JH Audio JH13v2 Pro In-Ear Monitors
IN-EAR MONITORS ARE LIKE A PAIR OF JEANS – YOU WEAR THEM SO MUCH AND IN SO MANY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE RELIABLE. SOMETIMES IT PAYS TO SPEND A BIT MORE. ALEX WILSON CHECKS OUT A MID-PRICE PAIR FROM A HIGH-END COMPANY.
I’d never heard of JH Audio before these in-ear monitors (IEMs) landed on my desk for a listen. The company is fairly new, and has a good yarn behind it. Back in the ‘90s, the titular Mr. Harvey was manning the monitors desk for Van Halen.
Alex Van Halen needed some custom IEMs, and Jerry Harvey not only created a great pair from scratch for the drummer, but spun it out into a massively successful brand called Ultimate Ears.
Fast forward to today, and Jerry has moved on from his first firm and is now working the boutique end of the market pretty hard. The company has so many big names using their products (from Slash to Childish Gambino) that they can afford charging an arm and leg for most of them.
I take it that the JH13v2s are the company’s attempt to provide some great all-round IEMs, taking some of their best design ideas and packing them into something that’s more affordable for the average punter. The short answer is that I think they’ve succeeded. These are great headphones. They’re a touch more expensive than some of the other options around, but really manage to shine in a variety of different situations. As well as writing for this venerable rag, I work as a freelance mix engineer and live tech, and also perform with IEMs. I would trust this set in any of those situations.
The company describes the monitors application as“wide sound stage, good clarity and separation, deep bass extension. From classical to hip hop, the JH13v2 PRO is an all-rounder.” This is, staggeringly enough for an audio company, a proud statement that bears scrutiny. The basis of this strong endorsement comes from the combination of technical know-how and one simple user control: The JH13v2s sound both pleasing and ‘accurate’ across the frequency spectrum, but also have an adjustable bass control. This means that I can use them for tasks when accuracy is paramount (say as a live or traveling audio engineer) while also being able to hype the bass when useful (for monitoring purposes as a live bassist, or just for a certain music listening experience). As many of us who work in the industry increasingly must wear many hats, this kind of well-considered flexibility is a godsend.
Leaving aside this variable bass-extension, the JH13v2s don’t skimp on the other parts of the frequency spectrum. Two drivers are dedicated to bass, two to mids and then four to treble. A total of eight drivers per ear is very generous for this price. Interestingly, JH Audio have foregrounded a certain technology called FreqPhase, which uses certain construction methods to minimise any phase cancellations caused by crossover in the drivers. \Admittedly, I don’t have the equipment to be able to determine how this works to enhance the sound. However, given how great these IEMs sound in general use, it was not hard to imagine this thoughtful feature had contributed.
In the box, you get the detachable proprietary four-pin cable with 3.5-millimetre termination and variable bass adjustment, a variable bass adjustment tool, a machined aluminum carrying case, three foam tips, three silicone tips, and a cleaning tool. You can either order a Universal Factory fit (which is what we recieved as our review pair) or have a pair custom-fit for your ears. Overall, I found the JH13v2s were not the easiest to fit initially, but felt snug and comfy once they were in there.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The JH13v2s stand out as a pair of IEMs you could love for life. A really well-considered design makes them strong contenders for some the most useful and versatile IEMs I’ve reviewed. Their basic sound is strong enough to match competitors, and you really feel that the company is working hard to make the quality they sell to the stars available to the average Joe or Jane.