Specifications： Port：Input Bluetooth Output 3.5 Single End/4.4 Balance Bluetooth audio transmission format support: SBC，MP3，AAC，APT-X , APTX-L，APTX-LL，APTX-HD，LDAC Performance： Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz THD 0.06% SNR 104db MAX. POWER OUTPUT： Single End 2.9Vpp（32Ω） Balanced 2.8Vpp（32Ω） Others DAC Chip ES9038Q2M Chassis CNC aluminum alloy Dimensions 117.5 x 59.2 x 16（mm） Weight 186g Battery Life 3.5 ：8 hours 4.4 ：6 hours Charging 5V 2A/3.5 Hours Battery 2000 mAH Introduction I am pleased to be supporting yet another boutique manufacturer...

Intro Which Planer Magnetic earphones deliver for you? Planar drivers are extremely capable drivers and there is currently an avalanche of Planar earphones on the market. I had the pleasure of listening to the S12, the original Letshouer planar earphones, lent to me by a kind friend. Good fun! Do the S12 Pros deliver? Disclosure The S12 Pros were sent to me by Letshouer, free of charge and, in return, I undertook to review them, if to me, they are worth the time invested in reviewing them. I have never been paid by anyone to review anything...

Intro There are so many In Ear Monitors (IEMs) being released everyday, it is no surprise that even the most favoured appear to be a “flash in the pan”. In no time the flavour of today is forgotten, lost. Then there are many more new releases, most of which just fad away before they are even noticed. The Wan Er (as spelt on Official Tangzu Audio Store on AliExpress) deserves to be heard, as to whether they stand up to the test of time, it is up to those who want to vote with their money. For me the Wan Er deserve to be noticed, heard and hopefully...

Intro Sometimes, things happen that are to be cherished. I had never heard of Aure Audio until I clicked on a link in pursuit of information about a new model for another brand. In the host of posts on that Facebook page was a post by Nicholas of Aur Audio talking about their Aure earphones. A bit of reading later, I was making an order for the Aure, totally unplanned……I have no regrets, what I have had is lots of pleasure from these earphones. I later discovered from the Aur Audio website that the business was set up by two audiophiles to produce...

Intro These days, we have a lot of choice out there but sometimes something stands out of the crowded marketplace, and yes, I have not tried everything but I have used various dongle DAC/Amps, some with Bluetooth option, some without. As I have the BTR5 and now the BTR7, I can only tell you that, in my experience and in my opinion, the BTR5 has been has been a joy to own and use. I am not saying it is the best thing in town, because I have not heard them all, but what I can say is that the BTR5 has a lot to offer. The BTR5 had the option of 2.5mm...

Introduction The Kai are the most recent release from TRI and for the first time TRI has produced earphones as part of a collaboration. The Kai are a collaboration between TRI and Hawaii Bad Boy (HBB) a popular YouTube audio reviewer) hence the moniker, HBB. I rather like the name Kai. The Kai are a single dynamic set of In Ear Monitors (IEMs) for ease of reference I set out the detailed specifications of the Kai below: Specifications: Driver Type : 9.8mm Single Dynamic Driver. Diaphragm Type : 3rd Generation Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) Diaphragm...

Shanling M7 Specifications: Dimensions – 129 x 78 x 20 mm Weight – 312g Display – 5-Inch 1920 * 1080 Operating System – Open Android 10 CPU – Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 Memory – Ram 6GB, ROM 128GB + single Micro SD card slot Hi-Res support – 32/768 & DSD512 & MQA 16X Bluetooth – Bluetooth 5.0, two-way, LDAC, LHDC, aptX HD, aptX, SBC Support Wi-Fi – 2.4G/5G, supporting DLNA, Airplay DAC – ESS ES9038PRO Amplifier – ADA4896-2 + MUSES8920 + OPA2211 + BUF634 Output Power – Single-ended 400 mW@32Ohm // 900mW@32Ohm Balanced Output – 3.5mm single...

Intro The KA2 is small, simple dongle DAC, which produces incredibly good sound. The KA2 is different in that it comes with only a 4.4mm output no other output socket. The KA2 is a mini Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and Amplifier (Amp) which has a USB C for data connection to your computer or mobile phone. Note that you have the option to buy the KA2 with an Apple Lightening data connection, which this unit did not come with, so I did not test the Lightening version. You have to opt for the Lightening connection at the point of purchase...

Intro For those not familiar with the Douk Audio Littlebear, a short introduction. The Littlebear comes in two versions, both portable, they are both tube amplifiers, one which is balanced, B4X and the other not balanced, the B4. For the purposes of this review, we are only concerned with the dual mono balanced version, the B4X. Burson Audio, a leading audio brand has made various OpAmps used by manufacturers in various products and by enthusiasts for after market modification of products,. Burson have on this occasion brought to market the...

Intro The Autumn is the most recent In Ear Monitors (IEMs) made by BQEYZ, not only do they exude elegance and quality in looks and build, they also come with an innovative approach to sound tuning, magnetic tuning filters. However, what is important is the sound, how is the sound, and are the tuning options any good? Disclosure BQEYZ kindly provided me with a review unit of the Autumn. In this article I provide my honest opinion of the Autumn, nothing I say is given to anyone for approval. All views I express are my views. I avoid reading other...

