The FiiO FH5 (MSRP $299) is released following the success of their earlier IEM line but this time changes up the game. FiiO joined the earphone market in 2015 with the release of the EX1 and a budget EM3 in 2016. 2017 saw the expansion of their earphones with their popular F9 Series along with a variety of other earphones. Come mid 2018 with the release of the FH5 and FA7 is when things got really juicy.

See the full review at https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fiio-fh5-review.906625/

Link

The Burson Cable+ is a device that acts as an intermediate between your Source DAC output and final amplifier. It is marketed to match the voltages between them so that the two are matched more evenly through using Burson’s custom V5i audio module as a buffer.

I wish to thank Burson for offering this to me as a review unit.

You can choose to outfit the Cable+ with multiple combinations of input and output termination standards; RCA or 3.5mm are the choices available. This means that three total options are available depending on your needs. All units come with a micro USB cable and USB wall plug to provide 5V power.

Build:

The main body of the Cable+ is a beautiful block of machined aluminum. It is sturdy without any abnormal signs of free play where the cables exit from the unit. The bottom case section also looks to be a near exact fit to the top unit. These are aspects that impressed me due to the precision required to produce.

Usability:

The Cable+ looks deceptively simple. It’s two simple AUX connectors with a USB connector right? Despite its simple I/O, using it is restricted to those with separate DAC and Amplification units that also sport the proper connectors. Users with All-in-One setups or without the right prerequisites for using it are going to be left out. It’s a simple idea but I was surprised by how many devices I had to rule out from my collection. I was left with about 2-3 combinations I could use with the Cable+ out of tens of devices.

Another use aspect that may not stand out at first is power requirements and cable noise from it. While using and moving devices around, I noticed that some of the USB cables I was using as Data/Power were introducing more noise. This happened with some units but not on others with the same cable.

I also tested switching from using a powered USB3.0 hub to a dedicated USB wall plug to eliminate noise. My findings from this are that using a high quality genuine USB wall plug and a shielded USB cable are key. I was surprised at how many USB cables I owned that didn’t have these simple features. The included white Burson wall plug was good enough but I had slightly better results with a brand name Aukey wall plug.

As the Cable+ will be near other units(Amp/DAC), I had problems with noise from my plethora of ‘cheap’ USB cables at my computer desktop. I had to keep my devices separate and without overlapping cables to reduce some stray noise I was getting. The noise may not have been completely from the Cable+ but possibly from my other devices, but either way I had to move stuff around.

Testing:

The setup I used for testing were a SABRE ES9018S as the DAC from a FiiO X7 fed from its Line-Out into the Cable+ (by 3.5mm). The Cable+ was then connected to a Project-H Amplifier (by RCA). The sound can thus be compared by connecting the DAC to the Amp directly by 3.5mm -> RCA or by using the Cable+ as the in between.

Sound:

The sound from the Cable+ is undeniably ‘fuller’ with what seems to be more dynamic range while using it than without. The most notable improvements to be were in the mid-range with both the vocals and instruments. Listening to artists like OneRepublic, Imagine Dragons, and Eminem which all feature prominent and strong male vocals brought out the differences that the Cable+ made. The vocals are more in front and prominent. It sounds rich and brings truth to Burson’s claims of more dynamic sounding music. It’s more natural sounding than an EQ but at the same time, may not be for those that want a colder sound. Its empowering of the mid vocal ranges could leave some dissatisfied and could be taken as over-coloration in some cases.

What I am unsure of now is if this is due to an additional audio module (the V5i) in the Cable+ functioning as a pre-amp or the voltage matching which is the premiere functionality of the device. Either way, it improved my enjoyment of music and that is all that matters to some users.

I liked the way my music sounded with the Cable+ and would highly recommend it to users that have split units for the DAC and Amplifier with I/O that fits the Cable+. However, it was a bit finicky to get ‘right’ for me and doesn’t fit everyone. Only a few of my units supported it properly. I also noticed slight increased amounts of noise at higher volumes while using the Cable+ than without it.

If you’ve got the right equipment for it and want some fuller sounding music at an affordable price. I would recommend the Cable+ in those cases. Just be warned, it’s a bit finicky and could take about 30 minutes to setup, test, and repeat until you get the optimal placement and routing without extra noise.

Introduction:

 
The FiiO X5 II is an update to the flagship DAP released almost two years ago.  This time it comes with a PCM 1792 DAC, IPS display, and DSD decoding. The changes may seem small but they are all beneath the hood.
 

Unboxing:

 
Taking the X5 II out, I’ve noticed that while they used similar packaging ideals to that of the X5, the new one was much more streamlined in its ability to be removed from the box.  It comes with a screen protector pre-applied, its accessories, soft case, and the device wrapped in a white cover. You can see this process below:

 
 

Build:

 
The original was a black spacey hulk with rigid edges. The X5 II innovates on this aspect by reducing the aggressive side edges and increasing the box shape. This is more in line with the X1 style look.
 
The default color is now the same gray as the X1 and X3 II which makes the line the first comprehensive one that FiiO has released. This means that the entire series from little brother to big brother has a generational look to it and they do.
 
The most noticeable changes on the X5 II is the fully flat frontal area as opposed to a raised edge and the side buttons. The side now incorporates the LED status light into the power button itself as opposed to on the front. This is a nice aesthetical change but it makes me wonder if this could possibly make the power button ‘weaker’ to daily abuse.
 

Phsyical Feel:

 
The X5 II is more wieldable than the original. You had to sorta flex your hand and use an arced thumb to use the X5 original. With the new footprint and flat front of the device, it makes it easier for me to just use the device without constant hand motions. I like this change as it incorporates a lot more user input into the design.
 

Usability:

 
IPS?! Yep, the X5 II now has an “HD IPS” display. I’m unsure of the exact pixel density, resolution, color reproduction numbers, and the specs but it does look better than before. The first thing you will notice is the wider viewing angle and the sharper menus. With each year and generational change of the DAPs, FiiO has been making the UI look better and more defined. This year was no difference and seeing the X5 II for the first time was quite the treat. The dark definition in the menu scheme really works well with this screen as opposed to a washed out grey it used to look like.
I’ve noticed that despite the speed upgrades to the GUI, it has some lag moving still. I believe this can be rectified by firmware updates as the X3 II’s GUI was actually speedier than the X5 IIs. I’m currently on X5IIFW0.05 which is indeed a beta so this can be the reason.  Firmware updates past this should have this rectified.
 
FiiO has incorporated fixes that many users have asked for including favorites, playlists, DSD, and playing within folders much to the joy of fans. We’ve all these updates in the X5 II and it feels like one of the most complete DAP products from FiiO yet honestly. The original X3 didn’t have much besides the ability to play music so we’ve certainly gone a long way.
 

Sound Quality:

 
The X5 II has a different sound signature to the original X5. Whereas the original had a sharper timbre with a tendancy to be clean and cold, the new X5 II has a thicker and bouncier sound towards the side of being fun. It’s not as fun as the X1 or as boomy as the X3 II but it certainly takes elements of these together.
 
The mid range of the X5 II is the defining part of the device. It has a smooth timbre and a darker background. It packs a forward note in this range but it isn’t annoying bright thankfully.
 
I didn’t find the soundstage overly large. It was contained and not all that expansive which may not suit open cans as well as other units. Solid-states don’t do too good here.
 
The bass on the X5 II was tight and abundant which may throw off users of high ends cans. I found it to be a bit too much at times for units like the HE400S while being great for use on dedicated subwoofers in cars.
 
The transparency of the X5 II is one of the main concerns and also a general FiiO signature. It’s just not there. Transparency is one of those elements that make it so that the device is separated from the unit. You don’t want to hear the device, just the music. The X5 II  makes this hard as the mids are overly colored, dark, forward, and with its abundant bass. You know it’s there and it makes for a bumping ride but it’s another added equipment you can hear.
 
Overall, the sound quality of the X5 II is good in my opinion. It’s general signature elements are fairly high quality and can be found in amps/Dacs in the $200 price range which isn’t bad at all. It’s not musty but rather does have a noble tone to it. The faults really are visible though when it comes to how well
 

Conclusion:

 
FiiO has built a great DAP with the X5 II. It builds off previous GUI designs and comes out strong and ahead. FiiO has taken heed of concerns and really dealt with them. The X5 II is a testament to the companies earthly approach to fans and customers. It’s one of the best working audiophile DAPs on the market sub $500 from a GUI standpoint and sounds great. I would recommend it to seasoned hi-fi users.

Brainwavz S0 Headphone Review

 
Introduction:
It’s 2014 and Brainwavz is hot off the success of their S5, R3 and S1 IEMs before they have, yet again, introduced another IEM for the world market. This time, it’s a budget unit called the S0! It’s a petite black and red colored earphone that has the sharp looks of the S1 and S5, but at a fraction of their price.
 
Unboxing Video:

 
 
 
Build and Design:
Getting right into the unit, we are met by a heavily downsized unit from what Brainwavz has given us in the past. No longer are we given aggressive plastic on the wire, a super thick 3.5mm jack, or even an over-ear design. Nope, this time, it’s fully stock and ‘normal’. Quite weird considering how eccentric Brainwavz has been in the past year –check out the R3 – and how much success they have had with them.
 

 
The unit is utilitarian throughout. The driver housing is quite small and uses a ‘bullet’ insertion style that then angles itself naturally to your ear. It’s terminated by a small but sizeable stress reliever that is colored a fiery red. The flat cable – a stable feature of their IEMs recently – ends up at the cable splitter and hidden chin slider. Honestly, the best kept secret of this unit is the chin slider because of how intricately it fits into the pattern of the cable splitter. It appears to be part of the splitter construction itself, but a few prods and pulls revealed a petite delta shaped morsel that separated itself from the pack. But after that, we end up at the small terminating 3.5mm plug that sports the same jigsaw pattern as the terminator and splitter. It’s a much downsized and torpedo shaped plug this time.
 

 
While the overall usage of the unit has been improved drastically, a few annoyances still remain. The flat cable and over-ear design on the S5 makes it angled weird (as the cable is ‘shaped’ and not circular), and so the regular hang-down style of the S0 fixes this quite well. The unit fits snuggly in the ear, and the overall cable is light enough to not cause a lot of tugging during walking. The problem then remains in the y cable itself. The semi thick plastic that wraps it is not of the highly maneuverable kind, it holds a sort of crinkly shape that it develops overtime from bending. This makes unknotting the unit hard at times as the stiff y-cable just makes it a pure joy to work with, said no one ever. The second problem I had was that due to the stiffer nature of the cable (not saying it is by any means ‘stiff’, but it is just enough to have a few problems that I’m noting) I have problem using the chin slider as it keeps getting stuck. The unit is overall fine for use, but a few kinks here and there could be worked through in the future.
 

 
 
Accessories:
The accessories that the S0 came with were the standard that Brainwavz gives us. It’s the usual multiset pack of ear tips and a pack of the S0 specific specialty tips. Next up we got the 3.5mm to quarter inch jack, and lastly the shirt clip. All of this is housed in the nice soft – but fairly hard – case that Brainwavz gives standard with nearly all their more expensive IEMs right now. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s nice to have. My only criticism is that the case is just a tad bit too cramped. This works better for company logistics and personal packing, but I’d rather it have a bit more room.

 
 
 
The S0 was tested with the Encore mDAC sporting a Sabre ESS 9023, the FiiO X5, X1, and an Objective 2 with Burr Brown op-amps and finally a Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC.
 
Sound:
The general sound signature of the S0 can be said to be warm with an airy mid and a strong bass. The S0 had a fairly good sound signature for the price, especially considering the accessories they include.
 
The mids of the S0 are a bit pulled back with a tendancy towards being clear rather than ‘accurate’. The unit is able to produce a clear vocal range that is separate from the other sonic frequencies. Not to confuse clear with forward or bright, as there is a difference and the S0 is neither of those. The downside to this is the vocal fullness is a bit thinner than usual, but at this price point, it’s not that much of a strike against it. But the clarity really helps it as it works well on close to all genres. This makes lead singers stand out from the rest, and it’s pretty good at doing it consistently. The spatial separation in the mid range was something I was not expecting from a unit in this price range. It has an almost concert hall sound for the mid-range whereas the instruments and bass are much closer.
 
The bass is quite polite with good texture. It’s not very noticeable or loud, but it offers a well meaning background ‘oomph’ to most tracks. It adds to the song, but it isn’t as prevelant as I would have wanted it. This isn’t necessarily bad as it means it works better for classical music. The best part about it though, was the texture. It was this vibrant buzz deep in the song that kept it going when the bass kicked in.
 
 
Conclusion:
Overall, the layered sonic ranges, textured bass, and the clear vocals make the S0 a nice sounding unit for the price. It’s normally $50, but Brainwavz puts it on sale for $25 every now and then which is a fantastic price!
 
 
 

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Product Info:

 
 
Buy it here:
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-s0-iem-earphones-free-fedex-2-day-to-select-destination
 
Product Page here:
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/s0.html

Brainwavz S5 Review: 

There are questions, and then there are questions that you get asked constantly. One of the most common requests of knowledge from me are on if unit X is better than unit Y. And commonly enough, Brainwavz is thrown into that loop every so often. This is probably due to how popular their untis are in the price range and the rave reviews they typically get. And so today, I have the new Brainwavz S5 with me, and I’m wondering if there is truly going to be a new answer to the age old question of what unit people should buy.



Brainwavz is a personal audio company commonly sold through mp4nation. They specialize in making IEMs and headphones – their primary markets – competitive to units that are worth so much more. They compete through their attention to sonic competence and build durability; so far, their ideology is holding up quite well. The newest entry to their seemingly mantra based company is the S5, especially right after successful launches of the S1, R3, and Delta. The S5 takes a little bit from all three and places them into a nice package.



To start off with, the build of the S5 is similar to the S1s’. They are of a slightly ‘thicker’ build due to the girthy flat cable, 3.5mm cable terminator, and the insertion driver design that the S1 also used. It’s seems to have its durable points covered while still allowing for relative flexability. This seems to be because the S5 took the S1’s strong points of being very build heavy, but mixed it with a slightly lighter and less Hulk like design. Almost like a mix between the S1 and the cable end of the R3.



