Pros: Handmade, Artsy, a great gift for creative types
Cons: Too much uncontrolled bass. Average sound quality.
Introduction
Handmade earphones are a unique and rare item in the audio industry, so I was happy to review the new Jelly Doux for Duong and Joinhandmade out of Vietnam.
About me
I’m a price/performance value shopper in everything I purchase. I spend an extensive amount of time researching purchases and always look for a good value.
I have also spent many years as an A/V and music enthusiast. I have owned some high end audio equipment, from amps, speakers, subs, to just about anything audio related you can think of. I eventually moved on into building my own DIY custom speakers, as I felt the value and performance of most commercial speakers were lacking. I found out through this process that you could create high end setups from equipment costing thousands less than most branded commercial setups.
Since I cannot play music at 100+db all day and night in an apartment complex, I started looking for similar values in the Headphone/Earphone/IEM world. In a Beats dominated world, I was very disappointed.
I then found out about some excellent headphones/IEMs at great prices being made by Asian companies that are not known of here in the US. It renewed my interest in headphones and became the basis of the Asian audio thread.
REVIEW
Specifications
8mm Dynamic Driver
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Sensitivity: 113db@1000Hz
Frequency Response: 18 – 21,000 Hz
Accessories
Package contents:
Silicon tips (3 Pairs)
Ceramic Case
Housing
The best quality of the Doux is the fact that it is handmade. Available in over 12 different colors and many variations, the Doux is a work of art… fashionable, and eye catching. A hand symbol adorns the right housing (clever). The housing goes through a 26 hour building process, creating individually unique units every time. Each Doux is technically “one of a kind”. Artistic and creative types may appreciate this quality of the Doux.
The housing itself is small and looks ceramic due to its highly polished sheen and glisten. Build quality is high, as the housing is very sturdy.
Cable
The Doux’s cable is thin and rope like, covered in fabric to help prevent tangling. It gets the job done, but it isn’t awe inspiring in its design.
Functionality
The fabric/acrylic pad which houses the 3 button controller is nice in design, but poor in practicality. There are no icons showing which button is which, leading to confusion at times. The Doux does work well as a quick “go-to” earphone while you’re on the go as its microphone worked pretty well off my smartphone.
Fit and Isolation
Due to its small size, the Doux fits perfectly in my ears. They stay firmly in place, and they feel comfortable doing so. They can be used actively without worry. The fit also allows excellent isolation and minimal cord microphonics.
Sound Review
Testing Gear (in order of quality)
LH Labs Pulse X Infinity 2.0
LH Labs Geek Out V2+ Infinity + Moto X Pure
Moto X Pure
MSI Gaming 7 amped onboard DAC
Testing Songs
Random Metal, Rock, EDM, Rap, Top 40, Hip Hop, Blues, and anything else that comes along. I focus on songs I know well to spot differences in frequency amongst a/b comparisons.
Amplifier Needed?
No. The Doux is easily driven and doesn’t benefit much from higher scaling equipment.
Sound Signature
V shaped. Lots of bass. Too much. The bass focuses so much on the midbass that it muddies up subbass and midrange frequencies more than it should, despite Joinhandmade’s claims that it does not. A treble boost adds clarity amongst this, while detail and resolution are comparable to other ~$35 sets. It is priced right for the performance.
Resolution
Average. Vocals and cymbals are clear and present, yet they are missing the layering and precision of more expensive equipment.
Bass
I’m an analytic basshead. I love big deep bass and got excited by the Doux’s deep, thunderous, fun midbass. I quickly realized that it overtook and bled far too much into other frequencies for my liking though. It provide more midrange than older Beats in-ears, but needs eartip swapping to tone the uncontrolled bass down. Go with short, wide bore opening tips for the best results.
Midrange
Surprising. Most V shaped, consumer tuned sets miss out on getting midrange right. The Doux does a very good job in keeping the mids at levels they are supposed to be at. This is the strongest asset of the Doux’s sound, and it bests many other similarly priced earphones in this area.
Treble
Treble extension is also very good, with obvious small peaks scattered across the frequency range. The treble isn’t too over-emphasized (which I like). A lot of companies do that to create a perceived clarity enhancement, but it actually hurts the overall sound, so I’m very glad Joinhandmade avoided that. The small increase complements the bass and pushes the vocal/cymbal ranges above the bass levels to allow them to be heard. In the process, it creates a bit of fatigue for long term or loud listening. I can’t see myself spending hours engaged in music because of it, but low volume commuting is a perfect scenario where it is beneficial.
Soundstage and Imaging
Good. Everything is balanced quite nicely, but separation is a bit hard to notice at times. Instruments can blend with each other due to the bass levels.
Comparisons
There is no comparison in build. The handmade unique nature makes it a collectable work of art. Sound wise, they are similar to many of the $20-35 sets on the market from bigger brand names such as Skullcandy.
Conclusion
If the Jelly Doux was available sooner, I would have bought several as gifts for friends and my Cousin’s daughters. I appreciate the painstaking process to make these little pieces of art, and I feel that they sound good enough that they warrant the price tag. The Doux is fun and exciting, both in looks and sound.
For future sets, I would like Joinhandmade to focus more on improving the sound quality with better internal drivers and tunings. Another audiophile tuned model in Joinhandmade’s lineup (with nice bass and a good price) would be a welcome edition for those of us who need that extra bit of precision to make us happy.
The Jelly Doux can be found via their Indiegogo campaign here, with retail versions hitting the market next month:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/jelly-doux-redefining-handcraft-earphones#/
https://www.joinhandmade.com/
Cons: Too much uncontrolled bass. Average sound quality.
