Softears Turii Ti ($2,449 Single Dynamic Driver)

Introduction and Disclaimers

The Turii Ti ($2,449) is the latest flagship dynamic driver from Softears. It was introduced in early 2022, and has been on and off my radar since then - I've been holding off due to the high price tag (especially for a single driver), and very few impressions or reviews out there in the wild. The original Turii has been available for maybe two years now (I think?), and while highly regarded (but often hard to find), the question on whether the new Ti was 'worth' the significantly higher price tag remained open, certainly for me anyway. Softears launched the much lower priced ($930) 'Twilight' in September, and this provided me with an opportunity to get a sense for their tuning with a lower cost of acquisition... when Twilight landed, it didn't take me long to fall in love, and feel much more comfortable taking the plunge with their flagship - knowing what they had achieved in a sub $1,000 set, I absolutely had to hear the Turii Ti. Worth noting also, the other much more mysterious single DD with a hefty price tag ($3,000) is the Dita Perpetua, even less info out there on this set and one I'm determine to hear someday - I note this as both Turii Ti and Perpetua have had quite a bit of discussion in various groups over the last while, a level of intrigue as to how they might compare.

I am not a professional reviewer or anything remotely like it. I love music, and I love the methods by which we can listen to music - over the last two years, that has become an obsession with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and held on to a select few - these have been anything from a $20 set like the Moondrop Chu, all the way up to kilobuck sets such as Aroma Jewel or the infamous 'Traillii' from Oriolus. As part of this exploration, I like to share my thoughts on the various sets in my journey with the Head-Fi community and beyond. The massive caveat, is of course that 'your mileage may vary' - this is a highly subjective hobby and we all hear things differently.

I'm drawn to the coherency of a single transducer, and love to explore the various types of tuning different sets produce, be it an entry-level from about $20, or top-tier set. The single DD journey began almost two years ago when I took the plunge on the very first run of the DUNU ZEN, which sent me on a voyage of discovery to establish what I deem to be the best dynamic drivers on the market. This road has led me to many DDs that I've really loved, and also learned a lot from along the way in terms of my own listening preferences, and what works best with my library - some have been genre specialists, others all-rounders. While I've found my favourite single DD for now, I will certainly keep exploring what's on offer, regarless of price points.

I purchased the Turii Ti from @MusicTeck at a discounted rate in exchange for my honest impressions. As always, these are in no way influenced or have any input from either the reseller or brand, and my own investment in the product is a far greater percentage than the discount! As always, I'd like to thank Andrew for the fantastic service, he really is a credit to this wonderful audiophile world we occupy. Turii Ti is available from MusicTeck HERE

Finally, for those who care to consider burn-in, I've had Turii Ti for a month, and left it play for the first week around the clock with many hours listening time since - I'd estimate >200 hours now on the clock.

About Softears (from the Softears Website)

Softears (Softear Acoustics)
A Chinese brand focused on technology, R&D, and innovation
Is a young but experienced company
The founder started working in audio in 2014, the studio was founded in 2017 in Shenzhen, China’s Silicon Valley, and in 2019 set up an independent lab for R&D and our own factory in Chengdu, a Humanistic City.
Softears wants to bring you a soft and comfortable, balanced and durable listening experience.
We are committed to research and development of loudspeakers and tuning equipment, with excellent manufacturing process and excellent quality control, pride in excellence is our brand way.

Specifications

• Impedance: 25 ohms@1KHz (±15%)
• Sensitivity: 118dB/VRMS@1KHz
• Effective frequency response: 20-20KHz
• Frequency response: 8-42KHz THD: <1@1KHZ

Unboxing & Accessories

I was already familiar with the style of packaging from Twilight and the Turii Ti is pretty much the exact same - bar being a silver finish. It's a straightforward and simple packaging with a touch of finesse to the unboxing and presentation.

The 'Twist Your Ears' slogan that appears also on the Twilight -



The earphones are nestled in what is described as an alcantara tray, that being the soft leather often used for car seats. The case is the same styling typically used by Softears, but in a grey finish with a silver 'TI' embossed on the lid. I think the cases are really nice and very practical in use.











Bundled Accessories:

• Faux-leather case
• S/M/L liquid silicone tips
• S/M/L foam tips
• S/M/L alternate foam tips (not quite sure on the material, but seems like a softer foam composition)
• Cleaning brush
• Fabric cloth
• Titanium(?) product card with serial number
• 2 x sets of spare foam filters
• Liquid Links modular cable with 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 4.4mm
• Instruction manual

Liquid Links Cable

• Material: 22awg 5N OCC silver
• Structure: litz type2
• Structure: multiple wire diameter stranding
• Outer skin: DuPont extra soft pvc outer skin
• Plug: OE gold-plated plug
• Splitter and plug sleeve material: titanium alloy

The stock Liquid Links cable is a thing of beauty, a level of which I've never seen bundled with an IEM to this point. I was familiar with Liquid Links initially from their 'Venom' cable which came with the Elysian X, and I more recently purchased the 'Martini' which is quite similar to the Turii Ti bundled cable, but quite a bit heavier and less supple - plus it doesn't have the modular system. This 'stock' cable is the best I've seen from Liquid Links, and suspect it would be quite a hit if sold separately.

The stock cable has a beautiful soft finish, and is wonderfully supple. The modular system is simple to use, and very secure - basically unscrew the connector, and unplug the termination to change. It arrives with the 4.4mm jack connected as standard, I guess the default now for many, but fantastic to have all three options available.





Design and Fit

The shells are an unusual shape and I know this can be cause for concern. They pretty much rely on a secure fit from the tips, along with the cable over the ear to hold in place - the good news is that titanium is incredibly light, so no real risk of them falling out due to the weight - the focus is more finding the right tip either from the selection included, or indeed the numerous 3rd party choices in the market. I had difficulty with Twilight, and ultimately chose the recently launched SpinFit W1 tips which have been fantastic both from a fit and sound perspective, and thankfully this has been the case also with Turii Ti. As a side note on the W1 - I've not been a fan of SpinFit up to now, I've tried many of their tips but never connected. Another that has worked well for me are the AET07 in large, a very good seal, comfortable and sound excellent. In my experience, with the right tips the Turii Ti are incredibly comfortable and I can wear for hours without any discomfort.

The open style of the shells means that isolation is poor, these certainly will not be a good choice for those seeking a set to use out and about, looking to block external noise. It seems these vents are necessary to provide such an airy, vast soundstage.





Listening Impressions

The key theme with Turii Ti is a light/airy presentation, an easy to engage with tonality rather than bold, energetic and bombastic. I would describe as somewhat W-shaped, with maybe a very slight lift to the higher frequencies. This blend delivers a well-balanced presentation to a number of my preferred genres, but of course may not be suited to everyone. While it has a very engaging and emotive slant, it has jaw-dropping technical capability for a single driver with a soundstage that often defies belief. Timbre is up there with the best I've heard in any set, both for instruments and vocals. It works very well with numerous genres and I would say reasonable to describe as an all-rounder, but certainly does some genres better than others due to the tuning profile - more on this shortly.

I've spent a lot of time listening via the LPGT, and to a lesser extent on my Shanling M9. The M9 takes the edge off some genres where the treble energy is a little excessive, and adds a bit of kick to the low end - as such, I'm reaching more for the M9 when listening to faster-paced electronic music such as techno, trance or D&B. The LPGT suits more of my library, especially ambient, modern classical, psy-chill, IDM, and more acoustic focused music - LPGT is a somewhat neutral-tuned DAP, and complements Turii Ti very well in that it doesn't add or subtract anything, you hear them as they've been tuned pretty much exactly.



Genres and Track Tests

I've decided to do something different or experimental for this review - a table of tracks/genres that I feel are excellent, very good, and not so good (haven't actually found any!), along with the chosen test tracks for each. I've hyperlinked the test tracks to Bandcamp where possible, and YouTube otherwise. This is clearly not definitive in terms of the genres, and simply represents what I've tested - some of the genres will have had more extensive time than others over the last few weeks, and with that in mind, I've included a 'confidence level' rating out of 10 - this is my view on the overall suitability of Turii Ti towards the applicable genre, based on key considerations in terms of the composition of the music etc - the higher confidence levels are due to the fact I've listened a lot more to the specific genre.

I really didn't find anything I can class as 'bad', or indeed below 'good' - but Turii Ti definitely excels with some genres more than others, and I don't think anyone wants to spend north of $2K for a set that will only sound good with their library, so I hope this helps in any decision making.

NB - please read the above and be clear on my 'Genre Confidence Level' - this is not a ranking of the genre on the set, but my confidence level vis-a-vis the amount of time I've spent listening to the given genre on the set since it arrived, and/or the amount in general that I listen to the genre overall... the higher the level, the more comfortable I am with the suitability of the genre with the IEMs. For example, I don't listen to much punk typically but happen to love the album in the table below - I can't say with confidence how suited the set will be to the wider genre, and those of you who might love punk, will have a much better ear... Typically my choice of test track I think should be a good respresentation of the broader genre however. Anyway, it's by no means a scientific method, just something I'd like to see if adds any value to the review, and I'll tweak over time.


Lows -

I believe this is a good example of quality over quantity - while they aren't 'bass light', they may not satisfy 'bass heads' either. The quantity I feel is absolutely appropriate for the balance of tuning, anything more would have had a negative impact on the overall picture. The bass leans more towards mid versus sub and provides excellent slam/definition - the sub does extend nicely when called for, but the emphasis edges more towards mid. Any instruments sitting in the lower end of the spectrum sound wonderfully lifelike and clear. I listed the wonderful 'Harmony With Nature' in my test track table above - the double bass has a beautiful engaging authenticity, with a visceral sense of connection and the right balance in the track.

Mids -

Lush and captivating, but clear and detailed with ample space in the vast stage for multiple instruments to play in harmony with each other, and never any sense of congestion. Both male and female vocals sit slightly forward, and render with spectacular realism. Piano, strings, sax, synths to name a few instruments are portrayed with a luxuriant, clear, and detailed presentation. While there is a richness and vibrancy to the mids, they still slant sufficiently technical to drive out every bit of micro detail, creating a really visceral listening experience.

Highs -

The upper energy for the most part supports the vast stage and excellent micro detail retrieval, but with some genres and poorly recorded music, can become a touch harsh. On the flip side, and especially with the previously mentioned genres that I've found to be perfect with Turii Ti, the treble is often the secret sauce to ensure a wonderfully accurate representation of the music - percussion for example sounds more realistic versus sets twice the price; the sense of air, separation and interaction with mid bass kick drums is really satisfying. The higher registers of strings sing with heavenly accuracy.

Technical -

From a timbre perspective, it's hard to imagine getting any better - there is absolutely no instrument or vocal that I've tested that doesn't sound as I expect it should - I can't praise highly enough in this regard. Imaging is off the charts: the sense of clarity and separation, oftens leads to basically pinpointing sounds to what feels like a specific centimetre somewhere on my neck, or the top left of my skull. Yet it does this without sounding clinical - the cohesive nature of a single dynamic driver still very much evident. The presentation of sound often reminds me of buds or open full-size headphones, that sense of sound coming from all around you, in a truly holographic / 3D soundstage. There is a great sense of air in the presentation, which gives a real effortless listen.



Comparisons

Sennheiser IE900

The now possibly legendary IE900 is a very different beast to Turii Ti - a much more V-shaped set, with fantastic deep sub, and wonderful crisp treble. Overall, I would say a set that is better suited to genres like techno, trance, D&B to name a few - the somewhat recessed mids are a clear disadvantage for mid-focused genres, and Turii Ti steps forward massively here. While both are techically proficient, Turii Ti still has the lead. I can see a case for owning both, certainly complementary but if one or the other, it really is no contest in my opinion - Softears get the gold prize.

Sennheiser IE600

The much cheaper, and often preferred set to the IE900 due to what I would describe as 'safer' tuning in a well-balanced W-shaped signature. IE600 is an excellent all-rounder and while it has a broadly similar sound profile, it is leagues behind Turii Ti in terms of timbre and technically capability.

Softears Twilight

A lot of similarities here, but clearly several steps below Turii Ti. You can certainly hear the DNA in the tuning of both, and Twilight is the safer/more relaxed tuning, with an overall smoother tonality. Technicalities scale up significantly with Turii Ti. I find them very complementary, and often reach for Twilight when I just want to relax without being too 'wowed' by the technical ability of Turii.



Conclusion

Effortlessly elegant, and wonderfully balanced, with just a touch of zing... lush, emotive, clear, and with buckets of detail in a vast field of sound - Turii Ti has seduced me like no other IEM has in my journey so far. Those looking for an IEM that offers incredibly clarity with excellent technical capability, while still not coming across as analytical or clinical, should certainly consider this wonderful set - a truly unique balance achieved, and a set that has shook up my entire collection. I've tried many IEMs over the last couple of years, and none have resonated with me as much as Turii Ti - absolutely the bar raiser in my journey so far, and deserving of the title of 'Greatest of all Time' - G.O.A.T.

Twilight

"the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night produced by diffusion of sunlight through the atmosphere and its dust"

(Merriam-Webster Definition)



Introduction & Caveats

Twilight is the latest single dynamic driver from Softears, and is available from a number of online dealers with an RRP of $930 at time of publication. I purchased mine from @MusicTeck at a reduced price in exchange for a review. I must note that my own investment in the set equates to a much larger percentage of the total price, so I've plenty of skin in the game. The Softears Twilight can be found on the MusicTeck website - HERE

I am not a professional reviewer or anything remotely like it. I love music, and I love the methods by which we can listen to music - over the last two years, that has become an obsession with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and held on to a select few - these have been anything from a $20 set like the Moondrop Chu, all the way up to kilobuck sets such as Aroma Jewel or the infamous 'Traillii' from Oriolus. As part of this exploration, I like to share my thoughts on the various sets in my journey with the Head-Fi community, in the hope it might be useful to others. The massive caveat, is of course that 'your mileage may vary' - this is a highly subjective hobby.

Dynamic Drivers - the road so far...

For the most part, my interest has been very much the humble single dynamic driver - I'm drawn to the coherency of a single transducer, and love to explore the various types of tuning different sets produce, be it an entry-level or top-tier set. The single DD journey began almost two years ago when I took the plunge on the very first run of the DUNU ZEN, which sent me on a voyage of discovery to establish what I deem to be the best dynamic drivers on the market. This road has led me to many DDs that I've really loved, and also learned a lot from along the way in terms of my own listening preferences, and what works best with my library - some have been genre specialists, others all-rounders. I was aware of the Softears Turii, but with a relatively high price tag, nervous to take the plunge as not a huge amount of reviews out there - those that do exist are typically very positive, so my interest has been there for a while. When I heard there was a lower-cost DD being released by Softears, I was immediately very curious, and made the leap fairly quickly once it became available on MusicTeck. This is my first product from Softears, and as will become apparent in this review, certainly not my last - hint, I've since bought another, which I'll talk about later.

Twilight Specifications

Unboxing & Accessories

Twilight arrives in a relatively small, and minimal black box. I love this type of branding - discreet, to the point, and with an 'expensive' look and feel.



On opening, you are greeted with what seems to be the slogan for any of the single dynamic drivers from Softears - 'Twist Your Ears' - I'll come to it later, but there is a sort-of 'twist' insertion method that achieves a secure fit and seal. You'll be deligthed to know, you don't actually twist your ears...



Next up, we see both Twilight themselves, nestled in a sort of felt-like tray, and the very nice leatherette case - I must say, I'm a fan of these round cases, very practical and look slick.



The supplied accessories laid out, and include:

1. Carry case
2. Shell mesh
3. 'Liquid Silicone' tips in S/M/L
4. 4-core, Oxygene-free copper cable with 0.78 connectors, and 4.4mm termination
5. Foam tips in S/M/L
6. Regular silicone tips in S/M/L
7. Cleaning brush
8. 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter
9. 2 x sets of replacement filters

The Case

I'm not sure if it's leather or faux-leather, but certainly feels wonderful and is of very high quality, premium finish. These are my favourite style of cases, and my (current) top 3 IEMs all come as standard with this style of case.



Tips

The selection of tips include Softears own 'U.C.' tips (not sure what that stands for...) which are similar to Xelastec Crystal in appearance and touch, minus the stickiness. These didn't work for me unfortunately, the material is too thin/light to hold the shells in my ears properly, as such, I had to go hunting in my own collection. There are also standard silicone, and foam.

Cable

The stock cable is an OFC terminated with a 4.4mm jack and 0.78 IEM connectors. A high quality cable that looks and feels very nice. There are some microphonics with rigorous movement of the cable, but I can't imagine anyone will be jogging or in the gym with these.



Design & Fit (the elephant in the room...?)



Twist your ears - I guess what this refers to is how you insert Twilight in your ears - pretty simple really, insert, and twist backwards slightly... voila! But tips are of course key, and I'll talk about that shortly.

The shells are made from an aluminum alloy, apparently of the same type used in aviation. They are incredibly light, and in my opinion, beautifully constructed. The curved/rectangular shape give a bit of an illusion in terms of how they will ultimately fit - in reality, it's the nozzle that sits in your ear, and this is where the usual tip-rolling kicks in so as to get a good fit and seal. The nozzle is relatively thin and long, which I've found can be a problem for me. The clear silicone tips worked on and off - I often had to re-adjust to keep a good seal, which is of course frustrating when you just want to enjoy your music. I had no luck with the stock silicone either, too short even with the largest to get a secure fit.

The initial solution for me, which often works in these scenarios are the Symbio 'F' tips - as the F suggests, these are the foam tips from Symbio and definitely my tip of choice when reaching for a foam - I don't find they emphasise low frequency, or reduce high frequency but provide an excellent, and comfortable fit. I then moved on to a recent purchase, the SpinFit W1, one of the latest from SpinFit, and not actually unlike the stock clear silicone tips, except they are a touch longer, and firmer. The W1 aren't cheap (around €24), and only sold at present in packs of S/M/L - this is a bit annoying when you only need one size... BUT - they are fantastic, and the best tips I've tried on my IEM journey by quite a margin. The W1 allow Twilight to sit perfectly in my ears, with zero fatigue for any duration. It must be noted however, that the open design of these shells with multiple vents means that isolation is certainly not a strong point - if you are seeking to block out the world around you, Twilight is not the choice.

Finally, the 0.78 receiver is a recessed socket, something to bear in mind if cable rolling.



Listening Impressions

Important to note, I only listen to local files, all of which are FLAC, and many are 24bit. The vast majority of my time with Twilight has been with either Lotoo Paw 6000, or Lotoo Paw Gold Touch. My genre preferences are very broad, but I listen to a lot of electronic music on IEMs - ambient, modern classical, dub, techno, trance, D&B, IDM, trance, to name a few. Outside of electronic music, I also listen to male and female vocalists, indie, hip hop, etc. A bit of everything really, but with IEMs my focus tends to be electronic music.



Overall, I would describe Twilight as a nicely balanced set, with a slight lift towards the lows and overall smooth, organic souding, and very captivating tuning. The soundstage is excellent - large, airy, and reminds me of listening to buds or full size headphones. Detail retrieval is very good, but the somewhat laidback tuning does mean a trade-off in squeezing out every micro detail (this is where the big brother/sister, 'Turii Ti' steps in). I would describe as relatively 'safe' tuning, and very easy to like/love - those looking for skull-pounding bass, or the sharpest of ear tickling treble, probably won't be satisfied with Twilight. I have yet to find a genre that doesn't work with Twilight - anything from ambient to techno, and all in between.

Lows -

The mid bass had good depth, but doesn't quite 'slam', I'd say more of a solid punch. Sub bass has very respectable extension, and there is a nice rumble when called for. Timbre for instruments in the lower register is excellent, and I'm finding the longer I spend in this hobby, the less fussy I am about wanting buckets of bass - I'm generally happy with good quality, and a quantity that is well represented relative to mids and highs, this is very much the case with Twilight, albeit with a slight lift that certainly gives that sense of warmth.

Mids -

Smooth, organic, and with plenty of body. There is good clarity in this region, and I've not experienced any sense of congestion with instruments and vocals competing for space. There is an overall sense of a lush, emotive midrange which will certainly appeal to those of you who count mids as a focus area. Male and female vocals sound excellent, and typically sit level with instruments. Piano, strings, guitars are all beautifully rendered and again with great clarity and realism.

Highs -

There is good extension in the high frequencies, but steps back a bit in the furthest reaches - a couple of notches below a 'sparkle'. The energy in the lower treble is evident, and I find this excellent for percussion - snares etc sound incredibly lifelike, especially coupled with both the wonderfully complementary low-end, and large stage - it gives a real sense of putting you right in the mix with the drummer. The somewhat subdued upper highs definitely contributes to the overall sense of warmth, and allows Twilight step in to the realm of being a solid all-rounder with again that 'safe' (but absolutely not boring) tuning.

Technical -

Open, large soundstage which I assume is largely due to the multiple vents - downside to this is of course that isolation isn't fantastic, they won't be a set to take on a busy train and hope to drown everything out. Imaging and layering is wonderful, and tracks with mulitple instruments, vocals etc are all handled with absolute ease, and without any congestion. Detail retrieval is very good, but not excellent - I see this as a bit of a trade-off in the fact Twilight has a smoother profile, and so ultra-flexible with any genre you throw at it. For me, it ticks every imaginable box from a technical perspective in the tuning profile it's going for - IE600 / IE900 for example both beat Twilight on detail retrieval, but on overall tuning, I'd take Twilight in a heartbeat (subjective statement!).



Tracks

Beck - Side of the Road (male vocals, indie)



Beck's voice is dead-centre in the mix, with guitars spanning left and right. The instruments are projected wonderfully across the soundstage, stunning layering and imaging, and top notch timbre. There is an excellent sense of clarity, with instruments and vocals sounding crystal clear.

Jane Weaver - Argent (female vocals, indie, psychedelic rock)



A more upbeat track from Jane Weaver, providing a good test for Twilight in dealing with multiple instruments with a much faster pace versus Beck. Jane's voice is again centre, and in-line with instruments. Bass guitar strums very accurately in the mix, and is presented in the middle. Percussion as noted earlier, sounds fantastic and occupies a wide portion of the stage. As the track progresses, the intensity increases with the addition of sax, and swirling synths in the mix, all handled with ease. I'd consider this a tough enough track as a test due to the almost chaotic levels it hits, but Twilight doesn't falter.

Shabazz Palaces - An Echo from the Hosts the Profess Infinitum (hip hop, electronica)



Sub bass kicks in with this track, and is very well represented - a good deep rumble, and excellent distinction from the vocals, synths, and drum programming. Again, the sense of imaging in the mix is really fantastic - while Twilight is smooth in delivery, it absolutely maintains an incredible ability to wow with the size of the stage and impeccable layering and imaging. The production in this track is jaw-dropping, and the sounds bounce all over the stage.

Arc - Mix (minimal/ambient techno, IDM)



A classic electronic track from 1996, that builds and unfolds over it's 10 minute runtime. Yet again, I can't help but be amazed how Twilight renders each component of the track over the large stage. Kick drums hit with good authority, the swirling synths dance playfully around the centre and expand out across the stage. I'm left wanting to listen to the track all over again, absolutely spot on.

