Jomo Audio Nautilus Review – Heavy Hitter

Comparisons –  

Oriveti OH700VB ($699): Oriveti’s hybrid flagship offers a similar style of sub-bass forward tuning but paired with a more typical Harman-style top end. It’s an interesting monitor with a capable driver platform. The OH700VB has a smidgeon more sub-bass set to a cleaner mid-bass. In so doing, it has heaps of slam and rumble but can lack punch and fullness. The Nautilus has a thicker, meatier overall bass and is no less physical. It is slightly more defined and controlled making it more technical while the OH700 is more separated but also less subjectively balanced. The OH700 has a more even-handed midrange. It’s a touch more revealing with a more transparent tone and body and also more upper midrange.

The Nautilus is one step fuller and its vocals are larger. It’s a touch more laid-back but not by a huge degree. Both are articulate, the OH700 can sound a touch thin at times while the Nautilus doesn’t suffer from this problem. The treble presentation is quite similar on both earphones with a small lower-treble bump, a darker background and sparkly upper-treble. The OH700 has a bit more bite in the foreground while the Nautilus offers more organic body and texture. Above, the Nautilus has a slight edge on extension and micro detail, both have beautiful dark, contrasted backgrounds. The soundstage size is similar on both earphones, the OH700 having a bit more width, the Nautilus more depth. The Nautilus does have slightly better layering while the OH700 has better separation.

Soft Ears RSV ($729): The RSV is certainly one of the best all-rounders south of that 4-digit marker. It has a more vanilla Harman-inspired tuning with a few subtle tweaks to enhance musical enjoyment. It has excellent bass extension and kick for a BA monitor but clearly falls short of the depth and physical impact of the Nautilus. The Nautilus has a few notches more presence. The tuning is similar, being thick and weighted, just more so on the Jomo. The RSV is quicker and tighter but lacks the same texture and natural decay. It has a bit more definition but the timbre is less authentic. The midrange is one step more present on the RSV. Despite the tuning being quite different, the voicing is actually very similar. The RSV has better separation and is a touch more revealing.

Meanwhile, the Nautilus sounds a smidgeon fuller and warmer with more focus on vocals but not by a huge extent. This is because the Nautilus is more articulate in addition so clarity is quite similar. Layering is terrific on both. The treble tuning is more linear on the RSV but also less extended. The RSV has a little more bite to its leading edge and notes have a touch more body and texture. The Nautilus by comparison is tizzier and more open-sounding. It has more energy, shimmer and sparkle set to an equally dark background. The RSV has a small foreground detail retrieval advantage and a more accurate timbre while the Nautilus has a notable micro detail advantage. The Nautilus has a bigger stage. Imaging is tack sharp on both, the Nautilus having slightly better distance portrayal and the RSV having better separation through the midrange especially.

Fir VxV ($999): The VxV is one of Fir’s most affordable options yet still retains tech pioneered but its flagship monitors. It’s a competing all-rounder though less novel in its design compared to the Nautilus. The tuning is coloured but overall more linear on the VxV. There is less contrast and it sounds a bit more mellow as a result. The Nautilus has a bit more bass presence and it is noticeably more physical in the sub-bass. The VxV has a small deep bass bump but also a notable roll-off at the very bottom. The VxV is a bit cleaner and more balanced while the Nautilus is tighter and more aggressive. The midrange is similarly tuned on both again, with more contrast on the Nautilus. The VxV has a bit more body in the lower-mids and a bit less warmth from the bass. It is also less articulate meaning overall clarity and definition are quite similar between the two. The chief difference is that the VxV is a touch more mid-forward and the voicing is more coherent.

By comparison, the Nautilus offers more contrast between its background and foreground layers and it highlights small details more with its more articulate nature. The VxV tends to sound a bit more consistent and forgiving between different tracks and it picks up a bit more micro detail. Treble is notably more present on the Nautilus. The character is most different here as the VxV has inverted emphasis, lying predominately in the mid-treble. This gives it an open, airy and holographic stage while the Nautilus sounds more focused, with more bite and layering. Both have terrific extension on a similar level. The VxV has a slightly wider stage while the Nautilus is more rounded and layered. The VxV sounds more holographic and the Nautilus has sharper localisation.

Jomo Emerald Instinct ($2999):  One of Jomo’s co-flagship models, the Instinct uses a novel dual opposing woofer system paired with BA drivers and a Piezo tweeter. Listening to both earphones you can definitely see the family resemblance. The Instict has higher contrast and more of a V-shaped character while the Nautilus is actually more balanced. Bass stands out much more on the Instinct and it has more of a mid-bass bias giving it a fuller, rounder expression. The Nautilus has a thicker bass with a bit more balance in terms of both presence and character. Despite this, the Instinct has notably more sub-bass rumble and power. It also has higher note definition. The Nautilus has a more accurate timbre and excellent quality in its own respect it just isn’t quite as liquid as the flagship model. With that said, I prefer the midrange tuning on the Nautilus as it is more transparent. The Instinct is notably more laid-back which is likely its greatest limit to wide appeal.

Vocals are clear, very articulate and well-defined but also noticeably warmer and more distant. In terms of resolution, the two are evenly matched with the Nautilus being surprisingly resolving of the minutiae and more revealing which helps this impression. While the Instinct offers less balance, it has a notable advantage with regards to spaciousness and more holographic imaging. Treble makes for interesting comparison, it is slightly more apparent on the instinct as its midrange is less present. The Nautilus is a bit smoother in the foreground while the Instinct has more bite and clarity. The Nautilus has better extension on measurement but the Instinct offers notably better fine detail retrieval and density in listening. Both have a dark background. The Instinct has a large stage. The Nautilus has similarly excellent imaging but the Instinct does so over a larger space giving it even greater immersion. The Instinct has better separation through the treble and bass due to its superior note definition while the Nautilus, due to its more balanced tuning, has better midrange separation.

Verdict –

While the otherworldly looks may suggest an IEM that caters only to a small niche, the sound tuning and quality are both setup to impress the vast majority. From the catalogue of Joe’s designs that I’ve tested, the Nautilus is easily one of the best all-rounders. The design and build quality are second to none and the premium cable is a nice added touch. If you want an understated design, absolute linearity and coherence or prefer purely instrumental music, the Nautilus may not the best choice for you. However, it certainly is one of the most technically capable IEMs south of 4-digits. It does so with an ear-pleasing W-shaped signature that does well for musical enjoyment and has been very well considered in order to uphold genre versatility and consistency. In particular, the bass tuning and quality are sublime as is the imaging performance. The Nautilus would be on my shortlist if you value an IEM that stands out both in terms of look and feel and technical performance.

The Nautilus is available from Jomo Audio (International) for $800 USD at the time of writing. I am not affiliated with Jomo and receive no earnings from purchases made through these links.

Track List – 

Billie Eilish – dont smile at me

Bob Seger – Night Moves

Courtney Barnett – Rae Street

Cream – Wheels of Fire

Dire Straits – Communique

Dirty Loops – Next To You

Eagles – Hotel California

Elton John – Honky Chateau

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours

H.E.R – I Used To Know Her

Jasen – BYE

John Mayer – Continuum

Kanye West – Ye

Missy Higgins – The Sound of White

Radiohead – OK Computer

TALA – ain’t leavin` without you

The Beatles – Abbey Road

The weeknd – After Hours

Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride