Reviews by JQuB3
Spirit Torino Twin Pulse
Disclaimer:
I’d like to thank Aural Café and Pradipta for including me in this tour. I was given an opportunity to audition and review the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM and share my honest feedback based on my usage with my gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this writeup, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so.
Introduction:
This is Spirit Torino’s first outing in the IEM space and by golly they’ve hit a home run with this one. The twin pulse IEM has a pair of dynamic drivers in isobaric configuration on each side with the earpieces made of CNC machined aluminum. The isobaric drivers have beryllium coated membranes. All in all, these earpieces look and feel fantastic and are “designed to faithfully reproduce sound” - as per their website.
The IEM comes with 2 cables, one 3.5mm SE cable with a 6.35mm adapter and a 4.4mm BAL cable. There are 7 pairs of eartips (Silicon, Memory Foam, and Dual Flange), 3 nozzle types, and a cleaning tool along with a leather carry case. The unit I received was unboxed but had all the accessories packed in a carry case.
For the purpose of this review, I used the Flare Audio Audiophile memory foam tips with the stock 4.4mm BAL cable with either Sony WM1AM2, FiiO M15S as sources, both with and without A&K PA10 connected as a balanced amplifier.
Sound Quality:
The Twin Pulse IEM has one of the best bass responses off an IEM I’ve heard. The dual dynamic isobaric drivers produce natural sounding bass that can be boosted to a certain level with the red nozzles that can take things to bass head levels. The slams are hard hitting, especially with the red nozzle, but even with the default grey nozzle, the bass has good impact. With the default nozzle, the bass sounds natural and complements the rest of the frequencies well. There is good presence in both the sub bass and mid bass regions. There is a nice sense of depth and warmth in the bass, and it thankfully isn’t muddy, nor does it bleed into the Mids.
The mids are again a highlight of the Twin Pulse IEMs. They’re clear, lush, somewhat forward in their presentation. The IEMs bring out the nuances in vocals beautifully and have a natural timbre when it comes to male vocals. Instruments too sound very natural for the most part. The Twin Pulse IEMs have some good and organic Mids.
The highs are crisp yet gentle. They’re in no way piercing or sharp. Especially with the grey filter, everything is well balanced, for those who’d like to have some more presence in the highs, the black filter might be a better choice, personally, I liked the IEM with the grey filter the best. The highs have fair sense of airiness and sparkle allowing micro-details to shine. The treble here is more suitable for those who like gentle and soothing highs, and this is likely not going to impress airheads.
In terms of technicalities, the Twin Pulse IEMs have very good separation, and the soundstage is great, both in terms of width and depth. Especially when amped, I’d compare the staging of Twin Pulse to the likes of IER-Z1R, it is immersive, wide, deep and holographic. Given the price point, I think the Twin Pulse IEMs push above their price point when it comes to technicalities.
As such, the Twin Pulse IEMs can be driven off a source like the WM1AM2 easily without the need of additional amping, but the IEMs open up considerably when amped, hence if you have an amp, I’d suggest trying it out with the amp, to bring the best out of this tiny beast.
Conclusion:
The Twin Pulse IEMs are excellent IEMs for those who prefer a balanced presentation and like to have some heft in their bass. Airheads may not be impressed by this IEM as the treble is gentle. Mids are a highlight and for Bollywood aficionados like me, the Twin Pulse IEMs are a great set to own. Fit might be an issue for some, but I personally didn’t have any issues with the fit.
Disclaimer:
I’d like to thank Aural Café and Pradipta for including me in this tour. I was given an opportunity to audition and review the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEM and share my honest feedback based on my usage with my gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this writeup, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so.
Introduction:
This is Spirit Torino’s first outing in the IEM space and by golly they’ve hit a home run with this one. The twin pulse IEM has a pair of dynamic drivers in isobaric configuration on each side with the earpieces made of CNC machined aluminum. The isobaric drivers have beryllium coated membranes. All in all, these earpieces look and feel fantastic and are “designed to faithfully reproduce sound” - as per their website.
The IEM comes with 2 cables, one 3.5mm SE cable with a 6.35mm adapter and a 4.4mm BAL cable. There are 7 pairs of eartips (Silicon, Memory Foam, and Dual Flange), 3 nozzle types, and a cleaning tool along with a leather carry case. The unit I received was unboxed but had all the accessories packed in a carry case.
For the purpose of this review, I used the Flare Audio Audiophile memory foam tips with the stock 4.4mm BAL cable with either Sony WM1AM2, FiiO M15S as sources, both with and without A&K PA10 connected as a balanced amplifier.
Sound Quality:
The Twin Pulse IEM has one of the best bass responses off an IEM I’ve heard. The dual dynamic isobaric drivers produce natural sounding bass that can be boosted to a certain level with the red nozzles that can take things to bass head levels. The slams are hard hitting, especially with the red nozzle, but even with the default grey nozzle, the bass has good impact. With the default nozzle, the bass sounds natural and complements the rest of the frequencies well. There is good presence in both the sub bass and mid bass regions. There is a nice sense of depth and warmth in the bass, and it thankfully isn’t muddy, nor does it bleed into the Mids.
The mids are again a highlight of the Twin Pulse IEMs. They’re clear, lush, somewhat forward in their presentation. The IEMs bring out the nuances in vocals beautifully and have a natural timbre when it comes to male vocals. Instruments too sound very natural for the most part. The Twin Pulse IEMs have some good and organic Mids.
The highs are crisp yet gentle. They’re in no way piercing or sharp. Especially with the grey filter, everything is well balanced, for those who’d like to have some more presence in the highs, the black filter might be a better choice, personally, I liked the IEM with the grey filter the best. The highs have fair sense of airiness and sparkle allowing micro-details to shine. The treble here is more suitable for those who like gentle and soothing highs, and this is likely not going to impress airheads.
In terms of technicalities, the Twin Pulse IEMs have very good separation, and the soundstage is great, both in terms of width and depth. Especially when amped, I’d compare the staging of Twin Pulse to the likes of IER-Z1R, it is immersive, wide, deep and holographic. Given the price point, I think the Twin Pulse IEMs push above their price point when it comes to technicalities.
As such, the Twin Pulse IEMs can be driven off a source like the WM1AM2 easily without the need of additional amping, but the IEMs open up considerably when amped, hence if you have an amp, I’d suggest trying it out with the amp, to bring the best out of this tiny beast.
Conclusion:
The Twin Pulse IEMs are excellent IEMs for those who prefer a balanced presentation and like to have some heft in their bass. Airheads may not be impressed by this IEM as the treble is gentle. Mids are a highlight and for Bollywood aficionados like me, the Twin Pulse IEMs are a great set to own. Fit might be an issue for some, but I personally didn’t have any issues with the fit.
I'd like to thank @gadgetgod for lending his unit for an audition and review. I loved it so much that I've now purchased my own.The CMA18 Portable is a portable dacamp featuring high-quality audio performance and a sleek design. It is designed for audiophiles who want to experience their music with exceptional clarity and detail while on the go. The Questyle CMA18 Portable is a remarkable device offering huge headroom and high fidelity in a portable design. Its compact size makes it easy to carry in a bag or pocket, making it perfect for traveling or commuting. The CMA18 Portable incorporates AKM's AK4493SEQ chipset as DAC and has four sets of self-developed current-mode patented SiP chips (СС630/CA630).
The CMA18P supports a wide range of inputs including USB (type c), SPDIF (via 3.5mm), 4.4mm Balanced line input, 3.5mm SE line input, and Bluetooth with support for codecs such as LDAC, aptxHD, SBC, AAC. The CMA18P has a 4300 mAh battery which is quite a lot considering how compact and lightweight the unit is.
The Questyle CMA18 Portable features a high-performance headphone amplifier based on Questyle's renowned Current Mode Amplification (CMA) tech that delivers clean power to drive even the most demanding headphones. The device has a solid build quality and an intuitive user interface, making it easy to operate on the go.
In terms of sound quality, the CMA18 Portable delivers a transparent, detailed, and dynamic sound signature, with a wide soundstage and excellent instrument separation. It brings out the nuances in the music and provides a truly immersive listening experience. Whether you're at home, in the office, or on the move, the Questyle CMA18 Portable enhances the audio quality of your music and elevates your listening experience to new heights.
If you are looking for a portable dacamp that can truly provide an exceptional audio experience while you're on the go, the Questyle CMA18 Portable is worth considering. Its high-quality components and innovative design make it a standout choice for audiophiles who demand the best performance from their portable audio gear.
SoftEars Twilight
I received the unit for an audition from ConceptKart as part of a review tour. Thanks to @gadgetgod for organizing the tour and including me in it. The SoftEars Twilight can be purchased from ConceptKart here.
Introduction
SoftEars Twilight is an impressive IEM that delivers a high-quality listening experience with rich and detailed sound. The earpieces are made of premium aviation-grade aluminum alloy and are 60% lighter than the shells of Turii (as per SoftEars). The unique twisted shell design, which is like that of the Turii, not only looks gorgeous but is very comfortable too. The non-fatiguing tuning with the super comfortable and lightweight earpieces meant that I could listen to Twilight for hours together without the slightest hint of fatigue.
The stock cable is a 6N OFC cable with a gold-plated 4.4mm BAL termination. The cable is very soft and free of microphonics. The unit I received was unboxed and came without any accessories except for the 4.4mm cable and carry case.
Sound Impressions
The bass is punchy and well-defined, adding depth to the music without overwhelming the other frequencies. Twilight’s bass response is outstanding, delivering deep, impactful bass that brings a sense of excitement to the music.
The midrange is smooth and natural, making vocals and instruments sound incredibly lifelike. There is good note weight here which provides exceptional clarity and realism. The treble is clear and detailed, providing a balanced and enjoyable listening experience without any fatigue. There is no harshness or sibilance here.
The soundstage is wide and immersive, allowing for a spacious and three-dimensional listening experience. The separation and layering of instruments and vocals are distinct and well-defined, creating a captivating audio landscape.
Conclusion
Overall, SoftEars Twilight is a stellar choice for audiophiles and music enthusiasts who crave an exceptional blend of sonic performance, comfort, and durability. They truly deliver a top-tier audio experience that is sure to satisfy even the most discerning listeners.
I received the unit for an audition from ConceptKart as part of a review tour. Thanks to @gadgetgod for organizing the tour and including me in it. The SoftEars Twilight can be purchased from ConceptKart here.
Introduction
SoftEars Twilight is an impressive IEM that delivers a high-quality listening experience with rich and detailed sound. The earpieces are made of premium aviation-grade aluminum alloy and are 60% lighter than the shells of Turii (as per SoftEars). The unique twisted shell design, which is like that of the Turii, not only looks gorgeous but is very comfortable too. The non-fatiguing tuning with the super comfortable and lightweight earpieces meant that I could listen to Twilight for hours together without the slightest hint of fatigue.
The stock cable is a 6N OFC cable with a gold-plated 4.4mm BAL termination. The cable is very soft and free of microphonics. The unit I received was unboxed and came without any accessories except for the 4.4mm cable and carry case.
Sound Impressions
The bass is punchy and well-defined, adding depth to the music without overwhelming the other frequencies. Twilight’s bass response is outstanding, delivering deep, impactful bass that brings a sense of excitement to the music.
The midrange is smooth and natural, making vocals and instruments sound incredibly lifelike. There is good note weight here which provides exceptional clarity and realism. The treble is clear and detailed, providing a balanced and enjoyable listening experience without any fatigue. There is no harshness or sibilance here.
The soundstage is wide and immersive, allowing for a spacious and three-dimensional listening experience. The separation and layering of instruments and vocals are distinct and well-defined, creating a captivating audio landscape.
Conclusion
Overall, SoftEars Twilight is a stellar choice for audiophiles and music enthusiasts who crave an exceptional blend of sonic performance, comfort, and durability. They truly deliver a top-tier audio experience that is sure to satisfy even the most discerning listeners.
BQEYZ Wind
Thanks to BQEYZ and @gadgetgod for providing me with an opportunity to audition and review the BQEYZ Wind.
Introduction
BQEYZ as a brand has been in the IEM game for a long time and doesn’t need any introduction per se. Adding to their weather collection of IEMs such as Summer, Winter, Spring, Spring 2, Autumn, and Winter Ultra, is their latest offering called Wind. The wind is a hybrid IEM that combines a Dynamic driver (DD) with a bone conduction driver (BCD). The wind has a special dual cavity LCP DD coupled with a self-developed 10mm bass and medium-frequency bone conduction driver. As per BQEYZ, the copper BC shell, coupled with a high-toughness steel vibrating reed, ensures durability and performance. The earpieces are lightweight and are created using German 5-axis CNC aluminum alloy cutting technology. They look quite like the earpieces of FiiO FH9, albeit smaller and lighter. The unit I received was a blue unit that came with a 4.4mm balanced cable. The stock cable is a silver-plated copper cable and is quite good in terms of build quality. Overall, the IEM and the cable look quite good and seem to be durable.
The IEM came with a box of 6 pairs of tips in S, M, and L for reference tuning and atmospheric tuning. For this review, I used the BQEYZ wind with Flare Audio’s Audiophile Memory foam ear tips.
Sound Impressions
The BQEYZ wind has quite a strong bass presence, although not quite to the level that bass heads would prefer, but I was quite happy with the bass response of the IEM. The bass doesn’t bleed into the mids and is quite powerful in terms of slam. There is a good amount of rumble and sufficient mid bass presence as well. The bass is easily one of the highlights of the Wind.
The mids are quite thick and have a fair amount of detail. In terms of weight, the mids have a good amount of heft and don’t seem too feeble or light. Again, the BCD adds a sense of liveliness to the mids that makes them feel and sound lifelike.
The IEM falls short in terms of treble extensions, but given the warm tonality, the treble complements the overall sound well. There is a decent amount of air and plenty of details, but the treble is not too sparkly and lacks some sheen.
In terms of technicalities, the IEM has a wide soundstage with a decent amount of depth. The stereo image is crisp, and separation is good. Given the price range, the technical performance of the IEM doesn’t disappoint.
Conclusion
The BQEYZ Wind is a warm-sounding IEM that is very comfortable in terms of the build. The IEM seems very durable and can make a good daily driver. The bass and mids are the highlight of the IEM. The treble, although well-detailed, lacks sparkle.
All in all, the Wind is a good IEM for those who prefer warm sound and would like to get a taste of BCD without having to break the bank.
Thanks to BQEYZ and @gadgetgod for providing me with an opportunity to audition and review the BQEYZ Wind.
Introduction
BQEYZ as a brand has been in the IEM game for a long time and doesn’t need any introduction per se. Adding to their weather collection of IEMs such as Summer, Winter, Spring, Spring 2, Autumn, and Winter Ultra, is their latest offering called Wind. The wind is a hybrid IEM that combines a Dynamic driver (DD) with a bone conduction driver (BCD). The wind has a special dual cavity LCP DD coupled with a self-developed 10mm bass and medium-frequency bone conduction driver. As per BQEYZ, the copper BC shell, coupled with a high-toughness steel vibrating reed, ensures durability and performance. The earpieces are lightweight and are created using German 5-axis CNC aluminum alloy cutting technology. They look quite like the earpieces of FiiO FH9, albeit smaller and lighter. The unit I received was a blue unit that came with a 4.4mm balanced cable. The stock cable is a silver-plated copper cable and is quite good in terms of build quality. Overall, the IEM and the cable look quite good and seem to be durable.
The IEM came with a box of 6 pairs of tips in S, M, and L for reference tuning and atmospheric tuning. For this review, I used the BQEYZ wind with Flare Audio’s Audiophile Memory foam ear tips.
Sound Impressions
The BQEYZ wind has quite a strong bass presence, although not quite to the level that bass heads would prefer, but I was quite happy with the bass response of the IEM. The bass doesn’t bleed into the mids and is quite powerful in terms of slam. There is a good amount of rumble and sufficient mid bass presence as well. The bass is easily one of the highlights of the Wind.
The mids are quite thick and have a fair amount of detail. In terms of weight, the mids have a good amount of heft and don’t seem too feeble or light. Again, the BCD adds a sense of liveliness to the mids that makes them feel and sound lifelike.
The IEM falls short in terms of treble extensions, but given the warm tonality, the treble complements the overall sound well. There is a decent amount of air and plenty of details, but the treble is not too sparkly and lacks some sheen.
In terms of technicalities, the IEM has a wide soundstage with a decent amount of depth. The stereo image is crisp, and separation is good. Given the price range, the technical performance of the IEM doesn’t disappoint.
