Review: JAYS QJAYS

Disclaimer: Qjays sent us the Jays Qjays free of charge just for this review. I have no idea if Paul has to send it back or not. Lieven

INTRODUCTION

In my experience with audio, most of the equipment I’ve spent time with has fallen into one of three categories:

  • The stuff I didn’t like from first listen (and usually this is a good indicator that the equipment will never be a favourite for me).
  • The stuff that wowed me from first listen. This can be a good or bad thing.  There are one or two headphones that have stood the test of time for me (HD600 being one of them), but often the gear that wowed me initially loses its luster over time, and doesn’t become a long term keeper.
  • Then there are those special earphones – the ones you initially aren’t sure of, but over time become a long-term favourite.

I’ve been spending time with the all new Jays Q-Jays for the last 3 weeks, and these have been slowly falling into the third category for me.  So pull up a chair, and let me tell you a little bit about my experiences with them.

SO WHO ARE JAYS?

Good question – I was asking myself the same thing when Urban from Jays reached out to Headfonia, and asked if we’d like to take the all new Q-Jays for a spin.  Here’s what I found out.

Jays was founded back in 2006, and are currently based in Stockholm, Sweden – at an old brewery no less. Since 2006 they’ve engineered several major product lines in earphones and headphones – including the d-Jays, original q-Jays (2007), j-Jays, m-Jays, s-Jays and more recently the u-Jays, v-Jays (both headphones) a-Jays and t-Jays (earphones).

Their philosophy is simple yet compelling – a relentless focus on engineering and innovation, and never forgetting their core principles of quality AND functionality.  A couple of of the phrases I love from their website (www.jays.se) are:

“We believe that by humanizing innovating technology with good design, we can create memorable music experiences with an emotional impact”

and

“It’s always gratifying to be recognized for your hard work. But what motivates us is our ability to create products and experiences you will enjoy for a long time.”

The new q-Jays are the flagship earphone of their product range – a dual BA IEM – and it is this model I will be reviewing today.

PREAMBLE – ‘ABOUT ME’.   (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I generally tend toward headphones that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be skeptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 48, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review – I used the q-Jays primarily with my iPhone 5S, Fiio X5ii and Luxury & Precision LP5.

In the time I have spent with the q-Jays, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but definitely acknowledge that my appreciation of them has grown over time (brain burn-in). I measured them when I first got them, and again after some 40-50 hours of listening in the last 3 weeks. The two graphs showed no changes.

This is a purely subjective review – my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt – especially if it does not match your own experience. For a full list of my audio gear check my Head-Fi profile.

Click here or below to start reading the review!

4.2/5 - (26 votes)
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Paul is a Kiwi from Down Under (New Zealand) and spends his time selling Lamb by day, and playing round with audio gear by night. He's a self confessed music junkie, with wide musical tastes and a penchant for female vocalists. He is not a golden eared listener, prefers to review armed with an SPL meter and objective measurements, and does his best to balance objectivity and subjectivity. Mostly though, he can be found with headphones on his head, and a smile on his face - lost in the moment.

7 Comments

  • Reply September 24, 2015

    ohm image

    Trance fans: this earphone has a hell of a lot of room to move. In fact, it is a glorious, if somewhat raspy, love child of the CK10 and GR10.

    • Reply September 26, 2015

      Brooko

      Yes – despite the lack of comparative impact that some of my triple hybrids have, the quality and speed of the bass is what hooks you with the q-Jays

  • Reply September 24, 2015

    Pade

    Whoa! Excellent review, very detailed and with extensive list of songs used to boot! I had to listen again to Royals to check if there’s bass guitar in it. I thought all that rumble was distorted floor tom samples.

    • Reply September 26, 2015

      Brooko

      Thanks – definitely the bass guitar. Reaches quite low too. It’s a really good track for testing low bass and impact.

  • Reply September 28, 2015

    Mochamad Zakky Hidayat

    Hey, I hope you can make review about portable over-ear closed headphones like ATH-MSR7, Sony MDR-1A, Denon AH-MM400, etc.

    • Reply September 28, 2015

      dalethorn

      What kind of sound are you after, and what kind of earpiece fit to ear are you looking for?

  • Reply October 3, 2015

    Rasmus Horn

    I had a chance to borrow the q-Jays for a week and I can only agree to what is written in this review. q-Jays is a very addicting and minimalistic IEM. Truly captivating, highly resolving and open sounding. Reminds me a lot of my trusty old Heir Audio Tzar 350 but with a bit more bite and air in the midrange.

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