ddHiFi Janus 3 and M120B digital cable

Third time’s a charm!

PROS: updated design, refined balanced tuning with a natural tonality, modular cable, can be worn with a cable up or down, budget price; M120B combines usb dac dongle and cable in one, improves treble extension of Janus 3.

CONS: mmcx only instead of mmcx/2pin like in previous versions, buying Janus 3 and M120B bundled together is a better value.

The product was provided to me free of charge for the review purpose in exchange for my honest opinion.

Manufacturer/product website: Janus 3, M120B. ddHiFi products available for sale directly or from retailers like Bloom Audio.

Intro.

You have to be living under a rock if you never heard of ddHiFi and their stylish audiophile accessories created by Demond Ding which includes quality cables, numerous adapters, various interconnects, compact usb-c and lightning dongles, and many practical storage and travel case solutions for audio gear. As I have mentioned in my previous reviews, I use ddHiFi products daily and probably more often than any other audio gear I have access to.

While they do focus on accessories and try to make them stand out based on their functionality and fashionable audiophile appeal, back in 2020 ddHiFi decided to enter IEMs market and introduced the original model of Janus earphones. I had a pleasure of testing their early prototype, even provided the feedback which I was happy to see being implemented, then continued to follow these IEMs through Janus 2 and recently introduced Janus 3 versions.

I haven’t had a chance to put together a dedicated review for their previous models because I felt that a review needs a meaningful comparison while I’m lacking access to other chi-fi releases. But with so many improvements from Janus to Janus 2 and now Janus 3, both in the design and the sound tuning, I decided this will be a great opportunity to look into the evolution of Janus IEMs and as a bonus to talk about recently introduced M120B digital cable. So, here we go!

Unboxing and Accessories.

While keeping up with their eco-friendly principles, ddHiFi product packaging is usually simple, uses recyclable materials, and still quite elegant in presentation. Here the outer cover unfolds like an origami to reveal a packaging box with everything securely organized in separate compartments. In addition to a pair of Janus 3 earpieces referred to as E2023 model, you will also find a set of ddHiFi brand name ST35 eartips, a compact storage zipper case, and a modular-plug terminated cable with mmcx connectors.

ST35 eartips (3 pairs, S/M/L) are ddHiFi own design made from a soft medical grade silicone. They have a very comfortable fit and feature a narrow bore opening, rounded dome shape of the cap, and thicker inner core with a decent grip to stay secure on the nozzle. But as I always say, the selection of eartips is very subjective, and I strongly recommend going through your eartips collection while testing new IEMs before jumping to the final conclusion about the sound tuning.

The included cable is thin and lightweight, OCC copper material with a layer of shielding, having a typical 1.2m length, and featuring an interchangeable modular plug with included 3.5mm and 4.4mm tips. The cable has mmcx connectors since Janus 3 is mmcx-only now. Also, there are no pre-shaped earhooks since Janus IEM series is designed for straight down or over-the-ear cable wearing. Being a thin cable, I did notice some microphonics, but it wasn’t too bad.

Design.

This latest 3rd gen design of Janus introduced a number of changes, surprisingly, dropping a support of the original “two face” 2pin/mmcx connector design. To simplify the wiring and the internal structure of the shells, Janus 3 has only mmcx connectors. Another big change is the introduction of the angled nozzle instead of symmetrically perpendicular design found in previous Janus and Janus 2. But even with a new angled design, Janus 3 lightweight (5.5g each) shells still maintain a comfortable and secure fit with either cable down or up over-the ears.

Inside you will still find the updated single DD driver, per ddHiFi: now featuring a new 10mm driver with ultra-low distortion lithium-magnesium alloy dome composite diaphragm. Also, unlike the original Janus with internal ribbon cables, Janus 3 has a more traditional wiring, the same as in Janus 2. As already mentioned, connectors are mmcx only. The shell itself has a bi-color green and silver finish, with the nozzle and the front dome of the shell using CNC aluminum alloy unibody molding and the back using high-strength polycarbonate green transparent material.

The venting of DD driver is implemented using one pinhole on the front by the base of the nozzle and the other bigger port located opposite of the mmcx connector socket. The tip of the nozzle has a mesh cover to keep the earwax out, and the front dome has ddHiFi logo with L/R side marking. In theory, the angled nozzle should guide which side is left or right, but it is still easy to get confused and I would have wished they implemented red marking for the right side like they have done it in Janus and Janus 2.