Thanks to Steven from Xtenik Audio for sending these my way. And ALso my sincerest apologies for them taking so long! This thing is built like a tank! Solid and sturdy and definitely weighty, it's not incredibly heavy but you definitely feel the heft, it's not small either. While it is possible to do it as a stack and being portable, with the advent of smaller and lighter options this might be best suited as a desk model, they even send small rubber feet so it doesn't slip nor scratch up your precious surface. The XD-05 is loaded to the brim with...

Introduction: Periodic Audio a relative newcomer in the audio scene has entered the scene with a completely different perspective from how many other companies address audio. And this approach leads to a current line of products that have an interesting philosophy behind them. Currently, they have a product line that consists of 3 IEMs, but that roster will only continue to grow. For more information about the principles behind Periodic Audio check out my interview with them here. Back to the IEM at hand what we have here is their highest priced...

Introduction: Beyerdynamic, a name in all fields of audio that truly needs no introduction. In fact, since it has been established in 1924, the oldest currently still operating audio company, they have had their go at products ranging from microphones, home audio, wireless systems, and of course personal audio. My father even used a Beyerdynamic mic when he performed with his band in the 70's. Beyerdynamic in the headphone world has had their share of ubiquitous names, with popular models like the 770 and 990 families that until now provide great...

Introduction: Custom Art a Polish CIEM company founded in 2013 by Piotr Granicki, I had an in-depth conversation with him here. And while Custom IEMs are the highlight of their service, I mean it IS in their name, they do make universal designs too. And when I expressed interest in their FIBAE 1, the gateway into the Custom Art experience and the Flat Impedance Balanced Armature Earphone secret sauce, something they noted didn't receive enough attention, and after a couple of weeks with it as my daily driver I can't help but agree. So let's dive in...

Introduction: Astrotec is a name that is not unfamiliar to us at this point. In fact on this very site, I have reviewed their flagship IEM the AM850 here. The AM850 was an interesting IEM that had a very upscale look, with an attractive fun tuning. The model we have here is somewhat of a little brother, the NG30. This particular model from them plans to compete in the ever busy "budget-fi" category at a retail of $30. Does Astrotec live up to the precedent that was set by the AM850 that it seems to inherit some DNA from, given the similar packaging...

Introduction: I had heard of NCM before through some blog posts and other reviews, though I'd never had much experience with their products personally. However when I learned about their flagship IEM, the 9 driver hybrid beast that I would know to be the Bella which costs about 1000USD give or take, I was extremely interested. Nguyen (Ng-Wen) Custom Monitors is a relatively small custom in ear monitor company based in Vietnam, that offers a variety of different products and services, ranging from relatively affordable single driver models, to the...

Introduction: Geek Wold(Old English for Forest) is a new audio company that has recently hit the market with their first offering the GK3 sporting a novel configuration of 3 dynamic drivers at the reasonable, and entry friendly price of $19.99. Much has been made of the GK3 since it was announced, will it meet the lofty expectations levied upon it as the new king of budget-fi? or will it be another forgotten face in the ever growing list of IEMs? It turns out, as usual that the answer lies somewhere in between. Disclaimer: I received the GK3 from...

Introduction: I reached out to Mee Audio, already known for the popular m6, the Pinnacle (and it’s Massdrop Collaboration) as well as a plethora of other products ranging from IEMs to accessories. They blur the line of fashionable audio with that of high quality audio. When Mee offered me an opportunity to try out their MMCX cable that comes bundled with 3 adapters I didn’t hesitate for a moment. Disclosure: The Mee Audio MMCX Cable with Adapter Set was provided to me by Mee Audio in exchange for a comprehensive, and honest review. Packaging...

Introduction: During my visit to Japan a few months ago, I went to the Fujiya Avic Spring Headphone Festival and heading into the ifi suite I was greeted by their welcoming reps and got to take a look at all their goodies, however the xDSD with its svelte and modern look caught my attention almost immediately; So when ifi reached out me and offered me a chance to review the xDSD I leapt at that chance. The xDSD is the first foray of a new era of ifi products it seems, embracing a modern look and feel with the X series, seemingly with the xDSD...

