Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 JAYS q-JAYS August 23, 2010
ITDaemon (Bountiful, Utah USA)
Pros - Great sound quality / Compact
Cons - Requires frequent filter replacement (uneven sound if you don't) / Sounds like you're wearing a stethoscope / Uncomfortable / Not worth the price
 Amazing! June 28, 2010
Fred G.
The sound quality is incredible and doesn't seem possible out of such tiny earphones. And with a manufacturer's 2-year warranty, you really can't go wrong with these. Worth every penny!
Q Jays review. June 28, 2010
Smilehimself
Five stars for sound and looks. They are a bit of a pain to get in and out though. It might just be my ear canals. To seal correctly I have to use the medium silicon flanges. I have to pull on my ears to straighen my ear canals enough to get them in and out. These are my first canal phones so maybe this is normal. Be sure to give these some time before you decide on their sound. They produce realistic sound which you may not be used to. Most lower end phones accent the highs and lows and aren't that accurate in general. Way to go Jays!
Outstanding Earphones with Superlative Customer Service May 13, 2010
James C. Megas (St. Paul, MN USA)
After careful research my son selected JAYS q-JAYS Dual Armature In-Ear Earphones as the best-rated earphones in the class. Although the sound was outstanding from the onset, the sound became degaded. It is likely that this happened becuae of user error on our end. I immediately contacted Mr. Peter Cedmer, Senior Product Manager of JAYS. He was extremely responsive and efficent in helping us resolving our problem and in restoring a set of ousanding earphones. I would recommend JAYS above all other brands! :-)
 Dual Balanced Armature Precision October 13, 2009
Nathan F. Wright (South Korea)
[...]
Jays - Design and Quality
The Q-Jays represent our 3rd Balanced Armature earphone review. This time, Sweden's Jays' top product, the Q-Jay are on the table. They are also the smallest dual armature earphones in the world. And tiny they are - the body could fit two or three times into a Monster Turbine shell!
From their website
Since 2006, JAYS has been pushing the barriers for design and quality, recognizing the need for better quality and better portability. At JAYS - we believe that the phrase - Sound of Science - should not be used lightly. JAYS is a passionate music loving company that puts its soul into all products they develop from their headquarters in Sweden.
JAYS already have a wide portfolio of award winning products and continuously work hard to be number one in making valuable great products. We want to make sure nothing comes between you and the music.
Milestones:
2006: Released d-JAYS
2007: Released j-JAYS, m-JAYS, q-JAYS, Bluestreamer
2008: Released s-JAYS, Bluestreamer 2, Accessories
2009: Released c-JAYS, v-JAYS ...
Q-Jays Fit Kit and Package
Overall, the Q-Jays are presented very well and supplied with enough accessories to make their purchase worthwhile though lose points for a careless packaging design.
Dual Balanced-Armature: Earphone Specs
Type Dual Micro Armatures
Sensitivity 95 dB SPL @ 1 kHz
Impedance 39 Ohm @ 1 kHz
Frequency Response 20 Hz - 20 000 Hz
Earphones
Isolation JAYS Sound Isolating Sleeves
Size (L)19 x (W)7.5 x (H)7.4 mm
Weight 8 grams (0.28 oz)
Cord
Type TPE coated with Kevlar filling
Length 60 cm (23.5 in)
Diameter 2/1.5 mm (0,079/0,059 in)
Plug Straight, Gold-Plated Stereo Plug 3.5 mm (1/8 in)
Extension Cord 90 cm (35.5 in)
Q-Jays cable
Jays endowed the Q model with a uniquely designed cable. Firstly, it is strong yet supple and not subject to early crystalisation due to contact with body oils. Secondly, it is thick and though the stress reliefs on the jack portion are not melded to the cable, they inspire confidence. The headphone end of the cable is relieved by the tiniest rubber grommet. Though it lacks extra sleeving, it isn't subject to the twisting or bending inherent in larger designs. Overall, the Q-Jays cable is a well thought out design with points that favour its strength.
As quite typical in low to high end earphones, the Q-Jays jack is gold plated. Unfortunately, it will not fit into the headphone jack of the first generation iPhone - you will need to buy an adapter. The Y-split section is tiny and not relieved but holds the cable sturdily in place. Above it is a small cincher that even after much use, stays in place and remains easy to manipulate.
The material is more prone to touch-noise than both the Phonak earphones and models from Sleek. However, the Q-Jay is not an excessively noisy earphone. When worn over the ear and in conjunction with the Y-split cincher, noise is mostly attenuated.