Jason Van Wyk - Recollect (modern classical/ambient)



I listen to a lot of ambient and modern classical and my favourite probably up to now would have been the Oriolus Isabellae - Twilight surpasses Isa to my ears (and from memory, as I sold it a few months ago), it has a similar mid-range magic, but adds much more clarity across the FR and the vastness of space on the stage really allows music like this to shine. Yet again, the smooth profile is utterly captivating, and so easy to sit back and drift off with music like this.



Comparisons

Sennheiser IE600 -

IE600 digs deeper down below, and has more sparkle up top. They share a similarity in that they are both somewhat 'safe' in their tuning, but I find Twilight far more captivating - while IE600 also has a higher level of detail retrieval, it lacks the finesse and organic nature of Twilight - this can be considered a pro or a con really, depending on what you are looking for. I have no intention of parting with IE600, it has much better isolation and is a set I reach for if going for a walk, or going on holidays etc.

Technics TZ700 -

The TZ700 again has much deeper low-end reach, and more sparkle up top. It's more technically competent too, with the smallest of details evident in the mix. I consider it more of a reference tuned set, and excellent in my experience for evaluating new albums on Bandcamp. As per IE600, it takes a back-seat when it comes to overall emotive engagement, Twilight has a huge edge when it comes to that organic, smooth, captivating tuning, versus what sounds somewhat cold in comparison when I switch. The TZ700 is still a fantastic set, and one that really wowed me when I picked it up a few months ago, it just has a different place in my collection.

IE900 -

This is sort of as per IE600, but I find IE900 much more exciting to listen to versus either. IE900 beats both from a technical perspective, and is even more impressive than IE600 when it comes to sub bass rumble and treble sparkle. I don't consider IE900 as an all-rounder anymore though, I once did in my DD journey - but with age, comes wisdom IE900 really shines for fast electronic music - genres like techno, D&B, trance etc.

Turii Ti -

Note: diminishing returns - Twilight gets you a lot of the way there, and there is a significant cost difference for similar tuning, the DNA is evident in both... a winning formula. I'll save the detail for my Turii Ti review in a couple of weeks, but let's just say that it does everything Twilight does, and move it up several notches - without question the best single dynamic driver I've heard, and my favourite IEM I've encountered so far in this journey. They are definitely complementary - where Twilight goes for a smoother delivery, Turii Ti steps up in resolution, stage size and overall macro and micro detail retrieval - it's also brighter, with more energy up top.

Conclusion

Leaving Turii Ti aside, Twilight is my top choice single dynamic driver I've encountered on this journey, absolutely 'king of the road', beating even the highly regarded, and much more expensive IE900 from Sennheiser in terms of the overall tuning profile. I can listen for hours on end, and constantly curious as to what other albums in my library might sound like - I feel Softears have absolutely hit bullseye with Twilight, an impeccably tuned set that has been a joy to discover. A massive recommendation from me.

Aroma Audio Jewel



Introduction & Caveats

Let's get the caveats out of the way first - I purchased Jewel at a reduced price from @MusicTeck in exchange for a review. Impressions shared here are following about six weeks of use, as such plenty of time to form a clear view on where they sit in my collection. Thanks to Andrew as always for his incredible service.

The Jewel is available from Musicteck, currently bundled with the Liquid Links 'Venom' cable at a $5,430 price point at time of writing... HERE

I am not a professional reviewer, it's my hobby and my passion - I enjoy exploring new IEMs across the price spectrum and sharing my impressions with the community. I lack the technical skills to go deep on some components, but do my best to convey what I hear in a way that I hope is useful.



Preamble

Like many Head-Fi members, I was led to Jewel via Traillii. The bird not-so-long-ago sat perched proudly on a throne that poisitioned it by many as both the most expensive, and best IEM ever made. When Jewel came on the scene, it was lauded as a potential 'bird' killer, the first IEM to really challenge the position Traillii had held for many months prior. The negative directed at Traillii was typically due to the lack of a dynamic driver for the low-end frequencies - the arrival of Jewel on the scene 'solved' this, and retained a similar tuning to the bird. I was intrigued right from the start, but sort of convinced myself I wouldn't spend mega-bucks on another top tier set... even though it was niggling away in the back of my mind that curiosity would eventually get the better of me - especially as more glowing impressions rolled out over time. Indeed also, while I've loved Traillii since almost the start (I had an initial challenge with fit), I did miss the slam of a DD for some shelves of my library. The inevitable eventually happened in late July, I caved in and ordered Jewel...

Specifications

• Low frequency (1DD),
• Medium and low frequency (4BA)
• Medium and high frequency (2BA)
• Ultra-high frequency (6EST)
• Impedance: 22Ω@1Khz
• Sensitivity: 103db SPL@1mW
• Sound insulation effect 26db(CM)
• Frequency response: 10-22khz

Unboxing & Accessories

The Aroma Audio unboxing experience is rather unique and certainly has a sense of a 'premium' purchase.

The outer box is a subdued affair, with a simple plain blue box sporting the Aroma logo.



Upon opening this outer box, is where the fun begins - and why I've noted it as being 'unique'...



Inside the outer cardboard box, is a heavy metal box - without absolutely zero evidence of how the heck you might open it. Without instructions, one would be inclined to try leverage it open maybe with your fingernail, desperately seeking a recess or something around the edges that might suggest a point whereby you can lift the lid. Thankfully, this problem has been solved by those who went before me, and no doubt these early adopters had to ask the likes of Musicteck how you actually open the box - which has led to instructions being sent when you purchase... I of course had to refer to these - it is actually rather simple once you know how - push down on top, and slide off to the right - then you get access to the treasure inside! Oh and an aside, this shipment must have caused some confusion for DHL as it was held for three days for a 'security check', presumably the metal box caused some alarm, especially if they couldn't open it... this also explains some of the outer scuffs visible on the packaging, they obviously removed the usual outer cellophane to check the contents.



The accessories are straightforward once you've managed to crack open the box -

1. Selection of silicone tips in a small plastic case
2. Beautiful case that has an expensive look and feel - I'm guessing it's leather, and it has an embossed 'Aroma' logo on the lid
3. Cable (I've not really used this since arrival as it's too microphonic)

Overall, an interesting unboxing experience, and potentially frustrating if you don't know how to open the metal box - we want to get to play with our new toys quickly, and this could certainly cause stress!

Design & Fit

The shells are on the larger size of those I've tried, but by no means massive. They are quite light and with a medium sized stem which allows for good flexibility in rolling tips. I've been using the Tanchjim T300 'treble' tips as these are my preferred choice with most IEMs. I have no issues with any discomfort even in long (>two hours) listening sessions. The blue translucent shells allow visibility of the internal workings, always interesting to see the various drivers and wiring.

The 2-pin is flat to the shell which I'm not a fan of - I tend to feel nervous that the pins might get bent if any inadvertent pressure applied to the cables, as such I would prefer recessed sockets such as those on Traillii.





Listening Impressions

I've listened to Jewel on my Shanling M9 for a number of weeks, followed by the Lotoo Paw Gold Touch (LPGT) more recently - they both work well, the LPGT offers a more 'reference' experience which I felt might be too clinical, but thankfully discovered is not the case - M9 adds a bit of warmth, and is somewhat smoother.



I've been using the Penon OSG cable pretty much since Jewel arrived as I ordered it around the same time - a very nice cable, with a nice soft touch and no microphonics.



Overall, the Jewel has well balanced tuning with no real emphasis on any specific frequency. I did have a concern it might come across as bright versus Traillii, but that has not been the case at all - I'll come to a comparison later on. It has a large stage, with very impressive technical capability, yet still has a great sense of emotive connection. My library is quite broad, and I often find IEMs that work with very specific segments - Jewel has turned out to be a set that I can play really any genre, but there are some I tend to reach for more than others. Striking the balance of incredible technical capability, and huge enjoyment factor really does remind me of the old line, 'You get what you pay for', and that indeed rings true with Jewel.

Bass -

If seeking a bass-head IEM, Jewel is certainly not going to be one you should consider - there are plenty of others out there that specialise in this regard. However, I enjoy my bass and do not find myself wanting more when listening to Jewel. It has a very natural delivery, which I feel accurately represents the bass quantity in the track playing. The mid bass has excellent definition - kick drums tend to have a nice 'bounce' to them, often resonating with a good sense of a central positioning where the left and right channels meet. The sub bass extends to a good depth, but won't be chest-rumbling by any means. As you would expect at this level, there is excellent distinction between mid and sub bass where the mid impact and sub extension can coexist with great clarity. Other instruments in the lower registers are very accurate sounding to my ears, whether that's low-end on a piano, synth or a bass guitar.

Mids -

The mids have again a very natural delivery, with a fantastic sense of clarity and space on stage. There is never any feeling of congestion, even the most busy tracks with several instruments and vocals always have room to breathe. Male and female vocals are rendered beatifully, neither sounding too heavy or too thin. The sense of an 'emotional connection' in my experience is in large part due to the quality of the mids, how 'euphoric' or indeed sombre they can sound as appropriate to the music - Jewel can easily make me smile or shed a tear depending on what I'm listening to, the mids really do a wonderful job of portraying the artistic direction in the music. The transition from low frequencies to the mids is handled with perfection, there is no sense of bleed or any lack of cohesion. I don't hear any annoying spikes, or feel like I'm missing anything - with several weeks of listening, I have cycled through many portions of my library to include albums I've known for decades.

Highs -

I find a good 'sparkle' up top is critical for my preferences these days. If I was asked maybe only two years ago, I would probably have stated bass as a top priority - I would say now both bass and treble are on par in terms of priorities, I need a good level of I would say matching low to high end frequency to really enjoy my music for the most part. There are times however where I do like to reach for a set that is more bass focused, a session with good skull-pouding levels of bass (Oriolus Szalayi for example), I can't say I would do the same for a good old skull-sparkle session, with bass taking a step back. Jewel certainly ticks the box for me in the upper frequencies, it has very nice succinct, crisp delivery in the highest registers which is where I find I really appreciate an ethereal or visceral sensation - I won't say it's the best I've heard, that goes to the Elysian X or maybe even Sony Z1R but certainly not far behind. Lower treble/upper mids I'm discovering can at times be a bit of a problem for me, causing a bit of a sense of glare or harshness - no issue with Jewel, they sit in a comfortable zone and allow me enjoy vocals or instruments that creep into this area.

Technical -

From a soundstage perspective first of all, I wouldn't say Jewel is the 'largest' I own - that goes to Traillii but I don't think there's a huge amount in it. Jewel has an excellent width and height, giving a strong sense of music emanating from the centre, and out around my head with a fairly even level of distribution. The detail retrieval is absolutely top-notch, and there is no question here as to being in this crazy top-tier segment - it's mind-blowing listening to the vast amounts of detail from all over the stage, but still presented with such excellent cohesion. Instruments are well placed from an imaging and layering perspective, and this is very much dependent on the track in terms of the location in the recording - i.e. you get to hear it where it was mastered in the recording. There is excellent clarity between all components on stage, a nice feeling of separation and air, but again still presented with excellent cohesion.

Track Analysis and Rating

Agnes Obel - Fuel to Fire (5/5)

One of my most used tracks of recent times to test a mix of vocals and instruments, a really perfect and beautiful song for this task. Angnes's voice has excellent body, and a really natural and smooth delivery - it's slightly forward in the mix, with strings and piano stretched out the full width of the stage. A really ethereal listening experience, and one of the best I've heard this song sound.



Bill Callahan - Drover (5/5)

A good contrast to switch to male vocals, with a much deeper tonality and overall more lively track - adding percussion to the mix. Bill's voice sounds absolutely spot-on, very good depth and realism with a central position, and pushed a bit forward. Strings make an occassional appearance, sitting slightly right and a little behind. Guitars emanate out from centre to left and right, with percussion occupying a strong position across the stage without any harshness - the busy passages are absolutely free of congestion, with all instruments very well rendered with excellent clarity.

LINK (it won't embed for some reason...)

Hans Zimmer - Dust [Interstellar Soundtrack] (5/5)

First of all, I'm a big fan of science fiction movies and Interstellar a huge favourite - up there with my best movies ever, as is the soundtrack. As this piece builds, the tension and sense of drama unfolds across the large stage, the vast orchestra sounds brilliantly represented, with a wonderful mix of instrumental pinpoint imaging and beautiful realism. Yet again when I'm testing tracks for a review, I would love to just kick back and listen in full from start to finish. I find this soundtrack in general is a great example of the incredible ability of Jewel to step forward with amazing technical capability but still have stunning levels of emotional engagement.

YouTube link as it's not on Bandcamp (my test is via FLAC on my DAP)



Brambles - To Speak of Solitude (5/5)

This is a wonderful modern classical piece from a fantastic album, a great way to test a mix of instruments in terms of timbre, imaging, and overall stage presence. I'm looking for a calm, gentle, surreal presentation - I associate this album with unwinding from a busy day at work, or trying to go back to sleep when I've woken too early, all too often the case. There is a feeling of warmth, but in no way dark - enough space for each instrument, and even though the overall stage size is in abundance, there is still a feeling of intimacy for the entire track. This genre takes up a lot of my listening time, and Jewel absolutely delivers in every respect.



Washed Out - Time to Walk Away (5/5)

An excellent album, but this is my personal favourite - released in 2020, and a real 80's synth-pop vibe with an emphasis on ethereal synths, drum programming and male vocals. Not one I've listened to much lately on earphones, but a regular choice in the car - I real 'sing along' favourite for my kids too. As I'm sure is clear by now, Jewel has zero problems presenting this wonderful song - the vocals are again perfectly rendered, with good body and a nice central position - synths are captivating and melodic, percussion driven with good energy and space.



Heogen - End (5/5)

The closing track from the excellent album 'Odd Radio Circle' from 2021 on the always brilliant 'Touched' label. This is a melodic, IDM/downtempo album and a good test for how Jewel deals with a relatively complex electronic track. Drum programming and synths are presented with awesome detail - every single nuance is audible, and so easy to focus in on specific parts, or indeed listen to it as the complete piece. Synths have a gorgeous and captivating presence, and stretch out with a spherical reach across the entire stage. As the track evolves, the bass makes more of an appearance, and while Jewel doesn't dig overly deep, it really does sound wonderfully authentic and natural - I don't miss that sensation of reaching deep down into my chest, accuracy prevails and again the wonderful frequency balance allows the track to shine exactly how it was produced.



Nexus 23 - Electronic Dog (5/5)

This is a nice dark bit of electro, only released last year but very reminiscent of late 90's / early 00's electro. I've listened to music like this for almost 30 years now, and always important to test how an IEM handles these genres - again, the ability to present and handle complexity is crucial for me, as is a decent kick drum representation and the overall presentation must allow each component the ability to shine individually or together as part of the full track. Yet again, Jewel delivers - prior to this test, it's not actually a track or genre I would have figured would work with Jewel, I would typically reach for a more V-shaped tuning with deeper sub bass but this actually surprised me a lot, and I'll be allowing more time to delve into these sections of my library moving forward. A fantastic representation of an incredible track.



Matthew Halsall - Harmony with Nature (5/5...)

Another favourite album, this time a fantastic mix of jazz and electronic. This is another example of how much I love the wonderful natural bass on Jewel, the double bass sounds phenomenal - I've heard it go deeper, but it just sounds so incredibly lifelike here - as does the sax and piano. While very much chilled jazz, there is a lot going on as the track progresses and I feel like I've been plunged into the middle of a jazz club, with the band playing all around me. Such a fantastic album if you enjoy chilled jazz, and not yet heard this.



Comparisons

The only set I currently own at the same level is Oriolus Traillii. I wondered when I bought Jewel which of them I might ultimately keep and at present, I don't intend to part with either - I find them sufficiently complementary to keep both. Where Jewel tips a bit more towards technical, Traillii leans a bit more emotive but they are both entirely capable in each realm. Overall, I find Traillii a set I'm more likely to reach for when I want to really relax and while I'll hear the details, I'll focus more on the overall sense of relaxation and feeling of an organic presentation. Jewel is somewhat more technical in presentation - the details are more apparent, and it's harder to ignore - I love that contrast between the two, both top tier sets that offer a similar but sufficiently different listening experience at the absolute pinnacle of the audio spectrum. An advantage that Jewel has is certainly the dynamic driver, and the benefit that provides when it comes to elements of my library that call for a solid DD kick, thud, slam or bounce - Traillii falls short there at times. I've owned Traillii for just over a year now, and Jewel for maybe two months - I can't say which I prefer, they really do both offer me listening experiences I never thought possible.

Conclusion

After several months of wondering what Jewel might offer to my collection, I finally know - and I'm sure it's pretty clear, I'm far from disappointed. It's a top tier set that's absolutely worthy in my opinion of a place at the top alongside Traillii, potentially even dethroning the bird altogether when taking the DD capability into account... but the trade-off being possibly the overall emotive charm the bird offers, most probably a tuning decision to not incorporate a dynamic driver. Jewel is now the TOTL set to beat in my collection, but I'm in no hurry to find a worthy contender. This is a set that has the highest level of technical capability, coupled with superb balanced tuning, and a wonderfully captivating presentation that at worst is hard to dislike, and at best becomes the absolute end-game in the quest for audio perfection.

Oriolus Szalayi - Pump up the volume...

Introduction & Caveats

Amazed there are no reviews up for Szalayi (SZA) yet - I guess for many, to include myself, far too busy enjoying them... which gives a hint as to the gushing praise that is to come in this review. Get some caveats out of the way first.

I purchased SZA pretty much on day of release from Musicteck at a reduced price in exchange for a review - always a risk when a new product on the market and no impressions to go on, but being Oriolus, I was pretty confident they will have done a good job and took the plunge. I would like to thank Andrew at @MusicTeck and as always, all impressions are entirely mine.

I am not a professional reviewer, it's my hobby and my passion - I enjoy exploring new IEMs across the price spectrum and sharing my impressions with the community. I lack the technical skills to go deep on some components, but do my best to convey what I hear in a way that I hope is useful.

SZA has a retail price of $919 and is available from @MusicTeck HERE and at the time of writing, there is also a free case available.

SZA Preamble

When SZA first arrived, I was little peplexed to say the least - out of the box, they sounded rather dark and somewhat muddy - I was very surprised, and wondered how a set could be launched sounding like this. I'm increasingly aware of the need to allow drivers to burn-in, and from what I understand, planar need even more time to mature. With that in mind, I hooked them up to my trusty Sony ZX300 which is mostly my burn-in DAP due to the fantastic battery, and left them run for about a week 24/7 - dipping in and out to have a listen and hear how they were getting on. There was a dramatic change over the course of the first few days, and I would argue it still continues a few weeks later... so my advice if you do go ahead and purchase these. 'Please Don't Give Up' at first - they need time to mature, and I think their signature needs time for mental adjustment too.

A nighttime analogy...

You know when you are indoors at night, with artificial light - you can see everything in the building around you - you then step outdoors, and it's a clear night but very dark and no outdoor lighting... your eyes take a bit to adjust, and then you can see stars all over the sky, the longer you look, the more that pop out. That's what my experience with SZA has been like at times as it has opened up - going from that initial 'darkness' to one of great clarity, revealing all of the most subtle details in the recording. This analogy occured to me in the first week or so, and felt it might be useful to note here.

Specifications

SZA is a tribrid IEM, i.e. it has a three-driver configuration which in short are: a dynamic driver for lows, a planar for mids, and a balanced armature for highs.



Unboxing

Anyone who has had an Oriolus IEM before will know they don't go for fancy packaging or lots of accessories - always a fairly minimal affair, even the top-tier Traillii arrives in a plain brown cardboard box! SZA comes in exactly the same packaging as the wonderful single DD 'Isabellae'. I like the packaging ethos they seem to display, no BS and to the point. I do think a case would be nice though and shouldn't break the bank, especially for a set not too far south of $1,000... as noted above, I see there is now a 'free' case supplied via Musicteck, hopefully this becomes a standard.



Upon opening the outer sleeve and box, you are greeted with the SZA nestling in a foam bed -



Underneath the foam layer, you find a selection of accessories: tips (silione in S/M,L / flange M / foam S/M), shirt-clip, cleaning brush, and warranty card.



Cable

The supplied cable is silver-plated OFC terminated with 4.4mm as standard and with a 2-pin configuration. It's a really nice cable, very soft and easy to fold and store. It looks and feels premium. I really love the branded Y-splitter.



Design & Fit

The shells are rather large and at first sight, I thought they might pose a problem for me as I don't tend to get on too well with larger shells. The contours of the shell actually sit very well in my ears without any discomfort - they are very smooth and quite light, with no potentially obtrusive edges or corners. Like Traillii and Isa, the stem are rather short and quite wide which in my experience means I need to take a step down in tip size, allowing for the larger stem diameter - I've tried a number of different tips, but settled for now with Azla Short Standard.



The shells are vented, which means certainly in my case, there is none of the pressure build that can occur with IEMs that do not have a vent - this can be incredibly unpleasant, and I'm happy to report that the vent in this case does it's job.



Also, I love that Oriolus choose a recessed 2-pin connection - it always feels much more secure versus a flat 2-pin. I wish more brands would do this. The below picture should give a sense for the previously mentioned soft contours, with no offensive edges that might cause discomfort.



Sources & Cables

I have mostly used the Lotoo Paw Gold Touch (LPGT) with SZA, Shanling M9 at times too. I have tried a few cables with SZA and have decided on the Penon GS849 for the moment - while the stock cable is nicer looking and more ergonomic, I find the GS849 tightens up the bass with more control, and injects some more clarity in the mids. I've tried a pure silver cable too but found that was too bright and harsh, especially with the LPGT. As a related aside, I've been a bit of cable sceptic - I emphasise 'bit' as I have had a few scenarios where I noted differences, and these are becoming more frequent I guess as I fine-tune my own ability to listen out for specific changes - the silver cable test was night and day vs the GS849, upon switching back to the latter, the brighter/harsh sound was immediately resolved.

SZA pictured below with the Penon GS849 and LPGT DAP.



Listening Impressions - Pump up the volume...

SZA loves a good bit of power - they play perfectly well at lower volumes, but scale wonderfully as you put more power in. Think of them like a sports car on an open road, the more you push the pedal, the more the engine roars and the bigger smile on your face as you feel the surge of power - this is SZA - as you increase the volume, the sub bass becomes even more encapsulating, the lush mids grab hold of you in a visceral and emotive way, treble bites but without hurting...

Overall, the sound profile I would say is somewhat geared towards the lows, but absolutely not to the detriment of mids or highs. While they are technically capable, they certainly lean more towards the emotive engagement by quite a bit - that's not to say they don't deliver good macro/micro details, they do - but not in a reference tuned way, they are not a 'relaxed' or neutral set by any means. For me, it's the sort of set I can reach for and just enjoy my music - not thinking too much about imaging, or pinpointing specific details - just getting lost in the music, and in some cases, for many hours on end.

Bass - Dynamic Driver

SZA has a 10mm dynamic driver to deliver the low end frequencies, and boy does it make it's presence known when called upon. It has a huge, deep sub bass that you can feel throughout your skull and almost down into your body, that visceral delivery that anyone who appreciates bass will seek. It's like a separate sub-woofer, sufficiently distinct also from mid-bass and without any bleed to mids. Mid-bass is has excellent definition and slams with a pounding authority - it has excellent clarity, without any sense of being boomy or overextending itself.

