Jialai Carat

Minimalists say less is more... so will spending less on earphones make us happier?

But price isn't the only factor.

More IEM drivers = better, right? Minimalists disagree, yet hybrids have become the norm.

I bring this up because I was sent a pair of JIALAI Carats in exchange for my thoughts, which as $66 single-DDs are minimal in both ways.

My single-DD IEM addiction is long behind me so it's been ages since I tried one, and visually the Carats are an instant reminder of my old A8000s.

Many of my audio friends insist on keeping at least one single-DD earphone in their collection at all times, such is their unique allure.

So how much can we expect from a single driver under a hundred bucks?

Packaging​

The USD $66 JIALAI Carats arrive in a very small, shiny cardboard box that looks quite flashy.

Inside are the earphones, a small PU carry case that's decently sized for a pocket, a user manual, three sets of silicone eartips in 3 sizes, and the stock cable.

Unfortunately the black OFC stock cable is quite basic, and available only with a 3.5mm plug. That's reasonable considering the Carat's modest price, but I still prefer seeing 4.4mm options made available.

Ergonomics​

The Carats' aluminium alloy shells are fully vented, and finished so beautifully as to give no indication of their modest price. They really do look premium.

By contrast the nozzles are fairly matte and look a little out of place, they're also quite short which may make obtaining a tight seal more difficult.

As for the fit, that's a very personal thing so I can only tell you how they work for me - splendidly. They're incredibly light & tiny, and the nozzles are just long enough to avoid being an issue.

I find the Carats' exceptionally comfortable even for long listening sessions, though they scratch easily.

Sound Impressions​

The Carats use a single 10mm Titanium Plated DLC DD to produce a somewhat v-shaped sound with tremendous cohesion, a commendably open soundstage & punchy bass.



Bass

Bass is probably the Carat's most impressive aspect. Not only is it capably tight, but also goes quite deep with a feeling of weight behind it. Even bass texture is satisfying, avoiding being pillowy or insubstantial.

Yet JIALAI have decided to keep bass in check to avoid it overshadowing the midrange. There's a nice balance here of enough bass to make things feel punchy, without deviating too far from neutrality.

Bass has a nice balance between sub bass and midbass, probably leaning towards midbass. Bassheads may be left wanting for quantity however.





Midrange

The problem with single-driver IEMs (regardless of cost) is a lone DD cannot cover the entire frequency range as competently as multi-driver hybrids. Every single-DD IEM I've heard has "gaps" in the FR where you can feel instruments aren't being reproduced with same presence & fullness.

The Carats are no exception, and it's the midrange that I notice this most. There's a sense of thinness & lack of body here that's easier to overlook on some tracks than others.

In return for the single-driver tradeoff is superb cohesion no hybrid IEM can match. There's something special about single-DDs - they don't effortlessly reveal every minute nuance like hybrids, but that cohesion lets my brain to relax as if less work is required to process what I'm hearing.

Treble

The Carats are fairly bright, right up until the upper treble where they tend to roll off quite a bit.

That brightness helps compensate for one inherent shortcoming of single-DD configurations which is poor technical performance, which boosting treble generally helps improve.

I wouldn't say treble is dramatically high quality, but there's no piercing upper treble which is nice.

Technical Performance​

The Carats' single-DD is very responsive by budget standards. It won't keep instruments separated during busy passages quite as well as hybrids of similar value, but gets much closer than most single-DDs I've tried regardless of budget!

Soundstage dimensions are another area low cost single-DDs often struggle, but not here - the Carats boast a surprisingly wide stage, and even depth is quite good with impressive three-dimensionality.

Imaging is also very decent, probably helped by that boosted lower treble. Resolution is mediocre, but with only one driver that's to be expected.

Dynamics are average, and I find instruments can sound smaller through the Carats than many hybrids.

IEM Comparisons​

I compared the Carats to other IEMs with a Luxury & Precision P6 Pro set to hi-gain at 6/60 volume.



NiceHCK DB2 – 1xBA 1xDD (USD $22)



The DB2 is much thicker through the midrange but can also be shouty with much more forward vocals.

It sounds less coherent & occasionally congested with a DD that has more trouble keeping up with the music, slower bass decay though bass leans towards midbass & doesn't go as deep as the Carats.

The DB2s are a bit more dynamic with slightly higher resolution, but the Carats are smoother & more relaxed with a blacker background.