Conclusion
The BQEYZ Wind is a warm-sounding IEM that is very comfortable in terms of the build. The IEM seems very durable and can make a good daily driver. The bass and mids are the highlight of the IEM. The treble, although well-detailed, lacks sparkle.
All in all, the Wind is a good IEM for those who prefer warm sound and would like to get a taste of BCD without having to break the bank.
Rose Technics QuietSea
I received the unit for an audition from ConceptKart as part of a review tour. Thanks to Gadgetgod for organizing the tour and including me in it. The QuietSea can be purchased from ConceptKart here.
The Rose Technics QuietSea (QSea henceforth) is a 10mm Single DD IEM with premium zinc-alloy CNC chambers and a self-developed topological diaphragm from Rose Technics. The IEM is small and comfortable and should be an easy fit even for the smallest of ears. In terms of looks, the IEM has a simple 2 tone design and is available in grey or silver color. The IEM comes with a 3.5mm SE fabric braided 5N OCC MMCX cable, which seems to be highly durable, should the QSea be your daily beater IEM.
Sound Impressions:
The QSea is a well-tuned slightly V-shaped IEM with good extensions on both ends, ie, bass and treble. The mids are slightly pushed back, but sound good given the overall tuning of the IEM. The IEM has decent bass, albeit more mid-bass focused than sub-bass. Not that it lacks sub-bass, just that the sub-bass is relatively tamed in comparison to the mid-bass. I used Dekoni Mercury memory foam ear tips with the IEM, which wasn’t a problem, even though the IEM had somewhat of an oval-shaped nozzle instead of the regular circular nozzle.
The treble is well-controlled and is not too bright or sibilant. The IEM has good imaging and a decent soundstage. The detail retrieval is excellent for the price point making it an engaging listen. The tuning is non fatiguing for the most part and given the comfortable shape and weightlessness of the shells, the QSea is a good candidate for long listening sessions.
I tried the QSea with the Dunu Hulk with 4.4mm BAL termination and was impressed by the improvement in terms of bass response (now having more rumble) and detail retrieval.
Conclusion:
If you’re in the market for a budget IEM that is comfortable for small ears and can be used for long listening sessions, the QSea is a good candidate. The non-fatiguing tuning and above-average technicalities make it a worthy candidate.
I received the unit for an audition from ConceptKart as part of a review tour. Thanks to Gadgetgod for organizing the tour and including me in it. The QuietSea can be purchased from ConceptKart here.
The Rose Technics QuietSea (QSea henceforth) is a 10mm Single DD IEM with premium zinc-alloy CNC chambers and a self-developed topological diaphragm from Rose Technics. The IEM is small and comfortable and should be an easy fit even for the smallest of ears. In terms of looks, the IEM has a simple 2 tone design and is available in grey or silver color. The IEM comes with a 3.5mm SE fabric braided 5N OCC MMCX cable, which seems to be highly durable, should the QSea be your daily beater IEM.
Sound Impressions:
The QSea is a well-tuned slightly V-shaped IEM with good extensions on both ends, ie, bass and treble. The mids are slightly pushed back, but sound good given the overall tuning of the IEM. The IEM has decent bass, albeit more mid-bass focused than sub-bass. Not that it lacks sub-bass, just that the sub-bass is relatively tamed in comparison to the mid-bass. I used Dekoni Mercury memory foam ear tips with the IEM, which wasn’t a problem, even though the IEM had somewhat of an oval-shaped nozzle instead of the regular circular nozzle.
The treble is well-controlled and is not too bright or sibilant. The IEM has good imaging and a decent soundstage. The detail retrieval is excellent for the price point making it an engaging listen. The tuning is non fatiguing for the most part and given the comfortable shape and weightlessness of the shells, the QSea is a good candidate for long listening sessions.
I tried the QSea with the Dunu Hulk with 4.4mm BAL termination and was impressed by the improvement in terms of bass response (now having more rumble) and detail retrieval.
Conclusion:
If you’re in the market for a budget IEM that is comfortable for small ears and can be used for long listening sessions, the QSea is a good candidate. The non-fatiguing tuning and above-average technicalities make it a worthy candidate.
Here’s my quick disclaimer:
The Kinera Freya 2.0 was sent to me during a review tour organized by Kinera in India. I’d like to express my gratitude to Kinera and thank @SherryLion for including me in this tour. I’m writing this article to share my honest and unbiased opinion of the IEM, based on my usage of Freya 2.0 for about a week. Rest assured, there has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM.
One can buy the IEM from Kinera’s website via the following link:
https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-freya-2-0
Introduction:
Kinera Freya 2.0 (or simply KF2 henceforth) is a hybrid IEM with a single 7mm Dynamic Driver (DD) and 3 Knowles Balanced Armature (BA) Drivers. KF2 has an impedance of 20 ohms and a sensitivity of 105 dB/mW, which makes it easy to drive. The IEM comes packaged in a hexagonal box with everything packed quite neatly. There’s a plethora of ear tips neatly arranged in a metal plate that acts as a holder for the ear tips.
Ear tip varieties included in the package:
• 5 sizes of Final Type E tips
• 3 sizes of K-07 balanced tips
• 3 sizes of 221 vocal tips
Strangely though, not all the ear tips get the royal treatment. The final type E ear tips are stuffed in a small pouch inside the storage case. The storage case looks elegant and includes the stock cable apart from the final type E ear tips. The stock cable is a 4-core Litz Braided Copper Alloy Cable with interchangeable terminations. The cable comes fitted with the 3.5mm SE termination plug, while the 4.4mm BAL termination plug is placed separately in the package. Apart from these accessories, Kinera has included a cleaning brush along with some standard documentation and of course the IEMs.
The earpieces are made of resin material and are therefore lightweight. They’re not too large, making them suitable for smaller ears as well. My large ears had no problem accommodating the earpieces, and given the shape and size of the earpieces, I doubt that the fit could be an issue for anyone. In terms of design, Kinera has gone for a classy look with transparent shells that have soft dabs of blue overlayed with some glittery soft color tones. In terms of fit and isolation, the KF2 ensures a comfortable and secure fit with a good seal that blocks out ambient noise. The marketing material speaks a lot about how Freya is associated with a lot of stuff in Norse Mythology like love, beauty, war, and gold. But I’m sorry, I just skipped the whole thing and hence, don’t have much to say about any of that.
Sound Quality:
The KF2 delivers a rich, immersive audio experience. The bass is deep and authoritative making it clear that the KF2 is going for oomph (aka quantity) over nuance (aka quality) when it comes to the lows. The tuning is more mainstream/commercial and emphasizes fun sound. Not that I’m complaining.
But if you’re someone who prefers their bass to be tight and well-textured, then perhaps KF2 may not live up to your expectations. The good thing, however, is that there is no bass bleed, nor does the bass sound muddy or distorted.
The midrange is smooth, allowing vocals to shine with remarkable clarity and detail. The KF2 handles vocals like a champ, delivering the emotion and nuances with perfection.
While some may find the upper mids to be a tad bit screechy, I was able to tame it with tip rolling. The tips that seemed to work best for me were the following:
• AZLA SednaEarfit MAX (in silicon)
• Dekoni Mercury (in memory foam)
• SeeAudio x Zeos Render (although termed as memory foam, IMO they're hybrid ear tips)
The highs are crisp and moderately extended. There is sufficient air with the treble being non fatiguing for the most part.
The soundstage on the KF2 is somewhat intimate with good separation. Nothing extraordinary but pretty much in line with what one would expect from an IEM in this price range. Layering could have been better as the IEMs do seem to show their limitations while handling complex arrangements.
Conclusion:
Kinera has gone for safe tuning with the KF2 that would appeal to most of the mainstream consumers/audiophiles. The IEMs are lightweight, comfortable, and classy looking. The KF2 is a good candidate for longer listening sessions thanks to the comfort and non-fatiguing tuning. If you’re into mid-focused genres like Pop and Bollywood music, then KF2 could be a worthy contender for your next IEM.
However, if you’re an analytical listener, the KF2 may not live up to your expectations.
The Kinera Freya 2.0 was sent to me during a review tour organized by Kinera in India. I’d like to express my gratitude to Kinera and thank @SherryLion for including me in this tour. I’m writing this article to share my honest and unbiased opinion of the IEM, based on my usage of Freya 2.0 for about a week. Rest assured, there has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM.
One can buy the IEM from Kinera’s website via the following link:
https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-freya-2-0
Introduction:
Kinera Freya 2.0 (or simply KF2 henceforth) is a hybrid IEM with a single 7mm Dynamic Driver (DD) and 3 Knowles Balanced Armature (BA) Drivers. KF2 has an impedance of 20 ohms and a sensitivity of 105 dB/mW, which makes it easy to drive. The IEM comes packaged in a hexagonal box with everything packed quite neatly. There’s a plethora of ear tips neatly arranged in a metal plate that acts as a holder for the ear tips.
Ear tip varieties included in the package:
• 5 sizes of Final Type E tips
• 3 sizes of K-07 balanced tips
• 3 sizes of 221 vocal tips
Strangely though, not all the ear tips get the royal treatment. The final type E ear tips are stuffed in a small pouch inside the storage case. The storage case looks elegant and includes the stock cable apart from the final type E ear tips. The stock cable is a 4-core Litz Braided Copper Alloy Cable with interchangeable terminations. The cable comes fitted with the 3.5mm SE termination plug, while the 4.4mm BAL termination plug is placed separately in the package. Apart from these accessories, Kinera has included a cleaning brush along with some standard documentation and of course the IEMs.
The earpieces are made of resin material and are therefore lightweight. They’re not too large, making them suitable for smaller ears as well. My large ears had no problem accommodating the earpieces, and given the shape and size of the earpieces, I doubt that the fit could be an issue for anyone. In terms of design, Kinera has gone for a classy look with transparent shells that have soft dabs of blue overlayed with some glittery soft color tones. In terms of fit and isolation, the KF2 ensures a comfortable and secure fit with a good seal that blocks out ambient noise. The marketing material speaks a lot about how Freya is associated with a lot of stuff in Norse Mythology like love, beauty, war, and gold. But I’m sorry, I just skipped the whole thing and hence, don’t have much to say about any of that.
Sound Quality:
The KF2 delivers a rich, immersive audio experience. The bass is deep and authoritative making it clear that the KF2 is going for oomph (aka quantity) over nuance (aka quality) when it comes to the lows. The tuning is more mainstream/commercial and emphasizes fun sound. Not that I’m complaining.
But if you’re someone who prefers their bass to be tight and well-textured, then perhaps KF2 may not live up to your expectations. The good thing, however, is that there is no bass bleed, nor does the bass sound muddy or distorted.
The midrange is smooth, allowing vocals to shine with remarkable clarity and detail. The KF2 handles vocals like a champ, delivering the emotion and nuances with perfection.
While some may find the upper mids to be a tad bit screechy, I was able to tame it with tip rolling. The tips that seemed to work best for me were the following:
• AZLA SednaEarfit MAX (in silicon)
• Dekoni Mercury (in memory foam)
• SeeAudio x Zeos Render (although termed as memory foam, IMO they're hybrid ear tips)
The highs are crisp and moderately extended. There is sufficient air with the treble being non fatiguing for the most part.
The soundstage on the KF2 is somewhat intimate with good separation. Nothing extraordinary but pretty much in line with what one would expect from an IEM in this price range. Layering could have been better as the IEMs do seem to show their limitations while handling complex arrangements.
Conclusion:
Kinera has gone for safe tuning with the KF2 that would appeal to most of the mainstream consumers/audiophiles. The IEMs are lightweight, comfortable, and classy looking. The KF2 is a good candidate for longer listening sessions thanks to the comfort and non-fatiguing tuning. If you’re into mid-focused genres like Pop and Bollywood music, then KF2 could be a worthy contender for your next IEM.
However, if you’re an analytical listener, the KF2 may not live up to your expectations.
Binary Acoustics Chopin
A quick disclaimer:
The Binary Acoustics Chopin IEM I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this write-up are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/gizaudio-binary-chopin
Introduction;
From the moment you unbox these gems, the attention to detail is apparent. The sleek design and premium build quality set the stage for what's to come. The ergonomic shape ensures a comfortable fit, allowing for extended listening sessions without any discomfort. The IEM comes with Soft Ears UC ear tips as pack-ins and a protective sleeve for each earpiece. I wish more IEMs in this budget included such sleeves / protective bags. One can choose to buy a 3.5mm SE cable or a 4.4mm BAL cable with the IEM. The unit I received came with a 4.4mm BAL cable. The IEM is designed in collaboration With Gizaudio and consists of a hybrid driver setup, which includes an 8mm Ceramic Diaphragm Dynamic Driver, a Customized Balanced Armature Driver for midrange, and a customized composite dual BA for high frequencies. The earpieces are 3D printed with resin and feature stainless steel faceplates.
The Chopin IEMs have great isolation. The snug fit effectively blocks out external noise, allowing you to delve into your favorite tracks without any distractions. This makes them ideal for both critical listening sessions at home and on-the-go use in noisy environments.
Sound Quality:
In terms of sound, the Chopin IEMs deliver a rich and nuanced audio experience that feels like a musical masterpiece. The balanced armature drivers work together seamlessly to reproduce every note with stunning clarity. Although the bass seemed a bit lean, it worked well given the tonality of the IEM. T
The mids are the highlight of the Chopi, thus their ability to convey emotion is top-notch. Whether you're listening to the delicate keystrokes of a piano or the soaring vocals of your favorite artist, these IEMs capture the subtleties that make the listening experience truly immersive.
The treble is well-controlled. Not too bright, nor too dark, it lies in a sweet spot that makes it non-fatiguing and suitable for longer listening sessions. Though a little more treble extension would have made it sound better, but that’s just my humble opinion.
The soundstage is another highlight. It's expansive and three-dimensional, creating a sense of space that makes you feel like you're in the front row of a live performance. The instrument separation is impeccable, allowing each element of the music to shine independently.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Binary Acoustics Chopin IEMs with their superb build quality, comfortable fit, and, most importantly, exceptional sound reproduction offer a symphony for your ears.
A quick disclaimer:
The Binary Acoustics Chopin IEM I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this write-up are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/gizaudio-binary-chopin
Introduction;
From the moment you unbox these gems, the attention to detail is apparent. The sleek design and premium build quality set the stage for what's to come. The ergonomic shape ensures a comfortable fit, allowing for extended listening sessions without any discomfort. The IEM comes with Soft Ears UC ear tips as pack-ins and a protective sleeve for each earpiece. I wish more IEMs in this budget included such sleeves / protective bags. One can choose to buy a 3.5mm SE cable or a 4.4mm BAL cable with the IEM. The unit I received came with a 4.4mm BAL cable. The IEM is designed in collaboration With Gizaudio and consists of a hybrid driver setup, which includes an 8mm Ceramic Diaphragm Dynamic Driver, a Customized Balanced Armature Driver for midrange, and a customized composite dual BA for high frequencies. The earpieces are 3D printed with resin and feature stainless steel faceplates.
The Chopin IEMs have great isolation. The snug fit effectively blocks out external noise, allowing you to delve into your favorite tracks without any distractions. This makes them ideal for both critical listening sessions at home and on-the-go use in noisy environments.
Sound Quality:
In terms of sound, the Chopin IEMs deliver a rich and nuanced audio experience that feels like a musical masterpiece. The balanced armature drivers work together seamlessly to reproduce every note with stunning clarity. Although the bass seemed a bit lean, it worked well given the tonality of the IEM. T
The mids are the highlight of the Chopi, thus their ability to convey emotion is top-notch. Whether you're listening to the delicate keystrokes of a piano or the soaring vocals of your favorite artist, these IEMs capture the subtleties that make the listening experience truly immersive.
The treble is well-controlled. Not too bright, nor too dark, it lies in a sweet spot that makes it non-fatiguing and suitable for longer listening sessions. Though a little more treble extension would have made it sound better, but that’s just my humble opinion.
The soundstage is another highlight. It's expansive and three-dimensional, creating a sense of space that makes you feel like you're in the front row of a live performance. The instrument separation is impeccable, allowing each element of the music to shine independently.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Binary Acoustics Chopin IEMs with their superb build quality, comfortable fit, and, most importantly, exceptional sound reproduction offer a symphony for your ears.
Disclaimer:
I received the Hiby Zeta as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hiby. I was asked to share my honest opinion about the IEM based on my usage over a week or so. I am not associated with Hiby in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are subjective based on my gear and choice of music.
