[eric621]

Hi all-
 
First-time poster here!  Im looking to upgrade my gear.  I currently own the UM3X, don't own any amps, play straight from HP out, and am looking to get a pair of custom IEMs as an upgrade.  Among all the companies that make custom IEMs, JH really stood out for me primarily because of their huge collection, and I have read a lot of good things about their after-sale service.
 
My question:  given that I already own the UM3x, which already houses three drivers , which JH model would be the immediate next upgrade for me?  Im into a variety of music, definitely appreciate amazing vocals, but also enjoy rock music and some alternative.  I would also like my upgrade to have a larger soundstage than the UM3X.  Of course the JH 13 pro, which I have read a lot about, would be very good, but I wonder if there is something to explore between the UM3X and the JH 13 pro.  I think my confusion comes mainly from the fact that I don't know how to compare customs with universals.
 
Thanks.

 

[nc8000]

I went from UM3x to JH13 and find it totally worth it. They are my first customs so can't comment on any of the other JH models. The reason I went straight to the JH13 was that since I could afford it I wanted to experience the top of the cake. A thing to remember when going customs is that they are a lot more difficault to resell and the loss will be much greater than on universals so it is a lot less economical working your way up the custom ladder.

 

[eric621]

Thanks NC,
 
Im currently considering between JH10x3, JH 11, and JH13.  I know that JH 13 would totally be sweet.  I was searching through this forum, and I can't seem to find any JH 11 owner.  Strange?

 

[koonhua90]

Quote:

Thanks NC,
 
Im currently considering between JH10x3, JH 11, and JH13.  I know that JH 13 would totally be sweet.  I was searching through this forum, and I can't seem to find any JH 11 owner.  Strange?

The earsonics EM3Pro seems very interesting too. You should check it out too:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/473930/against-jh-ue-driver-wars-a-first-view-of-earsonics-em3-pro-customs
 
I don't own any custom, but from the review and impressions on that thread, they seem to be really good, even with 3 drivers. And number of driver do not correlate directly to sound quality, if you follow the home made IEM thread, you will know that a lot of BA drives have very wide frequency range:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/430688/home-made-iems

 

[flexium]

I say you should send your um3x to Unique Melody to make custom mold. Then you will have "es3x" for super low price!!
Just IMO because that is what I planned to do too.

 

[midget]

aside from going with customs, i myself am looking into the earsonics sm3, which purportedly has the dramatically larger soundstage than the um3x. only qualm i have with the earsonics though is its pricing and the lack of support for the product in north america.

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

I say you should send your um3x to Unique Melody to make custom mold. Then you will have "es3x" for super low price!!
Just IMO because that is what I planned to do too.

What you will have is the UM3X remolded by UM, one the most blatantly shilled products on here IMHO. (Last part not directed at you, flexium. You know who you are....)
 
A UM remold is no gurarntee of a SQ improvement and anecdotal evidence suggests that it often will be the opposite. There is no indication that these guys engage in any acoustic designing at all - so roll the dice and see what you get. Eric621, companies like JH Audio pay carefull attention to total audio design and take responsibility for the outcome. If you can afford it, you will get what you pay for.
 

 

[jlbrach]

I own the um3x along with a ton of other IEM's over the years...I also love my er-4p's....I must tell you that as far as I am concerned there is a law of diminishing returns that kicks in when you get to a product as good as the um3x.....you will be hard pressed to improve on them dramatically and I think at that point it becomes almost silly..and believe me i speak as one who has owned just about everything out there including custom Ultimate ears!

 

[nc8000]

Yes the step-up from UM3x to JH13 was no where near the price-up between them but it was a genuine improvement in all aspects none the less

 

[ZARIM]

Try UM Mage or JH5Pro  first and it will give you better idea about custom IEMs but i think JH11PRO willbe even close to JH13Pro.

 

[mvw2]

Agree with jibrach.  As well, a lot of these high end earphones are more side steps than upgrades.  You switch to something else when you seek a different sounds.  Better is relative.  Even a lot of the $200 level earphones are quite good, enough so where even they are side steps from a $300 or $400 earphone  Even with high dollar customs, you're still bound to the widely available drivers (yes, some are more expensive and will add some cost) and whatever x-over setup and filtering the manufacturer chose.  You would be ignorant to think that a $200 earphone might not be running the exact same driver as a $2000 earphone.  The best option for you is mainly a matter of good hardware choices and implementation by the manufacturer and the sound signature that best fits you.  Believe it or not, cost doesn't mean everything and neither does the transition to custom.  What custom specifically gains you is fit, and that can be very beneficial if you have problems with regular earphones.  Improved seal, isolation, and consistent location of drivers can yield gains.  The benefit some high dollar customs offer is the use of the better drivers, filters, and x-overs. Money is no object in a sense, so there are little compromises.  However, a lot of the cost is also overhead.  When one builds a specialty product, yearly sales may be 10 instead of 1000, and overhead for the company and employees remains constant regardless of the number sold.  The buyer ends up paying a large portion of the companies livelihood in addition to the actual cost of the product.

 

[jlbrach]

ironically,although i own the um3x i tend to use my etymotic hf5 or er-4p for the simple reason that they isolate so incredibly well....even if the sond if better with the um3x or other IEM's i find i can really appreciate the sound when the isolation is better and the etymotic's provide me unparalled isolation....when i do my walking on a treadmill the hf5's literally block out all of the outside noise allowing me to enjoy the music...what I am trying to say is that there are numerous issues to take into consideration when making the decision

 

[eric621]

so i totally jumped on JHA's promotion today . . .

 

[nc8000]

You should be very happy with that decision. Good as the UM3x is I find that the JH13 betters it in every aspect

 

[cooperpwc]

eric621, talk about a timely resolution to your query! Excellent.