I can't really comment on that, as I don't have, or have heard the JH13s,... I will say tho, that I wouldn't want them to have less bass.  I love my JH16, I'd buy them again in a heart beat.  I'd like to compare it to the Roxanne's.  I'm afraid I'd end up adjusting the bass every 10 mins with the Roxanne's.