Jays made a decision to shorten the cable to 60 centimeters. This allows lapel-style players to be connected to a shirt or chest-strap without cable slack. Unfortunately, it means that one of the two extension cables must be used if you carry your iPhone in your pocket or purse. The two extension cables on the other hand, are long - too long. At 90 cm each, they make wielding your iPhone a messy affair. There is a minimum of 20cm of extra cable at your hip or dangling near your purse - a fact that can be annoying. Fortunately, each extension cable is as strong as the main Jays cable and well relieved. They will not break, though you may be tempted to cut them short!
Sound Quality: The Right Fit means the Right Sound
With seven sizes of silicon and one foamie piece to choose from, you should have no problem finding a piece that is both comfortable blocks outside noise sufficiently. Both are important in order to realise the sound quality of Jays dual balanced-armature design.
The foamie piece will attenuate much more background noise than will the flanges and when properly compressed before insertion into the ear, will fit further into the ear canal. A good fit allows bass response and stage imaging to come to life.
The Q-Jays are the ONLY inner earphone that I can comfortably fit in my ear when sleeping on my side. Both when looped over the ear and when inserted from the side, the driver unit lies at comfortable angles and its miniscule size does not pressure the ear. Kudos!
Q-Jays Bass: Tight and Punchy
The Q-jays utilise balanced armature type transducers - this sort of driver tends to react quickly to variations in music and sounds incredibly accurate. Part of the reason for this is that the drivers do not move as much air so bass is less tactile and apt to `bleed' into other parts of the music.
The Q-Jays bass is not bloated or even bottom-heavy. It is controlled and well placed, but for certain genre, may err on the side of cold. For rock, trance and electronic, its edge and crispness is perfect.
Q-Jays Mids and Treble
Simply put, the mids and treble from the Q-Jays are great. Extended, articulate and fast, both parts of the spectrum feel `right' in just about any genre.
Particularly with trance where bass and treble peak in fast spikes, high notes can, however, be piercing. While it is a testament to the Q-Jays' vertical extension, certain music may feel slightly fatiguing. Overall, voices are rich, sound effects up front and music is beautiful. Their size belies a great sound. If I were to compare them to another earphone in our reviews section in terms of mid and treble quality, it would be the Phonak 112 and 121.
Q-Jays Amped
Most of my listening was done straight from my iPod Touch or 1G nano. I was not disappointed with any music I listened to, nor did I want for anything. That said, I used the Nuforce Icon Mobile quite often with the Q-Jays and welcomed the greater stage and 3D accuracy of instruments.
Bass too, blossomed with ruddy lines that became even more crisp and attentive to details and weight. Though the overall effect is quite subtle, the Q-Jays do stand to benefit from amping either the headphone out or using a dock and amping the line out of your iPhone or iPod Touch.
Q-Jays on the Go
The Q-Jays cable is both too short and too long. When out and about, I looped the extension cable's extra slack around my iPod, taking care not to bend the cable out of the headphone jack. I will be blunt: 1,5 metres is annoyingly long and the stock length of 60cm is too short.
I think Jays could have designed two versions of the Jays: one with a long cable and the other short. Or, they could have shortened the extension cable which is 20-30cm too long to be used without annoyance. If you use the Y-split cincher, microphonics are reduced when wearing straight down from the ears and when looped over the ears, are nearly imperceptible. Since the cable is light and free of dangling bits, the Q-Jays will not catch on anything. Other than length problems, these are great on-the-go phones.
Conclusion
Jay's research is evident in the Q-Jays. Articulate, tiny and beautiful, they are gems that exude confidence in solid construction and attention to detail. While not bass heavyweights, low notes and instruments are well defined with great bass detail and.
Treble and mids are striking, extended and confident. Vocal music sings and highly sung instruments engage beautifully, if sometimes too much so and staging accuracy is great. The 3D composition in music, while not impressively wide, is realistic with great balance and interaction between its respective parts.
If I were to decry any one function, it would be cable length. Jays chose an overly long extension cable that at times, makes using the Jays a science. However, the units are so well constructed and pretty that they make up for a somewhat sloppy cable.
I cannot fail to mention in conclusion that they are the most comfortable earphones I have ever used when sleeping on my side. Better than customs, the UM2, CK10 and a host of other well-constructed earphones. Great work Jays.
Jays Q-jays inner earphone gets grabbed by TouchMyApps. Please take a look at our other headphone reviews: [...]
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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