Mids - Planar

The mids are clear, emotive, lush and super-engaging. They have the effortless delivery associated with planar drivers, and handle complexity with great ease - never congested, and well able to deal with faster passages of music. There is a great sense of dimension in the mids, allowing tracks with multiple instruments to play respectfully and yet with great cohesion.

Treble - BA

Treble has good reach and is somewhat 'polite' - it doesn't extend to the furthest reaches in terms of the most distinct 'sparkle' but has good energy and air which again allows good detail retrieval up top, and enough bite to allow cymbals for example to be well rendered and distinct. As always with treble, too much up top can be risky as it can lead to sibilance or harshness - certainly not the case here, I've yet to find a track where that occurs in any shape or form.

Technicalities

The bass emphasis and lush mids probably pull back on the extent to which the micro details are presented - as noted earlier, this is not a reference tuned IEM with a focus on analysing the details - they are there, but they don't scream at you to pay attention, the overall theme is definitely more emotive to my ears - and ultimately, pure enjoyment of music is key, which SZA has in spades. That said - imaging and layering are excellent, if you choose to zoom in, it's very easy to pinpoint specific components of a track, and they all feel 'correct' in terms of their positioning. There is a large stage, which has a real sense of starting in the centre of your head, and emanating out quite a distance.

Track by Track Analysis

I listened last night for about 3 hours straight, and took 6x A4 pages of notes - along with downing most of a bottle of wine. Sounds like hard work?! - Not with SZA, and of course the wine... plus I managed to dispel my own 'myth' with SZA where I felt it was only really suited to electronic music, absolutely not the case - as will be evident here.

Idles - I'm Scum

This is a tough track to crack, and one I now choose in all of my IEM tests. SZA is one of the best I've heard - a high-energy, in-your-face slice of modern punk that during busy passages, can sound very harsh on some IEMs, especially those with a heavy treble emphasis in my experience. At various peaks in the track, there are almost frenetic moments with percussion going full-pelt, guitars and vocals screaming, and bass booming - SZA absolutely nails it - everything is clear, nothing cluttered, harsh or congested. I can pick out each instrument on the large holographic stage, or just listen to them in full cohesive unison.



Julia Jacklin - Don't Know How to Keep Loving You

The song kicks off with drumming and guitars, which sound wonderfully rendered with excellent realism. Julia's vocals are centre, and tipped slightly forward, displaying excellent body and an engaging sense of warmth. Percussion and vocals sit mostly central, with guitars out to the right on stage - bass guitar is more central again, and rumbles with great depth and beauty. Again, instrument positioning is excellent in terms of imaging and layering.



Radiohead - Everything in it's Right Place

I couldn't resist choosing this as my next track as with my various test tracks so far, everything does indeed sound 'in it's right place'. SZA has this fantasic ability to drop you right in the middle of the music - everything playing both inside, and outside your head - plenty of air between each component... lots of space for each instrument to shine. Vocals here are wonderfully rendered, I'm finding Szalayi 'slays' (sorry...) with both male and female vocals, which can be hard to pull off. I've loved this song for many years, adore the full album and heard it countless times - it sounds absolutely excellent here, top marks.

https://radiohead.bandcamp.com/track/everything-in-its-right-place

Max Richter - Summer 1

I'll start with one word in block capitals and in bold - WOW
The planar here executes with perfection: strings rise and fall with wonderful authenticity and authority - my heart literally racing with anticipation as it all unfolds on stage... the lower depths of the orchestra call upon the 10mm DD to do it's job, allowing an excellent sense of depth and subdued rumble.



A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Requiem for the Static King Part 2

I keep wondering what track might come along and derail the SZA steam train... so far nothing, and this gem is no exception. Utterly captivating, spellbinding and gut-wrenchingly beautiful - the instruments spread tall and wide, with such wonderful clarity and emotion - honestly stuff that could reduce me to tears. I've loved this album for many years, and SZA again scores top marks for allowing it shine to it's full potential.



GCOM - Anthropocene

This track kicks off with the sound of rain and thunder - hugely visceral and lifelike. Melodic synths roll-in, displaying that wonderful SZA midrange magic, then our friend the 10mm DD makes itself known as the powerful kickdrum makes an appearance. There is a holographic sound which sounds a bit like a clock ticking, which pans around the stage, hard not to almost roll your eyes while trying to follow it, as if you'll be able to both hear and see it - the track ultimately hits a dramatic climax, which is really quite breathtaking, before winding back down with the same thunder and rainfall as the intro. A very powerful experience, and takes a set like SZA to really capture that sensation.



Matthew Halsall - Life

Yet again, wow. I wouldn't have associated SZA in the last few weeks that would do a good job with chilled jazz like this but I have been very much proven wrong. Such an effortless, and unbelievably engaging and effortless presentation of this wonderful track. All of the instruments are crystal clear, with again that stunning realism - ample room to breathe, and all so utterly captivating (another recurring SZA theme!). Throughout this test, I just want to stop taking notes and just sit back and listen. The strings are forward, sax somewhat behind but this feels like where the musician is positioned on stage - maybe a more intimate venue, a small smokey jazz club. Percussion is somewhat off to the back and again, sounding perfectly lifelike and realistic.



Androcell - Under the Sun

This is an example of music I've been playing the most on SZA, something I discovered early on that really does sound utterly spectacular. The deep reaching sub-bass really works wonders with this genre, and I sort of fell into a bit of a pigeon-hole trap with SZA for a while, telling myself this was it's only superpower - now it's definitely an area where it really does excel, likewise any very well produced electronic music with lots of layers and deep sub bass. The melodic synths, and vast amount of layers sound truly spectacular, it's no wonder I keep reaching for albums in this genre with SZA. I honestly don't think I've heard any other IEM sound as good as with this music - not even top tier IEMs such as Jewel or Traillii.



Tosca - Osam

This is a +10 minute track that features on the latest (excellent) album from Tosca. I love the entire album and it's been on repeat lately, very suited to the summer weather - the sort of album I can imagine playing at a beach bar in somewhere like Ibiza. Anyway, the kickdrums hit with excellent authority and impact - a nice heavy 'thud' which I can feel resonate through my head - a bit of a broken record now but I do have to use that 'WOW' word again here, it sounds bloody incredible... SZA has this wonderful ability to sound detailed, yet fun, emotive and highly engaging.



Conclusion

I guess my enthusiam for this set is pretty obvious if you've read as far as here. It's probably the most unique, and absolutely addictive IEM I've ever heard... but in my experience, it needs a bit of time to settle - as the old adage goes, "good things come to those who wait..." - well let me rephrase that for SZA >>> Great things come to those who persevere. If you buy SZA, and wonder what-the-heck was that guy Scuba waffling on about - please persevere - and btw, this is of course my own individual experience, many seem to love it right out of the box, and I suspect in my case it could be as I'm coming from a lot of listening lately to Aroma Jewel which is more reference and highly-resolving in comparison, and also far less 'fun' - but it depends on what you are seeking. Sometimes reviews can be hard to write, I've actually enjoyed this immensly as I've such huge appreciation for this wonderful IEM... well done Oriolus!

Lotoo Paw 6000 - also known as, 'P6K'



Introduction & Disclaimer

I've been curious about the LP6K for quite a while, often reading the reviews on Musicteck and trying to find a way to convince myself I 'need' a new DAP - the inner narrative mostly being, "it looks like a pretty small DAP, that would be very handy for out and about... not to mention reviews speaking so highly of it's fast UI, and reference sound" - anyway, needless to say, that inner voice was strong, and I eventually reached out to Andrew in Musicteck, and asked if he might be so kind and provide me with a review discount. As always, all impressions in this review are entirely mine, and with no input from Musicteck or Lotoo. I would like to thank @MusicTeck as always for the reduced price in exchange for the review.

Who am I?

I am not a professional reviewer, but enjoy trying out new equipment as part of the hobby, and sharing my thoughts with the community. Also, I am certainly not technically proficient when it comes to some of the deeper details, but will share as best as I can. I worked in the consumer electronics industry for many years - initially in retail back in the 1990's, and ultimately working directly for various brands in the 2000's. This included a period of importing consumer electronics from around the world for distribution in the UK and Ireland. I introduced a number of DAPs to these markets in the early 2000's to include Rio, MPIO, iAudio, and FiiO. I say this not as a 'CV', but to express my lifelong passion for electronics, going right back to my first Walkman in the late 80's. Unfortunately I no longer work in the industry, but can thankfully keep up the love through this hobby and community.

Other DAPs in my collection at the moment (in order of purchase):

1. Sony NW-ZX300 (2018)
2. Sony NW-WM1A (2021)
3. Shanling M9 (2022)
4. Lotoo Paw Gold Touch (2022)

My music preferences:

I have a broad taste across a diverse range of genres and have amassed quite a collection of CDs and vinyl, dating back to when I first started buying in the late 80's. Genres include: ambient, modern classical, techno, house, trance, D&B, IDM, hip hop, indie, to name a few. I tend to listen mostly to electronic genres on my DAPs and IEMs - with the exception of modern classical, a genre that is increasingly taking a lot of my ear-time. I buy most of my music on Bandcamp and use FLAC only, ideally 24bit when available. I very rarely stream, and keep meaning to cancel my Tidal membership - at best, I probably dip in for a couple of hours per month via my Shanling M9. I enjoy the experience of shopping for music on Bandcamp, and try limit myself to a few albums per week so that I can really get to know them.

https://bandcamp.com/scubadevils

I also have a YouTube channel, where I had been uploading electronic music for about 15 years, but been lazy in recent years - actually 5 to be precise! I keep saying I must get back to it, and I really must.

If you happen to enjoy electronic music, you might find some tracks you enjoy on my channel which is HERE

Where to buy P6K?

The LP6K is available HERE from Musicteck at the time of writing for $999 - note: this is a sale price, the usual RRP is $1,200... so if you've been on the fence and reading this near the time of publication, not a bad time to pull the trigger.

About Lotoo...

Lotoo are certainly a well known brand in the Head-Fi community, but for the benefit of any readers who may be new to the hobby, or like me not so long ago, had an awareness of their existence, but not much more - the below is an 'about us' taken from the Lotoo website.

Lotoo, founded in 1999, is the professional audio brand of Beijing Infomedia Electronic Technology Co. ltd., Lotoo has the top level professional audio technology R&D team in Asia. Over the years, Lotoo has been committed to providing the world's highest levels of professional recording and playback products. Products are exported to the United States, Canada, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Poland, and Spain, Finland and other more than 30 countries and regions.

Click to expand...

Specifications at a glance (see full details on Musicteck Product Page)


Above snip borrowed from the product page on the Lotoo website.

Packaging & Unboxing

I like the straightforward, and minimal packaging the P6K arrives in - it is a small box, with a premium look in terms of branding. As I've noted in previous reviews, I'm a sucker for the unboxing experience, and while in this case it's quite basic, it does certainly feel premium as previously noted.



Upon opening the box, you are greeted with the beautiful P6K - and my immediate feeling when I see it at first was, it really is a compact little unit...



The full contents of the box include:

• P6K DAP
• Cleaning cloth
• 2 x screen protectors (neither are installed, and I made a mess of the first, so had to use both on day 1)
• Instruction manual
• Warranty card
• Case

The Device

I knew P6K was a relatively small device, but only when I had in my hand did I fully appreciate how portable and pocketable is really is - even with the case on, I have no problem fitting in the pockets in my jeans or jacket - unless you go for ultra-skinny jeans, which might pose a problem. It is also light and ergonomic, certainly with the case on... without the case, my anxiety levels would soar as with both a glass front and rear, I would be concerned it would slip out of my hand. It does look beautiful 'naked', but I would always keep a case on... not worth the risk of damaging our precious toys.



It absolutely ticks the box of both looking and feeling premium - beautiful aluminium finish with an overall sleek and minimal aesthetic. The button array is discreet and easily accessible, and the volume wheel a joy to use; easy to reach for and adjust as appropriate, coupled with the very clever pulsing light that allows you see the volume wheel in low light... this can be switched off also which is great as it might bother anyone else in a dark room. There is a very satifying and tactile sensation to the volume wheel, both hearing and feeling engagement as you increase or decrease the volume.

Button array -

On the right side of P6K, there are four buttons to control basic commands: power on/off, skip forward/back, and play/pause. The below picture shows these buttons on the naked device, they are easily accessible with the supplied leather case where they are embossed in the material. Again, I'd love to see/access these controls without the case as they are both pretty to look at, and nice to the touch - they feel solid on the unit.



On the top of P6K, there is the 3.5mm and 4.4mm output, both of which double as a dedicated line-out function - I've not had the opportunity to test the LO, but I've heard excellent reports of pairing with the likes of the Cayin C9, hopefully I'll get to try for myself at some point.



Bottom

Underneath, there is a USB type-C port for charging and file transfer, and a micro-SD slot which can support up to 2TB which at the time of writing are not yet available - I'm happy to report though that my 1TB card works perfectly and loads incredibly fast, a huge improvement on the massive wait-times I encounter on Sony DAPs.

I have had a bit of trouble with the micro-SD loading where it can take a few attempts for it to lock in place, A nitpick, but I would prefer some sort of cover over this too.

Size

As already noted, this is a very compact, light, and ergonomic device and a lot smaller and easy to use out and about versus my Sony 1A or indeed the P6K bigger brother, Gold Touch. The image below attempts to get across the size difference but it's only really apparent when actually in your hand. Needless to say, the P6K is sitting in the middle below, with the Sony NW-WM1A on the left, and the Gold Touch (LPGT) on the right - both of which are quite a bit heavier too, especially LPGT. Side note: the dust that gathers on the side of the screen protectors really annoys me - I can't see when they are in their cases, but I'm a bit OCD about these things so if anyone has any tips on how to remove, without displacing the screen protector, please shout!



Screen

The 3.77" retina LCD has a protective 'Corning Gorilla Glass 5' layer which offers good protection from accidental knocks, and there is an outer layer of DLC coating, and finally, ant-finger print coating. I find the screen does of course attract dust and fingerprints, but they actually rub off with a soft cloth remarkably well, leaving the screen looking as-new again. The resolution and brightness is good, but I wouldn't say excellent - certainly versus a modern smartphone or my Shanling M9 - however, I don't see this as particularly important in a non-Android DAP and certainly not an attribute I was seeking with this DAP.



Functionality

While the UI and general navigation feels somewhat basic when compared to smartphones (my kids find this a funny description for a phone... they weren't around pre iPhone revolution!) and indeed the many Android based DAPs on the market, it is easy to navigate through music content and settings - I sometimes have a bit of difficulty with swiping down to access some quick settings, and likewise swiping up when on on album and looking to revert to the homescreen - by this I mean it can take a couple of swipes to access, noting major and possibly clumsy fingers on my part.

Swipe down: allows quick access to switch both outputs to high or low gain, change brightness, access bluetooth, adjust the play sequence, and lock the volume to a desired level.

Swipe up: this returns you to the homescreen with key functions such as - play list / album list / songs / folders / artist and settings. I use the folder option a lot as with a large collection of albums on my 1TB card, I like to sort by genre and it gives me easy access to music I'm in the mood to listen to, rather than scroll through a long list of albums or artists.

There are user configurable 'parametric' equalizers which offer a huge selection of sound adjustments. I must admit, I have yet to try these, I believe they are relatively complicated to use but can result in quite signifcant tweaks to the sound - I really must give it a try. There are also more basic EQ settings which allow you to quickly switch between default EQ settings to include: classic, pop, jazz, techno, rock etc - reminds me of good old hifi systems way back...

While playing a track, there are a selection of functions available to choose from - below the track details and track progress bar, there are the usual play control functions and access to the EQ options. On top, there is an option to view the current playlist, and the ability to add the current playing track to a playlist.



Using bluetooth, the P6K can be used to transmit audio to an external device, and also the ability to use as a wireless DAC. I've used the bluetooth transmit function to play audio on a wireless speaker, it was a doddle to connect and did what it's supposed to do. I've not used the DAC function.

The battery is about 15 hours which is good but not a patch on my Sony DAPs which clock in around 25-30 hours - to be fair, I don't think any DAP can compete here and the 15 hours on P6K is actually pretty good, even beating it's big brother by almost 5 hours.

The below video is a quick tour of the UI and shows how fast P6K boots from powered off to ready to listen... approx 4 seconds! - sometimes the album artwork takes a few more seconds to load, but you can literally switch it on and be listening in less than five seconds which is pretty incredible. The resolution on the video didn't look fantastic for some reason when I uploaded to YouTube, it may be that it was still processing and hopefully corrects itself.



Sound

Aside from the beautiful look, build, and portability that P6K offers, I have been curious to hear it for a while due to the many reviews that describe it as being 'reference' tuned - i.e. it plays as the music is recorded, and doesn't really add any additional flavour, maybe a very slight hint of warmth - so your earphones basically then play as they've been tuned to. In my experience so far (about 6 weeks), this has been a fascinating and enjoyable experience as I spend time with my collection - I like the idea of hearing IEMs as they've been tuned, with not much added from the source. P6K does indeed sound neutral and 'natural' but without being clinical for the most part - there is a risk in terms of synergy with some IEMs where a neutral DAP feeding neutral IEMs might touch on being a bit sterile, but a lot of that will boil down to the users preference. Personally, I am finding with some single dynamic drivers, I prefer the synergy with my Shanling M9 - an example being my recently purchased Softears Twilight (btw, a wonderful single DD which I will be reviewing in a few weeks) - the M9 adds a touch of warmth and a kick in the lows that Twilight to my ears benefits from. On the flipside, Traillii pairs wonderfully with P6K - the bird in my experience is a great example of an IEM that I most enjoy hearing it as it has been tuned, nothing needs to be added in any area. The recently launched Oriolus 'Szalayi' is a wonderful match, likewise the DUNU ZEN PRO - the latter being a regular choice for my daily walks.



Lows, mids, and highs are well balanced with excellent control. There is a reasonable sized stage, but there is an improvement when compared to the Gold Touch or M9 - as one would expect with both being flagships from their respective brands. The neutral/reference tuning really allows details to shine - sort of like a blank canvas where the chosen earphones will do what they do well.

Conclusion

The P6K is an excellent little DAP - easy to use, spectacular build quality, a decent battery, wonderful reference tuning with a hint of warmth, and a device you can take anywhere (unless you wear very skinny jeans)... which when loaded with a 1TB card, the equivalent of at least 1,500 albums in your pocket, in lossless format. If streaming isn't important to you, the P6K comes with a very high recommendation from me.

At the start of this review, I noted how P6K was a 'stepping stone to gold' - what did I mean by that? I'm sure clear to anyone familiar with the Lotoo range, and indeed it will have been apparent during the review, but basically, I quickly fell in love with P6K, and couldn't resist taking a step up to the LPGT... now I am of course trying to resist taking that next step to the Ti version, a never-ending rabbit hole...

Anyway, thanks for reading and hope it has been useful!

Meze 'Advar'



Introductions and caveats...

First up, I would like to thank @Andykong for including me in this tour. This is a loan unit, provided for a period of 10 days with no input from Meze on the content of the review. The 'ask' is the publication of honest impressions on Head-Fi. Unfortunately, timing for my slot on the tour wasn't fantastic as it coincided with a number of other life priorities, and I didn't have as much time as I would like to properly evaluate, and compare with others in my collection. I will say that I enjoyed Advar enough to add to the growing collection of single DDs at some point...

As I always note in the start of my reviews: I am not a professional reviewer, this is my hobby and it combines a lifelong passion for music and technology. I have owned, sold, and tested several IEMs over the last couple of years, and loved every minute - I enjoy sharing my impressions with the wider community. My love for music goes right back to my very earliest memories, mostly music my Mum listened to when I was a toddler. I started my own music collection in the late 80s, and amassed quite a large number of CDs, vinyl and 'files' in the years since. I also worked in consumer electronics for many years, once enjoying the luxury of having samples of earphones, speakers, and various other items sent to me as part of my job, the good old days which I definitely miss! Anyway, let's talk Advar.

Meze Advar is available to buy directly from Meze HERE and is currently retailing for €699 / $699



Unboxing and Accessories

There are lots of reviews that cover this in plenty of detail, no point in me covering old ground - except for a brief overview.

The Advar box - nice finish, looks premium and very well presented. A few scuffs on this box as it has done the rounds at this stage of the tour!



Accessories include:

• MMCX removal tool (this fantastic, best I've seen)
• Final E Tips
• Leather carry case
• Cleaning brush

It would have been nice to see a branded cloth in there, especially with how the shells will attract fingerprints!



The carry case is nice, a good solid case and has a premium finish.



A special mention again for the MMCX removal tool, nice looking and incredibly easy to use.



Cable

As noted in the above 'cons', Meze do not supply a 4.4mm cable in the box - this can be purchased separately for $149 which I think is a big ask on top of the $699 for Advar. Lots of IEMs are now supplied with various types of modular connections to allow the user swap between 3.5mm, 2.5mm, and 4.4mm, even at much lower prices. Obviously folks can use existing MMCX cables in the collection if they've got one, or buy a 3rd party option but I actually like the Meze cable.

Meze did include a 4.4mm cable for this tour, and this is what I used for all listening. It seems to have mixed impressions but I really like it: soft, pliable, non-microphonic, and very light - ticks all my boxes... except the paying extra bit...





Test Equipment

The majority of my listening over the last week or so has been via the Lotoo Paw Gold Touch (LPGT), followed by the Sony NW-WM1A, and Shanling M9 - the latter got the least due to being less portable. All of the test tracks featured in the review were listened to on the LPGT. All of my listening has been from local FLAC files, I very rarely stream.



Comfort and Fit

I think these may cause problems for some ears, they have for me - I have found smaller shells tend to be an issue for the most part. I first reached for my go-to choices which include: AET07, Tanchjim T300, various Azla, to name a few - I could not get a decent fit with any of these, in any size which led to a general negative impact to SQ and poor isolation. I finally reached for the Symbio 'F' foam tips (as pictured above), and voila - I got a good fit and seal! Foam tips are known to increase bass, and reduce treble but I think Symbio F are the least guilty of these charges of the foam tips I've tried... but this should be factored none-the-less as YMMV when using other tips if you don't experience the fit issues I have. Also, I may have experienced less in the way of treble issues due to these tips.



Listening Impressions

I listen to a pretty diverse selection of genres but mostly electronic music with with IEMs. For the purpose of this review, I've dug deep in my library and chosen favourites from female vocals, punk, indie rock, techno, ambient, hip hop, and drum and bass - to name a few.

It’s the type of tuning that I find incredibly captivating: a good balance of punchy mid bass, decent sub extension, clear/lush mids, and a nice crisp bite up top – coupled with the somewhat intimate stage, it makes for a very visceral listening experience. Also, the sense of clarity really drives excellent imaging – easy to pinpoint instruments with plenty of space, but not falling into a clinical category. It has excellent timbre, very realistic to my ears. Detail retrieval is excellent, both macro and micro.

The tuning works well for high quality recordings, offering excellent clarity and detail - but at the expense of some harshness in older or lower quality recordings.

A side note on the stage size - I feel (maybe wrongly) that it's often perceived as bigger = better when it comes to stage size - in my experience, it actually often means a different sense of space, or potentially just more intimate - this for me isn't necessarily a bad thing, and can work very well in some listening scenarios. However, if seeking a very large stage, I would not recommend Advar.

Selected Tracks:

First up is 'Fuel to Fire' by Agnes Obel, this has become one of my go-to tracks to test a mix of female vocals and instrumentals, a really beautiful song and a nice test with any IEM.



