Jomo Audio, a Singapore-based company, was founded by Joseph Mou, a broadcast engineer with a passion for audio. Combining his expertise with the inspiration of Japanese craftsmanship, Jomo Audio quickly became a popular brand in the portable audio market in Southeast Asia. With 15 years of experience in audio and 10 years in IEM design, Joseph's journey began as a hobbyist before founding Jomo Audio in 2012. The company's commitment to innovation is evident in the blend of traditional techniques and advanced 3D technologies that result in high-quality IEMs. Jomo Audio has launched groundbreaking products such as the Flamenco and the Trinity and continues to innovate through collaborations such as the one with the Digital Fabrication & Additive Manufacturing Center in Singapore.
Jomo Audio introduces the Instinct Emerald, the latest addition to its premium product range, underscoring the brand's commitment to professional IEM manufacturing and exceptional craftsmanship. The Instinct Emerald features a laser-cut faceplate design and a precision 3D-printed cabinet in emerald green. The faceplate is made from a single piece of brass sheet using in-house precision equipment.
With the Instinct Emerald, Jomo Audio wanted to create a captivating sound signature with powerful bass, rich midrange and high-resolution treble paired with good spatiality. Exactly what every audiophile wants! In the following review, I will shed light on whether it is exactly as good as the advertising promises.
But first let's get to the technology. The Instinct Emerald combines two DD drivers for the bass, six BA drivers for the midrange and a single piezoelectric ceramic driver for the treble. These drivers are integrated through a passive five-way crossover and a four-way acoustic crossover and are therefore said to sound as if they are one piece, without interference or the like. The two DD drivers are 10 mm dynamic drivers with an ultra-thin titanium diaphragm. This is intended to produce a particularly powerful yet ultra-precise bass range. The two DD drivers are housed in a CNC-milled brass Airflow Control Chamber (A.C.C.). This efficiently controls the air movement and thus enables increased volume output through the sound waveguide. The BA drivers for the midrange are designed for maximum precision, enabling a higher resolution. As already mentioned, a piezoelectric ceramic driver is used for the tweeter instead of a BA driver or an EST driver. This consists of nine different layers and provides additional airiness and brilliance in the high frequencies. I had never tested an IEM with such a driver unit before.
For a product with a recommended retail price of USD 2999, a high-quality cable is also a must. And a great deal of effort has been made here. The cable is really very good to the touch and is also beautifully soft and free of any microphonic effects. It also looks good and matches this high-priced product. It is an elaborate construction with 4 strands of silver-plated 21 AWG copper wire and precision-manufactured, CNC-milled, solid metal cable components. It is also available separately under the name Adrenalin MK II.
The Instinct Emerald comes in a carbon fiber carrying case with metal components and silver Jomo branding. Inside the carrying case is a round case made of genuine leather in which the IEMs are stored in a drawstring bag. Other accessories include a cleaning cloth, a plastic box with various eartips and various stickers. The Adrenalin MK II cable is housed in a green satin bag. I really like the presentation of this masterpiece of craftsmanship. The transport case in particular looks very classy and gives the whole thing a boutique character.
The Instinct Emerald is a real eye-catcher and this faceplate just looks great! Equipped with a total of 9 drivers, it is not the smallest of its kind. However, it is relatively light and so well shaped that I have no comfort problems with the IEM, even after long listening sessions. In my opinion, the enclosed double-flange eartips offer the best comfort and sound. More on the subject of other eartips and how they affect the sound later.
The Instinct Emerald is basically very easy to drive, as it has an impedance of only 9 ohms. I used my iBasso DX320 MAX Ti for the test. One of the best DAPs currently available. In order to elicit higher volumes from the Instinct Emerald, I almost only use gain level 1. For recordings with a higher dynamic range, I sometimes have to use gain level 2. However, the Instinct Emerald still benefits from more power and only then does it reveal its full potential. The latest iBasso PB5 Osprey amp with Korg Nutubes and an output of an incredible 2x1.7W@32 ohms is also used in this test. Later, I will discuss the differences in the operating mode directly on the DX320 MAX Ti vs MAX Ti + PB5. Since I am convinced of the technical qualities of the Instinct Emerald, I also briefly tested it on my stationary chain consisting of Niimbus US4 + Topping D90 III. The D90 III DAC has some of the best measurement values in the world and really teases every last detail out of a recording. Plus one of the world's best headphone amplifiers, the US4 from Niimbus. With this combination, the Instinct Emerald scales a little more in comparison to the portable amplifiers. The result is slightly faster bass, greater transparency and a more expansive sound stage. However, the stationary chain plays a little more sober and not quite as involving as the 4x ROHM DACs in the DX320 MAX Ti and the PB5 at the end of the chain is something completely different, more on this later. So the Jomo Audio drivers really pack a punch!
