JH Audio

JH Audio is an American company founded by sound engineer Jerry Harvey that creates top-tier in-ear monitors.

Although JH Audio was established in 2007, Jerry Harvey’s history with in-ear monitors dates back to the mid-1990s. In 1994–1995, in-ear monitoring technology was still in its infancy and far less widespread than it is today. At the time, Jerry was working as a sound engineer for the band Van Halen. During one of their rehearsals, the band’s drummer, Alex Van Halen, complained about the excessive noise on stage; the deafening volume from the stage monitors and loudspeakers was damaging his hearing and making it difficult for the band members to hear one another. Jerry looked into the issue, and—finding the existing options inadequate—he designed and built the first two-way custom in-ear monitors specifically for Alex.

Van Halen were thrilled with the results, and word of Harvey’s solution spread quickly among other artists and sound engineers on the touring circuit. Before long, Harvey founded his own company, Ultimate Ears, which developed and manufactured in-ear monitors for touring musicians and discerning listeners alike.

After leaving, Harvey could not immediately return to the pro-audio sector due to a non-compete agreement he had signed. As Harvey himself put it: "I knew I couldn't just live off my old products; I had to push technology forward."

As an avid private pilot, Jerry set his sights on the skies, which is where his new company began its operations in 2007. Harvey designed and manufactured three models of revolutionary in-ear communication headsets for pilots. The company generated $300,000 in revenue during its first year. By mid-2009, Harvey returned to the world of music-oriented earphones by launching the JH Audio line of monitors (the aviation product line was discontinued in 2010).

In May 2009, hardly anyone knew that Harvey was returning to the business—yet just ten days after an audio trade show in Los Angeles, the company had already received $250,000 worth of orders! That year, JH Audio generated $1 million in revenue.

The client list for Harvey’s new company includes artists and bands such as A Perfect Circle, Alicia Keys, Anthrax, Disturbed, Garbage, Lou Reed, Machine Head, Mastodon, Steve Vai, Suede, Sum 41, T-Pain, Trivium, and Cirque du Soleil, as well as a multitude of audiophiles from all over the world. The company continues to refine its technology, has engaged in several successful collaborations with other brands, and has also launched a line of care products for in-ear monitors (IEMs).