Having made a name for themselves in the industry with their cables and their Dragonfly USB DAC/Amp, AudioQuest has left the world very excited with anticipation for the release of their first headphone, the Nighthawk. With multiple prototypes making appearances at different meets and events, it’s certainly a product that many people have been keeping their eye out for.
 
Todd from TTVJ, who often creates loaner programs to allow interested customers in trying out products they offer, set aside a Nighthawk as a loaner unit for interested Head-Fiers to give them a listen. I am fortunate to be the first Head-Fier to get to spend time with the Nighthawk, and I’ve spent a great deal of time with the Nighthawk over the course of the week that I had with them. As part of the loaner program, Todd did ask that each individual write a brief review of the Nighthawk. I’d like to thank TTVJ for bringing Head-Fiers the opportunity to demo the Nighthawk before making a decision on the purchase, and I’ve compiled my thoughts of the Nighthawk here for those that are also interested in them but did not get the opportunity to listen to it themselves.
 
The Nighthawk comes in a fairly plain brown box. Inside, you get a really nice traveling case with the Nighthawk and its accessories inside. The packaging is practical but with a very nice presentation nonetheless.
 
The travel case is very well designed, with a sleek leathery design on the outside. Inside, there is there space for the Nighthawk as well as a pouch area where you can put your cables or adaptors. In the pouch you find the manual and warrantee for the Nighthawk as well as a one month subscription to Tidal, which I thought was quite an interesting and certainly night touch.
 
The Nighthawk also comes with two cables – one for home use and a shorter and more flexible one for portable use. The longer cable has a nice black sleeve, reaching up to the Y-split, which the portable cable doesn’t have. Both cables have a nice 45 degree angle jack as well as a rubbery texture to them. I’m personally not the biggest fan of rubbery cables, but the cables that the Nighthawk are quite nice, as you might expect from a company known for their cables.
 
I think what’s perhaps most notable about the accessories is the 3.5mm to 6.35mm adaptor. I think AQ makes perhaps one of the most attractive adaptors I’ve ever seen. It has a really nice gloss finish with the AQ logo as well as the chemical symbol for copper and silver on it (Cu and Ag). Honesty, if AQ offers them for sale, I would probably grab one of these adaptors for myself. In addition to its nice looks, the adaptor also has one of the tightest and most secure fit on the 3.5mm jack, really making sure that you get a good and consistent connection.
 
Edit: Skylar from AQ confirmed with me that the adaptor will actually be available for purchase! Guess who's getting himself one?
 
 
 
There’s really a lot to talk about here, as the Nighthawk really pushes the boundaries in terms of innovation in design!
 
Starting with the build of the Nighthawk, I can say that it’s very solid. When I first received the demo Nighthawk, I saw the incredibly thin headband and thought, “oh god… AQ really messed up…” Well, I was very wrong. Despite the headband being incredibly thin, that thing is sturdy as hell. What’s even better is that, despite being very stiff, it offers a very comfortable clamping force.  The headband also utilizes a self-adjusting mechanism similar to that of the AKG models. The adjustable headband is very comfortable and distributes weight very evenly. Speaking of weight, the Nighthawks weigh in at about 350g, which isn’t the lightest headphone in the world, but a very reasonable and comfortable weight.
 
The build of the ear cups are also stellar. The liquid wood finish is certainly beautiful, and they are finished with a nice gloss finish that, surprisingly, doesn’t attract all that much fingerprints. The cups feel fairly lightweight while remaining sturdy.
 
Besides its uniquely thin headband and its beautiful liquid wood ear cups, what’s also unique about the Nighthawk’s design is how AQ designed the ear cups to rotate. Each ear cups are connected to the headband by four short and slightly elastic suspensions. While it doesn’t allow the ear cups to fold flat, it does allow the cups to rotate in any direction very freely and adjust to an individual’s head shape very well. This design distributes the pressure of the earpads on the head very evenly, and allows for a very comfortable listening experience.
 
It seems I’ve talked about the comfort of the Nighthawk quite a bit already. Yes, the headband and flexible ear cups both make the Nighthawk very comfortable, but AQ also outdid themselves with the earpads. The earpads are soft and, more importantly, deep. Most people will have no issues with their ears rubbing against the drivers and causing discomfort. The earpads are also big enough that it should be able to fit around your ears with no problems. Another thumbs up to AQ.
 
What’s also important to note about the Nighthawk is that they are a semi-open design, and in terms of isolation and sound leakage, they’re exactly what you expect from a semi-open headphone. Isolation is poor and certainly not good enough to use on the subway, but it’s still better than having no isolation at all from open headphones. It’s a similar story with sound leakage. They do leak some sound, but not nearly as much as open headphones. In a quiet office, the Nighthawk’s sound can still be heard though, so those considering the Nighthawk for quiet office use may have to reconsider.
 
Overall, the design, build, and comfort of the Nighthawk all pass with flying colors. AQ clearly spent a good amount of effort designing the Nighthawk and it really paid off. They’re a beautiful set of headphones that can stay on your head for hours and hours on end without ever feeling uncomfortable.
 
 
Okay, so I have to admit – it took me a REALLY long time to come to terms with the sound signature of the Nighthawk. As someone who enjoys a more neutral and generally less colored sound, I found myself constantly reaching for solace with my HE560 or Noble Savant while listening to the Nighthawk. However, after really sitting down and spending some time with the Nighthawk and, more importantly, adjusting my brain to its sound signature, I really think the Nighthawk has quite a bit to offer. I did find the Nighthawk’s sound to be quite unique and I struggled initially thinking about how to describe it. I’ll do my best describing the sound of the Nighthawk here. Listening was done running music through Foobar on my computer and using my Asus Essence III as my USB DAC/Amp connected to the Nighthawk.
 
 
I would describe the sound signature of the Nighthawk to be a bit of a downward sloping signature. Bass has quite the authority while the treble is mellowed out just a bit, leading to a very smooth and fatigue free listening experience.
 
I really love the bass that the Nighthawk outputs. It’s definitely one of the more bass heavy headphones you can find at around 600 dollars, but I wouldn’t call it basshead level either (although I think it would appease some, if not most, bassheads). The bass is very dynamic, with some serious authority and weight to its thumps, but remains well controlled and tight. Extension isn’t quite on the level of planar magnetics, but is really quite impressive as well. The Nighthawk’s ability to reproduce bass texture and move air is also really quite a treat. I really think that the Nighthawk’s bass is an example of bass well done. It has the fun punch and authority while having enough detail and finesse to it that I think it would please most audiophile ears as well.
 
The midrange of the Nighthawk is silky smooth and warm. The lower mids are a bit lifted, but without making the sound thick, while the upper mids are a little more pulled back in comparison. I think the Nighthawk is a fantastic choice for those that listen to pop, rock, Hip-Hop, etc. – basically the genres that are currently more dominant in the music scene, because the Nighthawk can make almost any recording sound beautiful. Take Taylor Swift as an example. Taylor basically has no high range, and whenever she tries to rift in her high register at the climax of her songs, her voice often has a texture to her voice that sounds strained and, frankly, a little unhealthy. With the Nighthawk, she sounds absolutely effortless. Of course, this does come at a cost. While I feel that the detail of the Nighthawk is actually quite good, when you put it up against the more detail oriented HE560, it becomes clear that the Nighthawk lacks some texture and micro-details in exchange for its absolutely fluid sound.
 
I also find one other little caveat with the Nighthawk. It’s a rare issue, but one nonetheless. Because it does have a more present lower midrange, I found that male vocals that sing at a lower register tend to have a little unnatural tone and timbre to it. Well to be specific, I only had this issue with one artist I listened to with the Nighthawk – Passenger. I’m a big fan of Passenger, as I find the tone of his voice to be unique and beautiful, with some great lyrics to his music. He also sings in a very limited range. With the Nighthawk, his voice often has an unnatural breathy sort of resonance to it, which I can’t really get over. Just to reiterate though, I didn’t find this issue with any other vocalist though – I’m sure there are other cases, but it’s not a prevalent issue. I found vocals and instruments to be beautiful and, again, silky smooth.
 
As stated earlier, the upper range is quite mellow and has a slight roll off to it. When I first listened to the Nighthawk, it was the treble that bothered me the most. Coming from the brighter HE560, the two headphones couldn’t be more different. The Nighthawk, despite having a fairly impressive soundstage, sounded closed-in and slightly murky and veiled sounding in comparison to the wide open sound of the HE560. After getting adjusted to the sound of the Nighthawk, it doesn’t have the veiled quality to its sound anymore, but it does sound more like a closed headphone than an open headphone. The treble is absolutely grain free and smooth with a more subtle, but present, presentation of detail and texture. Instruments in the upper range have very clean and accurate attack, but with a more relaxed decay to it. I think those who have a similar taste to Tyll, enjoying a more musical signature, will really love the treble of the Nighthawk while those that are absolute purists will have to look elsewhere. A bit of an assumption, but I think will hold true.
 
I found the soundstage of the Nighthawk to be quite impressive, with a very nice sense of three-dimensionality. Compared to the HE560, the soundstage is slightly larger despite feeling a bit more closed in. Thus, the Nighthawk presents the music in a space that feels more like a large concert hall than a wide open space like the HE560 does. Imaging of the Nighthawk is also quite on point, with good separation, precision in instrument placement, and a dark background. However, I do find that separation and imaging tend to take a hit when turning the volume up a bit. The Nighthawk performs at a much better level at moderate volumes than at higher volumes.
 
I think AQ has something really special with their first headphone. The Nighthawk is a wonderfully musical headphone that offers an exciting sound without forgetting about the details in the music. I think those that are in the Audeze or Sennheiser HD6XX camp should give this headphone a serious consideration. On the other hand, the Nighthawk is definitely not for everyone, and the purists should probably look elsewhere. The Nighthawk is undoubtedly a colored and warm headphone. However, despite being someone that leans slightly more towards the purist and neutral camp, I have to admit that the Nighthawk won me over. If you get the chance to spend some time with the Nighthawk, give it some time before making any final judgements on it. The Nighthawk is not a headphone that impresses on first listen, but it has a beautiful way of presenting the music that is simply lovely and to die for.
 

iBasso is a Chinese company that has been making some very quality portable components for very reasonable prices for quite some time now. I’ve owned multiple iBasso products, and when I saw that iBasso had announced their new portable DAC/Amp after some time away from their amplifiers, I was very excited to try them out. I contacted Paul, iBasso’s representative on Head-Fi, to see if he would be interested in organizing a tour for the new amplifier like many companies have started doing recently. To my surprise, Paul offered to send me a review unit to try instead – an offer that I wasn’t about to say no to.
 
I’d like to give Paul and iBasso a big thank you for giving me the opportunity to listen to the new D14. I’ve compiled my honest thoughts here in this review and hope that it will benefit those that are looking for a portable device in a market currently flooded with choices. This write-up has turned into one of the longest reviews I’ve ever written, so sit tight!
 