BLON BL-03 1xDD (USD $26)



A blast from the past, the BL-03's are a budget classic. They're more transparent & dynamic than the Carats with instruments that sound larger and a wider soundstage, but their DD is quite slow so bass decay is longer but they struggle to keep pace with fast music.

The BL-03s have a fun, exaggerated tuning with a midrange that can sound a little hollow at times, and they can come across as sloppy on faster tracks but the tuning remains a hugely enjoyable one.

However the Carats are much more refined with a blacker background, tighter bass, slightly higher resolution and they sound more neutral, reflective of more recent improvements in DD driver technology.



ISN Neo1 – 1xDD (USD $39)



The Neo1s are significantly more neutral & transparent, and much more midrange centric with vocals that are more forward, wetter & articulate.

They're also brighter with a slightly thinner tonality and also less coherent, and I find their bass decay is faster without the same quantity or bass impact of the Carats.

Treble's higher quality on the Neo1s as is overall resolution with a blacker background & better dynamics.



Tanchjim Oxygen – 1xDD (USD $230)



Mine are the original version of the Oxygens which have had the grilles removed, and they're certainly more refined than the Carats.

The Oxygens are more polite but not as dynamic, with higher resolution, blacker background and a wider but flatter stage. Bass doesn't go as deep & bass texture isn't as satisfying, and the drivers feel slower than those of the Carats which is quite a surprise.

The Harman tuning of the Oxygens feels tonally unnatural and the soundstage sounds like it's being artificially stretched, whereas the Carats are more V-shaped & bassier.

Cable Comparisons​

I tested the Carats with a number of aftermarket cables to gauge how effectively they scale.



NiceHCK Blacksoul (USD $50)



BlackSoul improves dynamics slightly though soundstage dimensions don't change greatly - perhaps there's a tiny bit more depth.

The tonality is a bit smoother and vocals feel a tiny bit more forward and slightly more resolving, but overall this is a fairly underwhelming pairing.



Penon Vocal (USD $69)



The soundstage feels a little wider and as usual Vocal adds greater emphasis to the midrange which feels a bit more resolving.

There's a slightly treble roll off leading to a warmer tonality than the stock cable, but overall I'm not noticing massive differences.



NiceHCK FirstTouch (USD $89)



Dynamics improve quite markedly, the soundstage is a little wider & deeper, and even imaging improves with a blacker background.

The Carats gain a slightly darker but very enjoyable tonality which sounds significantly more refined in this great pairing.



Effect Audio Ares S 4 Wire (USD $179)



The soundstage feels more spacious with depth in particular improving, and dynamics are also better, there's also a little more midbass present.

Tonality becomes smoother with more lower midrange warmth yet treble doesn't seem rolled off, this is a good pairing but I'm not sure it fully justifies the cable's cost.



Overall Cable Thoughts

As is often the case, single-DD IEMs don't seem to scale nearly as much with cable upgrades compared to hybrids utilising crossover components that also benefit, and the Carats are no exception

So I wouldn't necessarily recommend spending a fortune on an upgrade to the Carats' stock cable, rather to improve performance you'd be much better off purchasing a portable amplifier instead - single-DDs invariably benefit much more from higher quality amplification in my experience.

Conclusion​

The JIALAI Carats are a reminder of just how far the portable audio industry has come in recent years.

To be able to purchase a dynamic driver IEM able to keep up with fast music so effortlessly for just $66, with shells that will fool anyone into thinking they're premium no less... I think is quite insane.

Every year it gets harder & harder to convince others that spending big bucks on earphones is justified, and when quality like this can be had for so little I almost want to give up trying.

The Carats are far from perfect of course. I love how tiny they are but some ears will fit larger IEMs fit better, their treble quality is fairly mediocre and it's hard getting great technical performance out of a single driver, which isn't what the Carats are all about anyway.

For a measly $66 they've reminded me why I used to be so addicted to single-driver earphones, there's something magical about their cohesiveness that just makes it easier to listen & listen.

I would like to thank the NiceHCK for providing this review unit to Audio reviews Downunder, the Australian tour group.
NiceHCK JIALAI Carat uses a 10mm DLC Titanium-Coated Diaphragm. It is supplied with a practical leather case and has a 32 Ohm impedance.

Fit and comfort

The Carat is a fairly small IEM and as such is a comfortable fit. Experimentation with other tips to get a good seal is vital to extract the pull bass levels the IEM is capable of. The nozzle is moderately short and I actually had to use a medium tip to get the proper insertion.


