Jialai Carat Review
Intro
Hello folks, this review and feature covers the latest from the audio brand Jialai named the Jialai Carat. The Carat is a single dynamic driver earphone with a nice driver, a nice design, and a nice build. Now, the Carat is not a completely new iem and it’s been out on the market for quite some time now. Perhaps, early 2024. Also, the Carat is priced with an MSRP of around $69.
Jialai
The Audio brand Jialai is most notably known as being an affiliate brand of Nicehck, but from what I was told, these are two entirely different outfits. Yes, they are linked, but Jialai is trying to make a name and some respect for themselves without the help of its popular cousin. Much less like CCA is to KZ and much more like Artti is to Letshuoer. Does that make sense? So, I will treat this brand as they want to be treated; on their own, separate, as they want to build their name from the ground up. I don’t know about you, but I kind of respect that. They want to fail and succeed on their own terms. Much respect due Jialai. Anyways, like I said Jialai is a newer brand and in truth, they actually make more cables than anything else. They’re actually very nice ultra budget cables. Check them out. Perhaps they are similar to a brand like Tripowin for instance. A cable maker which is trying their hand in earphones. I don’t know entirely. I will say this, I am happy to find out more.
Competition
I have yet to receive the Carat but I’m pretty stoked to try them out and see what they’re all about from my perspective. Also, I want to know who they are for, and I want to know if they can stand next to the litany of highly qualified iems within its price point. I mean, let’s not forget what iems are in the $50 to $75 price range. Um, the Simgot EA500LM (EA500LM Review), Simgot EA500 (EA500 Review), the Kefine Delci (Delci Review), and even more worrisome for the Carat you have the Kefine Klean (Klean Review). I could do this forever. There’s the IvipQ IQ-14 Shanhai (Shanhai Review), the KZ Zenith (Zenith Review), the Shanling Tino (Tino Review) for crying out loud! I’m stopping here but folks, this is easily thee most competitive price point in the entire Audioverse. How can the Carat survive. These brands have to FLAT-OUT & HANDS DOWN… BRING IT! This price point is simply too hot. Okay, my tracker says the Carat arrives in one day, we shall see friends.
Let’s do it…
It’s one day later and I have finally been able to hear the Carat. Not bad at all. It’s different, but not bad. Good enough to review. Certainly, a more fun sound. Though I haven’t burned them in, and I haven’t tip rolled or anything at this point. I am eager to hear them when I’ve finished my tinkering. With that said, I think I’m ready to dive into this review. Time to put the Carat on he burn-in station for a few days and get to critical listening. So, without further ado… the Jialai Carat…
Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:
Carat Pros
-Build Quality is truly awesome
-What a gorgeous and simple design with its mirror polish
-Not a bad unboxing for $69
-More of a thickly weighted sound, overall bass-fun experience
-Deep, earthy, fairly tight bass
-Midrange is a good mix of crisp and smooth, fairly musical
-Bright treble response yet with a smoother inflection, not bad
-Nice stage, not huge, but there’s some depth there, somewhat 3D
-Imaging is actually not bad at all (some caveats, I’ll explain later)
Carat Cons
-If you hate fingerprints on your earphones than this is a con
-Can come across shouty at times along with moments of sharp highs
-The bass definition is not going to blow your mind
-There are moments of too much spice, pretty sharp sounding
-Fans of a more clinical or analytical tuning will not be pleased
-The competition really makes it difficult for the Carat (doesn’t mean it’s bad)
-Eartips and fitment matter in how this set ultimately sounds
-More power does help (is this a con?)
Gear used for testing
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
The Jialai Carat arrived at my house in a very nice-looking silver box, medium sized (what’s medium Chris?) box, with a big “Jialai” imposed down the side of the cover and “Jialai Carat” in the middle. I don’t usually comment on box art, or lack thereof, but the Jialai box is actually slick looking. At any rate, open the box top and you’ll see the Carat earphones looking all dapper sitting in some foam cut-outs. Take out that layer and you’ll see the gorgeous black carrying case. Open the carrying case and you’ll find the eartips as well as the cable. There’s not much more to say, pretty cut n’ dry, but also not a bad unboxing experience for $69. Certainly not the best, but not nearly the worst.
