[vkalia]

Hi all -
 
Need some advice.   I had heard a pair of JH16Pros recently and they blew my mind.   However, it is a pain in the rear  for me to get a pair of molds made, have them shipped half-way across the world and wait to get the customs made.    The new JH Roxanne universals have piqued my interest.
 
Anyone know what i'll give up in sound quality by going with a pair of universals, as oppose to  customs?   Is the difference mainly in comfort?
 
Thanks!

 

[Gorillaz]

go for the universal you can always get some custom tips later on, going through the process of getting custom ones is a nightmare even if you are lucky the first time and get them right, also they will be harder to re-sale in case you are not satisfied, you have been warned!

 

[Kunlun]

Wait for the Roxanne to actually be available before considering it. Steve Guttenberg told me he found the Roxanne to have a different tuning than other jh earphones. You can better consider which earphone is right for you when the Roxanne is actually out.

Universals are indeed a safer bet when ordering long distance. Furthermore, multi-driver iems are more likely to have failures than designs with fewer transducers (more to go wrong). That's worth considering., too. The sound may be different than a custom design of the same earphone due to fit. Fit makes a huge difference even in custom designs and very much so in universals.

 

[vkalia]

Thanks for the advice, peeps.   I think i'll wait for the Roxannes to come out and then take a call.

 

[jlcichocki]

I have used universals for years with horrible luck.  They don't stay in my ears.  I have tried many brands and tips and always end up frustrated and angry.
 
I finally bit the bullet and ordered the Roxanne after I had an opportunity to compare the entire JH line including the Roxanne.  They were all universals that I trialed and granted I still don't know what customs will do for me, but it has to be better than what I'm used to.
 
The Roxanne is amazing!!  The direct comparison was off the chart in favor of the Roxanne.  I have fought off the urge to invest in the past, but no longer.  It is finally time.

 

[bobeau]

Just one thing to keep in mind - JH appears to be pretty backed up right now post Black Friday sale.  Someone in the Roxanne thread said they were given an estimate of late Feb delivery.  I'm not sure how that will impact universal availability, but they could be in short supply.
 
If I were having to make this decision, I'd probably just move forward with locking in an order for the universal Roxannes.  With a likely supply constraint (which may balloon if the initial owner reports are as positive as the first impressions have been) - if they don't work out you could resell for minimal loss and move ahead all the quicker to getting your JH16 order in.  

 

[Kunlun]

Hi bobeau,
 
The trick is that there's the history of the jh-3a's disatrous debut. So, waiting is definitely wise advice based on past history. It may turn out great, but waiting is a good idea.

 

[bobeau]

Hey Kunlun,
 
Yeah, I guess that's a good point.  I don't really know much of the history for that aside from there being an issue w/ a new type of product + supplier.  Guess there's enough new with this one (connector, crossover control, universal, # drivers) that it could be in a similar boat. 

 

[z3r0day]

- Molds takes a round trip and 10 minutes to make. Come on!
 
- (Universal demo) Roxannes are similar to JH13 in sound signature when there is no bass boost. It offers higher transparency, larger height and depth in soundstage, more precise imaging, and smoother highs than the JH 13pro, according to early impressions.
 
- IMHO, if you are gonna shell out 1200, might as well add 400 to go for the best and save the regret later. Of course your financial situation/way of thinking may differ.

 

[vkalia]

My problem isn't with the timing required to actually make a mold or the expense of a CIEM.   I live/work on a small tropical island, so i can only get the molds made when I leave (every 4-5 weeks). Then I have to courier the molds to the States, wait for the CIEMs to be made and then have them shipped back.    It is the overall length of the process that gets to me.
 
All of that is still ok, but I am a little concerned about the quality of the molds that I can get made in this part of the world. The place I know does a lot of work with hearing aids, etc and seems to know their business as far as that goes, but i don't know how good they are when it comes to molds for IEMs.
 
That might be a good follow-up question - is molds-making a pretty standard thing that any audiologist can do without screwing up?  

 

[Kunlun]

All of that is still ok, but I am a little concerned about the quality of the molds that I can get made in this part of the world. The place I know does a lot of work with hearing aids, etc and seems to know their business as far as that goes, but i don't know how good they are when it comes to molds for IEMs.
 
That might be a good follow-up question - is molds-making a pretty standard thing that any audiologist can do without screwing up?  

Nope, the standards for hearing aids are much lower than for musician's monitors. Also, the material for the molds can shrink over time.

 

[vkalia]

Hmm, ok - thanks again.   Decisions, decisions....  the Noble 8 and the Heir equivalent universals also sound damn appealing.  

 

[bobeau]

Just to note what I found out doing my impressions last week w/ a JH approved audiologist, it seems there are 3 things that may be different from a typical hearing aid impression:
 
1) They do a musician fit, which is past the second bend of the ear canal.  It's quite deep and at least for me was pretty uncomfortable (a nerve was was hit that felt like a needle was poking my eardrum, lol)
 
2) A bite block is required at the tallest part.  You have to hold this position with minimal stress which might be hard for some.  
 
3) The impression extends to the outer portion of your ear canal.
 
JH supplies a document indicating this to be shared with your audiologist.  Personally, I didn't see how the procedure required much skill to do, just have to be mindful of this stuff.  It also seems from what I read in another thread on taking impressions that many people screw things up for themselves by biting down too hard on the bite block which causes some occlusion in the ear canal.  

 

[88Sound]

I'm not trying to muddy the waters here, just a note on my experience with custom molds for JH.  Back in May of 2012 I decided to get JH16Pro's (before Freqphase).  I was worried about the impressions that had to be made so I traveled to a JH Audio approved audiologist.  When I made the appointment they knew exactly what I was talking about, which was reassuring.  I came in with my JH audio printout of how the molds should be done (bite block, etc...).  They told me not to worry about it they do this all the time.  They took my impressions without a bite block, I pointed this out to them and they told me that it wouldn't be a problem.  So ... mouth closed and even moving around when they took the impressions.  But.....the impressions were very deep, I think that is the key.  When I received my JH16pro's from these impressions they were perfect for me.  Perfect seal and extremely comfortable. I just ordered Roxannes and will be using the same impressions.  I will say however if I was a singer or any musician that was going to be opening my mouth while I was using these the bite block is critical.  If I open my mouth while using these, eating, or whatever the seal is broken.  I must say I am happy with closed mouth perfection and comfort. YMMV

 

[88Sound]

Just did a test, when I open my mouth while using the JH16's with the impressions I detailed before, the seal is not broken! but I hear noise from my jaw and ears (occlusion?)going from closed to open mouth,  the sound is the same even with my mouth open. .