Canpur Audio is a hot topic around here lately. Their flagship iems (CP622b and CP54b) have been causing quite a fuss, particularly the 622b with it’s out of this world bone conduction bass performance. I get the feeling having read so many comments about it that the 622b may be about as good as any other flagship iem currently out there. It was this buzz that piqued my interest in their number 3 sett, the CPBA7 which retails at $999. I grabbed a set from Andrew at Musicteck and have been thoroughly impressed by it’s overall performance.

Quickly, the retail packaging and accessories are quite nice. The iem comes with a very nice leather case, an excellent stock cable that appears to be very similar to the Eletech Prudence and a nice selection of eartips. Nothing to complain about at all at this price.

Ergonomics:

This set fits me like a glove. Almost a custom-like feel. The iems are incredibly light weight making for a super comfortable listen whether you pop them in for a half or are in for a long Friday night jam. The Two pin socket is nice and tight but not so tight that you’re having to shoehorn them in with all your might.

This is a very attractive IEM with a wonderful green tiger stripe pattern. Nothing crazy but very very nice looking. It‘s similar in look to the Faudio Mezzo….so much so that I had to do several double takes to make sure I was grabbing the set I intended on listening to. Top notch build quality. Everything very clean and classy.


Sound;

Ok, onto the important thing. How do these bad boys sound? I did most of my listening with the IFi IDSD Signature Finale and the iBasso DC-ELITE. The overall point the CPBA7 is going to get across to you is that it’s a smooooooth criminal. I’d describe it as warm and lush but with PLENTY of air and detail. It‘s fairly balanced and absolutely never sibilant or aggressive in the upper mids at all.

Starting with bass, this set brings the thunder but not in a way that we associate with typical “big bass”. It mostly hits in the lower mid bass and up, but doesn’t encroach on the mids other than with note weight which is substantial and very pleasing throughout the signature even into the lower treble. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard an iem that has such substantial note weight, particularly with acoustic guitar plucks. It’s a really interesting and unique attribute that I am enjoying even as I type this.

The mid range is succulent. You’re in for a real treat with the male and female vocals here. Natalie Maines’ incredibly dynamic voice can be heard in its full glory as she creeps from upper mids into the treble with the ease of a true virtuoso. While George Jones, who can literally do anything with his voice that he wants also shines, from the deeepest bass he can muster into the upper mids, the greatest country singer of all time may as well be in your living room with this set. As I said, instruments carry an amazing level of weight and layering throughout. This is among the best mid ranges I’ve heard and was reminded often of the Vision Ears Elysium.

The treble region is, to my ear, preposterously well done. This iem hasn’t once shown me a single bit of sibilant or harsh top end. Make no mistake, all the information is there….and it’s tucked in with the weight of the mids expertly. This isn’t a set that’s going to knock your socks off with way up in your face resolution but one that will show you all that, while maintaining a pleasant balance thoughout.



Imaging:

I hear a very nicely expanded stage on the CPBA7. It’s a bit wider than it is tall, but overall nicely formed. Not quite holographic but not exactly lacking or constrained in anyway. This iem puts you in about the 5th row in a 500 seat venue.

Instrument layering and placement is quite well done on the 7. Nothing ever seems out of place nor is there any artificial out of bounds placement of notes. It’s a very “correct” sounding IEM.




I definitely feel IIke BA bass has come a long way, even in the last couple of years. The timbre of this set excellent. These balanced armatures put in major work here and I think they’ll satisfy most. The CPBA7 has certainly piqued my interest even more in heading up the line to their two flagship models and I hope to be able to hear those two soon!


I’ve owned many iems over the past 9 months. Some well over twice the price of the Canpur CPBA7. I know it’s become cliche to say, but this iem definitely punches well above its asking price. This is a fantastic all rounder for anyone’s collection. Give them a shot imo!

So, I‘ve owned a lot of dongles. I’ve had the L&P W2 and W4, the Cayin RU6 AND RU7, Shanling UA5, AK HB1, Lotoo PAW S2 and the Questyle M15 to name some of the big ones. They are all fairly mind blowing considering how close they get to top tier DAP sound quality with the portability of a pack of gum. I think the Shanling UA5 came the closest to the sweet spot for me, so much so that I purchased it twice. But in the end I decide to try one more….enter the Dita Navigator.




