Then just for you my friend, if I absolutely had to say anything this early on, it's as follows:
Before I say anything, I'd just like to point out that this is my first ever encounter with custom monitors. Yes, that includes demo units. That said, another point I'd like to mention is that because these are reshelled JH16's, my listening experience may not reflect that of someone who purchased directly through JH Audio, without having the internals switched over to an entirely new shell. Straight away the first thing I noticed is how flush they rest within my ear. There's no initial discomfort, and hasn't been for the past half hour or so. I could quite honestly say that listening fatigue is next no non-existent, though I'll know for sure in due time. Not to mention, much of that depends entirely on factors such as the impressions down to the custom shell itself. As per the build quality, it falls hand in hand with the comfort, as far as my ears are concerned. Pics soon to follow of course...
Having heard nearly every top tier universal, I thought I'd heard it all, per se. The JH16 yet again introduced me to a very unique presentation, which I feel is where it differs most from amongst everything else I've heard. While I certainly intend to do a comparison between the EX1000 and JH16's, it'll require a good bit of time and a wide range of tracks/genres. As of now, the 2 are entirely different in presentation, and it's best to describe one without the other involved. If I were to describe the JH16's presentation, I'd say everything seems to fall right into place. Then again, I feel the exact same with regards to the EX1000. The lows pack a mean punch (albeit quantitatively, not as big as the JVC's/Atrio's) without missing any detail. The mids are very intimate, albeit not overshadowing the lows by even the slightest. The highs on the other hand are not the least bit fatiguing, albeit I've come to find that the phrase "trash in, trash out" could quite easily have been a disclaimer printed in large on the box of the JH16's. Where the EX1000 was much much more forgiving, the JH16 seems to bring out not only the best of the track, but also the worst. Our friend music_4321 once provided me with some wonderful insight that I'll never forget, and sicne then, made me appreciate just how much of an influence the tracks mastering/recording plays in relation to the sound perceived by the listener. It's made all the more obvious with the JH16's. On a similar note, my current source is the FiiO E7 plugged directly into my desktop PC's sound card, which, in the eyes of many, is a weak one I'm sure. Nonetheless, with all the universals I've come to own, I've always been content with the results. The JH16's may very well be the exception, since all the nuances, both good and bad, are brought forth effortlessly.
It will definitely take some time for the JH16's unique presentation to settle in. For me to get past the 'out of head' feel the EX1000 brings... well, that's a feat which more than a dozen other top tier universals have failed to accomplish, to say the least. Upon first listen, did I fall head over heels for the JH16? Hardly. It was moreso, hmm, how different! For the time being, my EX1000's reign the absolute supreme in terms of SQ, and once I'm able to sit and properly A/B each one, I'll post whether they're both here to stay, or whether one is bound to walk the infamous FS plank.
