[Fantoon]

Subscribed!

 

[shameonyou]

Thanks Warp for your product description and initial take.
 
Re: sentiments of JHA product management process, I second, third, and tenth Br777's comments.  All due respect to your previous life as PM, I've run a customer support team, and my job was to manage the PMs job vis-[size=11.0pt]à[/size]-vis the customers' expectations.  PM takes input from the customer, CS handles output (i.e., communication) to the customer, and regarding the communication output JHA has provided on this product cycle, all due respect to good intentions, a segment of their luxury brand customer base thinks misstep and mismanagement has and continues to exist.  The excuse of Jaime's wedding? Please, the wedding date has been known for months.  JHA gave a Monday, May 23 comment, "Once we have a completed amp and earpiece I will take photos and post" and their shipment out to you on Wednesday May 25 - really isn't rocket science nor time intensive to appease the very long-waiting masses by posting a "Hurrah" and first pic in parallel to any other life engagements going on. 
 
Customers like me have been more than patient and polite in trying to voice constructive criticisms with suggestions for improving communication - frustration, yes,, but no flames, no YELLING, no swearing.  Customers like you, well, I'm glad you've gotten your JH-3, you seem to have been first on the list and you're likely good friends with the team,,, but please don't simply be an apologetic for well-documented and lengthy mismanagement from a customer support communication standpoint. A contraire to "you get dinged again for not saying anything" - a customer will ALWAYS rather have more information than not. 
 
Bygones be bygones and hopefully JHA learns a bit through the experience.

 

[warp08]

Quote:

Warp..I assume you heard the JH3A at Canjam. How does the final version sound to you compared to the prototype? I know it is a bit different as they were using line out analog from an Ipad.

Yeah, that was my iPad, JHA had a (gasp) "netbook" hooked up but that was because the Cirrus Logic DSP emulator was written for Windows (we all make mistakes).  At any rate, the production version is significantly enhanced in many ways and in terms of my own impressions--as far as I could recall, well, anything that long ago in terms of SQ memory imprint--I could safely proclaim a "Night and Day" difference, if for no other reason, than the fact is that there is a huge difference between a "demo" custom IEM performance vs. your own custom shells.
 
No doubt, the finished product will impress those who have experienced last year's Can Jam prototype.
 
In fact, just this morning I have subjected myself to a healthy dose of Lady Gaga's new masterpiece "Brush This Way" or whatever it's called.  As far as I could tell not being a mastering expert, the SQ has improved somewhat compared to the previous offering which you could mostly play without any degradation to overall SQL with using only your midrange drivers.  On some of the tracks, she actually sings quite well, and there is detail and separation quite evident.  And for the first time I actually used the Bass knob to spruce up some of the tracks--effectively EQing them--to a point where the enjoyment factor went up substantially.  In fact, the JH-3A/16 gear managed to recreate those "club-like," thumping sub-bass harmonics that are typically very difficult for any headphone to emulate much less on IEMs.  So, that's a use case for the knob or even opting for the /16 version in general.
 

 

[Br777]

HOLY BEANS WARP.. you are making me salivate!  Being a self proclaimed "high brow bass head" and having come from a IMO excellent 1800 dollar thunderpants rig which had the best bass i had ever heard, The one thing out of the MANY MANY things i am excited about in the 3A is that angelic bass knob.. oh it must have been sent from the bass gods themselves!
 
given the way this whole setup is implemented, and specifically how they have implemented the bass amp volume... i can only imagine how much bass heaven i will be in.   I truly believe the bass on these things is going to be a revelation to bass heads.  this is my hope anyway.  
 
I CANT WAIT TO SHAKE MY EYEBALLS WITH IEM'S!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!

 

[Br777]

Quote:

Anyone know what jack/plug that is being used on the cable to plug into the 3A?

 
I get the feeling you and I are thinking the same thing
 
a little jh3a DIY recableing eh??
 
sounds like a heck of a project.. especially mapping the pins on the jack to the correct connectors/places on the connectors

 

[ianmedium]

Thanks Warp for your product description and initial take.
 
