FiiO Jade JT1 Closed Dynamic Over-Ear Headphones and JDS Objective2 Headphone Amplifier – Careful With That Axe, Eugene

Seduced by the convenience (though not the fidelity) of TWS, I haven’t done much listening of late to traditional wired over-ears. However an affluent audio pal has been raving about the $69 wunderkind JT1, so I had him over for a few Manhattans and a listen.

Aesthetically, nothing about the JT1 suggests its bottom-shelf status—while nowhere near as elegant looking as (pricier) Sivga or Meze, the aluminum and plastic JT1 seems durable and well-engineered. The JT1 are not featherweight, but the rubber headband and esp. thick, cushy earpads provide for really exceptional comfort and fit. They might be the most comfortable over-ears I’ve had on my dome. These were easy to drive with just a dongle but sounded much fuller with a more powerful  amp–we used the very cheap JDS-02 (see below).

The JT1 have a warm, analog quality which evoke listening to cassettes or vinyl. Note texture is very thick and low end is massive in quantity, if not in depth—most would describe these as basshead. Said low end is loose and attack and delay are kinda slow, but it mostly avoids smearing or bleed into the midrange; there seems to a dropoff somewhere in the lower mid region which preserves clarity. Mids are also forward and full-sounding, and high end is smooth and somewhat rounded off—it lacks some sparkle and ultimate extension but also has no harshness. Drums are surprisingly well-reproduced—natural and clean. 

I hear the soundstage on these as limited in width, but quite deep and tall; there’s good separation between instruments even if that billowy bass seems overbaked at times. Dynamics aren’t exactly nuanced on the JT-1—they tend to present a solid wall of sound without a lot of contrast between loud and quiet parts.

Their blunt, somewhat unrefined tonality becomes apparent when you compare these with pricier, more audiophile-tuned models. My Sennheiser Momentum 2 (nominally $300) has much faster, better-etched bass and better-resolved high end, while the Sony MDR-1A likewise has tighter (and deeper) low end and more overall detail. However, the JT1 has a more immersive quality than either—your ears get drawn to the whole performance, whereas the Sennheiser and Sony sound a bit analytical in comparison.

Something like the ($125) Grado SR80 presents a lot more treble shimmer and detail and image much more accurately, but likewise have less bass power and drive; I’d choose the Fiio in a heartbeat. The $200ish Beyerdynamic DT 880 are “technically” far superior, with much more high end extension, faster transients and much less tonal coloration. The JT1, however, are the more fun (and arguably more engaging, at least for heavy fare)—they make the 880 sound a bit lean and bass-shy.

The JT1 is one of those phones whose likeability transcends its measurables—in spite of (or perhaps because of) its sonic flaws—the billowy bass and somewhat rolled-off highs—this thing is a blast. Especially considering how nicely it swaddles your ears, at $69 it’s an absolute no-brainer. The homely, $139 JDS-02 headphone amp was also something of a revelation. It is as transparent and revealing a piece as you’ll hear.

Completely black background; totally hiss and distortion free—the 02 adds absolutely no coloration to the proceedings and neither enhances nor attenuates any of the frequencies. Because unlike, say, the SMSL SH-9 there’s no sweetening or fattening of the sound, I could see where the 02 might get fatiguing on lower-quality recordings (The Police’s Outlandos sounded compressed and Dylan’s Highway 61 was almost unlistenable).

Some wags also opine that the 02 lacks bass impact and presence (again, a function of its complete neutrality) but likewise it adds no bloat or low-end bias. The onboard USB DAC wasn’t SOTA, but a notable improvement over the stock sound card on my Dell PC—clearer and rangier. Its giveaway price notwithstanding, this is as quiet an amp as you’ll find and an excellent pickup.

(Note 1: this 02 appears to be discontinued and replaced by the (DAC-less) $129 Atom 2, which gets gushing praise on the techy blogs. Note 2:  contrary to my ignorant assumption, JDS isn’t yet another Shenzen-based purveyor, but actually makes its stuff in my once-proud State of Illinois. Go team!).  

Specifications FiiO Jade JT1

Specifications JDS Objective2 Headphone Amplifier

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