The driver housing seems to be of lighter grade material than the S1. The S5’s are undeniably plastic with their glossy surface and in how light they are  are metal (this has been brought to me as information by the commentor below) I was a bit disappointed to be honest when I first saw it. The S1 took me a few minutes to discern if they were actually metal, plastic, or a hybrid. They were also weighty and felt reliable. That’s not to say the S5 can’t be all of those things. They can indeed still be reliable, and better yet, their lighter weight can help with insertion and keeping the drivers in your ear. I can’t personally say that I take preference to the S5’s build on the driver housing. But I can say, that they are in no ways a con; it’s rather a mix match of what your priorities are. For those that want a lighter housing for ease of inserting and staying in place along with overall weight. These work for those guys. For others that want a unit that even the Hulk can use, you may want to look at the S1 or even the Nuforce NE-700M.



All in all, the design philosophy of the S5 is a victory on the part of principle and that it actually works. In terms of principle, it shows how Brainwavz is actively listening to users of their previous gear and making noticeable and deliberate changes to their product line with speed. I remember remakring in my S1 review on how awkward and thick the headphone jack was and in how the entire unit was slightly on the heavy side. And while some may take issue with the S5 for being lighter and having less perceivable build, the S5 still works and it does its job well. The flat cable, smaller headphone jack, and driver housing inserter are all in great shape and do their job well.



The Brainwavz S5, with the Comply tips, act as great sonic isolators. I’ve used this in loud enviroments, train journeys, and for walking past Harleys. They pretty much can get rid of most of the sound. The thing they can’t get rid of are the very low rumbles that an environment may produce. This can be the hum of the car engine, the rumble of a Harley, or the tracks on a train; all of these are things I’ve experienced. They are still excellet in getting rid of the general noise of the environment though.



Brainwavz knows how to impress, and they do it yet again with their goodie bags. Yep, you know what I’m talking about. I’m talking about all the accessories that Brainwavz showers its owners with. Upon unboxing the unit, I knew I was in for a treat as the red carrying case was bulging under the weight of whatever was in it. Inside were a bag load of siliclne tips, a Comply tip set, a 3.5mm to quarter inch adapter, and warranty information. I was most surprised at the new jack adapter and Comply tips this time. They were both quite fancy and made me feel like they were exotic goodies. For the most part, I’m impressed with what Brainwavz gives its owners and do like their goodie bags.



 
The general sound signature of the S5 can be described as clear with a slightly thick undertone with a palpable timbre in the mid range. It’s almost a sonic mix between the thick S1 and the detailed R3.



The mid range of the Brainwavz is active with a forward presentation. The vocals are quite clear and generally full of detail. They don’t have a veil to it and are entertaining to listen to. They are a good match for the tier of this unit and its performance and I like them. But the issues come in the finer parts. They aren’t completely full; there is a bit of ‘soul’ lacking from them. This exacerbates a slight issue on the part of naturalness that gets amplified due to the lack of fullness to them. They are a bit anemic in regards to how natural the timbre and direction should be. Just slightly off balance, but nothing completely out of place. The last thing to note is that they have a very slight – and rare- instance of sibilance evey so often. It’s not very pronounced or loud, but it does happen.

The instrumental mid range is one of the best parts of the S5. Whereas the slightly colder mid range and a lack of soul extension makes the vocals a bit stale, the insturments benefit from it. Often times, too full a mid range makes the instruments too thick. The S5 gets it just right here as instruments are detailed without the tonal warmth to it that many other units have issues with. The instruments also get their own space apart from the vocals and so its quite a good mixture of the two. Listening to instrumental tracks is a guilty pleasure of mine with the S5. They entertain the listener without getting too sharp or hot, and this is pretty important for a unit at this price.

The kick of the low-end is precise and loud enough that it pleases, but not far enough that it becomes a competitor in car-audio. It doesn’t show up that often, but when the bass is required by the song. It delivers a precision strike of good low-end kick. It was a rewarding instance, to be listening to a clean and mid heavy song, only to wait for the moment a bass drop would appear, and in where the S5 would deliver beautifully.

The highs of the S5 don’t have much to be introduced. They are slightly passive and do deliver a bit when needed, but I did find them a bit dull during the times that they did make an appearance. It’s good to have a high range that isn’t bright, but at the same time, its not good to not have a high range. It’s a fair dilemma and I think that the S5 produces just enough to make it above the imaginary line of what works and what doesn’t.

Overall, the sound of the S5 was detailed and offered itself as a great unit for listening to instrument heavy tracks; they were still quite doable with vocal tracks, but that wasn’t their shinning moment. The unit had a good design and build standard reminescient of the R3, and S1 and it worked quite well. And so what do I think of the question on how this unit stacks to the others? Well, I find the S5 to be a great middleman of having a lot of strong points that the other Brainwavz’s also have. It’s a balanced and middle decision really, and if you want something that is the best of all worlds with a slight loss in a few areas. Then I say that the S5 is your new friend.

Nuforce NE-700M Review

 

 

 

 

 



 

Introduction:

NuForce has always been one of THE companies in headphone audio that you look for for amps and other such accessories. But their decision to dip into the IEM market has been met by many with curiosity. Can they perform? And at what price? Are the most common questions people ask when a company takes a step in a new direction. Well today, PTR has got itself a hold of Nuforce’s newest revision of the NE 700M. Does it perform at the price tier, and if so, how well? We’ll answer that in the article today.

Unboxing Video:




Unit Quality:

The Nuforce is a solid unit – hell, it’s one of the most complete and systematic ones I’ve used – from the cable jack, to the cable itself, and finally to the driver housing. The first thing I noticed was that it was uniform throughout, utilizing a high quality build complex. Some units feature great build quality in the driver housing, and then give you a piss poor excuse for a cable and jack. Thankfully, Nuforce hooks us up with the whole shabang, no mods needed to make it barely usable.

The driver housing is completely metal, and it is quite utilitarian in its shape; the housing doesn’t impede on your ears. It has a rounded – yet blocky – style to it which reminds me of a telescope. But despite its build, the driver remains light to hold, and stays confidently in the ears for prolonged periods without issue.

The NE-700M’s cable is thin, but it offers good durability, and more importantly, flexibility. It doesn’t whip around a lot, and it untangles fairly easy as well which is a solid plus.   It should be noted that my units microphone was faulty. The jack is CTIA as it is iPhone compatible, but it didn’t work with anything I plugged into it. Nuforce offered to replace the unit, but I declined it as they were more than helpful to me already in procuring the unit. Despite this glitch, I am still fairly confident of Nuforce’s quality control, and in their cables.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather Effects:

The NE700M has an adverse effect – like most IEM’s do – when exposed to very cold weather. The driver suction is affected negatively, and the silicone tip suction works in varying degrees. It is recommend to use Comply’s in this situation. I almost had a fit of rage with the NE700M because it kept falling out, having bad driver flex, and acting up in the winter. Thankfully, the Comply’s saved my relationship with the IEMs



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Microphonics:

There is barely a noticeble amount of microphonics when the IEM is used as intended. This means worn properly and using the neck slider and shirt clip. Without those, and the sound of the cable is audible, so I recommend you do at least one of those tips.



 

 

 

 

 



 

Isolation and Leak:

The NE700M fairs as one of the better IEM’s on the market for native isolation. It offers a great personal experience and keeps out a plethora of outside sounds. This is to be expected of an IEM of course, but the 700M fairs as one of the better units for its innate passive ability to isolate.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amp Requirement/Driveability:

The unit doesn’t require an external amp for the sake of driving it. It is capable of being powered off a mobile device.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testing:

The unit was used with the FiiO X3, FiiO X5, iPhone 4S, Miu MKTP-1, Project-H, Matrix Audio mini-i Pro, and many more. The NE700M was predominantly used with the Comply tips.



 

 

 

 

 

 



Sound Signature:

The NE700M’s have a mellow sound signature that can primarily be described as warm, and bassy. The vocals are a bit laid back with a slightly dark background, whereas the instruments kick butt hard. The bass kicks quite heavily with the tracks as well. It is a fun unit for sure, and compliments mainstream genres very well.


















Highs:

The highs on the NE are like most IEMs of this tier, barely noticeable. They don’t offer much presence in most songs, however they do appear and are consistent with its note when it is required. I would have liked to hear a bit more from the unit though, despite its darker signature.



 

 

 

 

 

 



Mids:

The mid range of the unit have a slight dip in them. The vocals are a bit subdued and have a slight veiling effect. However, despite that, they are for the most part full. It is almost a V shape, except that it is nowhere as extreme. The NE700′s do have issues sometimes in where the upper mid range vocals lose clarity due to the instruments in that area. Despite this, the Nuforce’s have good extension in them and work well for most genres.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instruments:

The NE700M excels more at instruments thanks to its favorism in the upper mids. Some call this airy, and this is one of the few times I will agree. Commonly, airy headphones are described as such when they have painful peaks in the upper mids. The NE’s with Comply tips, thankfully, do not. They are pretty much absent except when called for. When the instrumentals do arrive though, the NE’s deliver hard and fast. Cymbals and string instruments are beautiful to listen to on this unit. If there is anything to be said about the NE700 it would be that it is great for people who want mellow vocals, and kick ass instrumental sequences.



 














Bass:

The NE700M is innately a bassy IEM, and it kicks hard. The best part about the bass is that it is so situational on this IEM. It adds the subtle thump to the song, and makes many nuances in the song shine. I can’t really imagine a world without bass to be honest. And the NE700M can’t either, thus, it adds a bit to everything it can. Some purists won’t like this, and I can definately see that. But for those that do – and believe me, there are many – this is the perfect thump for you.



 

 

 

 

 

 



Overall:

In conclusion, at $70, the new revision of the NE 700M is well worth the price. The sound signature is lusciously dark, and despite its flaws in the mids, it still manages to shine by making the best of what it has. The unit kicks through most tracks without problem and with the Comply tips, the NE 700M’s work in virtually any weather condition or time of year. And considering that its build quality is strong as well, I can only say that this unit is a winner. It sports great sound in a uniform package, and its fairly easy on the wallet as well. I highly recommend this unit for listeners of pop, rock, and rap.

 

 
 
Review: Astrotec AX-30
 
Tuesday, April 15th, 2014
 
by Bowei Zhao & Ethan Wolf
 

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For several years now, Astrotec has been a name familiar to enthusiasts as a manufacturer of value-conscious, yet quality-engineered, balanced armature IEMs. This past year, they began shifting over to hybrid IEMs en masse.
As the smaller sibling of their AX-35, the AX-30 stands out, being comparably built for only $70: significantly less than the triple-digit MSRP that its big brother commands. Will it sound anywhere near as good?
 
Bowei Zhao
 
The first thing you'll note about the AX-30s – besides the sleek name – is they are compact in almost every way. The box for the IEMs is the size of an ink bottle, and a bit substandard. The construction of the box, and its feel was less than impressive. Ethan's box showed up ripped, and my own had scratches and crinkles around it. Needless to say, the box's construction quality and printing isn't comparable to most retail packages on the market right now.
 
Inside, we are met with foam packaging, the IEMs, extra ear tips – including a set of Complys – ear guides, and a manual; pretty standard in accessories. There isn't anything particularly noteworthy about the accessories besides the Complys and the ear guides; these are a treat to get. The foam tips aren't fully compatible with the AX-30s – there is a bit of freeplay in its fit – but there aren't any problems once they are in your ears.
 

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The AX-30 sports an athletic build that looks similar to a piston. I'm immediately impressed with the AX-30's build and look. It's minimal, but also aggressive. The cable is lightweight and thin, terminating in an equally thin jack. The aluminum on the Astrotec has an amazing luster to it, a milled look encapsulates the unit. There is a smooth ring at the back of the driver that finishes off the bold look. In the right light, you can't help but feel authority coming from the AX-30. The problem is that I can't see the AX-30s having a long life span. There is no way of telling what the durability of the AX-30s are. Only time will tell. But the thin cable, small termination jack, and minimal strain-relief on the unit worry me.
 
The Astrotecs have a clean sound that is worth more than its asking price. The AX-30 is on the neutral side of the spectrum with forward vocals, a slight bass punch and clarity throughout the rest of the spectrum. The mids have a feathery timbre that isn't too heavy; excellent in their sonic reproduction. The overall frequency response features great synergy without thickness from overlap. This is getting rarer in the audio business.
 
The sound signature of the Astrotecs are similar to reference cans. The sound is light without too much reliance on a heavy hitting mid-range or bass. It's focused more on reproducing the music as designed, rather than adding its own remix. But this signature is a double-edged sword.
 
While it is more accurate at reproducing music than other IEMs in this price range, this signature is also one of the least fun to listen to. The presentation doesn't engage the listener as much as something like the Brainwavz S1. This is a problem because the AX-30 leaves the impression of being a portable get-up-and-go unit, except it won't get down and jam with Macklemore.
 
I find the sound quality of the AX-30 - while terrific - is betrayed by its design. The unit looks and feels like something that will rock-the-boat, except that it doesn't. Its build targets one market while the sound targets another. This isn't a problem for those that want the neutral sound signature, as much as it is for people who buy this based off preconceptions based on the components aesthetics.
 
Ethan Wolf
 

	​

Starting off with the aesthetics of the AX30s: I would describe them as clean and simple. Theres no writing on the IEM, other than Astrotec. The aluminum is very pleasing to the eye. Furthermore, the aluminum is also very durable, however, the cable is a little thin, and it may not last long. I cannot comment on their long term durability though, as I haven't had them for long.
 
Don't be an idiot like me, and not search the box by the way. The accessories are in a secret compartment, under a lot of foam. I almost missed them. The accessories that come with this IEM are: small, medium, large tips and one-size-fits-all comply tips. Also, there are adapters to change the AX30s to over ear IEMs, which I find work very well. The tips work perfectly too. I do not have the same problem as Bowei with the Comply foam tips.
 
As a huge fan of cables, I like the stock cable. It's very attractive, with a small y-split; it's built out of aluminum, akin to the jack. There are no microphonics, which is an accomplishment. Some headphones priced much higher have problems with microphonics. The cable is a little over 3 feet long. That's a good length for portable use. But the cable, while very attractive, is fragile. It's very thin, and is a point of concern for durability.
 
The isolation, with the supplied rubber tips, is mediocre. They do not offer the best seal. However, the isolation with the Complys are much better than the rubber tips, and I also prefer the sound with them. They make the signature darker, though Bowei warned me that this is a normal characteristic of Comply tips.
 
Continuing on with the differences between the tips: I found that the AX-30 was too analytical for me with the rubber tips. The Complys remedied this situation a little, but not completely. One of the most important aspects for a headphone, to me, is that it has to work well with poor recordings. Unfortunately, the AX-30 doesn't. Some of the pleasure music I listen to is horribly recorded and mastered, which requires a smoother headphone than the AX-30.
 
