TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
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JH Audio JH13 Pro IN-EAR MONITORS Tony Ware checks out the redesigned JH13 Pros to see if they live up to the hype.
JERRY HARVEY has an impressive Wikipedia page, as befits a live sound engineer and inventor known for introducing several firsts to the personal monitoring industry throughout the past two decades. When offered an opportunity to review his latest breakthrough – a redesign of the already widely adopted JH13 Pro custom in-ear monitor (IEM) – I was, well, all ears. Engineering his first custom-fit
solution (a two-way earpiece moulded for Alex Van Halen) in 1995, Harvey continued innovating with balanced armature arrays, extending to three- and then four-way architectures attracting musicians, mix engineers, and audiophiles to his designs. In 2009 Harvey launched the initial
Jerry Harvey Audio (JH Audio) JH13 Pro, a then-unprecedented six-driver, three-way crossover IEM integrating dual-driver technology across the frequency range (two proprietary balanced armature drivers each for the lows, mids, and highs). In 2012 he announced a further innovation – the ‘Frēqphase time|phase WaveGuide’, a patent-pending phase-coherence advancement – restating the case for the JH13 Pro as both an industry- standard stage and studio monitor.
FEATURES ‘Frēqphase’ – which uses a triple-bore, precisely positioned driver configuration to synchronise the delivery of low, mid, and high frequencies – offers on-the-go producers a new level of highly portable, spacious, and balanced imaging. The custom IEM process involves a trip to an audiologist where ear-filling foam ear-canal impressions are made.
Once the impressions are sent in, JH
Audio offers an interactive online ‘IEM Designer’ allowing you to pick the appearance of your custom IEM. Shells come in 46 standard colours or eight blacklight colours – translucent or opaque – and the faceplate has the same number of colour choices, as well as a tier of 54 designs or textures available for various premiums. Additionally, you can pick from several free logos (in limited colours) or upload
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your own artwork. Finally, you pick a 48 or 64in cable (in clear or black) with a gold-plated 3.5mm connector. I opted for design elements (see
photo) including translucent Whiteboy shells, opaque Whiteboy faceplates and personally meaningful artwork (supplied as a transparent PNG to mesh with the faceplate), though I will admit I mused/giggled over selecting the ‘frēq’ logo for a bit (I love a naughty pun). Delivered in a personalised hockey puck-like padded aluminium tin with earwax cleaning tool, the finished IEM offers -26dB noise isolation, 10Hz to 20kHz frequency response, 116dB@1mW input sensitivity at 28 ohms impedance.
“JH Audio’s latest development sits on a par with top-tier dynamic driver
headphones and suits acoustic and digital production equally.” Tony Ware
IN USE There’s a misconception that the JH16 Pro is the JH Audio flagship, but in reality it is one of two complementary products. The JH16 Pro, with its four dedicated low-end drivers, offers a more robust low-end capacity for live performance mixes whereas the JH13 Pro, while live show friendly, showcases its strengths in controlled critical monitoring scenarios. That doesn’t affect its punchy dynamics though, as the JH13 Pro is slightly north of neutral in the low end, featuring a boost at 50Hz extending to 125Hz. Thankfully, this uptick in the kick region (almost half that of the JH16 Pro) is neither flabby nor invasive; low-end presence blooms without excess boom, and doesn’t negatively impact the lifelike resonance or crisp instrument separation. With this in mind, I auditioned the
JH13 Pro across genres and from various sources (amped and unamped), including a MacBook Air running
Audirvana Plus through an Audioquest DragonFly, an iPhone 5 both with and without a V-Moda VAMP Verza, plus an iRiver AK100 digital audio player as both source and USB DAC. Resolutions auditioned ranged from 16-bit/44.1kHz up to 24-bit/192kHz full resolution files and MP3s, including sources straight from mix sessions. While I won’t draw direct
comparisons, my immediate frame of monitoring references include such non-custom IEMs as the Westone 4, Logitech UE900, and Etymotic ER-4 (with custom-moulded silicon tips), personally fitted Future Sonics mg6pro, as well as such portable and full-sized headphones as the V-Moda M-100, beyerdynamic T90, AKG K712, Audeze LCD-2, and Sennheiser HD 700/800. Not wanting to fall into the trap of heaping fawning adjectives, I’ll restrict myself to two: clarity and coherence. Tonal depth, width, texture, and silhouette all approach reference level, and arrive simultaneously. Whether evaluating punctuating details, echoing pockets or overall crunch, you can appreciate the focused timbre or dissect the sibilance-free structure of the playback. Reproduction is distortion-free and taut and pinpoint accurate. Coloration is not used to compensate for shortcomings; a thin source will sound thin, while muddy sub-bass will bleed without any bright exaggerated counterweigh. This awareness benefits midrange during
mixing, however, because you can dial treble extension and bass lift in a natural, linear fashion.
CONCLUSION Assuming you get a proper fit (and don’t hesitate to contact the company if you don’t), the JH13 Pro sets a precedent for multi-balanced armature unity. In terms of resolution, articulation and transparency, JH Audio’s latest development sits on a par with top-tier dynamic driver headphones and suits acoustic and digital production equally. While the JH13 Pro can’t completely match the airiness of open-backed flagship headphones, its compact isolation and efficient headroom offer a coherent in- ear listening environment, whether in the studio, in transit, or just in need of some clear perspective.
THE REVIEWER Tony Ware
is a DC-based audio industry journalist and active DJ.
INFORMATION Feature set
• Frēqphase time|phase WaveGuide
• 10Hz to 20kHz frequency response
• -26dB noise isolation • Six drivers • Price: Starting at £950
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