Under a thousand: Audiophile level sound at a crazy price

If you are looking for a budget IEM that sound great, make sure to give the Headphone Zone X Fiio JD1 a try. (Express Photo)

Affordable price, premium looks and materials!

That is because the Headphone Zone X Fiio JD1 not only deliver stunning audio quality but also do not look inexpensive from any angle. In fact, they look better than many earphone that come with price tags of Rs 5,000. There is no plastic used in the buds themselves, which come separate from the cable and have to be attached to it. The buds have liquid die-cast zinc alloy faceplates and come with a hand-polished magnesium alloy construction, as well as a aluminium sound nozzle. The inner part of the buds are slightly transparent, giving them a rather unique look and you get three good quality eartips in the box. The cable connecting the buds is made of high-quality oxygen-free copper (OFC) and has a transparent look, with black and red wiring underneath. It also has good connectors that fit snugly into the buds, ruling out any sound leakage, and a 3.5 mm audio jack at the other end. There is also a three button inline control capsule with a mic on the cable, letting you control audio levels and even handle calls, if need be. It is a very premium looking set up, although the cable is a little on the long side and can get tangled.

These earphones can be used with tablets, PCs and phones with a 3.5mm headphone jack. (Express Photo)

The JD1 are designed mainly for working with smartphones, tablets and notebooks that have 3.5 mm audio jacks. There is also a Type-C variant that has a DAC inbuilt, although that comes with a slightly higher price tag. The big challenge for many audiophiles will be getting smartphones and tablets that have 3.5 mm audio ports – even the budget Redmi Pad and the OnePlus Pad Go do not have them, and support for the port is disappearing gradually even from mid-segment smartphones.

Unbelievably good sound at the price (bring the 3.5 mm port back!)
Plug these IEMs into a smartphone or notebook, loop the wire close to the buds over your ear properly to get a proper snug and stable fit, and you are likely to be stunned at the quality of sound that will flood into your ears. The JD1 come with 10mm dynamic drivers, and unlike some audiophile IEMs that tend to sound a little dull, these have a slightly V-shaped sound signature with very good bass and treble, almost what some would call a V-shaped sound. In fact, those not used to hearing sound of this quality might find the treble (sharp sounds like violins and some guitars) a little uncomfortable, especially as the IEMs deliver terrific volumes, but a few adjustments on the audio source’s equaliser should fix matters. The presence of an external DAC does considerably improve their performance especially with smartphones (although our Redmi Note 13 Pro worked very well with them), but even without it, they delivered outstanding sound.

Headphone Zone X Fiio JD1 have in-line volume and playback controls. (Express Photo)

The JD1 do not deliver the sort of rumbling bass that is the rage in the mainstream segment, but their clarity is exceptional, making them great for listening to classical music, rock, jazz and even pop, as well as watching films and listening to podcasts. Bass sound just right, with a bit of vibration without overwhelming vocals and treble, although mids (vocals) can get a little lost between bass and treble, but again nothing that a little equaliser tweaking cannot cure. The JD1 are actually terrific for playing games too – the wired connection means there is no latency and the fantastic audio quality of the IEMs means that you can literally hear every creak of a door and every footstep. Stealth gamers are going to love this, although we would advise PUBG and COD players to turn down the volumes as some of the shots can sound really sharp. If you are looking for some Zen, simply plug these in and play Alto’s Odyssey – the effect is hypnotic. In fact, using the Headphone Zone X Fiio JD1 made us wish phones and tablet manufacturers would start putting 3.5 mm ports back on devices.

At Rs 1499 (and sometimes even lower, if you watch the prices and offer), these are staggering value for money for anyone wanting audiophile level audio on a tight budget. Headphone Zone and Fiio just proved that those two terms can co-exist!