The Hiby Zeta can be purchased from here: https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-zeta
Introduction:
The Hiby Zeta is a Tribrid IEM with a whopping 9 drivers per side, which includes 4 Enhanced EST Super tweeters (shared converter) paired with 4 BA drivers for Tweeters /Mids/Woofer and a 10mm Liquid Silicone DD that acts as a subwoofer. The IEM has an impedance of 9 ohms and is quite sensitive at 112dB/mW. The max input power handling is at 100mW, hence making it quite easy to drive with portable equipment like DAPs and dongle DACs. The cable included with the IEM is an 8-core high-purity OCC copper cable with a fully balanced Litz braiding and comes with a 4.4mm balanced termination and 0.78mm 2-pin connectors. The pack-in cable is mighty impressive in terms of build quality and is very supple and free of microphonics.
The build quality of the Hiby Zeta reflects a commitment to durability and style. The earpieces are made of titanium alloy with a CNC machined finish that gives the Zeta a very premium look and feel. Hiby Zeta prioritizes comfort with its ergonomic design ensuring that the earphones sit comfortably in your ears. Although the earpieces are relatively large, they’re very light and, hence, comfortable to wear. The large shells might be a challenge for those with smaller ears, but I personally did not have any trouble in terms of fit or comfort. The Zeta comes with 3 sets of ear tips in different sizes. I’d suggest trying all the varieties and figuring out which one works best for you. Personally, I felt the white tips (soft brace for deep wearing) were the best of the lot. However, for the purpose of this review, I tip-rolled a bunch of options and chose to go with Azla Sedana Earfit Max tips since they gave me a good seal and complemented Hiby Zeta’s sound signature very well.
Sound Quality:
The Hiby Zeta is a sonic powerhouse that offers a well-rounded TOTL experience with impeccable resolution. The IEM has a warm-neutral signature with the bass response striking a good balance between impact and precision. It delivers a satisfying thump without overshadowing the other frequencies, making it ideal for genres that demand a strong low-end presence. With the 10mm DD essentially acting as a subwoofer, there is good presence in the sub-bass region resulting in some powerful rumble. The bass response is mighty impressive in terms of texture as well, thereby, delivering in terms of both quality and quantity.
The midrange on the Hiby Zeta is clear, and nuanced, and has a natural warmth to it. Vocals, both male and female, are rendered with exceptional clarity, bringing out the emotional aspect of an artist’s performance quite vividly.
The treble is crisp and extends gracefully without being overly sharp or fatiguing. It provides sufficient sparkle to cymbals and high-frequency instruments, contributing to the overall warm-neutral sound signature. Overall, the treble is adequate considering the overall tonality of the IEM.
I'd like to highlight that the IEM sounds great with the stock cable. However, I tried a few different cables with the Hiby Zeta just to see if it could bring about any difference/improvement. Most of the cables I tried (Dunu Hulk Pro Mini, Dita Oslo, Effect Audio EVO10, FiiO LC-RD Pro, Campfire Audio Super Smoky Litz) didn't bring much of an improvement, except for the FiiO LC-RE cable. I felt the Zeta sounded a little more balanced with the FiiO LC-RE cable, maybe because the gold in the LC-RE cable added to the sparkle of the Zeta.
The Hiby Zeta creates an immersive soundstage that adds depth and dimension to the listening experience. The spatial representation of instruments and vocals is impressive, creating a sense of openness that enhances the overall immersion. Instrument separation is top-notch, as one would expect from an IEM in this price range. Even in complex musical passages, each instrument maintains its distinctiveness, allowing one to genuinely appreciate the individual notes of the composition. The Zeta excels in layering, with each note occupying its own space in the sonic landscape. This contributes to a sense of depth and complexity, resulting in a holographic presentation that is highly engaging and immersive.
From a technical perspective, the Hiby Zeta demonstrates impressive dynamics and transient response. Fast-paced tracks are handled with precision, and the low noise floor ensures that even subtle details in the music are brought to the forefront.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Hiby Zeta IEMs are a testament to the brand's commitment to audio excellence. The impressive sound quality, combined with premium build quality and exceptional comfort, make the Zeta a worthy option for anyone who is looking for a TOTL IEM that is musical and exceptional in terms of technicalities.
I received the Hiby Zeta as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hiby. I was asked to share my honest opinion about the IEM based on my usage over a week or so. I am not associated with Hiby in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are subjective based on my gear and choice of music.
The Hiby Zeta can be purchased from here: https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-zeta
Introduction:
The Hiby Zeta is a Tribrid IEM with a whopping 9 drivers per side, which includes 4 Enhanced EST Super tweeters (shared converter) paired with 4 BA drivers for Tweeters /Mids/Woofer and a 10mm Liquid Silicone DD that acts as a subwoofer. The IEM has an impedance of 9 ohms and is quite sensitive at 112dB/mW. The max input power handling is at 100mW, hence making it quite easy to drive with portable equipment like DAPs and dongle DACs. The cable included with the IEM is an 8-core high-purity OCC copper cable with a fully balanced Litz braiding and comes with a 4.4mm balanced termination and 0.78mm 2-pin connectors. The pack-in cable is mighty impressive in terms of build quality and is very supple and free of microphonics.
The build quality of the Hiby Zeta reflects a commitment to durability and style. The earpieces are made of titanium alloy with a CNC machined finish that gives the Zeta a very premium look and feel. Hiby Zeta prioritizes comfort with its ergonomic design ensuring that the earphones sit comfortably in your ears. Although the earpieces are relatively large, they’re very light and, hence, comfortable to wear. The large shells might be a challenge for those with smaller ears, but I personally did not have any trouble in terms of fit or comfort. The Zeta comes with 3 sets of ear tips in different sizes. I’d suggest trying all the varieties and figuring out which one works best for you. Personally, I felt the white tips (soft brace for deep wearing) were the best of the lot. However, for the purpose of this review, I tip-rolled a bunch of options and chose to go with Azla Sedana Earfit Max tips since they gave me a good seal and complemented Hiby Zeta’s sound signature very well.
Sound Quality:
The Hiby Zeta is a sonic powerhouse that offers a well-rounded TOTL experience with impeccable resolution. The IEM has a warm-neutral signature with the bass response striking a good balance between impact and precision. It delivers a satisfying thump without overshadowing the other frequencies, making it ideal for genres that demand a strong low-end presence. With the 10mm DD essentially acting as a subwoofer, there is good presence in the sub-bass region resulting in some powerful rumble. The bass response is mighty impressive in terms of texture as well, thereby, delivering in terms of both quality and quantity.
The midrange on the Hiby Zeta is clear, and nuanced, and has a natural warmth to it. Vocals, both male and female, are rendered with exceptional clarity, bringing out the emotional aspect of an artist’s performance quite vividly.
The treble is crisp and extends gracefully without being overly sharp or fatiguing. It provides sufficient sparkle to cymbals and high-frequency instruments, contributing to the overall warm-neutral sound signature. Overall, the treble is adequate considering the overall tonality of the IEM.
I'd like to highlight that the IEM sounds great with the stock cable. However, I tried a few different cables with the Hiby Zeta just to see if it could bring about any difference/improvement. Most of the cables I tried (Dunu Hulk Pro Mini, Dita Oslo, Effect Audio EVO10, FiiO LC-RD Pro, Campfire Audio Super Smoky Litz) didn't bring much of an improvement, except for the FiiO LC-RE cable. I felt the Zeta sounded a little more balanced with the FiiO LC-RE cable, maybe because the gold in the LC-RE cable added to the sparkle of the Zeta.
The Hiby Zeta creates an immersive soundstage that adds depth and dimension to the listening experience. The spatial representation of instruments and vocals is impressive, creating a sense of openness that enhances the overall immersion. Instrument separation is top-notch, as one would expect from an IEM in this price range. Even in complex musical passages, each instrument maintains its distinctiveness, allowing one to genuinely appreciate the individual notes of the composition. The Zeta excels in layering, with each note occupying its own space in the sonic landscape. This contributes to a sense of depth and complexity, resulting in a holographic presentation that is highly engaging and immersive.
From a technical perspective, the Hiby Zeta demonstrates impressive dynamics and transient response. Fast-paced tracks are handled with precision, and the low noise floor ensures that even subtle details in the music are brought to the forefront.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Hiby Zeta IEMs are a testament to the brand's commitment to audio excellence. The impressive sound quality, combined with premium build quality and exceptional comfort, make the Zeta a worthy option for anyone who is looking for a TOTL IEM that is musical and exceptional in terms of technicalities.
Disclaimer
I received the Celest Phoenix Call as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hifigo.com. I am not associated with either Hifigo or Kinera / Celest in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM over a week or so. The Celest Phoenix Call is available for purchase from Hifigo.com at the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-celest-phoenixcall
Introduction
Celest is a sub-brand of Kinera, which is quite a popular Chi-Fi brand. Just like Kinera, Celest too is focused on making high-quality IEMs albeit at an affordable price. Phoenix Call is the latest offering from Celest, and it has a lot to offer, especially given the $129.99 price tag.
Packaging and Accessories:
The Celest Phoenix Call has one of the best packaging I’ve come across for an IEM. The box has some “Gyaan” aka trivia about the name “Phoenix Call” along with a gorgeous embellishment glued to the box. Very premium-looking. The earpieces are gorgeous too. Blue and Light Red (maybe pink) earpieces which are semi-transparent with some birds printed on the faceplate, the earpieces, although made of resin, look, and feel premium in every way. The cable too, is good-looking and feels every bit premium. Celest has left no stone unturned to make the Phoenix call look and feel premium and worth a lot more than the price tag it is being sold at. The IEM is great in terms of “fit” too. It shouldn’t be a problem for smaller ears either. The choice of ear tips is basic, but nothing that one can complain about given the price tag. The IEM comes with 3 pairs of the following ear tips:
Sound Quality:
Alas, all the gorgeousness in terms of look and feel is kind of let down by the rather mediocre sound of the Celest Phoenix call. What matters most to me in an IEM is tonality and this is where, IMO, the Phoenix call misfired. The tonality is wonky, with the IEM having very light bass, recessed mids, and somewhat rolled-off treble. Perhaps, someone who’s looking for a flat-sounding piece might appreciate the soft and tender sound of the Phoenix call, but for someone like me who likes his bass to pack a punch and his mids to evoke emotion, the Phoenix call just doesn’t strike the right chord. The bass has decent texture but not enough punch or weight as such. The mids are recessed and lean, again lacking weight. The treble is kind of the saving grace of this IEM, with the treble being crisp but not too crisp and having sufficient detail, it makes it a pleasant listening experience.
In terms of technicalities, the soundstage is average, although the good amount of detail in treble, makes it sound somewhat holographic. Imaging is good and separation is acceptable.
Conclusion:
The Phoenix call is a gorgeous-looking IEM with an excellent cable and has a lot going in its favor given the 129.99 USD price tag. It has one of the best unboxing experiences I’ve come across for an IEM. In terms of SQ, perhaps, someone who’s looking for a flat-sounding piece might appreciate the soft and tender sound of the Phoenix call. I personally prefer something with harder-hitting bass and emotional mids.
I received the Celest Phoenix Call as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hifigo.com. I am not associated with either Hifigo or Kinera / Celest in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM over a week or so. The Celest Phoenix Call is available for purchase from Hifigo.com at the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/kinera-celest-phoenixcall
Introduction
Celest is a sub-brand of Kinera, which is quite a popular Chi-Fi brand. Just like Kinera, Celest too is focused on making high-quality IEMs albeit at an affordable price. Phoenix Call is the latest offering from Celest, and it has a lot to offer, especially given the $129.99 price tag.
Packaging and Accessories:
The Celest Phoenix Call has one of the best packaging I’ve come across for an IEM. The box has some “Gyaan” aka trivia about the name “Phoenix Call” along with a gorgeous embellishment glued to the box. Very premium-looking. The earpieces are gorgeous too. Blue and Light Red (maybe pink) earpieces which are semi-transparent with some birds printed on the faceplate, the earpieces, although made of resin, look, and feel premium in every way. The cable too, is good-looking and feels every bit premium. Celest has left no stone unturned to make the Phoenix call look and feel premium and worth a lot more than the price tag it is being sold at. The IEM is great in terms of “fit” too. It shouldn’t be a problem for smaller ears either. The choice of ear tips is basic, but nothing that one can complain about given the price tag. The IEM comes with 3 pairs of the following ear tips:
- Celest 221 Vocal Ear tips: enhance the treble, pleasing vocal.
- Celest C-07 Balanced Ear tips: Sound-balanced and holographic
Sound Quality:
Alas, all the gorgeousness in terms of look and feel is kind of let down by the rather mediocre sound of the Celest Phoenix call. What matters most to me in an IEM is tonality and this is where, IMO, the Phoenix call misfired. The tonality is wonky, with the IEM having very light bass, recessed mids, and somewhat rolled-off treble. Perhaps, someone who’s looking for a flat-sounding piece might appreciate the soft and tender sound of the Phoenix call, but for someone like me who likes his bass to pack a punch and his mids to evoke emotion, the Phoenix call just doesn’t strike the right chord. The bass has decent texture but not enough punch or weight as such. The mids are recessed and lean, again lacking weight. The treble is kind of the saving grace of this IEM, with the treble being crisp but not too crisp and having sufficient detail, it makes it a pleasant listening experience.
In terms of technicalities, the soundstage is average, although the good amount of detail in treble, makes it sound somewhat holographic. Imaging is good and separation is acceptable.
Conclusion:
The Phoenix call is a gorgeous-looking IEM with an excellent cable and has a lot going in its favor given the 129.99 USD price tag. It has one of the best unboxing experiences I’ve come across for an IEM. In terms of SQ, perhaps, someone who’s looking for a flat-sounding piece might appreciate the soft and tender sound of the Phoenix call. I personally prefer something with harder-hitting bass and emotional mids.
Disclaimer:
I received the Dunu Falcon Ultra as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hifigo.com. I am not associated with either Hifigo or Dunu in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM over a week or so. The Dunu Falcon Ultra is available for purchase from Hifigo.com at the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-ultra
Packaging and Accessories:
The Falcon Ultra is the latest option from Dunu to feature the second-generation ECLIPSE architecture. The IEM comes with a modular SPC cable aka Dunu DUW02 Pro, which features the flimsy-looking Q-lite connectors as opposed to the more premium looking and feeling Q-Lock Plus available on the Hulk Pro Mini. Considering the 240 USD price tag, IMO, those premium Q-Lock Plus connectors should have been included to make for a better value proposition.
The IEM has a metal faceplate with a teardrop shape. The IEM looks great and despite the metal body, is surprisingly light. The inscriptions along the edge of the faceplate enhance the aesthetic appeal of the IEM. I for one, love the blue finish of the Falcon Ultra. It makes the IEM look cool and niche amidst a sea of regular metal body IEMs. The IEM comes with a variety of ear tips and two sets of tuning filters. One set was installed on the IEM and the other was placed on a metal holder/plate. The package also includes a premium-looking carry case, a cleaning cloth, and a cleaning brush.
Tip-rolling and Tuning Filters
From the stock ear tips, the Dunu S&S ear tips are the best ones to go for with the Falcon Ultra. Personally, since I prefer foam ear tips, I used the Falcon Ultra with Flare Audio’s Audiophile memory foam ear tips, since they have a wide bore and are structurally quite like the S&S ear tips, just that the material is memory foam. The filters this time around have a significant impact on SQ. One of the complaints I had with the Falcon Pro was that there was hardly any difference in SQ when switching between the filters. Dunu seems to have fixed that with the Falcon Ultra, the brass filters make it sound a tad bit wider and flatter, whereas the blue filters give the IEM a bass boost and limit the staging severely. I personally preferred the brass filters because the blue ones IMO made the IEM sound a little wonky in terms of tonal balance. Perhaps the elevated mid-bass was a bit too much for my preference.
Sound Quality:
The Falcon Ultra is quite differently tuned from the Falcon Pro. While the Falcon Pro had quite a balanced tuning, the Falcon Ultra tends to be more fun sounding with somewhat of a U-shaped sound profile. There is a definite emphasis on bass in both filters. The brass /gold filter sounds a bit flatter and wider. The emphasis on bass is however more mid-bass than sub-bass. Do not get me wrong, there is improvement in sub-bass when compared to the Falcon Pro, however, the Falcon Ultra comes nowhere close to the FiiO FD5 or the FD3 Pro when it comes to sub-bass. The IEM is limited in terms of treble extensions. Forget extensions, treble itself is quite mild on the Falcon Ultra. While this may be a good thing for treble-sensitive people like me,, I too felt that the treble was quite rolled off and as a result of this, there is a direct impact on micro-details, thereby making the set suffer in terms of resolution. As with the Falcon Pro, the Falcon Ultra too is something I would not recommend for analytical listeners.
