JM Audio XTC 1.5

A lovely customizably closed back that brings a taste of the high-end

JM Audio are a small bespoke headphone manufacturer with a slightly quirky website. Their gorgeous headphones are often seen at trade shows and could easily be mistaken for ZMF headphones with similar gorgeous wooden earcups, but before I had the opportunity to borrow this headphone for this review, I am ashamed to say I knew very little about this company or their products.

The specific “JM Audio” Edition that I have been spending time with is the XTC 1.5 with 3 of the ear pads options and I believe this model would retail for about $1000 with the upgraded “Dark wenge” wood finish.

Note: Because I didn’t initially go though the checkout process on their website, I had some misconceptions about JM Audio headphones. I was impressed by the looks, build quality and various extras provided in the box, but slightly disappointed by the more bassy V-shaped sound profile. It was only after I began writing and researching this review, that I realised the level of personalisation provided by JM Audio and that caused me to completely change my mind about this headphone.

So, let’s get into the details of this personalisation but first see in the XTC 1.5 that I borrowed for the review:

And check out what you can expect when you order you your headphones:

Build Quality

The XTC Closed headphones come in a very rugged but slightly quirky box:

Opening up reveals the headphones and the various earpads that you would have selected during the customised checkout process and some documentation:

The provided cable is excellent quality utilizing 26AWG high-purity Oxygen-Free Copper Litz:

The Headphone

The XTC 1.5 is a relatively heavy headphone but with this type of headband desgin it is nicely balanced on your head.

The ear cups are crafted with aesthetic attention with a beautiful wood finish - I believe there are a few different wood finishes:

While the Audeze-style headband provides good comfort and adjustment levels, it can actually be a little difficult to adjust:

The earpads are very comfortable and deep:

Removing the earpads reveals the huge driver:

The overall build quality is excellent, I have no complaints with this headphone and everything it comes with, except maybe the box.

Features

Rather than a typical feature section I thought it might be useful to explain JM audio features (as I see them) specifically the naming conventions and especially the “lifetime re-tuning offering”:

Naming conventions and prices

The naming convention for JM Audio Edition headphones specifically highlights the level of customizations and specifically the internal space provided by the customised design, so there is a basic XTC, XTC 1.5 and a higher end XTC 2.5. Each of these variations are clever priced between $700 to over $2000 depending on the quality of the wood and other upgrade options you might require. Given even the most basic offering includes some lovely wooden cups, various ear pads and some quality cables overall it is an fairly impressive offering.

‘Personalised’ and free retuning for Life

This is in my opinion in the key to JM Audio headphones. They have a Gras measurement rig and based on the customer agreed personalised profile will ’tune’ the headphone to that profile, this effectively means the sound quality and even the measurement section of this review are really only relevant for this one headphone but also in my opinion make this a tremendous offering for their customers.

As someone who believe is the worthwhile nature of measurements, I think is also amazing offering for free retuning’s, though in my experience it is more earpad wear than any changes in the driver that changes the sound profile over the lifetime of the headphone, but it is a nice option to be offered.

Sound Quality

Note: This section changed considerable once I realised that the sound profile was requested and not the “stock” sound profile, so you should not necessarily expect this sound profile.

So given there are 3 earpads provided I spent some time (before I realised about the ‘personalised sound profile’) listening to each earpad before settling on the “mixed earpads” which for me offered a more balanced profile (this was based on my reference tracks but also using a manual frequency sweep.

What is key to know there will be changes (especially in the bass response) with each earpad, but that is the fun of this hobby and you get 3 very nice earpads with the headphones.

So, the sound profile of this specific XTC 1.5 Closed headphones is characterized by a slightly v-shaped sound signature with good deep extended bass nicely separated (so not muddy) from an excellent smooth midrange. The treble is well controlled but is a little sharp balancing out the extended bass, the way its tuned I don’t think this will cause any sibilance issues but some instruments in some songs might sound a little too forward in the mix. This tuning results in a dynamic listening experience without overwhelming the midrange or high frequencies.

Bass

The bass response is notably deep but very well controlled, with sufficient depth that complements a variety of genres. Tracks like “The Less I Know The Better” by Tame Impala showcase the headphones’ ability to deliver impactful low-end without distortion or bloating, allowing for clear separation from mids.