A lot of companies have really upped their game recently to make the presentation of their products competitive with the flare that commercial audio companies like Beats and Monster. iBasso chose to go with the more traditional simple and informative approach to the D14. The box of the D14 is fairly simple – with a nice image of the D14 in the front and its specs in the back. Nothing fancy that makes the D14 look like a zillion bucks, but gets the job done just fine.
 
Inside, you get a nice black box with the D14 and accessories inside. The D14 is nicely padded and protected by foam. The accessories are tucked neatly in a little pouch – the one that’s also included with the DX50 and DX90. In the pouch, you get all the cables you’ll ever really need to use the D14 with as well as some rubber bands and feet for the amp.
 
One big thing to mention is that the OTG cable includes for use with a smartphone includes angled micro and mini USB connectors. Thank you iBasso. Thank you for getting that I need a low profile cable that is out of the way when I use an external DAC with my smartphone. Like almost all other portable DAC/Amps, the digital input is in the back, while the headphone out is in the front. With that kind of design, that means you’ll have a cable in the back and in the front of the device. So many manufacturers make the mistake of just including some generic straight plug with their device. Well, that means I have cables stick out from both sides of my device, which has effectively destroyed the portability of the device. By offering a nice, low profile interconnect, the D14 is actually able to be used portably! It’s a simple design that, for some reason, manufacturers just don’t get. Big thumbs up to iBasso.
 
 
The D14 looks like you typical iBasso amplifier. I’m happy to see that iBasso hasn’t really deviated too much from their past designs. The housing is made completely out of brushed aluminum, with a black body and silver front and back plates. The D14 feels solid and definitely looks like it can take a bit of a beating. The only parts of the D14 that are plastic are volume knob and switches. Overall, the D14 has great build quality and fantastic looks.
 
Something I would like to point out is the 3.5mm jacks on the D14. I don’t remember exactly if they’re a proprietary design or just nice, but their certainly worth a mention. First introduced with the DX90, the jacks make another appearance with the D14. They look thicker and more heavy-duty than just about any 3.5mm jack you’ll see, and they provide a very tight and good fit for your 3.5mm connectors.
 
The D14 is a wonderfully versatile device. Its DAC section has the ability to take inputs via SPDIF, computer USB, or Android OTG. I think it basically covers most of your bases there for when you’re out and about. You can use it with smartphones, computers, as well as your DAPs. If you want to use just the amplifier, the D14 also has an analog input. Have a nice amplifier and want to use just the DAC section of the D14? The analog input also doubles as a line out. Again, connected the D14 any which way, it’ll likely work for you. It’s a wonderfully versatile device.
 
The size of the D14 is basically the same size as the DX90, only varying slightly from the size of the DX90. The small size of the D14 certainly makes it a fantastic portable device. However, for those looking for something pocketable with your DAP or smartphone, I think the D14 is just a tad too thick for that. Imagine stacking two DX90s up and putting it in your pocket. That’s a pretty substantial and silly looking bulge you’re gonna have there. There are devices out there with a slimmer profile I would recommend for those that’s really looking for something pocketable. For the rest of us that enjoy stacking up device after device, the D14 is fantastic as it’s quite small.
 
One thing I’ve noticed with the recent portable market is that they tend to sacrifice battery life for other aspects of the device, whether it be form factor, sound, or something else. I remember my first iBasso DAC/Amp had a battery life of almost 40 hours when using either DAC or amp alone. Nowadays, an amplifier with a 10+ battery life is considered above average. As someone who travels between Asia and North America every now and then, the recent decline in battery life has been a freaking pain for me. I’m happy that iBasso hasn’t followed the trend too much. While it’s not 40 hours, the D14 does boast up to 25 hours of use when using only either DAC or amp, and 13 hours when using both sections. Honestly that’s more than enough for me. I don’t use the D14 with my android, and the only time I use the D14 as a DAC/Amp is with my computer – which means it’ll be charging anyways. Thus, for my needs, the D14 is essentially an amplifier with 25 hours of battery. That’s awesome.
 
Something Paul of iBasso mentioned to me is that while the D14 can’t charge smartphones like a lot of DAC/Amps can now do, you can actually do the reverse and charge the D14 with your smartphone. I’m not how sure efficient that is, or how helpful it is, but I guess it’s good to have that option regardless.
 
The last thing to mention is that the D14 firmware for your computer also includes a fairly basic, but helpful, program called “iBasso Audio Control Panel.” The most helpful thing is that it allows you to change the output the DAC. D14 is a surprisingly powerful amplifier, and it can be a little too loud for me when I use more sensitive IEMs. Having the output adjuster gives me a lot more freedom with adjusting the volume knob of the D14.
 
Noise Floor
When I first received the D14, it had a significant amount of hiss to it. Considering the fact that iBasso lists the D14 as having an output impedance of 0.1 ohms, the hiss was a bit troubling. After listening to the D14 for a couple days though, I noticed that the hiss had almost completely disappeared. The DX90 is possibly the quietest device I have ever tried, and I think the D14 now joins it as the two quietest devices. Plug in your sensitive IEMs with confidence. The noise floor of the D14 is fantastic!
 
EMI
While I don’t use the D14 with my smartphone, I did pair it with my HTC M8 One just to give it a shot. While pairing the two, I never got any sort of interference.
 
Channel Imbalance
Like many amplifiers, the D14 does have a little bit of channel imbalance below the 9 o’clock mark of the volume knob. Paul has informed me that it is normal and that all the D14s should have some imbalance below the 9 o’clock mark. It’s not an issue for the most part, but when I connected my DX90 to my D14 via SPDIF, I did find that it was just a tad too loud to listen to the music past the channel imbalance area of the volume. Do note that I tend to listen to my music at lower volumes than most people do.
 
For that reason, I just use the D14 as an amplifier so that I can still have digital control over the volume with the DX90’s digital volume control.
 
Sound
At this point, I’ve lost count of how many times someone has chuckled when I mentioned that the name of the new iBasso amplifier is “Bushmaster.” Alright… putting the provocative innuendos aside, what the hell is a Bushmaster, and why did iBasso choose this name? Turns out the Bushmaster are the largest viper in the world, capable of growing up to 3 meters in length. Yea, don’t mess with the Bushmaster or you might just regret it. Seems iBasso has decided to continue naming their DAC/Amp after snakes – eg. Boa, Anaconda, etc.
 
Like the viper, the D14 “Bushmaster” is a serious predator, as it packs a seriously deadly sound quality.
 
Most of my listening was done using the D14 as my computer USB DAC/Amp and with the Noble Audio Savant as the IEM. Music of all genres and of varying qualities was used, with the exception DSD files. Note that the D14 does support native DSD up to 256x though. Having owned 4 iBasso products now at different times, I can say I’ve become quite familiar with the iBasso house sound – and its one I enjoy a whole lot.
 
 
The bass is very well extended and possesses very clean and tight bass punch. I feel that both the sub and mid bass has just a touch of boost to it, making the sound of the D14 very nice and full sounding, especially with IEMs that lack a sub bass extension and can sound lean in the sub bass. Drum hits come off having a much more authoritative sound and feel much more natural and realistic. Thanks to its impressive extension and slight lift in the sub bass, bass texture also comes out clean and detailed – more so than any other amplifier I’ve heard at the price. I think iBasso struck a great balance with the bass of the D14. The bass has fullness to it, but you would never describe it as being accentuated, as it remains very true and natural.
 
iBasso amplifiers, in my humble opinion, have always presented some of the best midrange offered at their price range, and the D14 certainly didn’t disappoint here. First thing I have to point out is that the D14 has killer separation and one of the blackest backgrounds I’ve ever heard. The D14 also has a fantastic sense of musicality that many companies fail to nail. Many amplifiers aimed at a flatter and neutral response create a product that’s wonderfully clean, but lifeless and sometimes polite sounding midrange. While I feel that the D14 does deviated slightly from being flat, having a touch of warmth to it, boy is its sound anything but lifeless – the D14 sound rich, with an articulate and dynamic sound. While I like to describe the D14 as having a full, and slightly rich tone, I have to differentiate and clarify that D14 doesn’t ever sound thick. The balance of the D14 is very good.
 
Rather than taking a more energetic and airy approach like many consumer products take, I feel that iBasso generally takes a slightly different approach with their amplifiers, and that is the case with the D14. The treble is never dark sounding, but I do feel that it’s smoother with maybe just a tad bit of roll off, as it doesn’t offer a sense of air that something like the Cayin C5DAC or the Aune B1possesses (just two amplifiers I had the chance to review recently). The D14 doesn’t sound closed in, it just doesn’t feel like you’re in an open field. On the contrary, the D14’s treble demonstrates some fantastic control and beautifully natural decay. Despite having a smoother treble, the D14 nonetheless remains great detail retrieval. The best part is that while the D14 isn’t tuned to bring out its treble detail, I never feel that the D14 lags behind in detailed compared to other devices that are tuned to have a more pronounced treble.
 
Comparisons
 
 
iBasso D14 “Bushmaster” and DX90 (Amplifier Section)
Disclaimer: Both the amplifier and DAC comparison between the D14 and DX90 were compared with the DX90 running firmware 2.3.0.
 
I think the amp section of the D14 is superior to the DX90’s in many ways. The D14’s amplifier sounds much more natural and open sounding. Comparing the two, the DX90 has a more accentuated mid bass with less extension, a thicker sound, and a more closed-in feeling and smaller soundstage. The D14 then, has a slightly less accentuated and tighter bass punch, better separation, clearer vocals, and slightly more air. The D14 also feels more natural with the presentation of the music, as the DX90 feels more "in your head" while the D14 is able to present the music more in front of you than in your head.
 
iBasso D14 “Bushmaster and DX90 (DAC Section)
Both the DX90 and the D14 utilize the same Sabre32 ES9018k2M DAC with the difference being that the DX90 utilizes a dual DAC chip configuration while the D14 I believe uses just one chip. So how do the two’s DAC sections differ?
 
The DX90 is almost two years now at the time of this review, and it seems that iBasso has learned a few things about implementing the sabre DAC chip since the DX90. Despite only having one sabre DAC chip, the D14’s DAC section outperforms the DX90’s. The D14’s DAC is more resolving, by a surprising amount, boasting more vocal detail and a much more resolving treble. The treble is also slightly more sparkly than the DX90. The D14’s DAC is also cleaner with better separation and overall sounds much tighter. In comparison, the DX90’s DAC section sounds a bit soft in its articulation and impact.
 
I feel that both the DAC and amplifier section of the D14 is superior to the DX90. iBasso has clearly done their homework and improved upon the sound of their past products while offering the D14 at a very attractive price. Of course, the D14 lacks the ability to be a portable player, but to make up for that, the D14 does have the versatility that the DX90 doesn’t possess.
 
