Shure 846 vs. JH Roxanne's

[mjoleksy]

Hi, I'm in exactly the same spot.  I have the 846's and plan on buying the Roxanne II's.  I am very excited!  I want the ultimate too.

 

[Vaanres]

And please review them here, thank u so much

 

[svk7]

Any more opinions on SE846s vs Roxanne's vs Layla's? I'm trying to decide between the latter two (have the Shure's). Thanks!

 

[CyborgJT]

I have both the SE846 (black filters) and Roxanne (in custom). Unfortunately, I only had the Roxanne for 2 weeks (70-80 hours of usage) as my variable bass wasn't working on the left side so I had to send it back...hopefully it will be back in the next couple of weeks. 
 
In my opinion, the Roxanne sound more open and distant compared to the SE846. The sound presentation of the SE846 is more intimate. The Roxanne hands down has better sound separation. As I only had them for two weeks, I do not really remember how the highs compared with the SE846. For me the mids and lows between the two although different, both sound great. I would say the sub-bass in the SE846 sounds better than the Roxanne (at least when the variable bass is turn down). While the left variable bass did not work for my Roxanne, I did use the variable bass to see what it would sound like. When I turned the variable bass to max on the right side, the overall texture and detail of the bass response from the Roxanne was clearly more superior to the SE846. The extension of the bass was also more deep and the mid-bass also hits a lot harder compared to the SE846 . 
 
It should be said that it took me awhile to appreciate the Roxanne as I wasn't really blown away when I first listened them. It could be because that I am used to the Shure sound signature (my first pair was the SE530 back in 2008). Over time, the Roxanne sounded better and better. Both are great sounding and I would recommend both, but the step up isn't all that much in my opinion from SE846 from what I remember. Over the two weeks, if I wanted a more intimate sound, I went with SE846 and if I wanted a more open sound I went with the Roxanne.

 

[svk7]

Well guys, my 13v2's and Roxanne's came in last Thursday. Have been trying to give them both a lot of listening time before posting any real review, comparison, or anything. Here's a teaser:
 

 

 

[svk7]

As I've mentioned before, I spoke personally with Steve Guttenberg (who writes The Audiophiliac and for CNET) about his experience with both the 846 and the Roxanne. He told me he preferred the 846 over the Roxanne.

Several people have gotten mad about this and made various ad hominem attacks over it. I am simply accurately conveying what a very well respected member of the audiophile community told me of his experience. That's all.

Because I've read this comment over 10 times while coming back to this thread, I wanted to qualify what Kunlun wrote because although maybe Steve told him the SE846 is more "fun" to listen to and, hence, "prefers" it, per his review on CNET of the Roxannes after spending some time with them (https://www.cnet.com/news/hear-it-all-jh-audio-roxanne-in-ear-headphones/), Steve writes:

"Comparing the Shure SE846 in-ears with the Roxanne didn't take much time. The SE846 is awfully good, and its bass oomph was terrific, but the Roxanne delved deeper into Bjork's new "Vulnicura" album, which I have as a high-resolution 96/24 file. There was more space around Bjork's vocals, and the strings sounded more present on the Roxanne; the SE846 put more distance between my ears and the music."

That suggests he thinks Roxanne's do a better job recreating the music the artist intended for you to hear, but who am I to say when I haven't spoken to him personally

 

[Kunlun]

Enjoy your ciems. I would say for top choices, both the roxanne and 846 have been long since superseded by other iems. Look around HF and see.

 

[svk7]

I've had both. As for being superseded by other IEMs, firstly which did you have in mind (and don't say Noble K10 or (Encore) bc I've heard mixed reviews as far as being too bland, etc), and secondly at this point it pretty much comes down to the subjectiveness of the sound signature you prefer.

 

[truckdriver]

Enjoy your ciems. I would say for top choices, both the roxanne and 846 have been long since superseded by other iems. Look around HF and see.

I've had both. As for being superseded by other IEMs, firstly which did you have in mind (and don't say Noble K10 or (Encore) bc I've heard mixed reviews as far as being too bland, etc), and secondly at this point it pretty much comes down to the subjectiveness of the sound signature you prefer.

I have had both the 846 and the Roxanne II. I wish I knew of an IEM that truly superseded them. I would pay good money for better. I, however, am not interested in the flavor of the month. I would like something even warmer in the mids than the Roxanne with even better separation with deep sub-bass like the 846. Superseding would mean even more 3D-like with a larger more realistic imaging and larger more realistic soundstage. Point me to that IEM. Oh, and I need superior isolation.

