Jomo Audio – Samba Custom Earphone – Rich, Vibrant and Laden with Energetic Verve.
Jomo Samba Pro Audio CIEM
Pros
- Expert Tuning with Rich Vivid Signature
- Natural Emotional Vocals
- Fantastic build and design, Great cable included
Cons
- May be out of some peoples price range - but then again this is a flagship product.
Build Quality
The shells are smooth and solid with no air bubble imperfections. The bores look cleanly machined to let the signature flow unimpeded and the 2 pin socket is smooth and tight fitting.
As it is clear from these shells and many others Jomo has produced, his attention to detail and professionalism really is impressive and shows in the end result of his work.
His artistry and design compositions are bold yet contemporary, there are a number of options he provides but he is also able to incorporate your own unique designs.
Digital Audio Player Parings:
Using the Lotoo Paw Gold the Samba signature was very precise and detailed but didn’t feel as musical as with the AK380CU.
Using the Cowon Plenue S the Samba pairing worked well. The signature is a little more spacious and treble presence seems somewhat softened.
The signature feels refined, however the weighty richness felt more reduced when compared to the AK380CU signature.
Pairing with the striking looking Astell & Kern AK380 Copper DAP everything was fuller and more engaging.
Treble detail was very precise but in no way clinical or harsh.
The rest of my review is based on this AK380CU pairing using the Ares II supplied cable.
If you want more information about this cable there is a review of the plus series cable in the Ares II series which is very similar in the cables section of my site.
Sound Signature:
Due to the excellent build precision I was able to get a nice deep fit and perfect seal on both ears, ensuring that there is no frequency leak due to fit issues.
As I always do with all my earphone reviews I burned these in for 150 hours before starting to listen to them.
From the get go I am very impressed, it sort of reminds me of the first time I listened to the FitEar 334 famous Japanese earphones.
The signature fullness hits you first but it does not feel coloured at all, it is kind of neutral but has a very energetic feel and dynamic engaging presence to it.
The bass is full but in no way dominating. It is expertly controlled with great recovery on fast paced and dynamic tracks.
It stays rich and deep without any clouding of resolution. The focus spans primarily low to mid range but glides higher when needed.
The layering is very smooth and even though you can clearly identify the separation distinctly, it expertly weaves the layers together to create a detailed tapestry of sound, with all the instruments clear and well placed.
Pianos sound real with a natural weight very difficult to capture, key notes are sustained accurately and decay perfectly.
Soundstage is wide but not hugely so, just enough to create an engaging rounded signature without feeling too thick.
Mids are solid but not overly warm, just covering the ranges beautifully and adding to the coherent signature.
Vocals are natural sounding and clear, relaying an emotional richness. Every shift of air movement is captured effortlessly making you feel like it is being sung just for you on well mastered tracks.
As the name Samba is inspired from the lively energetic Brazilian created dance which can be seen in the Rio carnival, this earphone certainly lives up to it’s name and shares many synergies with the Brazilians.
Much like the Brazilians the Samba Pro is:
- An eclectic, beautifully tuned earphone that takes a myriad of diverse qualities and consistently rises upward with its spirit to produce an amazingly coherent solid and resilient sound signature.
- It shines with lively vitality and energy , there is no treble harshness, just well balanced precise rendering and richness.
- It has a fun, open and welcoming musicality which radiates joy to those who wish to join this private party.
- It’s well toned, with a firm weighty character yet agile and dynamic.
For me the Samba earphones deliver a carnival of audio pleasures, the signature blended and energetic with a unified feel of the crowd grooving as one, each and every participant uniquely contributing their own detail and expression to build something larger than their solo.
It creates a coherent wave of soulful joy, bringing light and vibrancy, thoroughly immersive, keeping you deep in that musical moment with its expert tuning and vivid inspiring signature.