Eartips
I’ll tell you what, Jialai did every consumer a solid with the eartips situation. They added in nine pairs of eartips over three different styles of tips. Or three sets of three. Also, all of them are solid and usable eartips. None of them are flimsy! Jialai! Way to go! You know that almost nobody wants flimsy eartips. Don’t add them in, ever. We want firm and rigid. Anyways, sorry for that. So, the first style are three pairs (S, M, L) of blue silicone eartips with a narrow bore. Each size has a different color stem. These tips are very nice for the right purpose. They are very firm, and they create a deal easily. However, I don’t think they are best for the Carat. The next style are three pairs (S, M, L) of dark gray silicone eartips. Okay, so these are identical to the last style only they are differently colored. That’s it. Same exact tips except they are dark gray. The last style are three pairs (S, M, L) of dark gray silicone tips with a wide bore, firm flange, rigid stem and are a shallow fit. I will most certainly use these on something. Just not the Carat. So, yes Jialai provided nine pairs of tips, and yes, they are all usable. That said, I don’t like them with the Carat. I actually went through a mountain of tips to find the ones which worked best for this set. Those are the Hiby WG01 eartips. You’ll see them in the pictures.
Carrying Case
Not every set between $50 to $100 comes with a carrying case. However, Jialai saw to it to add in a very nice case within the packaging. To be exact the case provided is a black case covered in faux leather. The case opens with a magnetic flap and is covered in a felt material inside. This really isn’t the largest case on planet earth as you can only for the Carat earphones and the cable. However, it fits nicely in my front pocket without looking weird. All in all, it’s just a nice addition.
Cable
Okay, now the cable is a different story. If you ask me, it’s not a bad looking cable at all. It has that super tight braid that many Dunu sets have come with in the past. A very hard braid. In fact, this is a hard cable. There’s nothing soft about it. Okay, ya know what, I don’t like it at all. It is super ridiculously springy. I couldn’t roll this cable up if I tried without it blowing apart, like I put an M80 in the center. If ever I had a pet peeve, it’s that. I don’t like hard to deal with cables. Yes, it’s somewhat decent looking but it’s just not the best. I didn’t even take any pictures with it and the Carat because I couldn’t get them to stay put in a photogenic placement. The cable would spring all over the place. At any rate, the cable is a black 3.5 single ended 2-pin cable with OFC wiring inside. So, I suppose it’s a well-made cable, probably indestructible… Lol. However, no for me. That all said, I feel that the Carat needs more power anyways and so I went with the Nicehck IcyMoon 4.4 cable which is truly wonderful. Using a 4.4 balanced cable provides me with more juice from my sources. Also, it’s such a gorgeous cable folks! I absolutely adore this thing. I use it for so many budget earphones reviews and I’ve bought many of them. Just a wonderful cable. Also, paired with the Carat I definitely feel that I get the most out of this set. We see this all the time with budget sets. My advice would be to expect cable swapping.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality / Design
Folks, for as simple as the design is for the Jialai Carat, it is truly a specially built iem. I am such a sucker for something shiny. It reminds me wholly of the HZSound Heart Mirror, just prettier. Anyways, the Carat is built using all-alloy, that’s aluminum to be exact. Jialai used a 5-axis CNC machine to carve the housing into its beautiful shape. The build is simply wonderful. I couldn’t mean that any more than I do. It’s gorgeous. Looks like jewelry. The aluminum is polished to a perfect mirror surface, and it appears that some coating is added to the outside surface too, only I can’t seem to find that info anywhere. Anyways, the build is truly fantastic. I applaud Jialai for this one. The design is just as wonderful. I love the partial polygonal faceplate with its three straight lines running from the back of the faceplates then narrowing down and converging at the front of the faceplates. Such a dope look! Also, the underside which seats in your ear is completely ergonomic. Now, the nozzles are a hair short and so you definitely need eartips which can fill the void and seal well, but I don’t think the shorter nozzles necessarily present a fit issue.
Internals
There isn’t a whole lot to report here but the Jialai Carat houses one 10mm DLC dynamic driver with a titanium-coated diaphragm. I tried finding out more about the driver or any other internal mechanisms but there really isn’t anything to find. Just another single DD within a market full of them. It’s a good thing that we all love single DD’s so much.
Fit / Comfort
As far as the fit is concerned, I really dig this set. I find the Carat extremely comfortable. I don’t say “extremely” very often but I do now. The Carat literally fits perfectly for me. Again, I had to find eartips which would seal for me but when I did the fit and comfort are out of this world. Wonderfully ergonomic for my ears. Also, they aren’t too heavy or too big either. Really a pleasant set to wear for long periods.