Cayin C5 DAC and iBasso D14 “Bushmaster”
The Bushmaster is iBasso’s 230 dollar return to portable DAC/Amps after discontinuing many of their previous portable products and focusing on the DAP market for a few years.
 
In terms of build quality, I think the D14 is a good bit better. The brushed aluminum chassis of the D14 feels more substantial and more securely put together. The D14 is also made completely out of metal with the exception of a few switches and its volume knob, while quite a few parts of the C5 DAC are hard plastic.
 
In terms of design and function, both products have its merits. Both have some minor background noise and channel imbalance issues, but the D14 hisses less. The D14 has the benefit of having a SPDIF in, allowing it to act as a DAC/Amp for products that do not have a USB line out. For example, many budget DAPs offered by iBasso or Fiio have some sort of coaxial out function, but lack a USB out. In such a situation, the D14 would allow the user to bypass both the DAC and amp section of the DAP if the user chooses, while the C5 DAC does not have that flexibility. On the other hand, the C5 DAC is slightly wider and taller than the D14, but also thinner by a good margin. This makes the C5 DAC a much more viable option for using it as an external DAC/Amp for your smartphones. Fitting both the D14 and a smartphone into one pocket is really pushing it, and honestly, no one wants to look at the bulge in your pants while you walk around. In terms of form and function, I find the C5 DAC to be a more suitable on the go device, while the D14 is very nice for plugging into your computer or players while you’re away from your home rig.
 
While I really enjoyed the sound of the C5 DAC, I just felt that the D14 edged it out by just a bit in most aspects of sound. Detail retrieval throughout the spectrum is just a bit better on the D14, bass extension is a bit better on the D14, and the midrange of the D14 is just fantastically fluid and natural. The midrange of the D14 is cleaner with better separation, imaging, soundstaging, and has a wonderfully black background. The treble of the D14 is also a little more controlled, detailed, and smooth. The benefits of the C5 DAC over the D14 is having a less colored sound and having a nice airy sound that isn’t quite as apparent in the D14. Overall, the D14 has a richer and punchier sound than the C5 DAC.
 
While I have a lot of praises for iBasso’s D14, I can’t undermine the C5 DAC’s capabilities either. iBasso just made a monster of a device. In terms of recommendation, I would absolutely point people in the C5 DAC’s direction if someone is looking for a more balanced sound or if someone is looking specifically for a portable DAC/Amp for their smartphone (and I would personally choose the C5 DAC over the D14 for this) or just someone who maybe doesn't quite like iBasso's house signature. While the D14 isn’t large, I just find it too thick to realistically be used as a DAC/Amp for your smartphone that you can just grab and put in your pocket. For those looking for a nice small device to use for just about any other situations though, I have to give the D14 a big recommendation.
 
Ending Thoughts:
I think the D14 is an amazing device and offers an amazing value at its 230 dollar price tag. Not only is it a versatile all-in-one portable solution, its sound is by no means compromised by the number of functions it can perform. I have yet to hear the Oppo HA-2, but I can say that with the possible exception of the HA-2 (which again, I’ve never heard, but it’s gotten a whole lot of hype), I can’t think of a device that performs at the level of the D14 for under 300 dollars. The D14 is also plenty powerful for a portable device. Kudos to iBasso for creating a beast of a product in the D14.
 
The Bushmaster is hungry, so those of you out there looking for a portable device might want to watch out for this killer predator.
 
Links:
D14 Product Page
More Info. on Head-Fi
 

The newest member of Noble Audio’s line of IEMs, the Savant, has taken Head-Fi by storm and has caught the attention of many eager Head-Fier – myself included. Noble’s reputation for revolutionizing the CIEM industry into an artistic statement is nothing short of legendary at this point, and Noble has secured itself a very solid fan base all over the world for offering both an aesthetic look and a good sound in an IEM.
 
When I saw the announcement for the new Savant, I reached out to Brannan of Noble Audio with an interest in getting a review from him. Seeing how the pre-order of the Savants are in insanely high demand (wait time for them are around 6-8 weeks now I believe), I wasn’t expecting much out of my request.  To my delighted surprise, Brannan reserved a set of the Savant for me and sent it my way all while treating me with the highest of respect that has made Noble such a well-trusted and welcomed company in the Head-Fi community. I would like to give a big shout out and thank you to Brannan for his patience and generosity throughout the process of making this review happen.
 
While I very much appreciate Noble’s enthusiasm and fantastic customer service (I’ve interacted with them multiple times now), my role here is of course to give an objective look at the new Savant and to give an honest review of them – and that’s exactly what I’ll do. I hope this review will be helpful for those on the fence or interested in the Savant, and give those already on the waitlist for them some insight on what kind of product they’ve just purchased!
 
The package the Savants (and all Noble IEMs) come in is quite small. It’s smaller than it has been in the past and I was told they’ve changed up the overall packaging, but I’m not sure when. Instead of having lots of extra foam that give the packaging bulk, the package is now just the otterbox case with the Noble cover over it. Noble’s presentation has always been very good and the new packaging is certainly up to standards with what you expect from Noble.
 
Opening up the otterbox, you see that everything inside the packaging is organized into small plastic bags (with the exception of the rubber bands). Inside, you find the Savant, Noble Cable, two Noble bands, two Noble crown stickers, as well as a sexy ownership card with brushed aluminum texture on it. Something new that Noble also included is a really nice small pouch for your IEM. It feels nice and has the Noble name and logo on it.
 
However, there were two things missing from the packaging that I was expecting. There wasn’t a cleaning took in the box and, more importantly, the tips were missing! It’s just a minor slip up by Noble but no big deal for me. I have plenty of cleaning tools here from having owned a few IEMs, and being a previous customer of Noble, I already have all the tips they offer.
 
In a very Noble Audio fashion, the product has a simple yet beautiful presentation.
 
 
 
The Savant is actually the first Noble IEM I’ve had in my possession that isn’t a Wizard designed acrylic IEM. So this is my first experience with Noble’s generic universal line. Like any sane man, I obviously prefer the gorgeous Wizard design over the much simpler universal design, but I can honestly say that they’re not bad. They have a fairly low profile while still looking quite nice despite lacking the Wizard’s flare.
 
The housing of the Savant feels sturdy while remaining incredibly lightweight, allowing the housing to sit in my ear and simply disappear. The great comfort allows me to use the Savant for hours and hours on end with absolutely no issues at all. After being in the IEM game for so long, the Wizard certainly knows how to make a hell of a comfortable IEM. One thing I did kind of wish for is a slightly longer nozzle. Overall I feel that the insertions of Noble’s IEMs are just a tad shallow. From my past and present experience with Noble’s products, I’ve felt that they sound better with a deeper insertion. In addition, the shallower fit of the Savant means that its noise isolation is fairly average. It’s certainly more than enough to get me through the subway or everyday commute, but it’s still a way off from my custom IEMs.
 
The Savant joins the K10U and special Wizard designed universal as one of the IEMs that is worthy of having the Wizard’s signature on it. Unfortunately, it seems that the Wizard’s signature wasn’t etched into the housing of the Savant very well. It looks a little as if it’s been scratched off a bit. It’s a bit of a bummer to me that the one imperfection on the shell of the Savant is the Wizard’s signature.
 
Besides that, the housing of the Savant is both attractive and comfortable but does lack the incredible quality that you get from a Wizard design IEM.
 
Besides the aesthetics of Noble’s IEMs, the other notable design that Noble has under its belt is its cable. The Noble cable has gone through a few iterations now, and with each iteration, Noble has managed to make it even more portable and ergonomic. Along with CustomArt’s stock cable, the Noble cable is the best stock cable in the industry – and I say that with confidence. While CustomArt’s stock cable holds my number 1 spot for the most ergonomic cable (that thing is absurdly flexible and retains absolutely no memory), the Noble cable comes incredibly close to it in terms of ergonomics while feeling much sturdier. Cable noise is also kept at a minimum. The Noble cable is just everything someone can dream of in a portable cable. It’s incredibly flexible, sturdy, and low profile. I’m also a big fan of the new straight 3.5mm jack that replaced the old 45 degree jacks. The jacks feel sturdier than their older counterpart and look much nicer as well.
 
As expected of an artist like the Wizard, who needs to look at every little detail of his beautiful designs, every aspect of the design of the Savant has been considered, making the Savant an IEM that doesn’t sacrifice its practicality for its looks and sound.
 
 
So I’ll come straight out and admit that while I’ve always loved the design of their IEMs (who doesn’t?), I’ve never really been a fan of Noble’s IEMs. I’ve owned quite a few Wizard IEMs now and have auditioned the K10U on multiple occasions, but nothing has been a keeper for me. I liked all the Noble IEMs I’ve tried, but unfortunately they just weren’t for me – including the K10U (What? Blasphemy!). The Savant changes that story though. The Savant is the first Noble product that I like and would like to keep in my collection. In fact, I really like it – more specifically, I’m seriously hooked on its sound. Noble Audio has created a strong and loyal fan base throughout the past couple of years, with many owning multiple Noble products, and I can finally say that, after all this time, Noble’s finally got me. I am a fan of Noble Audio.
 
The majority of my listening was done with the Noble Savant connected to the iBasso D14 "Bushmaster" DAC/Amplifier playing music from Foobar via USB. The D14 is a very good device and pairs beautifully with the Savant. Music of all different genres were used in my listening impression and music quality of 320 kbps and up with the exception of DSD were used. Another thing to note is that I've put a pair of spinfit tips on the Savant. The spinfits provided the Savant with extra comfort as well as a better sound - in particular a more extended bass.
 
 
Bass
The bass of the Savant is very well balanced and has just a touch of emphasis to it. Bassheads will have to look elsewhere, but for those who enjoy a more neutral bass performance, you’ll find that there is a whole lot to love here. The bass is tight, clean, articulate, and possess some fantastic dynamics that allows it to pack a good amount of punch when called for, while pulling itself back when it should – something I hear people say all the time, but rarely actually hear implemented well.
 
Bass extension is fairly good on the Savant, but I do find that it struggles to replicate sub bass textures just a bit, as the Savant does struggle a bit below 30 Hz. However, the bass of the Savant is still well-rounded and certainly doesn’t feel that it’s lacking a low end – it would just be more correct to characterize it as being nimble and clean rather than full-bodied and rumbly.
 
Midrange
Oh my… where do I begin. For the lack of a better word, the Savant’s midrange just sounds so right to me. Lovers of vocals would be making a huge mistake not to give the Savant a serious consideration. I find the vocals to have fantastic detail, focus, and balance – never sounding too forward or shouty, but also never sounding too relaxed either.
 