The mids on the Falcon Ultra are good. There is a good note weight and a slight sense of warmth to the overall SQ, which can be expected since this is a single DD IEM. The Falcon Ultra too has some sweet timbre which sounds great with the brass filter where the tonal balance isn’t messed up like the blue filter. There is no bass bleed. The separation is mediocre and so is the soundstage. In terms of dynamics too, the Falcon Ultra isn’t extraordinary or mind-blowing. It is strictly average.
Conclusion:
The Dunu Falcon Ultra is a good single dynamic driver IEM for the price point. It packs in a lot of accessories. It has some really good timber and good tonal balance with the brass filter. The fit is amazing and the IEM is surprisingly lightweight in spite of the full metal body. However, it is quite an average performer in terms of soundstage, imaging, dynamics, and resolution. Thus, it is not something I’d recommend for analytical listeners. If you’re someone who’s looking for a neutral-sounding IEM with a tad bit of warmth the Falcon Ultra is a suitable candidate, especially if you’re someone who likes long and relaxed listening sessions.
I received the Dunu Falcon Ultra as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hifigo.com. I am not associated with either Hifigo or Dunu in any way and have no incentive whatsoever to write anything positive or negative about the IEM. The impressions shared in this write-up are based on my usage of the IEM over a week or so. The Dunu Falcon Ultra is available for purchase from Hifigo.com at the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-falcon-ultra
Packaging and Accessories:
The Falcon Ultra is the latest option from Dunu to feature the second-generation ECLIPSE architecture. The IEM comes with a modular SPC cable aka Dunu DUW02 Pro, which features the flimsy-looking Q-lite connectors as opposed to the more premium looking and feeling Q-Lock Plus available on the Hulk Pro Mini. Considering the 240 USD price tag, IMO, those premium Q-Lock Plus connectors should have been included to make for a better value proposition.
The IEM has a metal faceplate with a teardrop shape. The IEM looks great and despite the metal body, is surprisingly light. The inscriptions along the edge of the faceplate enhance the aesthetic appeal of the IEM. I for one, love the blue finish of the Falcon Ultra. It makes the IEM look cool and niche amidst a sea of regular metal body IEMs. The IEM comes with a variety of ear tips and two sets of tuning filters. One set was installed on the IEM and the other was placed on a metal holder/plate. The package also includes a premium-looking carry case, a cleaning cloth, and a cleaning brush.
Tip-rolling and Tuning Filters
From the stock ear tips, the Dunu S&S ear tips are the best ones to go for with the Falcon Ultra. Personally, since I prefer foam ear tips, I used the Falcon Ultra with Flare Audio’s Audiophile memory foam ear tips, since they have a wide bore and are structurally quite like the S&S ear tips, just that the material is memory foam. The filters this time around have a significant impact on SQ. One of the complaints I had with the Falcon Pro was that there was hardly any difference in SQ when switching between the filters. Dunu seems to have fixed that with the Falcon Ultra, the brass filters make it sound a tad bit wider and flatter, whereas the blue filters give the IEM a bass boost and limit the staging severely. I personally preferred the brass filters because the blue ones IMO made the IEM sound a little wonky in terms of tonal balance. Perhaps the elevated mid-bass was a bit too much for my preference.
Sound Quality:
The Falcon Ultra is quite differently tuned from the Falcon Pro. While the Falcon Pro had quite a balanced tuning, the Falcon Ultra tends to be more fun sounding with somewhat of a U-shaped sound profile. There is a definite emphasis on bass in both filters. The brass /gold filter sounds a bit flatter and wider. The emphasis on bass is however more mid-bass than sub-bass. Do not get me wrong, there is improvement in sub-bass when compared to the Falcon Pro, however, the Falcon Ultra comes nowhere close to the FiiO FD5 or the FD3 Pro when it comes to sub-bass. The IEM is limited in terms of treble extensions. Forget extensions, treble itself is quite mild on the Falcon Ultra. While this may be a good thing for treble-sensitive people like me,, I too felt that the treble was quite rolled off and as a result of this, there is a direct impact on micro-details, thereby making the set suffer in terms of resolution. As with the Falcon Pro, the Falcon Ultra too is something I would not recommend for analytical listeners.
The mids on the Falcon Ultra are good. There is a good note weight and a slight sense of warmth to the overall SQ, which can be expected since this is a single DD IEM. The Falcon Ultra too has some sweet timbre which sounds great with the brass filter where the tonal balance isn’t messed up like the blue filter. There is no bass bleed. The separation is mediocre and so is the soundstage. In terms of dynamics too, the Falcon Ultra isn’t extraordinary or mind-blowing. It is strictly average.
Conclusion:
The Dunu Falcon Ultra is a good single dynamic driver IEM for the price point. It packs in a lot of accessories. It has some really good timber and good tonal balance with the brass filter. The fit is amazing and the IEM is surprisingly lightweight in spite of the full metal body. However, it is quite an average performer in terms of soundstage, imaging, dynamics, and resolution. Thus, it is not something I’d recommend for analytical listeners. If you’re someone who’s looking for a neutral-sounding IEM with a tad bit of warmth the Falcon Ultra is a suitable candidate, especially if you’re someone who likes long and relaxed listening sessions.
Disclaimer:
The Audiocular TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro were sent to me as part of a review tour organized by Concept Kart. The units were loaners for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion. The views expressed in this write-up are solely mine. There was no undue influence (monetary or otherwise), or pressure to write anything positive or negative about these dongles from Concept Kart.
Introduction:
Audiocular is an in-house brand of Concept Kart, a popular online store for audiophiles in India. Under the Audiocular brand, Concept Kart has been selling high-quality personal audio accessories at affordable prices. One can view their range of accessories at:
https://conceptkart.com/collections/audiocular
With the TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro, Concept Kart (CK henceforth) is expanding the Audiocular range to include personal audio equipment, such as USB dongle DACAMPs for starters. Both the TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro support USB C input and provide both 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm Balanced output.
Audiocular TP20 Pro:
The dongle comes neatly packed in relatively luxurious packaging, especially when compared to the other options at this price point. It comes with 2 cables included in the package, namely type c to type c and type c to lightning. Unlike pack-in cables from other brands, which are either too flimsy or just way too short for practical usage, Audiocular has included cables that look, feel, and most importantly perform like a premium cable. Oh yes, the cables are detachable, which IMO is a plus point.
The unit itself is quite heavy, so much so that I prefer calling it an “audio brick”. Perhaps the full metal enclosure is to blame for the weight. The TP20 Pro comes with a black casing and looks quite sleek. The dongle has a gain switch on one side and 3 buttons (Vol. Plus, Play / Pause, Vol Minus) on the other.
In terms of sound, this is a no-nonsense implementation of CS43131. There is a good balance between musicality and technicality here. There is a hint of warmth, making the bass sound slightly more pronounced, especially when compared to the TP30 Pro. Mids are well detailed and so is the treble. Overall, there is plenty of detail with a tinge of warmth, making it sound the more musical of the two.
Audiocular TP30 Pro:
The Audiocular TP30 Pro is a tad bit lighter than the TP20 Pro. It doesn’t have a gain switch or a play pause button but has the volume plus and minus buttons. The TP30 Pro comes in a golden full metal enclosure which IMO makes it look too blingy.
In terms of sound, this one has a vanilla implementation of an ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip. Fortunately, the typical ESS glare has been tamed to a certain extent. What we have is a more neutral-sounding output wherein the treble is well-detailed, while the bass is slightly leaner. The mids retain excellent clarity. Overall, the TP30 Pro is the more analytical of the two with excellent detail in terms of treble.
Before I wrap up, I’d like to highlight that these are white-labeled products, hence there’s a chance that you might come across similar-looking products on the internet with different brand names. If you’re in the market for a new dongle DAC, (especially in India), the Audiocular TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro are good choices offering premium DAC chips and accessories at an affordable price.
The Audiocular TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro were sent to me as part of a review tour organized by Concept Kart. The units were loaners for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion. The views expressed in this write-up are solely mine. There was no undue influence (monetary or otherwise), or pressure to write anything positive or negative about these dongles from Concept Kart.
Introduction:
Audiocular is an in-house brand of Concept Kart, a popular online store for audiophiles in India. Under the Audiocular brand, Concept Kart has been selling high-quality personal audio accessories at affordable prices. One can view their range of accessories at:
https://conceptkart.com/collections/audiocular
With the TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro, Concept Kart (CK henceforth) is expanding the Audiocular range to include personal audio equipment, such as USB dongle DACAMPs for starters. Both the TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro support USB C input and provide both 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm Balanced output.
Audiocular TP20 Pro:
- Dual Independent DAC Chipset (CS43131)
- 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL output
- DSD256 / 32bit-384KHz PCM and 4x MQA decoding
- Two gain modes
- Onboard media controls (Playback and volume)
The dongle comes neatly packed in relatively luxurious packaging, especially when compared to the other options at this price point. It comes with 2 cables included in the package, namely type c to type c and type c to lightning. Unlike pack-in cables from other brands, which are either too flimsy or just way too short for practical usage, Audiocular has included cables that look, feel, and most importantly perform like a premium cable. Oh yes, the cables are detachable, which IMO is a plus point.
The unit itself is quite heavy, so much so that I prefer calling it an “audio brick”. Perhaps the full metal enclosure is to blame for the weight. The TP20 Pro comes with a black casing and looks quite sleek. The dongle has a gain switch on one side and 3 buttons (Vol. Plus, Play / Pause, Vol Minus) on the other.
In terms of sound, this is a no-nonsense implementation of CS43131. There is a good balance between musicality and technicality here. There is a hint of warmth, making the bass sound slightly more pronounced, especially when compared to the TP30 Pro. Mids are well detailed and so is the treble. Overall, there is plenty of detail with a tinge of warmth, making it sound the more musical of the two.
Audiocular TP30 Pro:
- High-Performance ES9038Q2M DAC Chip
- 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL output
- DSD256 / 32bit-768KHz PCM and MQA decoding
The Audiocular TP30 Pro is a tad bit lighter than the TP20 Pro. It doesn’t have a gain switch or a play pause button but has the volume plus and minus buttons. The TP30 Pro comes in a golden full metal enclosure which IMO makes it look too blingy.
In terms of sound, this one has a vanilla implementation of an ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip. Fortunately, the typical ESS glare has been tamed to a certain extent. What we have is a more neutral-sounding output wherein the treble is well-detailed, while the bass is slightly leaner. The mids retain excellent clarity. Overall, the TP30 Pro is the more analytical of the two with excellent detail in terms of treble.
Before I wrap up, I’d like to highlight that these are white-labeled products, hence there’s a chance that you might come across similar-looking products on the internet with different brand names. If you’re in the market for a new dongle DAC, (especially in India), the Audiocular TP20 Pro and TP30 Pro are good choices offering premium DAC chips and accessories at an affordable price.
Aful Performer 8
Introduction
The Aful Performer 8 is the latest IEM from Aful Acoustics, which also happens to be their flagship IEM, thereby, outperforming the Aful Performer 5. The Aful Performer 8 (AP8 henceforth) comes with a hybrid configuration of 1 dynamic driver and 7 balanced armature drivers. The 8mm dynamic driver comprises of a biological diaphragm that supposedly delivers powerful bass. The 7 BA drivers have been interestingly divided, with 2 of them handling low frequencies, 2 other BA drivers have been assigned to handle the midrange, and three customized high-performance BA drivers have been assigned to handle the high frequencies. There’s a bunch of jargon in the marketing material that I shall paste here, just to help provide a convenient overview before I delve into my subjective take on the IEM.
Features / Jargon
Alas, another thing I’d like to highlight before we proceed with my subjective impressions, is the following disclaimer.
The Aful Performer 8 was sent to me as part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this writeup, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/aful-performer8
(The link is not affiliated; hence, I don’t get anything if you use the link to visit the page or purchase the IEM from HiFiGo. The link has only been pasted here for your convenience, though chances are you already have this link opened in another tab in the background.
)
Build & Aesthetics
The unit I received came with a cable with a 3.5mm SE termination. For the purpose of this review, I used a FiiO LS-2.5D silver litz cable with a 2.5mm balanced termination and a DDhifi DJ44AG converter, so I could use the cable with sources that had a 4.4mm balanced output. The primary reason I chose to go with a balanced cable was that the single-ended output on both my DAPs (Sony NW-ZX707 and Hiby R6 Pro II) was rather limited in terms of power and the IEM sounded kind of shouty in the upper mids with the stock cable which has a 3.5mm SE termination.
Coming to the build and aesthetics, the IEM has resin shells that are lightweight and not too large, hence resulting in a comfortable fit. The faceplates resemble AP5 in terms of visuals and the overall shape also seems to be in line with AP5. The stock cable is an SPC that seems to be of good quality. The cable comes with an option of either a 3.5mm SE termination or a 4.4mm BAL termination, which one can choose while buying. As mentioned earlier, the unit I received came with a 3.5mm SE cable, which I swapped with a FiiO LS2.5D attached to a DJ44AG converter to make it compatible with my DAPs that come with a 4.4mm Balanced output. In terms of ear tips, the IEM comes with 3 pairs each of wide-bore and narrow-bore silicon ear tips, which seemed to be standard. Nothing fancy like SpinFits, Azla, Spiral Dots, HS18, and the like. For this review, I chose to go with Flare Audio Audiophile memory foam tips, since they sounded quite like the packed-in wide-bore silicon tips but were far more comfortable.
The IEM comes with a round faux-leather case that seemed to be inspired by the one that comes with FiR audio signature series IEMs.
Sound
The sound signature of the AP8 is neutral with a hint of bass boost. The bass has good physicality and unlike the AP5, the bass on the AP8 is well-textured with a fair amount of detail.
Unlike the AP5, the mids on the AP8 are quite organic and are somewhat of a highlight of the AP8. The vocals manage to grab your attention, without being overpowered by the bass and treble. The vocals are clean for the most part with good timbre. Notes have sufficient heft and linger around for just about the right time. All in all, the mids are breezy, and manage to convey the emotions just as they were intended by the vocalist. Going back to a track that I used to test the vocals on the AP5, this time around, the vocals of this track, “Aankhon Mein Raho – Company” were mesmerizing. If you’re someone who enjoys mid-centric / vocal-based tracks, I’d genuinely recommend the AP8 as a potential candidate for your next IEM.
When compared to AP5, the AP8 has certainly improved in terms of treble response. There is a very good amount of detail with just about the right amount of sparkle and a fair sense of airiness all over. IEMs tend to go bright and often get somewhat crisp and shouty when the treble is so detailed, but the AP8 has very good control over the treble response.
In terms of soundstage too, there is a significant upgrade here when compared to AP5. I’d say the imaging has better precision in comparison and overall, AP8 is a significant improvement over AP5 in terms of technicalities. That being said, it still has scope for improvement especially when compared to the competition at this price point.
Conclusion:
Balanced sound, lightweight earpieces, good bass response with delicious mids, and well-detailed treble. All of these properties make the AP8 a great candidate for a daily driver. The sound isn’t too fatiguing and should support long listening sessions. If you’re someone who enjoys mid-centric / vocal-based tracks, I’d genuinely recommend the AP8 as a potential candidate for your next IEM.
Just a reminder that my observations are based on a different cable from the stock one because I wanted to use a balanced cable to get the best out of my DAPs. Perhaps, the stock cable with a 4.4mm termination may yield similar results.
Introduction
The Aful Performer 8 is the latest IEM from Aful Acoustics, which also happens to be their flagship IEM, thereby, outperforming the Aful Performer 5. The Aful Performer 8 (AP8 henceforth) comes with a hybrid configuration of 1 dynamic driver and 7 balanced armature drivers. The 8mm dynamic driver comprises of a biological diaphragm that supposedly delivers powerful bass. The 7 BA drivers have been interestingly divided, with 2 of them handling low frequencies, 2 other BA drivers have been assigned to handle the midrange, and three customized high-performance BA drivers have been assigned to handle the high frequencies. There’s a bunch of jargon in the marketing material that I shall paste here, just to help provide a convenient overview before I delve into my subjective take on the IEM.