Drivability / Pairings
Output Power
The Jialai Carat is a fairly sensitive iem with a 32-ohm impedance and a sensitivity of around 106 db’s. No doubt you shouldn’t have any issues running this set off of a simple smartphone. I used an Android phone to test, and I easily got the Carat to good volume and decent enough dynamics. I used my iPad, my Fiio UTWS5, KZ AZ20, and many other lower powered sources and all of them were good. That said, this set wants and yearns for power. I absolutely believe that the Carat sounds its best with higher power. For me I heard the Carat in its best light with my 1-watt daps in medium gain. Without question the entire spectrum tightens up. Bass becomes less flabby and hollow, the piercing highs sound less enthusiastic, and it just sounds cleaner. Now, how much of that is from more power or because I’m using better sources with better chips, etc.? That I don’t know. I think it’s a little bit of both.
Source Pairing
The Jialai Carat comes across both heavy in the low end and somewhat bright in the highs. So, with that said, I personally enjoy neutral to warm/neutral sources the most. I do find the Carat to be fairly picky about what source I used as well. For example, using the iBasso DX240 I got some odd metallic timbre at times. This never happens with the DX240 as it is an awesome dap. However, with the Carat I was hearing a bit of that. Brighter sources definitely exaggerate the brightness of the highs and warm sources make the sub-bass a bit too muddled. I found the Fiio Q15 to be wonderful and believe it or not the Fiio JM21 sounds pretty good too. Well, also the Shanling M6 Ultra sounds good with everything so that device wasn’t an issue. Then, using the EPZ TP35 was also an odd timbre moment, hollow bass too. I don’t know folks, it’s simply picky. I don’t usually have this issue, but this stuff happens with some sets. What this tells me is that you’ll probably read or watch some bad reviews, not so great reviews, and some pretty good reviews. I learned early on not to judge too quickly and to try out all sources, all tips, all cables to get an understanding of a set. With a good source the Carat sounds very fun, and fairly energetic.
What do you need?
Honestly, give this set some juice. At the least a decent Dongle Dac with some good power to it. Flip it on high gain (if it has that option) and you’ll be good. I can’t say for sure that the Carat is going to agree with your source (or vice-versa) but I can tell you that feeding the Carat some power seems to really help.
Sound Impressions
*Note: prior to the start of the sound portion of this review I have to first mention that I did burn-in the Jialai Carat for about four full days. Yes, this helped. I also listen to flac or better files which are stored on my devices. The Android music player of my choice is UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) as well as Hiby Player and at times Poweramp (for any Bluetooth listening). I used Hiby WG01 eartips as I thought they fit the Carat’s sonic qualities the best and I used the Nicehck IcyMoon 4.4 balanced cable as well.
What’s it sound like?
The Jialai Carat has a definite V-shaped sound. A fairly well-balanced sound dynamically too. Meaning, the largest bass shelf peak and the largest upper-mid/ treble peak match each other fairly well. That said, there is quite a bit of bass weight added to the equation. Jialai stated that it is somewhat of a Harmanesque sound. Basically, it loosely follows a Harmon 2019 sound signature. To be perfectly honest, I don’t feel that the Jialai sounds very Harmanish to my ears. It carries a mostly warm/neutral tonal coloration but can get fairly warm and heavy in bass heavy tracks or it can get pretty bright in brighter tracks. Certainly, a V-shaped set.
Real quick…
Real quick, I have to add this little blurb in here folks. Personally, this is not my favorite tuning. Let’s just get that out of the way. It’s fun on occasion, great for cutting grass, chores around the house and other tasks like that. It’s fun. This is in no way my favorite. However, that doesn’t make it “not good”. It is a solid set. No doubt about it. Jialai did a nice job. The truth is, the Carat is simply a bit different from what we’ve heard the last few years. Nothing about this set is so egregiously bad that it isn’t worth the consumer learning more about it. I know plenty of folks who would love the sound of this set. With that in mind, it is the exact reason why I chose to review it. Like I’ve said in the past, I only review what I enjoy, or I’ll review something which I believe many others will enjoy. Basically, I want to enjoy writing about it. Circumstantially, I actually have had a good time with the Carat. Carry on…
Tell me more…
What we have is some boosted sub-bass, meaty mid-bass, boosted upper-mid area and a decent amount of treble representation. The Carat has very nice clarity as well. Unless you have a bass heavy track of course. It’s definitely a very particular tuning and not like many sets within its price point. Though I think many folks will enjoy it. Really, the Carat is not a bad sounding set by any stretch of the imagination. Give the Carat some juice and it doesn’t sound bad at all. Yes, there are most certainly some issues with the tuning too as there’s just some oddities with it. I will explain those as I go along. However, if you really want a fun sounding set with decent clarity, decent sound separation, nice extension both ways, then this set will help you with that. Having said all of that, the Carat is not a set tailored to strict audiophiles. Those folks will have some issues. Coincidentally, I don’t “only” review for audiophiles. I review for everyone. Newbies to audio junkies. I look at the Carat in the vein of a fun sound, more for casual listening. That said, the Carat will not be a good set to break down your music in a clinical way. Too much tonal coloration for that.