Looking deeper into the sound, the lows presented are tight and fast. The bass goes fairly deep, however, you will not hear much of it. This IEM is neutral. Listening to the song, "Once In A Lifetime" by The Talking Heads, the mids overshadow the bass. It's not too obvious, but it's noticeable. Looking at mid-bass on the song "Ben's My Friend" by Sun Kil Moon, it's detailed and clean. Yet, again, it can be a little overshadowed by the forward mids.
 
Moving onto the mids: they are the most noticeable part of the AX-30. Luckily, they are also the best part of this IEM. Listening to Radiohead's "Subterranean Homesick Alien", Thom Yorke's voice is presented cleanly and full of detail. To test the speed of the mids, I queued up the song, "Chain Smoker" by Chance The Rapper. The speed could be better. It isn't very fast. It's not agonizingly slow, but it could be faster.
 
The soundstage of the AX-30 is good. I never felt like it was in my face. The imaging, for the most part, is on point.
 
Lastly, the highs are smooth and detailed. They aren't aggresive, which is a positive thing. Who wants their ears to hurt? St. Vincents, "Chloe In The Afternoon" was presented smoothly, and the highs were in a good position in correlation to the mids.
 

	​

 
 
Conclusion:
 
The Astrotec AX-30 may not seem like much with its subtle looks and retail box. But don't fret, this IEM is fantastic.
Coming in at $70, it presents a detailed sound signature, hinting a bit on the analytical side.
The retail packaging of the IEM is a bit lackluster for the price though, considering that it ripped easily.
Despite these shortcomings of the AX-30, this is a good sounding IEM that comes with a plethora of accessories for close to every situation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Original content provided by Audio360.org and is available at http://www.audio360.org/iems_a0025_review_astrotec_ax-30.php

Introduction:
Fischer Audio unveiled its new triple balanced armature IEM recently and the press’s went wild. FA has been known to be a great value audiophile company for a long time now. So many wondered if the TBA-04 was the same. Their full size studio line came out to glowing reviews, so is this the same? Today, Panda Tech Review, gives you a look at the Fischer Audio TBA-04. Let’s see how it is.
 
 
Build (Driver / Cable / Termination):
The build is a bit disappointing on the TBA-04. It’s entire body is plastic. Not extremely hard plastic like the kind that is hard to tell from metal, and that is very heavy. It’s the lightweight, shiny kind. This of course plays into the need for a lightweight unit as the way it fits into the ear. But it is still a bit unacceptable looking at it. There are many other products today that use just the suction force of the IEM to keep the unit in place that still have better quality driver build than this $300 unit. The plastic actually looks almost like modeling pieces stiched together. The nozzle itself is also plastic, and what seems to be proprietary from the looks of it due to how small it is compared to most nozzles. (I believe). The wire termination, and cable strain relief is also quite mediocre. It’s a twist type of cable that has good flexibility and apparent well made, but I highly question its long term life. The cable, although of good flexibility, and of solid wiring, isn’t braided exactly with sleeves and fancy material. It is also quite thin. The wire is not removable and uses extremely thin wire strain reliefs on it. The termination plug(3.5mm plug that inserts into your device) itself is also very simplistic, and minimal. Not too much fancy design. Small, short plastic is what describes the termination. Not too glorious, you may think considering all I have said. And you are right, but its not all like that. We need a bit of analyzation to see the good side.
 
So there’s the bad, what’s the good with the build? Everything is in fact well done on the build. This means that the letters, the colors, and design is all accurate, and high quality. The fit is ergonomic for most ears and plays into how and where the cable should exit the unit. It’s a very smooth and somewhat wrap around driver fit in that the driver isn’t extremely horizontally outsticking like say a TF10. The wire’s flexibility, design, and wire termination although minimal and questionable, works extremely well with the style of the TBA-04 which is small, somewhat artistic and great sounding.  If you are wondering what this means, well imagine if the TBA04 had a very thick single nonbraided cable with a thick strain relief component. You probably are now thinking that it will probably be weird to with such a light and ergonomic driver, but with thick, full size class cabling. And that is exactly the type of analyzation that one may try to make as to why the build quality isn’t up to what they may feel about a $300 UIEM.
 
So there are the two sides. Panda Tech Review believes in presenting both sides of the arguments before offering its full opinion as a way to give its readers the full idea of what the unit is like.
Panda Tech Review’s opinion on the build of the unit is that while it is fitting for the unit, it is a bit lackluster for a unit of its cost and usable style(portable).  Portable units need to have a decent amount of build quality, every day use durability, and the ability to possibly be sat on, have a backpack on top of it, etc. With my inspection of the TBA 04, and its build qualities, this is unfulfilled. Unless the plastic and wire and its entire system uses has some incredible build technology or has some inner ‘exoskeleton’ I didn’t know about. I do not believe the quality of materials, and its build is a good representation of a $300 unit.

 
Continue Reading at:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/fischer-audio-tba-04-review/
http://www.head-fi.org/t/690252/fischer-audio-tba-04-review-triple-balanced-armature

Introduction:
The Brainwavz HM9 is stylish, sleek, and intimidating. Can those three words even fit together? Notwithstanding this weird combination that embodies the HM9 – and believe me, it fits quite well – it is still passable as fashionable. At $130, the HM9 has some unique features in store. Read on to find out more!
 
 
Unit Build:
The only term I can think of to describe the HM9 would be ‘tank’. I’m not talking about the main-battle-tanks(MBT) of today, but of a tank somewhere off into the future. The HM9 is surrounded by metal and hard plastic. The side arms are raw and strong in that it’s flat, before bending into a much more ‘soft’ shape; just like the frontal armor of an Abrams. There isn’t any free-play or twisting in the metal – although the side arms is actually composed of two metal pieces – it is undoubtedly there to stay. This holds true for the headband and driver housing as well. These two sections are hard plastic bolstered to the edges of durability with intertwined metal. That’s not to say that the headband won’t snap, or that the driver housing won’t crack. The metal fortification however does help with day-to-day abuse and I can personally attest to this. The HM9 was shoved into backpacks and tight spaces through my everyday usage and testing; it has held up incredibly with no permanent scuffs or damage yet.
 
Continue Reading at:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/brainwavz-hm9-review/
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701600/brainwavz-hm9-review

Introduction:
Multi driver IEM’s are the talk when it comes to linear armature driver based units. But a dynamic driver based IEM having multiple drivers? Well here we are today with Brainwavz’s new dual dynamic driver in ear monitor. Armed with an acoustic and a bass driver, the piston shaped IEM seems ready to either take on the linear armature competition, or take on the competition for the most unique looking IEM. Whatever it is, the R3 is distinctive, new and different. Let’s take a look at how it is today.
 
Unit Quality:
The unit I received is a pre-production sample. I was notified that some things with the unit itself was being changed possibly. This review will like to alert the user of this. For the purpose of the review and making it as fluid as possible, the current unit I hold and its build will be held to be the ‘real’ thing. All accounts will thus be held to the unit I hold.
One of the first things you will notice about the R3 is it is shaped extremely weird. It almost looks like a piston or hose with valve. However, come great shape comes great build. The metal used on the R3 is very solid, thick and undeniably ‘metal’ at its core but smooth to the touch, and light in its weight. You can see its sheer raw-ness in the straight and almost  un-refined cuts down its sides. The thickness and size tells you that it must weigh a lot and that those edges will cut your fingers. The moment you touch them is the moment those ideas are dispelled. The R3’s driver material build is raw, dominating, but ergonomic. Wonderfully crafted and executed by Brainwavz.
There is a slit on the side of the R3 with a wire leading from the bass driver to the acoustic driver. You can visibly and clearly see the wire glued to it. It is unknown to me if this will cause any problems as the wire is exposed to the elements or if it may pose a hazard(doubt it would, but you can never be too careful). The wire is glued flat to the inside so its not something that will come right out rest assured.
 
Read More here:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/brainwavz-r3-review/
http://www.head-fi.org/t/688928/brainwavz-r3-review

Introduction:
FiiO has come a long way in recent years – quickly developing and releasing well-valued products – with its line of amps and DACs. Today, we have one of the newest additions to the FiiO family; the E18 Kunlun. FiiO’s Kunlun is designed as a computer and Android-device USB-DAC and portable-amplifier. At $160, can the E18 perform its duty?
 
Unit Build:
There are a million ways to describe a FiiO – good sounding being a common one – but having a sexy build always is one of the first. The E18 uses the stealthy milled-aluminum look of the E12, in addition with a top control bar surrounded by a silver strip.
 
The silver strip, build-edges, and control-panel plate are plastic. It’s hard to tell on first look, because they blend in so well with the metal. It looks good, as the black plastic provides a matte complementing-gradient to the shiny metal. I would personally say that the plastic seems strong enough – albeit a tad lightweight for me - for the purposes of the E18.
 
The feel of all the buttons is impeccable. There is a satisfying ‘click’ followed by every push. It isn’t loud or hard to press, but neither is it squishy. They don’t have much wiggle-room and are machined out of aluminum; which is a standard FiiO trait.
 
The body of the E18 is probably the most eye-catching part. The stealthy black metal –silkscreened with FiiO’s legendary logo – and its control scheme intimidates and excites me. It looks busy at first – there seem to be so many buttons – but once you play with it for a bit, you’ll know that it isn’t nearly as domineering. But, what really takes the cake is in how well the metal is kept. The E18 has been traveling with me - surrounded by other sharp-metal amps - in a small pouch. Despite this, its metal body still looks as fantastic as the day I got it.
 
Overall,  the build of the E18 is quite nice. The metal looks great and matches its cousin – the E12 Mont Blanc – while still having adequate space for the components inside. I would rather they have used metal for the plastic parts –despite plastic being a better ‘shock barrier’ – but it still works well without any problems.
 
Read more here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/696529/fiio-e18-review
 
http://www.pandatechreview.com/fiio-e18-review/

The Colorfly C4 Pro is a solid device for people that want a desktop replacement they can move around or take with them. It boasts up to 96GB’s of storage at the moment and comes with all the bells and whistles you would want from a desktop unit. The unit sounds fantastic, and comes equipped with a simple UI for file navigation. The C4 does fall a bit flat in the areas of build quality, and has a few physical and software usability issues. While these don’t play much into the device considering its desktop niche target, I would still like a $799 DAP to be perfected more.
 
Overall, while the Colorfly C4 Pro costs a pretty penny, it allows you to bring top quality audio playback and output features with you on the go. Its retro handcrafted design looks and feels amazing, and the unit stuns everyone that sees it. I would recommend the unit to people who are looking for a DAP at home to use as an auxiliary or as a ‘portable’ desktop unit.
 
Read more at:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/colorfly-c4-pro-review/

Introduction:
FiiO has been a very popular brand in affordable headphone audio accessories for the past few years. Their line out docks, amplifiers, DAC’s, and plenty of other gadgets have redefined what you can get for your money. FiiO has now launched their first DAP, the X3. This player has been in the works for many years now. It was plagued when it started and went on hiatus until 2012 when it was brought back to life. Now in 2013, The X3 is finally here, and many think it will redefine what a $200 DAP can do. It packs physical and software features that fans want at a good price. I wish to thank FiiO for this review sample, now let’s take a look at this audacious unit
 
.http://www.pandatechreview.com/fiio-x3-review/

Build Quality
The FiiO X3 was designed before the E17, so its build is a bit dated in terms of how it looks compared to FiiO’s new sleek and stealthy units. But for the most part, it still retains a lot of FiiO’s qualities. Where it keeps the metal back and combination of plastics and metals. The back of the X3 looks like something current, while the front shows its dated approach. It looks like the back-plate that keeps the current design was added in just for that purpose. The metal on the sides leading up to the backplate is different from the backplate itself. From the sides up, there is a bezel circling the unit. This bezel is plastic, and finally we get to the flat top of the device. Where the top portion is the plastic covering the screen, and the bottom is the (current gen) metal design. Within the metal are 6 buttons and ‘skidding’ strips with plastic bases for the volume and movement keys.

Now that the design of the X3 is out of the way, let’s move on to the  bad qualities of it first. The actual quality of the material used on the X3 is a bit disappointing compared to what is used on other FiiO devices, but is a granted. Whereas the E12 and E07K feature pretty hunky metals on them, the X3’s back and side plates feel very thin. Squeezing it a bit hard on the sides and back shows a slight flex of the metal. There is also a notable squeak noise when pressing the unit down showing the looser tolerances in the device. The bezel is also easily chipped and damaged. A slight scuff put a notable but very small chip in it. So be wary of dropping it, although the loose tolerances, and body may protect it. It will come out looking uglier than before.

These are a bit disheartening, but are also understandable. The X3 is a DAP with a big battery, amplifier, DAC and all these parts in it. It has to be light enough so users don’t complain about it being a brick while still being heavy enough. The cost of the battery, materials used in it, and R&D put a probable big cost on the X3. So using airplane grade lightweight metal is also going to be out of the question when this thing has a recommended retail of $199.

Ok, I hope you are still with me, so let’s move onto the goods. This device is still a FiiO device of course. The plastic is pretty durable and isn’t malleable or very bendable. The screen plastics keep it from getting scratches easily whilst the bezel makes it look great without additional use of metal. The utilitarian side design using simple screws around the X3 allow it to be DIY’d in case of battery problems or for any adventurous onlookers out there. If it’s easy and it works, then its good is a fine motto to use. Although the side metal is of lower quality than the rest, it offers enough resistance to pushing, scratching, and any other problems that its really a non issue for most unless they plan on doing a drop test. And lastly, the front and back’s parallel ‘current gen’ FiiO stealthy and sleek metals are still as good as they are on the others. Hard, smooth and sexy is really the word to use. They offer a great feel as you hold it, and don’t have any real issues. The buttons are also quite nice, and much more tactile than I would have thought. There are physical buttons beneath it actually to provide for a better reaction and feel to it.

Overall, the build quality of the X3, fits the device. It’s lightweight and of enough quality for a dap of this price. It allows for maneuverability and portability without being hunkered down by a paper weight and without raising costs. The lower tolerances inside it do make for some squeaks if you press it which is a shame.

Accessories:
The FiiO X3 comes with a few accessories for you to use it. It comes with 2 screen protectors, a white case, USB transfer and power cable, Coaxial adapter, and the manuals it gives you. There is no 3.5mm interconnect cable this time around, but in my opinion, its expected that if you have an external amp you wish to use with the X3, you would already have the cable yourself.