Agnes's voice is central, and roughly in-line with the instruments, maybe ever-so-slightly forward. There is good body to her voice, with a nice sense of realism in delivery. Piano sounds wonderful, excellent timbre and very easy to pinpoint on the stage - likewise for strings, while the stage is somewhat intimate, vocals and instruments still have an excellent degree of separation with plenty of air and again, easy to place each instrument on stage. Sub bass is very important to me, a relatively recent realisation and something I listen out for with any new set - good news is that Advar delivers well, while by no means a bass-head IEM, it has lovely sub depth, and where called for in this song, you can really get the sense of the rumble in a visceral way.

Idles - I'm Scum

Another test favourite - this can easily create problems for an IEM with too much upper register energy but also, for the percussion to sound lively and authentic, it needs decent enough bite.



The vocals here are a bit 'thin', lacking body compared to some other sets and I would say slightly pushed back from the instruments. Not a deal-breaker, but in my testing, Advar has sounded better with female vocals than male. On a positive note, the busy passages are handled well and without congestion - percussion very nicely rendered with plenty of space. Guitars are sitting inside my head, likewise vocals and with percussion spreading out left and right in a classic 'stereo' field. Imaging and staging is very precise, but again, somewhat intimate. An important note: I've heard IEMs fail miserably with this track, unable to keep up with the chaotic nature of the peak moments, and sounding incredibly harsh - not the case with Advar, in spite of decent energy up top.

Japanese Breakfast - Diving Woman

https://michellezauner.bandcamp.com/track/diving-woman

Vocals are beautifully rendered - full bodied, authentic, and again, mostly in-line with instruments. There is an overall sense of clarity for the entire track, plenty of space/air for all instruments without any sense of congestion. Timbre is fanastic across the board, everything sounding as it should to my ears. Bass, vocals, percussion are all rather central on the stage, with guitars sitting more outside in the mix.

Lambchop - The Old Gold Shoe

The first thing that struck me when I hit play on this track was the fact I've left it way too long since I've last listened to any Lambchop, it put shivers through me immediately, and I wasn't even thinking about what sounded like what, etc. So I will definitely be revisiting this album and others from Lambchop very soon!



Male vocals are again a bit thin - another where I'm finding Advar isn't quite as good with male versus female vocals. To be clear though, they are by no means bad, just somewhat thin versus what I might expect to hear. This is a busy song, quite a number of instruments at various climax moments competing on the smaller stage... strings, percussion, guitars, bass, vocals all have ample space to shine and sound wonderfully accurate in terms of timbre. With the exception of slightly thin vocals, this really does sound wonderful.

Calibre - Blink of an Eye



Moving on to drum & bass, always an interesting test due to the fast drum programming and sub bass focus. As with other genres, the presentation is quite 'in my head' for the most part, and tends to focus quite central but still with plenty of room for each component of the track. The percussion can lean slightly harsh here though, one of the first where upper energy tips slightly negative - certainly not unbearable, but I've heard better.

Banco De Gaia - 887 (Structure)



Another track, and indeed album I've neglected to listen to for a while. This is a classic electronic album from the 90's, and often ranks in some of the top electronic albums of that decade - and I fully agree, a gem from start to finish. This track in particular is a real standout for me, and epic masterpiece that unfolds over it's 14.17 duration. Instant shivers when I hear it, many happy memories over the years in various places, through various systems, and in various states of conciousness Anyway, I know it intimately well... hard to not just kick back and listen! Anyway, how does it sound? The mids sound immediately emotive and captivating - there is excellent separation to the various synths as they build and unfold over the course of the track. As noted, this tracks spans just over 14 minutes, and the percussion only makes an entry coming up on 11 minutes, with quite stunning impact as it does... Advar handles this climax very well - when the sombre synth rolls in shortly after, it could honestly bring me to tears. I can't quite say top marks here to Advar, as this track does benefit from a larger stage but otherwise, a very good job.

Bluetech - Laika



Kick drums hit with good impact and definition - synths are melodic, and very emotive, displaying very satisfying mids... sufficiently lush and captivating. Sub rumbles with good extension, and again that visceral sense that I crave from this lower register. Treble has nice sparkle with plenty of detail - not overly bright or forward, with a good overall sense of balance in the mix.

Birds ov Paradise - Amanda



A great track from a wonderful album that I've recently discovered, and had on repeat. A great sense of detail with lovely lush mids. When the kickdrum eventually drops, it hits with good impact and authority, flowing well to a nice sub extension. I find Advar really shines with tracks like this - well produced, melodic, intricate, and full of interesting layers and textures.



Conclusion

I really enjoyed my time with Advar, but as noted in the introduction - wish I had longer. I've tried many single dynamic drivers over the last couple of years, and Advar certainly ranks high. It is well balanced with excellent clarity, emotionally engaging, with good layering and separation in a somewhat intimate stage. I find the overall tuning quite visceral, often feeling the hairs standing up on my arms for various songs over the course of the week I had on loan. A beautiful looking, and very well built IEM and definitely one I need to add to my collection... again though, I just wish they would include a 4.4mm option! Overall, an excellent set and solid performer with any of my test genres.

Yanyin Moonlight... twinkle twinkle little, eh - oh, never mind...



Introduction and caveats

Yanyin have been on my radar for a while - I've read a lot of good reports on some of their previous offerings and when Moonlight was launched, the initial impressions and reviews led me to figure it would be something I might enjoy. I have experience of tribrids with the same configuration of DD, BA, and EST but at much higher price points; i.e. Traillii and X - I was very curious to hear what's possible in a $650 set, a few thousand dollars cheaper - let's just say I'm impressed, and as always in this hobby, left scratching my head as to the massive difference in price when you reach for the top tier sets up there in the stars, when maybe the moon is a sufficient journey to take.

I'd like to thank Penon Audio for providing a rewiew discount. As always, opinion on use is absolutely my own and no influence from Penon or requirement to read it before publishing. In addition, I am not a professional reviewer by any stretch of the imagination - this is my hobby, I get great enjoyment out of trying various sets and sharing my impressions on Head-Fi.

The Yanyin Moonlight is available from Penon Audio at $649 - HERE

Specifications (as per Penon website)

• Driver: 10mm Bio-diaphragm dynamic + 4 Knowles independent balanced armature + 2 Sonion electrostatic units
• Technology: 4 crossover + 4 independent tubes
• Frequency response: 5Hz-50kHz
• Impedance: 8Ω
• Sensitivity: 118dB
• Cable material: 4 strands graphene wrapped with silver-plated cable
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Connector: 2pin 0.78mm
• Plug: 3.5mm (it is also available as 4.4mm)

Unboxing and Accessories

Moonlight arrives in a white outer box which once opened, reveals the inner blue case with the earphones and accessories inside - you get:

1. Tips in large, medium, and small
2. Soft drawstring pouch
3. Airplane adapter
4. 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter
5. Large carry case

While it's absolutely fine and you have all you need, I feel they could push the boat out a bit more - DUNU is my current 'north star' when it comes to an unboxing experience and accessories, so maybe my expectations are too high - but absolutely room for improvement.



Shells

The shells are nice and small considering the driver configuration. They have a smooth finish with no hard bits sticking into my ears and can be worn for extended periods without any discomfort. As a comparison but I can't take a photo as I no longer own them, they are quite a bit smaller than MEST MKII for example.



Not as widely known (sadly, but that appears to be changing...), the Aroma Audio 'Thunder' pictured below on the left - Moonlight on the right. From memory, MEST MKII is a few notches bigger than Thunder, so that might help with context.



Case

The case as noted is quite large. It appears to be made of some sort of plastic with a zip to open and access inside.

There is a soft inner felt-like fabric with the facility to store the earphones and cable securely when not in use - always good to protect our precious investments. I feel there was a missed opportunity here to include more practical storage in a case this size, maybe a net or something to hold spare tips etc securely.



I like the metal 'Moonlight' insignia on the outside of the box, it has a premium look and feel to it and gives a sense of being a flagship product.




Listening Impressions

The bulk of my listening has been via the Shanling M9 with some also with the Lotoo P6K. Moonlight doesn't need much power at all, very easy to drive and sounds fantastic out of either - the M9 pushes extra stage and certainly drives more bass but I really enjoy on either. This is certainly not an IEM that needs a Rolls Royce engine to power, hooked up to The Large Hadron Collider to ensure every particle is sucked out...

Genres tested are wide and include: ambient, modern classical, jazz, rock, punk, house, techno, D&B, IDM, classical, reggae and hip hop - good news... Moonlight does them all. More on that later.

Oh and for burn-in believers, these have clocked up more than 100 hours at this stage.



Signature Summary

Moonlight have a wonderful relaxed, well balanced signature with no real extended emphasis on any one area. They lean somewhat warm to my ears, and have a beautiful smooth delivery. They are not bass-head, nor are they treble-head but have great balance and sound quite neutral or reference. This signature lends itself to great flexibility with basically any genre, never too much energy up top to create sibilance or harshness, and not too much down below to muddy the mids or have you skull pounding with deep sub bass. For an IEM with multiple drivers, they offer excellent coherency with nothing sounding out of place. What's really surprised me and likely means Moonlight will be with me for the longhaul is that even older recordings I own even sound excellent - often not the case with IEMs that have a particular frequency emphasis, especially in the upper mids or highs.



Lows

First of all, I appreciate 'good' bass and I've found recently that not only do I want decent sub bass extension, but I also want mid bass to kick with nice slam and authority - a lot of my music needs it, and if the IEM is lacking in this regard, I don't fully enjoy my music. In addition, sub and mid bass must have good definition in isolation and distinction between them - I dislike a mid bass kick that is overshadowed by sub bass, or indeed the reverse. With that out of the way, I can happily report that Moonlight is to my satisfaction - as noted above, it doesn't over emphasise anything but represents what I believe is the appropriate level for the recording, or thereabouts - it's difficult to say for sure of course what is the absolute intention in the recording, but I think a reasonable measure is to what it extent music I've known and loved for years is represented, not sounding like it has an extra sub-woofer hooked up. Mid bass kicks have that 'stereo' sensation where the sound is projected to both ears, resulting in a central 'thud' in my head, extending out to left and right. Sub bass reaches far enough to sound correct, but doesn't rumble through to your core. If you want bass-head, this is not the IEM for you - but to be very clear again, it has fantastic 'realistic' bass which delivers in every way for my broad library.

Mids

The mids are clear, lush, melodic, and wonderfully captivating. Instruments have ample room to play and are presented perfectly in the stage with great clarity, and indeed as a cohesive whole. There is good body to the notes, and both male and female vocals sound authentic and precise. There is no sense of congestion or bass bleed, and the overall transition across frequencies seems to complement one another incredibly well. Yet again, this balanced tuning means pretty much any genre will sound at least good, and mostly excellent. While the timbre is very good, I would not class it as spectacular - that said, where timbre is at it's absolute best, I find there is typically a trade-off somewhere else, often leading to a genre that is less suited to the earphones. With that said, anything from strings to piano, drums to synths all sound excellent and it might just be the absolute purists who want the most accurate representation of their favourite instrument(s) that might be left only very slightly at a loss here, especially if expecting a dynamic driver style of delivery.

Highs

This is where I could have run into difficulty as I have before on sets much more expensive. The issue I've found with EST treble at times is that it can present itself too forward in the mix, as such sounding incoherent and out of place. This was exactly my issue with the otherwise excellent Vision Ears EXT - a far more expensive set vs Moonlight, and ultimately the reason why I sold it - now to comment here, I've not heard too many reports of this with EXT, as such a big 'YMMV' in terms of that set. As per my preamble with the lows, I am again very happy to report that treble here is spot-on for my taste. The highs have very nice, captivating sparkle and energy - with a nice bite where necessary, but never harsh, sibilant or indeed, out of place. They allow for really nice realism of presentation for any instruments in this upper level, and what I would consider an 'optimal' level for delivery in any genre, plus squeezing out those micro details and widening the stage. Hats off to Yanyin for a wonderful delivery of ESTs, I am super impressed.

Technical

The stage to my ears has very good width and decent height and depth - I've heard larger, which doesn't necessarily mean better, it really depends on the rest of the tuning (I'm looking at you MEST MKII...) The detail retrieval is excellent - it sort of reminds of me of my now sold Sony IER-M9 in ways - that being a polite, and inoffensive tuning that is both relaxing and allows you to focus on details as necessary. The layering and imaging is fantastic, very easy to pinpoint instruments and vocals within the stage, with stunning realism of position and plenty of accurate separation. There is zero congestion, even in the busiest of tracks I've tested - always plenty of room, respectful to one another as to their position on stage. I would say 'smooth and effortless' is a good way to summarize the overall presentation, but all of the detail is there should you choose to zoom in on it, or indeed just relax and enjoy the full presentation. In addition, I would say they have that excellent ethereal and visceral quality to them, super-engaging but also incredibly relaxing. The 3 drivers work seamlessly together, with wonderful cohesion.

Test Tracks

The following are the specific tracks I chose for the purpose of the review. I of course have listened to many more over the course of the last few weeks, and had already arrived at the conclusion that Moonlight are a solid all-rounder, and could very easily be the 'one and only' if someone chose to... depends on your objectives in terms of an endgame or rabbit hole, I fall (literally) into the latter.

A good measure of my appreciation for Moonlight was actually while cycling through test tracks and taking notes. For each track, I wanted to just push my notebook away and sit back to enjoy the music! I must say also, this focus to write the review has made Moonlight go even further up in my estimations, both for it's price point and indeed how it drives home the notion of 'dimishing returns'.



Bersarin Quartett - Niemals Zuruck (electronic / modern classical)



There is an immediate sense of an eveloping atmosphere, which is absolutely captivating - a combination of soaring /swirling synths and sweeping orchestral strings. Excellent layering, easily managing multiple components and presenting comfortably across the stage. Everything sounds correct and absolutely nothing harsh or jarring. A good measure actually while listening to this track was my desire to step away and just enjoy the whole album as it sounded fantastic.

London Grammar - Wasting my Younger Years (vocals/indie/pop)



This is a track I often test and know it inside out at this stage. Hannah Reid has a stunning voice with a huge range and always a good test - coupled with often quite a few instruments, both electronic and non. The piano intro sounds beatiful, vocals then centred and I would say more in line rather than forward to the instruments. Guitar sits nicely left and right - percussion well balanced and positioned relative to vocals, piano and guitar. An effortless and very relaxed presentation, a recurring theme with Moonlight.

Nas - N.Y. State of Mind (rap/hip hop)



Percussion intro immediately stands out with authority and realism. Vocals, this time male again feel pretty much level but maybe slightly forward versus Hannah before. I love the sense of space between the vocals, percussion, and instruments - Moonlight isn't pushing any emphasis on anything, not shoving anything down your throat - pounding your head or sizzling your underpants.

Orbital - The Girl with the Sun in Her Head



I'm a fan of Orbital since the early 90's, this track and album rank among my favourite of all time and I've heard it countless times over the years. I only revisit now and then, but thought Moonlight was an opportune time to give it a spin. My FLAC recording is ripped from my original 1996 CD and I find many IEMs can be unforgiving with recordings like this - they can sound flat or lifeless at best, or even harsh and unlistenable at worst. Moonlight amazed me here I must say - it sounded to me, like I expect it should sound - I think the 'safe' tuning of Moonlight, with the wonderful balance allows tracks like this to still shine all these years later, even if not a fantastic recording. Note to self here: listen to that full album on Moonlight again very soon...

Todd Terje - Johnny and Mary - with Bryan Ferry (chilled, downtempo, vocals)



This is a fantastic cover of the original by Robert Palmer. Slower, electronic and with Bryan Ferry on vocals - beautiful, and worth a listen for any who might be curious. Anyway - the bass kicks off wonderfully with great authenticity and digs as deep as it's supposed to. Bryan's voice pretty much bang in the middle, and level with instruments. As all instruments hit the stage, it sounds smooth and uncongested, with excellent width and realism of delivery. Mids always sound to my ears warm, lush but with great clarity. The uppers are sufficiently crisp to make themselves known - cymbal hit with nice energy, albeit in a somewhat intimate and inoffensive way.

Idles - I'm Scum (punk)



This is a serious test for an IEM in my opinion. As the song progresses to a climax, it can often sound harsh and a real challenge to listen to - my last review was for the DUNU VULKAN and sad to say it failed miserably with this one - way too harsh, horrible to listen to. Moonlight has it covered - guitars, drumming, vocals... even at the most hectic and in-your-face anarchy way, it doesn't falter - yet again, it delivers what it should - this is an energetic track, so it doesn't sound smooth - but nor does it hit a brick wall. By the way, this features in an episode of Peaky Blinders for those of you who have watched it...

Keleketla - Broken Light (world music, jazz, fusion)



The drumming intro and bass kicking off this track is fantastic, proper toe-tapping stuff the minute it starts... wonderful kickdrum thuds, snares bite, and cymbals hit with yet again wonderful realism and cohesion - vocals enter again slap in the middle and in line with instruments. This is an uplifting track with a real summer vibe, I can close my eyes and imagine chlling somewhere maybe in the Caribbean - only to open them again and see I'm clearly in Ireland, with the rain beating off the windows in late July... Yet another track with a smooth, engaging, realistic delivery - another where I just want to kick back and listen.



Conclusion

As already alluded to, Moonlight could very easily be an IEM endgame that doesn't have to cost the moon and the stars - it is a solid performer for absolutely any genre, that has a captivating and engaging tuning, and not to the detriment of technicalities. It is smooth, with an effortless presentation and sounds way above it's $649 price tag - I think this would get high praise even north of $1,000, and possibly more attention too. I think the packing and accessories could do with a bit of improvement, but a small niggle really considering the performance of Moonlight.

I intend to add some comparisons, and the first up in the coming week will be the new Oriolus Szalayi - stay tuned!

DUNU VULKAN - the bar raiser...



Introduction & Caveats

I had been in contact with Tom from DUNU following the launch of the ZEN PRO - curious to hear how it differed to the OG ZEN, Tom was kind enough to arrange a tour. We stayed in touch, and Tom kept me up to speed on plans for VULKAN, and ultimately asked would I like to participate in evaluating ahead of launch. I am delighted to have been asked, and very much appreciate being included in this pre-launch review. The VULKAN was sent free of charge and as always, my thoughts are my honest evaluation from over the last few weeks of listening.

I must note also being a bit of a self-confessed DUNU fanboy - I love their branding ethos, the attention to detail, the slower release cycles, and how they engage with their customers - they are clearly a customer focused, professional brand which had led to huge respect from many loyal customers, myself now included in the last year or so since I first bought the OG ZEN.

I left VULKAN to run for well over 150 hours so certainly sufficient time on the clock for folks in the burn-in camp.

I am not a professional reviewer, this is my hobby and my passion - combining a life long love for music, electronics and photography. All of which existed in isolation, but COVID sort of joined them together! I do my best to express my impressions in a way that I hope is useful to the reader, but my technical knowledge is somewhat limited so may not be able to delve to the levels that some may seek.

The DUNU VULKAN is available directly from DUNU at $379 - HERE



Specifications

• NET WEIGHT: 17 g
• FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
• IMPEDANCE: 15  at 1 kHz
• SENSITIVITY: 109  1 dB at 1 kHz
• TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: < 0.3% at 1 kHz
• DRIVER UNITS
• DYNAMIC DRIVER UNITS [2]:
• 8 mm Cross-Linked Polyethylene Structural Foam Cell Dome
• with Soft Independent Surround [1]
• 8 mm Nanocrystalline Titanium-Coated Diaphragm [1]
• BALANCED ARMATURE UNITS [4]:
• Knowles Mid-High Driver (×2) [2]
• Knowles Dual Supertweeter (×1) [2]
• CABLE SPECIFICATIONS
• WIRE MATERIAL: 4 Core, High-Purity, Silver-Plated OCC Copper Type 1 Litz (DUW-02S)
• LENGTH: 1.2 ± 0.1 m
• CABLE CONNECTOR: Patented Catch-Hold MMCX Connector
• PLUG CONNECTOR: Patented Q-Lock PLUS Quick-Switch Modular Plug System
• INCLUDED PLUG TERMINATIONS:
  • 3.5 mm TRS Single-Ended
  • 2.5 mm TRRS Balanced
  • 4.4 mm TRRRS Balanced

Frequency Response




DUNU provided details on the dynamic drivers and a graphic visual as per below:

"The shells are aluminum alloy, CNC-milled. There's a 3D-printed structural bracket inside for the drivers. The DDs are coaxial and fit together."




Sources

I've used mostly the Shanling M9 and Sony NW-WM1A for my listening over the last few weeks, probably 90% of the time with the M9.



Unboxing & Accessories

DUNU never fail to please when it comes to unboxing and accessories. I've owned the original ZEN, SA6, ZEN PRO and now VULKAN - all of which offer a premium unboxing experience, and include a plethora of accessories to meet every IEM owners need.

The VULKAN arrives in a very similar box/presentation to ZEN and ZEN PRO.

Outer sleeve -



Inner box -



I love this touch from DUNU - a transparent paper greets with 'Designed by DUNU' upon opening the lid of the inner box. It really sets the scene for whats to come.



The upper shelf houses the VULKAN and DUW-02S (this is the same cable as supplied with the EST112)



Under the top shelf, there is are two sections: to the left the 3 x plug terminations and a case with a selection of tips.



The cardboard box to the right then contains the faux-leather case along with more tips, flight adaptor, cleaning brush, cloth, and a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter.

Design & Fit

The faceplates are made from stainless steel and CNC milled, anodized, polished, and then textured with secondary anodic oxidation. The shells are aerospace-grade aluminum, CNC-milled with black anodization.

The cable connector is MMCX and uses the DUNU patented 'catch-hold' system - I'm not quite sure what this entails but I will say it's easier to attach and detach than many other MMCX units I've tried; pops off with a bit of pressure, and closes securely with a small push.




The nozzle is rather small and wide which led to some initial fit challenges for me. I would usually choose a medium to large tip but most of my go-to choice weren't quite giving me a seal. I eventually tried the largest stock grey tips which have a somewhat bulbous shape, thse fit perfectly and very comfortable.



They are nice and sturdy and while reasonably heavy, they don't feel it once in my ears. The stainless steel faceplates are somewhat prone to fingerprints but wipe off easily.



The Cable (DUW-02S)

First of all, you get the excellent 'Q-Lock PLUS quick-switch modular cable platform' - providing flexibility to switch to your termination of choice: 2.5mm balanced, 3.5mm single, and 4.4mm balanced. I love this system and it's great to see similar solutions now available from other brands such as FiiO and qdc to name just two.



The cable itself is a 1.2m 4 Core, High-Purity, Silver-Plated OCC Copper Type 1 Litz. This is my favourite of any DUNU cables I've tried to date. I found the stock cable with both the OG ZEN and SA6 a little too thick and heavy - the ZEN PRO is an improvement, but a bit too thin and wiry, so completely the opposite. The DUW-02S sits nicely in the middle and is soft, flexible and very little in the way of microphonics. It curls up well and doesn't tangle too easily. There are nice rubber 'socks' at the MMCX termination which provide a good grip with attaching or detaching from VULKAN.