Condensed Sound Between the 20’s
To me the Carat is fairly high on musicality with some caveats. You don’t have a very detailed sound. Scratch that, certain regions sound fairly well detailed while others… don’t. Again, I’ll explain in a bit. Now, the bass region runs pretty deep, it’s heavy handed, weighted, and does bleed into the midrange quite a bit. It’s a less rigid bass, slightly softer at the edges. The midrange is slightly recessed but also highly musical. I hear a fairly rich sound in this region, it’s warm, yet it also thins out towards the upper-mids. Also, the Carat can get a bit strident and shouty at times too. The treble may be a problem for those sensitive to some treble boost, but I don’t find it bad at all. Jialai added a nice lift in the lower treble, and it has some decent extension too. No doubt the treble adds some nice clarity to the sound. The stage is pretty large with some added depth too. Instrument separation is up and down. It really all depends on the track. On more simple tracks (like any set) separation is pretty nice. Obviously in more complicated tracks or bass heavy tracks you will hear some blending. The same can be said of both imaging and detail retrieval. To be perfectly honest, I am having a hard time explaining myself covering this iem. However, I’ll give it my best shot. Certainly the Carat is not a detail monster and in the same breath the Carat performs admirably. There’s some me talk gymnastics go you.
Bass Region
The low-end of the Jialai Carat comes across pretty heavy weighted, earthy, semi-atmospheric, while it also keeps a nice tight note body. I found that the sub-bass certainly takes the brunt of the emphasis and can at times be a bit too stuffy. Power and tips help a lot in this regard. You can easily tighten the delivery of the Carat simply by changing these things up. In my opinion, the bass is actually quite solid. Yes, it’s a bit puffy and less hard edged than some sets. But it has some density to it. Great for a good bass drop, good for heavy bass guitars, great for double bass etc. Just a tad soft. A hair pillowy. It’s a hammer wrapped in a couple layers of cotton. Big thick muscle covered in a warm layer of fat. That’s what the Carat’s bass is. The crazy thing is that it’s actually tight. It isn’t flabby. Yes, the sub-bass can muddy the low-end waters from time to time, but all things considered, it’s a solid bass region. I happen to like cleaner lined and defined bass, but I can easily get with this. It has some nice texture, very authoritative and it can actually take on some speedier tracks too. Well, to an extent that is.
Sub-Bass
The lowest of the lows in the Jialai Carat have a heavy and deep response when a track calls for it. Extension is very solid. Guttural and robust with a deep-toned and rumbly drone. There was never a time where I questioned its extension. The thing which sullies the bass for me is that the sub-levels do bloat the sound a bit. Especially when the mid-bass and sub-bass gather. It’s not the most refined. However, this set also costs $69. And guess what, it wasn’t tuned to be some ultra defined speedy bass. I think sometimes we forget that. The Carat met the target that the company was shooting for. However, I find that the sub-bass has plenty of haptic and vibratory muscle which certainly adds the feels to any deeply recorded track. Songs like “Tell Me What’s on Your Mind” by The Decemberists. Oh, my does this song vibrate my eyelids. Just flat-out bulbous in its breadth and depth. Or “Mancey” by Andrew Bird. Another song that reaches deep into the depths and drones in a very rotund and sonorous way. If you were worried that the Carat wouldn’t reach deep, worry not.
Mid-Bass
Now, the mid-bass is a hair less emphasized, less stentorious and meaty. Still pretty darn stentorious and meaty though. It hits hard yet with a softer attack. Each note has a sense of tidiness without being well-defined, per say. What I mean is that it doesn’t come across as traditionally clean for a bass. It isn’t peppy, fast, and lean punchy. This set doesn’t have punch, it has blows, it booms. It doesn’t have that hard-lined snap at attack all the time. Now the mid-bass is pretty atmospheric though. I’d say decay is a hair longer in his region. Every note will run till its completion. No chopped harmonics. Bass guitar is very full, gravelly, and sweetly coarse. Like in Alice in Chains mega hit “Nutshell (Unplugged)” that bass guitar has some earthy roundness and beef to it. Also, kick drums sound very full too. Such as “Move Along” by The All-American Rejects. There’s a lot of harmonic resonances which carry a sonorous boom. The initial strike at attack is a hair fuzzy but it’s still fairly tight sounding. I should also point out that the mid-bass does bleed quite a bit into the midrange. It does proceed to give the mids (low-mids) a more warm and rich sound. Maybe not quite as detail oriented but the bass is still nice. If you are into that sorta thing.