 

[Kunlun]

I've had both. As for being superseded by other IEMs, firstly which did you have in mind (and don't say Noble K10 or (Encore) bc I've heard mixed reviews as far as being too bland, etc), and secondly at this point it pretty much comes down to the subjectiveness of the sound signature you prefer.

Well, certainly, taste is key and if an iem is perfect for you then who cares what anyone on the internet says, just enjoy. 
 
That said, the Roxanne is a bit veiled and...well, the existence of the Layla as a sudden flagship quickly taking over from the Roxanne kinda showed JH himself didn't consider the Roxanne tops. Sure, they aren't the same tuning, already answered that, but the roxanne is not equal in technicalities. Another great answer to being superseded would be the Andromeda, which is lots clearer than the Roxanne. If you want a bassy signature, the Vega is more impressive than the Roxanne, I'd say, not to mention the Jupiter, which is really Campfire's take on the Roxanne's tuning with better clarity. The Noble Katana (gotcha there!) is also clearer than the Roxanne with a different tuning. Those are just some I've heard recently, not a limited list of iems better than the Roxanne.
 
Not putting the Roxanne down, but you were responding to a conversation that's old, so it seems useful to update it.

 

[svk7]

I have had both the 846 and the Roxanne II. I wish I knew of an IEM that truly superseded them. I would pay good money for better. I, however, am not interested in the flavor of the month. I would like something even warmer in the mids than the Roxanne with even better separation with deep sub-bass like the 846. Superseding would mean even more 3D-like with a larger more realistic imaging and larger more realistic soundstage. Point me to that IEM. Oh, and I need superior isolation.

lol. You're not suggesting the SE846's have better separation than the Roxanne's, are you? Idk how your universal fit sound, but my custom Roxanne's have 2x more instrument separation, offer 2-3x more isolation, sound 3x bigger, and (after passing the 100 hour mark of listening to them) more transparency in all frequency ranges minus the sub-bass, the latter in which I don't think anything beats the SE846 other than the KSE1500. I think something that is highly overlooked with the Roxanne is the amount of time needed to listen with them before - whatever you want to call it - physical/brain burn in. Because let me tell you at first even as a basshead I was extremely disappointed - muddy low and midrange, not super extended highs, and just overall meh performance. As I kept listening to them, everything resolved itself on its own and superceded my expectations for all their hype. It took a few weeks of listening to them and letting them open up, and God damn did they do just that.

As far as the SE846's amazing sub-bass goes: I think the low-pass filter has got a lot to do with it, but I also think the vibration of the silicone/foam tips adds to the purring effect of the bass in your ear, making me perceive the SE846 as having more sub-bass than the acrylic Roxanne's. However, you have both universals so maybe you I'd be interested to hear how big that divide is for you.

Well, certainly, taste is key and if an iem is perfect for you then who cares what anyone on the internet says, just enjoy. 

That said, the Roxanne is a bit veiled and...well, the existence of the Layla as a sudden flagship quickly taking over from the Roxanne kinda showed JH himself didn't consider the Roxanne tops. Sure, they aren't the same tuning, already answered that, but the roxanne is not equal in technicalities. Another great answer to being superseded would be the Andromeda, which is lots clearer than the Roxanne. If you want a bassy signature, the Vega is more impressive than the Roxanne, I'd say, not to mention the Jupiter, which is really Campfire's take on the Roxanne's tuning with better clarity. The Noble Katana (gotcha there!) is also clearer than the Roxanne with a different tuning. Those are just some I've heard recently, not a limited list of iems better than the Roxanne.

Not putting the Roxanne down, but you were responding to a conversation that's old, so it seems useful to update it.

As I addressed above, I too thought the Roxanne's were veiled at first. Then I realized how much more transparent they became with time. That's why I think caution should be thrown towards those who "audition" them in comparison to others for only 1-2 hours (and even that's a lot of time to just audition) as they require 50-100x that to actually start hearing them for what they are capable of.

As far as JH replacing the Roxanne with the Layla for their flagship, that's not really true. They're dual flagships, and some prefer one over the other for their taste in sound signature. For example, Adam Levine and Future (and even some average-Joe head-fi-ers like us) like what the Roxanne offers them compared to the Layla. Others (like John Mayer and other average-Joe head-fi-ers) prefer a more neutral sound signature. JH could probably make both the same price if they wanted to, but since they designed all new drivers for the Layla, that R&D drove the cost up. Like Jerry Harvey and Jude both say, dual flagships.

There may be a possibility that I am wrong and that it's only "love at first hear" when auditioning them that matters, but from the dozen of impressions I've read off Head-Fi in recent months to Steve Guttenberg's testimony to the importance of giving the Roxanne's some time, I don't think anyone can give them a fair shake for their worth and sound until they've listened to them for hours on end.