Listening Impressions

The VULKAN driver configuration is as follows:

• 1 x DD = lows
• 1 x DD = mids
• 2 x BA = upper mids
• 2 x BA = supertweeters

The DUNU VULKAN has a deep emphasized low-end with a corresponding raise in the upper registers, coupled with nice weight in the mids, presenting an overall U-shaped tuning. It has relatively strong technicalities, especially in terms of detail retrieval at this price range. Overall I would say it's more a fun listen and not for those seeking a higher-resolution experience, which can be found in DUNU's very own ZEN PRO.

Lows

My IEM journey has recently led me to the conclusion that I love sub bass - I need an IEM to dig deep for a vast amount of my music library, a deep rumble is often key to various electronic music genres, even ambient music frequently drops to the lowest registers that to fully appreciate, require strong performance down low. VULKAN absolutely delivers. If I take the track 'Fold and Arrive' by Bluetech as an example (linked to in my tracks further on)... the deep bass synths are a key component to the track, and VULKAN presents a wonderful rumble with great texture and extension - it is in no way overpowering in terms of other components of the track, but sinks deep to really capture a key element to the track.

From a mid bass perspective, it plays second fiddle to sub bass - there is reasonably good intensity and impact to mid bass, but it certainly feels it steps back where sub bass demands attention, and some might find

Mids

In a similar way to how I've found sub bass is very important, I've also found mids are important in a different way - I don't need them to be forward or dominant in the mix, I actually prefer they take a bit of a step back in a U or V shaped tuning. The nature of the frequencies in the mids I feel are well captured when a step or two back, allowing lows and highs to take a bit of focus. This is a personal preference, but important for me to note.

Male and female vocals sound wonderfully authentic in any of my test tracks. Overall, I would describe mids as lush with good clarity - centre stage for the most part is well managed, even with multiple instruments and vocals combining to a peak in the mix. The notes have nice depth and feeling, and overall I would say drive an emotional connection to the music. Coupled with low and high, there is a cohesive presentation - especially considering the mix of DDs and BAs in this hybrid.

Highs

I find the treble well extended with plenty of air and sparkle. However, it can be a bit challenging for me at times - take a busy rock song for example... screaming guitars, hectic drumming, vocals hitting higher registers all at a climatic point in a track - this can be a problem for VULKAN in my experience, but I do wonder if I have a sensitivity in that region as I experienced it also on the FiiO FH9 in the same use cases. On the flipside, this tuning sheds a light on detail in other genres and really extracts both macro and micro levels. I do know that in order to maximise detail retrieval, you need good energy up top and this seems to be what DUNU were going for - it appears to have that trade-off for some songs, at least in my experience and something people need to be aware of.

Technical

The amount of macro and micro detail on these is quite incredible - hard to believe the price point DUNU have hit considering the level of detail. I wouldn't describe the soundstage as huge, but it has good width and reasonable depth + height with a real sense of music being outside your head in a 3D spatial field. Layering, imaging/positioning is fantastic - there is excellent space for tracks with multiple instruments to all shine with plenty of space and air between them.

Tracks...

I haven't gone through a journey of tracks in a while for a review, but felt it might be useful in this context as VULKAN is completely new to the market. I must note as I always do that my listening preferences on IEMs for the most part lean toward electronic music of some variety; ambient, techno, house, D&B, downtempo, to name a few. I find increasingly that IEMs are more forgiving in general for electronic music, with some notable exceptions such as D&B which can often be a challenging test for the upper mids and highs. I have of course tested vocals, rock etc as part of this review - I listen to these genres, just more so on my home music system or in the car.

Bluetech - Fold and Arrive (Electronic - psychill)



This is a great example of a genre I listen to a lot - psychill, which is characterised by a lot of melodics synths, intricate percussion, deep bass, and playful samples and melodies. VULKAN is made for this type of music - if you are looking for a nicely detailed, melodic IEM with excellent sub bass and fantastic layering for these genres, look no further. While listening, I sit back, close my eyes and get completely lost in the music - a stunning mix of technical performance of vast details and superb musical connection. 5/5

Agnes Obel - Fuel to Fire (Female vocals)



This is a beautiful, authentic, lush presentation - the vocals sit central, but pan out left and right in the same way I hear them on significantly more expensive sets. There is wonderful depth and character to the vocals, and the accompanying piano, bass, and strings take a small step back but sit with plenty of space and layering. It's very easy to pinpoint each individual instrument on the stage, but also sounds wonderfully cohesive. The stage is mostly wide and with a very good sense of 3D rendition for the overall performance. 5/5

Destroyer - Rome (Indie rock)



Opening guitars sound realistic and well positioned. The perscussion sounds good until the snare roll off, which is leaning harsh for my ears. Vocals have good depth, and with a good central position - however, higher registers touch harsh but not quite sibilant. Piano sound life-like, lush and very realistic. 3/5

Keleketla! - International Love Affair (Jazz/World Music)



This is a fantastic example of where the VULKAN driver config and tuning really shine - the bass is wonderfully deep, with lovely airy percussion, vocals sit well in the mix with both male and female harmonies sounding very authentic. The sax and synths have plenty of space to shine, and in spite of being quite a busy track I don't get any sense of congestion or harshness. It really is a great fun listen, as is this entire album and one I'll be loading up again on VUKLAN quite soon. 5/5

London Grammar - Lord It's a Feeling



Let me start by saying I think it's hard to do this song badly - but equally, it needs at least a good performing IEM to do it justice - VULKAN certainly ticks the box, presenting both beautiful and powerful vocals, and the mid bass impact and sub bass depth sound absolutely fantastic - excellent punch to kick drums and great extension into sub bass and rumble, you can really feel it in a visceral sense. The layers of the song all sit nicely on stage, and again it's a fantastic cohesive package. 5/5

Nick Drake - Northern Sky (male vocals/folk)



This is one of my favourite songs of all time. I've even said to my wife, I would love it played at my funeral - assuming of course I go before, which tends to be the case mostly! Anyway, morbidness aside - it sounds wonderful on VULKAN: a smooth, detailed but still intimate presentation that for a song I've heard more times than I can care to try count, sounds wonderfully authentic and allows me enjoy the song in it's entirity or zoom in on the various instruments, such is the nature of the presentation on VULKAN. 5/5

Primal Scream - Come Together (indie electronic)



Yet again, wonderful positioning of instruments - excellent layering in a wide but not especially tall or deep stage. The synths, percussion, bass, guitars, and vocals all have room to shine, and very easy to pinpoint or single out each instrument in isolation. VULKAN does a fantastic job in presenting an overall authentic rendition of this classic 90s track. 5/5

Dominic Eulberg - Braunkehlchen (melodic house/deep techno)



Eulberg tends to lean towards more lush electronic tracks with lots of layering and detail. I love how he allows tracks to evolve, adding various elements as it progresses. This is a great example, a really stunning and epic piece from his latest album. VULKAN does a fantastic job presenting all of the details with lush synths and details - the kick drum hit with great intensity and has really wonderful sub bass extension, leaving the listener with absolutely no illusion as to the depths VULKAN can reach. 5/5

Idles - I'm Scum (punk/rock)



This is a tough track to test an IEM with and unfortunately, VULKAN doesn't manage to pull it off in my experience. It starts well with the drums and bass guitar rolling in with great pace and intensity, and I felt I was being prepared for a potentially sucessfull outcome - there is a clear sense of drama and urgency unfolding, and in a typical punk fashion, it hits a peak that I found VULKAN cannot handle... at around 1min 03sec, the track hits a dramatic climax where the chaotic drumming, guitars, and vocals derail VULKAN to a level of harshness that's too much for my ears. 2/5

Blinkar fran Norr - Metaphors For Things (ambient)



This is a really beautiful and moving piece of ambient music and an album I often reach for to relax after work or before bed. I listen to a lot of ambient music, and how its presented on an IEM is very important as a result. The synths sound absolutely beautiful, with spacious layering and an overall incredibly captivating sound with a large, lush presentation. 5/5

Comparisons

ZEN PRO

Considering DUNU have discontinued LUNA, ZEN PRO now represents the top spot in the DUNU range. An $899 single dynamic driver that many consider one of the best on the market. An IEM I love, and one that is tuned in a way that allows me play absolutely any genre in my library - a true all-rounder, a wonderful IEM.

Right off the bat, the stage jumps up a notch on ZEN PRO and there is an immediate and obvious feeling of a higher resolution presentation versus VULKAN. I don't find the same treble challenges as with VULKAN - on 'I'm Scum' by Idles for example, it feels like as it reaches that climax that I might be in trouble, but doesn't quite nudge me into that harsh territory... only a click or so away, but in a safe zone none the less. The cohesive nature of a single DD versus a technically competent hybrid in the shape of VULKAN means the latter has the edge in terms of absolute pinpoint imaging on the stage, there is more of a sense of specific instrument positioning versus the more complete package with ZEN PRO. ZEN PRO leans more towards mid bass than sub bass, the latter being something I'd probably appreciate a bit more of with ZEN PRO but I guess it may have been a trade off to the overall superb tuning. ZEN PRO I think overall is a more reference tuned IEM that sounds great with any genre - VULKAN again leans more fun.

P1 Max "Giant Panda"

I've been really enjoying the P1 Max recently and it is next up for a review. The presentation here is more organic and effortless, also somewhat dry in comparison - the stage and overall sense of layering and imaging takes a big step back versus VULKAN. The upper frequencies are more tame, and less chance of challenge on some of the tracks or genres I mentioned previously. P1 Max is a 'safer' and more forgiving overall performer, but not at the level of VULKAN in terms of where it excels broadly speaking - VULKAN digs deeper on sub bass, and has a more detailed presentation, and overall much more lively and exciting to listen to.

Conclusion

VULKAN is a fantastic IEM and really raises the bar in terms of the technical performance at this price point. For vocals, acoustic, chilled jazz, instrumentals, and most electronic genres - these are absolutely fantastic and come with a massive recommendation for those seeking an IEM with a good size stage, great cohesion, deep sub bass, crisp treble and an overall great fun in-ear monitor.

I'm very excited to hear feedback from the early adopters of VULKAN, especially those who own hybrids in a similar price range and above, I really think VULKAN will be punching quite a bit above it's price tag.

I would like to thank @DUNU-Topsound again for giving me the opportunity to test VULKAN ahead of launch, it has been quite a privilege.

Aroma Audio Thunder... the Goldilocks of IEMs

Introduction

I have to open this review by saying I am shocked, horrified, and dismayed that there are no reviews already for Thunder - this is an absolute disgrace! - tongue in cheek, but only sort of. I have bought and tried many IEMs over the last couple of years and I can say with certainty that Thunder represents the best all-rounder I have heard, beating even Traillii or X when it comes to playing absolutely everything in my library with ease - in addition, it is one of the most comfortable; an IEM I can wear for several hours with zero discomfort, the shells sit perfectly in my ears and are incredibly light and smooth to the touch.

The Aroma Audio brand was first brought to my attention by @Xinlisupreme around July 2021. He had bought 'Witch Girl 6.2' directly from Aroma, and his positive reaction to that led him to Thunder a few weeks later - he more or less insisted I buy it, but there were some others in the queue at the time! Thankfully I finally got there, and thank you @Xinlisupreme once again for your strong recommendation.

As a slight downside, it is also the first IEM I've experienced driver flex with. I experience a 'pop' sound on insertion in both ears, very brief but certainly audible. I've read about this before and wondered what it entailed - now I know. I reached out to Aroma and they were very quick to respond, explaining that the pressure/vacuum effect on insertion can create movement in the diaphragm which makes a brief popping sound. Not an issue, but worth being aware of. Oh and I must note also, Aroma are incredibly responsive to any questions - I love when a manufacturer is happy to engage with their end users.

Moving on to caveats. I bought Thunder as I buy most things from @MusicTeck and Andrew kindly provided a discount in exchange for my impressions, these are my honest thoughts and in no way influenced by the discount - I have more than enough $$$ investment in these! As I always note in my reviews - I am not a professional reviewer, it's my hobby and my passion - I enjoy exploring new IEMs across the price spectrum and sharing my impressions with the community. I lack the technical skills to go deep on some components, but do my best to convey what I hear in a way that I hope is useful.

While I've already noted my surprise at there being absolutely no English reviews as yet for Thunder, I'm proud also to put 'pen to paper' as the first on Head-Fi - an utterly incredibe IEM, that I guess is somewhat overshadowed by the big brother/sister 'Jewel' which is gaining a great following as arguably one of the best IEMs in the world - hardly a day seems to go by now without someone else announcing they've taken the plunge with Jewel.

Thunder is available HERE from @MusicTeck and at the time of print with a selling price of $2,560



Specifications

Configuration: 10 x Balanced Armature / 1 x Dynamic Driver
Sensitivity: 108dB SPL/mW
Impedance: 17Ohm(1kHz)
Frequency: 10-22kHz
Cable: OCC 1.2m 3.5mm (note: you can specify 4.4mm on ordering from Musicteck)

The driver configuration is as follows:

• Ultra-high frequency: 2 x BA
• Medium / high frequency: 4 x BA
• Medium and low frequency: 4 x BA
• Low Frequency: 1 x DD

Sources

The vast majority of my listening has been with the wonderful Shanling M9, a flagship DAP that I feel has been overshadowed by other recent flagship DAPs to hit the market, making it a bit of an underdog... but I've already spoken about that in my M9 review, and won't derail this narrative! I have also used to a lesser extent the Sony NW-WM1A and L&P W2.





Unboxing and Accessories

Thunder arrives in an unassuming vacuum packed plastic packet with the wooden box inside. I must say, this set my pulse racing with anticipation, being a sucker for anything that arrives in a wooden box. Upon removing the plastic, heart pounding and ready to dig in, I encountered an unexpected problem: after sliding open the wooden box, there is another metal case which obviously contains Thunder - what's the problem with this I hear you say? - well, let me tell you, it took me about 5 minutes to figure out how the heck to open the box! Eventually, after pushing/pulling/yelling/sweating, I figured out that you need to slide it in one direction, and voila, you are presented with the goods - I guess as my Grandmother used to say, "all good things come to those who wait"....







In the box...

Nothing extravagant once under the hood - you get the basics and all presented nicely in a beautiful wooden box (I did mention I'm a sucker for wooden boxes...)

• Metal case, arguably not fit for purpose as its a nightmare to open and close as noted previously
• Small selection of tips: small, medium, large of a silicone type standard stock tip

Design and Fit

Thunder are a relatively compact shell considering the driver configuration. They are on the smaller side of multi-driver IEMs I've owned and as noted previously, incredibly comfortable. Upon insertion, I really can hardly feel them in my ears - I think this is key to a 'great' IEM experience as it allows extended listening sessions, when balanced with a tuning that complements, which that box is absolutely ticked here too. The shells are very light and while I don't know what the material is, I'm guessing some sort of resin which has a lovely smooth, soft touch.

There are two tuning modes which you adjust by moving the switch in or out (where the blue arrow is pointing in the below picture), out for harmony and in for focus.

1. Harmony - bigger stage, more airy and detailed (I prefer this mode and the default choice for my listening)
2. Focus - narrows to a more 'focused' presentation, enhancing bass and reducing the sense of space (I've not really used this yet...)

Thunder appears to be available in Red or Blue - I don't see an option to choose when ordering and I was a bit torn anyway on what colour and left it as a surprise...





The Cable

I've mixed feelings about the cable - on the one hand, it is very light and not too much in the way of microphonics - on the other hand, it tangles very easily and is quite wiry. I suspect many people will change to their cable of choice or hunt down something else but the stock is absolutely fine if you don't have anything else.

Thunder appears to ship with a 3.5mm jack but I sent a note to both Musicteck and Aroma to request a 4.4mm jack which there was no problem in facilitating.



Listening Impressions

I listen to a very broad selection of genres. To put that into perspective, it can be anything from Supertramp to Orbital... Brian Eno to Aphex Twin - and all in between. Thunder can play any genre, and sound excellent - ambient, rock, techno, classical, jazz, pop... you name it, Thunder will embrace it, and do it with aplomb.



In summary, this is an IEM with an exciting, but refined tuning - it leans slightly warm and while technically capable, I would say it's emphasis is more musical engagement. It has a good size, expansive 3D soundstage with excellent imaging and layering. There is a fantastic sense of air on the stage, leaving everything plenty of room to breathe, but cohesive in delivery. It is very responsive to the music its playing: lively and energetic music will be presented with an exciting delivery - chilled ambient and you've got a nice relaxed, smooth outcome. As noted in the intro, this is an IEM that is a real Goldilocks, i.e. everything is 'just right' - never offensive.

Bass

The name possibly suggests a bass-head IEM, I would say it is not - no slouch however in this department, but I wouldn't consider it skull-crushing or IER-Z1R levels. Mid bass slams with good authority and impact, and digs nice and deep into the sub realms - I'm very satisfied with the balance of the two, this is something I've been paying closer attention to of late, I need a good mix of sub and mid bass - if lacking in the former in particular, its probably not for me. There is no bleed of the lows into mids either, I guess due to the specific dynamic driver handling these frequencies. So again, while not a bass-head IEM, I'd be surprised if the amount of bass disappointed anyone.

Mids

There is fantastic clarity and resolution in the mids with excellent sense of space. Busy passages with various instruments competing are handled without any issue, allowing everything to be heard if you like in isolation as you shift your listening focus, or as the full package. Both female and male vocals have excellent body and depth with an accurate representation typically sitting more centrally. There is an overall captivating, lush appeal to the mids, but not at the expense of clarity or detail.

Treble

As much as Thunder isn't a bass-head IEM, nor is it one for high-energy treble seekers. Treble is nice and sparkly, reaches sufficiently high for my taste and general library - never touching on harsh or sibilant, but enough energy there to retrieve details up top. It doesn't have the same zing as say Z1R or EST implementations in the likes of Traillii or X, both of which have a super ethereal sensation due to this configuration and tuning.

Technicalities

The stage is a very good sized oval shape that extends a good distance in every direction, giving a distinct outside your head experience. The sense of instrument positioning is superb, with locations very easy to pinpoint in that wonderful holographic stage with a nice mix of air, clarity, and relatively lush delivery, and importantly, very cohesive in the overall presentation.

Comparison Test Tracks (there are a few so for the sake of space, hidden in a spoiler)



Comparisons... (I might add more and expand on current over time)

Oriolus Traillii



The key difference I hear when I switch to the bird is a significant increase in definition and soundstage - this shouldn't come as a suprise really, Traillii is known for her technical and tuning finesse prowess and not many IEMs can beat it, some may argue none do (subjective, YMMV etc!). The drop in bass however is evident, especially mid bass impact but sub doesn't dig as deep either as Thunder. I am a big fan of the EST treble on Traillii, beautifully implemented and incredibly visceral. Going back to technical, the sense of imaging and layering on the massive stage is several steps above Thunder - but this is to be expected, and not really a fair fight... Jewel a better contender to step in the ring with Traillii, and a battle I certainly plan at some point. While Traillii is well capable of dealing with any genre, I don't consider it an all-rounder in the way I do Thunder - mostly due to the lack of a DD. I need my DD bass for genres like techno for example, it's impossible to replicate a pounding kick drum with the same level of authority with a BA, they just don't satisfy me in the same way.

Sony IER-Z1R

Most will know the Z1R is considered class-leading when it comes to bass and that is indeed immediately evident here - both sub and mid bass are nothing short of spectacular and without question beat Thunder. It has in general a more 'precise' razor-sharp sound to Thunder, and with a V-shaped tuning, the mids take a step back with bass and treble jumping forward. The Z1R stage is somewhat smaller, certainly not extending to the same height or depth and as a result, the sense of layering and imaging drops a bit back versus Thunder. As mentioned, the treble extends further on Z1R, and sounds almost bright in comparison upon switching - I do enjoy that extra bite up top, but longer sessions can definitely result in fatigue and some music can lean harsh occassionaly. I would class Thunder as having 'safer' tuning than Z1R which maybe has a bolder personality, and not one that everyone will get along with. In addition, there is the Z1R elephant in the room: the fit - for some they don't fit at all, for others they do but need to keep pretty still, and an even smaller group appear to be able to move about with them. I see Z1R as a more risky buy, Thunder a much easier recommendation.

Elysian X

Back up with the big boys here when X rolls in - an IEM that costs around $2k more than Thunder so again probably not a fair fight, but let's hop in anyway and see how we go.

I tested 'Time to Breathe' first by Calibre - this is a nice melodic D&B track with a lot of lush synths, complex/fast drum programming and supporting vocals. X sounds utterly fantastic with music like this, well able to present every single element with superb authority and absolutely wonderful bass and treble - like Traillii, there is this really captivating ethereal signature that just lures me in every time. The stage is a lot bigger on X, with more detail retrieval and a greater sense of layering and imaging.

Like the Z1R though, we have more of a V-shape tuning on X and as a result, mids are not a strong point - I would not feel inclined to reach for X if choosing a more vocal centric album such as the Kevin Morby or Julia Jacklin tracks I posted above. Kevin's voice sounds thin and too far back on X versus Thunder, likewise Julia Jacklin - Thunder much more vibrant mids and vocals more lush, central and forward. In addition, X demands a lot more power - I need to crank up the volume by almost double that of what's needed on Thunder, so a powerful source is needed.

Conclusion

Thunder has become my benchmark IEM as an absolute all-rounder, capable of playing any genre in any listening scenario and doing a wonderful job. Coupled with excellent comfort, it as the potential to be a 'one and done' IEM that could satisfy a music lover with a broad music library for years to come. I've tried many IEMs over the last couple of years, and quite a few have been sold on - out of what's remaining, Thunder absolutely occupies 3rd place in the collection, and that is very high praise. Highly recommended.

BQEYZ 'Autumn'

Caveats

BQEYZ reached out and asked if I would like to try 'Autumn' in exchange for a review. Being a big fan of single dynamic drivers, and always curious to hear various types of tuning, I naturally said yes. As always, my impressions are my own, and no influence from the brand on the content. This is my hobby, I'm not a professional reviewer - just enjoy sharing my journey with the community. Thank you for the opportunity BQEYZ.

The BQEYZ is available from a number of dealers to include: LINSOUL, HifiGo, and Penon Audio and at a retail price of $199 at time of this review.

Introduction

I've experimented with quite a number of IEMs over the last couple of years, and have quite a soft spot for single dynamic drivers. I took a bit of a break recently while focusing on various hybrids, but Autumn has rekindled my interest in the humble single driver. Single DDs in my collection/once owned include:

• DUNU ZEN
• DUNU ZEN PRO
• Sennheiser IE900
• BLON-03
• CCA CRA
• FAudio Dark Sky
• FiiO FD7
• Oriolus Isabellae

I left Autumn run for about 100 hours when it arrived - I actually had COVID at the time so it wasn't a great time to become acquainted with a new IEM, and easy to leave running on my trusty ZX300.

My listening has been split between the Shanling M9 and Sony NW-WM1A... the former mostly at home, the latter while out and about - Autumn has now accompanied me on many KMs of walking over the last few weeks. I didn't use the stock tips as I always reach for one of my preferred 3rd party tips, in this case I went with the AET07 which I've been using for the entire time.