Upon receiving the Navigator from the wonderful folks at Musicteck I was VERY taken with the overall build of this bad boy. I’m not sure if it’s indestructible but it would take a seriously long fall or perhaps a sledge hammer to put a dent in the thing. The absolute best accessories of any dongle I’ve tried….ACTUAL OTG USBc to USBC and USBC to Lighting at ACTUAL USABLE lengths! It’s incredible how much difference a couple inches makes…..but I digress.


Dita is marketing this piece of kit as sort of an outdoorsman audiophile….for hiking or I guess just rougher use than your typical couch session with a glass of red. The oddest part of this strategy is the little hidden trap door with a….phillips had screwdriver inside…..not really sure….anyway, this thing sounds awesome!!!

This dongle sounds absolutely fantastic. There is no upper mid excess energy, no pulled back mids, wonderfully satisfying sub and mid bass performance and to my ear, perfectly extended treble with no fatigue whatsoever. In practice, it’s really got it under the hood. It powers my headphones and difficult to drive IEMS like Penon Quattro with ease and not just volume wise but to excellent sound quality levels, pushing Quattro to roughly its full potential. It even plays well with Hifiman Planar headphones like Arya stealth and HE1000V2. I’m extremely impressed….as evidenced by the fact that I still have this sweet little device.


Another quirky little addition to the Dita Navigator is that not unlike a Transformer, it’s back extends so that the device can be used as a phone stand to either watch movies or have perfect views of whatever streaming service you may be using. This little gadgety addition is actually very useful on planes or just having a cup of coffee down at the shop.




There is no charging the device as it’s completely powered by whatever device you have it plugged into. It does suck up a decent amount of my iPhone’s battery…probably about 35% after 3 hours of streaming. Not amazing but certainly not terrible either. My iPad Pro doesn’t drain nearly as fast operating the Navigator and with these LONGER CABLES THANK YOU DITA the iPad matchup is just perfection. The volume buttons have a wonderfully tactile feel as well as a very satisfying push that lets you know for sure that you’ve successfully turned the device up or down. These are the only two buttons on the device. Navigator is a no muss no fuss type of dongle for sure.


In conclusion, of all the dongles I listed above this one is my keeper. It’s absolutely perfectly within my sound preference wheelhouse. Has PLENTY of power and while it does play nice with IEMs it also won’t leave you disappointed with your headphones one bit. Heck, maybe one day I’ll have a reason to use the Phillips head….

I'd never really taken much notice of Faudio. I'd certainly seen the Mezzo and had heard wonderful things about it but it didn't really connect that it was an Faudio set. I've also never been a great fan of single DD sets although I did enjoy the Oriolus Isabellae. I really just took a stab at this set as it's price is very reasonable and l'd read a few good things and obviously knew about Dark Sky's reputation. So I hit up Andrew at Musicteck and ordered one up! As always, a pleasure to deal with Andrew.



I received the Spring and was impressed with the package. Very nice presentation, two cleaning clothes, a nice bag of different tips, leather puck case, classy warranty card and an instruction booklet. It borrows a bit from the Sony Z1R style of box with a drawer you pull out from beneath the IEMS to get to the goodies.
Very well done. Especially at this price. The cable that comes with the Spring is quite lovely. It's 24 AWG OFC with French pure silver and a soft fiber jacket. Comes terminated at 4.4 thank goodness. I'm generally not in love with fiber jackets on cables but this one is extremely soft and amazingly flexible. It's as comfortable a cable as I've used. It's perhaps bringing me around to trying others in the future. It's also a gorgeous great that matches the shells of Spring beautifully.



The shells Are made of aluminum and the build quality is top notch. I do use the silicon covers for added seal and to avoid any possibly paint chipping. Great job here by Faudio.



On to the sound:

If a review could be as simple as “this iem makes the prettiest sounds” I’d do it. Overall I find it very balanced but not at all analytical or sterile. It reminds me of one of those masterful Xylophone players. The gymnastics from note to note can be hypnotic. It does everything well.

