Jomo Audio Haka Review

A week ago I took a glance at the Jomo Trinity – a robust class-leading IEM that’s breaking necks and cashing checks.  But today I’m looking at another Jomo model – the decidedly more affordable Haka.  Retailing for a solid $380, the Haka offers an impressive sound for its price.  But is it the right sound for you?

Jomo Audio Haka Review

The Haka comes with six pairs of eartips, a 1/4” stereo adapter, an airline adapter, and a small clamshell case.  And these accouterments may seem simple, such is the theme behind the Haka:  unadulterated simplicity.

Inside each earpiece, a single BA driver with no crossover handles 100% of the sound.  No dynamics.  No other BA drivers lurking in there.

A solid brass nozzle provides some attenuation, but the Haka remains fairly basic in its operation.  No crazy specs, no secret alien technology.  Just one helluva BA driver.

Accompanying the Haka is a standard 4 ft (1.2 m)copper cable sheathed in black plastic.  It seems identical to the one packaged with the flagship Trinity.

Specifcations

Frequency Range:  20-20,000 Hz
Nominal Impedance:  18 ohms
Sound Pressure Level (SPL):  107 dB

The specs for the Haka show a fairly normal frequency range, and a low nominal impedance.  Listeners should get a decent impression of detail running the Haka from low-output devices like a smartphone or computer.  Lastly, the relatively robust Sound Pressure Level of 107 dB translates to good volume for almost any listening situation.

Low End

Full but never too overstated, the low end on the Haka gives a good amount of detail.  Bass lands with impact and gusto, leading to an overall decent low end.  Rock and punk tracks sound particularly impressive, with instrumentation sounding tempered while never losing its energy.

Midrange

If there’s a weak point on the Haka, it would probably be the mids.  More scooped than just recessed, vocals sound a tad weak.  However, instrumentation remains tight and on-point, never seeming that underwhelming.  Still, once the lows and highs join in, the result is obvious – a midrange that lakes the same presence as the rest of the frequency range.  Despite this one fault, the mids remain decent in terms of cleanliness; there’s no distortion or compression at play here.

High End

Slightly rolled off, the high end never seems too bright or harsh.  Instrumentation sounds mellowed, but still resolving.  Female vocals fair better than their male counterparts falling inside the midrange.  This full, thick high end works well with the Haka’s equally strong lows, leading to a strongly v-shaped profile.

Soundstage

The Haka does a fair job of delivering a sense of space and depth, despite the in-ear design.  While it never sounds as vast or as impressive as an open-back headphone, the Haka still offers a realistic sense of soundstage, while retaining the intimate sound characteristic of its design.

Recommendations

The scooped out mids seem to prevent the Haka from truly excelling when it comes to vocal-heavy music.  However, for instrumental tastes, the sound remains uncompromising.

Fans of more midrange would do well to consider the more expensive Westone W40 (at $499).  Another the contender, the Final Audio F7200, offers a similar sound without missing the midrange (though at a similarly higher price of $479).

Final Analysis

At $380, the Haka offers an interesting and unique sound that works with all kinds of genres.  Unfortunately, due to the scooped-out mids, this earphone sounds a little lackluster with vocals.  Still, for instrumentation, the Jomo Haka proves an earphone need not be overly-complicated to produce a fantastic sound.

Get the Jomo Audio Haka for the best price here:

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