What made me seriously love the Savant is the midrange. What baffles me is how fantastically detailed the midrange is without every sounding analytical in the slightest bit. On the contrary, Savant is beautifully smooth sounding. The midrange is balanced and accurate. Those looking for a lusher midrange like you find in the K10 will have to look into something like the N6. Rather than having a more lush and prominent lower midrange, the Savant has a slight kick to its upper midrange, which I find helps it to make detail more prominent and noticeable. While you don’t quite get the dynamics of a full size headphone where you can feel the texture of each instrument, the texture of the Savant is nonetheless incredibly natural and instrument separation is on point as well.
 
The Savant performs well on a technical level, but I can’t forget to mention that the Savant is an incredibly musical IEM and has got me completely hooked on its sound. Its ability to present detail effortlessly and its fatigue-free sound completely won me over – and I can’t emphasize that enough.
 
Treble
The high end of the Savant presents a nice amount of sparkle that remains quick and controlled no matter how complex the music may get. The treble is well detailed and textured, but never sounds harsh. Extension is also fantastic, giving the Savant just the right sense of air to make it sound natural and expansive without sounding artificially so.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
One of the first things many people have noticed when auditioning the Savant is that it has a very nice and expansive feeling soundstage. In particular, the Savant has a wide soundstage with very precise imaging. However, being an IEM, it’s still somewhat limited to what it can do just by its form and design, and it becomes apparent that the Savant lacks quite a bit in height when compared to some of my full size open headphones. Putting things back into perspective though, the Savant’s soundstage is wonderfully capable for an IEM, allowing it to be one of the most realistic IEM when playing binaural recordings (most IEMs seriously suck at producing the effects binaural recordings are trying to create).
 
Summary
While I personally love the tuning of the Savant, it has a lot more going for it than just a neutral and revealing, but musical, tuning. The Savant has a beautiful and coherent sound that does a lot well. It’s difficult to find anything to really nitpick at it especially when its sound is so attention grabbing.
 
While the Savant is neutral with just a hint of a U-Shape, I found the Savant to work fantastically well with more genres than I had expected. The Savant is absolutely beautiful with acoustic and classical music, and sounds very good with pop, rap, hip hop, rock, and more instrumental or percussive music as well. The only time the Savant leaves me wanting is with music that really demands a big bass. I do feel the need to EQ the bass up every now and then with some electronic music, for example.
 
Generally when writing review, I’m able to write more and explain certain issues I hear with an IEM. With the Savant, I seriously don’t have much to say.
 
Comparison
 
Noble Savant and Earwerkz Supra 2
I hold the Supra in very high regard – it offers an amazing amount of detail with a very neutral and balanced sound at an incredible price. Ever since owning the Supra, I haven’t been very impressed with many IEMs. If you haven’t caught on yet… I was very impressed with the Savant. The signature of the Savant and Supra are honestly quite similar, with the Supra being slight more U-shaped, but the Savant is just so effortless in comparison and has a refinement that the Supra doesn’t have.
 
The Savant has a better extended and faster bass that makes the Supra sound a little uncontrolled in the bass. In addition, the Savant has a more detailed and natural midrange that makes the Supra’s midrange sound overly thin in comparison.
 
The sense of space that the Savant is able to produce is also miles ahead of the Supra. Soundstage is the Supra’s Achilles heel, and it’s something the Savant is very proficient at. While both IEMs have a good treble extension and a good sense of air, the Supra sounds a bit congested when put up against the Savant’s more expansive soundstage.
 
Overall, the Supra sounds analytical, and almost a little cold in comparison to the Savant’s musical and smooth sound. Despite that, the Savant handily beats the Supra in its ability to present detail, and is just a more enjoyable listening experience despite how good the Supra is. Costing a little over 100 dollars than a custom pair of the Supra 2 (430 + ~50 for impressions), I think the Savant is a serious contender for being one of the best value in an IEM despite its fairly steep price of 600 dollars, and might just dethrone my Supra 2 as the best value IEM available on the current market (in my opinion at least).
 
 
Heaven VII and Noble Savant
The Noble Savant is perhaps one of my top choice and recommendations for a neutral, yet musical, sound that is also a fantastic all-rounder when it comes to both listening and design. Comparing the two, the Heaven VII has more of an upward tilt, with less bass and slightly more forward midrange and lower treble. The Savant does have a more present upper treble though.
 
Of the two, the Heaven VII is the more detailed IEM, and basically on all fronts. The Savant has a great sense of detail and smoothness that makes the Savant musical yet detailed. The Heaven VII is tuned to have a drier sound which allows it to have a level of detail and texture that the Savant can’t quite compete with. When listening to the Savant, the music sounds like a good recording. But with the Heaven VII, as I’ve sort of covered earlier, it has a level of realism that makes the instruments sound very life-like, so that it doesn’t just seem like a good recording (or bad recording I guess). The Savant is able to come closer to the Heaven VII’s realism when connected to the Essence III, but never quite matches it.
 
I also have to emphasize again how incredibly good the separation, imaging, and soundstage of the Heaven VII are. The Savant, again, has a very nice and spacious soundstage for an IEM using BA drivers. The Savant has a clean and very enjoyable sound. The Heaven VII, on the other hand, is just an incredibly technical IEM. Separation is so incredibly good and the imaging is laser precise in its more spacious soundstage. When comparing the two with the D14, the Savant can even sound a bit congested in comparison to the Heaven VII, as its smaller soundstage and more prominent low end shows with the D14.
 
While the Heaven VII has certainly impressed with me sonically, unfortunately the Savant still takes the cake as my first recommendation for a well-rounded IEM – for multiple reasons of course. First off the Savant is more suited to be the genre master. While neither are true genre masters, I actually found both to be quite satisfying with most genres. But I do find the Savant to be better with more genres in terms of its tuning. Secondly, and more importantly, the Savant is just worlds ahead in fit – to me at least. The Savant has had its share of people with fit issues, but it’s a pretty small handful of people. I’m pretty confident that maybe 90% of people will find the Savant more comfortable. It’s significantly lighter, has a lower profile and snug fit. The over ear design also has lots of benefits such as reducing cable noise. I’m able to wear the Savants upwards of 6 or 7 hours with no discomfort, while 3 hours is probably my limit with the Heaven VII.
 
For these reasons, I see the Savant as the better choice for a larger variety of genres as well as a larger variety of environments or uses. However, if you’re in an environment where you’ll remain fairly stationary (at work, or your desk), I think the Heaven VII will give you more than what the Savant can offer.
 

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Noble Savant and FAD Heaven VII​

 
I seriously love this IEM, and I think Noble has a huge winner in their hands. The Wizard nailed the tuning with the Savant and I know it will please many many people – not just me. In addition, the Savant doesn’t sacrifice musicality by any means for a neutral and detailed sound. I don’t know how the Wizard did it, but he accomplished both with the Savant and seriously nailed it.
 
Some has described the Savant has the “baby K10,” or something along those lines. I personally do not agree. The K10 is a thicker and richer sounding IEM than the Savant, while the Savant opts for a more open and natural sound. Rather than being the baby K10, I see the two as fantastic complements to each other, and I certainly do not see the Savant bowing before another IEM. Both IEM certainly has its merits, and the K10 certainly has the number 1 IEM ranking to show for it, but I very much prefer the Savant to the K10. For me, the natural yet exciting sound of the Savant is just to die for. It’s something a lot of IEMs have come close to, but none have quite executed like the Savant.
 
For those on the waitlist for the Savant, be patient! Your patience will be rewarded! There’s a reason why the Savant sold out in a blink of an eye and now requires a wait time that you only ever see when ordering a CIEM. The Savant is seriously something special.
 
The Savant is one of the best IEMs that I've heard at any price point. Along with the Jh Audio Angie and UE Reference Monitor, it's on my list as one of my top 3 favorite IEMs of all times. Superhero or sidekick? Superhero.

RHA is a fairly new audio company that has made quite a splash recently with their MA750 and T10 IEMs. RHA has recently announced their new T20 IEM which is due to be released sometime during the summer of 2015. Before its release, RHA has opened a few spots for people to demo and review the new IEM as part of a tour. I was one of the few lucky people that got the opportunity to give the T20 a listen before release.
 
I am no affiliated with RHA but I would like to give them a shout out and big thank you for making this tour happen!
 
To me, the T20 has a very commercial design with their packaging – and that’s a good thing. It reminds me a lot of the popular consumer headphone packaging (ex. Monster, Beats etc.), where you’re presented with a nice box that opens and you get to see a teaser of what’s inside the box. Overall, the design and presentation of the product is fashionable and beautiful.
 
The T20 comes with some very nice and quality accessories. There is a large variety of eartips to choose from of all sizes. There are also sets of dual flange and comply tips provided, which was a nice touch. I honestly think that the eartips RHA provided are of very good quality. They are very soft and comfortable while being very durable and retain their shapes well. Kudos to RHA for both the number of tips they provide and the quality of the eartips.
 
With the packaging also includes the filters that change the signature of the T20 as well as a square pleather carrying case and a shirt clip. The overall presentation of the T20 is very attractive and the accessories provided also feel very nice.
 
 
The RHA T20, like the T10, is a beautifully built and sturdy IEM. The housing is made completely out of metal, making it slightly heavy compared to your average IEM. Despite that, the T20 felt lighter than I expected when I put them in my ears and they basically disappeared after a while. The housing is very comfortable and I wore it for over 3 hours straight without and comfort issues. The housing also has red/blue and R/L colors and engravings on the housing to help those that need help distinguishing left and right for whatever reason. The T20’s housing also has vents that most likely help give the bass more body. I’m also quite interested in the design of the new dual coil driver. I know they mentioned that the T20 has two independent voice coils that collaborate and act on the same diaphragm to produce sound. I wish there was some sort of diagram showing that.
 
Because the T20 does have vents, it doesn't have the best sound isolation. In addition, I also found that the T20 generally doesn't sit too deep in the ear. Because of those reasons, I find the T20's isolation to be average at best. It's still more than enough to isolate noise while you're out and about though.
 
Perhaps what’s most interesting about the design of the housing is the nozzle that also act as filters. Three filters (treble, reference, and bass) are provided and each can alter the sound to give the user some flexibility in choosing what their favorite sound is.
 
Moving onto the cable also marks the departure of my enthusiasm for the T20. Well, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but I’m not the biggest fan of the cable. The 3.5mm jack as well as the Y-split are both made of metal and very solid feeling. The 3.5mm jack has a spring attached to it to lower the strain that may be put on the cable there, increasing the sturdiness of the longevity of the cable at the cost of some aesthetics in my opinion. Overall I think it’s a smart design and I would gladly take it knowing its one less place that my earphone has a chance of failing at. On the other hand, while the Y-split is solidly built and nice looking, it’s placed in a bizarre spot. Standing up, the Y-split reaches almost down to my belly button. I guess it doesn’t really affect the comfort but it does look a little wonky.
 