Features / Jargon
- 7BA+1DD High-Performance Hybrid Configuration.
- 8mm Dynamic Driver with Biological Diaphragm.
- Customized High-Performance Balanced Armature Drivers.
- Enhanced 3D Printed Acoustic Tube Structure.
- Ultra-Long Low-Frequency Acoustic Tube
- RLC Network Frequency Division Correction Technology.
- High-Damping Air-Pressure Balance Technology.
- Balanced Sound Tuning with Tight Lower-End, Clear Midrange, and Extended Treble Response.
- Ideal for Most Genres of Music.
- Exquisite New Looks with Eye-Catchy Face Covers.
- Ergonomic & Lightweight Cavities.
- High-Purity Monocrystalline Copper Silver-Plated Cable.
- Impedance: 30Ω.
- Sensitivity: 115dB@1kHz.
- Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-35kHz.
- Passive Noise Reduction: 26dB.
- Standard 2-pin Connectors.
Alas, another thing I’d like to highlight before we proceed with my subjective impressions, is the following disclaimer.
The Aful Performer 8 was sent to me as part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this writeup, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/aful-performer8
(The link is not affiliated; hence, I don’t get anything if you use the link to visit the page or purchase the IEM from HiFiGo. The link has only been pasted here for your convenience, though chances are you already have this link opened in another tab in the background.
)
Build & Aesthetics
The unit I received came with a cable with a 3.5mm SE termination. For the purpose of this review, I used a FiiO LS-2.5D silver litz cable with a 2.5mm balanced termination and a DDhifi DJ44AG converter, so I could use the cable with sources that had a 4.4mm balanced output. The primary reason I chose to go with a balanced cable was that the single-ended output on both my DAPs (Sony NW-ZX707 and Hiby R6 Pro II) was rather limited in terms of power and the IEM sounded kind of shouty in the upper mids with the stock cable which has a 3.5mm SE termination.
Coming to the build and aesthetics, the IEM has resin shells that are lightweight and not too large, hence resulting in a comfortable fit. The faceplates resemble AP5 in terms of visuals and the overall shape also seems to be in line with AP5. The stock cable is an SPC that seems to be of good quality. The cable comes with an option of either a 3.5mm SE termination or a 4.4mm BAL termination, which one can choose while buying. As mentioned earlier, the unit I received came with a 3.5mm SE cable, which I swapped with a FiiO LS2.5D attached to a DJ44AG converter to make it compatible with my DAPs that come with a 4.4mm Balanced output. In terms of ear tips, the IEM comes with 3 pairs each of wide-bore and narrow-bore silicon ear tips, which seemed to be standard. Nothing fancy like SpinFits, Azla, Spiral Dots, HS18, and the like. For this review, I chose to go with Flare Audio Audiophile memory foam tips, since they sounded quite like the packed-in wide-bore silicon tips but were far more comfortable.
The IEM comes with a round faux-leather case that seemed to be inspired by the one that comes with FiR audio signature series IEMs.
Sound
The sound signature of the AP8 is neutral with a hint of bass boost. The bass has good physicality and unlike the AP5, the bass on the AP8 is well-textured with a fair amount of detail.
Unlike the AP5, the mids on the AP8 are quite organic and are somewhat of a highlight of the AP8. The vocals manage to grab your attention, without being overpowered by the bass and treble. The vocals are clean for the most part with good timbre. Notes have sufficient heft and linger around for just about the right time. All in all, the mids are breezy, and manage to convey the emotions just as they were intended by the vocalist. Going back to a track that I used to test the vocals on the AP5, this time around, the vocals of this track, “Aankhon Mein Raho – Company” were mesmerizing. If you’re someone who enjoys mid-centric / vocal-based tracks, I’d genuinely recommend the AP8 as a potential candidate for your next IEM.
When compared to AP5, the AP8 has certainly improved in terms of treble response. There is a very good amount of detail with just about the right amount of sparkle and a fair sense of airiness all over. IEMs tend to go bright and often get somewhat crisp and shouty when the treble is so detailed, but the AP8 has very good control over the treble response.
In terms of soundstage too, there is a significant upgrade here when compared to AP5. I’d say the imaging has better precision in comparison and overall, AP8 is a significant improvement over AP5 in terms of technicalities. That being said, it still has scope for improvement especially when compared to the competition at this price point.
Conclusion:
Balanced sound, lightweight earpieces, good bass response with delicious mids, and well-detailed treble. All of these properties make the AP8 a great candidate for a daily driver. The sound isn’t too fatiguing and should support long listening sessions. If you’re someone who enjoys mid-centric / vocal-based tracks, I’d genuinely recommend the AP8 as a potential candidate for your next IEM.
Just a reminder that my observations are based on a different cable from the stock one because I wanted to use a balanced cable to get the best out of my DAPs. Perhaps, the stock cable with a 4.4mm termination may yield similar results.
Cons: - Impossible to figure out how to open the storage case without breaking it. 
- Stock cable seems to restrain the IEM from unleashing its true potential.
- Stock cable seems to restrain the IEM from unleashing its true potential.
Quick Disclaimer:
The LETSHUOER x Gizaudio Galileo I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for audition in exchange of my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this write-up, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/letshuoer-x-gizaudio-galileo
Or from Amazon:
USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV6WGJJC/letshuoer+x+gizaudio+galileo/
Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0BV6YKL91/letshuoer+x+gizaudio+galileo/
Introduction:
Keeping up with the latest trend in the IEM space, Letshuoer has collaborated with GizAudio for their new IEM called Galileo. For the unversed, GizAudio is a popular YouTube channel hosted by Timmy Vangtan with focus on Hi-fi audio.
Galileo is a dual-driver hybrid IEM that has a 10 mm liquid silicone Aluminium Magnesium (Al-Mg) alloy dynamic driver (DD) paired with a Sonion 2389 balanced armature (BA). These drivers are housed in a beautiful 3D printed synthetic resin shell with a design that’s unique to each set. The earpieces have a blue colour semi transparent cavity with the faceplate patterns supposedly inspired from the Milky way galaxy. The earpieces do look like a piece of art, and thanks to the material and shape, they are lightweight and provide a good fit. The IEM comes with 2 varieties of ear tips, however, for the purpose of this review, I used a pair of Dekoni Mercury memory foam tips.
The bundled cable is a 2-Pin (0.78mm) silver plated oxygen free copper cable, available with either a 3.5mm SE termination or a 4.4mm balanced termination. The cable looks premium and seems to be well built and durable. The IEM comes with a box that looks interesting, but is quite difficult to open. The mechanism is quite simple once you’ve understood it, but the lack of visual cues makes it challenging to open.
Sound Impressions:
The overall sound signature of Galileo is well balanced, with a tad bit of emphasis on the low end. The bass response is clean and fairly well detailed. The bass doesn’t tend to bleed into other frequencies, nor does it have crazy extensions. It is natural sounding for the most part. Since I happened to try the Galileo with Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog cable, I’d say that the stock cable doesn’t really unleash the potential of the IEM. The stock cable makes the bass sound timid, whereas the Orlog gave the bass response good heft resulting in some powerful slams and overall hard hitting bass. With the stock cable however, the bass response is quite mild and I for one, felt that it could do with some more heft in this region.
The mids too are natural sounding for the most part. Perhaps the first thing one is likely to notice about the mids on this pair is how lively and natural they sound. There is a sense of lavishness in the vocals which brings out every detail with panache. In terms of tone and timbre, the Galileo performs quite well. The midrange is perhaps the region where it performs exceptionally well.
The treble on the Galileo is quite airy which provides a sense of openness to the sound. Here again, I feel the IEM is let down by the stock cable, as it tends to be a little too sharp sometimes with the stock cable. With Orlog, however, the treble is very well controlled, with the right amount of energy and a good sense of air.
The pair brings out micro details quite well and has very good imaging and separation, especially for an IEM in its price segment. Overall tonal coherence is exceptional. In terms of staging, there is good width, but the soundstage could definitely do with some more depth. All in all, it has a highly coherent and balanced sound with technicalities that are very good for the price segment it belongs to.
Conclusion:
The Letshuoer x Gizaudio Galileo is a neutral sounding pair with good technicalities. The inoffensive tuning, lightweight and ergonomic earpieces allow for the IEMs to be used for longer listening sessions without any sense of fatigue. The stock cable doesn’t seem to unleash the true potential of the IEM (IMO). All in all, I’d recommend the Galileo to anyone who is looking for a neutral sounding IEM.
The LETSHUOER x Gizaudio Galileo I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for audition in exchange of my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this write-up, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/letshuoer-x-gizaudio-galileo
Or from Amazon:
USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV6WGJJC/letshuoer+x+gizaudio+galileo/
Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0BV6YKL91/letshuoer+x+gizaudio+galileo/
Introduction:
Keeping up with the latest trend in the IEM space, Letshuoer has collaborated with GizAudio for their new IEM called Galileo. For the unversed, GizAudio is a popular YouTube channel hosted by Timmy Vangtan with focus on Hi-fi audio.
Galileo is a dual-driver hybrid IEM that has a 10 mm liquid silicone Aluminium Magnesium (Al-Mg) alloy dynamic driver (DD) paired with a Sonion 2389 balanced armature (BA). These drivers are housed in a beautiful 3D printed synthetic resin shell with a design that’s unique to each set. The earpieces have a blue colour semi transparent cavity with the faceplate patterns supposedly inspired from the Milky way galaxy. The earpieces do look like a piece of art, and thanks to the material and shape, they are lightweight and provide a good fit. The IEM comes with 2 varieties of ear tips, however, for the purpose of this review, I used a pair of Dekoni Mercury memory foam tips.
The bundled cable is a 2-Pin (0.78mm) silver plated oxygen free copper cable, available with either a 3.5mm SE termination or a 4.4mm balanced termination. The cable looks premium and seems to be well built and durable. The IEM comes with a box that looks interesting, but is quite difficult to open. The mechanism is quite simple once you’ve understood it, but the lack of visual cues makes it challenging to open.
Sound Impressions:
The overall sound signature of Galileo is well balanced, with a tad bit of emphasis on the low end. The bass response is clean and fairly well detailed. The bass doesn’t tend to bleed into other frequencies, nor does it have crazy extensions. It is natural sounding for the most part. Since I happened to try the Galileo with Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog cable, I’d say that the stock cable doesn’t really unleash the potential of the IEM. The stock cable makes the bass sound timid, whereas the Orlog gave the bass response good heft resulting in some powerful slams and overall hard hitting bass. With the stock cable however, the bass response is quite mild and I for one, felt that it could do with some more heft in this region.
The mids too are natural sounding for the most part. Perhaps the first thing one is likely to notice about the mids on this pair is how lively and natural they sound. There is a sense of lavishness in the vocals which brings out every detail with panache. In terms of tone and timbre, the Galileo performs quite well. The midrange is perhaps the region where it performs exceptionally well.
The treble on the Galileo is quite airy which provides a sense of openness to the sound. Here again, I feel the IEM is let down by the stock cable, as it tends to be a little too sharp sometimes with the stock cable. With Orlog, however, the treble is very well controlled, with the right amount of energy and a good sense of air.
The pair brings out micro details quite well and has very good imaging and separation, especially for an IEM in its price segment. Overall tonal coherence is exceptional. In terms of staging, there is good width, but the soundstage could definitely do with some more depth. All in all, it has a highly coherent and balanced sound with technicalities that are very good for the price segment it belongs to.
Conclusion:
The Letshuoer x Gizaudio Galileo is a neutral sounding pair with good technicalities. The inoffensive tuning, lightweight and ergonomic earpieces allow for the IEMs to be used for longer listening sessions without any sense of fatigue. The stock cable doesn’t seem to unleash the true potential of the IEM (IMO). All in all, I’d recommend the Galileo to anyone who is looking for a neutral sounding IEM.
Attachments
Disclaimer:
First things first, cable rolling is quite a sensitive topic in this hobby. If you are someone who does not believe or has not perceived any difference in sound with different cables, that’s fine. I am not going to try and convince you otherwise. Personally, I have experienced a fair amount of change in sound with different cables, hence I usually roll cables on any IEM I spend some time with.
The Kinera Orlog cable I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by Kinera. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the cable. The views expressed in this write-up, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the cable with my IEMs. The cable can be purchased from Kinera's website here:
https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-orlog
Introduction:
The Orlog is an aftermarket cable from Kinera in collaboration with Effect Audio. The cable has 2 variants, a 4-core variant with an MSRP of 699 USD and a special edition 8-core variant with an MSRP of 999 USD. The cable comes with a 4.4mm balanced termination (no single-ended variant as of now) and is equipped with Effect Audio’s ConX connectors, which allows the cable to be used with multiple IEM connector types (MMCX, 2-Pin 0.78mm, IPX, Ear, and A2DC), by simply changing the ConX head. IMO, the ConX approach is way better than using convertors to reuse one cable for different connector types, because converters are usually flimsy and sometimes result in issues in terms of fit.
The cable I received was an 8-core variant with a 2-pin ConX head applied to it. Since the unit was unboxed, I cannot really say much about the packaging and unboxing experience. However, the retail version of the cable includes a pair of 2-pin ConX heads, a pair of MMCX ConX heads, and a ConX assist tool, which can be used to swap the ConX heads. Since I have a couple of other ConX cables in my inventory, I swapped the head to MMCX as most of my IEMs are MMCX. For the purpose of this review, I chose to go with the Sony IER-Z1R as the primary IEM. I briefly tried the cable with 3 other IEMs, namely, Audeze Euclid, 64 Audio Nio, and Letshouer Galileo.
Let us have a quick look at the specs before we proceed.
Specifications:
Build Quality and Aesthetics:
The Orlog is one of the finest cables I have come across in terms of build quality. The exquisite material inspires confidence and the cable is quite literally as thick as a rope. The cable itself is very soft and exudes richness when touched. However, the ear connectors, chin slider, Y-splitter, and 4.4mm plug have this mountain-shaped pattern applied over them, which I did not find very appealing. These patterns may have been applied to give the cable a unique design, but in my opinion, they make the cable look kind of gaudy and feel like spikes on the cable when touched. The L & R indicators are almost invisible since the mountain patterns not only grab too much attention but also eat up physical space available on the connector. If there’s one thing I’d like to change about this otherwise beautiful cable, it would be to get rid of those mountain patterns, especially their spikey edges. However, since aesthetics are subjective and based on preference, you may perhaps find these patterns appealing.
Sound:
As mentioned earlier, I used the cable primarily with Sony IER-Z1R. The cable has a dark sound character, which made the treble seem somewhat de-emphasized. Hi-hats and cymbals tended to sound a little too mild for my taste. In terms of soundstage, the holographic presentation of the IER-Z1R was presented very well in terms of both width and depth. However, in terms of dynamics, the cable seemed to work wonders. This may be because the cable made the IER-Z1R sound darker while retaining the excellence of the IEM in terms of separation, thereby, enhancing the impact of each note. The cable accentuated the “woof” aspect in terms of bass response, resulting in some powerful slams and excellent boom. The mids, especially the vocals, were terrific. The dark character of the cable greatly enhanced the impact of the vocals.
I usually prefer listening to the IER-Z1R with FiiO LC-RE Pro, and treble, especially in terms of sparkle and sheen, is the only region where I felt the LC-RE Pro did a better job when compared to the Orlog since the treble was a bit too mild for my taste. However, I’d like to highlight that my audio sources were Sony NW-ZX707 and iFi xDSD Gryphon. Both these sources are warm sounding, which again could be why the treble seemed too mild. Perhaps the Orlog is more suitable for a brighter source or a brighter pair of IEMs, like the 64audio Tia Fourte for example.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog is a great cable with some really exquisite material. The fact that it comes with ConX, makes it a versatile cable that can be used with IEMs of different connector types. The Orlog pretty much brings out the best of the IEM in terms of staging and dynamics. Since the cable is somewhat dark in terms of sound, it would complement bright / neutral-sounding IEMs very well.
First things first, cable rolling is quite a sensitive topic in this hobby. If you are someone who does not believe or has not perceived any difference in sound with different cables, that’s fine. I am not going to try and convince you otherwise. Personally, I have experienced a fair amount of change in sound with different cables, hence I usually roll cables on any IEM I spend some time with.