The only real fancy accessory is the Coaxial adapter. Basically, one end is a female Digital Coaxial(S/PDIF) plug while the other is a 3.5mm one. The 3.5mm end plugs into the Coaxial Output port on the X3, and the other end receives a regular Digital Coaxial(S/PDIF) cable. This allows your X3 to be the source, and to allow another unit to work as the DAC and then amp.

FiiO’s current policy on accessory replacements is that they are free. However there is the cost of shipping which is a flat $5 as they are sending it directly international. This was posted on FB and on HF, and is a program they can end at any time. As of this writing, their program is still in place.

SD Card: 
As of the writing of this, the SD card support is up to 64GB Micro SDXC with FAT32 formating, there is only one slot. This works quite well actually, there are no problems with recognizing it. Class 4 and above is recommended by me.

Even the lowest class can at max, read or write at 2MB/s. The usual MP3 is about 10MB whilst the lossless FLAC is about 35MB and the WAV at 50MB.
 
But of course maximum read or write is generally not achieved with these cards. Class 2 is meant for SD Video recording. Not to mention latency and other things with class 2 differences possibility.

For those doing FLAC's. Class 4 at the least is what seems to be the option to use

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital#Speed_Class_Rating

SD Cards are also a bit of luck of the draw with latency and data buffering(how quick it can start up and start moving data) so keep that in mind.

I personally use a 32GB Micro SDHC Class 10 card because its the same price as the other classes

             Formating the SD Card: For 64GB Micro SDXC cards, it is recommended to format to FAT32. I have not used it, but SD Formatter 4.0 seems to work and do what needs to be done. 32GB's and other cards are also recommended for FAT32 formating. This should fix most problems with X3 not recognizing your micro SD card. 128GB Micro SDXC is not yet confirmed to work or if it will work. If it keeps the same number of pins as the current SDXC cards, it should work. But that is not a definite.


Usability:
This section will be split into software usability (UI) and physical usability. For the software usability section which will be first, there will be 2 section splits. The first section will give you an overview of how the X3 does things, and the second will be on a opinion basis of what I think/interpret the usability of it. Please note, that it will be very helpful if you watch my How-To-Use video above. This will allow you to follow along and get what I am saying better. It is a long video, but will fill you in on it.

First off, I will just give you the overview of the X3. The FiiO X3’s UI is not ultra good looking, but current updates have made it much more appealing to the eye. The first menu includes the settings, EQ access, Browse Files option, Category Options, Favorites, and the Playing option which includes all the folder options. From that layer, I find what are two types of file finding styles in the X3. Automatic and Manual organization.

Automatic Organization is where the X3 takes the id3 (Artist, album, song title, name etc) tag of the song and uses that to auto sort your songs into the play all, artists, genres and albums folders. The X3 basically takes command and does things for you, and sorts stuff. For more info, please watch the video.

Manual Organization is accessed from the front menu, and by going to ‘Browse Files’. Here, you access your files as you would access your hard drives on a computer. The songs appear as they do from your computer. From here, you can organize your songs how you want. If you like to make custom playlists, or have folders and subfolders in specific ways. You can put and organize folders and files on your computer. They will show up exactly the same way when you access the Browse Files selection. Here, folders will be the names you gave them, and organization is done yourself. I have a custom organization on my SD card, so I frequently use this to quickly find the stuff I want. However keep in mind, that all the songs on your browse files folders are the same ones found in Auto. Auto just takes all the songs from the Browse Files sections(your SD card and internal storage) and auto sorts them. For more info, please watch the video.

Actual Usability thoughts now. So what do I personally think of the X3’s UI usability as of FW 1.2? It’s ok but not perfect. As long as all your ID3 tags are done correctly, the UI’s usability is actually quite good. You go into albums or artists and bam, your stuff is exactly where you want it to be.  But that’s not always going to be easy now is it? As of 1.2, ALAC/AAC have problems with their id3 tags showing up. Meaning all your .m4a songs will be stuffed into the Unknown Album and Unknown Artist folders. But this should get fixed in a release soon. Next there is the problem for scrolling. The X3 does support press and hold for its volume and movement keys. But imagine having a lot of albums or artists which many of you do. I don’t have that many, and its already a pain to move from the very top(by default) to somewhere in the middle. You can go backwards and start from the bottom, but this doesn’t really help the problem out that much. Most touch devices today allow you a side bar to quickly move to a letter and bam, you reach it near instantly.

Now, is that it? Well no, the X3 does something very convenient for Asian users. And that is list by Track Title and not name. This means that if your id3 tags are set in such a way(and the mass majority are), the moment you reach an artist or album folder. All the internal songs will have their track numbers. So the first track will still be first, but will now have the number 1 next to it. This doesn’t sound like a problem right? It isn’t until you have multiple albums under the same artist in the ‘Categories’ folder. Now you see the problem? You will now have alternations of albums. If you have two albums under the same artist, you will have two track number ones at the top(the first tracks of the two numbers) and then they go down alternating the same way. This of course is great for Asian songs that don’t use romanticization. But not for you if you are reading my review(which is in English if you haven’t realized it yet). (The solution to organizing Artist categories section by Album has been posted by me. Click this hyperlink)This also makes the Play All category impossible to use. Imagine the first song from every single one of the albums you have on your X3 being the first thing you see, followed by all the number two’s and so on. I would prefer an alphabetical play all, but thinking back on it, this wouldn’t help either as there is no scrolling, finding a song out of thousands by constantly scrolling would be extremely irritating. As of right now, the play all function is practically useless.

Moving on, the X3’s system usability besides songs is quite good actually, the player and system settings contain just what you think they contain, and there are shortcuts to adding songs to favorites, viewing their info, and quick access to the EQ controls by pressing and holding the Bookmarks/Back key while in a song. Lack of volume control unless you are in the song as of right now is pretty disappointing though. The volume key also maps to increasing or decreasing other options without entering a sub menu(watch the how to video if you are confused), but it does this for so few things that I think it should still be remapped.

Mr.Panda, Mr.Panda, but what about loading times? Well currently there is still a slight delay when loading some songs, but for the most part, its reaction is fast enough for it not to be a problem for me. Replaying some songs manually can sometimes cut off the first second of the song, but of course, this should be fixed with firmware updates.

But overall, if your id3 tags are correct, the X3’s software usability is quite workable. You can either manually make and use those playlists or count on the X3’s Categories of genre’s, albums, and artists to keep you afloat. Even the mixing due to the track title usage isn’t that big of a deal as you already know what song you want already. The X3 is a deadly device if your id3 tags are a mess though, so use this as an opportunity to clean up your library.

Physical Usability: The X3 is of good size, and reaching the buttons and controls is a non issue(unless you are a chipmunk). The volume and movement keys have a indented plastic guide underneath them. Add this into muscle memory, and after the first week of using the X3, I had no problems finding the buttons I want, but before that, expect frustration. I kept miss-hitting keys for the first week, and especially the first day. This is normal of any new device of course. The hold key keeps things nice and off while on the go, and nothing really protrudes annoyingly. The device is light to hold and offers enough build to be cool. But of course, its not always daisies and roses. The brightness is a problem outside. Even using the winter theme and maximum brightness(which offers the best outside usage) the X3 is still hard to see while outside in use. It’s not impossible but be prepared. If the X3 is sitting in your pocket while walking, the top headphone jack makes it so that you have to put the X3 into your pocket so that it’s actually backwards then how you would normally hold it. This of course is with many devices nowadays but it should be noted. Lastly, is that the micro SD input depth is not fully flush with the outside case meaning that a small bit of the SD card sticks out. It’s about a mm if not less of it sticking out, but this could make it so that you can push it by accident making your card drop out.

Overall, the physical usage of the X3 was not a problem for me while I used it. It was quite nice to use and worked with my everyday routine while walking my dog.

Battery Life:
10-12 hours is about what I am getting. This is of course not exact, full brightness is used as well. If there is huge interest in getting an exact number, I may do a full day test. But for now, what is on paper is pretty accurate. FiiO recommends using a power bank on the go.

Driving Power:
This drives the AKG Q701’s with no problems(high gain), and can drive even my more sensitive IEM’s without problems as well due to the 60 steps of volume control and using low gain.

Line out and Coaxial Out:
Both work very well. Line out and heapdhone out can actually work and output at the exact same time, this allowed me to do the A/B testing below. However, Coaxial out does have priority over the both of them if the plug is inputted there. I did not detect any sonic problems when testing this feature out.

Testing:
The FiiO X3 was used in conjunction with my Project-H unit, FiiO HS2, FiiO E12, Miu Audio MRB. And plugged into AKG Q701 and RHA SA950i for the purpose of this review.

Highs:
The high frequency response of the X3 is for the most part smooth, but is a bit more subdued than normal. The high ranges aren’t as bright and have a bit less shine to them. This is a favorable quality on the go, but as this is an audiophile DAP, its up to the user to decide if they like it or not. As there is less of a shine, this allows for more on the go comfort and lack of fatigue while listening.

Mids:
The mids are a bit more thin on the X3, they have good detail, but the more strainy/whiny sound they produce is less than desirable. This can add a bit of fatigue to the user, but the amount they are off by is not much. They have a slight upper mid spike of brightness at the very top of the range, but below that, the spike isn’t really there, and features a bit more subduing in the mid range.

Vocals:
The vocals on the X3 are a bit more elevated than normal, this allows the singers to appear more out there. The instruments then take a backwards role with the X3 rather than them both being balanced. This to me is quite favorable as it makes your favorite singers more in the center than compared to the instruments.

Lows:
The FiiO X3 features a prominent bass region, especially the mid bass which is bumped up a bit. With bassy songs and already bassy headphones, I’ve felt a need to EQ down the bass a bit at some times(a rare for me). But of course, the slight bump in mid bass prominence isn’t to be taken as an overly big one, its just a sonic feature of the X3. The extension of the X3 has no visible problems.


Popular Comparisons:
These use the FiiO X3’s line out so that the DAC remains the same while only the amp sections changes.

FiiO E12 - FiiO X3

First of all, the FiiO E12 boasts better transparency in the sense that it sounds more natural than the X3. This is in part due to the mid subduing the X3 does to the instruments. This allows for the E12’s mid range to come off as more forward and apparent than the X3’s. The background of the E12 is also much better than the X3’s. The background of the E12 is much more cleaner. I mean by this that there is more noise and closeness of instruments in the ‘background’ with the X3 than the E12. The E12’s also offer a vocal range that is brought back down, this makes it sound colder(although not the same as neutral), and cleaner than the X3 which makes the vocals more musical. There is also more boom in the bass of the X3 than the E12. Pretty expectable results in my opinion.

FiiO E07K Andes -FiiO X3

The FiiO X3 is the clear winner here, the Vocals in the Andes are about the same with the elevation but are much warmer and actually have a slight less detail and resolution. The warm coloration of the Andes is also even more so than the X3. The entire range of frequencies is also more separate on the X3, where the Andes is more compressed together. The X3 is not only a more neutral amp, but also a more transparent one.

Conclusion:
The FiiO X3 is a winner in my book. It's sound is still bassy and warm like one would expect from FiiO, but its not exactly a slouch either. It may have those qualities, but it is on the upper scale in how it reproduces sound by being quite accurate sounding. The UI is actually in working condition and will work with your life very well, granted your id3 tags are done correctly and in place. It is lightweight, and has the features that audiophiles have been asking for, for a while now. The Micro SD capabilities work very well in terms of me being able to manually organize my folders, and internal storage of 8GB's is quite nice for a starters DAP. I would have liked a better build, but this is a dated design and needs to be lightweight. At $199, its a very good new DAP to the market.

Where can I buy it?:

FiiO's site has a where to buy section, use that to locate your dealer and purchase from them.

Specifications:

Power: DC5V,2A /USB Port

FR Responce: 20Hz-20KHz

THD: <.005% (PO) / <.005% (Line Out) /

Output Power: >250mW @ 32 ohms / <16mW @ 300 ohms

Battery Charge Time: 2A Adapter =4 hours / USB port =8 hours

Battery life: 10 hours at default settings

Power Supply: Built in Li-ion battery

Internal Memory: 8GB

Expandable Storage: up to 64GB Micro SDXC Fat32

Dimensions: 109mmx55mmx16.3mm

Weight: 122g (battery included)

Comments, constructive criticisms, appreciation, etc are welcome.

Introduction:
Burson had great success with their Soloist discrete amplifier. So following this generation's niche. Let's make it smaller! And so here we have the Soloist SL. Which has one less gain, and input option than the Soloist. It is a discrete class amp. No integrated circuits, just good ole FETs and a discrete power supply. I wish to thank Burson for sending the Soloist SL to me for review and for their wonderful aftersales support which was wonderful. 
http://pandatechreview.com/1/post/2013/09/burson-soloist-sl-review.html

Build Quality:
The Soloist SL is pretty much a solid chunk of 2mm thick aluminum. Everything is bonded together nicely and it is smooth. The back and front panel don't have any build issues in terms of weird streaks, cracks or what not. The Soloist is very 'echo y' when you tap it with your hand of course. As with anything encased in aluminum near completely. Dropping it is not recommended. The buttons on the front felt solid enough as did most of the parts. The volume knobs feel when turning it is quite smooth without much resistance, but still offering some of that low end 'stopping' so that it won't turn by itself of course. The headphone output jack however on the unit I got for review does have some problems. It moves a bit and does cut out one of the channels sometimes(the fix is to turn your headphone cable a bit or to do a slight wiggle). The case's and boards are of course built to a tolerance of +- such and such mm for the volume knob to stick out so it can't be too tight fitting or else it may not fit and other issues. An internal hexagonal ring to secure the headphone jack would be nice though. This of course may just be an isolated issue as this unit is on tour and has been shipped across the entire country and to different people already.

Usability:
The SL works quite well. It has two inputs availble so that you can connect two DAC's or any analog inputs into the back and switch between them with the touch of a button. It's very simple to use, no need to read the manual even(though I did). The cables that come with it are quite thick, long and blue. They aren't speaker home theater long, but are long enough for a headphone setup. I keep my units close to the wall and the cable did have some problems as it was too thick, meaning I had to move my entire audio set forward so that the cable could have enough space to be plugged in not be hitting the wall. Some may also not like the rear mounted on and off switch. Back when I owned an Audio-gd, my audio setup made this a problem for me as the entire unit was a cm below my monitor. This caused me to have to stand up and reach around to turn on/off the unit. In my new setup, this is not an issue, but I can see how this can be a major one for some. So keep that in mind. You do need to reach to the back to turn it on and off. Having the switch on the front would have looked too tacky is what I think Burson was thinking, because the fronts of them are very minimalist.