Specification

• Model: 13mm dynamic driver
• Impedance: 46Ω
• Sensitivity: 110dB
• Frequency response: 7-40kHz
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Cable connector: 2pin 0.78mm
• Plug: 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm

Unboxing & Contents

Autumn arrives in a nicely presented and compact box with all of the necessary basics:

• Earphones
• Detachable 2-pin cable (choices of 2.5, 3.5, and 4.4mm upon ordering)
• Selection of tips
• Cleaning brush
• 3 x magnetic tuning filters: bass / normal / treble
• Magnetic tuning pole (for changing the filters)
• Plastic carry case (I think this could be tweaked to a somewhat more expensive look and feel)

I opted for the 4.4mm which is my default now always. Point to note actually, Autumn is available also in purple, which I now regret not opting for as it looks fantastic... Blue does too, but purple is quite striking based on the marketing images I've seen.

The shells are a metal build, but incredibly light and sit comfortably in my ears. Isolation isn't fantastic, even at higher volumes, I can still hear some of my surroundings but only louder noises - as noted, I have walked quite a lot with these plugged in, and even the noise of traffic around me hasn't bothered me too much, but worth noting if you are after a set that blocks out everything.

The cable is a silver/copper mix and feels nice and premium as well as looking quite smart. It is soft and wraps up very nicely without any tangling. There are some microphonics with more vigorous movements, but minimal and shouldn't be an issue in typical everyday use.



Tuning Filters

This is a really clever system and much easier to use compared to others I've tried. You get a small tray, with the various tuning filters which are magnetic - the supplied tuning wand, plucks the filter off the tray, and you then pop it in to the IEM shells - it really is that simple, and only takes a few seconds. Very clever idea and great execution.



Listening Impressions

In a nutshell, Autumn has very much driven home the whole notion of 'diminishing returns' for me once more. For under $200, you get a very capable IEM that has an instantly likeable tuning. The 13mm drivers produce a cohesive, robust listening experience in a good size stage. The sound is never offensive; a relaxed and polite signature that is well balanced. The tuning lends itself to any genre I've tested, making a good case for an all-purpose IEM coupled with the excellent comfort.

Test tracks include:

1. Julia Jacklin - Body
2. Jacques Greene - Do it Without You
3. Bluetech - Nightvale
4. Calibre - Time to Breathe
5. Bonobo - Black Sands
6. Cut Copy - Need you Know
7. Washed Out - Time to Walk Away
8. Men I Trust - Tailwhip (album V)

Bass

Autumn comes out of the box with the 'normal' filters attached. I found the bass somewhat lacking using this filter while listening for the first week or so, ultimately switching to the 'bass' filter - this added some extra depth that I felt was missing, but without any negative impact to the overall tuning. There is a nice balance of sub and mid bass, but certainly not 'bass head' levels. I find the mid bass kick more than satisfactory, with good overall presence and texture. Sub bass has decent rumble, and they are well separated in presentation. As mentioned, certainly not skull-shaking bass levels, but I would say most would be satisfied.

Mids

The mids are clear and detailed, and presented in an ever so slightly recessed fashion. Both vocals and instruments sound smooth and natural, with realistic timbre. I find both male and female vocals sound authentic, and sit quite central in my head. There is a nice sense of width and overall space within the mids, and with busier tracks, there is no conjestion or inability to keep up with fast or complex passages.

Treble

The treble has good reach, without any fatigue or harshness - I didn't experience any dreaded 'sibilance' in any of my listening sessions, to include those with higher pitched female vocals or the upper registers of various instruments. As per the mids, there is a good natural sound to the treble, and complements the bass well. It doesn't quite hit a level that might be deemed in a 'sparkle' zone - so as much as these aren't a 'bass-head' IEM, nor are they a 'treble-head'...

Technicalities

When listening to Autumn, it is obvious I'm listening to a single dynamic driver - by that I mean, it is a cohesive presentation and instruments sit very comfortably beside each other, with a great sense of imaging within the entire package. With hybrids, tribrids, etc - one can at times pinpoint an instrument by way of the driver and this can sometimes take a hit on it's cohesiveness. I've never found this to be an issue with DDs, the trade off though in my experience is that you rarely get a massive stage or that vast holographic presentation on offer from some multi-driver configurations - I really appreciate listening to a cohesive presentation, and will quickly eliminate an IEM from my collection if it's not ticking that box... with that in mind, a good old single DD is typically a reliable option.

I would describe the stage as a good width, mostly an 'in your head' presentation with more width than height or depth. As noted already, you don't typically get a incredibly large stage with single DDs and I find Autumn absolutely more than acceptable considering the single driver. Hard to articulate, but imagine a diamond shape on it's side (I'm sure a shape of this nature has a name?!), the east and west points extending with reasonable width, relative to the north and south.

Taking timbre in it's very literal sense, Autumn does a wonderful job all around - sounds sound as they should sound! - now of course some other IEMs really excel, the FAudio Dark Sky ($1,200 single DD) for example is spectacular with instruments such as bass or sax, the Isabellae ($599) very hard to beat when it comes to acoustics and vocals - but these are both a lot more expensive IEMs, and bring with them some evident extra refinement. Vocals, strings, percussion, electronic instruments etc all have a nice authenticity with good note weight and everything to my ears is absolutely acceptable.

Conclusion

I have really enjoyed listening to Autumn over the last few weeks, and getting a feel for the quality available for less than $200. I can't say it beats the other single DDs in my collection, that would be crazy considering the price difference but certainly an incredibly competent, natural sounding, and easy to like IEM that performs well with any genre I've tested. On the flip side, that may not suit folks looking for a more exciting tuning.

It has made me curious as to what else can compete in this price region, and I'll definitely be further exploring - Autumn now the benchmark for me to test against in terms of a sub $200 single DD.

Thanks again to @Rosinni from BQEYZ for sending me a review unit, it has been a pleasure!

Shanling M9 - The Music Sounds Better with You...

Introduction

I mentioned in a previous review that I worked in the consumer electronics industry for many years - initially in retail back in the 1990's, and ultimately working directly for various brands in the 2000's. This included a period of importing consumer electronics from around the world for distribution in the UK and Ireland. I introduced a number of DAPs to these markets in the early 2000's to include Rio, MPIO, iAudio, and FiiO. I say this not as a 'CV', but to express my lifelong passion for electronics, going right back to my first Walkman in the late 80's. Unfortunately I no longer work in the industry, but can thankfully keep up the love through this hobby and community.

There are a few portable audio devices that have seriously impressed me for various reasons over the decades, and these include:

1. Panasonic RQ-S15: beautiful slimline metal body cassette player from around 1994
2. Rio Karma DAP: one of the first DAPs to enter the market around 2003, owned by Denon & Marantz
3. iAudio X5: another DAP to hit the market in the 2000's, and one of the first with a colour screen/video playback
4. Sony NW-WM1A: doesn't need much of an introduction, love it or not, safe to say now a classic and still used by many 5 years later. A keeper in my collection, and still use almost every day

It's probably no surprise where I'm going with this - the Shanling M9 is now part of this list, and has become my personal benchmark for a DAP in the 2nd decade of the 21st century!

My DAP journey in recent times has included:

1. FiiO X3
2. Sony NW-ZX300 / ZX507 / NW-WM1A
3. Cayin N6-Tii (R01 and E02 modules)

Disclaimer
I would like to note that I purchased this device at a discount from @MusicTeck in exchange for my impressions - there is no expectation for a positive review, just my honest impressions after almost 6 weeks of use. The Shanling M9 is available from MusicTeck HERE - current RRP at time of publishing this review is $2,799.

I am not a professional reviewer, but enjoy trying out new equipment as part of the hobby, and sharing my thoughts with the community. Also, I am certainly not technically proficient when it comes to some of the deeper details, but will share as best as I can. This is my first review of a DAP, and hopefully not my last. I hope it is useful, and happy to try answer any questions, so please feel free to leave comments below.

Shanling Overview - From the Shanling 'About Us'

Founded in 1988, Shanling began to develop audio products and launched their first Hi-Fi stereo amplifier in the same year.

Shanling has launched new products every year since then and has obtained a series of patented technology qualifications, such as SONY LDAC, Bluetooth BQB, Japanese Audio Association Hi-Res, Microsoft's HDCD, Dolby Laboratories' Dolby Digital, DTS and DVD, SACD, CD patent licenses and many more.

For over 30 years, Shanling’s employees kept integrity, innovation, team spirit and hard work in mind. There is no doubt that our employees are our treasure and that without them, we would never get to the Shanling of today. We believe customer’s satisfaction and quality of products are the highest priorities, the realization of user’s dream and sharing profit with our partners are our development power.

Today, main offices of Shanling are located in Shenzhen and factory is in Dongguang. Shanling is a high-tech company combining R&D, production, processing and sales of products, including Hi-Res portable music players, portable amplifiers, Hi-Fi headphones, SACD/CD players, Hi-Fi amplifiers, power conditioners and many other Hi-Fi products. We have established close relationship with many international top hi-end manufacturers and enjoy a good reputation in the industry.

Click to expand...

Specifications

• Dimensions – 152 x 82 x 22 mm
• Weight – 409g
• Main Screen – 6-Inch 2160 * 1080 LCD with notch
• Secondary screen – Two color low power screen in the notch
• Operating System – Android 10
• CPU – Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
• Memory – Ram 8GB, ROM 256GB + Micro SD card slot
• Hi-Res support – 32/768 & DSD512 & MQA 16X
• Bluetooth – Bluetooth 5.0, two-way, LDAC, LHDC, aptX HD, aptX, SBC Support
• Wi-Fi – 2.4G/5G, supporting DLNA, Airplay
• DAC – 2x AKM AK4499EQ
• Amplifier – AD4610 & BUF364A & OPA1612
• Output Power – Single-ended 460 mW@32Ohm // 920mW@32Ohm Balanced
• Output – Interchangeable system, supporting 3.5mm, 2.5mm, 4.4mm and 3.5Pro
• Battery – 8350 mAh, supporting 18W quick charging
• Battery life – Up to 18 hours in single ended and 10 hours in balanced

Unboxing

I know this is a brief experience, as once the new toy is taken out, the box then typically is set aside and not used again, unless of course being sold. For me though, it is an important element of my purchase - I love a good unboxing, it often sets the scene for the overall experience, and helps in justifying the cost of whatever the item is! There's not a whole lot really a DAP can come with, bar a few essentials - all pretty much counted for here, though I would like to have seen a screen cloth included - certainly needed to keep the screen all shiny, an OCD for me and thankfully I always have several knocking about the house, never far from reach...

Anyway, The M9 didn't disappoint. The outer sleeve of the box is somewhat minimal in styling, with the M9 branding sitting in the centre.




After sliding off the outer lid, you are greeted with a beautiful wooden box, very much like what an expensive item of jewellery might arrive in. The chances of actually using it again after you take out the M9 are rather slim, but it makes for an impressive and lasting first impression.




Inside, there is a simple presentation with the M9 and a leather case with the interchangeable sockets for the various size jacks.




The small leather case houses the various interchangeable sockets, giving flexibility for any connection: 2.5mm, 3.5mm/Pro, and 4.4mm. The larger 'dial' to the right in the picture below, is the dummy socket.




Finally, there is a sleeve with a spare screen protector (the unit ships with one on thankfully), warranty card, instructions, and USB cable.




The Device

This really is a beautiful machine - the single piece of aluminium looks and feels fantastic. The contoured lines on the side of the device give an incredibly premium look and finish, befitting of a flagship DAP - once in your hand, you know you've bought a high-end device.

On the left side of the unit, there is a simple 3 button array with the basic functions for play/pause, skip forward and skip back. The interchangeable port sits to the top left of the unit.

The screen is slightly raised, this looks stunning but certainly means not only is the screen protector essential, but important to keep protected in a case - it's a shame the supplied leather case isn't really practical as it rests against the volume wheel, which would cause concern for potential damage in the long run. There aren't many 3rd party cases available as yet, I picked up a clear plastic case on Ali Express which was about $40 and does a great job - but I would gladly pay a lot more if a brand like Dignis were to show up with an option.




I love the small screen that sits above and independent to the main screen area. This is like an old Casio digital watch display; and cycles between the time, volume, and sample rate of the track - these are visible even when the main screen is off. A quirky, and useful feature.



The M9 comes out of the box with a screen protector already fitted - I was thrilled to see this, as I hate putting them on and typically make a mess: elusive bubbles, one annyong corner that refuses to stick etc! I will say though, the screen protector marks easily, and I suspect I will have to change it at some point in the coming months. Apparently one of the iPhone screen protectors is the same size, but I have yet to determine which one (any readers who know, I'd appreciate the answer in the comments!) - it would certainly be easier than picking one up via Ali Express, and paying a premium for a specific one.

The volume wheel sits to the right side of the device, and is easy to use in terms of reaching out to turn the volume up and down. I prefer having a wheel like this instead of buttons - very easy in the dark to simply feel where the wheel is, and adjust the volume accordingly, as is often the case when I'm listening in bed, with the M9 on my bedside locker.



On the bottom of M9, there is the USB port and microSD slot. The rubber cover pops open when pressure is applied on the right side, revealing the microSD slot underneath.




The rear of the unit continues the theme of slick, and top tier finish - again, giving a real sense of premium design with the Shanling logo positioned toward the top middle of the unit.




Size

As noted, it is a big device and not likely to be taken out for a stroll or on the bus to work, unless you've big pockets. I have yet to do so, but I would certainly take it in my hand baggage when on a flight on holidays or work travel... it's not a DAP I could leave at home for a few days, as I would definitely miss it too much.

For comparison, the M9 on the left beside a Samsung S20 and iPhone 7.



The trend does appear to be larger sizes with these higher-end DAPs in 2022. I don't believe they are designed for the most part to be taken out and about.

The interchangeable sockets can be detached, and attached in a matter of seconds - a seamless process. I would probably prefer to have a fixed 3.5mm and 4.4mm, as they are the only two I use - of which I would estimate 95% of my time is 4.4mm but there are some earphones knocking about in my collection that are 3.5mm, namely a few buds and it's a bit annoying to have to switch the socket to accomodate for that 5%, but a minor niggle in the scheme of things - and on the flipside, just one connection does leave a nicer finish on the top of the unit.

Functionality

The M9 is an absolute pleasure to navigate. It has a large 6 inch 2K screen which for middle aged eyes like mine, is simply divine when moving through apps such as Poweramp or Tidal - scrolling through my albums, searching, and general use all at lightning speed. I've uploaded a short video below to demonstrate as seeing is believing in this case - I scroll through some folders on PowerAmp, and then navigate to Tidal and finally some basic settings on the device. As is clear in this video, the UI is super slick, super fast, and a joy to use. I would say it's on-par with any modern smartphone, and a breath of fresh air coming from the comparitively sluggish N6ii-Ti or ZX507 (as two Android devices I've owned). The screen is beautiful, and really shows off album cover art wonderfully.

Worth noting, the microSD loaded in the M9 is 1TB which could be a bit of challenge to navigate on a slower DAP, particulary loading album art etc.



Battery

I'm only using via balanced and seem to get around the advertised 10 hours on a full charge. This of course reduces when the screen is on for longer periods - easy to do when such a beautiful interface to engage with!

Initial 'Bugs'

I noted in the 'cons' at the start how there were some software bugs with the M9 in the beginning. I bought mine at the tail end of this, and thankfully a firmware update arrived within a couple of days so I didn't personally experience any real issues. From what I understand though, it was mostly a problem with Tidal where there was a need to download an older version for it to function properly. This naturally caused frustration for early adopters, it is a lot of cash to spend on a high-end device and be unable to use the latest version of your favourite streaming service. It seems Shanling managed to resolve these issues, and if the dedicated thread on Head-Fi is anything to go by, people must be happy now as there are no complaints recently.

The Music Sounds Better with You...

I often associate items with songs - words of a song pop into my head when going about my day, random connections to various moments in life. When the Shanling M9 first arrived, and I was getting to know it with various IEMs, the Stardust song 'The Music Sounds Better with You' popped into my head - the music certainly does sound better with the M9. I am an IEM only guy for the moment, but that might change - not sure I'm ready for a new rabbit hole, let alone my wallet.



IEMs enjoyed with the M9 over the last 6 weeks include:

1. Oriolus Traillii
2. Vision Ears EXT
3. Aroma Audio Thunder
4. Sony IER-Z1R
5. DUNU ZEN PRO
6. Sennheiser IE900
7. QDC Dmagic 3D
8. BQEYZ Autumn
9. 7hz Timeless

The M9 is my first top tier DAP. I noted previously those I've had in the collection, which included the Sony NW-WM1A and Cayin N6ii-Ti at the higher end. The M9 is a massive step up on both.

This limited edition M9 ships with dual AKM AK4499EQ DACs. Apparently there are only 500 in total due to this chip no longer being available following the fire in the factory. It doesn't seem to be clear yet what will be used in the next iteration of the M9.

Overall, I would describe the sound to be very natural sounding, with an analogue-like profile. The soundstage, layering, and imaging is a significant step-up in all of my IEMs versus previous DAPs I've owned. While the signature overall is very musical, it is certainly not lacking in the technical department, and will really emphasize both in capable IEMs. The bass digs deep in sub, and packs a solid punch in the mid bass - the IE900 for example has really scaled beyond anything I had heard it before - I would say that's a bit of a theme with the M9: anything with a dynamic driver, be it a single DD or as part of hybrid, has fantastic synergy with the M9. Even the comparitively low-cost 'Autumn' from BQEYZ punches way above it's $199 price tag when connected to the M9 - to be fair, it does anyway, but M9 just seems to elevate anything to far beyond what I've already heard.



The latest addition to my collection is the Aroma Audio 'Thunder' - a 1 x DD / 10 BA hybrid and an IEM that has honestly had me question my entire collection recently, especially paired with the M9 - I could probably (but won't!) retire from the hobby with this pairing - incredible synergy with some of the best bass I've heard in this hobby, not to mention the wonderful clear mids and very pleasing treble. I've already called Thunder my 'goldilocks IEM' in that it delivers a tuning in combination with the M9 that I consider 'just right' in every regard. Anyway, Thunder will be the subject of a full review in a few weeks.




As with IEMs, I prefer my sound to lean more musical than technical and that was a key decision for me when buying the M9. As noted though, the M9 strikes an excellent balance of both musical and technical, with superb clarity across a well balanced and large soundstage. It has really driven home for me the importance of a source, and the potential it provides to really maximise investments in IEMs. That's not to say my lower cost DAPs are redundant, I'm still using the NW-WM1A pretty much daily as a player when out walking - but I do of course notice the SQ improvements on the M9.

Conclusion

I feel the M9 has been a bit of an underdog due to the early software bugs - it likely reduced confidence in forking out that amount of cash on a premium device. I do hope more people get to experience what for me has quite literally been a landmark moment in my audio journey. I consider the M9 to be pretty much flawless: spectacular sound, super fast, easy to navigate, beautiful screen - it has become like a home media centre for me that I take around the house. It will be interesting to see where top tier DAPs like this go from here - they can of course and hopefully will improve on battery life, and I would like a complementary DAP that sounds like the M9 but half the size for out and about... oh and I'd probably appreciate a 2nd microSD slot to crank the capacity up to 2TB.

Quite clearly, it comes with my highest recommendation and is an absolute solid 5/5 rating.

Unique Melody 'MEXT'




Caveats: I purchased the UM MEXT at a reduced price which was offered by MusicTeck in late January. I am not a professional reviewer, this is my hobby and I enjoy extending that to trying out various IEMs, and attempting to share my thoughts with the community.

I would like to thank Andrew for the opportunity and the fantastic service as always, a pleasure to deal with. MEXT is available from MusicTeck HERE @ $1,099 (at time of publication...)

Unboxing and Packaging

MEXT arrives in the exact same packaging as MEST MKII. Compact and well presented, with a jewellery-box style finish. I like the simplicity of it, it looks and feels premium - when you open the lid, you are greeted with the UM branded Dignis case with the MEXT inside. A separate tray slides out underneath, revealing a nice selection of essential accessories.



Inside the box:

1. MEXT with PW Audio Cable
2. SednaEarfit Xelastec Tips: S / M / L
3. Stock silicone tips: S / M / L
4. Cable leather storage clip
5. Dignis Leather Case
6. Cleaning Cloth
7. Warranty Card

Specifications:

• Headphone Type: Coil Bone Conduction + Dynamic +Balance Armature
• Air Conduction Frequency Bandwidth: 20Hz-23kHz
• Vibration Conduction Frequency Bandwidth: 200Hz-7kHz
• Sensitivity of Air Conduction: 108dB @1kHz
• Sensitivity of Vibration Conduction: @1kHz 5m·N | Peak @400Hz 79m·N
• Crossover: 4-way Crossover
• Driver Counts: 6 Drivers
• Impedance: 16Ω
• Configuration:1 Coil OBC Driver + 1 Bass Dynamic Driver + 2 Mids BA Drivers + 2 Treble BA Drivers

Sources Used

Most listening has been with my Cayin N6ii-Ti, using the R01 module. Also the L&P W2, and Sony NW-WM1A. My experience has been that they all more than adequately drive MEXT, but I’d choose R01 for the best synergy in pushing the throttle furthest to the floor, unlocking most detail, stage and delivering that wonderful bass. I tried also with the Sony ZX507 and it wasn’t a good match in my experience, the ZX507 just too warm and MEXT lacked detail and stage.

I tried numerous tips with MEXT, and at first was having difficulty with fit. This was causing discomfort, and some pain after longer sessions - to the point where I had actually decided to sell MEXT once finished with this review. I decided to test some more tips, and remembered a similar issue I had with Traillii last year - the solution being dropping down a size. The first few smaller tips didn't work either with MEXT, and when all my hope was almost gone, I reached for a medium Spiral Dot++ in a very last attempt to solve... the dots were my saviour - still very slight discomfort after long sessions, but they have resolved sufficiently for me to thankfully hold on and enjoy these wonderful IEMs, that have filled yet another gap in my collection, I previously didn't really know existed.



Lets talk about MEXT, baby...

I want to start by rewinding back to March 2021. It was early in my IEM journey, and I was reading a lot of praise for a product called ‘MEST’ by Unique Melody. Having just bought a few other IEMs, I was trying to exercise restraint and hold off on another purchase… but then came along, MEST MKII. I had read some comments about issues with fit on MEST, that helped with holding me back - but MKII, this issue was apparently resolved. I jumped in, dropped $1,499 with MusicTeck, and eagerly awaited my shipment - which as always, flew across the Atlantic at breakneck speed, arriving to my house in Dublin in about three days. I was impressed: the speed at which it arrived, the packaging, these interesting tips from Xelastec which were new and novel to me at the time - and of course, when I plugged them into my ears, incredibly impressed by the sheer size of the stage and vast amount of detail.

Fast forward to May, and I had the opportunity to get my hands (and ears…) on a set of the Sennheiser IE900, about two weeks in advance of the official launch. The IE900 became a turning point in my journey: I really understood what it meant to have a coherent IEM… an all-rounder, an IEM that while plenty detailed, also incredibly engaging - and excellent, bass - of which I had never heard before in any IEM. IE900 grabbed me in a way that no other IEM had previously, and at the same time, made me finally realise, MEST MKII wasn’t for me - no matter how many times I rolled tips, or tried various genres - I ended up in a love/hate relationship, which unfortunately often leaned more towards the latter, or at least somewhere in between. Now to be clear, I fully respected the technical prowess that MEST MKII offers, a stunning IEM in that regard, no question about it - but as I discovered more about my own preferences, I better understood that I prefer my IEMs to lean more musical than technical, or maybe sit somewhere in the middle if they can pull it off. MEST MKII just sat too far on the technical scale - while listening, my brain would focus on the various individual parts, but not the coherent whole - reducing the listening pleasure, the overall musicality and emotional connection to the music. I enjoy the technicalities, but I need to have the emotional connection to the music. In addition, IE900 taught me I need more bass - or rather, I need more bass definition: MEST MKII lacked the kick I need in the mid bass, especially for electronic music that has a clear reliance on the solid ‘oomph’ of a kick drum. December 2021: I finally said goodbye to MEST MKII, somewhat reluctantly admittedly, but it was the right thing to do - love/hate needs to lean more the former than the latter, and I’d say the split was at best 30/70… or hate is strong, lets say dislike.