The Kinera Orlog cable I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by Kinera. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the cable. The views expressed in this write-up, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the cable with my IEMs. The cable can be purchased from Kinera's website here:
https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-orlog
Introduction:
The Orlog is an aftermarket cable from Kinera in collaboration with Effect Audio. The cable has 2 variants, a 4-core variant with an MSRP of 699 USD and a special edition 8-core variant with an MSRP of 999 USD. The cable comes with a 4.4mm balanced termination (no single-ended variant as of now) and is equipped with Effect Audio’s ConX connectors, which allows the cable to be used with multiple IEM connector types (MMCX, 2-Pin 0.78mm, IPX, Ear, and A2DC), by simply changing the ConX head. IMO, the ConX approach is way better than using convertors to reuse one cable for different connector types, because converters are usually flimsy and sometimes result in issues in terms of fit.
The cable I received was an 8-core variant with a 2-pin ConX head applied to it. Since the unit was unboxed, I cannot really say much about the packaging and unboxing experience. However, the retail version of the cable includes a pair of 2-pin ConX heads, a pair of MMCX ConX heads, and a ConX assist tool, which can be used to swap the ConX heads. Since I have a couple of other ConX cables in my inventory, I swapped the head to MMCX as most of my IEMs are MMCX. For the purpose of this review, I chose to go with the Sony IER-Z1R as the primary IEM. I briefly tried the cable with 3 other IEMs, namely, Audeze Euclid, 64 Audio Nio, and Letshouer Galileo.
Let us have a quick look at the specs before we proceed.
Specifications:
- High-Quality UP-OCC Dual-Material Hybrid Design.
- Composite Wire Configuration with Gold-Plated Copper & Silver-plated Copper Cores along with Pure-Copper Core & Pure Sterling Silver Wire Cores.
- Aerospace-Grade Aluminum Alloy CNC Machined Y-Splitter, Chin Slider, Connectors, and Termination plug housings.
- Cable Diameter: 26AWG.
- Outer Layer: Effect Audio UltraFlexi Ultra-soft insulation coating.
- Interface: Effect Audio ConX 0.78mm 2-pin+MMCX.
- Termination Plug: 4.4mm Balanced.
- Plug Material: Gold-Plated Brass.
- Cable Length: 1.2m.
Build Quality and Aesthetics:
The Orlog is one of the finest cables I have come across in terms of build quality. The exquisite material inspires confidence and the cable is quite literally as thick as a rope. The cable itself is very soft and exudes richness when touched. However, the ear connectors, chin slider, Y-splitter, and 4.4mm plug have this mountain-shaped pattern applied over them, which I did not find very appealing. These patterns may have been applied to give the cable a unique design, but in my opinion, they make the cable look kind of gaudy and feel like spikes on the cable when touched. The L & R indicators are almost invisible since the mountain patterns not only grab too much attention but also eat up physical space available on the connector. If there’s one thing I’d like to change about this otherwise beautiful cable, it would be to get rid of those mountain patterns, especially their spikey edges. However, since aesthetics are subjective and based on preference, you may perhaps find these patterns appealing.
Sound:
As mentioned earlier, I used the cable primarily with Sony IER-Z1R. The cable has a dark sound character, which made the treble seem somewhat de-emphasized. Hi-hats and cymbals tended to sound a little too mild for my taste. In terms of soundstage, the holographic presentation of the IER-Z1R was presented very well in terms of both width and depth. However, in terms of dynamics, the cable seemed to work wonders. This may be because the cable made the IER-Z1R sound darker while retaining the excellence of the IEM in terms of separation, thereby, enhancing the impact of each note. The cable accentuated the “woof” aspect in terms of bass response, resulting in some powerful slams and excellent boom. The mids, especially the vocals, were terrific. The dark character of the cable greatly enhanced the impact of the vocals.
I usually prefer listening to the IER-Z1R with FiiO LC-RE Pro, and treble, especially in terms of sparkle and sheen, is the only region where I felt the LC-RE Pro did a better job when compared to the Orlog since the treble was a bit too mild for my taste. However, I’d like to highlight that my audio sources were Sony NW-ZX707 and iFi xDSD Gryphon. Both these sources are warm sounding, which again could be why the treble seemed too mild. Perhaps the Orlog is more suitable for a brighter source or a brighter pair of IEMs, like the 64audio Tia Fourte for example.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog is a great cable with some really exquisite material. The fact that it comes with ConX, makes it a versatile cable that can be used with IEMs of different connector types. The Orlog pretty much brings out the best of the IEM in terms of staging and dynamics. Since the cable is somewhat dark in terms of sound, it would complement bright / neutral-sounding IEMs very well.
SeeAudio Yume II
Introduction:
Technical Specifications:
Before I proceed further, I’d like to include the following disclaimer.
Disclaimer:
The SeeAudio Yume II was sent to me as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hifigo.com. Neither am I affiliated with hifigo or SeeAudio, nor do I have any incentive what so ever, to write anything positive or negative about the Yume II. I was given a chance to audition the Yume II and share my honest opinion regarding the same. The views expressed in this write-up are my own, and are based on the week or so that I spent trying out the IEM.
The SeeAudio Yume II can be purchased from hifigo using the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-yume-2
Gear used for this review:
Aesthetics, Build and Fit:
The unit I received was an unboxed one, hence I will not be able to talk about the retail packaging and unboxing experience. However, I’d like to highlight that the stock cable is one of the best cables I’ve seen in a while. The cable is super soft and supple and free of microphonics. The shiny silver plated cable complements the earpieces very well, both, in terms of aesthetics and in terms of sound. The metal connectors, y spilt and 3.5mm termination gives it a premium look and feel while inspiring confidence wrt to the build quality.
The earpieces have aluminium alloy shells with a beautiful pattern engraved on the faceplate. The glossy earpieces look gorgeous and tend to reflect light beautifully. These definitely look a piece of art. Alas, my major concern with these earpieces was that they’re essentially fingerprint and micro scratch magnets. Adding to my concerns is the fact that the carry case is chunky, hence not pocketable. While it didn’t pick up any scratches during my usage, I’m not sure if tit would remain this way after a month or two of usage.
In terms of fit, the Yume II is pretty lightweight and the earpieces are quite small. These can easily be accommodated in smaller sized ears. My ears are relatively large, hence I didn’t have any issues in terms of fit.
Sound:
Lows:
The Yume II has sufficient presence in the low end with a fair amount of punch. It isn’t too boomy and is quite organic and natural sounding for the most part. Since the bass is well controlled, it doesn’t bleed into other frequencies. If you’re a bass head or a rumble head, this IEM is likely to leave you unsatisfied.
There’s a beautiful piece of drumming in “Rind Posh Maal – Mission Kashmir” at around the 4:34 mark. This piece all the way up to 5:28 sounds phenomenal on the Yume II. The rest of the song is awesome too, just highlighting the bit that made me feel really ecstatic while auditioning the Yume II.
Such pieces that require good presence in the mid bass, is where the bass response of the Yume II shines. Not that it lacks sub bass, but the sub-bass isn’t that emphasised in comparison. However, given that the Yume II has a balanced sound signature, the bass response is in-line with the overall tonality of the IEM.
Mids:
This is definitely the highlight of the Yume II. Natural sounding, clean and detailed, the mids here are excellent. There is no bass bleed and notes have good weight in this region. Both Male and Female vocals sound amazing, not sounding the least bit shouty. Listening to “Dhuan Dhuan – Mission Kashmir” or “Bhare Naina – RA One” is euphoric to say the least. The vocals are lush and the Yume II brings out the nuances in these tracks beautifully.
One might feel that the mids are a tad bit recessed, not like a V shape, but just a little less forward in comparison to the lows and highs. Personally, I felt the mids were placed just about right given the overall tonality.
Highs:
The highs are again very clean with good detail retrieval. Once again, the highs don’t have crazy extensions, rather, the treble response is in-line with the overall tonality and balanced sound signature. Personally, I felt the treble response of the Yume II is tastefully done, providing a fair amount of sparkle with decent air, without getting fatiguing or ear piercing at any point.
Technicalities:
The soundstage is wide but not very deep. There is good separation and imaging as well. In terms of dynamic range, the Yume II is excellent. The Yume II is definitely a notch or 2 higher than what is usually delivered at this price point.
Switching to a balanced cable didn’t add much value, which in my opinion is a very good thing. Of course, the overall stage seems to be wider and there is a tad bit of improvement in terms of dynamics, but it doesn’t really warrant an upgrade cable. The Yume II doesn't require a lot of power to open up either, hence IMO it doesn’t really require a powerful amp to drive it to potential.
Conclusion:
The SeeAudio Yume II is an organic and natural sounding pair with excellent aesthetics and a very good cable packed in. In terms of SQ, I think SeeAudio has done a good job. The overall SQ is non-fatiguing with well controlled bass, excellent mids, complemented by clean and well detailed highs.
I’d definitely recommend the SeeAudio Yume II to anyone looking for a non-fatiguing, laid-back and natural sounding IEM under 200 USD.
Introduction:
Technical Specifications:
- Impedance: 17Ω.
- Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.
- THD+N: ≤2%.
- Driver Configuration: 1DD+2BA.
- Termination: 3.5mm.
- Connector Interface: 2-pin 0.78mm.
- Cable: 6N OFC Silver-Plated Cable.
Before I proceed further, I’d like to include the following disclaimer.
Disclaimer:
The SeeAudio Yume II was sent to me as part of a review tour in my country organized by Hifigo.com. Neither am I affiliated with hifigo or SeeAudio, nor do I have any incentive what so ever, to write anything positive or negative about the Yume II. I was given a chance to audition the Yume II and share my honest opinion regarding the same. The views expressed in this write-up are my own, and are based on the week or so that I spent trying out the IEM.
The SeeAudio Yume II can be purchased from hifigo using the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-yume-2
Gear used for this review:
- Ikko ITB03 (Stock cable for SE output, Kinera Gramr for Balanced output)
- FiiO UTWS-5
- xDuoo Poke II (Stock cable for SE output, FiiO LS-2.5A [with ddhifi DJ44AG adapter] for Balanced output)
- FiiO M11Plus LTD (Stock cable for SE output, FiiO LS-2.5A and Kinera Dromi for Balanced output)
- Jcally AP90 (Kinera Dromi and Kinera Gramr for Balanced output)
Aesthetics, Build and Fit:
The unit I received was an unboxed one, hence I will not be able to talk about the retail packaging and unboxing experience. However, I’d like to highlight that the stock cable is one of the best cables I’ve seen in a while. The cable is super soft and supple and free of microphonics. The shiny silver plated cable complements the earpieces very well, both, in terms of aesthetics and in terms of sound. The metal connectors, y spilt and 3.5mm termination gives it a premium look and feel while inspiring confidence wrt to the build quality.
The earpieces have aluminium alloy shells with a beautiful pattern engraved on the faceplate. The glossy earpieces look gorgeous and tend to reflect light beautifully. These definitely look a piece of art. Alas, my major concern with these earpieces was that they’re essentially fingerprint and micro scratch magnets. Adding to my concerns is the fact that the carry case is chunky, hence not pocketable. While it didn’t pick up any scratches during my usage, I’m not sure if tit would remain this way after a month or two of usage.
In terms of fit, the Yume II is pretty lightweight and the earpieces are quite small. These can easily be accommodated in smaller sized ears. My ears are relatively large, hence I didn’t have any issues in terms of fit.
Sound:
Lows:
The Yume II has sufficient presence in the low end with a fair amount of punch. It isn’t too boomy and is quite organic and natural sounding for the most part. Since the bass is well controlled, it doesn’t bleed into other frequencies. If you’re a bass head or a rumble head, this IEM is likely to leave you unsatisfied.
There’s a beautiful piece of drumming in “Rind Posh Maal – Mission Kashmir” at around the 4:34 mark. This piece all the way up to 5:28 sounds phenomenal on the Yume II. The rest of the song is awesome too, just highlighting the bit that made me feel really ecstatic while auditioning the Yume II.
Such pieces that require good presence in the mid bass, is where the bass response of the Yume II shines. Not that it lacks sub bass, but the sub-bass isn’t that emphasised in comparison. However, given that the Yume II has a balanced sound signature, the bass response is in-line with the overall tonality of the IEM.
Mids:
This is definitely the highlight of the Yume II. Natural sounding, clean and detailed, the mids here are excellent. There is no bass bleed and notes have good weight in this region. Both Male and Female vocals sound amazing, not sounding the least bit shouty. Listening to “Dhuan Dhuan – Mission Kashmir” or “Bhare Naina – RA One” is euphoric to say the least. The vocals are lush and the Yume II brings out the nuances in these tracks beautifully.
One might feel that the mids are a tad bit recessed, not like a V shape, but just a little less forward in comparison to the lows and highs. Personally, I felt the mids were placed just about right given the overall tonality.
Highs:
The highs are again very clean with good detail retrieval. Once again, the highs don’t have crazy extensions, rather, the treble response is in-line with the overall tonality and balanced sound signature. Personally, I felt the treble response of the Yume II is tastefully done, providing a fair amount of sparkle with decent air, without getting fatiguing or ear piercing at any point.
Technicalities:
The soundstage is wide but not very deep. There is good separation and imaging as well. In terms of dynamic range, the Yume II is excellent. The Yume II is definitely a notch or 2 higher than what is usually delivered at this price point.
Switching to a balanced cable didn’t add much value, which in my opinion is a very good thing. Of course, the overall stage seems to be wider and there is a tad bit of improvement in terms of dynamics, but it doesn’t really warrant an upgrade cable. The Yume II doesn't require a lot of power to open up either, hence IMO it doesn’t really require a powerful amp to drive it to potential.
Conclusion:
The SeeAudio Yume II is an organic and natural sounding pair with excellent aesthetics and a very good cable packed in. In terms of SQ, I think SeeAudio has done a good job. The overall SQ is non-fatiguing with well controlled bass, excellent mids, complemented by clean and well detailed highs.
I’d definitely recommend the SeeAudio Yume II to anyone looking for a non-fatiguing, laid-back and natural sounding IEM under 200 USD.
AFUL Performer 5
Disclaimer:
The AFUL Performer 5 (or AP5 for short) was sent to me by HiFiGo.com as part of a review tour in exchange for my honest opinion. I am neither paid by nor affiliated with HiFiGo or the brand in any way and have no incentive whatsoever, for writing anything positive or negative about the IEM. The views shared in this article are my personal views based on the week or so I spent with AP5.
Here’s the link to purchase the AFUL Performer 5 from HiFiGo:
https://hifigo.com/products/AFUL-performer-5
Although I had not heard of AFUL Acoustics prior to this review, the brand has been around since 2018. They seem to have multiple patents registered to their name. The Performer 5 is their latest offering priced at about 200 USD. Let us have a look at the features and specs of the AP5.
Features:
Technical Specifications:
The AP5 is surprisingly light in terms of weight thanks to the resin shell. The shape is comfortable overall, hence making it suitable for longer listening sessions without fatigue. The faceplates are quite good-looking and reminded me of the QoA Mojito. Unlike the Mojito, however, the AP5 shells are black in color while the faceplate has a fancy pattern with a glossy finish. Since the earpieces are 3D printed, the AFUL Performer 5 has quite a solid build quality. The unit I received was unboxed, hence, I cannot really share anything related to the unboxing experience. The IEM comes with a basic set of accessories such as a 3.5mm single-ended cable (2-pin) and 6 pairs of silicon tips. The stock cable is perhaps the most disappointing aspect IMO. The cable is well built as such, but the sound character of the cable makes the AP5 sound a bit too dull and boring. Swapping cables made a significant difference as it opened up the treble region, making it sound a bit more sparkly.
For the purpose of this review, I’ve tried listing to the AP5 with a Kinera Dromi cable (4.4mm bal termination) with JCally AP90, and FiiO UTWS-5. I tried rolling a few tips and chose to go with the AZLA Sedna EarFit Vivid ear tips.
Sound Impressions:
The AP5 has 4BAs and 1 DD configuration. The signature is quite neutral with a hint of a boost in the sub-bass region. The bass response is good with decent weight but I’d prefer something with a little more slam, especially in the mid-bass region. In terms of bass speed, the AP5 bass is mediocre at best. However, since there’s no bass bleed, the bass response overall is acceptable.
The mids are quite neutral, but the AP5 lacks nuance in this region. The mids seem too flat and fail to invoke emotion. Tracks like “Aankhon Mein Raho – Company” seem outright boring on the AP5.
The treble region is quite smooth and there’s a bit of a roll-off here, which may make it sound dark. Here again, the AP5 seems to be a little dull (especially with the stock cable and tips). All in all, the AP5 has gone with a very safe tuning and although it lacks nuance, the overall tonal balance is surprisingly good. The AP5 has an intimate and narrow soundstage and the detail retrieval is acceptable for the price range.