Mids

Vocals and instruments are rendered with clarity and presence, though some may find them slightly recessed compared to the bass. Listening to “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake highlights the headphones’ ability to convey emotional nuances without sibilance, thanks to the careful tuning by JM Audio.

Highs

The treble extends well without becoming fatiguing. The extra detail in high frequencies can be appreciated in tracks like “Breezeblocks” by alt-J, where the intricate layering is handled deftly, providing a sense of airiness without sharpness.

Soundstage and Imaging

While the soundstage of a closed-back headphone is inherently limited, the XTC Closed does well in this area. The specific tuning creates a wider soundstage that allows for accurate placement of instruments. This feature is particularly evident when listening to orchestral pieces like “Clair de Lune” by Debussy, where the separation of sounds across the soundstage provides an immersive experience.

Specifications and Measurements

Similar to the sound impressions section the specification section is slightly meaningless as you end up picking different drivers and a different tuning during the checkout process.

You will get offered a choice of a 32, 64 and 300 ohm in a 52nm magnet Beryllium driver beyond that I can’t really comment on the specifications as each driver would obviously have different sensitivity, but given the overall experience with XTC 1.5 I would suggest pairing with a decent headphone amplifier to give it the power it deserves.

Measurements

Given that JM Audio Editions actually tune and customise the sound profile to a users specific requirements, most of these measurements are really just for completeness. One of the thing I was very impressed was that JM Audio use a GRAS measurement rig as part of the customisation process and a promise of lifelong “retuning”, that to me seems like a unique and very welcome process for their customers.

But lets me present at least some measurements what Frequency Response the specific XTC 1.5 model that I was listening too and what change in frequency response that I measured with the 3 different earpads provided:

Frequency Response

This was the “soft earpads” I mainly used and it shows pretty good channel matching and mostly a good match for the Harman target except for a slightly exaggerated bass and that treble peak:

Note: Subjectively I did not hear that 250Hz dip, though typically a dip here is to provide clean separation between the bass and the midrange and this was definitely the case with the XTC, there was no ‘muddying’ of the midrange with bass.

The other 2 earpads measurement though do show a much more significant dip:

Note: When I did a Frequency sweep initially I did hear a dip in this area with these earpads (though not as significant as it looks on this graph).

But the significant aspect of the tuning is that sharp peak in the 5K region. While these graphs are much less relevant as each headphone will be tuned differently, I did find some measurements of JM Audio 2.5 headphone and this graph does show a similar “pattern” to the tunings:

This makes me think that similar “common” tuning is offered, maybe a “JM Audio” house sound.

Distortion

Distortion is well under control:

And shown as a percentage:

Group Delay

The group delay also shows a dip at this 250Hz region, but otherwise is fine:

Measurement comparisons

One my measurement DB here are the different frequency responses:

Physical Comparisons

Here are a few of my current favourite closed backs:

The XTC 1.5 has the nicest wooden finish here - though the Aune SR7000 (which is next to the XTC in this photo) does have a lovely premium metal look.

Comparing specifically to the FiiO FT1, the quality of the wooden finish on the XTC really shows, though the FT1 does offer excellent looks and sound at its price point:

And though both headphones are very comfortable I do like the extra pads offered with the XTC 1.5:

But I am comparing a $150 headphone with a $1000 so it is an unfair comparison.

Rating

Initially I felt this was a 4-star headphone, with nice build quality, lovely accessories and gorgeous wooden design but the sound profile was not for me, but when I realised you order the sound profile you want as part of the overall customisation of your headphone, I felt this changed signficantly what you can expect and therefore this has to be a 5-star rating. I also really like that the ear pads offerings provide variations (especially in bass) on the profile you pick.

Conclusion

The JM Audio XTC Closed headphones are a triumph of customisation. The overall service provided ends up providing an excellent experience, marrying customisation with high-quality audio performance at extremely competitive price point. While no headphone is perfect as everyone preferences are different and every headphone is different in different ways (comfort, sound, looks etc), but the XTC Closed certainly comes close, making it an outstanding choice for anyone seeking an engaging and tailored audio experience.

With the potential for retuning based on individual preferences, these headphones promise to be a lasting addition to any audiophile’s collection.