Introduction: Kinera a relatively new company in the audio scene has been steadily releasing new products ever since their initial big offering the H3 came out. I have experienced the H3 and lauded the build, fit, and clarity but did note the somewhat unnatural timbre and hot treble. Moving on to the middle of 2018 and now we have the Idun; A model that Kinera slates as a step up, a step forward, continually building and applying what they’ve gleaned on their past models and has culminated here. The Idun utilizes a very similar shell to the H3, and...

Introduction: Campfire Audio, a name in the industry that needs little to no introduction, recognizable in both name and design choices. With the Dorado, they’ve decided to create and put their own spin on an IEM configuration that has steadily increased in popularity in the last year or two; The 1 dynamic driver, 2 balanced armature hybrid. This configuration has had its share of hurdles and criticisms; usually these issues are all rooted in the lack of coherency, and this makes sense, dynamic drivers and balanced armatures tend to have different...

Introduction: The amazing people responsible for Campfire Audios highly acclaimed in-ear monitors have continued to be busy at work since their initial entry into the market a couple of years back, along the way they’ve crafted some of the most well-regarded IEMs in their respective classes, from the airy, resolving Andromeda to the visceral and powerful Vega. In their journey of creating various innovations in how to extract the most out of whatever drivers they had to achieve the target sound they were looking to accomplish and not necessarily just...

Overview: Astrotec is an audio company hailing from China that entered the market and started to gain traction with their vast array of affordable and attractive options, though one of their shining jewels, the Lyra series of earbuds stands special mention. The AM 850 on the other hand represents the flagship of their IEM lineup consolidating their ideals of sound, design, materials and build, all in one package. Does the AM 850 live up to the pedestal status it owns in the product line-up? How does it stack in the increasingly crowded entry level...

Introduction: Hiby Music, a company that for years has been designing a music player app for phones and a full player platform for DAPs, one day decided that it would breach the software-hardware demarcations and build its own music player, this project is 2 years in the making and is now about done with the crowd funding campaign and is almost ready to take the world by storm. This is the Hiby R6, “The Most Advanced Android Hi-Fi Player” let’s see what Hiby has managed to bring to the table with their first offering that is served right in the...

Overview: The Hibiki Special Edition is the “big brother” of Shozy and AAW’s popular collaboration Hibiki IEM. Upgrading not only aesthetics but sporting internal improvements as well as a different sound tuning. Will this prove to be worth the price premium, or will it prove to be all sparkle and no substance? It’s what we’re here to find out. I have received the Shozy Hibiki Special Edition from Shozy at no cost in exchange for my honest and unbiased thoughts on the product. Specifications: All specifications received from Shozy-hk.com 10mm Bio...

Overview: The Seed Yin is Kinera’s spiritual successor to their very popular BD005, utilizing the same 1 Dynamic and 1 Balanced Armature driver hybrid configuration that proved successful in the BD005 whilst adding some refined touches in its design and build indicating the direction that Kinera is headed towards for their future releases. The Seed Yin is placed in the ever growing and competitive ~50 USD bracket clocking in at 49 USD SRP. Will the Seed sprout and allow Kinera to turn on a new leaf? We will find out. Disclaimer: The Seed unit I have...

*Disclosure: I purchased the FiiO Q1 Mk II myself for full price.* http://www.fiio.net/en/products/76 Overview: The FiiO Q1 Mk II, FiiO is their second foray into their Q lineup (Now consisting of the Q1, the Mk II, and the Q5) and brings a novel feature rarely seen at the price point, balanced output. Were there any sacrifices made to pack that feature into such a portable frame? If there were any, what could those be? Enough lollygagging and on to the main portion of this review. Specifications: From Penon Audio website...

Special thanks to HeadPie for hosting my impressions on the IT01 *I purchased the iBasso IT01 at full price. Overview: The iBasso IT01 is iBasso’s most affordable and accessible option in their current IEM line up. It’s a single dynamic driver universal IEM priced at $109 from Penon Audio and the latest entrant in the ever growing ~$100 entry level IEM market. Specifications: Taken directly from the iBasso IT01 product page on Penon Audio Driver：10.0mm Dynamic driver Multi layered graphene, which is Ultra-light and stiff. Frequency response...