Discrete-ness:
I am by no means an expert on electrical engineering and the stuff they teach in it like the differences between everything. Which is why I was sent this unit. But I do have some basic knowledge on IC's vs Discrete's. Discrete units separate out the units or parts such as resistors, transistors and what not into the entire PCB while the integrated circuit(IC) has many of these on the chip itself. These individual proponents means the company that makes the unit more or less has to design EVERYTHING on the unit, and can't just choose to pop in a chip made by TI or AD. This does allow for more fancy, and better units. But of course with such a huge allowance of personally designing the unit comes the risk. The engineers are making the design wholy themselves and are not using chips that have all the functions on it. This means that they must be VERY accurate in making the PCB and how the circuits interact with each other. One wrong move, and the whole prototype pcb is fried. IC units don't have these issues and are much easier to make good units as they have already tested and built IC's from other companies. Discrete designs have to be tested, engineered, tuned and have those steps repeated countless times. This creates a much higher R and D cost for discrete companies(if they don't want to copy other successful discrete diagrams that is). But when done right, can produce great sound. This is basically what Audio-gd and Burson do. The usage of a discrete power supply in the SL also allows them to engineer a low noise PSU and what not. Well there is the beginners lesson of discrete-ness. If I am incorrect in any part, let me know(with sources) please. I am by no means an expert.

Review backstory:
I do not use many high end parts. I have owned the Audio-gd NFB 12.1 and have been sent review samples of many other units. The whole point of this tour was to give people that don't use $600 amplifiers the chance to do a write up on them and what not. So this will just be my own thoughts and do not reflect an actual professional review where the reviewer would have had a plethora of knowledge and experience with units at this price point.

For this review, I used the AKG Q701 and LCD-3 and Objective 2 Amplifier. The constant DAC was the Cirrus Logic CS4398. 

Sound Quality:
Starting from the lows, I noticed that the Burson had a less noticeable low range as opposed to the O2, the extension was about the same. Whereas the O2's had more preference, the Burson layered it out and smoothed out the whole range more. The mids however were where I found it most interesting. The Burson's mids are like a pyramid where the tip was at the lower vocals and the base of the pyramid was at the upper vocals. What I am saying is that the tenacity, and presence of the vocals were more thinned out at the bottom and mids and had a more upper vocal sparkle. I personally preferred the O2's more thick vocal range as to the Burson Soloists but of course, this differs from person to person. The instruments also were more brighter on the Burson. Which I am relating to be from the upper mid focus on these. The highs are much more smoothed out on the Burson's than the O2's. The O2's were noticeably more choppy (not able to keep the pitch in a sense) when related to the Burson's. They weren't fatiguingly bright or anything which is what I prefer. I would finally say that the Burson's are more transparent than the O2. Transparency as in which makes it sound more 'real', where it sounds like you aren't listening to a unit, but to the music itself. And this would have to go to the Burson's which had a better layering than the O2's. Layering as in the separation of mids from the vocals. 

Overall:
The Burson Soloist SL is a good transparent amp for those that wish to buy it. The upper mid sparkle is not a favorite of mine, but is to many others so that's really it. It is a smooth and transparent amp that many will like.
I'd say that the Burson Soloist SL with the LCD-3 make a good combo in terms of how well the LCD-3 already layers. But there are better amps for the LCD-3 out there. 

Introduction:
Here we have MIU Audio’s or Miu Tech’s semi new MRB headphone amplifier. It is in the $100+ USD price range. IT is an intermediate level DIY kit where you put all the parts together. Surface mounts are already done. The op amps just pop in.
http://pandatechreview.com/1/post/2013/09/miu-audio-mrb-diy-headphone-amplifier.html

Please note that the 5 small image previews before most sections are supposed to fit halfway across the screen for aesthetic and visual organization purposes. Other screen resolutions may not be able to render the images format as I see on my screen and I am sorry for the inconvenience of a double uneven layers of photo's. Going to "Preferences" at the top or bottom of this page and choosing to view forums in full width may solve the problem of uneven images. 

The DIY of the MRB was pretty easy if you know how to solder. As with any build, you would need to get all your parts straight, measure them to make sure they are the correct values and meticulously put them into their locations on the board. IT was quite straight forward. The board was a bit small and there were many components. As a result, I’d call the build of intermediate difficulty. There were some problems however, with the DIY of the build. The biggest part was that the paper that came with the MRB telling you where each part goes was actually incorrect in one part. This caused three of us reviewers to each get a very big channel imbalance after it was complete. Head-Fi’ers Tilpo, b1o2r3i4s, and Deadly Lover were able to rectify the problem after receiving schematics from MIU. The problem was that the instruction sheet that indicates what components go where had a misprint. A resistor was switched. The correction has since been made. But this however does raise questions on quality controls at MRB. Another problem with the DIY build itself is that since it has a premade chassis and holes drilled, this ultimately leads to some holes not matching. This was not a big problem as some small soldering of the main parts like the volume part got it so that all three of us reviewers were able to get the main portions sticking out near perfectly. A bit cumbersome to some, but overall not exactly the hardest thing to do. However the back power recharge port does not match up properly. I have confirmed that all three of us reviewers had the power recharge port being slightly higher than the hole. Plugging the cable in however is not a problem and the port will lower down. Both a pro and con of DIY’s pre made chasis is that while you do get one that is nice and premade and nice looking, it may not fit some holes. But then we get the problem that all three of us reviewers had the power recharge port slightly raised nearly the same amount which again brings up quality control and if the manufacturer built even one unit after finalizing it.

WARNING: One of the last pictures in the set shows me with a pic of a regular non rechargeable Energizer battery, and the recharge cable adapter and an A/C adapter I had.YOU CAN NOT DO THIS. I was only putting them in the picture for pictures sakes. You NEED a rechargeable battery to use with the A/C adapter. 

Build Quality:
The build quality of the MRB is in my opinion pretty good. It is a pre machined metal chassis.  It is very smooth and looks very nice. There are some rough spots and uneven screw parts that don’t 100% match and swallow into the chassis but that in itself is what I believe to be the grit feeling you get with a DIY build like this. Where the round screws slightly overtaking the rectangular box shell beneath it gives you a feel of DIY and your hard earned build. However even though it is made out of solid aluminum, it is not what I would call drop resistant. The case itself vibrates a bit when “hit” or anything due to the design.  IT’s slightly heavy case and other factors due cause some concerns with dropping it as well so just don’t drop it.

The PCB inside is made pretty well. The battery side has a thin stretch or sliver of PCB that is about 3mm thick which is used as a “rail” to be slid into the chassis. That did give me some trouble when building it due to how thin it was and also is another factor in what would probably snap first given a drop, but the small thin stretch is in many other DIY builds so its not specific to this device in any case.

Usability:
It is quite heavy for a “portable” amp and is also a bit bigger than something I would take around with me. The thickness is about 3X the iPhone 4S itself, add in an iPhone case to prevent scratching and what not and bam, we have a setup 1 inch thick. While thickness is quite common for many other amps, at this price range and with it’s sonic qualities. It is something that has to be taken into account

Controls:
Nothing too special, a power switch, input, output and a volume pot.

Testing Method and equipment:
My reference setup will be:

ComputeràS/PDIFàAudio-gd NFB 12.1 Dual Wolfson WM8741 Fixed DAC outàCustom O2 with Burr Brown OPA2228.

Mainly tested with:
iPod Touch 2GàFiiO L9 LOD/HP out à MRB
iPhone 4S à FiiO L9 LOD/HP outà MRB
And also as well as testing with direct headphone out on both i-devices as well.

Sound Quality Section:

Highs: It’s highs are more pronounced and reach higher than would the i-Devices can. Although they are higher and thus open new doors for listening, they aren’t perfected up their.  While not harsh, they aren’t smoother either, a bit of an elongated sparkle here and there with lingering and uneven highs that the i-Devices can’t reach. Whether the MRB is an improvement or not depends on if you want smooth, but not as present highs on the i-Device or the more pronounced and technically better high frequency response of the MRB.

Mids: The mids are a bit pulled back or distant on the MRB. This includes both vocals and guitars. They are in fact duller actually than say the iPhone or my “reference” setup. They are pulled back along with it’s bigger soundstage. IT really depends on what you like, but I don’t like the MRB’s presentation of the mids. While I can take a pulling back of the vocals, the dulling of the vocals so that it has a large dull mass in the middle type of feel and duller guitars is not something I like. Instruments at this range get more oomph to it, but they get too much that they just don’t go well. String instruments are too bloated and the mids are also a bit conjested with the lower and upper mids collapsing towards the middle so the mids are a bit more contained and dull.

Lows: There is much more mid bass with the MRB than with an i-Device. I wouldn’t say it is getting muddy or bland, but they do fill in some holes that the i-Devices have left with bass lovers. However a problem is that while the MRB does have some power, it will overvolt easily with most headphones in the $200 range. This means that the signal plateaus or clips, giving you a very very distorted sound in all areas.  While this device does give you more mid bass to use, other devices that have a artificial bass boost EQ may be better if you want it. The upper bass is about the same on both i-Device and MRB. The sub bass however extends less deep than the i-Device but the upper sub bass has a bit more punch than an i-Device.

Soundstage:

The soundstage on the MRB is wider than something on my 4S or Touch2G. It is wider and pulls the vocals and mids back a bit more. It is a nice thing to have for classical recordings or what others that have a need for wide soundstages. But as the mids are duller compared to an 4S’s headphone out, it can’t exactly be said to be better for strings either way.

Overall Conclusion:
At $112 not including tax, customs, shipping if any of these are applicable and also the need for self DIY’ing the thing together, this can be seen more as a hobby rather than a ‘good deal’. Where the entire process of getting it, following directions and building it to using it brings joy and other things to the user. All the parts have been bought by MIU and you just go and build it, which is something many headphone users don’t do as they don’t want to or know how to get DIY audio parts and components. The sonic qualities of the MRB in my opinion are decent. They do have many qualities that are usually looked for such as a better bass response, soundstage, pulled back mids and better highs. But they are just not executed well, the sonic qualities that is. It has qualities that people have said that they want but it just doesn’t and isn’t able to do it as well as a headphone enthusiast would care for. The initial problem with a wrong build paper set back this review by more than a month and also was not very positive in my experience with the MRB. But overall the experience of building it with a pre made nice chassis was quite an experience that you don’t see many offer. I would more say that the MRb should be a hobby kit for those that want a kit that is just hard enough with no prior instructions on how to solder and equipment needed but are also adventurous enough to want to go and tackle it themselves and ultimately be rewarded with an amplifier.

Ratings:

Audio/Sonic quality:7/10

Features:7/10

Build:8.5/10

Usability:7/10

Value:7/10

These scores are based on price.

Noteable:

I wish to thank HEad-Fier Tilpo and Swimsonny for helping me cross reference my build with theirs. Tilpo also aided me in proof reading and revising this review that you see before you. HEad-Fi'ers b1or2i3s4 and DeadlyLover also get a heads up for their aid in looking at the MIU MRB Schematics and rectifying the problem. The idea for the small consecutive images across the sections that pertain to the pictures was used or first seen by me from Head-Fi'er Warrenpchi, he didn't want credit for this "idea" but he shall receive it none the less.

My peers Tilpo and Swimsonny also received review samples and their reviews are here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/627718/review-miuaudio-mrb-diy-buildaamp

http://www.head-fi.org/t/623409/comparative-review-of-the-amb-mini3-and-the-miu-audio-mrb

Thank you to MIU Audio for arranging this review sample. 

Introduction:
FiiO has just unveiled a new headphone amplifier codenamed Rocky. It is a update to the aging E1 and E3 designs. It features a small size but packed with features. It has a built in headphone amplifier, "High SNR" Microphone, bass boost, bypass option, 10 hour battery, inline control compatible with iPhone, metal shielding to better "shield the disturbance"(EMI presumably), and "excellent circuit design".
http://pandatechreview.com/1/post/2013/09/fiio-e02i-review.html

Build Quality:
As expected of FiiO's new builds, it is very well made. IT is more or less aluminum on the outside bar the cable, and the top and bottom hard plastic black pieces. There is little play on any of the metal sub units and everything is very nice. The cable itself and the 3.5mm jack is no exception. The metal and plastic used on the jack is also of high quality. No wiggle and feels excellent. Talking about the build itself, I would have preferred FiiOs new black styles used in the E10 and E17. 

For photo's on the build, go to the picture section above.


Cable:
The cable itself is nice. No problems really. The base connector to the E02i does not feel like it can easily pull out or move. Although sadly the cable itself is prone to twisting into weird loop positions and also when using with PMP, after turning the PMP a few times, the cable will get weird turn rolls. I fear this in the long run will put turning pressure on the base. Only time will tell. Lastly, I wish FiiO put their logo on the metal part of the jack connector. I am talking about like the RC UE1. Be it horizontally or vertically across. That would have looked very nice.


Usability:
Well so how does it feel on a day to day basis. I used the E02i pretty exclusively these past few days putting it through conditions of using it with headphones while doing chores, watching kids(how easy it is to pause and do other sutff), and also when running and various other activities. The E02i itself has a nice body but there are some issues. First of all, like I said earlier, cable twisting and looping that puts and turns the E02i into weird positions as the cable is putting a clockwise is counterclockwise "spin" on the device or if the cable rolls up. The rolling up is probably due to it being rolled up for the package and may go away but the twisting doesn't. This makes it quite annoying and bothersome sometimes as you have to go and fix the whole device setup. Which brings me to my next point. There are too many wires. The E02i comes with two clips but that doesn't help much and is actually a nuisance. The clips were weirdly chosen in my opinion. They are dual side open or whatever they are officially called. There is one that has both sides open Think of the Channel brand logo. Why is this not good? Because then when you pull your headphones off, the clips that are meant to be with the E02i will sometimes stay with the headphone wire and not the E02is. What FiiO should have used is both clips that is closed at one end and open on the other. So think of the Channel logo again and make one side fully closed. The closed side will of course be the E02i wire side. This guarantees that it can slide but will also stay on the E02i without falling off or having the user to worry about it. Currently only the top one(nearest to E02i unit) has a single closed while the bottom isn't. Continuing about the wires. There will be a mess of wires with the E02i. From your headphone wire, comming back up and into the E02i which is probably clipped to your shirt, with the E02i wire running back into your pants. 