Re: sentiments of JHA product management process, I second, third, and tenth Br777's comments.  All due respect to your previous life as PM, I've run a customer support team, and my job was to manage the PMs job vis-[size=11.0pt]à[/size]-vis the customers' expectations.  PM takes input from the customer, CS handles output (i.e., communication) to the customer, and regarding the communication output JHA has provided on this product cycle, all due respect to good intentions, a segment of their luxury brand customer base thinks misstep and mismanagement has and continues to exist.  The excuse of Jaime's wedding? Please, the wedding date has been known for months.  JHA gave a Monday, May 23 comment, "Once we have a completed amp and earpiece I will take photos and post" and their shipment out to you on Wednesday May 25 - really isn't rocket science nor time intensive to appease the very long-waiting masses by posting a "Hurrah" and first pic in parallel to any other life engagements going on. 
 
Customers like me have been more than patient and polite in trying to voice constructive criticisms with suggestions for improving communication - frustration, yes,, but no flames, no YELLING, no swearing.  Customers like you, well, I'm glad you've gotten your JH-3, you seem to have been first on the list and you're likely good friends with the team,,, but please don't simply be an apologetic for well-documented and lengthy mismanagement from a customer support communication standpoint. A contraire to "you get dinged again for not saying anything" - a customer will ALWAYS rather have more information than not. 
 
Bygones be bygones and hopefully JHA learns a bit through the experience.

+1 and I have to say going on several members blind loyalty to this company that I am going to be even more selective as to who's reviews I shall read and seriously consider and who's I shall not!

 

[onecolorist]

I read that there would be a new version of the Sonicweld Diverter that would be able to play 24/192. The first was limited to 24/96, right?. I wonder what the benefit of being able to play 24/192 is when both pure music 1.74a and Amarra are limited to 96 flac. As far as the usb/converters that are currently on the market, many prefer the sound of the Wavelenght Wavelink HS, including the well respected Barrows from Computer Audiophile, which is why I decided to purchase it out of the two

 I want the best possible sound to be sent to the jh-3a(absent a $10,000 belt driven transport); if I ever get mine in the mail

Quote:

You're welcome.  One of my hats I used to wear is Project/Program Manager for large-scale IT enterprise integration projects, a bit different than Jerry's trade.  Regardless, when you try to undertake any kind of development/integration project of a new kind of device, your Risk Factor is thru the roof, because of all those unknown dependencies and other factors.  You have an initial schedule in mind, but that's a little more than a guess at that point.  They had a crude prototype last year, essentially a proof of concept.  Then the designer walked out halfway thru development, causing essentially a full rebaseline, i.e., start from scratch with another unknown team, even worse from another country, which made things even more difficult in terms of visibility.  Doing this kind of work is full of setbacks, things look good one week and then issues pop up seemingly from nowhere causing delays, etc.  As a PM, you basically have three options:  1)stick to a schedule and release a half-backed product (not an option for JH) 2)stick to your established quality standard and instead keep pushing the schedule further and further out until the job gets done or 3) abandon the effort if you come to a realization that it is not financially or technically feasible to deliver the product you envisioned.  New schedule estimates are bottom-up driven at the workgroup levels and you use those for external communications.  In other words, they were told certain things and based their own announcements on those estimates.  In the end, you get stuck between a rock and a hard place:  you get grief for things you say based on the latest and greatest info you get and then when it doesn't pan out according to play, you get dinged again for not saying anything.
 
I've been in there, done that, got the T-shirt.  Just wanted to give anyone who cared to read it a bit of a different perspective.  These guys are hardworking, honest people who stand behind their products and I am happy to support them as a customer just like several other reputable forum vendors/sponsors at Head-Fi.
 
Josh Heiner@Sonicweld is another one of these, no-compromise, high-end designer.  He does his own circuit designs, external designs and C&C metalwork assembly from start to finish.  I have some amazing photos of his workshop I do not have permission to post building these amazing USB/SPDIF converters, which have a total of no less than 6 PCB boards stacked for maximum isolation and protection against digital vs. analog interference within the device itself.  The v2.0 Diverter is a few weeks from starting to ship and I'm very, very excited about because not only it now scales up to 24/192 but SQ is substantially improved across the board bit and sampling-rate notwithstanding.  I know this because a little while ago I had the privilege of playing with the only existing prototype at the time and provided some minor feedback to the best of my ability.  Just to be clear, I'm not advertising it the product here, because it will be probably cost-prohibitive for most JH-3A owners, but it is one of those things that if you can afford the best, you will get what you pay for.  Also, the Diverter loves and needs quality USB/Coax digital cables, which are also not cheap.  There are also several other devices being marketed and sold for much less than the Diverter at different price points to accommodate nearly every budget.  But for me, there is nothing like the Diverter.  Here are a few crappy pics I took of the prototype to give you an idea (the Cynosure USB-A to USB-B cable is a bit of an overkill, however imposing, IMO, the sweet spot is the Nucleus which costs half the price, or even the Axis):
 