On the cable is also the ear guide. I’m personally not the biggest fan of ear guides in general, but there have been some that I feel are fine or even good. Unfortunately, I find the ear guide of the T20 to be a bit long. To add to that, the extra bulk at the end of it makes it pretty clunky overall. It’s not my favorite thing but doesn’t really take away from the comfort of the earphone all that much either so I don’t mind too much.
 
The cable is made of a rubbery material that is fairly tangle-free, but is on the thicker end of the spectrum. Because of its thickness (and its metal Y-split), the cable is on the heavier side. It doesn’t make the cable uncomfortable, but it also doesn’t disappear like other cables can. In addition, like most rubbery cables I’ve had experienced with in the past, the rubbery cable also tends to carry more cable noise. It’s not a big issue for me, but I feel that amount of noise transferred by the cable has room for improvement.
 
Overall, the T20 is a very sturdy IEM that is made with very solid materials, but I do feel that the cable could be improved upon.
 
Listening was done using my iBasso D14 “Bushmaster” with my laptop running Foobar as my source. Music of all genres and of varying quality (with the exception of DSD) was used for my listening impressions. In addition, for consistency, the majority of the listening impressions were done with the reference filter. The other two filters are included in their own sections.
 
 
With the reference filter, the T20 presents a warm and V-shaped signature that I personally wouldn’t categorize as being reference. The sound is tuned to be quite musical and fun, but not to a point where the sound is overly colored either.
 
Bass
Even with a “reference” filter, the bass of the T20 is a whole lot of fun. The bass is pleasantly boosted with good punch and with very good extension – reaching 30 Hz and beyond without too much trouble.
 
While the bass isn’t bloated in any way, I do have some issues with it. First off, I find the bass boosted to a point where it’s not bloated, but distracting and somewhat inaccurate. Instruments that resonate in the lower register tend to be brought out more, and not necessarily when they should. Listening to Jason Mraz often sounds a little odd as the bass (guitar) seems to overpower the acoustic guitar while the kick drum lets out kicks that, while juicy, just seem out of place. Listening to Regina Spektor’s “The Calculation” also gives a similar feeling, with the bass (guitar) rumble dominating the track. I feel that the T20 works much better with music that does make sense with a more filled out bottom end. Rock music, for instance, feel much more at home on the T20.
 
I also feel that the bass can be cleaner. While possessing good thump, the bass isn’t particularly tight or well-focused. It also tends to have more of a bloom to it and can be on the slower side. Sub bass texture is still generally much better than what’s offered by balanced armature IEMs at the same price range, but I feel that the bass of overall a bit smoothed out and lacks a bit of detail.
 
While I don’t feel that the bass performance of the T20 is its strong suite, I can’t help but admit that I quite enjoy it. It’s been a while since I’ve listening to anything that brings some really nice big thumping bass that while keeping the midrange and treble fairly clean. The bass isn’t boosted to a basshead level, but I do feel that those who enjoy bass, or are borderline bassheads will enjoy these.
 
Midrange
While the T20’s bass can pack some serious punch, the midrange remains clean and generally free of any sort of bleed from the bass, which I found to be quite impressive. The midrange balance seems a bit wonky and inconsistent to me. I generally feel that the midrange is just a tad recessed, given the bigger bass and sparkly treble, but remain fairly well-balanced, but there are tracks where it may seem even a little forward. However, vocals tend to be more relaxed and laid back but remain engaging, than being forward. Instruments generally remain clean but I do find that separation can take a hit on more complex tracks. I also find that there are moments when I feel that the some instruments sound a little metallic, but not to a point where I find it particularly unnatural or harsh in any way. The midrange generally feels clean, smooth, and just a tad recessed.
 
Treble
Treble has good detail, good extension, as well as good sparkle without ever sounding harsh to me. Treble decay is a little longer, which on some tracks can sound quite beautiful and natural, but translate to being a bit splashy on more demanding tracks. However, the treble of the T20 is perhaps the most articulate part of the T20, having good energy, bite, and texture in comparison to the rest of its frequency range. I found that it had a good balance between being sparkly and energetic while remaining fairly smooth.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
The soundstage of the T20 is fantastic, and one of the largest I’ve heard in an IEM at this price point, while beating out a lot of balanced armature IEMs that’s much pricier than it. The T20 can expand fairly well in both its width and height, while being just a bit flatter in terms of depth. The imaging and separation of the T20 is also pretty good, but I don’t think it rivals the precision that balanced armature IEMs around the same price can offer, despite generally having a significantly smaller soundstage.
 
Comparison
 
T20 with Bass Filter
I think the filter system of the T20 is actually really well done. The T20 with bass filter is nowhere near as bassy as I thought it would be, and the rest of the frequency wasn’t affected by the slight boost in bass all too much. Sub bass is lifted just a tad bit as well as just a little more punch in the bass. It’s still not basshead level, but will be good to have those that enjoy just a bit more punch or thickness in their sound.
 
T20 with Treble Filter
I personally feel that this is actually the most “reference” sound of the three filter the T20 offers, and is what I prefer the most personally. Treble is generally faster, more detailed, and more textured, but does have the tendency to be sharper, venturing into the realm where people will consider a bit harsh. I tend to favor a brighter treble so it wasn’t an issue for me personally. The treble filter also has more air that, to me, gives the soundstage a more expansive and natural feel.
 
Like the bass filter, the treble filter doesn’t affect the rest of the frequency too much. You still get a nice thumping bass in the music.
 
CustomArt Ei.3 and RHA T20
In my opinion, both IEMs are very good and have their own strengths in different areas. To me, comparing the two is a classic scenario comparing dynamic and balanced armature drivers.
Typical of a dynamic driver, the T20’s bass extends a good deal deeper than the Ei.3’s bass, and also has much more authority and rumble. Overall bass of the T20 is a bit more accentuated with a little more midbass bloom in comparison, but really not by much. The T20 is by no means a bass monster. While lacking the authority that the T20’s bass has, the Ei.3 bass has tighter impact that causes the bass of the T20 to feel like it lacks a bit of focus in its impact. Despite that, I do feel that the bass department of the T20 is superior to that of the Ei.3 as its more textured and realistic.
In the midrange is where the balanced armature drivers of the Ei.3 really flex their muscles though. Vocals are presented beautifully on the Ei.3 with crystal clarity and good detail. Instruments are also well textured and clean. Compared to the clarity and naturalness of the Ei.3 midrange, the T20 has a slightly veiled tonality. While the midrange of the T20 is good, it doesn’t quite have the detail, texture, and articulation that the Ei.3 can output.
Treble between the two I find to be fairly close. The T20 has slightly more treble energy and overall extension while having slightly less treble texture and a longer decay. The Ei.3 bring more realism to the instrument and can pick up more micro-details and nuances than the T20.
Soundstage on the T20 is noticeably larger, especially in terms of width. However, the imaging of the Ei.3 is much cleaner and accurate. Instrument separation is also better thanks to its fantastic clarity.
Priced at 240 dollars, I think the T20 is a very good sounding IEM. Being around 100 dollars more than the T20 (300 + 50 for ear molds), it would only make sense that the Ei.3 is an upgrade to the T20 – and it is. Bringing better clarity and realism to the music, I do find the Ei.3 to be an upgrade in sound over the T20. However both IEMs deserve praise for what they’ve accomplished at their respective price points.
 
 
The T20 is a fun sounding IEM that has an attractive sound despite not being the strongest in terms of its sonic capabilities. For some reason I was under the impression that the T20 were priced at 280 dollars, but the RHA website has them listed at around 240 dollars. At 240 dollars, I think the T20 is a good IEM to pick up that will give you a fun and relatively detailed sound when you’re out and about. I think at 280 dollars its perhaps pushing the price a bit.
 
I feel that the T20 does a lot well, sounding fun while giving a respectable amount of detail, but has the tendency to sound just a bit out of place and confused. On acoustic or soft rock, the snare drum decay can sound wonderfully natural, but the bass is strangely rumbly. On the other hand, listening to some hard rock gives some fantastically satisfying bass that dig deep, but the T20 can struggle a little to keep up and remain crystal clear and clean.
 
As a whole, I think the T20 is a fun experience that is certainly worth the attention of those looking for a quality set of IEMs with good build quality, comfort, and a fun sound. While retaining a fun sound signature, the T20 does have the most "reference" sound and quality in RHA's line and certainly deserves its status of RHA's flagship. Despite its sound signature deviating from what I generally enjoy, I would be lying to say I didn’t enjoy the sound of the T20.

CustomArt is a relatively new custom IEM company that has very quickly grew into one of the big names in business. Hailing from Poland, the company has a well-respected line of products that have been made available as touring units thanks to the generosity of Piotr, the man behind CustomArt. I was one of the Head-Fi members that have had time with the tour units, and I was fairly impressed with what Piotr had to offer.
 
While the CustomArt tour units continue to circulate, however, Piotr has cooked up something new from his lab, and it’s quite a departure from his current line of products. Traditionally a company that makes custom IEMs out of medical grade silicone, CustomArt has recently released their first acrylic product – the 3 driver Ei.3.
 
Piotr offered to put the Ei.3 on tour as well, and I was lucky enough to be one of the first to receive the demo unit. Since this is a demo unit of a custom IEM, my impressions are naturally of the universal version and may vary slightly from the actual custom fit version. However, it should nonetheless provide a fairly accurate impression of the actual version of the Ei.3.
 
Edit: Some changes were made to my impressions of the bass after suggestions of using a smaller bore tip.
 
I won’t go into too much detail here. Since this is a demo unit, there are naturally some things missing. The packaging is simple. It came in a well-padded envelope. Inside the envelope is a hard Pelican 1010 case with the unit inside. Besides the IEM, a set of comply tips were provided. That’s it. Since the real deal is a custom IEM, tips wouldn’t be included anyways. Either way, moving on to more exciting and important things.
 
 
The build of the Ei.3 is also something I won’t be able to get into in too much detail. However, I can offer some insight here. Upon inspection, there are no bubbles to be seen on the shell. There are, however, a few smears on the inside of the shell that I’m guessing to be some sort of glue. I assume that the actual custom Ei.3 with be near flawless as there is a lot more space to put the drivers in. In addition, Piotr products have generally been beautiful to look at and very well built. Piotr also notes that he has since improved his skills at crafting acrylic IEMs, so it only gets better from here on.
 
I would also like to note that Piotr makes some fantastically comfortable IEMs. I’ve bugged Piotr before about considering making universals, but it seems that there are a few road blocks preventing that. Oh well… a man can dream though.
 
I have to make a special section here to talk about the stock cable that CustomArt offers or I would be committing a crime. Along with the Noble Cable, CustomArt’s stock cable is the best stock cable that is offered by any company that I know of. Now, the debate of whether cables make a difference in sound is always a big debate, BUT assuming that upgrade cables do improve the sound, I honestly don’t think it’s worth it. The Ei.3’s sound certainly can stand on its own without some expensive upgrade, and my God is this cable comfortable.
 