UM MEXT then appears on my radar in January 2022: cheaper than MEXT MKII, I more or less ignored it - why would I consider an inferior version of something I had already parted with, my immediate sense was that it was a more affordable, scaled down iteration of MEST MKII. But I was curious - often intrigued by what brands might do next to garner interest in their products. I parked it in my mind somewhere, and figured I’d keep an eye. An email lands in my inbox a few weeks later from MusicTeck - a discount on MEXT - hmm, time to take the plunge?! I had also read some impressions around the same time - folks suggesting that MEXT had excellent bass, mids, and overall more emotive than MEST MKII - maybe this is meant to be, maybe it could resolve the experience first time round… further comments on Head-Fi from two ex-MEST MKII owners, who shared the same misgivings as I did, but appeared to be enjoying MEXT quite a lot. I guess its clear where this is leading to… I pulled the trigger - MEXT ordered, countdown begins, excitement brews, dopamine on full throttle - the usual experience any IEM addict will relate to - does everyone refresh the courier tracking, multiple times per day, sometimes multiple times per hour?!



Listening Impressions

While I listen to numerous genres, with huge diversity, I tend to listen to electronic music for the most part with IEMs. I prefer to listen to rock for example, be it indie or classic through my home music system. This in many ways grew out of the fact that my wife and kids just didn’t want to hear my ‘funeral music’ (ambient) as they call it, or ‘thump, thump, thump’ (techno, trance etc) coming through the speakers in the kitchen. I think from a timbre perspective, it matters a bit less with electronic music - certainly in my experience - while of course I want synths and drum machines to sound authentic, my experience is that they are easier to deliver on IEMs compared to non-electronic instruments. In addition, I might not have a sufficiently fine-tuned ear to listen for these timbre-specific nuances. So take that as a bit of a caveat. I have however listened to a wide range of music on MEXT, nothing has sounded offensive, and everything has sounded at least very good to excellent.

Like any IEM, they shine with better quality / higher resolution files. I only occasionally stream - the vast majority of my listening is from my library of FLAC albums, mostly purchased from Bandcamp (shock horror - recently acquired by Epic Games!), but some are my own rips from CD's. From listening to albums from various streaming platforms, I think this is an important distinction when sharing impressions on sound quality. In addition, as a lot of my albums are more recent electronic albums, the production quality is very high, and often the FLAC files are 24bit - I suspect the former, in terms of the production quality being the larger contributor to the quality.

Tracks auctioned include:

Bicep - Glue
London Grammar - Lord it's a Feeling
Dr. Dre - The Day the Niggaz Took Over
Matthew Halsall - Harmony with Nature
Polygon Window - Quoth
Cosmic Baby - Space Track
Carl Craig - Landcruising
Bomb the Bass - Bug Powder Dust (Dub)
Phospherescent - New Birth in New England
Echaskech - Adrift
Julia Jacklin - Body
Gas - Rausch 3
John Tejada - Farther and Fainter

Bass/Low

The low-end on MEXT is a standout attribute, those of you looking for an IEM that packs a powerful bass punch, with huge woofer-like presence, should certainly be satisfied with MEXT. There is an excellent distinction between mid-bass and sub-bass, allowing kick drums for example to strike with great impact, definition and authority, with sub-bass sitting comfortably in parallel, with a deep, huge rumble. That said, bass is by no means overpowering, but the extent to which it is balanced towards the mids and high, certainly injects an overall warmer tuning. I would say MEXT is definitely in part defined by it's wonderful big, deep bass.

Mids

The mids are clear and articulate with plenty of space to breath and again, an overall smooth and alluring presentation. Instruments and vocals are vibrant, lush, and wonderfully captivating. There is a rich texture, with notes having good weight and depth, the mix of which results in an addictive and engaging experience. Vocals are up-front and centre, incredibly lifelike with an intimate sense of proximity - my understanding is that's the bone conduction at play. While mids don't feel recessed, the lower-end certainly has a sense of prominence, so maybe there is an incredibly slight backseat in the mids.

Treble/High

My experience with IEMs has certainly shown me that a real challenge in tuning is to find a good balance between allowing enough room up top for detail retrieval, and sense of space and stage, without causing an offensive harshness or sibilance. I anticipate it takes a mix of tuning experience/expertise, along with the necessary higher-costing components to pull it off - this of course then has a bearing on the end cost to the consumer. My assessment with MEXT is this regard is that UM strike an excellent balance; there is sufficient treble to allow higher-register instruments and vocals to shine, while never resulting in any harshness or sibilance. Cymbals, high-frequency synths, strings, female vocals etc are well represented with great authenticity, while never jarring. That said, if treble is a specific attribute you are seeking in an IEM, there may be a bit of sparkle missing up top - in contrast to MEXT having bass as a key attribute, treble is good but not what I would describe as a top-selling feature. The comparitively reduced high-end, certainly allows for fatigue-free listening over extended sessions.

Technicalities

MEXT has a big, wide stage, with excellent height and good depth - there is a holographic presentation with good layering and imaging - I would stop short in calling it 'excellent', but I'm not sure that's what MEXT is aiming for per se: it's a big, bold, lush tuning that in my experience lends itself well to genres such as reggae, melodic techno/trance, dub, hip-hop, and other genres in general that benefit from this type of signature. Timbre is good, but I would say it's not a selling point either - not to say it's bad, but I don't stop to ponder timbral accuracy, MEXT for me is more about the overall immersive experience, this in contrast to MEST MKII for example, where in my experience, it was more of the individual parts, rather than the sum of all. The combination of BAs, DD, and bone conduction to my ears, create a wonderfully cohesive package - I don't find myself questioning the position of an instrument, or feeling like there is something 'wrong' with the overall presentation - I feel the bone conduction might be a factor in this, a glue of sorts that binds everything together.




Comparisons

FAudio Dark Sky

An interesting shoot-out with the high-end single dynamic driver in the shape of Dark Sky, an IEM that sits at the same $1,099 price tag. This is really about where MEXT excels with fun, warmth, smoothness, and excitement; versus the timbre, imaging, layering speciality of Dark Sky. I did a number of AB tests, mostly with vocal/instrumental tracks from both male and female - Dark Sky is the clear winner for these genres, with a bit of caveat that I'll come to shortly. Where it excels is absolutely from a timbre perspective - a brighter IEM, with more air on stage which gives instruments more room and a greater sense of imaging accuracy, bass guitars sound incredibly lifelike, I can often hear the plucking of strings, and almost feel the associated reverb. The stage width is very natural, and more wide than tall. Going back to imaging, I often find my mind zooming in on instruments as they appear on stage - at times even feeling like a sound in the music is actually in the room. Dark Sky leans more technical to my ears than MEXT - it is brighter, and that brings me back to my caveat: the brightness can occassionaly be somewhat harsh, less suited to more lively electronic music for example, and higher register on electric guitars, especially when competing with percussion, can be somewhat jarring at times. MEXT is a better all-rounder, Dark Sky is more specialist in my collection - the one I would reach for when listening to acoustic, vocals, spiritual jazz, world music, and more laidback indie or rock. MEXT the better choice for my electronic library, or genres that in my opinion, have less need for pinpoint timbre accuracy.

FiiO FH9

FH9 shells are smaller but a bit heavier. Personally, I find them more comfortable - the smaller shell and titanium finish sit very well in my ears. FH9 is a brighter IEM, there is more air and I would say a bigger stage as a result, both width and height. Both excellent bass, but FH9 digs slightly deeper in sub - in ‘Bug Powder Dust (Dub)’ by Bomb the Bass for example, there is an obvious deeper rumble - I'm not sure though if the brighter tuning allows the sub bass more room. Listening to ‘Lord its a Feeling’ by London Grammar, I lean towards FH9 for the sense of space and air, but I would choose MEXT for vocals - much more full bodied and overall more emotive/engaging. Where FH9 might excel occasionally, MEXT is absolutely superior IEM overall - the smooth and engaging tuning, with good technicalities across a large stage takes the ‘all-rounder’ prize.

MEST MKII - from memory, so no AB comparisons with tracks…

Similar stage, MEXT maybe a bit bigger. More analytical to my ears, and the mids definitely lacking compared to MEXT. As noted in my intro, I always felt MEST MKII didn’t pack enough punch in the mid bass, it was just lacking when my music called for more impact in kick drums for example. MEST MKII is technically superior, but lacks the engagement factor I tend to seek - YMMV...

Penon Serial

Possibly an unusual one to compare, the reason I’ve picked it though is I find it has a similar engaging and warm tuning and offers incredible value for the comparatively low price of $300. I find them both very well balanced IEMs and share similarities in as far as their strong all-rounder capabilities. The differences are obvious though when I A/B - taking the track 'Adrift' by Echaskech, the mid bass is significantly more powerful versus Serial - overall more lively, and higher resolution. In isolation, I love Serial and find them an incredibly addictive IEM - switching between the two however, reveals the significant cost difference - while they punch above their $300 price tag, that doesn't extend to MEXT level.

Conclusion

MEXT is a stunning IEM, and absolutely ticks the important 'emotive' box for me. I have been impressed by its technical capabilities, while being a warmer/smoother tuning, but still managing to pull off an excellent balanced delivery. It's not the 'end-game' in timbre, but it does a perfectly good job with a very wide range of genres. I'm not sure to what extent 'bass head' levels are, but this is the 'most' bass I've heard in any IEM - the quantity is huge, very well defined and rumbles deep. Engaging, emotive but lively, the sort of IEM I would reach for in a heartbeat when I want to enjoy some techno, trance, D&B, reggae or hip hop. Never harsh or jarring, an IEM that definitely strikes an interesting balance of being non-fatiguing, but a top-performer for lively genres.

Those of you who are looking for an IEM with a big stage, incredible bass, emotive/lush mids, and nicely balanced treble, across a large stage, MEXT is absolutely worth your consideration, and comes with my highest and very enthusiastic recommendation.

Disclaimers and Caveats

First of all, I would like to thank @DUNU-Topsound for the opportunity to share further impressions of my experience with the ZEN PRO - following the ZEN PRO tour in November, DUNU kindly provided me with a discount to purchase a unit for myself. It is always a pleasure to engage with the DUNU reps, their wealth of knowledge and customer focus is admirable.

I am by no means a professional reviewer but enjoy sharing my impressions as part of the hobby. My views expressed here are entirely my own, based on just over a month's experience with the ZEN PRO.

It should probably go without saying but I will note none-the-less: this is an incredibly subjective hobby and we all hear things differently in terms of what actually equates to listening pleasure. With that said, it should be reasonable to map out findings that provide context for others to take a position on whether the item might meet their preferences. My review won't be deeply technical, as I'm not deeply technical - I am however a technology and music fanatic so will attempt to best convey my impressions. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments and I will do my best to respond with a meaningful response...

Alert! YMMV (your mileage may vary) - this is what I have heard with my music preferences relative to other IEMs in my collection.

To burn-in or not burn-in: a hot topic, pardon the pun but it does indeed divide. In my experience, brain or technology, I have perceived changes over time and ensure that I allow time to burn-in, while listening at various intervals. I allowed about about 3-4 days of burn-in on arrival and have clocked up many more hours since.

Preamble

I owned the original DUNU ZEN which I purchased upon launch in January 2020. It was my first 'expensive' IEM and a wonderful introduction to a more premium experience. It was also my first DUNU and the unboxing plus selection of accessories left a lasting impression, thankfully replicated with ZEN PRO as it is the exact same, bar a different colour sleeve on the box.

Since then, I've explored quite a few IEMs and driver configs, landing on single DDs as my preferred choice for the most part - I've been intrigued as to how different brands are tuned, and how they lend themselves to various genres. I was on a bit of a mssion to determine what the 'best' single DD, but I've given up on that now - I've satisfied myself with the fact that they have differing attributes that work well with some genres better than others and for that reason, I've ended up with a few 'go-to' single DDs, depending on what I'm listening to. That said, ZEN PRO is the most competent all-rounder I've heard, more on that later.



DUNU

DUNU will be known to most, if not all Head-Fi regulars, but worth giving a bit of background information for newcomers to the site or indeed the hobby. I won't attempt to write a bio on their behalf, rather just quote the first paragraph from their website:

DUNU innovates for music lovers. Our mission has been to be at the cutting edge of audio, creating premium, high-resolution audio products for the world's most demanding audio enthusiasts. With roots as an ODM/OEM establishment that produced products for the largest and most prominent audio & telecommunications companies around, DUNU has dedicated itself to the development and manufacture of earphone products since 1994.
https://www.dunu-topsound.com/about

Click to expand...

ZEN PRO Specifications (from DUNU website)

• FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5 Hz – 40 kHz
• SENSITIVITY: 112 ± 1 dB at 1 kHz
• IMPEDANCE: 16 Ω at 1 kHz
• TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: < 0.2% at 1 kHz

DRIVE MODULE

DIAPHRAGM: Second Generation Magnesium-Aluminum Alloy Dome with Nanoporous Amorphous Carbon Coating (nanoDLC) and Fully Independent Suspension Surround
MAGNET ASSEMBLY: > 1.8 T External Ring-Type Neodymium Magnet

HOUSING

MATERIAL: S316 Stainless Steel
INTEGRATION(S): Patented Air Control Impedance System (ACIS)

DUNU ZEN PRO is available from a number of online stores at a retail price of $899. I purchased mine directly from DUNU, and it is available HERE

Unboxing & Accessories

The DUNU unboxing is quite an experience and one of the best I've had with any IEM. There is fantastic attention to detail, and a real sense of having purchased a premium product. I know this is not important to everyone but I'm a sucker for a good unboxing and it's something I really look forward to when a new IEM arrives. Of course its the product that matters most, but I like the start of the journey to be one to remember. With that said, I will keep it brief and let the pictures tell the story...











An excellent selection of accessories, to include:

• An assortment of tips to meet all requirements
• Shell protection sleeve
• Airplane adaptor
• Cleaning cloth
• Brush cleaner
• Shirt clip
• Case

Fit, cable, and Isolation

The shells fit very well in my ears, and I can use for extended periods with limited fatigue, though they do get tired beyond about 2 hours - better than most IEMs for me. Isolation is reasonably good, I've used out walking and while they certainly don't block out sound, I get a good balance of hearing music and local traffic - I prefer not to block out all sounds when walking, and these work well.

The cable when in use, has low microphonics, and is light around my ears. It tangles easily though, I often find myself trying to straighten it out when I take it out of the case. This is a bit annoying and a minor niggle really, but worth noting.

Evaluation Setup: Sources, Tips, and Music...

The bulk of my listening has been with the Cayin N6ii-Ti, using both the R01 and E02 modules. Some listening also with the Sony NW-WM1A, L&P W2, Sony ZX507, and iFi Gryphon. I've been using the AET07 for the majority of the time, some experimentation with others but typically revert back to the AET07 as they are my top choice now for most IEMs.



I listen to a wide variety of genres, from ambient to indie rock, and lots in between. I must note that I have a preference for electronic music in some form with IEMs - ambient, IDM, techno, house to name a few. Important to point that out as clearly how an IEM presents electronic music will differ from non-electronic instruments - I'd argue its easier to do electronic on IEMs than a lot of other genres, somewhat less emphasis on timbre for example, or indeed how accurate vocals sound. That said, there are still dramatic differences in how electronic music can sound from one IEM to another, especially more complex tracks where speed and detail retrieval is put to the test.

While I've obviously listened to a lot of music over the last month, I've selected a few tracks that represent a mix of my library - I feel this helps to understand how we may or may not connect in terms of music preferences. This is a good selection to really test an IEM too.

Test Tracks


Sound Impressions

ZEN PRO to my ears, is a somewhat W-shaped IEM with wonderfully balanced, warm-ish leaning tuning - I don't hear a specific emphasis in low, mid, or highs, they seem to sit pretty much level. While not a 'bass head' IEM, it can certainly can pack a punch when needed and I personally never feel at a loss in this regard, even if other single DDs are more capable - more on that later. Mids are lush and all encompasing, allowing great flexibilty with a huge variety of genres. Treble is precise and sufficient to ensure instruments/vocals in the higher registers are well represented without sibilance or any sense of harshness. I feel the term 'jack of all trades' is somewhat derogatory and I'm reluctant using the term, but it is applicable in that ZEN PRO can play any genre I've tested, and do at worst a good, but mostly an excellent job - nothing seems to phase it, and I have tested it extensively with several challenging tracks.

There is a reasonably wide but not particularly tall and realistic soundstage. It strikes a superb balance from a technical / musicality standpoint - I enjoy how I can pick out micro details, and hear various instruments sitting clearly and well separated on the stage, but I can still sink in to the overall musical experience, not getting too sucked in to the detail if I choose not to - this to me, requires masterful tuning and not typically something that can be achieved at lower price points - you do get what you pay for...

In terms of speed, ZEN PRO can handle the fastest and most complex tracks. Many of my test tracks incorporate complex drum programming, coupled with numerous synths, samples and vocals all competing for space on stage - ZEN PRO handles with aplomb, never faultering. Incredibly impressive to hear the peak in a track like 'Skywalker' in the list above, numerous components climaxing, leading to a potentially challenging outcome on an inferiour driver, but instead sounding sublime on ZEN PRO.

For slower, vocals focused tracks that lean less electronic, and more instrumental - ZEN PRO renders both male and female vocals with ease, fantastic timbre and often intimate delivery. The stunning 'Body' by Julia Jacklin is utterly beautiful, her voice up front and centre, supported with a gentle strumming guitar, slow percussion, and gentle bassline.

Relaxed instrumental, modern/neo classical or ambient are all beautifully engaging. I was testing the above 'Travelled Road' by Yagya, and ended up repeating it four times it was that stunning. Shivers... and almost tears, the amazing power of music and how it connects to emotions.

I've read comments to suggest the timbre leans metallic - I don't experience this but I can say that I have other IEMs that have better timbre in some very specific scenarios - FAudio Dark Sky for example has for my ears (in my collection), unbeatable timbre when it comes to jazz in particular - double bass, sax, and percussion sounds utterly spectacular and lifelike. ZEN PRO does an excellent job, but the improvement is there when I A/B vs Dark Sky.

Overall, I look for a listening experience in IEMs that allow me to fully immerse myself in the experience, providing a good blend of technicalities and musical enagement - this is my top criteria, and how I most enjoy music. ZEN PRO is the definition of this criteria for me, coupled with an ability to play any music I throw at it - the only other IEM in my collection that I can say the same for is the Oriolus Traillii, over 5x the cost...

Comparisons

FAudio Dark Sky ($1,150)

First up is the FAudio Dark Sky and I've cut a corner here by lifting the comparison I did with ZEN PRO in my review of Dark Sky, still applicable and edited for the context of this review...

As noted ZEN PRO performs very well with every genre, but not with the same level of finesse that Dark Sky manages in areas of speciality such as jazz and others that have a clear focus on excellent timbre rendition of instruments and vocals. The stage width on ZEN PRO is smaller, and doesn’t reach the same heights as Dark Sky. Bass doesn’t dig as deep but honestly, once my ears have tuned back to ZEN PRO, I don’t feel at a loss. Likewise there is more upper-end energy available from Dark Sky, a somewhat cooler hue in comparison which is what I believe injects more analytical capability - ZEN PRO has more foward mids also, adding enhanced emotion and musicality to the mix.



Sennheiser IE900 ($1,299)

The IE900 is still one of my favourite IEMs, it absolutely blew me away when I first got my hands on it back in May 2021 - and briefly cured me of upgraditis for about 3 months, the longest I've had in this hobby without an itch forming. It has some of the most incredible bass I've heard in any IEM, and still the one to beat in terms of depth, slam/punch, speed and lifelike rendition - often reminding me of the good old days of clubbing, the pounding bass hitting you on the dancefloor. Quite a feat for such small drivers. Likewise the treble is a thing of beauty, sitting on the cusp of too much, but that actually becomes a real sweet spot. More V-shaped and in that context, I feel like I'm listening to set of high quality bookshelf speakers, slap bang in the middle. The somewhat recessed mids on IE900 mean I'm less inclined to listen to ambient, vocals, or more instrumental leaning music - ZEN PRO fills this gap perfectly - though I must say, IE900 can do a good job there, just not as capable as ZEN PRO to my ears.



Oriolus Isabellae ($499)

Excellent IEM, and I consider more specialist in my collecton - hard to beat for female vocals, acoustic, modern classical and ambient. Often my choice for listening in bed before sleep. Smaller stage versus ZEN PRO, far less capable when it comes to faster electronic genres, and lacks the kick in the mid-bass to satisfy my bass requirements in genres such as techno, IDM, house, etc. But I would probably lean towards Isa from a timbre perspective in the previously mentioned genres. Like Dark Sky, I feel it is somewhat more specialist compared to ZEN PRO.



FiiO FH9 ($599)

This comparison should actually be the FD7, a single DD that is highly regarded by many, and on my radar a number of months. I ordered it a week or so ago, and when it arrived, I opened the packaging with great excitement, only to find they had sent the FH9 - a 6 BA / 1 DD hybrid. Disappointed, but curious and also impatient to start dealing with the returns process, I went ahead and opened it. I'll keep it brief, as I've only had it a week and don't feel qualified to fully compare but I will say FH9 has been a very pleasant surprise, an incredibly capable IEM with a tuning that leans more fun versus ZEN PRO and with a spectacular stage, with excellent coherency for a hybrid. More powerful bass versus ZEN PRO, digs very deep and excellent, fast mid bass - not quite as pristine as IE900, but not 'wooly' either. The BA treble reaches higher than ZEN PRO, and in some cases, can touch harsh, especially with lower quality recordings - ZEN PRO is more forgiving in this regard. The stage, layering, and imaging on FH9 is incredibly impressive, and beats ZEN PRO hands down for sheer size - ZEN PRO sounds more intimate when I switch, with a more pristine tuning - balanced and polite, versus exciting, big, and dramatic. FH9 has been an unexpected surprise for me, and likely the subject of my next review. They complement each other very well.



Conclusion

It probably doesn't come as a surprise for me to conclude by declaring my love for the ZEN PRO. Aside from Traillii, it is the best all-rounder IEM I've heard on my journey - capable of playing absolutely any genre, with a wonderful mix of technical prowess, blended with an incredibly captivating, emotive, and engaging listening experience. It is an IEM I reach for probably the most often, rarely a day goes by without checking in. I wrestled with whether I should rate as 4.5 or 5, but when I sat looking at the screen for several minutes, trying to think of faults that justify only 4.5, that quickly answered my question.

Congratulations to DUNU for bringing such a wonderful product to the market, a tough act to follow and I look forward to seeing what they have up their sleeve next.

