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I've owned a lot of headphones over the years, but I had never envisioned myself ever buying a custom in-ear-monitor. That was until I had a chance to listen to a demo unit of the JH13pro. I was flabbergasted with the sound, to say the least, and instantly knew I had to have a pair.

Months later, my enthusiasm for the JH13 has not abated, if anything, it has grown. Not only is it the most well-balanced and natural sounding headphone or IEM I've ever heard, it is also the most satisfying audio product I've ever owned.

The full range of frequencies is covered as thoroughly and with as much detail as any top-end headphone can claim. Full treble extension to 20kHz for the first time in an in-ear design, and the lowest bass notes. They produce a very realistic and 3-d soundstage, though it is not as expansive as that of the best open headphones. And while this technical achievement is certainly a milestone for IEMs, it is but one component of the JH13's excellence.

The true zenith of the JH13's design is the frequency balance, which manages to produce a sound which is both incredibly well balanced and eminently listenable. The JH13 presents every aspect of recordings with "you-were-there" detail and realism, flaws and all, but never crosses the line into a brutally revealing monitor. It is a very delicate balance, but the JH13 walks the line better than any transducer I've had the pleasure to hear.

Of course, being a custom-molded piece, the JH13, properly fitted, is about as comfortable as an on-head listening solution gets. Headphone hair, sore scalps, itchy ears, sweaty pads, and sore ear canals need not apply here. The comfort and long-term wear-ability is much better than any convention (universal fit) IEM I have used, the JH13 is literally an all-day earphone.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the JH13 is that once I had it, I stopped listening to my Audio-Technica L3000, and eventually sold it. The JH13 simply sounded better.

Anyway, the bottom line is that the JH13 is not a cheap item, but compared to other top-flight headphones it is a bargain. It equals if not outperforms them, while coming in at a lower cost, not to mention being in current production. Sure it is fitted to one user, and hence cannot be easily shared, nor re sold. However, once you hear the JH13, you won't want to remove them from your ears, let alone share or sell them.

If you love music, do yourself a favor, and buy the JH13, in my opinion, the best earphone/headphone ever made.