Introduction
Handmade earphones are a unique and rare item in the audio industry, so I was happy to review the new Jelly Doux for Duong and Joinhandmade out of Vietnam.
About me
I’m a price/performance value shopper in everything I purchase. I spend an extensive amount of time researching purchases and always look for a good value.
I have also spent many years as an A/V and music enthusiast. I have owned some high end audio equipment, from amps, speakers, subs, to just about anything audio related you can think of. I eventually moved on into building my own DIY custom speakers, as I felt the value and performance of most commercial speakers were lacking. I found out through this process that you could create high end setups from equipment costing thousands less than most branded commercial setups.
Since I cannot play music at 100+db all day and night in an apartment complex, I started looking for similar values in the Headphone/Earphone/IEM world. In a Beats dominated world, I was very disappointed.
I then found out about some excellent headphones/IEMs at great prices being made by Asian companies that are not known of here in the US. It renewed my interest in headphones and became the basis of the Asian audio thread.
REVIEW
Specifications
8mm Dynamic Driver
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Sensitivity: 113db@1000Hz
Frequency Response: 18 – 21,000 Hz
Accessories
Package contents:
Silicon tips (3 Pairs)
Ceramic Case
Housing
The best quality of the Doux is the fact that it is handmade. Available in over 12 different colors and many variations, the Doux is a work of art… fashionable, and eye catching. A hand symbol adorns the right housing (clever). The housing goes through a 26 hour building process, creating individually unique units every time. Each Doux is technically “one of a kind”. Artistic and creative types may appreciate this quality of the Doux.
The housing itself is small and looks ceramic due to its highly polished sheen and glisten. Build quality is high, as the housing is very sturdy.
Cable
The Doux’s cable is thin and rope like, covered in fabric to help prevent tangling. It gets the job done, but it isn’t awe inspiring in its design.
Functionality
The fabric/acrylic pad which houses the 3 button controller is nice in design, but poor in practicality. There are no icons showing which button is which, leading to confusion at times. The Doux does work well as a quick “go-to” earphone while you’re on the go as its microphone worked pretty well off my smartphone.
Fit and Isolation
Due to its small size, the Doux fits perfectly in my ears. They stay firmly in place, and they feel comfortable doing so. They can be used actively without worry. The fit also allows excellent isolation and minimal cord microphonics.
Sound Review
Testing Gear (in order of quality)
LH Labs Pulse X Infinity 2.0
LH Labs Geek Out V2+ Infinity + Moto X Pure
Moto X Pure
MSI Gaming 7 amped onboard DAC
Testing Songs
Random Metal, Rock, EDM, Rap, Top 40, Hip Hop, Blues, and anything else that comes along. I focus on songs I know well to spot differences in frequency amongst a/b comparisons.
Amplifier Needed?
No. The Doux is easily driven and doesn’t benefit much from higher scaling equipment.
Sound Signature
V shaped. Lots of bass. Too much. The bass focuses so much on the midbass that it muddies up subbass and midrange frequencies more than it should, despite Joinhandmade’s claims that it does not. A treble boost adds clarity amongst this, while detail and resolution are comparable to other ~$35 sets. It is priced right for the performance.
Resolution
Average. Vocals and cymbals are clear and present, yet they are missing the layering and precision of more expensive equipment.
Bass
I’m an analytic basshead. I love big deep bass and got excited by the Doux’s deep, thunderous, fun midbass. I quickly realized that it overtook and bled far too much into other frequencies for my liking though. It provide more midrange than older Beats in-ears, but needs eartip swapping to tone the uncontrolled bass down. Go with short, wide bore opening tips for the best results.
Midrange
Surprising. Most V shaped, consumer tuned sets miss out on getting midrange right. The Doux does a very good job in keeping the mids at levels they are supposed to be at. This is the strongest asset of the Doux’s sound, and it bests many other similarly priced earphones in this area.
Treble
Treble extension is also very good, with obvious small peaks scattered across the frequency range. The treble isn’t too over-emphasized (which I like). A lot of companies do that to create a perceived clarity enhancement, but it actually hurts the overall sound, so I’m very glad Joinhandmade avoided that. The small increase complements the bass and pushes the vocal/cymbal ranges above the bass levels to allow them to be heard. In the process, it creates a bit of fatigue for long term or loud listening. I can’t see myself spending hours engaged in music because of it, but low volume commuting is a perfect scenario where it is beneficial.
Soundstage and Imaging
Good. Everything is balanced quite nicely, but separation is a bit hard to notice at times. Instruments can blend with each other due to the bass levels.
Comparisons
There is no comparison in build. The handmade unique nature makes it a collectable work of art. Sound wise, they are similar to many of the $20-35 sets on the market from bigger brand names such as Skullcandy.
Conclusion
If the Jelly Doux was available sooner, I would have bought several as gifts for friends and my Cousin’s daughters. I appreciate the painstaking process to make these little pieces of art, and I feel that they sound good enough that they warrant the price tag. The Doux is fun and exciting, both in looks and sound.
For future sets, I would like Joinhandmade to focus more on improving the sound quality with better internal drivers and tunings. Another audiophile tuned model in Joinhandmade’s lineup (with nice bass and a good price) would be a welcome edition for those of us who need that extra bit of precision to make us happy.
The Jelly Doux can be found via their Indiegogo campaign here, with retail versions hitting the market next month:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/jelly-doux-redefining-handcraft-earphones#/
https://www.joinhandmade.com/