Conclusion:
The safe tuning and lightweight earpieces of the AP5 make it a suitable candidate for long listening sessions. However, if one is looking for more bass slam or more detail along with a wide soundstage, the AP may not be the right choice.
Disclaimer:
The AFUL Performer 5 (or AP5 for short) was sent to me by HiFiGo.com as part of a review tour in exchange for my honest opinion. I am neither paid by nor affiliated with HiFiGo or the brand in any way and have no incentive whatsoever, for writing anything positive or negative about the IEM. The views shared in this article are my personal views based on the week or so I spent with AP5.
Here’s the link to purchase the AFUL Performer 5 from HiFiGo:
https://hifigo.com/products/AFUL-performer-5
Although I had not heard of AFUL Acoustics prior to this review, the brand has been around since 2018. They seem to have multiple patents registered to their name. The Performer 5 is their latest offering priced at about 200 USD. Let us have a look at the features and specs of the AP5.
Features:
- Five-driver hybrid configuration.
- 1 Powerful Dynamic Driver for lower-end.
- Four High-Performance Customised Balanced Armature Drivers (2 for mids, 2 for highs).
- EnvisionTEC High-Precision 3D Printed Acoustic Tube Structure.
- High-Damping Air-Pressure Balance System.
- RLC Network Frequency Division Correction Technology.
- Ergonomic & Lightweight.
- Unique designer face covers.
Technical Specifications:
- Impedance: 35Ω.
- Sensitivity: 110dB@1kHz.
- Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-35kHz.
- Passive Noise Reduction: 26dB.
- Connectors: 2-pin 0.78mm.
- Termination: 3.5mm
The AP5 is surprisingly light in terms of weight thanks to the resin shell. The shape is comfortable overall, hence making it suitable for longer listening sessions without fatigue. The faceplates are quite good-looking and reminded me of the QoA Mojito. Unlike the Mojito, however, the AP5 shells are black in color while the faceplate has a fancy pattern with a glossy finish. Since the earpieces are 3D printed, the AFUL Performer 5 has quite a solid build quality. The unit I received was unboxed, hence, I cannot really share anything related to the unboxing experience. The IEM comes with a basic set of accessories such as a 3.5mm single-ended cable (2-pin) and 6 pairs of silicon tips. The stock cable is perhaps the most disappointing aspect IMO. The cable is well built as such, but the sound character of the cable makes the AP5 sound a bit too dull and boring. Swapping cables made a significant difference as it opened up the treble region, making it sound a bit more sparkly.
For the purpose of this review, I’ve tried listing to the AP5 with a Kinera Dromi cable (4.4mm bal termination) with JCally AP90, and FiiO UTWS-5. I tried rolling a few tips and chose to go with the AZLA Sedna EarFit Vivid ear tips.
Sound Impressions:
The AP5 has 4BAs and 1 DD configuration. The signature is quite neutral with a hint of a boost in the sub-bass region. The bass response is good with decent weight but I’d prefer something with a little more slam, especially in the mid-bass region. In terms of bass speed, the AP5 bass is mediocre at best. However, since there’s no bass bleed, the bass response overall is acceptable.
The mids are quite neutral, but the AP5 lacks nuance in this region. The mids seem too flat and fail to invoke emotion. Tracks like “Aankhon Mein Raho – Company” seem outright boring on the AP5.
The treble region is quite smooth and there’s a bit of a roll-off here, which may make it sound dark. Here again, the AP5 seems to be a little dull (especially with the stock cable and tips). All in all, the AP5 has gone with a very safe tuning and although it lacks nuance, the overall tonal balance is surprisingly good. The AP5 has an intimate and narrow soundstage and the detail retrieval is acceptable for the price range.
Conclusion:
The safe tuning and lightweight earpieces of the AP5 make it a suitable candidate for long listening sessions. However, if one is looking for more bass slam or more detail along with a wide soundstage, the AP may not be the right choice.
J
JQuB3
Well TBH, as mentioned in the review, I felt this one sounded dull and boring with the stock cable. This could be because balanced cables usually tend to improve dynamics and sound stage. If you're willing to spend on an upgrade cable this one might be worth it.
Else, I'd suggest placing your bets on something safer like the SeeAudio Yume II which sounds great out of the box.
Else, I'd suggest placing your bets on something safer like the SeeAudio Yume II which sounds great out of the box.
Astral Acoustics Jupiter
Disclaimer:
First things first, cable rolling is quite a sensitive topic in this hobby. If you are someone who does not believe or hasn’t perceived any difference in sound after changing a cable, then that’s fine. I am not going to try and convince you otherwise. Personally, I have experienced a fair amount of change in sound with different cables, which is why I believe in rolling cables.
Before I begin with my review, I would like to highlight that the Astral Acoustics Jupiter was sent to me as part of a review tour of various Astral Acoustics cables in my country (India). I would like to thank Henry Tik and Michael Browne for this opportunity. However, there has been no undue influence or benefit (monetary or otherwise) to write anything positive (or negative) about the cable. The views expressed here are based on my usage of the cable with a few IEMs over the course of a week or so. That being stated, you can check out Astral Acoustics’ impressive cable collection at https://www.astralacousticscables.com
Introduction:
Astral Acoustics is based out of Hong Kong and has quite an impressive collection of premium cables with a mix of copper, silver, gold, and/or palladium. Their range of cables starts at 200 USD, going all the way up to 1480 USD. The Jupiter cable has a combination of Copper and Silver-Plated copper cores and retails for 450 USD.
Specifications:
Build Quality and Aesthetics:
The Jupiter cable has a 6-core configuration, with 4 cores of 24.5 AWG Copper and 2 cores of 24.5 AWG Silver plated Copper. The cable is built like a tank, thanks to its thick cores, and looks and feels premium in every way. The cable is surprisingly soft and free of microphonics, even though it has such thick cores. The cable I received had 2-Pin 0.78mm connectors with a 4.4mm TRRRS termination. The overall aesthetic is minimalistic with the astral logo displayed on the splitter and the termination. I was initially confused by the lack of L/R indicators on the connectors, but on closer inspection, one side had a ring on it, while the other did not. Henry confirmed my assumption that the side with the ring was the right side. In his words, “R as in Ring, R as in Right.” This is indeed an elegant approach that is in line with the overall minimalist aesthetic.
Sound:
I tried the Jupiter out with 3 IEMs, namely the 64Audio Nio, Aroma Audio Musical Box Yao, and Shure SE846 (with MMCX adapters). Across the board, Jupiter added a sense of spaciousness to the sound with a fair amount of warmth and air. There was significant heft in the bass region, resulting in some powerful slams and a good amount of thump.
Although the vocals are not recessed per se, the added detail in terms of bass and treble region (especially on the Nio), tended to grab more attention over the mid-region. The treble region with Jupiter did not feel too crisp and was smoothened out (which aligns with my preferences), but not at the cost of air. In fact, one of the first things I noticed on the 64audio Nio is that Jupiter made it sound a lot wider and taller when compared to the Dita Oslo. This added sense of spaciousness made a significant difference in terms of separation and positioning. Listening to some Bollywood tracks in Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) was a blissful experience, but I digress.
While the Jupiter didn’t make that much of a difference in terms of soundstage width on the Shure SE846, it added some heft to the bass, which, in all honesty, turned the SE846 into a bass monster.
Conclusion:
Overall, one can expect Jupiter to add some warmth to the sound while providing excellent bass response, coupled with delicious mids along with a fair amount of air. The thicker cores and premium build quality make it a premium offering with great looks and great sound.
Disclaimer:
First things first, cable rolling is quite a sensitive topic in this hobby. If you are someone who does not believe or hasn’t perceived any difference in sound after changing a cable, then that’s fine. I am not going to try and convince you otherwise. Personally, I have experienced a fair amount of change in sound with different cables, which is why I believe in rolling cables.
Before I begin with my review, I would like to highlight that the Astral Acoustics Jupiter was sent to me as part of a review tour of various Astral Acoustics cables in my country (India). I would like to thank Henry Tik and Michael Browne for this opportunity. However, there has been no undue influence or benefit (monetary or otherwise) to write anything positive (or negative) about the cable. The views expressed here are based on my usage of the cable with a few IEMs over the course of a week or so. That being stated, you can check out Astral Acoustics’ impressive cable collection at https://www.astralacousticscables.com
Introduction:
Astral Acoustics is based out of Hong Kong and has quite an impressive collection of premium cables with a mix of copper, silver, gold, and/or palladium. Their range of cables starts at 200 USD, going all the way up to 1480 USD. The Jupiter cable has a combination of Copper and Silver-Plated copper cores and retails for 450 USD.
Specifications:
- Material:
- 24.5awg T4 7n Copper (4 cores)
- 24.5awg T4 Thick Silver plated 7n Copper (2 cores)
- Length: 120cm
- Connector: 0.78mm 2 Pin / MMCX
- Termination: 2.5mm TRRS / 3.5mm TRS / 4.4mm TRRRS
Build Quality and Aesthetics:
The Jupiter cable has a 6-core configuration, with 4 cores of 24.5 AWG Copper and 2 cores of 24.5 AWG Silver plated Copper. The cable is built like a tank, thanks to its thick cores, and looks and feels premium in every way. The cable is surprisingly soft and free of microphonics, even though it has such thick cores. The cable I received had 2-Pin 0.78mm connectors with a 4.4mm TRRRS termination. The overall aesthetic is minimalistic with the astral logo displayed on the splitter and the termination. I was initially confused by the lack of L/R indicators on the connectors, but on closer inspection, one side had a ring on it, while the other did not. Henry confirmed my assumption that the side with the ring was the right side. In his words, “R as in Ring, R as in Right.” This is indeed an elegant approach that is in line with the overall minimalist aesthetic.
Sound:
I tried the Jupiter out with 3 IEMs, namely the 64Audio Nio, Aroma Audio Musical Box Yao, and Shure SE846 (with MMCX adapters). Across the board, Jupiter added a sense of spaciousness to the sound with a fair amount of warmth and air. There was significant heft in the bass region, resulting in some powerful slams and a good amount of thump.
Although the vocals are not recessed per se, the added detail in terms of bass and treble region (especially on the Nio), tended to grab more attention over the mid-region. The treble region with Jupiter did not feel too crisp and was smoothened out (which aligns with my preferences), but not at the cost of air. In fact, one of the first things I noticed on the 64audio Nio is that Jupiter made it sound a lot wider and taller when compared to the Dita Oslo. This added sense of spaciousness made a significant difference in terms of separation and positioning. Listening to some Bollywood tracks in Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) was a blissful experience, but I digress.
While the Jupiter didn’t make that much of a difference in terms of soundstage width on the Shure SE846, it added some heft to the bass, which, in all honesty, turned the SE846 into a bass monster.
Conclusion:
Overall, one can expect Jupiter to add some warmth to the sound while providing excellent bass response, coupled with delicious mids along with a fair amount of air. The thicker cores and premium build quality make it a premium offering with great looks and great sound.
Pros: - Good balance of fun and analytical sound.
- DAP like SQ and power.
- Sleek, Stylish and well built.
- In Built mic.
- Great battery life.
- DAP like SQ and power.
- Sleek, Stylish and well built.
- In Built mic.
- Great battery life.
Before I start, I'd like to point out the obvious. The Poke II doesn't have the versatility of XD05-BAL. In terms of power too, it doesn't offer as much as the XD05-BAL. Therefore, if you're looking for a portable dacamp with BT capability that offers the flexibility of being used as an integrated dacamp, or just a DAC (BT in, USB in/ SPDIF in, Line out) or as a just as an Amp (Line in), and are ok with carrying a larger and bulkier unit, the XD05-BAL, at just 40 USD extra, might be a better option.
However if you're looking for something lightweight and easily pocketable, albeit with limited IO options (BT in, USB in, 3.5mm SE PO and 4.4mm BAL PO) the Poke II is a great option. The major difference between other BT dacamps such as FiiO BTR3K, BTR5, BTR7 or Shanling UP4, UP5 is the massive battery (4000 mAH) and power output. The smaller bt dacamps are usually in the 160mW to 320 mW(32 ohm BAL) range, while the Poke II offers 700mW, which is more or less similar to a DAP (if not a tad bit more).
Speaking of aesthetics, the Poke II definitely looks cool and stands out from the regular grey/ black / silver colored gear we usually get. With the "Life's a Struggle" tagline, it definitely grabs attention. Perhaps the Pokémon licensing is a factor that pushes the cost up to a relatively high 390 USD. Although I bought the leather case along with the Poke II, I like the looks of the device and prefer using it without the cover.
Sound wise, this is quite different from the XD05+ (AKM) and XD05-BAL (ESS). The Poke II features Dual CS43198 dac chips. I've recently fallen in love with Cirius Logic DACs cuz they seem to have a good balance of musicality and technicality that IMO places them in between the typical AKM velvet sound and the ESS sound. In short, one can expect some good bass slams along with a fair bit of sparkle and energy.
The Poke II includes EQ, gain and filter options. There are 2 filter options, 1 is a tad bit lean, with refined treble, while the other is a little warm with more weight in the mids and better bass presence. Personally I prefer using the 2nd filter while listening to music. EQ options are mostly pre-configured, although one can personalize the bass and treble response in the "Tone" EQ mode. This is perhaps the only gripe I have with the Poke II. IMO they could have, at the very least, given us a 3 band equalizer. IMO, the current solution is close to useless in terms of custom EQ.
Being a user experience designer by profession, I'm habituated to listening to music while I work, as it helps maintain the flow and keeps me focused. However, calls and meetings are pretty much unavoidable in the post pandemic era. Therefore, I like the fact that xDuoo was thoughtful enough to place a mic on the Poke II, which makes it convenient to answer calls or join meetings without having to remove my IEMs. The mic seems to pick up my voice pretty clearly when the unit is placed in my shirt pocket, or my work desk.
I also tried the Poke II with my PS4 and I was quite impressed with the setup. (PS4 <-> BTA30 Pro <-> Poke II). Playing a round of Uncharted online was quite a lot of fun, especially in the Movie EQ mode, thanks to the enhanced dynamics and distortion free explosions and rumbles.
Lastly, the Poke II has an option to charge other devices thanks to the 4000 mah battery. This is quite useful given how quickly the battery on the DualShock4 controller loses charge.
All in all, I'm quite happy with my purchase of the Poke II, which will be replacing my 2 year old FiiO Q5s. If only the Poke II had some analog input options, it would have been an excellent VFM portable dacamp.
However if you're looking for something lightweight and easily pocketable, albeit with limited IO options (BT in, USB in, 3.5mm SE PO and 4.4mm BAL PO) the Poke II is a great option. The major difference between other BT dacamps such as FiiO BTR3K, BTR5, BTR7 or Shanling UP4, UP5 is the massive battery (4000 mAH) and power output. The smaller bt dacamps are usually in the 160mW to 320 mW(32 ohm BAL) range, while the Poke II offers 700mW, which is more or less similar to a DAP (if not a tad bit more).
Speaking of aesthetics, the Poke II definitely looks cool and stands out from the regular grey/ black / silver colored gear we usually get. With the "Life's a Struggle" tagline, it definitely grabs attention. Perhaps the Pokémon licensing is a factor that pushes the cost up to a relatively high 390 USD. Although I bought the leather case along with the Poke II, I like the looks of the device and prefer using it without the cover.
Sound wise, this is quite different from the XD05+ (AKM) and XD05-BAL (ESS). The Poke II features Dual CS43198 dac chips. I've recently fallen in love with Cirius Logic DACs cuz they seem to have a good balance of musicality and technicality that IMO places them in between the typical AKM velvet sound and the ESS sound. In short, one can expect some good bass slams along with a fair bit of sparkle and energy.
The Poke II includes EQ, gain and filter options. There are 2 filter options, 1 is a tad bit lean, with refined treble, while the other is a little warm with more weight in the mids and better bass presence. Personally I prefer using the 2nd filter while listening to music. EQ options are mostly pre-configured, although one can personalize the bass and treble response in the "Tone" EQ mode. This is perhaps the only gripe I have with the Poke II. IMO they could have, at the very least, given us a 3 band equalizer. IMO, the current solution is close to useless in terms of custom EQ.
Being a user experience designer by profession, I'm habituated to listening to music while I work, as it helps maintain the flow and keeps me focused. However, calls and meetings are pretty much unavoidable in the post pandemic era. Therefore, I like the fact that xDuoo was thoughtful enough to place a mic on the Poke II, which makes it convenient to answer calls or join meetings without having to remove my IEMs. The mic seems to pick up my voice pretty clearly when the unit is placed in my shirt pocket, or my work desk.