Intro The Orbs are the first In Ear Monitors (IEM) from Penon which I have heard. The Orbs are a hybrid, Dynamic Driver (DD) and Balanced Amature (BA) set of IEMs. Disclosure and Note Penon Audio provided me with a set of Orbs for review. I provide my honest opinion of the Orbs without limitation, nothing I say is given to anyone for approval. All views I express are my own views. I am not influenced by anyone, and I am not paid, and I have never been paid, to express any views positive or otherwise on any product. Form, Fit and Function Form...

Intro The Shozy SCB2, is a product of the Shozy brand in collaboration with ISN. Disclosure and Note A review unit of the Shozy SCB2 was sent to me by Penon Audio, on the understanding that I would be free to give my honest opinion on these In Ear Monitors. All opinions are my own with no influence as I avoid reading other reviews of the same item before I have written my review. I make an effort to ensure that I give the reader factual information. I have never been paid for any review, nor would I accept payment. I review as an audio...

Effect Audio Axiom with Maestro Cable Introduction For those not familiar with Effect Audio (EA) they are a Singapore based company, primarily known for their premium cables, I emphasise, premium both in quality and price. In this review, I evaluate Effect Audio’s Axiom In Ear Monitors (IEMs) and Maestro cable. As an introduction to those who are not aware, Effect Audio appears to have taken a corporate decision to do their part to reduce waste, this has taken the form of small packaging, and in their recently launched set of IEMs (I use the terms...

Intro This DAC/Amp, as I understand it, the TK-2 is a collaboration between TRI and KAEI. My guess is that the name is derived from the first letter of the names of the collaborating companies. The first iteration may have been spotted on the display table at an audio show in China last year. In the limited time I have used the TK-2, it appears to me to be a more than capable portable DAC/Amp with a few minor tweaks required in future iterations. Disclosure and Note The T-K2 DAC/Amp was sent to me by KBEAR/TRI as pat of the European Review Tour...

Intro I will refer to the Ikko OH1s as the Gems, in this review. The Gems are a set of IEMs which follow the successful Ikko OH10. The OH10s are a bass emphasised set of IEMs, which begs the questions, are the Gems an attempt at a counter-balance to the OH10s? Are they deserving of the name “Gems”. Disclosure The Gems were sent to me by IkkoAudio for review. You can buy the ITM01 here:https://www.ikkoaudio.com/ All opinions I express here are my own with no influence from anyone. No one has editorial control or influence over the contents of this...

Intro A dongle, a Dongle DAC, a USB DAC, a DAC/Amp? There are so variations and the boundaries between the devices even more blurred. The Ikko Zerda is what I would call a USB DAC/Amp. There are modes, which alter the sound. In essence, it is a Mini Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and Amplifier (Amp) which has a USB data and power connection to your computer or mobile phone. The ITM01 comes with some interesting innovations namely, a unique magnetic data connector and a choice of three sound modes. Disclosure The Ikko Zerda ITM01 was sent to...

Intro When I first put the X7s in my ears, they just gave me this wonderful relaxed feeling you get when you get into the plush lobby of a very expensive hotel. The feeling of being cosseted by soft seats while listening to very soft music which although set at very low volume you do not miss out on the detail the music presents. That to me encompasses everything about the TRN X7s, just gently lush. Disclosure A set of X7s were sent to me by TRN for review. I had no previous experience with TRN, until I received these and the CS2 for review. All...

Intro The CS2, is an affordable product from the TRN brand. I am new to the TRN brand so I can only say, I am told that the CS2 has the same sound quality as the MT1 (which I have yet to hear) but with more bass. I had no previous experience with TRN, so this is my discovery of the brand. Here I describe the sound I hear. Disclosure A set of CS2 was sent to me by TRN Official Store on AliExpress for review. All opinions are my own with no influence from anyone. No one has editorial control or influence over the contents of this review. I make an...

Intro The Fantasy are the most recent In Ear Monitors (IEM) produced by Cayin. I believe the earlier model was the YB04, a 4 Balanced Amature (BA) set of IEMs. Disclosure Cayin kindly included me in the European leg of their review tour of the Fantasy, for which I am grateful. The unit is therefore a loan unit provided free of charge by Cayin for the loan period. Following the loan period I passed the unit on to the next reviewer in the tour group. I provide my honest opinion of the Cayin Fantasy without limitation, nothing I say is given to...

Introduction The Aurora are the latest release from KBear. They are a single dynamic set of In Ear Monitors (IEMs)., for ease of reference I set out the detailed specifications of the Aurora below: Specifications: Driver Type : 10mm Single Dynamic Driver. Diaphragm Type : Titanium Alloy Diaphragm. Frequency Response : 20Hz -20kHz. Impedance : 18Ω ± 2Ω Sensitivity : 105dB ± 3dB. Interface : 0.78mm diameter 2-Pin earpiece Connection and 3.5mm single-ended plug. Disclosure: KBear kindly sent me this review set of Aurora, for which I am grateful. I...