Topic: JH Audio Angie (Universal) (Read 19835 times)

JeremiahS · « **Reply #10 on:** April 12, 2015, 12:47:15 PM »

Hi,

I hope I can offer a helpful opinion about the Angie. I had a chance to hear the universal Angie and Layla together with my reference benchmark, the FitEar MH334 yesterday. Source/amp is AK120 II.

My taste is neutral with a little warmth and so far I don't really like most Jerry Harvey stuff, their treble is rough and bass loose and too punchy. Even the Roxanne has these problems and not worth the money.

Angie surprisingly is an exception. The treble characteristic is very smooth unlike the Roxanne or JH13 Freqphase but it's still forward, which makes vocal stand out. The bass is also very much tighter than your normal Jerry Harvey IEM even when the potentiometer is set at 2/3 full. However I feel that bass is a bit on the lean side, a bit like UE Reference Monitor or FitEar F111 type of bass. Detail level and separation are very good, better than the Reference Monitor and JH13 Freqphase.

Layla seems to have the same problems with Roxanne with loose bass and rough treble so I didn't spend too much time with them.

Comparing Angie with the MH334 I still feel that the FitEar remains a superior choice, with taller and more 3D imaging, more details all around and flatter sound but it also costs a lot more.

I also note that the Angie is quite big so fit can be a problem.

To summarize, I think Jerry Harvey has a winner with the Angie. If you're a fan of neutral sound signature then Angie is worth a try.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Jeremiah

music_4321 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 12, 2015, 03:18:04 PM »

UERM & Angie

Anaxilus · « **Reply #12 on:** April 12, 2015, 06:53:20 PM »

See now that's interesting as the last FitEar 3xx (whichever it was) I heard wasn't quite in the same ballpark in technicalities as my current and demo uerms.I thought the treble was more fatiguing and bottom end too fat for my tastes. Also less resolving and spaced. Compared to a lesser set of uerms that went back I would agree to that though.

music_4321 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2015, 07:24:31 PM »

^

The FitEar model you tried was the TG334; the one JeremiahS speaks about is the custom version of that, the MH334. Although I think it was overall a very good sounding phone, I ended up selling my TG334s because I found the bottom end a fit fatiguing after a short while, particularly, funnily enough, with well-mastered tracks/albums.

Now, I don't know whether the MH334 & TG334 have ever been marketed as, or considered, a reference phone (don't think they have). And, for what it's worth, well-known and highly regarded Japanese reviewer, Sasaki, who owned the MH334 before the universal came out, said he found the universal an improvement over the custom version (there was some new tech in (one of) the sound tubes of the universal, apparently, that caused this).

Kunlun · « **Reply #14 on:** April 13, 2015, 12:20:35 AM »

I'd like to hear more about the Layla. Several people have noted a peaky treble and one person who listened without knowing the price said detail retrieval was average (and was quickly corrected by self-appointed brand defender that this couldn't be possible). Other people have said other things.

briskly · « **Reply #15 on:** April 13, 2015, 01:07:30 AM »

Brief impression of the Layla from awhile ago: it had a low treble glare to it. A resonance perhaps, that range seemed a little uneven. I couldn't easily force it deeper with the tips on hand to check on that. Didn't have the screwdriver on hand to adjust the bass, but it didn't seem too unbalanced overall, whatever the bass was set to. Sticks clear out of the ear with its bulky shell, but at least it is light.

music_4321 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 13, 2015, 02:23:58 AM »

Here's a track I've always had trouble enjoying fully; the reason being the recording itself isn't particularly great (it was intentionally recorded live in the studio). Depending on how coloured the phones I've tried this track with, enjoying it (and the rest of the excellent album) has always been a rather curious and trying affair (EQ'ing often being almost mandatory or, failing that, simply turning the volume down in many instances seemed necessary). The Angies really manage to pull it off and and make this track quite enjoyable as is (considering its sonic limitations). Due to the quality of the recording details aren't so easily perceived with most other phones, or said details would often be a bit jarring.

http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/New+Born/dI12L?src=5

A pretty good live version of the same track:

Lojay · « **Reply #17 on:** April 13, 2015, 02:47:13 AM »

Quote from: Kunlun on April 13, 2015, 12:20:35 AM

I'd like to hear more about the Layla. Several people have noted a peaky treble and one person who listened without knowing the price said detail retrieval was average (and was quickly corrected by self-appointed brand defender that this couldn't be possible). Other people have said other things.