The stock cable is so fantastically flexible and retains absolutely no memory. Bend it however you like or wound it up any way you like, and it’ll straighten right back up. It defies physics and does it so beautifully that it makes me tear up a bit. I give the stock cable that CustomArt offers a 6 out of 5 rating, because it’s redefined what a stock cable can offer. And yes, I do like it better than the Linum cables. The Linum cables, while incredibly comfortable, retain memory like there’s no tomorrow, and are so light that I can’t hang my IEMs around my neck for convenience when I’m not using them.
 
Listening was done using my iBasso D14 “Bushmaster” with my laptop running Foobar as my source. Music of all genres and of varying quality (with the exception of DSD) was used for my listening impressions.
 
CustomArt advertised the Ei.3 as having more of a consumer oriented tuning, so I was mentally preparing myself to hear what a “Beats by CustomArt” tuning would be like (ok… maybe not Beats). Of course, I expected the sound to still be relatively neutral, following what seems like CustomArt’s house sound, but I was not prepared when I heard the Ei.3 – it was completely different from what I was expecting.
 
Bass
To put it simply, the bass was not what I was expecting at all. I consider my HIFIMAN HE560’s bass to be near ruler flat, if not very close to that. If that’s the case, then the bass of the Ei.3 is only a tiny bit north of neutral. It’s not accentuated as much as I had expected. The bass is very slightly boosted, remains tight and extends fairly well for a 3 driver IEM. The Ei.3 does still roll off a bit in the lower region, but that is somewhat to be expected as its inherent is almost all balanced armature IEMs, especially those with less drivers to cover the frequency range. In addition, the bass seems to have a slight softness on impact, causing it to sound a little inarticulate in comparison to the crystal clarity that the Ei.3 offers in its midrange and treble. Overall bass performance is good and fun, but lags a little behind the fantastic midrange and treble.
 
My experience with CIEMs is that the custom fitted version does tend to give better bass extension than a universal version, so I would expect the bass extension and performance to improve with the custom product.
 
Midrange
This is where things start to look better for the Ei.3 – very good in fact. The Ei.3 is a fantastic choice for vocal music. The midrange is fluid, smooth, and slightly warm, all while remaining neutral. Detail is good, but not amazing. Switching from the Noble Savant to the Ei.3, there is an obvious decrease in the overall level of detail. What does make the Ei.3 midrange good and hit beyond its asking price, however, is its fantastic clarity. Everything sounds very clean and nothing feels oddly colored in any way. Instruments have good texture as well good separation within the soundstage, despite the soundstage being fairly average. The precision in imaging is very good, but does lack the last bit of finesse that makes high-end balanced armature IEMs incredibly laser-precise with pinpointing instruments within the soundscape.
 
Overall, the midrange of the Ei.3 is wonderfully natural and presents a very clean sounding listening experience.
 
Treble
The treble of the Ei.3 has all the qualities, in my personal opinion, that make a good treble response. The Ei.3 has a quick, clean, and smooth treble that is far from fatiguing. Like the midrange, the treble is clean and uncolored and with extension that's not amazing but not bad, starting to roll off as it nears 16 kHz. The Ei.3 never feels dark or closed in, despite the sound being fairly forward and more “in your head.”
 
I think the only real room for improvement in the treble is that I feel there is a slight lack in overall texture in the upper midrange and treble. I think many will enjoy the sound of the treble as is, but I would personally like just a bit more bite and texture out of the sound, especially when it comes to cymbal and high hat hits.
 
Sound Comparisons
 
CustomArt Ei.3 and Earwerkz Supra 2 (CIEM)
I consider the supra 2 to be the king of value as the supra is fantastically detailed and natural sounding for a 430 dollar CIEM (or 390 for the universals). So being about 100 dollars less, how do the two compare?
 
In terms of sound signature, the supra and the Ei.3 are more similar than they are different. However, the way in which the music is presented is quite different. For me personally, the past year or so has been fantastic, as more and more companies seem to be nailing the sound signature which I consider to be “natural” – which is generally a very slight V-shape with just a tad of extra energy in the upper mids. I would consider both of these IEMs to be close to my ideal sound signature. This sort of signature can often come forth as being fairly dry or boring, but the Ei.3, in particular, is a very musical sounding IEM.
 
Directly comparing the supra and Ei.3, the supra has a punchier and lower extending bass, a more aggressive upper range, and an overall more forward sound. The overall sound of the supra are crisper but dryer with better detail and overall texture as the presentation of the music from the supra are fairly analytical. Compared to the supra, the Ei.3 can feel as if it has a softer attack on the music as it’s not as sharp sounding as the supra (not to say they’re harsh sounding). While the supra are more detailed than the Ei.3, I think many will prefer the musical and smooth sound of the Ei.3 over the supra’s sound. The Ei.3 also has the benefit of having a better soundstage than the supra, particularly in terms of depth and width. The supra’s one big weakness to me is its very underwhelming soundstage.
 
In summary, I find those who enjoy a more analytical but energetic sound will like the supra, while those who enjoy a smoother, more musical, but slightly less textured and detailed sound will find the Ei.3 much more appealing.
 
CustomArt Ei.3 and RHA T20 (With Neutral Filter)
In my opinion, both IEMs are very good and have their own strengths in different areas. To me, comparing the two is a classic scenario comparing dynamic and balanced armature drivers.
 
Typical of a dynamic driver, the T20’s bass extendsl deeper than the Ei.3’s bass, and also has much more authority and rumble. Overall bass of the T20 is a bit more accentuated with a little more midbass bloom in comparison, but really not by much. The T20 is by no means a bass monster. While lacking the authority that the T20’s bass has, the Ei.3 bass has tighter impact that causes the bass of the T20 to feel like it lacks a bit of focus in its impact. Despite that, I do feel that the bass department of the T20 is superior to that of the Ei.3 as its more textured and realistic.
 
In the midrange is where the balanced armature drivers of the Ei.3 really flex their muscles though. Vocals are presented beautifully on the Ei.3 with crystal clarity and good detail. Instruments are also well textured and clean. Compared to the clarity and naturalness of the Ei.3 midrange, the T20 has a slightly veiled tonality. While the midrange of the T20 is good, it doesn’t quite have the detail, texture, and articulation that the Ei.3 can output.
 
Treble between the two I find to be fairly close. The T20 has slightly more treble energy and overall extension while having slightly less treble texture and a longer decay. The Ei.3 bring more realism to the instrument and can pick up more micro-details and nuances than the T20.
 
Soundstage on the T20 is noticeably larger, especially in terms of width. However, the imaging of the Ei.3 is much cleaner and accurate. Instrument separation is also better thanks to its fantastic clarity.
 
Priced at 240 dollars, I think the T20 is a very good sounding IEM. Being around 100 dollars more than the T20 (300 + 50 for ear molds), it would only make sense that the Ei.3 is an upgrade to the T20 – and it is. Bringing better clarity and realism to the music, I do find the Ei.3 to be an upgrade in sound over the T20. However both IEMs deserve praise for what they’ve accomplished at their respective price points.
 
 
I like the Ei.3. Piotr continues to do great work and the Ei.3 is certainly one of the most affordable, yet fantastic sounding, CIEM available on the market. At the 300 dollar price point, I can’t think of a better recommendation for a CIEM than the Ei.3. While still a few steps behind the detail oriented Supra 2 in terms of detail, the fantastically smooth and musical sound of the Ei.3 makes it a strong contender as one of the best value IEM you can find. If CustomArt is able to find a way to improve its bass performance and extension, the Ei.3 would be an absolute monster.

Cayin is a Chinese company that has recently made quite a splash in the portable audio world with some of their very nice and budget friendly portable gear. The C5 amplifier has gained quite a bit of popularity and their N6 DAP is considered by many to be one of the best mid-tier DAPs currently available on the market.
 
Cayin’s most recently release is their new portable DAC/amp – the C5 DAC. While its looks are almost identical to the C5 amplifier, Cayin has noted that not only does the C5 DAC have the added functionality of performing as a DAC, the amplifier section has also been retuned. Cayin’s MSRP for the C5 DAC is supposedly 259.00 USD, I’ve seen them selling for 215.00 USD from retailers, so I’m not completely sure what the deal on pricing is, but Cayin did note that the price differs depending on the region you’re in.
 
I was lucky to be one of the people in North America to be selected for the North American leg of the C5 DAC tour that Cayin set up. I had the C5 DAC with me for two weeks to listen, evaluate and offer my opinions on the product with the least amount of bias possible. A big shout out and thank you to Cayin for setting up this tour and to give me the opportunity to try my first Cayin product! I am not affiliated with Cayin in any way and will do my best to give as objective of a review as I possibly can.
 
The C5 DAC arrived at my door very well packaged and very well protected … … and by that I mean… VERY well protected. Very. Upon opening the first cardboard box, I was greeted with another cardboard box. Except this one was guarded by saran wrap and tape. After spending a solid 10 minutes trying to get past the layers of saran wrap to the best of my ability (in my attempt to preserve the unboxing experience for the reviewers after me), I cut open the second box. Inside, I finally reached the actual packaging of the C5 DAC. The box is a sturdy, clean and simple box with the Cayin logo on it. Overall, the actual packaging itself is very simplistic but very nice. The contents inside the box were well presented and well organized. However, I would love for Cayin to maybe take it easy a little bit in terms of protecting their product. The layers and layers of cardboard and saran wrap that someone has to go through in order to reach the final product is a bit over the top. The good news is that there’s no way in hell you’re C5 DAC is going to get damaged on its way to you (assuming you order it directly from Cayin that is).
 
When it comes to the content that comes with the C5 DAC, I can say there is plenty. Cayin includes a lot of interconnect cables that will likely cover all your connecting needs (with the exception of a CCK to connect to an iDevice). I spent most of my time with the C5 DAC connected to my HTC One M8 with the micro USB interconnect that Cayin provided. They certainly get the job done. In addition to the various cables, there is also a cable for charging the C5 DAC, two blue rubber bands, as well as a nice gray pouch to put the C5 DAC into for storage.
 
 
 
 
The main body of the C5 DAC consists of two metal plates that have a beautiful rose gold-like color. The rest of the amp is made of hard plastic, making the amp surprisingly light for its size. However, I can’t help but feel that the plates might not be the most scratch resistant and could wear over time. In addition, the two plates aren’t that securely in place and can shift ever so slightly, making clicking sounds if you shake the amp back and forth. I don’t think it’s something that compromises the sturdiness of the product, but it’s certainly something that can be improved upon.
 