I also tried the Poke II with my PS4 and I was quite impressed with the setup. (PS4 <-> BTA30 Pro <-> Poke II). Playing a round of Uncharted online was quite a lot of fun, especially in the Movie EQ mode, thanks to the enhanced dynamics and distortion free explosions and rumbles.
Lastly, the Poke II has an option to charge other devices thanks to the 4000 mah battery. This is quite useful given how quickly the battery on the DualShock4 controller loses charge.
All in all, I'm quite happy with my purchase of the Poke II, which will be replacing my 2 year old FiiO Q5s. If only the Poke II had some analog input options, it would have been an excellent VFM portable dacamp.
Attachments
sofastreamer
thx for the review! can you bypass battery charging, when connected to a power source?
A quick disclaimer:
The 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko (or simply Dioko henceforth), was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this writeup, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/salnotes-dioko
Introduction:
7Hz managed to capture the attention of Chi-Fi enthusiasts with IEMs like Timeless and Eternal. The Dioko is one of their latest offerings which incorporates their latest 14.6mm, planar magnetic driver. Keeping up with the latest fad in the budget IEM space, the Dioko has been designed in collaboration with Crinacle. Without wasting any more time, let’s have a look at what this oddly shaped IEM has to offer.
The earpieces are made of aviation-grade aluminum alloy cavities which inspires confidence. The earpieces have a layer of partially reflective glass on their faceplates, which is a good touch in terms of aesthetics. Aesthetically, it stands somewhere in between the bland “Timeless” and bold “Eternal”. The IEM’s design seems to be inspired by Thanos from the MCU (played by Josh Brolin). From the weirdly long “chin” to the purple shade, the IEM is pretty much an ode to the mad titan. For some reason, 7Hz decided to include some colorful ear tips, which I can only assume, are a stand-in for the infinity stones that Thanos “oh-so-badly” desires. The stock cable is a 0.78mm 2-pin hybrid cable with a 3.5mm SE termination. The cable is made of OCC and Silver plated OCC cores and is quite soft, supple, and free of microphonics.
The case is way too huge and given the size of it, I don’t think I can refer to it as a “carry case”. Honestly speaking, the carry case I use for my M11Plus LTD is a tad bit smaller than the case of the Dioko. If the case was something like the Etymotic ER4XR large case, which allowed me to store a variety of accessories and my DAP along with the ER4XR, I’d appreciate it. However, the huge case of the Dioko is wasteful for the most part, as it doesn’t have any extra space to include anything other than the stock cable and the earpieces, and a bunch of ear tips. I guess the Dioko likes to be seated in that huge case, like Thanos on his throne.
In terms of fit, the Dioko sits fairly comfortably in the ear, in spite of the odd shape. Personally, I didn’t get a good seal with the stock tips, hence, for the purpose of this review, I chose to go with Dekoni Mercury (memory foam) ear tips, as they seemed to be the best option of the few tips I tried with the Dioko.
Sound:
Here again, inspired by Thanos, the Dioko strives for a balanced sound signature with sufficient presence in the lows, especially sub-bass. The overall bass response is satisfactory and is in line with the overall tonality. Don’t expect a lot of boom or heft in the lows. Bassheads are definitely not going to be impressed by the Dioko’s bass response, however, most audiophiles are likely to appreciate the bass on the Dioko, especially since it is coherent with the overall tonality. There is adequate rumble here, but not much in terms of mid-bass. One would ideally expect something like this to sound rather hollow, especially since this is a planar IEM. The Dioko, however, doesn’t sound hollow. Personally, I’d love to have a little more heft in the bass.
Mids on the Dioko are a little tricky. The vocals especially male vocals tend to sound lean and lack the kind of timbre that one could find on the Timeless. Not that they sound terrible, as mentioned earlier, the overall FR is coherent, just that I personally felt that male vocals could have had more gravitas. The female vocals, however, are quite pleasant and don’t have any hint of sibilance or shoutiness. The instruments seem to sound natural for the most part. The mids are pretty much in line with the rest of the frequencies. Neither are the mids too forward nor have they been pushed far behind.
The treble too, is in line with the rest of the FR curve, providing sufficient sparkle and air, without making the Dioko sound too bright or ear-fatiguing. The notes in this region are sufficiently crisp, resulting in some good detail, which is kind of expected from a planar driver.
The Dioko has a fairly wide soundstage with good height. The imaging is decent, but not too precise. The detail retrieval and separation are very good though. The Dioko definitely benefits from amping, though it sounded great off the M11Plus LTD. The lack of details was obvious on the FiiO LC-BT2 though.
Conclusion:
If you can get past the odd shape, the Dioko is a good buy for the price tag. While it doesn’t have the kind of bass one would expect from planars, it does have excellent detail retrieval and a fairly wide and tall soundstage.
The 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Dioko (or simply Dioko henceforth), was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this writeup, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/salnotes-dioko
Introduction:
7Hz managed to capture the attention of Chi-Fi enthusiasts with IEMs like Timeless and Eternal. The Dioko is one of their latest offerings which incorporates their latest 14.6mm, planar magnetic driver. Keeping up with the latest fad in the budget IEM space, the Dioko has been designed in collaboration with Crinacle. Without wasting any more time, let’s have a look at what this oddly shaped IEM has to offer.
The earpieces are made of aviation-grade aluminum alloy cavities which inspires confidence. The earpieces have a layer of partially reflective glass on their faceplates, which is a good touch in terms of aesthetics. Aesthetically, it stands somewhere in between the bland “Timeless” and bold “Eternal”. The IEM’s design seems to be inspired by Thanos from the MCU (played by Josh Brolin). From the weirdly long “chin” to the purple shade, the IEM is pretty much an ode to the mad titan. For some reason, 7Hz decided to include some colorful ear tips, which I can only assume, are a stand-in for the infinity stones that Thanos “oh-so-badly” desires. The stock cable is a 0.78mm 2-pin hybrid cable with a 3.5mm SE termination. The cable is made of OCC and Silver plated OCC cores and is quite soft, supple, and free of microphonics.
The case is way too huge and given the size of it, I don’t think I can refer to it as a “carry case”. Honestly speaking, the carry case I use for my M11Plus LTD is a tad bit smaller than the case of the Dioko. If the case was something like the Etymotic ER4XR large case, which allowed me to store a variety of accessories and my DAP along with the ER4XR, I’d appreciate it. However, the huge case of the Dioko is wasteful for the most part, as it doesn’t have any extra space to include anything other than the stock cable and the earpieces, and a bunch of ear tips. I guess the Dioko likes to be seated in that huge case, like Thanos on his throne.
In terms of fit, the Dioko sits fairly comfortably in the ear, in spite of the odd shape. Personally, I didn’t get a good seal with the stock tips, hence, for the purpose of this review, I chose to go with Dekoni Mercury (memory foam) ear tips, as they seemed to be the best option of the few tips I tried with the Dioko.
Sound:
Here again, inspired by Thanos, the Dioko strives for a balanced sound signature with sufficient presence in the lows, especially sub-bass. The overall bass response is satisfactory and is in line with the overall tonality. Don’t expect a lot of boom or heft in the lows. Bassheads are definitely not going to be impressed by the Dioko’s bass response, however, most audiophiles are likely to appreciate the bass on the Dioko, especially since it is coherent with the overall tonality. There is adequate rumble here, but not much in terms of mid-bass. One would ideally expect something like this to sound rather hollow, especially since this is a planar IEM. The Dioko, however, doesn’t sound hollow. Personally, I’d love to have a little more heft in the bass.
Mids on the Dioko are a little tricky. The vocals especially male vocals tend to sound lean and lack the kind of timbre that one could find on the Timeless. Not that they sound terrible, as mentioned earlier, the overall FR is coherent, just that I personally felt that male vocals could have had more gravitas. The female vocals, however, are quite pleasant and don’t have any hint of sibilance or shoutiness. The instruments seem to sound natural for the most part. The mids are pretty much in line with the rest of the frequencies. Neither are the mids too forward nor have they been pushed far behind.
The treble too, is in line with the rest of the FR curve, providing sufficient sparkle and air, without making the Dioko sound too bright or ear-fatiguing. The notes in this region are sufficiently crisp, resulting in some good detail, which is kind of expected from a planar driver.
The Dioko has a fairly wide soundstage with good height. The imaging is decent, but not too precise. The detail retrieval and separation are very good though. The Dioko definitely benefits from amping, though it sounded great off the M11Plus LTD. The lack of details was obvious on the FiiO LC-BT2 though.
Conclusion:
If you can get past the odd shape, the Dioko is a good buy for the price tag. While it doesn’t have the kind of bass one would expect from planars, it does have excellent detail retrieval and a fairly wide and tall soundstage.
Introduction
Letshuoer (aka Shuoer) is a Chinese Hi-Fi (aka Chi-Fi) brand known for its budget IEMs like Tape, Tape Pro, S12, and more… The D13 is their latest IEM which packs in a 13mm DLC (diamond-like carbon) diaphragm. I can, of course, try and sound more knowledgeable and geekier by listing down all the specs, but being my lazy self, I’m just pasting a screenshot of the specs which I grabbed from their website (https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-d13-dlc-diaphragm-dynamic-driver-iem-moving-coil-headphones)
A quick disclaimer:
The LETSHUOER D13 I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this write-up, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/letshuoer-d13
Build and Aesthetics:
The D13 is available in 2 colors, namely Blue and Black with the choice of either a 3.5mm SE or a 4.4mm Balanced termination. The IEM comes with 2 swappable nozzles/filters, which tweak the sound to either enhance the treble making it more detailed sounding, or smoothen the overall FR, resulting in a more balanced sound. There are 2 sets of silicon tips in 3 different sizes and a high-purity monocrystalline copper cable. LETSHUOER has included a leather pouch that looks and feels premium. All in all, for 120 USD, this is quite a good package, The unit I received was a blue color unit with a 3.5mm SE cable.
The D13 feels sturdy and is surprisingly light in terms of weight thanks to the CNC-milled aluminum shells. The stock cable is quite well-built and inspires confidence. The cable is quite supple and free of microphonics. I’d assume that most people will get a good fit with the stock ear tips. Personally, though, I prefer using soft silicon or memory foam tips and after my usual process of tip rolling, I chose to go with JVC Spiral Dots+ (EP-FX10). A quick check with both the filters/nozzles and I figured out that I prefer the balanced-sounding one, which is what I’ve used for the purpose of this review.
Sound Impressions
The best way to describe the D13 sound signature is that it lies somewhere in between a balanced sound and a slightly V-shaped sound. It has sufficient presence in the low end with a good amount of rumble and thump. There are no crazy extensions to create a sense of infinite depth, but the bass has good physicality and sufficient heft. The good thing is that the bass is well-controlled, hence it doesn’t bleed into other frequencies.
The mids on the D13 are quite organic given the overall tonality of the IEM. The mids are a tad bit recessed, but not too much. The vocals manage to stand out, without being overpowered by the bass and treble. The vocals are clean for the most part with good timbre. Notes have sufficient heft and linger around for just about the right time. There is nothing sensational or lackluster about the Mids. Don’t expect too much detail in this segment and you will be pleased by D13’s performance.
The treble section is relatively tame. There are no harsh spikes here. One can think of it as a safe tuning, especially from the perspective of the overall sound signature. There is sufficient air, but not much sparkle (at least with the balanced nozzle). The treble seems to be rolled off for the sake of tonal balance and coherence. This results in loss of microdetails, and could probably sound a little congested to airheads. The other filter seemed to add some sparkle and detail, but the notes (especially male vocals) tended to sound leaner, which wasn’t my preference. As mentioned earlier, I didn’t spend much time with the other filter because of my personal preference for warmth in the sound.
Technicalities-wise, the D13 is pretty good in terms of imaging and separation. The soundstage is intimate with minimal depth and the resolution is acceptable considering the price point.
Conclusion
The D13 is a fun-sounding IEM with the excellent build quality. Sonically it is somewhat laid back and comfortable. It is not too demanding in terms of power and can be driven quite easily by DAPs and dongles. These attributes make it an ideal candidate for a daily beater that can keep you entertained during commutes and during those laid-back listening sessions in the evening or night. Analytical listeners and airheads are likely to be disappointed, although occasional bass heads (and/or closet bass heads) and casual listeners are likely to be pleased by the performance of the D13.
Letshuoer (aka Shuoer) is a Chinese Hi-Fi (aka Chi-Fi) brand known for its budget IEMs like Tape, Tape Pro, S12, and more… The D13 is their latest IEM which packs in a 13mm DLC (diamond-like carbon) diaphragm. I can, of course, try and sound more knowledgeable and geekier by listing down all the specs, but being my lazy self, I’m just pasting a screenshot of the specs which I grabbed from their website (https://letshuoer.net/products/letshuoer-d13-dlc-diaphragm-dynamic-driver-iem-moving-coil-headphones)
A quick disclaimer:
The LETSHUOER D13 I received was part of a review tour organized in my country by HifiGo. The unit was a loaner for an audition in exchange for my honest opinion based on my musical taste and audio gear. There has been no monetary transaction or influence (or pressure) to write anything positive (or negative) about the IEM. The views expressed in this write-up, are solely mine and are based on my usage of the IEM for a week or so as my daily driver. The IEM can be purchased from HifiGo here:
https://hifigo.com/products/letshuoer-d13
Build and Aesthetics:
The D13 is available in 2 colors, namely Blue and Black with the choice of either a 3.5mm SE or a 4.4mm Balanced termination. The IEM comes with 2 swappable nozzles/filters, which tweak the sound to either enhance the treble making it more detailed sounding, or smoothen the overall FR, resulting in a more balanced sound. There are 2 sets of silicon tips in 3 different sizes and a high-purity monocrystalline copper cable. LETSHUOER has included a leather pouch that looks and feels premium. All in all, for 120 USD, this is quite a good package, The unit I received was a blue color unit with a 3.5mm SE cable.
The D13 feels sturdy and is surprisingly light in terms of weight thanks to the CNC-milled aluminum shells. The stock cable is quite well-built and inspires confidence. The cable is quite supple and free of microphonics. I’d assume that most people will get a good fit with the stock ear tips. Personally, though, I prefer using soft silicon or memory foam tips and after my usual process of tip rolling, I chose to go with JVC Spiral Dots+ (EP-FX10). A quick check with both the filters/nozzles and I figured out that I prefer the balanced-sounding one, which is what I’ve used for the purpose of this review.
Sound Impressions
The best way to describe the D13 sound signature is that it lies somewhere in between a balanced sound and a slightly V-shaped sound. It has sufficient presence in the low end with a good amount of rumble and thump. There are no crazy extensions to create a sense of infinite depth, but the bass has good physicality and sufficient heft. The good thing is that the bass is well-controlled, hence it doesn’t bleed into other frequencies.
The mids on the D13 are quite organic given the overall tonality of the IEM. The mids are a tad bit recessed, but not too much. The vocals manage to stand out, without being overpowered by the bass and treble. The vocals are clean for the most part with good timbre. Notes have sufficient heft and linger around for just about the right time. There is nothing sensational or lackluster about the Mids. Don’t expect too much detail in this segment and you will be pleased by D13’s performance.
The treble section is relatively tame. There are no harsh spikes here. One can think of it as a safe tuning, especially from the perspective of the overall sound signature. There is sufficient air, but not much sparkle (at least with the balanced nozzle). The treble seems to be rolled off for the sake of tonal balance and coherence. This results in loss of microdetails, and could probably sound a little congested to airheads. The other filter seemed to add some sparkle and detail, but the notes (especially male vocals) tended to sound leaner, which wasn’t my preference. As mentioned earlier, I didn’t spend much time with the other filter because of my personal preference for warmth in the sound.
Technicalities-wise, the D13 is pretty good in terms of imaging and separation. The soundstage is intimate with minimal depth and the resolution is acceptable considering the price point.
Conclusion
The D13 is a fun-sounding IEM with the excellent build quality. Sonically it is somewhat laid back and comfortable. It is not too demanding in terms of power and can be driven quite easily by DAPs and dongles. These attributes make it an ideal candidate for a daily beater that can keep you entertained during commutes and during those laid-back listening sessions in the evening or night. Analytical listeners and airheads are likely to be disappointed, although occasional bass heads (and/or closet bass heads) and casual listeners are likely to be pleased by the performance of the D13.