What about the tonality? We are dealing with a V-shape tuning here. But not in the classic way with a balance of bass and treble boosts, but a slight overweight in the treble boost. Overall, the Instinct Emerald clearly plays on the bright side and is not neutral. But that wasn't Jomo Audio's intention with this model. Depending on which eartips you use, you can tune the sound a little. With the AZLA Clears you get the maximum audibility with the brightest presentation. In contrast, the SpiralDots produce a smoother sound with slightly softer highs. For me, the latter bring the best balance to the sound image. The detail reproduction is really amazing with the Instinct Emerald. This is a treble head IEM! Resolution without end, plus fantastic audibility that is always on the edge of harsh and annoying. However, I could imagine that with very bright sources and the use of AZLA Clears it can sometimes go a little over the limit. You can definitely remedy this with the Spiral Dots and calm things down a bit. Or add the PB5 with its Korg Nutubes via the DAP's lineout.
But the treble is not the only star of this great IEM. The second star is clearly the bass range. This section, which is driven by two DD drivers, reminds me a little of the Volür from 64 Audio. The Volür has a little more quantity in the mid-bass range, while the Instinct Emerald creates a balance between mid-bass and sub-bass. The impact of these two DD drivers is already fantastic and the moving air mass is noticeable in bass-heavy recordings. In my opinion, the Instinct Emerald is on a par with the Volür. I then have to unpack my Empire Ears Raven, which has even more detail in the bass range and makes it even more noticeable thanks to its BCD.
The mids were not tuned to the maximum capabilities of the BA drivers, i.e. the focus here was not on achieving maximum instrument separation, but on a warmer, almost tube-like basic tone that is relaxed and slightly recessed at all times. You are sitting in the sixth or seventh row of a concert and not right at the front. Overall, the mids are somewhat colored, but with the tuning of the bass and treble they create a balanced sound image that involves the listener in the overall presentation instead of drawing their attention to individual sound elements. The Instinct Emerald is an invitation to long, enjoyable listening sessions.
However, this does not mean that the Instinct Emerald only sounds smooth and very laid back like a Hifiman Susvara, for example. It is definitely more energetic and, depending on the recording, also whips forward. Not quite as energetic as a Fir Audio E12, but still with drive to the front. The punchy bass and the crystal-clear, shimmering treble make sure of that. I don't think I've ever heard cymbals and their transient and decay behavior better than with the Instinct Emerald. I listen to a lot of rock and metal. And that's a genre that suits the Instinct Emerald well, even if it's not the king of the metal genre. With all his finesse and the involving way he plays, he cuts a terrific figure in the jazz and classical genres in my opinion!
The soundstage presentation offers a very good depth of field and is roughly comparable in size to a U12t from 64 Audio. However, as I said, it is not designed to pick out individual elements in a pinpoint manner, but to let the listener sink into the overall scene. The instruments play more compactly together and are not as microscopically separated from each other as is the case with IEMs that are more neutrally tuned, such as a U12t or FIBAE 7U from Custom Arts.
The previous sound descriptions referred to the direct drive with the DX320 MAX Ti. If I then connect an iBasso PB5 amp with Korg Nutubes to the MAX Ti via lineout, the soundstage opens up again in all directions. In addition, the mids come more to the fore and become fuller. Overall, the bass range also appears even fuller. So you can use eartips and sources + amps to tune the Instinct Emerald to suit your personal taste. For me, the combination of SpiralDots + direct drive with MAX Ti is the most balanced variant.
The Instinct Emerald is a welcome change in the landscape of TOTL IEMs. We have many IEMs here that are specifically aimed at the bass heads among us, but few for the treble heads. Unfortunately, I'm not yet familiar with the Elysian Annihilator 2023, which is regarded in many circles as the IEM with the best high-frequency range and is a good choice for absolute treble heads. I would imagine that the Instinct Emerald is in exactly the same vein. I would describe its treble range as one of the best I have heard in the IEM sector. In addition to the very good treble range, you also get a top bass range. If you like the mids a little sweeter with warmer tones, the Instinct Emerald could be an IEM of choice. However, it is not cheap. The Instinct Emerald is available directly from the manufacturer Jomo Audio (
https://www.jomoaudio.com/).