The other thing I’m not so convinced about the build of the C5 DAC is the black plastic covering at the top of the amp where the headphone jacks are. I’m honestly not sure why it’s there. It’s fairly soft plastic, so it’s very prone to scratches. In fact, my unit came with quite a few scratches already on the black plastic. I feel like it could have easily been replaced by something much sturdier and of higher quality. It makes the amp feel a bit cheap.
 
Besides that, I feel that the C5 DAC is a well-built product. The various jacks and ports for connections are all sturdy and the volume knob, while made of plastic, gets the job done nicely. I only wished that some of the plastic parts could have been replaced with some higher quality material.
 
In terms of the design of the C5 DAC, I think it’s fantastic. Cayin set out to design a DAC/amp for your smartphone, and they delivered. While the C5 DAC is big, its profile is about the same size as our average smartphone, being just slightly smaller but thicker than my HTC One M8. The two make a very nice stack that, while bulky, still fits in your average man’s pockets (sorry ladies… your pockets are just too tiny…). Those that like to wear skinny jeans may have a bit more of a problem with the stack though.
 
I’m also very happy to see that despite being designed with the smartphone in mind, the C5 DAC still has versatility to it. It also acts as a USB DAC or just as a portable amp for any other player that already has a substantially good DAC.
 
Battery life of the C5 DAC is also quite good. Cayin advertises the battery life to be up to 18 hours, but I feel like that may be for running the C5 DAC as just an amplifier. While I never ran the battery dry, it took me about 3 hours to drain each of the 3 power indicators on the device, so I would guess that it probably lasts around 10 hours or so running as a DAC/Amp combo.
 
I commend Cayin for designing a portable amp that is truly portable despite its size. While large, its thin profile and light weight makes it a truly portable device compared to the blockier portable amps offered by many other manufacturers. With a profile more similar to something like the Apex Glacier or Headstage Arrow series, the C5 DAC is a fantastically portable device.
 
Last quick thing to add – the C5 DAC does get warm over time, so keeping it in your pocket during the summertime may be a bit of a nuisance.
 
 
As Cayin designed the C5 DAC with pairing it to a smartphone in mind, most of my listening was done with the C5 DAC paired with my HTC One M8 smartphone and with my wonderful Earwerkz Supra 2. Most of the files used for listening are 320 kbps, as they conserve space in my smartphone, and music of a large variety of genres were used.
 
EMI
I didn’t have too many issues with getting interference from my phone, but occasionally there would be beeps that fade in and out. I never found it distracting though and I wouldn’t really press EMI to be an issue with the C5 DAC either. It does occur though.
 
Noise Floor
I’ve come to accept that everything will have some level of noise with my hyper sensitive Supras. Even the incredibly silent DX90 has tiny bit of hiss with the Supras. While I’ve never heard the original C5 amp, Cayin explained that the C5 DAC was designed to be more IEM-friendly. Nonetheless, like every single amp I’ve ever tried, the C5 DAC hisses with the Supras. The amount of noise is not substantial enough that it’ll be distracting in most music, but it is substantial enough that you can catch it in between songs. Besides that though, it’s not an issue, even during softer acoustic tracks. So I would say, Cayin did a good job with making the C5 DAC IEM-friendly. While I wouldn’t give the noise floor a stellar grade when paired with my Supras, it certainly gets a passing grade, which basically means that it’ll certainly not be an issue for just about any IEM on the market. Well done Cayin.
 
Gain and Channel Imbalance
While Cayin advertises the C5 DAC to be IEM-friendly, I did find that it gets pretty loud with my sensitive Supras. At lower volumes, there is also a bit of channel imbalance. Using my setup, I set my phone volume to slightly less than half of max, and the C5 DAC volume to between 2 and 2.5. Anything below that and the left signal disappears, and anything above that got to be too loud. So there isn’t really all that much freedom in terms of the volume setting, and if anything was to cause the volume to accidentally turn up… well… I might have to pay a visit to my audiologist then. Overall, the C5 DAC works with IEMs, but is still not optimal for them in my opinion.
 
Sound
I don’t think the C5 DAC is sonically the most impressive device you can find in the sub 300 dollar price range. Nonetheless, I was actually very drawn to the sound that it offers.
 
The overall sound is quite energetic, with some nice bass punch, smooth midrange, and a fairly energetic and airy treble. Despite that, I would still categorize it as being fairly neutral with just a touch of warmth (certainly more neutral than my DX90).
 
The bass is good, but probably left me least impressed. Bass is fairly flat with good extension, but does lack the last bit of sub bass that gives the bass some nice textures. I also found that bass impact could use just a tiny tiny bit of tightening up.
 
Midrange of the C5 DAC is nicely detailed and accurate. I found the vocals to be very slightly forward and very well presented and natural. The upper midrange also has a little extra flare that gives the music some excitement without sounding unnatural. It gives instruments a really nice bite and texture that I personally found to be very enjoyable and fun. Instrument separation is also good and utilizes a good soundstage. However, I did find that the precision in the imaging of individual instruments isn’t the cleanest.
 
The treble region really wowed me on first listen. Treble is nicely extended and has a very good sense of air to it that makes the sound of the C5 DAC feel very expansive. I’m a sucker for airy treble and personally don’t enjoy too thick or dark of a sound, so the C5 DAC was right up my alley and I continued to really like how it sounds. However, I did find that the treble can be a tiny bit splashy and could use some control in terms of decay.
 
In summary, I found the sound of the C5 DAC to be very clean and natural sounding. However, I feel that it does lack a bit of overall dynamics. Paired with neutral IEMs that utilize BA drivers, which are generally also very clean sounding while lacking some ability to pack a punch in its sound, you get a very nice and clean sound that can, unfortunately, sound a little bland in comparison to other amps that offer a more colored sound. However, when paired with more colored IEMs or headphones, I think the C5 DAC can offer a very good and enjoyable sound. Being offered at 215 dollars by some of Cayin’s dealers, I think the C5 DAC is a very solid and affordable option for consumers looking for a DAC/Amp for their smartphone or computer.
 
Comparisons
 
Cayin C5 DAC and iBasso D14 “Bushmaster”
The Bushmaster is iBasso’s 230 dollar return to portable DAC/Amps after discontinuing many of their previous portable products and focusing on the DAP market for a few years.
 
In terms of build quality, I think the D14 is a good bit better. The brushed aluminum chassis of the D14 feels more substantial and more securely put together. The D14 is also made completely out of metal with the exception of a few switches and its volume knob, while quite a few parts of the C5 DAC are hard plastic.
 
In terms of design and function, both products have its merits. Both have some minor background noise and channel imbalance issues, but the D14 hisses less. The D14 has the benefit of having a SPDIF in, allowing it to act as a DAC/Amp for products that do not have a USB line out. For example, many budget DAPs offered by iBasso or Fiio have some sort of coaxial out function, but lack a USB out. In such a situation, the D14 would allow the user to bypass both the DAC and amp section of the DAP if the user chooses, while the C5 DAC does not have that flexibility. On the other hand, the C5 DAC is slightly wider and taller than the D14, but also thinner by a good margin. This makes the C5 DAC a much more viable option for using it as an external DAC/Amp for your smartphones. Fitting both the D14 and a smartphone into one pocket is really pushing it, and honestly, no one wants to look at the bulge in your pants while you walk around. In terms of form and function, I find the C5 DAC to be a more suitable on the go device, while the D14 is very nice for plugging into your computer or players while you’re away from your home rig.
 
While I really enjoyed the sound of the C5 DAC, I just felt that the D14 edged it out by just a bit in most aspects of sound. Detail retrieval throughout the spectrum is just a bit better on the D14, bass extension is a bit better on the D14, and the midrange of the D14 is just fantastically fluid and natural. The midrange of the D14 is cleaner with better separation, imaging, soundstaging, and has a wonderfully black background. The treble of the D14 is also a little more controlled, detailed, and smooth. The benefits of the C5 DAC over the D14 is having a less colored sound and having a nice airy sound that isn’t quite as apparent in the D14. Overall, the D14 has a richer and punchier sound than the C5 DAC.
 
While I have a lot of praises for iBasso’s D14, I can’t undermine the C5 DAC’s capabilities either. iBasso just made a monster of a device. In terms of recommendation, I would absolutely point people in the C5 DAC’s direction if someone is looking for a more balanced sound or if someone is looking specifically for a portable DAC/Amp for their smartphone (and I would personally choose the C5 DAC over the D14 for this) or just someone who maybe doesn't quite like iBasso's house signature. While the D14 isn’t large, I just find it too thick to realistically be used as a DAC/Amp for your smartphone that you can just grab and put in your pocket. For those looking for a nice small device to use for just about any other situations though, I have to give the D14 a big recommendation.
 
Cayin C5 DAC and iBasso DX90
I love my DX90, and I think it demonstrate amazing value for a DAP. The DX90 has a very similar sound to the D14, as expected since both of them have the iBasso house sound of having a slightly warmer sound and having a very good and clean background. The DX90 is running firmware 2.3.0 when this comparison was done.
 
When comparing the C5 DAC to the DX90, much of the same things apply from the comparison between the D14 and the C5 DAC. The DX90 has a warmer sound while sounding just a little bit more detailed and clean, but to a lesser extent than the D14. I do feel that the soundstage between C5 DAC and DX90 are very close, but I do feel that the DX90 is just a tiny bit wider.
 
However, the big epiphany comes when I connect the DX90 to the C5 DAC via line out and use the C5 DAC as just an amplifier. The sound coming from that is really good. You get the nice balance and air that is present in the C5 DAC, while retaining a well-controlled and dynamic sound. Pairing the two together makes me suspect that perhaps the DAC section of the C5 DAC is the weaker point of the device, as its amp section seems to shine when it’s paired up with a different DAC. What's interesting is the PCM 1795 DAC should supposely be better than the PCM 1792 DAC that was implemented in the Cayin N6. It may just be my personal preference but it doesn't seem to me like using a supposely higher quality DAC really changed the game for the C5 DAC. Then again, the N6 is three times the price and utilizes a dual DAC design, so maybe it does make a bit of sense.
 
 
I think portable audio has come a long way in just the past few years, and it really delights me to see something like the C5 DAC offered at around the 200 dollar price point. I think the C5 DAC is a well-designed and nice looking device that accomplishes the goal it was created to do very well – upgrade the sound of a smartphone. The C5 DAC is very easy to use, very portable, and has a nice sound. I do find that the attention to detail in terms of its build quality could be improved somewhat, as it did lose some brownie points with me in this category, but the C5 DAC nonetheless demonstrates a great value for the money that you are investing in it.

Brainwavz is a company that has been making some nice budget earphones for quite a few years now. Recently, Brainwavz released their first Bluetooth earphone, the Blu-100, and a couple review units were sent out for reviews. I received my unit from Brainwavz as a review unit. I’ve posted my objective impressions here to help those interested in the new Brainwavz Bluetooth headphone to decide whether it’s right for them or not, and as always, my review is in no way influenced by Brainwavz and I am not affiliated with Brainwavz in any way.
 