Disclaimers & Caveats

I purchased the FAudio Dark Sky from Musicteck at a reduced price in exchange for my honest impressions following discussions with Andrew (owner of Musicteck, for those of you who may not know him!) on how it might compare to other single DDs - Andrew generously offered me the opportunity to find out for myself - all he asked in return is that I share my honest impressions by way of a review.

Also, it should go without saying but I will note none-the-less: this is indeed an incredibly subjective hobby and many of us hear things very differently in terms of what actually equates to listening pleasure. With that said, it should be reasonable to map out findings that provide context for others to take a position on whether the item under review might meet their preferences. My review won't be deeply technical, as I'm not deeply technical - I am however a technology nerd and music fanatic so will attempt to best convey my impressions in this review. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments and I will do my best to respond with a meaningful response! Alert: YMMV (your mileage may vary) - this is what I have heard with my music preferences relative to other IEMs in my collection.

To burn-in or not burn-in: a hot topic, pardon the pun but it does indeed divide. In my experience, brain or technology, I have perceived changes over time and ensure that I allow time to burn-in, while listening at various intervals. For Dark Sky, I allowed approximately 60 hours in the first week but after that, just clocked up listening hours - I estimate I’ve listened in total for about 100 hours.

FAudio Dark Sky is available from Musicteck at $1,150 MRSP - LINK



Preamble

As previously noted, I am a self-proclaimed music and technology nerd. A large part of my career was in consumer electronics, starting from my teens in the mid-90’s while working in electrical retail, and up to more recent years working for well-known electronic brands and sourcing / distributing audio products around the globe. I don’t work in that industry anymore unfortunately (imagine, I was once paid to search for audio products!) but the passion lives on and what ultimately brought me to this hobby - combined with my life-long love for music, right from my youngest childhood memories, to a DJ in the 90’s and amassing a vast collection of CD’s and records for over 30 years.

Over the last year or so, I’ve landed on single dynamic drivers as my preferred transducers in IEMs - the coherency, natural timbre and overall engagement factor better suits my listening preferences and this has led to a quest to learn more about various implementations. The focus at the moment being the higher-end of the market but I fully intend to explore other segments - it is clear that products of a much lower price are incredibly capable, the oft-mentioned ‘diminishing returns’ can’t go ignored, my recent purchase of the infamous BLON-03 certainly supports this - not to mention what buds can do at a fraction of the price.

I had never heard of FAudio until brought Dark Sky was brought to my attention in September this year. I was immediately curious - a single DD sitting in a similar price category and launched in the same year as the formidable IE900 by Sennheiser, arguably one of the best single dynamic drivers launched in 2021 - and indeed a personal favourite, which reveals my bias.

FAudio - Dark Sky

Who are FAudio?

FAudio are a Hong Kong based IEM company, founded in 2014 by Fung Wong, ex Head Engineer at Miniwatt. I couldn’t find much information about the brand, it appears they are more known in Asia based on comments on social media. There are some other products featured on their website but oddly enough, Dark Sky isn’t.

Evaluation Setup: Sources, Tips, and Music...

My sources are the Sony NW-WM1A, Cayin N6ii-Ti, and the L&P W2 dongle.



I haven’t used the stock tips as I have my go-to tips for all IEMs. In this case, I’ve rotated AET07, Azla Standard, and Symbio F - all of which provide an excellent seal and great listening synergy. I like tip rolling, part of the IEM experience and always interesting to hear how they perform.

I will note specific tracks further on but for now, please be aware that I have a rather broad interest in various music genres, these include: ambient, modern classical, D&B, techno, trance, house, jazz, downtempo, IDM, hip hop, indie, some rock to name a few. For the purpose of this review, I chose a selection of go-to tracks that in my experience, test the sonic capabilities of an IEM and inform me as to their suitability for specific genres in my collection. I don’t believe in the existence of a single IEM that meets all of my music needs, this drives the hunt to explore many DDs with the objective to uncover their various ‘superpowers’.

Unboxing & Accessories

I mentioned in the preamble that I worked in consumer electronic for many years. As part of my role, I often had to evaluate product suitability for sale in various markets - this meant not only the need to determine the need/want in the market for the product offering, but also get a good sense of the brand ethos - do they make a product because they see a market gap, or is there evidence of pride and passion for what they do, a desire to actually ‘delight’ the customer - which in my experience, was typically evident not only in how I engaged with the brand but their packaging often screamed passion; the desire to anchor the customer with a fantastic unboxing experience, providing an instant appeal in first impressions before even opening the box. I was sent a lot of samples and spent many hours going through products, often met with cheap/tacky packaging and overall lack of creativity in their branding. While it’s not essential or indeed a prerequisite, I prefer a delightful unboxing experience - it should be memorable from the moment the box lands in your hands. When a new item arrives to my house now as part of this hobby, I make sure to pick a quiet room - ideally make a coffee (or beer, depending on time of day...) and enjoy the whole experience. But hey, I know that may not matter for all and often folks might be so excited they just rip the box open to get their shinny new toy in their hands (or ears) ASAP…

The good news is, FAudio absolutely deliver in this regard, offering an unboxing experience that one would expect at this price tag.

Dark Sky is presented in a compact rectangular box with minimal aesthetics - plain black finish with both the brand name, model and what I assume is the company motto or slogan. I love this minimal styling, it immediately ticks that premium box and starts to suggest FAudio fall into my preferred brand category, i.e. they care about the customer and have pride in what they do.



Upon opening the lid, you are presented with a card and a message from the Chief Sound Engineer (what an incredible job title!). I love this personal touch, again it demonstrates a connection to the customer and a passion for their creations.



We are then greeted with the main event, revealing a very nice presentation of the earphones in a familiar style layout, along with the various adapters, the circular carry-case, and a ‘service pack’ which includes a cleaning cloth, carry pouch, warranty card. There is a well-considered care instruction card with guidance on protecting your audio investment.



In addition, a cleaning tool is supplied, IEM protective cover and silicone covers for the shells themselves. Oh and of course a selection of tips: grey/black tips in small, medium, and large with a wide bore - white in the same size selection but this time a standard bore width. Interestingly, they only supply one set of foam tips which I suspect are small, they were certainly too small for my ears and measure noticeably smaller than my chosen foam tips, the Symbio F in Large.



There is also a beautiful and practical carry case included, one of the nicest I’ve experienced which is finished in a leather-like material with a soft interior - it works very well when you carefully wrap the cable around your fingers and position in the case, using the supplied leather strap to secure - I love the chrome finish to the button, it feels and looks expensive.



The cable is really beautiful and looks almost like you could pay the full cost of this entire package just for the cable if you slapped some well-known brand logo on it. It looks and feels wonderful with a matching deep blue finish - soft touch and little or no microphonics. The cable terminates with a 2.5mm connection but FAudio supply adapters for both 4.4mm and 3.5mm, all bases covered. Nitpick but I would prefer a modular system as per the excellent solution on offer from DUNU, it is a tidier finish from an appearance and ergonomics perspective.



The shells themselves are beautifully constructed and again present a premium level of workmanship. They are lightweight with a deep matt blue finish and sit incredibly comfortably in my ears (with the right tips - this can take a bit of work) - the combination of the excellent cable and lightweight ergonomic shells allow for long listening sessions without fatigue. The aforementioned silicone sleeves unfortunately made the shells uncomfortable and too big in my ears, a great idea though if they fit.



The supplied adapters for 4.4mm and 3.5mm are of excellent build quality and feel sturdy when affixed to the 2.5mm terminal and indeed upon connection to your source. Isolation isn’t fantastic, even using foam tips I can generally hear my surroundings quite well.



Specifications



What do they sound like?

The important bit I guess and one I must admit has caused me some challenge over the last few weeks, I’ll come back to that in a bit. What instantly jumped out at me when I first listened is the expansive soundstage - as wide as IE900 but taller, it actually reminded me of MEST MKII almost but with better coherency - or should I say, more to my taste. It’s quite amazing to think there is just a single dynamic driver delivering the goods - the technicalities are remarkable, highly resolving with not only a large/airy stage, but with to my ears, excellent imaging - I’m inclined to say they are very mildly U shaped as I hear emphasis down low and up high but the mids delivery is more or less level, just not quite as prominent - maybe a mild V shape is a better description - this is some of the challenge I previously referred to, I’ve wrestled over it in a few listening sessions. The timbre is the best I’ve heard when it comes to non-electronic instruments and vocals: bass, strings, percussion, and female vocals in particular are outstanding. Dark Sky performs well with any genre I’ve tested and I consider it a very capable all-rounder but leans spectacular for instrumental, jazz, and vocals - especially less complex music. I would say it has a slightly cool hue to its signature and this amplifies the strong technicalities.



Let’s try a few songs - I've linked to them on Bandcamp where possible

In the song ‘Body’ by Julia Jacklin, her voice sits dead centre and slightly forward - instruments surround her voice and seem to sit exactly on stage where I expect them. Delivery is expansive but still intimate - I can hear a cohesive whole but still zoom in on specifics if I choose to, like holding an item in front of your eyes, and shifting focus from the item to the wider surroundings and back again. Every instrument sounds accurate to my ears. Julia’s voice so perfectly rendered, reminds me of hearing her play in Dublin back in the days of gigs pre-COVID (sigh!) - not a hint of sibilance and that wonderful sense of like she’s singing in the room beside me. The slow percussion rolls along in support, stretching out from the middle in both directions, occasional cymbal strikes come and go with yet again, stunning realism.



Staying with Julia Jacklin but moving to a more energetic song ‘Pressure to Party’, I’m greeted with the same vocal treatment and as the track is significantly busier with the addition of electric guitars and more upbeat percussion, Dark Sky put more to the challenge of handling competing frequencies in the mid to high frequencies in particular. I feel at times that it might tip towards harsh but never actually goes completely over the edge, but that close proximity must be noted.



This has become a huge favourite to put IEMs to the test: ‘Harmony with Nature’ by Matthew Halsall (spiritual jazz). There is beautiful build of atmospheric melodic sounds before the upright bass enters - Dark Sky grabs hold and positions right in the middle, respectful to the sax which joins at about the same time - the bass digs deep, sounding uncannily natural, the strings vibrating as they pluck with wonderful realism. I hear a striking balance across low, mid and high - again, an emphasis on a natural delivery but instruments are allowed to take centre stage as appropriate. I’m increasingly drawn to jazz with Dark Sky, a genre I don’t listen to enough.



On to some hip hop - Dr Dre. ‘The Day the Niggaz took Over’. This is again a go-to track for me to test new toys. I love the wide range of instruments and vocals ranges from the various rappers. The soundstage, layering, and imaging is yet again, stunning - the zoom in/zoom out sensation again apparent, allowing a focus on the individual parts or the cohesive whole. I sense a slightly thinner tone to Dr Dre’s voice, but marginal.



Next up is some classical and while a genre I don’t listen to that often, I’m keen to hear how a single DD manages the complexity of passages, ‘Summer 1’ from the Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter always a top choice. Dark Sky as one might expect by now, presents yet again its large stage. Instruments sit centre and support out wide, all perfectly clear and with beautiful timbre. I again feel a struggle between focusing versus musical, the strong technicalities play a bit of a tug of war with the engagement factor and I’m still not sure which wins. Some might prefer a straight-up emotive factor, others specifically analytical but this is rather interesting how it seems to sit in the middle. I will note, I am enjoying this album immensely while listening for this review and actually finding it hard to press ‘stop’ as a I move to another song.

Ok, time for some dub techno in the shape of the classic ‘Phylyps Trak’ by Basic Channel. This is all about pounding bass and accompanying dark synths. Kick drum thumps with deep club-like authority, providing a guiding line for the synths and cool but melodic atmosphere that surrounds. Percussion treble hits around 2 minutes in and the track develops to more complexity, Dark Sky has no problem coping with the peaks of potentially conflicting energy. Strangely, when I first listened to Dark Sky, I didn’t think they would perform quite as well with electronic music but time has proven otherwise - incredibly capable in some cases and dub techno indeed sounds fantastic.

Now some more electronic but more mid-focused and uplifting - the relatively recent but 90’s rooted ‘Glue’ by Bicep. There is an uncanny amount of airiness but still, this amazing sense of cohesion - captivating and detailed. Melodic synths float over the breakbeat percussion, bass flows beautifully and the sampled voices arrive and take position without interruption.



Next up is ‘Big Question Small Head’ by Tipper. A fantastic artist to test sonic capabilities and his recordings are always of the highest quality. Detail retrieval is stunning, beautiful clarity and pinpoint accuracy of every component in the track.



To test ambient, I’m listening to ‘The Shape of Modern Tragedy’ by Still Harbours. This track features on the fantastic album ‘Armature’, released in 2020. Technically, it sounds excellent - a wide soundscape of atmospheric ambient music. I must note, I don’t get as much musical engagement as I do say with Isa or ZEN PRO - the slightly cooler tuning doesn’t lend as well to the emotive connection I often seek with ambient music, typically to relax and unwind, not to delve deep in the detail. That said, it can be deemed another route to explore with ambient music - and it's not devoid of emotion by any means.



Comparisons

Sennheiser IE900 ($1,299)

The pristine, pinpoint tuning of IE900 is to my ears without competition in single DDs I’ve heard - it is the SACD (Super Audio CD) of IEMs - a clear, fast, digital-sounding tuning that has an immediate grip on whatever you throw at it. They share similar levels of bass but IE900 is faster with a better control of more complex passages, especially those in electronic music sub-genres such as breakbeat, techno or D&B - IE900 is the one to beat here and I suspect it will be a while before we see a contender to this throne, Sennheiser have achieved a remarkable feat in their implementation of bass. Dark Sky triggers higher levels of upper mids/lower treble where IE900 spikes in the higher registers of treble: to my ears, this means IE900 has better control when it comes to the upper limits of treble energy, crisp and succinct high hats that hit quickly and pull back just as fast, especially in energetic electronic music (techno, house, EDM, trance etc.) - Dark Sky on the other hand, drives more energy into snare rims for example, leaning more towards a slightly better representation of non-electronic instruments that are less about precision and more about authenticity. They are both spectacular single dynamic drivers and absolutely complementary to one another, offering a different take on a music collection - IE900 more pristine/precise tuning with a CD-like rendering, with Dark Sky pointing in a more organic, maybe vinyl-like take on things. Something in common I would say is they are both rather energetic IEMs, more fun than intimate and while I have that ‘tug of war’ with Dark Sky in terms of analytical versus musical, I lean more musical with IE900.



Oriolus Isabellae ($599)

Isa is the gentle giant, or maybe sleeping giant - offering incredible value for the price point. Polite, relaxed tuning that to my ears, zooms in on ambient, vocals, acoustic and generally more subdued genres. My go-to when I just want to relax and not spend time trying to focus on the delivery, simply sit back and enjoy. Isa does a better job of ambient music in particular - there is a unique charm, allure and intimacy about the tuning that lends itself very well to this genre, allowing me to appreciate the music and not think about or get distracted by detail. When switching from Dark Sky to Isa, there is a dramatic drop in stage size and overall ‘wow’ factor. Bass falls off a cliff, mids step forward and treble leans more toward higher frequencies, but never harsh.



DUNU ZEN PRO ($899)

I participated in a recent tour of the DUNU ZEN PRO. This was open to existing owners of the original ZEN, the remit being to compare the new and improved PRO - small refinements that significantly enhanced the overall tuning. ZEN PRO stands out as the most balanced of this selection - performing very well with every genre but again, not with the same level of finesse that Dark Sky manages in areas of speciality such as jazz and others that have a clear focus on excellent timbre rendition of instruments and vocals. The stage is smaller, more like IE900 I would say in terms of width but doesn’t reach the same heights as Dark Sky. Bass doesn’t dig as deep but honestly, once my ears have tuned back to ZEN PRO, I don’t feel at a loss. Likewise there is more upper-end energy available from Dark Sky, a somewhat cooler hue in comparison which is what I believe injects more analytical capability - ZEN PRO has more foward mids also, adding enhanced emotion to the mix. ZEN PRO can comfortably allow micro focus as well as a cohesiveness of engagement but I feel leans more to the latter, I’m less inclined to focus on specific elements, but have the option to if I choose.



Conclusion

I have enjoyed my time getting to know Dark Sky over the last few weeks. They have challenged my existing understanding of the capabilities a single dynamic driver can deliver, and led me to listen to a lot of music that previously had less focus. I didn't expect an IEM to shift my music direction on a new path, but Dark Sky has certainly paved the way to more jazz, female vocals, and instrumental music - mostly of the more relaxed varities where to my ears, Dark Sky shines bright. The fact that I listen to a wide variety of genres has very much driven this quest to explore IEMs and I am clear where Dark Sky now sits in my collection, delighted it has broadened my listening horizons. Overall, I feel Dark Sky is an incredible performing dynamic driver that clearly a lot of passion has gone into its development.

Introduction

I want to share some thoughts on the IE900 after almost two weeks of daily use. I’m sorry to say I’m not sufficiently technical to address in a way that many look for, as such, it will be a layman description with the knowledge I do have where possible. I am a music lover for many years (and once upon a time 90s DJ...) and up till last year, mostly listen via my separates systems and a variety of headphones and earphones - as of last November, I didn’t even know what a hybrid IEM was, let alone a single DD or an EST driver, they were all just earphones, headphones and some were Bluetooth (of which I've a few gathering dust)! My journey over the last few months with IEMs has certainly been obsessive, expensive and incredibly enjoyable - I’ve heard music in ways I’ve never before and I now rarely listen via my main system or full-size headphones. I admit to being a fan of Sennheiser and have had a few of their products over the years - HD-25-1 being a go-to back in my DJ days, HD650 (which I never use) in more recent years and a trusty set of IE8 that served me well for about 8 years, only actually finally retiring them last year as this hobby took hold. I’ve learnt a lot (but not enough) in the last few months and met many great likeminded music fans, I plan to continue this voyage of discovery and strive to be more proficient to articulate what I ‘hear’ into words that are useful to others… but for now, this is about as good as I can give!

I have a demo unit as I worked in consumer electronics for many years and still in touch with old colleagues. The unit is on loan but I will certainly be buying.

Sources

Most home listening has been via the Sony NW-WM1A or Sony ZX507 for out and about portable use. Some listening later on via the L&P W2. They are hungry enough compared to the MEST MKII, on the Sony NW-WM1A, I need to crank up to the late 50s (out of 120) somewhere on high-gain, versus maybe early 40s on the MEST. Still plenty of room though.

Current IEMs in order of purchase:

XBA-N3, DUNU ZEN, DUNU SA6, Sony IER-M9, UM MEST MKII

So what do I think?

First and foremost, I absolutely love the IE900 - right now, if I could only keep one of my IEMs, it would be this - mostly due to being the most solid all-rounder of any IEM I’ve heard in terms of its ability to handle any genre. In addition; the size, weight, form factor are perfect for any situation - walking, in bed, wandering about the house etc. I walk 5k every morning with my dog and I look forward to getting up at 6am to get these popped back in my ears - likewise during the day while working, finding moments to get lost in the music for a few minutes, even just while making my lunch or getting through some admin that doesn’t require much brainpower. I keep looking at others in my collection and thinking I must give them a shot, but then nah, IE900 it is…


Sound Impressions

Soundstage feels wide and natural, a well-positioned ‘stereo’ sound, instruments very well positioned and where I expect to find them relative to general listening experience of music over the years. The MEST MKII in comparison is somewhat wider but absolutely ‘taller’ too and much more 3D - this is good for some music but definitely not all - for example, I love it on well recorded ambient music, especially very cinematic albums - I’m not as keen with a lot of rock albums though, I find it can sound a bit unnatural at times, instruments a bit off in terms of positioning - a thought though in this regard, is it just I’m not used to hearing a delivery of this nature and need to get used to it?! But on MEST with genres that suit, that 3D tall and wide delivery is stunning and certainly a keeper in that regard.

In spite of the wide soundstage, I still feel a very centrally focused low-end delivery - I feel like the focus zone is in the middle of my head but separating out as appropriate for the instruments. I actually love how it ‘sits’ in my head, I really feel with kick drums for example that they thud in both ears perfectly to land a central delivery… reminds me of beat-matching kick drums back in the good old DJ days and I actually crave this position with other IEMs at times.



Some of my test tracks had deep sub bass sitting alongside pounding kick drums - all wonderfully controlled and I keep wondering how the heck something so small is capable of this. I find the bass more obvious compared to the MEST MKII, not sure if its better per-say - I think going back to my reference to its position is where it shines - potentially a personal preference as opposed to one being better than the other.

The higher register of treble is an area that I tend to shy away from in music delivery - often choosing with audio system over the years to EQ bass up and treble down, probably the techno/house DJ in me. I’ve been concerned about this and look out for comments in reviews when considering purchases that might suggest an IEM is bright. Much to my surprise, yes the treble is more evident than I would expect to like, it feels like its fine-tuned marginally below a point where it could be an issue, but instead sounds wonderful and adds so much to a detailed, pristine and analytical delivery - I’ve yet to find it harsh on any music and again, often amazed how there is so much detail from a single driver.



There is a sense of being slightly recessed vs the MEST, a more forward centre on the MEST for sure which means for some vocal tracks, especially male vocals on the lower end of the scale that they can feel slightly back - not to the point that it bothers me personally but I do note at times.

Cable

The cable is excellent and very similar to the IER-M9, looks almost the exact same - slightly stiffer though and a small amount of microphonics if not correctly positioned around my ears and with the chin thing (what’s it called?!) - but easy to position and when out walking, I get zero cable feedback. The ear hooks are quite stiff and bend well around my ears - a slight concern here is when bending them over my ears, I wonder is this putting strain on the MMCX connectors that might damage over time?

Tips

The tips didn’t work out that well for me, I couldn’t get a good seal with any of the silicone tips and they sounded pretty poor as a result - I tried them first and was incredibly underwhelmed, bass was absolutely feeble as best. Switched to the included large foam tip and a whole new world opened - wow! I did ultimately switch to Comply TSX-500 in medium as I get an even better seal and no impact to SQ, unlike with some others where bass becomes way too much and overall too dark, not the case here at all - the TSX-500 seem to have a relatively medium bore size. Isolation is great - when walking, I can hear louder traffic but not enough to interrupt my listening, at home sitting in my kitchen as I am right now, I can’t hear any other noise in the house, including my wife talking to me… is it terrible to admit my frustration with having to unplug an IEM and ask my wife to say whatever she said again, only to find its a reminder I need to cut the grass or something? - she should know I have important listening to do.

Conclusion

Anyway, I would struggle to say whether I prefer the MEST to the IE900, they are both incredible IEMs in their own right but as noted, the IE900 would probably take the prize given how they can be a jack of all trades with any genre in any listening situation. I’m not exaggerating when I say they often take my breath away, I’ve stayed up way past my bedtime several nights over the last couple of weeks as I just want to keep listening, I’ve even broken my no wine during the week rule and had to pour a glass to accompany my listening bliss! They definitely complement each other well though and I will certainly be submerging myself in the MEST again soon for longer sessions.

They are unbelievably addictive and in my humble opinion, absolutely worth the price tag. Apologies again that I can’t address areas that a lot of folks here would like to know and I hope this was somewhat useful. I’m conscious there is a lot of interest in this IEM and I’m very lucky to have one before launch, as such keen to share what I can. Still early days too but I do feel comfortable at this point with my findings.