Mitchell and Johnson – MJ2 Headphone – Electrostatic Elevation

Sound Signature:

As always the most important part of any headphone review is the sound signature.

Prior to this assessment we used 200 hours of burn-in for these headphones.

The over the ear design and soft earcups add to the comfort when wearing these. Making the MJ2 headphones feel fairly light and provide a very accessible fit.

Now we have a great fit, let us go through the familiar band of frequency ranges that all us portable audio fans are interested in.

The bass tuning in is mostly neutral will a slight raise towards its upper end.
It is not a dominant element amongst the frequencies but does have a refined feel with a smooth and natural rounded character. I find the linear nature of this region pleasant with a comforting richness and well balanced coherence. Even with fast dynamic bass focused tracks the MJ2 can navigate the pace quite effortlessly, however don’t expect a punchy style kick as this headphone has must smoother tuning in this area giving more focus on texture than impact. The deepness is not distorted and these retain a delicate soft textured depth. I have no complaints about this area of tuning and I’m sure it will have ideal strength and energy for many listeners out there.

I am a big fan of sound stage presence on earphones, it is not always easy to achieve, too much and everything sounds distant and a bit artificial, too little and breath of signature is lost. These have a relatively close stage presence but there is no muddying and instrument positions are well placed. I think it is inline with the rest of the signature and works well

Lowermids are again mostly neutral, maintaining the signature coherence and supporting the clarity of instruments, giving them a natural presence with no muddying. The bass presence in this area provides a welcome addition to the weight and strength of the signature.

Mids are clear and vocals have a welcome natural aspect to them. The precise level of detail on most instruments is pretty impressive. This region captures the listeners attention especially with regard to the imaging and positioning. Still with this focus, the MJ2 holds its overall cohesion with the rest of the frequency ranges. At no time does this sound fatiguing or thin when paired with a good synergy source. In this instance the Callia Dac.

Uppermids again are smooth and sensitivity in this area is kept under control. Vocals are a little forward, drawing in the listeners focus while staying close and intimate. The emotion and soul of the singer is done justice. Even though these are very well balanced and smooth these still maintain an energetic rich feel to them with precise control.

Treble is very pleasant and does not feel harsh, fatiguing or sibilant at all. A difficult feat for most headphones to achieve. These really shine in this area, giving the welcome sparkle without sounding artificial or losing the signature balance.

As you can probably we at earphonia.com are pretty impressed by the sound signature tuning of the MJ2 earphones and congratulate Mitchell & Johnson for bringing the electrostat experience and making it accessible to an audience that previously may have been priced out.

Thanks for persisting with the innovation and we look forward to other interesting product releases in future.