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Astell & Kern Bille Jean
This One's for You
Billie Jean is the latest collaboration of In-Ear-Monitors (IEMs) between Astell&Kern and Jerry Harvey
Audio which feature a new Dual Balanced Armature (BA) driver system. It is another winning product
created by combining the experience and know-how of Jerry Harvey's IEM design and the quality production
of Astell&Kern.
Billie Jean brings to life a real audio experience that will take your music to the next level.
Utilizing our experience of producing the award-winning SIREN Series IEMs, which is loved by music
enthusiasts around the world, we were able to achieve a new level of accomplishment for those who enjoy
a genuine music experience.
Billie Jean features the patented freqphase™ technology from Jerry Harvey Audio with a new internal
sound bore design to bring clear and impeccably balanced sound from sub-bass to brilliance range. The
new IEM shell has been optimized to fit nicely in the ear, utilizes a 2-Way 2-BA design, Silver Tinsel
cable, compact package. The result is a brilliant pair of IEMs designed and built by Jerry Harvey, the
inventor of custom-IEMs, and Astell&Kern, the global leader in Hi-Fi audio.
Meet Billie Jean, the first dual driver Universal fit IEM from Astell&Kern and Jerry Harvey Audio.
The Billie Jean IEM features Jerry's iconic Rock 'n Roll sound; a well-balanced and wide soundstage,
incomparable dynamic range and Jerry Harvey Audio’s patented Freqphase™ technology make this an IEM
not to be missed. Billie Jean is the perfect match to compliment any Astell&Kern player.
– Jerry Harvey
Billie Jean Technology
THE SIREN SERIES
Jerry Harvey Audio has developed a whole new Balanced Armature Driver to offer reference quality IEMs for mastering and mixing works. The high-range drivers are designed to deliver everything with minimum distortion, while the ultimate mid driver offers perfect, flat sound from 10Hz to 5kHz. The bass driver was designed for an even steeper low-pass effect with no distortion.
Freqphase™ Time | Phase Waveguide
Most Multiple Driver IEM's suffer from phase and timing issues. Low, Mid, and High drivers all have
different impulse times. The higher it is, the faster the impulse time of the BA Driver. The lower
it is, the slower the response speed. This causes improper arrival times and Phase shifts.
The "Billie Jean" applies Jerry Harvey Audio's patented "Freqphase" technology, which uses precisely
cut tube lengths for each driver to minimize the phase shift of each frequency. This allows for the
High, Mid, and Low drivers to be aligned to 1/100ms for the most ideal phase curve. It ensures the
correct time alignment and phase of all drivers resulting the most accurate music reproduction in
the industry.
2Way 2BA Drivers
The Balanced Armature drivers used in Billie Jean are a customized BA only available from Jerry
Harvey Audio and is designed to bring more power with less weight. Billie Jean will surprise you
with efficient, yet powerful sound.
Jerry Harvey Audio's Freqphase™, Timephase, and Waveguide technologies allow this 2-Way 2-BA IEM to
deliver the full range of audio performance anytime. The special Acoustic Chamber Sound Bore design
has been carefully crafted to bring a wide soundstage with incomparable dynamic range, without
adding any interference.
We highly recommend you try Billie Jean with your favorite tunes, which will never sound the same
again.
Shaped for a Precise Fit
Billie Jean is over 30% smaller compared to Michelle Limited.
Its design has been optimized after a series of studies of different shapes of ear canals from both men
and women of different ages.
It fits and sits perfectly in your ears without bulkiness.
The Universal Fit Billie Jean is the perfect companion for Pro Audio applications such as sound
monitoring. With the noise isolation design and the IEM know-how from Jerry Harvey Audio, you will get
the best fit and comfort while you enjoy your tunes in a new way.
Silver Tinsel Cable with detachable 2pin connector
The cable used in the Billie Jean is not common copper. Instead, it is a copper cable plated with
silver.
The cable is manufactured by first compressing the silver plated copper wire, which is then flattened
and rolled into a steady interval that is then used to wrap around the Kevlar(or Zxoin & Technora). This
newly developed cable has astounding tensile strength and delivers the full dynamic range of music.
Kevlar fiber is used for 3.5mm unbalanced bundle cable and Zxoin and Technora fiber for 2.5mm balanced
cable. (2.5mm Balanced cable is included only with Billie Jean Purple model)
Conventional straight cables do not handle the frequent bending of cables and often short out. The
intertwined cable disperses the stress to the cable and offers better resilience. It's also easier to
wear around the outer ears as the cable shape can be easily adjusted for the best fit.