Testing equipment.

I used my Hiby R3 2022 Sabre DAP both with the balanced outputs on high gain and also with two DACs, a JCally JM10 and Hidizs S9 pro Martha. I also used the DACs with my pixel phone in all cases with stored lossless music files.

Source and tip dependent. Wide bore tips are no no. Bass tips with a strong deep bore work best. I used Penon liquor black tips. The Hiby S9 pro DAC gave a clean sound but without a lot of body. Reverting to my Hiby R3 Saber with high gain and 46 volume level gave a better balanced sound with correct weight in the lower registers.


Distinctly V shaped, the Jialai Carat had a boosted sub bass and an elevated treble.
Tuning is unique. Very vocal centric. Male and female vocals are front and center with natural timbre. Space and air around the vocalist allow the lyrics to live in the air with the rest of the instruments placed around and across the space in a very realistic way. The soundstage is not expansive, but the airy tuning gives the impression of a spacious setting. There is no congestion or muddiness with this IEM. Just dynamic and vigorous sound that is quite unlike most earphones you will have heard.



Perhaps the best way to describe this Carat is to describe some songs I used to audition it. You can follow the links so you can hear what I’m about.

Psycho by Amy Shark.

Great snare. Tambourine in drum kit clear and clean. Bold bass line, strong sub bass. Breathy Amy vocal until she belts it out at the end of the song. Hiby R3. Pixel phone with JCally JM10. DAC is neutral and pretty powerful. Big bass boost. Tom drums punchier and more impactful. Less airy vocal, fuller, and more forceful. Treble is a little hotter with the JCally, balanced to some extent by the bass boost. A different sound balance to the Hiby R3 DAP. This IEM is quite source dependent.

Literally every track you listen to will sound different to any other IEM . Some Iron Maiden rocks pretty darn hard. Guitars cut thru cleanly and the bass guitar and drums go hard and yet the sound balance is clean and sharp and spatially large.

Aching to be by The Replacements

Sounds smooth, with Paul Westerberg's vocals well placed center stage with good timbre and the rest of the band surrounding him. Tamborine to the right, harmonica to the left, drum kit behind. Easy to locate everything.

Finally Beautiful Stranger by Halsey

Her husky voice with a clear and vibrant acoustic guitar as backing. When the full instrumentation kicks in there is a nice deep sub bass underpinning the song. Trebles are detailed, snares crisp without being overdone.

Cream by Prince.

The first thing is a forceful snare with reverb sounding great followed the slinky low bass line and Princes distinctive guitar flair. Again, great sense of air and space in this song and nice left to right panning across the soundstage.

Dreamer. By Supertramp

One of the best audiophile pop recordings gives a great range of macro and micro details again in a wide soundstage. Very enjoyable.

Some smooth EDM with Rufus du Sol in the track Alive https://tinyurl.com/3sp7u9zf

This track pumps strongly and engagingly with satisfying deep bass counterpointed with a sea of high frequencies that never get sibilant.


Summary


Refreshing different, the Carat stands out from a sea of single DD IEMS that are tuned similarly tuned. You need to be a bit of a treble head because Carat has great clarity and good details, but the boisterous top end coupled with a good bass and sub bass makes for a different listening experience. I found I needed to experiment with tips and sources to find the sweet spot (as detailed above) but when I did, I enjoyed listening to the Jialai Carat. Similarly, you might find it works better with some genres compared to others. Horses for courses, as they say. Take the Carat challenge and Vive la difference!

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank the NiceHCK for providing this review unit.

The Jialai Carat can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006660245454.html (no affiliate links).




SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 10 mm titanium-plated DLC dynamic driver
• Frequency response: 10 Hz - 28 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW
• Cable: 2-pin, 0.78 mm; OFC cable
• Tested at: $69 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM, these are included:

- 3 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L/)
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of balanced silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- Cable
- Carrying case

Other than the lack of foam tips, the provisions are very generous for a sub-$100 USD IEM. I've definitely seen pricier sets with stingier accessories.




We have 3 variations of silicone tips. The wide-bore ones boost treble and soundstage, whereas the narrow-bore ones do the opposite in increasing bass but compressing staging. The balanced ones are a midpoint between these 2 in terms of sonics.




The OFC 2-pin cable is braided decently, but has microphonics and is a bit tangly. There is a chin cinch for added grip. Not the best stock cable, but serviceable in a way.




