Audiophile Tendincies: a JH 13 Review

[jacobffeldman]

Let me begin this review with a recap of my previous adventures...

 

About four months ago I rented and reviewed the notorious lcd-2 headphones from Audeze. These brilliant headphones opened my eyes in many ways, however their were downsides to those headphones that I could not ignore. If you want to check out that previous review here.

 

I decided that I wanted to have that level of audio however in a more compact form factor, with noise isolation so that I could use them anywhere without everyone around me being able to hear my music. Enter JH audio. JH Audio is a company based out in Florida, specializing in the manufacturing of custom in ear monitors. The founder of JH Audio, Jerry Harvey invented the technique many years ago, and having established both JH Audio and now rival company, Ultimate ears, he has set to making the ultimate in ear headphone. While these in ears, originally designed for performing musicians, the audio community has become enthralled in their use for just plain amazing audio. 

 

After a great deal of time, and a lot of hours working minimum wage, I sucked it up and bought their upper end model the JH 13 Pro, containing 6 balanced armature drivers in each ear, what does that mean, clarity is what it means. 

 

Now for the actual review portion. While it may seem ridiculous to pay such large amount of money for in ear headphones it makes sense for a few reasons. For one the audio is outstanding (as it should be for that price). I can honestly say that the audio produced by the jh13 is my definition of perfect. However, that does not mean necessarily that they are worth the price, after all who knows how much I could of payed and gotten the same experience. The real perks come with the fact that they are a custom product. In order to get a pair of custom in ears you have to go to an audiologist and get your ears filled with silicon and send those impressions to JH Audio so that they can hand craft a set of in ears specifically for your ears. as a result the jh13's I received were the most comfortable set of headphones I have ever owned, and they block out enough sound that you can hear your music without any leaking or distraction from outside noise. I had previously owned the Ultimate ears triple fi in ears, but the tips hurt my ears to the point that they were unbearable, these solved all of that. The JH 13's specifically amazed me with their outstanding detail and brilliant dynamics. I usually don't like to go into all the details about the audio just because you end up going into things that are purely artificial, without any real substance to back up claims, but what I can say is that the jh 13's sound great, like they should. In comparison to the LCD-2's, the clarity was on par if not better, however the "soundstage" was not the same and some of the mids were a little more muddled than the lcd-2. Overall I think the Jh13 competes with all full sized headphones even coming with some unique advantages. A while back Jerry Harvey created a technology called "phreqphase" which aligns the low mids and highs that enter your ear within a tenth of a millisecond, what that creates is an effect that I can actually perceive. The first time I put in the jh13's I realized that I couldn't quite sense the center of the audio. Where as in most headphones you can sense where the center of the stereo image is, with the jh13's the sounds have no definite center, and this is actually what Jerry Harvey reports, its an interesting thing that only adds more to the detail of the Jh 13's sound.

 

A quick note about the HTC One m8:

 

I recently bought the HTC One m8, and to my surprise the audio produced from the m8 was better than any other device I own, having less background distortion than my ipad, msi realteck laptop, or imac.

 

Whats really important when you buy a product like this is to evaluate the real value of high end audio. To me, having solid audio improves my productivity when I am working, and I love moments when I can sit back and relax listening to something that can really capture your imagination, only good audio can do this. While I think many of the audiophile pursuits, like cable upgrades and expensive amplification are mostly snake oil, their is something to a good pair of headphones that nothing can replace. I find that having something that is portable like is so much more valuable than 

having the big LCD-2's which need amplification from some bulky DAC/amp. Overall I think for me the jh13's were worth it, they are comfortable, sound great, and fit in my backpack. One other great perk is that having custom in ears means that they cannot be shared with anyone, because they will not fit into their ears, meaning never again will you have to hand your friend your $1000 investment and get ear wax all over them. Moreover, the very fact that they are a custom product brings a smile to my face knowing that unlike the LCD-2s nobody else can have what I have. they also happen to come with a very well made carrying case that is engraved with your name!

 

My conclusion is that for me the jh 13's where worth it. While not everybody will appreciate great audio in the same way I do, the pure convenience and comfort makes sense for me. If that is all you are looking for go for one of JH audio's lower end models, which will have all the same perks just with lower audio quality!

[Tech_Dreamer]

Nice review,  the cable seems too flimsy i think, does it bother you?

[Deli]

Nice review, thumbs up.

 

p.s. While you can afford to have these high-end headphones and in-ear monitors. Why not a better camera? All these blurry and shaky images by phone camera......

[jacobffeldman]

Nice review,  the cable seems too flimsy i think, does it bother you?

The cable looks flimsy, but is actually pretty durable, I certainly wouldnt be too violent with it. I was looking for a durable cable to buy for it, with a thicker lining, but none exist without the audiophile prices for .999999999% silver.

[jacobffeldman]

Nice review, thumbs up.

 

p.s. While you can afford to have these high-end headphones and in-ear monitors. Why not a better camera? All these blurry and shaky images by phone camera......

I have a 5d mark II except that it takes a long time to take a photo and upload photos from compact flash, so I just opted to take some cell phone pictures. If you are really interested I would be glad to put up some more, higher quality, photos.

[Goldilock]

What amp do you use ?

[random_australian]

This needs to be moved to the member reviews section mate

[jacobffeldman]

What amp do you use ?

For these headphones i currently am not using an amp. Realistically, the htc one actually provides superb audio. While I cant say the same for my computer, their are solutions for that--that I am sure you know of.

[jacobffeldman]

This needs to be moved to the member reviews section mate

Yeah i know, i made the mistake of posting here, but when i tried to repost it in the member section, it was rejected.