Jade Audio JH3 Review
Fun and exciting
Pros: + Plenty of bass that is quite tight and well defined
+ Fun and exciting for casual listening
+ Spacious soundstage with good imaging
+ Recommended for gaming
+ Great overall clarity
+ Lightweight and comfortable
+ Good quality detachable cable
+ Seven pairs of eartips and HB1 carrying case
Cons: – Not the most detailed or resolving
– Upper – mids and treble emphasis
– Artificial timbre in the higher registers
– A touch too exciting
– Not recommended for critical listening
The review sample was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for my honest and subjective evaluation.
The JH3 is selling for $59.99 and if you are located in EU you can order it using the following (non affiliate) link FiiO.eu
Jade Audio
Jade Audio is a subsidiary brand of FiiO Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. It is a stylish, technological and youth-oriented brand aiming to provide high-quality yet cost-effective audio products with an excellent listening experience for the younger generation all around the world.
Regular readers should already be familiar with the brand as I have recently reviewed the Jade Audio JD3 an ultra budget single dynamic driver IEM and the Jade Audio/FiiO KA3, a USB DAC dongle with an entry level price and end game performance.
Jade Audio JH3
The JH3 is a triple – driver hybrid IEM consisting of one dynamic driver for the bass and two BA drivers for the mids and the treble.
The driver configuration is the same as with the more expensive FiiO FH3.
Borrowing technology from other FiiO products, the JH3 features a large 13.6mm bass dynamic driver that is the same size as that of a flagship dynamic driver IEM.
The newly designed magnetic structure allows the magnetic flux to increase by a significant 20% – resulting in lush, full mids and potently dynamic bass.
The JH3’s meticulously designed internal structure features 2 exclusively customized BA drivers. These BA drivers are placed closer to the opening of the sound tube for less treble loss.
Overall, thanks to its design, not only do the JH3’s 2 BA drivers sound transparent, they also work perfectly with the bass dynamic driver for a cohesive sound, without disjointed treble and mids.
The patented balanced pressure relief system has numerous benefits. For sound quality, balancing air pressure inside and outside of the JH3 reduces distortion and allows for clearer bass due to letting the driver move as necessary. For comfort, the balanced pressure relief system eliminates pressure on your eardrum, allowing you to listen longer without discomfort.
Build quality and design
According to Jade Audio the design of the JH3 is inspired by that of the silhouette of SCHOTTIS shutters when against the sun.
The aluminum alloy construction of the faceplate is carefully shaped with a 5-axis CNC machine, polished, and goes through many other manufacturing processes used on high-end products.
Each “stripe” of light and shadow is clearly showcased.
Finally, PVD coating is also applied to the surface of the JH3 for better rigidity of the IEMs, allowing that mirror-like finish and stripes to further shine and last longer against wear and tear.
The rest of the shell is made from plastic and the faceplate is securely attached to it.
The appearance is beautiful and elegant with a modern twist, the JH3 looks like a faux bijoux, the overall aesthetics and build quality are very good and certainly better than the selling price would suggest but the outer faceplate seems prone to scratching.
The JH3 is more beautiful looking than the FD1 and the FH1s.
Fit and isolation
The JH3 is lightweight (6g per piece) and quite compact, actually it is less bulky than the FiiO FD1 or the FH1s that share the same design language.
The shells are anatomically shaped with a semi – custom shape and the extended sound tube helps a lot with the fit which is very comfortable and strain free.
With the right tips you can get a snug and tight fit which offers good but not the best passive noise attenuation.
Cable and accessories
The JH3 comes with a high quality 2-pin detachable cable that is the same to be found in the more expensive FD1, FH1s and FD3.
It is a monocrystalline copper cable that contains 4 strands with a total of 120 wires, with each independently isolated to prevent interference. L-shaped connectors are used on the ear unit side to better fit the curvature of the human ear for better comfort and ultimately more enjoyment of your music.
The cable is soft to the touch, it doesn’t get tangled and has low microphonic noise.
The JH3 comes bundled with the HB1 waterproof case from FiiO (that is regularly included with all the entry level models) and a great selection of eartips including 3 pairs of balanced eartips, 3 pairs of bass eartips and one pair (M) of foam ear tips.
A pretty comprehensive set for a $59.99 IEM.
Listening impressions
Prior to listening tests the JH3 was left playing music for about 100 hours.
The JH3 is an easy load and you can use it with phones or low power USB DAC dongles like the ddHiFi TC35B and Periodic Audio Rhodium that I used together with the iBasso DC05 and FiiO KA3.
The overall sound signature is mostly balanced with unexpectedly good bass extension, fairly natural mid – range and a steady emphasis that starts from the upper mids and extends up to the brilliance range.
The tuning is not piercing bright nor fatiguing but you can’t fail noticing a kind of sharpness that leads to an artificial tone color in all fundamentals and overtones above a certain frequency point.
As an example, the harpsichord’s right hand manual sounds too metallic or violin’s upper register is reproduced lean and slightly out of tune while upper mid range voices and instruments get a touch of unnatural emphasis.
On the other hand such a kind of tuning helps a lot with clarity and detail retrieval, it adds sparkle, energy, more air and should be greatly appreciated with music genres like electronic or pop.
The mid – range is well defined with crystalline clarity, nice articulation and a mostly natural timbre sans the upper-mid emphasis.
Female voices sound slightly more present and forward but not that much as to become shouting or piercing.
Vocal intensity is good and the mid driver blends well with its bass and treble siblings in a cohesive sound experience.
The bass is punching above the price point as it gets deeply extended but with a natural overall tuning so it doesn’t get too prominent as to cloud the rest of the frequencies.
The texture is weighty but it still is tight, clear and layered although not the most refined or resolving.
Dynamic behavior is again surprisingly good for the category as the large driver is moving some extra air and adds great physical impact that will make EDM fans very happy.
The JH3 is also quite competent when it comes to soundstage with an airy – wide presentation and good imaging that helps a lot with overall positioning.
In the end
The JH3 is fun and exciting with plenty of bass kick, good clarity and not short of technicalities.
Then the accessories, the detachable cable, the comfortable fit, the looks and the modest price, make for a great earphone very suitable for your everyday casual listening and gaming.
Copyright – Petros Laskis 2022.