Performance

The Jimo is Kennerton Audio's second-most expensive in-ear solution at $335, which means it will have to be able to tackle such in-ears as the Westone W30.


Besides looking great, the Jimo has a lot of things going for it. Starting off with the bass, it has both good extension and control. The decay is longer than on the Westone W30, and the W30's detail is close, falling a little behind when it comes to very technical passages. For most types of music, the Jimo's bass rendering is a bit more enjoyable.

The midrange is detailed, and you get a good sense of space that is close to the W30's, but on some masterings, the voices can seem a bit too distant or defused on the Jimo, which is a very minor thing that is mostly only audible with critical listening at home. The Jimo's general sound quality is perhaps best described as bass-centric and medium hot, while the W30 sounds natural and the HiFiMAN RE-600 is neutral.

Treble performance is not the Jimo's strong suit; it is there and is very engaging, but not the most detailed when compared to what you get from higher-end balanced armature in-ears. Treble has always been one of the RE-600's strongest qualities, and here, it does outshine the $135 more expensive Jimo.

Where the Jimo really performs is with contemporary music that is bass heavy. The Jimo's more fun balance and good low-end bass impact make it a very enjoyable listen. There is no sibilance worth noticing and that makes it easy on the ears for even extended listening sessions, while the RE-600 and W30 can have a tendency to promote some fatigue.