 
 

 

 

[dallan]

I have the current incarnation of The Diverter.  It is wonderful, the only drawback is 24/88 but the new version will do it and 196.  Amarra does 196 i believe in fact it does 384 KHz according to Sonic Studios website.  I have never taken it above 96 and only 88 with optical output instead of usb due to Diverters current limitations.

 

[blessingx]

I read that there would be a new version of the Sonicweld Diverter that would be able to play 24/192. The first was limited to 24/96, right?. I wonder what the benefit of being able to play 24/192 is when both pure music 1.74a and Amarra are limited to 96 flac.


 

I thought Pure Music and non-Mini Amarra wasn't limited to 24/96 (not to mention the several other options and non-format limitations)? Maybe I'm missing something, but why would those apps get in the way?


Also Warp, I had to send my JH13s back five times for fit and balance issues and been a bit worried about the JH3A+JH16 for same. Mind if I ask how you've felt your new set fit compared to your previous JH1x pairs?

 

[onecolorist]

Aha, I see that Amarra has different verisions that play higher resolutions. I have not been able to play files above 96 with pure music. Sorry to put out bad information
 
Quote:

Quote:

I read that there would be a new version of the Sonicweld Diverter that would be able to play 24/192. The first was limited to 24/96, right?. I wonder what the benefit of being able to play 24/192 is when both pure music 1.74a and Amarra are limited to 96 flac.


 

I thought Pure Music and non-Mini Amarra wasn't limited to 24/96 (not to mention the several other options and non-format limitations)? Maybe I'm missing something, but why would those apps get in the way?


Also Warp, I had to send my JH13s back five times for fit and balance issues and been a bit worried about the JH3A+JH16 for same. Mind if I ask how you've felt your new set fit compared to your previous JH1x pairs?

 

 

[blessingx]

Just a reminder to the group of the free/open source OS X Audirvana: http://www.audirvana.com/

 

[onecolorist]

Is anyone else feeling that their digital cable choices are limited with the JH-3a? Being that the digital input is mini, I can't find many digital cables that will work. I know Moon Audio has the mini Digital coax that is terminated in a mini plug but are there others? I need a BNC/Mini digital cable. Seems pretty custom. Anyone else running into trouble?

 

[Trogdor]

warp08, thanks so much for the pictures and initial impressions.
 
What other headphones have you owned, heard?  i.e. if you were going to compare this setup, what is your reference?  Would you say the detail is up there with some of the more notable reference headphones?  (e.g. R10, Qualia, Omega II, HD800, PS1/GS1K, etc. etc.)  I am NOT asking you to make any final thoughts on the matter, but do you get a sense that the J16P/JH3A already exhibits a top-tier sound?

 

[blessingx]

Is anyone else feeling that their digital cable choices are limited with the JH-3a? Being that the digital input is mini, I can't find many digital cables that will work. I know Moon Audio has the mini Digital coax that is terminated in a mini plug but are there others? I need a BNC/Mini digital cable. Seems pretty custom. Anyone else running into trouble?

I few of us ordered Blue Jeans Belden 1505F cables many months ago. Choose RCA-mini or BNC-mini. Build quality top-notch. Still haven't heard. Doubt they're behind more boutique/expensive options, but if you feel differently they could always tide you over.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/digital-audio/index.htm

 

[Bina]

Quote:

Is anyone else feeling that their digital cable choices are limited with the JH-3a? Being that the digital input is mini, I can't find many digital cables that will work. I know Moon Audio has the mini Digital coax that is terminated in a mini plug but are there others? I need a BNC/Mini digital cable. Seems pretty custom. Anyone else running into trouble?

Yes, there is just few comercial products with mini. So I had mine cable hand build by our Supra cable dealer.