 

[svk7]

I have had both the 846 and the Roxanne II. I wish I knew of an IEM that truly superseded them. I would pay good money for better. I, however, am not interested in the flavor of the month. I would like something even warmer in the mids than the Roxanne with even better separation with deep sub-bass like the 846. Superseding would mean even more 3D-like with a larger more realistic imaging and larger more realistic soundstage. Point me to that IEM. Oh, and I need superior isolation.

If you're interested in potentially finding an IEM that supercedes them, maybe you can be our $2000 lab rat / test dummy and let us know what you think of the K10 in comparison to the other two? Seems like this guy (from this thread here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/696828/noble-k10-vs-jh-roxannes/75) thinks they outperform the SE846's:

 

[MarkTwain]

Tried out K10U before settling with JH Roxanne 2. Read lots of crazy reviews of Noble K10U, Katana and was ready to do an audition to purchase one.

After trying out the rose gold K10U and the Katana, I confirmed it is a fanboy thread. Noble is fine sounding IEM, but totally not like what was described. I was quite surprised of the light weight though, as it looks well built but it feels hollow. As for sound wise, Roxanne and Layla is my choice. Left Stereo at Plaza Singapura after doing half an hour audition, and the sale staff was not very surprised. Asked him personally how he felt about K10U vs JH Roxanne. He was a bit hesitant, though he agreed that many buyers prefer JH sound.

Bought a Roxanne 2 after that, and then a Layla 2. Would have hoped a K10U could win me over but it didn't. Don't think the new Encore would have made a difference.

If you're interested in potentially finding an IEM that supercedes them, maybe you can be our $2000 lab rat / test dummy and let us know what you think of the K10 in comparison to the other two? Seems like this guy (from this thread here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/696828/noble-k10-vs-jh-roxannes/75) thinks they outperform the SE846's:

 

[Kunlun]

As I addressed above, I too thought the Roxanne's were veiled at first. Then I realized how much more transparent they became with time. That's why I think caution should be thrown towards those who "audition" them in comparison to others for only 1-2 hours (and even that's a lot of time to just audition) as they require 50-100x that to actually start hearing them for what they are capable of.

I spent days with the Roxanne and found them veiled in direct comparison with other earphones, even ones like the jh13fp. 
 
Sorry, they are veiled for me after days of listening, it's not something you can invalidate. Of course, as you get used to the veil, it won't matter as long as you don't have something better to compare it to... Okay, you see that this sort of thing can be turned around on you, right? Just accept that you enjoy your earphones and accept that they aren't for everyone. Reading an old post over and over again means you should probably just let it go. Not here to argue, so I'll bow out.

 

[svk7]

Tried out K10U before settling with JH Roxanne 2. Read lots of crazy reviews of Noble K10U, Katana and was ready to do an audition to purchase one.

After trying out the rose gold K10U and the Katana, I confirmed it is a fanboy thread. Noble is fine sounding IEM, but totally not like what was described. I was quite surprised of the light weight though, as it looks well built but it feels hollow. As for sound wise, Roxanne and Layla is my choice. Left Stereo at Plaza Singapura after doing half an hour audition, and the sale staff was not very surprised. Asked him personally how he felt about K10U vs JH Roxanne. He was a bit hesitant, though he agreed that many buyers prefer JH sound.

Bought a Roxanne 2 after that, and then a Layla 2. Would have hoped a K10U could win me over but it didn't. Don't think the new Encore would have made a difference.

Huh, that's an interesting take on things. The fact that Noble has racked up 27 5-star reviews here kind of blew me away. Could be as bad as the Apple fandom that's been going around with these new horrid MacBook Pro's people are stupid enough to be buying. All-in-all, even though professional musicians aren't particularly known to be audiophiles, there is definitely something to be said about most of the top musicians and their sound engineers using JH products.

I spent days with the Roxanne and found them veiled in direct comparison with other earphones, even ones like the jh13fp. 

Sorry, they are veiled for me after days of listening, it's not something you can invalidate. Of course, as you get used to the veil, it won't matter as long as you don't have something better to compare it to... Okay, you see that this sort of thing can be turned around on you, right? Just accept that you enjoy your earphones and accept that they aren't for everyone. Reading an old post over and over again means you should probably just let it go. Not here to argue, so I'll bow out.

It's not like I'm reading it obsessively, losing sleep over it. lol. It's just that I have come back to this thread many times in the last half year to see what people are saying and that comment particularly sticks out when I breeze through the comments. As for "getting used to the veil" my JH13v2's and thousand dollar speaker system disagrees with that.