Treble: Is perfectly extended but not offensive and I’ve heard no sibilance at all. It’s a bright IEM but I almost don’t want to use that term. There is no excess of energy in the upper mids. Everything is smooth without being particularly warm or rounded. The detail level from this single DD is legitimately epic. Faudio has this dialed in so well that when I put in a hybrid or tribrid now it takes me a few days to get used to it again. And I’m always fighting the urge to pick Spring back up and just run off with her. They seem disorganized in comparison.

Mids are spot on. Not recessed or out front…just set exactly where they belong. Male vocals are stunningly accurate and realistic. Female vocals are soulful and intoxicating. Acoustic guitar plucks are eerily set in these amazing layers within the stage. You can feel them, as if Dave Matthews were sitting with you on the couch. Notes dance around daintily with acrobatic precision and feel surgical in their placement. Every single thing is placed perfectly.

The bass….hahah. You get the feeling that Spring is a bit short on low end punch? Nope! Sub bass it there and goes deep. Mid bass is punchy and extremely well textured. There is nothing about this set that is bass light…despite the rest of the range displaying pixie-like balancing acts and gymnastic artistry. It all works perfectly together as one grand and gorgeous sweet sound.
This little DD also loves power. It’s not difficult to drive but Spring will gladly take some serious juice and do wonders with it. I tested with the Dita Navigator and IDSD Signature Finale. It sounds wonderful on both but I definitely notice the increased grandness with the IFi amp.


In conclusion, I can’t really recommend this IEM any higher. At $638 it’s the steal of the year in my opinion. We all talk about sets that “punch above” their price but I truly believe Faudio could have picked their price with this one. I’ve been fortunate enough to own several wonderful IEMS in the last 6 months.

Spartacus
Bonneville
MESTmkiii
Camelot
Trio
Singularity
and I honestly think Spring is the one that has spoken to me and my preferences the most of any of them.


Bravo Faudio! Keep them coming!

This review is going to be a love fest. I’ll just go ahead and get that out of the way. I’ve owned a lot of high end open back headphones since I started this lunacy. My all time favorite for years were the HE1000V2. I’d had Ananda, Arya V2, and then moved up to the hekv2. It’s still one of my favorites ever. But i was messing around on the classified board one day and lucked into a trade for a gorgeous pair of XTC 1. I figured…why not? I’d had John help me out with some Kennerton issues In the past and he was extremely friendly an efficient despite not making a red cent for the job he did for me.

I received the XTC 1’s and plugged them in and just sat back and became more and more impressed. I had not expected a DD to sound like this. I grabbed my he1000v2’s in an attempt to snap myself out of these delusions of grandeur. Long story short I sold the hekv2 3 days later and XTC 1 became my daily headphone.



Fast forward a year or so and John told me he was working on xtc 2.0. That it would have larger cups and he thought he could do something really special with the design. Take my money. Needless to say they are now my daily headphone and my favorite headphone I’ve owned.

I also grabbed a pair of Arya Organic because I still do really like HIfiman’s sound. I was really impressed with Organic. I thought the bass was improved and the stage had opened back up larger than the Stealth model. Having the Organic and XTC 2.0 in the house at the same time was really quite fun. Hours of nerding out ABing these things with different amps and dacs….really a dream for a dork like me.

The XTC 2.0 is the better headphone imo. FIrst of all the treble for me is much more controlled and doesn’t even approach fatigue. I couldn’t say the same for the Organic. She got a little hot with the extension. I found the mids pretty close from an enjoyment level. XTC 2.0’s Low end hits hard, extends lower and just has this incredible classy clean sound. In some ways a lot like a planar. I also found that the XTC was consistently achieving wonderful synergy with all the amplification I threw at it.

Ifi idsd signature finale
RME ADI -2
Woo wa7
and funnily enough they sound absolutely incredible with the Astell and Kern HB1. It’s an Impressive semi mobile pairing. Check it out….you won’t believe it!