And keep in mind that I am already using a portable headset with one of the cleanest and just right length of cables I have. It doesn't look good to have it clipped and not having it clipped defeats most of its purpose being a microphone, and controller. So businessmen using this. Clip it, inside your suit. Next would be the plug in and out pops. There is a warning about not having headphones plugged in while the E02i is on or something like that but sadly it is something that isn't always possible. With the E02i on and headphones plugged in, plugging the E02i into a device will sometimes if not generate a pop, plugging it out will get you crackles. Circuit design I am guessing. Not very favorable but I can live with it. The E02i itself as it matches with devices volume controls is not recommended for sensitive IEM's so it isn't too big a problem, although those with more sensitive devices beware.

I would also recommend that FiiO make the clip stronger. It is decently strong but when clipping to a polo shirt or other areas, it does feel very slippy with the metal not even clipping so maybe a slightly stronger spring next time. 

Lastly would be the volume control. IT is a bit unfavorable but also understood. Generally when you press and hold the down or up button on your iPhone or iPod, the volume will go up 1 step, pause for a fraction of a second and if it detects that you are still holding it, raise or lower the volume in quick steps. The E02i does not do this. Each press equals one raise. This is quite annoying but also understood why which I will get to later. Most will be used to the regular phenomenom I mentioned above so it will be quite weird.  I don't know if this would even fit but the cable itself is also a thing to think about. Frankly it is hard to even argue for a shorter or longer cable as each person and clip location is different. This isn't a critique as much as a product specific inconvenience that is already standard. 

Update: The clip is a real problem for cloth fabrics that I use. It more or less is only held there from the top part of the clip and has been falling very easy with vigorous running or at the slightest touch that pulls outwards. This is not very good for running on most materials.

Controls:

The controls of the E02i work very well and as stated. I am using this on my iPhone 4S. The volume control like I mentioned above was my only chagrin but that is also justifiable in that this is an amp. I found that when using the E02i, as it is an amp, it raises my portable headphones to dangerous volumes, which is one reason why I think FiiO may have not used the system Apple and many other companies use but it could be something else. I personally do not know to support asking for the hold and quick volume raise or not as some with easy drive headphones may get damage to their hearing if they hit it by accident too much.

The center button controls are quite simple and easy to use and remember. Here they are:

"③Music control /answer call
- Press one time: play or pause
- *Slightly press it twice quickly and continuously: next song
- *Slightly press it three times quickly and continuously: previous song
- *Slightly and continuously press it twice, press longer time for the second time: Music forward
- *Slightly and continuously press it three times , press longer time for the third time: Music backward
**It would be valid when the interval of continuously and lightly pressing time is within 1S.
- Long press it until hearing notification tone : voice control function
- Under voice memos, slightly press one time : start recording, press one time again : stop recording
- Phone call: press one time is answering /hanging up the call
- Incoming call, slightly and continuously press it for 2 seconds means refusing to answer the call." -FiiO

They work well and are very responsive. Only slowdown in controls would be due to the phone itself generally if it is doing too many operations at once. The controls do not require power to be used in the sense that if the amp runs out of power, you can simply switch to OFF/Bypass position and controls and microphone will still work.

Voice control:
Voice controls are good. It is impossible to do testing of iPhone mic with Siri and then EO2i as the results differ in such a real world environment of changing voices and pitches and what not. But in a quiet environment or even one with more noise, the E02i performs admirably. As seen in the microphone test video later on you will note some noise in the background but that does not interfer with day to day operations. However I am worried for real world loud environments. iPhone 4S and 4 uses dual microphones and a built in Audience chip with "state of the art" technology (that is more advanced in 4S than 4) to hear and decipher what it is you are saying. I believe the Audience chip used to decipher and quiet down environments and isolate words will be in use with a microphone as it is built into phone audio chips itself but I can not guarantee that. I remember that the chip uses data from the iPhones top microphone to isolate what is the voice and what not so it may not be using the iPhones technology. I have not used in loud environments and won't have a chance to so results may not be as good.

Otherwise everything is fine. Queueing up Siri takes a long hold until the Siri notification noise pops up but as the E02i is using the iPhone's already built in software, it works seemlesly. While listening to music. The long press will phase the song out quieter and quiter until it stops(a fast process of 1 second) and Siri pops up. You then say your instructions and it goes away. Some people may be annoyed that every subsequent queueing up of Siri no matter what even if it is open takes a long press but for drivers in a car, this little thing is not bad and also doesn't mess up controls for playing the music or closing Siri. With Siri gone by pressing the center button once, your song restarts seemlessly again. Audiophile devices can now be nearly as convenient as consumer ones! Listen to music with your favorite headphones and enjoying it while still be able to queue up Siri and other controls!

Microphone:
It boasts a high SNR but I still find more noise in it then with the iPhone's own two mics but that is too be expected as the iPhone uses dual microphone noise isolation technology with a "state of the art" Audience chip. But none the less, it works well. Calling other people have no problems. I and they sounded clear. They sounded even better as I could now use my headphones to hear them and just speak and have my favorite song come up after I am done! Of course I realize that voice over cellphone is very low quality but hearing it is just better I guess. More personal and using my audiophile portable headphones to boot! I was quite suprised and happy to be picking up calls, using Siri and then listening to my song. It is truly a new experience. I would want a more powerful amp and better one but that may just be stupid. I won't be using Q701's in the car or walking around the city and most portable headphones will get more than enough from the E02i.

Also, note that plugging the E02i into most computers and into your iPhone will usually by default allow you to use the E02i's mic to record. The Microphone does not require power to be used in the sense that if the amp runs out of power, you can simply switch to OFF/Bypass position and controls and microphone will still work.

Sound Quality:
My reference setup will be:
ComputeràS/PDIFàAudio-gd NFB 12.1 Dual Wolfson WM8741 Fixed DAC outàCustom O2 with Burr Brown OPA2228.


So how does it sound. Well the E02i is warm. Very warm. It is not as universal as many of FiiO’s other amps due to this but at a price point of $29 USD, most headphones used with it won’t really be picky in any case. The E02i is a warm and slightly muddy amp. IT does improve (more on what I mean by improve later)  on some things such as bass and has artificially sweeter sound but in the end still has trouble keeping up with other dedicated portable amps in the price bracket.  It’s soundstage is quite small even for a $30 amp when compared to others of the same bracket. Everything is very tight packed together with also less separation that you would expect. The saturation and bass impact of the E02i however sets it apart. For true audiophile’s.  This is a no no and is not generally wanted. But at the price bracket that the E02i targets, the E02i may be very much wanted for the effects it brings of warmness and bass impact.

I didn’t really go into depth there as well in my opinion, unlike headphones, the regular sound quality section is just short and sweet, the comparison section however is where things really matter as come on. I can say warm and muddy for any amp up to $300 but compared to what is the main question.

HOW THE AMP WORKS:

The amp does not work like a traditional one where you first set your pmp's volume and use the E02i's volume controls to control the E02i's amp. The E02i piggybacks on the PMP or iPhone/iPod's own and when you press + on the E02i, the iPhone will raise by one step which is a nice innovative dual amping way to do such a thing. It is still dual amping as it is using a 3.5mm jack but the way it piggy backs onto the iPhones interface already is a nice new thing.

E5 and E02i:

The E5 wins and undeniably beats the E02i in sound. The E02i suffers from lack of separation and or soundstage when compared against it’s many previous gen ago brother the E5. The E02i is just a very warm solid state amp in the sense that it just makes everything more saturated and vibrant but overly vibrant.  This does make it sound sweeter and more different to others but in terms of sound. The E02i however does have some of FiiO’s improvements, noticeably in the bass section. With both devices with bass boost OFF, the E02i delivers more punch and impact. However it does this with some not really punchy effects. Still better than the E5’s punch though. I won’t say which is better as some enjoy more punch at this price bracket even if it is muddy while others would rather not. The bass boost on with the E02i also delivers and amplifies the effects of the E02i even more. This means even more warm vibrancy and muddy bass punch compared to the E5 which handles it more sparingly. The bass boost on the E5 however in terms of technologically speaking isn’t as good as the E02i’s in my opinion. The E02i’s of course is more muddy in that it has car sub effects but at the price bracket, it significantly has more punch and just bass than the E5 could ever deliver.

iPhone 4S headphone out and E02i:

The E02i wins here. But not in an overall kind of sense. Some audiophiles would rather use iPhone or their headphones out instead of using with E02i’s amp as it doesn’t over saturate the sonic objects of the range and is more “neutral”  in some senses. But even with that said, the highs, vocals, mids and lows just sonically in a step by step comparison generally have the E02i winning with more enjoyability and some improvements. Such as steadier high frequencies and a punchier low and more “lusciously” warm vocal. The soundstage on 4S direct out is larger by a tad bit. Initially it may seem like the E02i may have an advantage over soundstage but it only feels that way initially. The direct out on the 4S has more wiggle room and spreads. I will say that the warm added bass on the E02i lessens the appearance of soundstage. With all said, I personally prefer the warmer sound as opposed to the direct out’s and the added punch, although on the muddy side is welcome. The added sonic improvements in softening out some highs and warmer vocals are also a nice side to see.

Sonic Conclusion:
The E02i is a good “unit” for $29 USD approx. It is not sonically as clear as the popular E5 of the same price bracket , nor is it superior in an audiophile sense. However it is superior in the things it does for the users. It adds more warmth to the music and more bass impact and overall. The added warmth for users at this price let it sound different than you would from iPhone or iPod direct out and the added bass impact and bass in itself is also welcome. I am making very generic statements on what I believe users at the price range of $29 USD find or will notice but my observations have generally shown me that they like added warmth as it shows difference and also the bass is what they also look for.

Overal Conclusion:

While the E02i does suffer sonically when compared to it's cousin the E5, for the features it packs, it is a nice update to the FiiO line. It will dual amp and has a few nit picks here in there whilst using it but overal, it is a nice portable device to have with your smartphone. I do not know if it will work with other devices yet. Tell me in the comments on what ones you tried it with. But the controls work very well, it is a very intergrated product for use with a Smartphone and mainly an iPhone 4/4S to be exact doing operations smoothly and nicely. It has some nice bass boosting properties but the biggest point is just how it has a microphone for use in the car while using your favorite headphones as well. There are other things and annoyances and compatibility issues on using sensitive headphones, plugging in the E02i creating a pop(manual says to not have headphones plugged in, but hey, hard to follow) and also the tangly wires. This is not realy just even an amp anymore so I can't say to recommend it to an amp wanter. This is mainly a device for users that wants to be able to use their smartphones(or iPhones at the moment) for many of it's features and should be bought depending on if you want to use it for the voice control, amplification and all the other nice features that I have went through above.

If you are looking for this as just an amp than look elsewhere. For the price, it's amp is a 7/10. Very average, sonically disapointing at times but with a nice bass that can sometimes make up for it. However for it's combined function, it is a 9.5 if not a very good device. It is solidly built and it's functions work seemlessly with the iPhone and Siri. The in line controls, and Mic are done very nicely and the bypass switch that I initially thought was redundant makes a world of difference.

Critiques: The first critique would be the clips clamp force and design, the clip could only be more "elongated" and not like the E5's square shape. This leads to weird clipping strength and ability to stay on the person. This changes depending on where you clip the device. The second would be why the second cable clip and slider didn't use the closed and open loop design as the first cable clip on the E02i, there is no point in my opinion. I don't know why but flipping the switch for on and off and bass boost, is a bit awkward sometimes, it isn't as quick as the E5's switch and depending on the angle you push it at, it may not move as you are pushing at it in the wrong angle and thus applying pressure to the wrong place. The Microphone is decent and good for close up vocals but it is not exactly high SNR as one would expect to use from a real microphone, it is quite good for personal talking but the dual way cancelling mic of your iPhone is better, but of course, you bought the E02i so you can have your phone in your pocket. Lastly would be the pops. It boasts excellent circuit design but yet it is still clouded over by the pops you get when unplugging or plugging in your headphones while the device is on. The volume of the pops vary from device but I have had some VERY loud and unpleasant pops from it. Putting a sticker warning of it is nice, but not productive. It means that the problem is known, but the problem is still there. I would hope an update comes out to fix this pop. Everything else are small issues but the pop needs to be fixed.

Ratings:
Audio/sonic quality: 7/10
Features:10/10
Build:9/10
Usability:8.5/10
Value:9/10
These scores are based on price. I do not recommend the E02i as a standalone amp, or as a standalone Mic or as a standalone song control unit as there are others. But together, they make a combo that someone that wants a unified device with their iPhone can't resist!

Specs:
Output Power: >70mW @ 32 ohms;   18m@ 300 ohms
Headphone impendence Range: 16 ohm~300 ohm
Freq Responce:20 hz~20KHz
Power supply: Li- ion rechargable
Size: 23.33mm x 57.3mm x 15.3mm (including the clip)
Length of the wire: 800mm (80cm)
Weight: 27 g

Introduction:
What is P-H? Project-H is a unit that combines the best parts of the audio world at a low price for people. The main project players were Borisu, Mechy, and I. The idea came to build an affordable unit that would have great sound quality. This review is my attempt at reviewing it without bias like I would for my other reviews.

Can I buy it?:
No. If you could, I wouldn't post a review on it from a product that I was involved in. This is for the people in the group that did buy them to see how it is from my point of view.
 
Read more here:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/project-h-review/
Build quality:

The build of the P-H for $150 is extremely good. But if we were to analyze it without care for cost, then it does have a few flaws. The top panel will exhibit some cave in if force is put on it. Also there is some loosening of the DAC line out on the back. Heavy bass songs will cause crackles as the bass rattles the connection loose. The frontal knob when pushed hard up and down does exhibit a few mm of freeplay but does not come loose. Otherwise, it is quite good. And if we consider the price of the unit, and the size of it, it is good for the price.

The buttons on front are very fun to push. It is always a joy to press them. There is no slow delay before unit change happens or LED lightup as some Chinese products will have which is very nice. The lettering is also nice to look at if you ignore the mistakes the contractor made.