Lastly, we have a leatherette semi-rigid case. This has a magnetic clasp, and is lined internally with velvet to cushion the contents.

The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock balanced silicone tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.


BUILD/COMFORT



Like its namesake, the Carat is gleaming and alluring, with a polished mirror-like finish. The shells are fashioned from aluminum alloy via 5-axis CNC machining, with solid build. These enchanting housings are however scratch and fingerprint magnets, so on a practical basis, it might behoof the user to baby this IEM during usage.



Comfort and ergonomics are good. The shells are light, with no awkward protrusions on the inner aspects to poke the ears. It can be used for marathon listening sessions without discomfort.

Isolation is average in view of the vented acoustics. I did not encounter any driver flex on my pair.




INTERNALS

The Carat's engine is a 10 mm titanium-plated DLC dynamic driver.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the Carat with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA11 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

This IEM is easily driven, and amplification is not 100% necessary.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

Graph of the Jialai Carat via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

Tonally, the Carat sports a bright V-shaped tuning, with an emphasis at the top-end.

The Carat has a sub-bass preponderance, with decent rumble at the low-end. It doesn't exactly hit basshead levels, but is definitely north of neutral. Mid-bass is thumpy, with above average texturing and speed. Mid-bass bleed is thankfully mild.

As per the V-shaped profile, the lower midrange is recessed, and can come across as thin. Hitting nearly 9 dB in the ear gain region, the upper mids are forwards with some nasalness and shoutiness noted, especially at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve).

Continuing on from the upper mids, the lower treble peaks at around the 5 - 6 kHz regions. This provides lots of clarity, but there is some sibilance and fatigue, especially if one is treble-sensitive. Trebleheads will certainly like the tuning choices though, so there are pros and cons here.

In terms of timbre, while acoustic instruments sound quite accurately portrayed, the aforementioned thin note weight does bestow sterileness to the soundscape and nasalness to vocals.

I would grade the Carat as having above average technicalities. Soundstage is not compressed but not classleading either, going to just beyond the ears. Imaging while not exactly dead pinpoint, is still fairly well-localized. Clarity is emphasized by the feisty upper end, and instrument separation is acceptable. Micro-detailing is solid for a sub-$100 single DD.


COMPARISONS

The Carat will be compared against some other budget single DDs. Hybrids, pure BAs and planars are left out of the comparisons, as the different transducer types will have their own inherent pros and cons.


Simgot EA500LM


Graphs of the EA500LM via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

The EA500LM has 3 tuning nozzles to vary the sonics and provide more versatility, though all tunings still lie towards a brighter Harmanish tone.

The EA500LM has a thicker note weight, with a slightly more organic timbre. In technical chops, the EA500LM has a better soundstage, with more precise imaging, though micro-detailing and clarity goes to the Carat.


Kefine Delci

Graph of the Delci via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

The Delci has less treble and upper mids, thus bestowing a more relaxing upper end, with less fatigue and sibilance heard.

The Delci has a more natural timbre with a thicker note weight. In technicalities, the Delci trumps the Carat in soundstage, though the Delci has weaker micro-detailing. Imaging is about on par, though the Carat has sharper edge definition to notes.


CONCLUSIONS



In a sea of weekly single DD releases, we hear a clean and bright tone in the Carat, coupled with decent technical chops and a good sprinkling of micro-detailing and clarity. Accessories are second to none at this price range, with beautiful mirror-like shells, comfortable fit and easy drivability. While the charming mirror-like shells are a looker, on a practical basis, the housings may easily get scratched or smudged.

Sound-wise, there are some tonal flaws - an overly thin lower midrange culminates in an exuberant bloom in the upper end - resulting in a sterile soundscape that is entwined with some fatigue in the upper mids and lower treble. Vocals can come across as nasal and the Carat is thus not one for the treble-sensitive. However, on the converse, trebleheads might be very at home with the tonality.

All things considered, the Carat is a diamond in the rough. This unearthed gem lies in the realm of average - it isn't an extraordinary jewel but isn't a bad set by any means. However, the competition in budget CHIFI-land is so cut-throat nowadays, that even average may sadly not be enough: next week promises a new shiny hypetrain to grab the attention of consumers! Nevertheless, for a pioneer release from the brand, the Jialai Carat is okay, and would be a potential bridgehead for further (hopefully) more refined and polished gems down the line.