I use the fuzzy pads and John’s silver cable terminated to 4.4. I have them on as week speak and Beck is working his magic all around my head. I think soundstage and imaging are probably the two most subjective things about this hobby. What I look for as far as soundstage is something about 9-12” outside my head, with height stopping at about eye level.

The other thing I look for is layering of instruments, both around me and sort of diagonally behind me. This headphone does things with acoustic guitar plucks that give me chills nightly.

I’ll mention the comfort factor again. They’re like helium filled or something. I grabbed a pair LCD-X 21 a couple months ago and my god. It was like a having a ship anchor fastened to my head. Brutal. Even the oval shaped Hifiman cups are not match for the overall comfort level of xtc 2.0.




So what do we have here?

Gorgeous headphone.
easy to drive
ticks every box to my ear
you don’t love the way it sounds? Email John, chat with him and he’ll get them exactly how you want them.

It really is the most customer friendly and unique thing going on in this hobby currently. If you’re on the fence, I would say go for it.


Bravo John!

Ok, so I’ve had a lot of IEM‘s. Like, I probably couldn’t come close to remembering every set I’ve had in the last 3 years. Recently, I’ve been on quite a tear though. Since July I’ve purchased or traded for the likes of:

Nostalgia Camelot
UM MEST MKiii
Elysian Diva 23
7th Acoustics Supernova
Noble Kublai Khan
64 Audio Trio
64 Audio Fourte
Noble Spartacus most recently


So, some really really excellent sets. Like, some truly wonderful monitors. The two that have really blown me away are the Spartacus and my all time personal favorite set ever….the Alambic Ears Mentawai.



I have to give the credit to fellow member cn11 for this review. He kept droning on and on about some set I’d never heard of by some one man show in France. I was like…What? Dude, YOU GOTTA HEAR THE CAMELOT!!!

Long story short cn11 sent me the Mentawai to have a listen…I think to prove to me that I’d been an idiot for a month thinking that Mentawai would amount to meh. Long story short, I begged him to let me buy it from him two days later and he was kind enough to take my money.

I won’t go much into the unboxing experience. It’s fine. Nice little box, the absolutely incredibly HOT Mentawai, a nice Open Heart cable terminated to 4.4 and a slick little leather puck type case. Cleaning tool and a few tips. Easy Peasy.


Let’s get on with it. Sound. My goodness.

Starting with the low end. This isn’t a bass head IEM but it’s an IEM with what to my ear is perfect bass. It’s grand and incredibly well textured with plenty of slam. Sub bass digs very deep and the mid bass brings a smile inducing sense of perfect satIsfaction. Make no mistake, Mentawai ain‘t shy about bringing the thunder. Throw on Candy Paint by Post Malone and you’ll get a great sense of what this set brings to the table in terms of low end. I don’t even care if you hate Post Malone. Just listen to on this set. At least once. It’s sick!

I’m tempted to say that the Mids are really what separates Mentawai from other sets in this price range. But that would be unfair to the bass and treble. And it would also be offensive to this price range as we’ve all seen….price matters less and less with every passing day. I’ve had 750 dollar sets that are superior to 2000 dollar sets several times in the last 6 months. What a time! I digress…..Mids on the Mentawai are impeccable. Male vocals are incredibly realistic and stand out perfectly against the rest of the range. Female vocals are so so sweet and natural. Nothing sounds artificial, cramped or the least bit congested. And most importantly for me, there is ZERO sizzle in the upper Mids. So many sets these days pump that 6k area up some which gives me wicked fatigue and a headache after about 30 minutes. It’s why I never bought Odin. And why i sold Gaea the night it was delivered. Yikes.

Treble….for me…it’s just outstanding. Very well extended without the first hint of sibilance. It’s really a very smooth treble experience but in no way am I saying there isn’t PLENTY of detail and air up top. Sparkle abounds with this IEM which is perhaps Mentawai’s most important attribute for me. This man has tuned this set with an immense amount of spatial sparkly and instrument layering. I’ve never heard anything like it in an IEM and rarely in an open back headphone. You know those sets that just blow your mind about 5-6 times a listening session….the ones that have you restarting tracks 2-3 times to make sure what you think you just heard it do actually did? This is the set. In spades.