Usability:

The P-H has some problems with usability. The stoppers on the bottom do not fully actualy resist the unit on many surfaces that aren't already fricticious. This means that when inserting the quarter inch jack, you would need to hold the unit still to insert the jack. This is a problem exhibited on many units including my Audio-Gd but none the less, not fully being stable is still a black eye. Output to DAC line out when nothing is connected exhibits line out level noise by design. This was routed to DAC line out so headphone out doesn't have it but if someone has speakers attached, when they turn off their computers, it will play until they turn the unit off. 

The only thing else with usability is operational usability. It is a bit confusing and there are some bugs as to when it will remember settings, and auto force I/O. It is confusing at first.

Otherwise, the unit works fluently. Plug the USB and power in, and press the power buttons and turn the volume. Easy as 1-2-3. 

Sound Quality Introduction:

P-H uses a Burr Brown OPA2228 equipped Objective 2 Amplifier with dual NJM 4556 output buffers. It's DAC is a Cirrus Logic Flagship, the CS4398. It is commanded by a custom B1O command board. Let's take a look.

Project-H has a warm sound. It delivers slightly less sound-stage than say something like an Audio-Gd (and their discrete's). However, the soundstage while being reduced a bit is made up for with much more powerful presense of audio. I would say that P-H is a good amp. Honestly, what do people even think neutral can mean? The Audio-Gd is much more flat in terms that it doesn't accentuate as much as P-H does. P-H has a tendacy to really bring out the vocals and the bass which I find fantastic. But both have no sonic problems, so what can truly be neutral? The more active and natural sounding amp or the one that is more analytical by not accentuating anything? Well we aren't here to ask questions. The P-H itself also has a slightly accentuated bass response. This caused some problems with the Q701's but none on any other headphones. 

Sonic Conclusion:

To sum up the sonic qualities of the P-H, I would say that it is an active, fun, and natural sounding amp. It accentuates the mids and lows which makes things extremely pleasant to listen to. There are many amps that are fun in this price range of course, but few offer the level of detail and quality that can be heard from P-H. This is a full size source. 

Introduction:
The legend has returned. The FiiO E7 is one of the world's most famous budget DAC's and headphone amplifier. It skyrocketed FiiO to fame back when it came out. It was, and still is, on the lips of many new head-fi'ers as they come to look for a budget unit for their new setup. The E7 has aged in these last 2-3 years since it has been out, but now in 2012 and early 2013, the legend itself has returned. Updated and just as sleek and beautiful as the original was. I honestly can not think of another company that has been as major a brand of choice for a starter audiophile than FiiO. The E7 and FiiO has created and started more audiophiles than I can count. Let's take a look at it.
 
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http://www.pandatechreview.com/fiio-e07k-review/
 
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Build:
If you have ever held a(aluminum body) FiiO, then it should be self explanatory what the build of this little angel is. The aluminum is beautiful and sleek and highly well made. The edges meet incredibly well and its whole look is. It doesn't scratch easy and it doesn't scratch other things in your pockets easily*(if you don't throw many things in there). 

What else do you want? The front screen is a reflective piece of material, possibly glass with a plastic sheet over it.

It should be noted by perfectionists that this model I received does have some non perfection. The white headphone symbols on top for the two jacks are a bit of a faded white. Same with everything else. It isn't full blanche, but does it really matter? I don't think personally but I have heard some people ask me. The volume + and - signs in the circles are also off center by a fraction of a mili meter. I don't really mind in any sense but this is for the perfectionists.



Screen Protector:

It comes with two screen protectors. You get to protect your screen but sadly it also has some issues. It is a generic screen protector and also large. The E07K's reflective screen area covers most of the front of the device. What you then get wtith a screen protector are peelings. The top and bottoms edges more or less peel away after a while and get dust underneath it. It looks quite ugly. The screen protector also dims and distorts the reflective screen. Women and men alike who want to use this as a mirror should note this. Without a screen protector, it works very well as a mirror.(see picture above)

After much time using it I have decided to not use the screen protector anymore. With 1 month of use and proper attachement of the screen protector, many parts are peeling already as dust gathers beneath it. The holding bands will also peel them up when I use my device. 

The E07K's beauty is also revealed without it. Now at approximately nearley a month's time with this device. I am choosing not to use it. "Whatever will be, will be, the futures not ours to see" -Que Sera, Sera



Case:

You get a little nylon case as well, it does feel a bit baggy sometimes on it. I would say that the case prevents other items in your pockets from potentially getting hurt rather than drop damage. The case is very light and thin. Won't really protect against a fall. In my opinion, The ANDES looks beautiful without a screen protector and case. The secondary big lock style case is more of a travel case. Roomy enough to put an L9 in there with it.

You get a choice between protecting your E07K from your keys with the nylon case, but it reduces the E07K's attractive points by a full 100pts out of 150 in my opinion.(Bad Game joke by the way)

Accessory Replacement:

At the time of this writing, FiiO on their Facebook page has stated that they will offer(most?) accessories for free but that the user will need to pay freight charge. This is due to freight international being much much more expensive than that screen protector, leg peg, nylon case that was bought in bulk. Rejoice everyone. It will take 15-20 days from the looks of their estimate.



Usability:

The Andes is a beautifully designed product that works very well as well. It's OS and EQ system is battle proven by the E17 to be a working formula and the additon of the LO Bypass switch and hold switch also make it even more useful. It is literally a down-spec'd E17. The standoff plastic legs that come with it also work very well as a standoff against the device you want to use it with as it prevents sliding and scratching of your smart phone or device. With a strap on the E07K, it can sometimes be hard to find where the up and down volume buttons are but it really isn't a big issue none the less. 

It is kinda hard for me to talk about Usability even more as its bottom dock has literally stayed the same for years and there is little to want to change about it. 



Usability quirks:

The E07K is very well designed but it does have some quirks. The standoff plastic legs that come with it slide after a while(it leaves a glue trail) and thus your inner pocket dust bunnies and other material stick to it. Some people may have a quirk with this but I don't see it as a problem. Next the controls of the Andes are opposite side of the controls on the iPhone and other devices which are popularily used with FiiO's. Putting the E07K back to back with that device makes it so that the volume contrlols are opposite the original ones. This may help un confuse those that need to switch between E07K control and their smartphone. I found it weird but found no problem changing volume at all. My thumb does the job well enough. Like I already mentioned before, the screen protector peeling off is a distraction and lowers the beauty of the device. The controls also WILL confuse you for the first 2 weeks that you use it. You will continuously forget what is enter and what is exit and may be even get angry a few times but this is what the device is like. 

The ANDES and E7 both feature dual headphone outs but of course this has there own quircks. Some may not think about it but pairing a Q701 on one side and a IEM on the other when sharing is not a good idea. The power outputted is approx the same to both sides. With different driveability headphones, you either make it too quiet or too loud. This was a problem when I shared Apple Earpods and MH1C's with my cousin's. 

Testing:

This was tested with the FiiO E07K Andes, Audio-gd NFB 12.1, Miu Audio MRB, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 2G, Macbook Pro. The equipment I have and could have used are in my profile page.

Some people prefer to listen to music at a very low volume. I see nothing wrong with that but for testing purposes some problems or highlights can only be unveiled at more "modern" listening levels in my opinion. These do not include blow your ear scream-o levels, but more like the type that isn't too loud but comfortable enough for most modern adults or teens.

Burn in:

Nothing detected be it that you believe in it on SS devices or brain burn in.

Power:

It has more or less the same amount of power as the E17. ~240mW @ 16 ohms.

Sound Section:

E07K as amp and DAC:

The E07K is a very smooth sounding device. That is all the truth to this device that I can possibly sum up in a few words.

The mids and vocals do take a spent back in presentation. They do not carry the weight or authority that an Audio-gd or Objective unit would give you with the vocals. To explain, I mean that the mids on the ANDES are very close to the bass. They don't come out to the front to present themselves as much as other units such as the MIU MRB or O2 would. 

The bass of the E07K is much more present in terms of authority and presentation than my testing units. Instead of seperate zones that are further apart on my test units that I am using as "reference" units for this review. The E07K brings the bass/low frequency regions presentation to be closer to the mids. They are also more loud and present. I have tested to make sure my switching between units is not accounting for this. They are also a bit boomy. Do not let the connotation of the word boomy in this niche area put you off. They are just more boomy compared to more perfected refernece units of this price point. The loose some of the huge punch but it is not unpleasant. IT is actually quite pleasant. I am a universal listener being both a treble head and a bass head. The universality of FiiO's sound has always been situated into it's bass and especially their bass boosting capabilitie(I am not using bass boost). 

The highs are a bit dulled off. This isn't bad, this is of course compared to my testing units. They will offer the user the sound that they want of course. Crisp. But I find that it just didn't deliver what I wanted for highs. Very bright highs are not a good thing of course. So these do protect the listeners ears. They are very good for the unit and price though.

Amp only with iPod lining out:

FiiO has always made devices that scream one thing. Universal sound. Their target group generally aren't the flat all you want type of people. I can see why. Some just don't like the more "accurate" sound of these "audiophile" products these days. When I get congestion, even I get a affinity for other things. The E07K builds off FiiO's already well known formula of universality. 

The ANDES is warm/sweet/fun. These words are audio jargon that can mean different things to different people. What I mean by them is that the sound it produces is very comfortable to the average consumer. Not overly analytical,fatiguing, metalic, bass-shy. Headphones GENERALLY with those qualities are not considered warm/sweet/fun. The E07K does a good job of not overly amplifying the fatiguing elements of a song. Of course this is all comparative but I personally say that it is more song friendly than a majority of amps.(consumer market in cheap products)

The bass as with the Alpen I had and the E02i and E5 are all different but their principle behind them are very parallel. A bass induced phenomenon of wonder and hit. Some songs just don't sound good with a highly controlled bass hit. The HFI 580 headphone for example suffers from this. When it is paired with an amp that has a weak bass responce(for any technical reason or another) or one who's bass is highly controlled it suffers immensely. The bass on all of FiiO's units I have heard fix that by not going to any extreme formula of sloppy car sub or amnetic bass.

Andes mids are very controlled. They don't spread across the spectrum(in a good or bad way). It is in a solid spot in my opinion. I personally feel it to be a bit too constrained compared to what I usually listen to on my desktop but it does offer a very front but slightly laid back vocal. I find that while the vocals are slightly more forward, it doesn't fully make you feel the need to be engaged(could be bad or good). 

The highs are very controlled. Nothing too out of place or too bright. I would lean towards a more lack of a sparkle for most cases. This is of course comparing to a O2 which will serve as a middle ground. But that lack of a sparkle that I find isn't really a con for most. It already does extremely well.

Conclusion:

I find that no matter what fault I have been trying to find with FiiOs recent devices. The price point they offer it at leaves me little to go off on. The majority of my main criticisms of this device would be in the accessories of this device. They come with a boat load but some of them just don't seem to go well. Some feel hapsidasily thrown in. But even if it feels like they were, they still have little fault in it. The screen protector has peeling problems due to the large area it must cover and how often the user's fingers or objects are near that area. The furry cloth case also seems a bit counter intuitive. It features a loose fit, is big, and while it can be used for storage or travelling, seems not not be needed. This is a portable/travel device of course. 

FiiO has done it again I would say. I never had the original E7 but with the way this device sounds and can be used for the price, I have much to like about it. It is an extremely well built and beautiful device and sounds great. It is available for the same price as the original E7 was officially available for. The legend has returned with new features, a new more modern look and usage and it sounds great.

Thank you everyone for 100,000 views 

Ratings:

Audio Sonic quality: 9/10

Features: 9/10

Build:10/10

Usability: 8.5/10

Value: 9.5/10

Specifications:

Output Power =242m@ @ 16 Ohms

Peak Output Current=64mA

Battery Life=20 hours

Charge time=180 minutes

Weight=27g

Output impendence=.25ohms @ 16ohms loaded

Op amps: AD8692 and TI TPA6130A

DAC=WM8740

Sample Rate max=24bit/96KHz

USB receiver=TI PCM2706

Introduction:
FiiO is one of the most popular companies in the world of headphone audio. Their products come with unmatched performance for the price. They want to deliver great products that fans will love by listening to them on Head-Fi and other forums and even letting the fans vote on versions. The FiiO Mont Blanc is FiiO’s new flagship portable amplifier. It boasts an amazing amount of power while still being affordable. I would like to thank FiiO for the review sample. Now let’s see if the E12 lives up to the FiiO name.
Unboxing Video
 
PLEASE read the review here:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/fiio-e12-review/
 
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Specs:
FiiO page
Weight: 159g
Input and output: 3.5mm
Impendence support: 16 Ohm to 300Ohm
Battery Capacity: 9.7 Wh (880 mAh/11.1V)
Output Power: >880 mW @ 32 ohms
THD: <0.005%

Unit Quality:
FiiO is quite famous for their great build quality in their black ‘stealthy’ looking designs. The E12 of course is no exception. The corners all come together seamlessly and it is not easily scratched. I wouldn’t recommend doing a drop test but the feeling of the E12 is just beautiful.

Accessories:
The E12 like FiiO’s other units comes with most accessories a starter would want. This includes a 3.5mm interconnect cable, a USB charge cable, User Manual, Warranty Card, Silica Gel packet, cloth carrying case, plastic dome standoffs, Binding bands, and the E12 itself. The binding bands the E12 comes with is quite large and will probably not work with most smartphones or Apple devices. It was meant for another FiiO device. I alerted FiiO of this and they said they will include normal binding bands along with the wide ones. I do not know if this is permanent or not. Some users have noted that their E12 cloth bag smells like gasoline. It seems to be the ones from Micca Store. Oil based products may have been near the E12 shipment.

FiiO also has a policy where accessories are free, which is quite nice of them. The only catch is that you must pay for the shipping which is $5. But all is well if you need more rubber domes, or interconnect cable. This program is up to FiiO and can end at any time. But as of this writing, it is in place.

Usability:
The Mont Blanc feels well in a user’s hands and has a weight of authority as well. Like past FiiO’s, you can bind it to your PMP or just use it as a travel amp. It isn’t too large, but it isn’t exactly small either. I have put the Mont Blanc through some slightly hairy situations and it has still come through unscathed. It handles like most amps basically.

But this is the section with the most problems of the E12 sadly. The E17 and E07K’s aux in matched well with the LOD and iPod’s as it allowed for the L9 to be used and to be ergonomic. The E12 does not have this. You can face the E12 both ways and try the L9 with the E12 but it still won’t work. The L11 is an option but there aren’t exactly any cheap and readily available very short interconnect cables.  If there was one, then this issue would be fixed. But the majority of those short cables are expensive. And most users seem to just use L3 and L9.