Kevlar
The brand name of Aramid fiber that DuPont USA manufactured. It is very lightweight and more durable than nylon, and has the advantage of being very tough. Because it is made of light weight organic polymers such as carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen, allowing it to be 5 times more stronger than steel. Kevlar is particularly strong against friction and is commonly used for body armor and aircraft tires due to its excellent shock absorption.
Zxion & Technora
Zxion, a patented technology from VICTOR in Japan, is a polyester-crystalline fiber that can transmit signals more reliable. Technora is a para-aramid fiber autonomously developed by Teijin in Japan. It has a tensile strength about 8 times higher than steel of the same weight and mainly used for parachute.
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Professional Reviews 86/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
83/100
Fit Comfort Isolation
90/100
Build Accessories
90/100
Value for Money
88/100
Astell & Kern’s Billie Jean delivers rhythmic immediacy and impressively coherent dual-BA sound, pairing rich, textured vocals with a spacious, live-feeling presentation. HiFi Choice also highlights its secure, unobtrusive fit and rugged pocket-ready design. For listeners who favour musical momentum over forensic analysis, this is a particularly engaging universal IEM.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Fast, unified presentation with excellent driver integration and strong rhythmic engagement.
Rich, well-textured vocals, weighty strings and a spacious, live-feeling sound.
Comfortable, secure fit with a compact angled shell, practical tip selection and useful isolation.
Well-assembled, rugged construction with a sturdy pocket-friendly carry case.
&
Cons
Fine detail retrieval and separation in dense recordings trail some similarly priced rivals.
Soundstage is spacious for an IEM but not truly three-dimensional.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 83/100
Reviewers describe a lively, immediate and coherent presentation with rich vocals and a pleasing sense of space. Its main limitation is a less forensic approach to fine detail and dense mixes than some similarly priced rivals.
Bass
75/100
The supplied reviews do not directly discuss sub-bass extension, mid-bass quantity, impact or bass control. They instead focus on the Billie Jean's overall immediacy and vocal presentation.
Midrange
89/100
Hi-Fi Choice finds strings weighty with convincing decay, while vocals are consistently rich and well textured. This points to an engaging, substantial midrange rather than a thin or clinical one.
Treble
75/100
Reviewers provide little direct comment on treble extension, smoothness, sibilance or air. The available listening notes do not establish whether its top end is especially refined or especially compromised.
Resolution Separation
82/100
Hi-Fi Choice considers the Billie Jean more of a big-picture performer, with some mix details less readily audible than through rival designs. It is also said to be faster and more immediate than the Audio-Technica ATH-CKR100iS, softening that limitation.
Soundstage Imaging
85/100
The presentation has enough space to let music breathe and gives Punch Brothers a convincingly live quality. It is not described as truly three-dimensional, but remains listenable and spatially credible for an IEM.
Dynamics Coherence
92/100
Hi-Fi Choice strongly praises the time alignment, finding the sound wonderfully immediate on demanding Nine Inch Nails material. The two drivers are said to act as a unified whole, with an energetic togetherness that encourages rhythmic engagement.
FIT COMFORT ISOLATION PERFORMANCE 90/100
The compact, angled housing is widely described as easy to fit, comfortable and secure, with useful silicone-tip sizing. It should provide the isolation expected of a well-sealed universal IEM.
Seal Stability
91/100
Hi-Fi Choice reports that the angled canal tube and snug-fitting body make fitting easier than with several similarly priced rivals. The three silicone-tip sizes give users a good chance of achieving a dependable seal.
Comfort
91/100
The housing is said to be unlikely to intrude on the ear, and both available reviews describe the Billie Jean as comfortable. Its unobtrusive shell shape appears well suited to extended casual listening.
Isolation
88/100
With the supplied silicone domes, Hi-Fi Choice expects users to obtain the required isolation once a proper fit is achieved. No reviewer reports unusually high attenuation, but there are no complaints about isolation either.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Accessories
90/100
Reviewers find the IEM well made, carefully assembled and rugged, with a bright but neatly applied paint finish. The small carrying case is described as sturdy and pocket-friendly, while the included silicone tips offer practical fitting flexibility.
Value for Money
88/100
At its $349 asking price, both Audiophilepure and Hi-Fi Choice consider the Billie Jean well worth seeking out. The reviews acknowledge that it is not the most analytical option against close rivals, but find its enjoyable, immediate character persuasive at the price.
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