Quote from: briskly on April 13, 2015, 01:07:30 AM

Brief impression of the Layla from awhile ago: it had a low treble glare to it. A resonance perhaps, that range seemed a little uneven. I couldn't easily force it deeper with the tips on hand to check on that. Didn't have the screwdriver on hand to adjust the bass, but it didn't seem too unbalanced overall, whatever the bass was set to. Sticks clear out of the ear with its bulky shell, but at least it is light.

There are a lot of brief impressions in short auditions that I will not personally take into account. If I recall, NONE of those impressions have stated what sort of upstream gear the Laylas were driven with.

I am by no means a Layla fan-boy, but I happen to think that the bad press is unjustified and someone has to put things in perspective. I have the Layla, together with the HD800 and the SR009. This may sound insane, but I think the Laylas are, properly driven, comparable to the SR009 and HD800 in their top form.

The treble issues are similar to the HD800s in stock form but, unlike the HD800 which needs the mods, are completely ameliorated by having a proper setup. I have absolutely NO treble issues with the Layla on my big office rig (EC 4-45). The treble is more even and smoother than the HD800 (Anax modded).

The problem for most is that portable setups are incapable of delivering the source and amping requirements that the Layla needs for it to excel. As for the lack of resolution, it again depends on the front end. Impedance matching seems to matter, as when I stuck it into my Apex Teton the impedance mismatch removed any detail and collapsed the soundstage into itself.

What does this mean to the average buyer? I suppose if I were to get an UIEM for portable use ONLY, I would avoid the Layla. If I were to consider a closed headphone or IEM for use at home, which could also serve a dual purpose as a pair of IEMs on the go (not minding a corresponding loss in sound quality), I would certainly consider the Layla. So I do think it is not for everyone. It seems from what I've read that the Angies might be better as a portable solution.

music_4321 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 13, 2015, 03:03:36 AM »

Hey Lojay (or anyone else), here's a suggestion: Why not start a Layla dedicated thread? There appears to be more interest in the Laylas than in the Angies. For people specifically looking for Angie impressions, it'd be good to have this thread, otherwise this might eventually turn into what we see on HF, where impressions of both phones are all over the place.

Of course mention of either IEM (and others) could be made in both threads, but I think it'd better to try and keep the focus here on the Angies.

(thanks for your posts, btw)

Lojay · « **Reply #19 on:** April 13, 2015, 03:29:28 AM »

Quote from: music_4321 on April 13, 2015, 03:03:36 AM

Hey Lojay (or anyone else), here's a suggestion: Why not start a Layla dedicated thread? There appears to be more interest in the Laylas than in the Angies. For people specifically looking for Angie impressions, it'd be good to have this thread, otherwise this might eventually turn into what we see on HF, where impressions of both phones are all over the place.

Of course mention of either IEM (and others) could be made in both threads, but I think it'd better to try and keep the focus here on the Angies.

(thanks for your posts, btw)

Sorry for inadvertently hiijacking your thread...

Author Topic: JH Audio Angie (Universal) (Read 19835 times)

JeremiahS

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

music_4321

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

Anaxilus

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

music_4321

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

Kunlun

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

briskly

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

music_4321

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

Lojay

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

music_4321

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

Lojay

Re: JH Audio Angie (Universal)

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Author Topic: JH Audio Angie (Universal) (Read 19835 times)