Special thanks to the owner of the Perth branch of Addicted To Audio, Dan, for allowing us to audition and take photos of JH Audio's JIMI in their beautiful showroom. We appreciate the staff's kindness in assisting us.
Overview
JIMI is JH Audio's latest addition to their expansive line-up of IEMs. The UIEM demo housing takes on the same form factor as JH Audio's AION series but the JIMI is currently only available as a CIEM.
I auditioned the JIMI with my Sony ZX300 for an hour and a half with the Variable Bass Attenuator set at neutral (the "middle" setting). Brief comments on adjustments to the Variable Bass Attenuator can be found towards the end of this post. Each【X】denotes a reference for some test tracks used to come to this conclusion.
Sound Impressions
The JIMI is a technically competent IEM which steals the show with an intimate lower mid forward sound. It has an excellent resolving ability throughout the frequency spectrum - in both its mellow midrange and even the treble, despite the highs being softer than the mids (explained below).
Armed with its well extended sub-bass, the JIMI's dual low BAs impressed me with a hint of tactility【1】. This leads into a well controlled mid-bass with bass-heavy beats characterised by their deeper sub-bass thump【2】.
The lack of bass bloat allows the JIMI to colour its midrange solely with its concentration of energy up to approximately 1kHz of the lower midrange. To me, this was the main wow-factor of the JIMI's tonal quality - thick and weighty without excessive "mud".
This increases the prominence of drums in the mix. When combined with the absence of low-end boominess, the JIMI lends tom-toms and snare drums a satisfying snappy quality to their timbre【3】.
I was also charmed by how the JIMI refrains from midrange honkiness given its tuning direction. Be it musicals or indie pop, male and female vocals bellow with grandeur【4】, and alternative metal screams are rightfully guttural【5】. These vocals are presented intimately and don't sound veiled.
In spite of its reserved upper midrange response past approximately 1kHz, the JIMI manages to capture the excitement of fast-paced Western and Japanese Rock【6】. I suspect that this is also because the JIMI steers clear from sounding overly dark with some sparkle from approximately 6kHz to 9kHz.
Positioned just behind the lower mids (which take centre-stage), the highs are certainly not blanketed and instead offer a tight and articulate playback of cymbals and hi-hats【7】. There is a notable absence of airiness in the mix, possibly due to a roll-off post 9kHz.
What amazed me with the JIMI's headstage was its excellent layering on the Z-axis, setting the stage to be much deeper than it is wide. This signature doesn't give the impression of lightning fast attack transients but when integrated with its superb separation and layering, the JIMI sounds almost effortless; it simply refuses to become a syrupy mess of congestion with this tuning.
Variable Bass Attenuator
I will now briefly discuss the impact of adjustments to the Variable Bass Attenuator on the sonic qualities of the JIMI. Midrange and treble tonal quality are unaffected by any adjustments to the module.
Minimum bass: The bass gets very tame and the JIMI begins to sound quite dry as a whole.
Maximum bass: Brings the sub-bass up more so than the mid-bass. The bass begins to sound boomy but it does not overcook the sound, and I can see myself enjoying this setting as a guilty pleasure from time to time. My favourite setting is with the bass set at neutral.
Conclusion
I was wholly impressed with JH Audio's JIMI. JH Audio's different approach to today's market saturated by Harman-tuned IEMs (and their variations) is refreshing. Call it a honeymoon phase with my 1.5h of auditioning but the JIMI is by far my ideal signature for a non-fatiguing yet highly resolving listen across the board.
However, I have to add that its unique midrange tonal quality outlined above may not sit well with everyone and their music library. In my opinion, it performs better with rock, metal, acoustic and ballads, rather than orchestral tracks and live performances. The JIMI is certainly one of those IEMs that should not be purchased blind.
Having zero experience with JH Audio's IEMs prior to writing reviews and impressions, I was pleasantly surprised with their house sound. I'm looking forward to auditioning and writing more impressions of their line-up in the near future!
I hope you've enjoyed my short impressions of the JIMI! Join the discussion on Reddit and stay up to date with our latest reviews and impressions on Facebook and Instagram :)
Test tracks for reference: Artiste 1 – Song 1, Song 2. Artiste 2 – Song 1…
Falling in Reverse - Popular Monster, Drugs. Joe Hisaishi - My Neighbour Totoro (Dream Songs).
The 1975 - Sincerity Is Scary, If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know). Billie Eilish - bury a friend, everything i wanted.
MY FIRST STORY - "Boom", King and Ashley, Home. Falling In Reverse - Hanging On.
Of Monsters And Men - Wild Roses, Stuck In Gravity. Andrew Lloyd Weber - 'Til I Hear You Sing, Music Of The Night, Memory.
Bring Me The Horizon - Sleepwalking, Shadow Moses. Crystal Lake - Apollo. Coldrain - SPEAK.
The Winking Owl - Try, NEW. Dayseeker - Burial Plot, Sleeptalk
ONE OK ROCK - Cry Out, Taking Off. Royal Blood - Out Of The Black, Figure It Out.