Downsides to the Bass Region
For starters, the bass is not some truly defined and analytical style. Those who want a bass which will clearly define every last micro-detail in the region will be sadly put-off. The Carat won’t do that. Well, maybe in really simple tracks. Still, as I said earlier, the bass is not a fast, hard-edged, and tight bass. More like, fairly fast, soft-edged, and tight bass. Also, those who simply don’t enjoy a larger bass shelf may want to stray from this one. No doubt there’s a multitude of sets which will replay this region closer to their desired preferences. The bass region does get a hair muddled and muddy at times during heavy bass tracks too. Look guys and gals, it isn’t perfect. However, those who want “fun” don’t care about perfect. They want deep, hard, and boom. The Carat will give you that and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. I happen to like it. No, it isn’t my favorite, but also, Jialai didn’t ask me to tune this set to my preferences… Lol. Again, I review for everyone, not just me. So, if it doesn’t fit my “esteemed audiophile preference” (haha)… I won’t call it “bad” on those terms alone. Guess what, it’s pretty fun folks.
Midrange
Looking at the midrange the one thing which was nice to hear is a semi-rich sound with decent detail retrieval and clarity. No I’m not talking detail beast type of details either. I’m talking about a richer sound with pretty good clarity. No doubt in my mind it comes from the lift up top and trickles down juxtaposed by the heavier bass. It isn’t perfectly “tonally” cohesive, or perfectly organic either. But it’s nice enough. I could use a hair more clarity in the low-mids, but the semi-lush sound makes up for it. Also, the mids are not as “recessed” like we’re used to hearing from V-shaped iems. Maybe males sound less resolved and less energetic, but females come across with very nice presence. They certainly aren’t pushed back or distant. It’s almost like a tale of two midranges. The lower and the upper. The lower is more lax, less energetic, slightly less defined, softer in inflections. The upper is tighter, more forward, more resolute with a sprightlier demeanor. I’ll explain more later, but the midrange is fairly good. Dare I say… pretty nice. I wouldn’t call it my favorite, but for a fun set with a big bass and lifted treble I find the midrange is definitely acceptable.
Lower-Midrange
As I said, the lower mids are not the most energetic area of the mix and are probably the dullest region for me without being overly dull. Just less enthusiastic. You have a lusher note body brought in by the low-end falling into the midrange. Looking at the graph you can see that the bass shelf doesn’t flatten out until around 500-600hz and so there’s plenty of cascading warmth added to the sound. Having said that, the lower midrange also isn’t quite as clearly defined. I wouldn’t call it a bad thing though. Frankly, I hear a smoothness coupled with just enough edge to contour some male vocalists which can sound quite nice. At times. On the other hand, there’s definitely a softer presence, which doesn’t come across as separated or clean. The sound is somewhat muffled in comparison with the more precise, airy, and resolute upper mids. I suppose in that way the lower-mids are somewhat out of balance with the upper ranges. Some instruments are “kind of” thrown off by the lower portions of the midrange as they don’t come across quite as clearly defined. But for all of that, we are talking about a $69 V-shaped single DD here. Also, how often do we hear less immaculate lower midrange displays? Honestly, male vocalists really don’t sound bad, at all. Just less fortified in controlled energy and perhaps less “out-front” to my ears and they sound a hair out of balance with the upper-mids. That said, Calum Scott sings “You are the Reason” and the Carat completely captures his voice wonderfully. Gregory Alan Isokov in the track “Appaloosa Bones” is absolutely fantastic with this set. The point is, for all that the Carat’s low-mids may lack, they also have their own charm.
Upper-Midrange
Now, the upper-mids are just like I’ve explained, much more infused with controlled and clean energy along with a much more pronounced and remarkable residence within the spectrum. Females in general sound forward to the listener, very distinguished. Not so forward that they come across emphatic or strident either as to my ears the upper ranges of the mids sound fairly organic. Let’s put it this way, they aren’t so energized, lifted, or forward that I hear artificial coloration. Resolution is better than the lower half as well with better detail illumination and a more fine-lined cleanliness. Instruments benefit quite a bit as well adding some edgy snap to the leading edge of percussion, piano has the flowery tunefulness to come across pretty harmonious. Again, not perfectly natural, but also, who says everything has to be perfectly natural? I don’t mind the energy.