I’ve read a few people say that Mentawai sounds like The Bird with a Dynamic Driver. I’ve never heard Traillii but I’ve heard a ton. Such a big powerful set. And there is so little information out there on the net about this masterpiece. This gentlemen deserves some credit for what i believe to be the best overall IEM I’ve ever heard. I’ve had it a while now and I still look forward to getting home to put it on and rock out for as long as my evening allows. The novelty is NOT wearing off.

Plus, it’s absolutely ridiculously sexy! I simply cannot rec it any harder or higher. Just get one.

John Massaria’s talent tuning headphones is no secret here at headfi. He continues to produce some of the best sounding headphones at any price. His latest closed back design, the XTC 2.5 has introduced to me to something I never thought I’d fall in love with…..a closed back headphone. Until I purchased the XTC 2.5 I hadn’t found a closed back that I kept for more than a week. I generally find that they sound artificial, very claustrophobic and severely lacking in the natural and gloriously huge sound of great open backs.

I have to admit that I had my doubts when John introduced me to this headphone. When it arrived I was excited but not looking forward to reporting what i thought was likely another letdown from a closed back. More on that later.


As many here know, ordering a headphone from JM Audio is quite a different experience from every other company out there. You have actual tuning options! And if the sound you want isn’t covered by JM’s extensive list of different tunings you just have a little chat with him and he’ll sculp the sound precisely as you’d like. I always choose ”Warm yet detailed” for my headphones and they’re always spot on for my preferences. I generally prefer the fuzzy pads but all the offerings are very high quality and comfortable. The golden cables are amazingly soft and supple.





When I first put my new XTC 2.5 in African Blackwood I was very pleased with the weight. These are not Titanic anchors like Audeze‘s offerings. They aren’t “light” but very comfortable and the weight is distributed very well. I can easily have a 2-3 hour session as they disappear on my head. The sound…..well they are unlike any other closed back headphone I’ve heard or owned. The stage is well outside my head with superb air and sparkle. Imaging is a blast….accurate and 3 dimensional. Vocals sound as if I’m middle stage 6 rows or so back. All instruments are where they should be. I get no feeling of confinement with XTC 2.5. They truly sound a lot like an open back headphone.

This brings me to bass. XTC 2.5 has some seriously well textured and DEEP junk in the trunk. Sub bass goes down..down…deep and LOW down on Béla Flec’s Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. This track will rattle your soul. Listening to it right now….hehehe.

Mid bass has terrific slam with no bloat and excellent texture. This headphone is a ton of fun folks. Mids are neither recessed or up front…just placed perfectly where they should be. Male and female vocals sound sweet and natural. Dave Matthews’ massive soulful high notes FEEL as if you’re there in Central Park in 2002. Adele’s ungodly alto vibrato is captured beautifully by XTC 2.5….abilities like these have always been specific to GREAT open back headphones for me. My partner is no longer forced to dig out her Beats ANC joints so she can hear her sitcom on tv. Sweet!



I find the XTC 2.5 an honest to goodness fabulous candidate for an all round everyday headphone. They’re very easy to drive and sound incredible on everything from my RME ADI 2 DAC fs to the Woo Audio WA7 gen 3 tube and heck, she even sounds darn good wit the Shanling UA5 dongle. I’d be remiss if I failed to mention what a revelation this headphone is with Woo’s new Mini Tube. Eye popping god tier stuff from those two. I’m addicted.

XTC 2.5 is by far my favorite closed back of all time and the proof is that it’s still sitting on my large noggin….with ZERO plans to move on.

I’m not a pro. I have listened to a ton of headphones though.

This all started when my dad wanted to sell a set of headphones. We put them up on the board and quickly there was a trade offer or a like new XTC open back Bio wool. I had been interested in this headphone for some time and John had helped me out with a defective Magni and a Modded gh40. I accepted the trade on my dad’s behalf and away we went! I received the XTC at my house and opened it up and was struck by how gorgeous they were. Build quality is very impressive and aesthetically they’re show stoppers.