For more info on why this design is quirky, click here.

The moving parts of the E12 have a few issues. They are mainly nit-picks at getting perfection but still noteworthy to a review reader.  The sub switches of Crossfeed and Gain do feel a little sticky. The Alpen and Andes both had this. They just don’t feel high quality when you switch them. Using a pen to change the options can also get color on the switches. The bass boost switch on the other side is a bit loose. This leads to bass boost switching to be turned on when the device strap moves over it. It is a bit of a weird design in my opinion. Having switches that require a pin and then having a somewhat loose bass boost switch. The last thing is the volume pot. I’ve noticed that it will get squeaky and feel like it is rubbing against the metal on the bottom. I have to sometimes put force on pulling the pot up a bit to stop it from happening. This thing is often a problem with volume pots, but it should still be noted.

It has been also mentioned before, but the initial binding band did not work with iPod’s or other 1 cm thick or less pmp’s.

Bass Boost:
The bass boost of the E12 v1 mainly applies to the sub bass. I believe FiiO puts the number at 4-5dB increase in sub bass at around 50Hz. The E12 is a flagship amp and it acts like it. Bass Boost is put down in China as being non-purist and so here we have a new sub bass bass boost. Which is an opposite turn from the full on bass boosting usually present in FiiO devices. I would say the quality of it is very nice and adds a nice sub oomph to songs.

FiiO listened to fans who wanted a more pronounced bass boost and so from now on, a V2 model with a different bass boost will be coming out. This will also boost the mid bass but it won’t boost it to crazy amounts.

CrossFeed:
Leckerton has a great post on what Crossfeed is. Click the Blue hyperlink for it.

Well the E12 comes with crossfeed. It does what the info page says it does.

It reduces the surrounding instruments while giving you a more up front symmetrical vocal.

The pronunciation of the lows is also effected by crossfeed. They are less powerful.

FiiO E12 changes:
FiiO has since said that they will include the standard band to the E12 package along with the new bands. I do not know if they will change this later on to just one set of bands.

The bass boost will also be changed to a more pronounced one.

There have been no info on how to tell the units apart(without listening) yet. But as of February, the units on the market should be V1 sub bass boost. My review was done with V1 bass boost.

Notice:
You may have noted that I am listing a lot of nit-pick cons and quirks of the device and sparse sentences on good stuff. Well the thing is, the E12 is just a normal device. It being a normal flat working amp already makes up the list of positives. There really much to note on the E12 and its build and other things for pros as it is just a nice device already.

IEM noise:
There is some noise with IEM's. It shouldn't be a lot for most units

Sensitivity of Volume Pot:
While on the go, I have tried many times to see if the volume pot can be turned. With just one finger, the volume pot was very hard to turn. It may have been on purpose or just a by product of it being a small Alps potentiometer. Also, due to the way the volume pot is by design, it is much harder to turn at the 'beginning' but it loosens up as you go higher in volume. This also works in the interest of IEM users.


Testing:
Testing was done with IEMs such as the Heir Audio 4ai, 3ai, Tzar 350, Tzar 90, Dunu DN19, Vsonic GR07 Mk2, AKG Q701, Ultrasone HFI 580, and Sony MH1C’s.

It was tested with a Dual Wolfson WM8741 DAC lining out to the E12 with a RCA to 3.5mm cable.

Burn in:
I personally enjoyed the device more after an hour or two. But these findings have no backing data.

Power:

>880mW @ 32 ohms

Sound Section:
The FiiO E12 is a departure from how the Alpen and Andes sounds. While the former two have a warm and sweet sound that is more bass prone, the E12 goes for a more clearer sound. I would say that it is more ‘audiophile’ and more neutral as compared to the Andes and Alpen.

FiiO E12 and Audio-gd NFB 12.1

The vocals of the E12 are more laid back but more full than the Audio-gd’s. They are very smooth and the mid instruments are also much more pronounced. The background mid instruments come in a bit stronger than the audio-gd. The separation of the entire spectrum is also closer together than other various amps such as the O2 and MRB. The separation is still of course better than many amps, but it is noticeably smaller on the Mont Blanc. The Mont Blanc also has a deeper more pronounced bass hit. It is a bit looser but spread out more.

The FiiO E12 sounds much cleaner than other FiiO amps. Much more clear in the vocals and instruments. The bass has also been done well where it doesn’t give the user a more heavier hit. The E12 of course still retains the general quality of FiiO’s other products but it has upped the notch.



FiiO E12 and FiiO E11

The highs of the FiiO E11 are more harsh than the E12. They don’t hold as well. The separation of the E11 is also considerably less than the E12. Mid instruments and vocals are more congested and scrunched up. The vocals of the E11 are more forward than the mids, but the mids of the E11 are not very smooth. The lows of the E12 are also much tighter than the looser ones of the E11.

The E11 boasts of a more fun sound with a nice bass response to go with the tracks. However its vocals and highs ultimately fail the E11 in being up to par with the E12. But of course, the E12 isn’t a replacement for the E11. The E12 is the flagship series.



FiiO E12 with Custom Project-H (Objective 2 w/ Burr Brown op amp and Cirrus Logic flagship DAC)

With the DAC being the CS4398, the FiiO E12 does a good job up against the O2. The O2's vocals are more forward and louder than the E12's. The depth on the E12's vocals are also much better. The seperation and soundstage of the mids(instruments) is also superior on the O2. The O2 is just a bit sweeter than the E12. The E12, I would say is a bit colder than the O2. Of course, colder does not equal more neutral. The O2 would be the more neutral amp, but the O2 accentuates more parts of the song than the E12 does. Now you are thinking, how can the O2 be more neutral if it accentuates more things? Well neutrality is a word that goes into the best reproduction of music and how neutral will theoretically reproduce the music better. And the O2 does reproduce it better than the E12. The overal transparency on the O2 is also better than the E12. However, the units are still nice and closely matched. I'm quite surprised how close they are. To some, the distance between the two may not warrant one or the other, and to some, the distance is huge(purists). But whatever it is, I think that the E12 does a very good job against the O2. It's only that while on the go, I personally prefer a more warmer sound than what the E12 offer.

Conclusion:

I think that some of life's challenges are reviewing products. A bigger challenge would be to review FiiO products. It is hard to really criticize their products when their price is so good for what is offered. The FiiO E12 Mont Blanc is a realization of FiiO enginuity yet again. They managed to put out a product at such a low price with good hardware and sound. The E12 is not going to wow people with high end units but for the price, it is a great unit.

Price:$120

Introduction:
Brainwavz is quite a popular company in the world for budget audiophiles. Their brand is known for good quality, sound and price and their previous products have not disappointed. Brainwavz churns out a lot of products, and people generally have a wide variety to choose from to fit their needs and the S1 is no exception. Today, we have the new Brainwavz S1 here. I wish to thank Brainwavz for the review sample. Now let's see if the S1 fits the bill.
 
Read the review at:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/brainwavz-s1-review-html/
 
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Unit Quality:
The first thing you will notice about the S1 is that it's light with an over ear design and that its cable looks like something from a Marvel movie. The matte yet purple coloring of the unit with stripes going through it makes me think of sports earphones, or something that Marvel would come up with. Next onto the drivers. I spent multiple times asking myself if the drivers are metal or plastic or a combo of both. I scratched it with my nail, flicked it, and used a magnifying glass but to no avail. It took BW's website to tell me that the unit driver indeed was fully metal. This was extremely surprising to me. The driver doesn't feel metal nor plastic. This means the metal is so flush that its almost smooth and frictitious as plastic, while still keeping its properties of an metal alloy. The rest of the unit is secured with much cable guides and restrictors/stoppers to stop the cable or jack to wear out from constant use. From the thick angled jack to the flat cables, there isn't much I can say regarding a lack of quality. It's pretty solidly built all around.

Usability:
The S1 is in a simlar style to the TF10 in terms of it being over ear and that it then protrudes from the ear horizontally. This means you can't sleep with your head sideways to the pillow as easilly, or be in a situation where you may want something covering your ear. This creates un-usable situations for the S1, but it also helps with others. The over ear design and insertion design does make the S1 a bit more stable when moving around as compared to maybe one that uses the outer ear shape to 'stay' in. One of the biggest quirks I have with this are the jack and cable. I am not a fan of flat cables. I will tell you this. They do indeed help a lot with making it so that the cable is easilly untangled, but they create other problems as well. The cables can twist every which way and spiral down from over behind your ear which creates uncomfortability unless you orient the cables to sit flush while it is over your ear. Next, the flat cable design makes it so that the cable slider will always be sidways and twisting. Having the slider up to my chin and neck secures the S1 even more, but at the consequence of the cable slider now being perpendicular to my throat. But what is the greates usability problem with the S1 would be the huge jack and its akward angle. The size of the jack is a tad too big in my opinion and the awkward angle and amount of plastic used to secure it has created some weird fitting problems in my pocket. This was mentioned by BW and others as well.

Even with these usability quirks however, the S1 is still quite good on the go. Addition of flat cables make it so that its easy to untangle your cables. The thick cable tension reducers on the unit driver itself and jack allows you to be a bit rougher with the S1's. It's fully metal unit body allows for a bit more roughness if you wish. Light driver weight, neck sliding, and over ear design and a plethora of tips allows you to have great fit with the S1. Overal, I had no problems with the S1 after I sorted some personal quirks out(such as what tips to use). 

Microphonics:
Microphonics, or the sound that cables make when you walk around, is nearly non existent in the S1. This is due to its good fit with plethora of tips, light driver weight, over ear design, good flexible flat cables, and especially the cable guide. You may get a bit of sway and noise without the cable guide but it is by no means a huge distraction. 

Isolation and leak:
As long as you have the right fit, the S1's isolate and have very good leak properties. I have not had any problems with leak with the S1 so feel free to listen to Miley Cirus if you wish. The good isolation is good against noisy cafe's or even the gym. Harley's and extremely loud sounds are still not fully gone, but I haven't found a UIEM yet that isolates against harley's going down the road.

Amp Requirement:
The S1's do not need an amp. iPod Touch 2G drove it extremely well. The bass is a bit looser on consumer devices and am noticeably looser and almost muddy with high low freq songs with consumer amplification. If you already own an amp. Feel free to use it with the S1. It is not worth it to buy an $100 amp to refine the S1 a bit. 

Testing:
The BW S1 was tested with the X3, iPod Touch 2G, iPhone 4S, Custom Project H(Objective 2+ CS4398). It was used on the go during my daily routine as well as sitting down at the computer enjoying music. There are about 20 hours on the S1 when this review was written, I didn't notice much changes throughout. I switched from regular tips to comply tips very early through testing as a way to calm the upper mid happy sound. I do not have full evidence that the hours I put on calmed the upper mids down as the Comply's did that as well but it is a hypothesis. 

Highs:
The high frequency range of the S1's are quite rolled off but still hold clarity. I love this design in sub $100 earphones. Many manufacturers get to happy in trying to fit everything into low cost earphones and this typically leads to a piercing high that is extremely uncomfortable and is actually counter-intuitive to neutral or even audiophile sound. The highs are there on the S1 but do not expect them to be extremely pronounced. They are for the most part dulled off in presence and have a bit of a roll off. The highs for the most part keep their consistency, but it is noticeable that the S1 has a bit of a problem keeping a stable high freq sound that doesn't fluctuate. This isn't too much of a problem for the S1 in that its a common quality for earphones here, but it of course isn't re-designing the market as well. 

-present high frequency that has less presence but protects hearing, unstable at times, but delivers for the price range-

Mids:
I initially had a lot of problems with the mid vocals and instruments in rock due to how harsh the upper mids were. Using comply tips and letting the S1 burn in for about 20 hours or so has helped considerably with this. Sibilant letters, and rock no longer makes me want to rip my ears out. I am a very sensitive person to upper mid spikes so let this be known. But now that I am using the correct tips and let the S1's settle. The mid vocals are extremely mellow. This means that they aren't active and in your face but laid back a bit. Testing with multiple known albums by me, also shows mid instruments having a light boost in presence as compared to the vocals. But the biggest thing I noticed was that the mid instruments and vocals will often fight together on more complex recordings for room. This wasn't that noticeable on modern mellow pop, but more noticeable on rock, and oldies where singing and extreme instrument playing was done at the same time. The vocals are also a bit flat in terms of the singers voice. They are laid back, and don't constitute too lifelike of a presentation. A bit un-realistic, but perfectly fine for the price range.

-slightly unreal vocals, but for the most part well articulated and mellow as is the S1's sound-

Instruments:
Instruments for the most part have decent seperation. They are not nearly as sharp as one will find compared to expensive equipment, but what they do have is very good. They do not fight with the mid vocals and compliment them rather than fighting for the space that many other earphones will tend to do. The upper mid spikes + comply tips + good audio interface creates some extremely impressive displays of instrument presentation. This allows string instruments to shine throughout the song. The upper mid instrument spikes are a tad too bright for me to prefer on the go or in a mellow state, but benefits active listeners a lot.

-great seperation, doesn't compete with the mid vocals, and gives a great boost to string instruments-

Lows:
The lows are quite present. These work quite well with a lot of genres. Classic rock, classics, rock, pop, hip hop. The low end works well to adapt so as not to give too much or too less. However, it is to be noted that they are quite loose. The bass on the S1's are similar to the bass on consumer speakers. Where it produces the bass 'sound' and muddy rumble to go with the sound. This makes it actually quite prefereable for modern hip hop and rap, and doesn't pose much problems to the classics because the low end is good at not appearing when it doesn't need to be. The bass is quite on a consumer level, but it works well.

-good bass presence, if not a bit muddy, works well for many genres though-

Conclusion:
Overall, for $60, I think this can appeal to a lot of people.  The S1 is a well balanced IEM fit for people that like to listen to many different genres. The sound is fun with the bass and it just works for any type of music I tried. The pulled back and less 'clear' vocals make some songs easy to listen to if they are of bad quality or if they are very harsh rock songs, while the upper mid sparkle helps bring instruments out(depending on song, this could be a bit too much, but genreally is not).

As an overal package, I am impressed now that I have had time to get accustomed to the comply tips and that the upper mid spike has settled. 

Specifictions:
Drivers: 10mm dynamic
impedance: 16 ohms
Sensitivity: 93 dB @ 1mW
For more information, please check out the product page here:
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/s1.html

Ratings:
Build Quality: 9/10
Isolation: 8.5/10
Microphonics: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Sound Quality: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.5/10
Value: 8.5/10