Females
Not to mention, females sound very nice to my ears with the Carat in my ears. Most of them anyways. Vocalists like Caitlyn Smith in the track “High”. Her voice sounds hushed and feathery as she proceeds through the first verse. However, she sounds resounding and symphonious as she hits the chorus. I will say, the Carat does get kind of tripped up in the instrumental chaos of the chorus section, but Caitlyn’s voice sounds very nice. Norah Jones is another wonderful example of a great voice for this set. Or any set. Anyways, her track “Don’t Know Why” comes across so elegant, so fluid, so mellifluous and sweet-toned. Now, there are some tracks which are a bit too colored, too glaring, too rambunctious. Tracks like “Sensitive” by Meghan Trainor definitely sound too knife edged, too piping-sharp at times with a very acute type of pierce. So, the upper-mids can get slightly more discordant than I’d like, but those moments are not very often. For the most part, female vocalists and higher pitched male vocalists keep in good control, have a very nice note body, with a nice amount of crispness.
Downsides to the Midrange
The largest downside for me would be the lack of energy within the midrange in certain areas. I should add that these “issues” rarely take away from my casual listening experience. It’s only when I’m paying attention to it and listening for it. I don’t want this review to sound as though I’m dishing on this set when in fact, I actually enjoyed listening to it. You know how it is; most tracks are great but there’s that one or two which just don’t agree with the set in your ears. That’s it. Now, mid-lovers who only want that beautifully organic and forward mid-centric sound may not enjoy how Jialai tuned this midrange. The midrange is not the Carat’s best feature, let’s just say that. Also, the mids are not the most technically proficient. Maybe the upper-mids shine a light on subtle details a bit better, but as a whole the midrange is not a technical marvel. Additionally, the upper mids can exhibit some shout and some sharpness.
Treble Region
Lastly, let’s take a look at the treble region. To my ears the treble is fairly bright yet there’s a definite cap to that brightness. Not to the point of overt shrillness. Just like the midrange there are tracks which can draw out more of the harsh qualities of the emphasized treble region, but they aren’t overly common when listening. Stuff like electric guitars can exhibit a raucous & dissonant edge, even violin at times too. But those are the only two instruments which come to mind at the moment. Most of the lift in this region is centered around the lower treble while the upper treble makes a somewhat steady descent before it peters-out. It’s actually a fairly clean and clear sounding treble with good resolution to my ears. I have noticed some points where more complicated tracks will induce almost a treble sheen and blur a bit too much. Personally, I’m not too offended by the emphasis in the treble, yet I can take quite a lot before it’s too much. I know many people who cannot stand even a hint of glare or shout. Also, I understand that well and most of the time that’s what I want as well. Certainly, the Carat doesn’t represent my favorite sound. But other than those issues the Jialai Carat has a pretty resplendent treble with adequate crispness, a natural transient response, and even some slight crunch to notes. I hear decent body to notes as well. Extension is a hair blunted as cymbals don’t have the most volume and vivacious dynamics, but they also don’t come across as splashy or tizzy either.
Speed and complicated tracks
I wouldn’t say the treble region is amazing or anything, but it’s pretty good for a single dynamic driver earphone at this price. However, like anything, it all comes down to what you want, what you prefer. Again, detail retrieval is above average in the treble region as that’s something I witnessed on many occasions. You have this semi-boosted treble, and that additional illumination naturally uplifts the sound adding air, adding perceived separation, and drawing out some of those micro-details. Though, a couple stipulations against that would be bass heavy tracks which force the focus away from the treble. Also, in heavily complicated treble tracks. Now, I say that, but then I listen to a rapid-fire track like “Ice Bridges” by Billy Strings and the Carat keeps up nicely. Notes are rendered crisp, decently defined, and they don’t overlap. As fast as this track is, it’s also very cleanly recorded and each note is well defined on the recording. You don’t have a mishmash or a miscellany of simultaneous instruments fighting for dominance. Note definition is good but too much treble activity at one time definitely can (at times) trip the Carat up. Which isn’t uncommon with many single DD’s. Take the track by Yusef Lateef called “Bishop School”. There are moments where the Carat just didn’t flesh-out or define every note. Also, there are moments where the treble was simply a hair too artificially rendered. However, in Laurie Anderson’s track “Born, Never Asked” the Carat does a decent job of keeping up with this very articulate treble heavy track. So, as expected, the Carat does some pretty good things, and some not so perfect things too.