I plugged them into the old Burson Soloist xp using a ifi Gryphon as a DAC. Put them on and was very pleased with what I heard. My favorite headphone that I’ve owned is the HE10001v2 non-stealth. Ive also spent many hours withAnanda, Arya v2 and Stealth as well as Focal Clear, Clear MG and a few Audeze open backs. I've definitely been on the planar bandwagon for a while. But after a half hour with the XTC I called up a friend in the hobby and asked her to come over and check this headphone out and to maybe AB with the hekv2. She was here in 20 mins with her Soloist and Gryphon (audiophiles lol) and the sonic porn commenced.



I was on the hekv2, she the XTC for about 45 minutes. We switched. The more I listened to both the more I was impressed with the XTC. Obviously it’s difficult to compare DD’s with Planars but the XTC was going toe to toe with the hekv2 in pretty much every way. Perhaps a fraction slower overall, but the bass quality was very similar with the XTC having a bit more where it counts. You know, the smile on your face geeked out as hell place! As well textured as hekv2, never boomy or wooden. And she goes nice a deep.



Alex looked over at me and asked for a trade, 45 minutes later we took some time to chat about the XTC and how it compared. My mind was pretty much already made up but you know how it is….always nice to have a second opinion. Her next words were exactly what I was thinking. ‘Dude, if you only want one headphone you could easily sell the hekv2 and have some dough left over for other toys’. She was correct. I sold the hekv2 the following day and ordered my own XTC biowool open back. Pumped! I sent my dad’s to him and he immediately echoed our thoughts, it’s his only headphone now as well.

Ordering from John is a truly unique experience. He will literally tune these exactly how you want them tuned. If you don’t love it, you send them back and he’ll tweak them for you. As far as this goes, he’s the only one in game that I know of. So awesome.

I received my very own set about a week later. It sounded exactly the same as my dad’s (tuned warm with detail). Back to the sound….the mids are very present and not at all recessed to my ear. Vocals are very pleasing. Everything from the baritone growl of Ed Vedder to the angelic souring notes from Adele. Instruments remain extremely well detailed and appropriately placed. Acoustic guitars are particularly lovely on this headphone. Listening to someone like Dave Matthews or Tim Reynolds is purely magical. The feeling is that of those guys sitting in your living room playing 5 feet from you. Accuracy and realism are eye poppingly fabulous. The tone and reverb from Trey Anastasio‘s electric are spot on as well as he takes us on an intoxicating trip with each solo (albeit it normally at least 1 minutes Haha).



The highs are amazingly precise and razor clear. Details on my (warm but detailed) set are so impressive. I’ve heard more detailed headphones (hekse and the XTC Beryllium) bring the details more into your face, the XTC Beryllium to a lesser extent but a bit more on that later! For you detail freaks out there I do not think you’ll find this headphone lacking in that department.


Just a couple things that I’m going to squeeze in here (review experience). I’m using the flat out awesome fuzzy pads which literally feel like they massage your head. The most comfy pads I’ve personally ever had. And about the overall comfort….this headphone is incredibly light and while it sounds cliche, they really do disappear on your head. I can easily listen to this headphone for hours up hours if time allows.


As is often the case in this hobby….a few weeks later my curiosity in the Beryllium XTC open took a hold on me. You know the feeling….you don’t need it…but good lord you WANT it. Obviously I owned one several days later.

Biowool vs. Beryllium

So, some of this will obviously depend on your gear but running the Beryllium through the same soloist/gryphon stack the Beryllium driver is a bit less warm, a bit more detailed, very similar bass and mids. It’s a bit less full sounding but that isn’t to say it’s not. There are just some subtle differences. Note weight is a bit more detail oriented and lighter. But again, not at all like a 180 situation. Treble is very well extended and crystal clear and some of the most accurate I’ve heard. I wouldn’t call it in your face but compared to the biowool it is a bit closer. Not at all intrusive or troubling. For me, I reach for the biowool probably 3 out of 5 times. Which is to say I’m completely in love with both headphones. It’s a bit of a ”mood’ decision for me. If I want to put on the most comfortable slippers on earth I go for the biowool. If I’m feeling up for a bit more of a night out on the town I grab the Beryllium.