Downsides to the Treble Region
The downside of this region would be that the Carat is on one hand brilliant and energetic, while on the other it has a drop-off in extension and some lacking dynamics. Also, the Carat can sound a hair harsh at times and the sound isn’t the most authentic to life as well. On the flipside, the treble has nice control, is fairly well articulate and has very nice clarity. Detail retrieval is nice, and the treble has good energy. Even with the slight drop-off in the upper treble it still has a dynamic sound up top. Still, this will not be a set for treble heads to drool over. In my mind the Carat is almost there. A couple changes and the sound would be much more consistent and better balanced. Despite that, the Carat does a nice job. Now, those folks who are more sensitive to this region and desire a warmer or darker treble will likely feel that the Carat is too emphasized, too energetic, and probably too harsh. I am not one of those people as I don’t find this set too boosted. Like I said earlier, there are simply some tracks which will bite you.
Technicalities
Soundstage
One of the highlights of the Jialai Carat is definitely the soundstage. I probably hear an average (what’s average Chris?) width of the stage. Not the widest sounding, though also not closed-in either. However, the height is great, and more importantly the depth is actually really good too. In fact, there are some tracks which sound almost 3D to my ears. Jialai did a wonderful job of tuning the Carat to present a very nice sound field. There’s some dimension to the sound which really does add to my listening experience. I never felt that the sound was cramped or constricted, at all. Really a solid soundstage. I love a good stage folks. It literally can alter how you perceive the tonal characteristics of a set just by having a nice layout of the sound field. It makes a huge difference and is a very important part of the equation. Maybe it’s the aluminum housing, the extension down low and the dynamic and energized treble, I’m not exactly sure. Yet the stage is certainly a bright spot.
Separation / Imaging
Another decently solid aspect of the Carat’s technical capabilities is in its ability to psycho-acoustically separate instruments. Vocals too. I wouldn’t say the Carat is anywhere near “Top in Class”, but the sound does have some air to it with a more expansive sound which definitely adds space for the elements of a stage to be individually perceived. Notes are fairly well controlled and clean; transients aren’t slow and laggy either. It all adds up to a decent job of separation. Imaging can be solid too. Effectively, the Jialai Carat places instruments and vocalists very well. There are some obvious limitations, both with the driver configuration and with the tuning, but for the most part vocals are dead center and instrumentation is well placed throughout the stage. Some constraints would be in bass dominant music. This is a common theme and a common contingency. Bass can and will mask sound, blur lines, and muddle up the mix. This effects details, separation, imaging, transparency, and even crispness, note definition and on and on. So yes, bass heavy tracks don’t help all the time. Other stipulations would be with complicated tracks. I don’t think that needs an explanation. However, all things considered the Carat does a nice job in both technical aspects.
Detail Retrieval
Now detail retrieval is a bit trickier to my ears. All of the stipulations and caveats that the Carat has in detail retrieval are the same caveats which affect the separation and imaging. Having said that, I feel the Carat has above average detail retrieval. In fact, I know it does. There’re simply some areas of the mix which are less defined and refined. Like I said in the review, the Carat has that healthy boost up top which does some of that artificial boosting, ultimately revealing some of the finer stuff in my music. Again, I really don’t feel that the Carat is forced this way in an attempt to illuminate those finer things like so many budget sets. Yet it certainly is boosted enough, is airy enough, with good enough clarity and resolution to do a good job here. Especially in simpler tracks.
Is it worth the asking price?
The $69 question; is the Jialai Carat even worth the asking price that Jialai feels the Carat is worth? The short answer is yes and no. Folks, this comes down to you. I feel that if you enjoy a V-shaped sound; big bass, bright treble, nothing but fun across the board, then yes. Truth is, there aren’t a whole lot of sets tuned this way anymore. At least not in the current market. I gotta tell you people, I have had a very fun time with the Carat. I can enjoy it because I know what it was tuned to be. You cannot overlook this fact. In the same breath, you can’t judge a V-shaped and fun set based on your audiophile needs without considering who this set is for. This is basic stuff. The Carat is a good iem for many reasons but it’s a great one for those who just want to casually listen to some guilty pleasure tuning. Nothing is wrong with that and for those folks I say absolutely this set is worth the budget price of $69. Having said that, I do not think that more mature audiophile folks will want to pay $69 for this set when there are less expensive sets which are tuned in a way to appease them. Seriously folks, there are so many iems which would fit those types of listeners under $75. So, it’s a question of preferences.
The Why…
So to answer for those folks who love that scintillating and fun sound I’ll try to lay out some reasons why. For starters, is there a better built iem under $75? I’ll be honest, I don’t think so. This set is so beautiful! It’s so well designed! It looks like it should cost ten times the price. This build and design do not reflect a budget iem in my mind. I would’ve never predicted that it would only cost $69. Also, the unboxing experience is actually quite nice for the cost. Not mind blowing, but also better than most. Though it always comes down to the sound and I feel that the sound will be the reason that some hobbyists will easily pay that price. For one, that bass is booming, very robust, thick, yet it’s also tight. A tad soft at the edges but very dense. Also, female vocals are very well done. I could go on and on covering songs with female lead singers which sound so very good on this set. Next, the treble is brilliant, focused, clean, well detailed, and it does so without causing too much fatigue. This is the type of set that’s perfect for working out, running, working around the house, cutting the grass, or just chilling and getting blasted with your favorite jams. For those folks, it’s a definite yes.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the Jialai Carat ratings below, that would be $50-$75 iems of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an iem what it is. A “5-6” is roughly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against. $50-$75 sets of any driver configuration is a large sized scope of iems. So, It should be noteworthy to see a rating above a “9.0”. My ratings are never the same and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.
Aesthetic
–Build Quality: 9.9 Superior build!
–Look: 9.8 Gorgeous at every angle.
–Fit/Comfort: 9.7 Extremely comfortable.
–Accessories: 9.3 Nice unboxing, good accessories.
–Overall: 9.7🔥🔥🔥🔥
Sound Rating
–Timbre: 8.3 Not bad at all, fairly natural.
–Bass: 9.0 Deep, palpable, textured and impactful.
–Midrange: 8.1 Clean, great female vocals for the tuning.
–Treble: 8.8 Sparkly, brilliant, well detailed.
–Technicalities: 8.2 Very nice set technically.
–Musicality: 9.1 Musicality first iem, very nice.
–Overall: 8.6🔥
Ratings Summary:
To summarize my ratings of the Jialai Carat I want to point out that I judged this set against any and all iems of any driver configuration between the prices of $50 and $75 US. Think about the litany of sets in this range. Take a minute. I could list sets for quite some time which directly compete with the Carat. I have many of the iems within this range actually. To be honest I usually live this part of my reviews even if I don’t believe ratings are good for anyone. That’s beside the point. It was just a very long and arduous process this time. There are so many iems in this range. I went with $59 to $75 because those who just afford $75 aren’t going to want to stretch their money any further. Also, if you can afford something closer to $100 then you aren’t going to settle for a $69 set. Us audio-folk aren’t built like that. Plus, it just felt right. Anyways, it was a true task folks. Going through every sound rating for each set in the same snippet of a different songs tailored to each rating (bass, mids, technicalities, etc.). Usually, I can’t wait for this part of the review. So, basically take my ratings with less than a grain of salt here. I was tired…Lol.
Explain Yourself!!
Honestly, there’s really nothing to explain in my eyes. I feel that every rating is about spot on. I suppose I could’ve given the “Bass” rating a few more ratings points if I cared more for quantity over quality but a “9.0” is high for as many sets as I had. “Musicality” is highly subjective and there really isn’t a good understanding or corporate agreement on what constitutes something musical. So, that could go either way. The rest I wouldn’t change. You may disagree, but I’d simply look at you, smile, and say “Okay”. To be fair, the Carat is not the type of set which will perform well in individual aspects of the sound. It’s really a set which brings it all together as a whole. This is one reason why I say that ratings aren’t nuanced. There’s so much more to say to accurately describe one’s opinion of a set. Definitely just disregard this section folks.
Conclusion
To conclude my full written review of the Jialai Carat, I want to first thank the good people of Jialai for providing the Carat in exchange for this feature at Mobileaudiophile.com. It has been a pleasure spending time with the Carat and even more so the fact that Jialai didn’t ask even once for me to speak a certain way, sjew my words, and they never asked for anything other than an honest portrayal of my time with the Carat. So, thank you very much, I cannot wait to see what Jialai does next, and I look forward to featuring more of this new brand. Really, thank you! Also, thank you for taking the time to read any word that I write. I as well as my partners at mobileaudiophile.com greatly appreciate you for taking the time to click the link to our website. Thank you very much.
Other Perspectives
You just read my full review, now go and read more reviews from other perspectives. I think this is one of the most important things that you can do to assure that you find the product which best fits your preferences. I say it in every review and this one is no different. Definitely, take the time to read, watch, or listen to other opinions from other people. It can only help. With that all said, I think I’m ready to close this one out. So, take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!