When I first received the package from Brainwavz, I was a bit surprised. I’ve always liked the packaging that came with Brainwavz earphones, but the Blu-100 came in a significantly smaller package. The box the Blu-100 came with was also a bit beat up. I definitely prefer the packaging of the other models that has a sturdier plastic packaging, and I’m not sure why Brainwavz opted for the flimsy box for the Blu-100 – it’s not like the Blu-100 is a significantly cheaper model or anything.
 
Regardless, everything got to me unharmed besides the box itself, so no real harm done. Upon opening the box, you find the typical Brainwavz carrying case with the Blu-100 themselves, a USB cable, and some ear tips. A rubbery device that’s supposed to help the Blu-100 fit into the ear more easily is also included. Overall, all the necessary accessories are present but it’s certainly not anything fancy.
 
 
As with most Brainwavz earphones, the housing is quite sturdy and made mostly of metal. The left and right earpieces are clearly labeled and don’t seem like they’ll be scratched off anytime soon. The housing is light-weight, but can feel somewhat heavy at times as they also tend to stick out of my ears quite a bit. But with the help of the extra rubber ear fit (thingy?) they included, the Blu-100 fits into my ears quite nicely. Isolation is fairly average for an in ear and it gets the job done, but isn’t anything spectacular.
 
The cable is non-detachable and is a flat cable similar to some of the other portable earphones that Brainwavz offers. However, the cable is significantly thinner than the likes of the S5 and is significantly more manageable and with reduced cable noise.
 
The included control-talk microphone has a plastic housing with responsive buttons that have a nice click to them and a microphone that has surprisingly good quality. People I’ve talked to on the other end of the line have told me that there is an improvement in clarity of my voice.
 
Charging is easily done by opening the cap on the right earpiece, which reveals a micro USB port for charging. The battery life of the Blu-100 is very short, at only around 4 hours of music playing or calls. This is what really limits the Blu-100 and where it becomes a niche product. If you’re looking for something wireless to use at work that doesn’t clutter up the desk with extra cables, this product is not for you. The Blu-100 is truly for portable use – and portable use only. These are perfect for those that need something easy and simply to use for community to and from work or for something like going to the gym.
 
In terms of Bluetooth, there have been many reports of the Blu-100 not functioning particularly well or cutting out.  I’m not sure if Brainwavz has resolve any issues with the Blu-100 since those review or not, but I had no trouble my unit. I was able to get about 20 feet away from my phone while still retaining connection when there was nothing obstruction the connection (walls for example). While out and about, I had absolutely no problems with the Bluetooth connection with my phone in my pocket (which seems to have been a problem for some). Now, I do admit that I’m no techy and not particularly well versed in terms of Bluetooth technology, so I can’t give much more than my experience with the Blu-100. All I can offer is that I had no issues with the Bluetooth and syncing was a breeze with both my HTC One M8 and my girlfriend’s iPhone 5C.
 
One thing I did find disappointing is that the Blu-100 has a little bit of hiss that was noticeable for me. It’s not a big issue and won’t be for most people using a portable earphone anyways, but it was something I picked up.
 
Overall, I found the design of the Blu-100 to be solid for the price and very easy to use.
 
 
Bass
The Blu-100 has an overall V-shape tuning so the bass is somewhat elevated (but not to the extent of something like Brainwavz’s S5). When I first listened to the Blu-100, I was in a car. I heard almost no bass from them, which confused me very much. Most of Brainwavz’s IEMs have had fairly prominent bass – had Brainwavz come out with a neutral IEM? Why in a portable Bluetooth IEM?
 
It turns out that wasn’t the case. The Blu-100 has a bit of a midbass bump, but with quite an early bass roll off. The drivers don’t move much air past 30 Hz. What you end up with is not a whole lot of subbass punch, and a fairly prominent mid bass that is nonetheless really lacking in tightness of impact – which explains why I couldn’t hear the bass in a car (most of the lower frequencies tend to get drowned out and the lack off a tight impact meant that bass hits basically disappear as well). Overall, the bass lacks some texture and didn’t leave me particularly impressed.
 
Midrange
The midrange is honestly very impressive for a Bluetooth headphone that can be found for under 50 dollars. Vocals come out as being relatively natural sounding and clean sounding, although overall detail retrieval is nothing to be wowed over.
 
Treble
The treble is somewhat elevated on the Blu-100, which gives the IEM a nice crisp sound. The treble at times can be a bit harsh due to the extra sparkle and, at louder volumes, the treble can get quite hot and tend to distort a bit, causing a grainy and harsh sound.
 
Soundstage/Imaging
The Blu-100 offers a fairly in-your-head experience. As a relatively low cost Bluetooth IEM, it’s nothing to gripe over as I wouldn’t expect much out of it. Despite that, I found the overall sound to be pretty clean, meaning that the smaller soundstage doesn’t particularly smear the sound all that much.
 
Summary on Sound
Overall, I quite like the sound of the Blu-100. The Blu-100 has a fun tuning that is sort of an in-between of the Brainwavz S0 and S5. The Blu-100 doesn’t have the thickness in the lower midrange that the S0 can have, and it doesn’t have the overly hot treble that the S5 can have. Overall, I think sound-wise, the Blu-100 is a solid contender in the realm of lower cost Bluetooth earphones.
 
Honestly, I think Brainwavz has a really solid product here. My experience with it has been very good and, besides a few complaints in terms of sound and battery life, there isn’t all that much to complain about with the Blu-100. However, I can’t help feeling a bit unsure about purchasing the Blu-100 for myself as there has been quite a bit of report with issues regarding the Bluetooth connection dropping out or being inconsistent. In  my experience, however, Brainwavz has had very good customer service and I’m sure you would be able to get a pair that has a consistent Bluetooth connection.
 
The Brainwavz Blu-100 gets a thumbs up from me, and it’s actually one of the more enjoyable product I’ve gotten to try from Brainwavz, despite it not being superior in sound quality compared to the more expensive offerings from Brainwavz.
 
Link to the Blu-100 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YDVY34Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=bluetooth+earphones

One of my favorite parts of this hobby that I've grown to love over the past few years is trying new things and just experiencing how different components (or combination of components) have their own unique way of expressing what is essentially the same music. I’ve been very curious about Oppo and the Oppo hype train that has taken off in the last year or two, and I was very excited to see that they were putting multiple units of their portable PM-3 planar magnetic headphone on tour. I signed up for the tour and have had one week with it. I’ve compiled my thoughts on these headphones from the past week here and, as always, the impressions here are solely based on my experience with the PM-3 and I am in no way affiliated with Oppo.

 


The PM-3 comes in a nicely designed and quality black cardboard box that is well protected by an outer brown box. In the brown box with the PM-3 box are two smaller boxes that contain two cables each including an extra cable for android and idevices (you only get a choice of one of three portable cables for the actual product).

 

 
 

Inside the black box lies the carrying case for the PM-3 (with the PM-3 inside of course). The hard carrying case has a nice denim-like black cloth design and offers very solid protection for the PM-3. There is also a thin white back that covers the PM-3 in the carrying case as well as a small bag for carrying cables or for the 3.5mm to 6.3mm adaptor. Everything layer of protection that Oppo added to the packaging really ensure that not a scratch can make its way onto the surface of the headphones itself.

 

In addition to the carrying case, the PM-3 comes with some cables. The default cable that the PM-3 comes with is a 3 meter cable with a screw on 3.5mm to 6.3mm converter. The cable feels sturdy and fairly standard compared to other cables that you might get with a headphone for home use. However, I am a HUGE fan of the connectors that Oppo used for the cable. It feels like some sort of brushed metal that has a very slick look and the Oppo logo on it. It looks fantastic and feels very sturdy.

 

In addition to the 3 meter cable, there will also include a 1.2 meter portable cable of your choice with either android, idevice, or no microphone options. The portable cables have similar build quality to the long cable. The microphone and buttons are also incredibly good quality. The microphone has a plastic housing with the surface of the button being metal. Overall, every aspect of the PM-3’s accessories really screams amazing build quality. Cable noise is not a big issue with the PM-3 cables.

 


The PM-3 is probably one of the most attractive portable headphones that are currently available on the market. With its metal and pleather design as well as its brushed aluminum ear cups, it has a mature look with a very solid and modern looking design. The headphone is made almost completely out of metal, with only parts of the ear cup being made of hard plastic, giving it an extremely solid and sturdy feel. The size adjustments have a click system that feel very sturdy, and the ear cups are able to rotate 180 degrees. Due to its heavy duty build quality, the PM-3 does land itself at the heavier end of the spectrum in terms of over ear portable headphones (320g according to Oppo), but despite its weight, the PM-3 is one of the most comfortable portable headphone I’ve had the pleasure of using.

 

The earpads of the PM-3 are not removable, but can be replaced by Oppo if ever needed. The earpads are also incredibly comfortable. They remind me of the earpads that Sony often offers in their headphones (such as the MDR-1A). Thanks to the fantastic earpads, generous padding along the headband, as well as the even distribution of weight, the PM-3 comes out on top as one of the most comfortable and steady portable headphone I have ever experienced. To me, its comfort is only eclipsed by some of the over ear options that Sony offers. That’s mostly because the PM-3 has a bit of a clamping force and fairly shallow earpads that can cause some irritation after time as well as get a little warm. Compared to other fashion headphones in its price though (such as the B&W P7, BeoPlay H6, or the original Sennheiser Momentum), I find these to be one of the best, if not the best, headphones available in terms of comfort.

 

Add all the elements that make up the design of the Oppo PM-3, and you get a slick looking headphone that is very well suited for portable use. With its good comfort, good isolation (due to the slightly stronger clamping and good earpads), lack of cable noise, and great fit, it checks many of the boxes that make a portable headphone great in terms of practicality and efficiency of use.

 


I generally don’t like portable headphones all that much and highly prefer in ears over headphones for portable use. The PM-3, however, has grabbed my attention as I’ve enjoyed the sound from it quite a bit and found it to be a very competitive fashion headphone in terms of its sound. The PM-3 does scale surprisingly well, sounding better through my Asus Essence III compared to my iBasso DX90 > Aune B1 stack, and for that reason, the majority of my listening impressions are done using my Essence III. All genres of music with files ranging from 256kbps and up (with the exception of DSD files) were used for my sound impressions.

 

 

Bass:

I was honestly a bit surprised by the bass of the PM-3 as it’s doesn’t have the traits that I’ve come to expect from planar magnetic headphones. I find the bass to be just a hair north of neutral, as I do find it to still have a little bit more midbass for a just a little extra punch, but it’s a lot flatter than most headphones you will find in the portable department.

 

Planar magnetic headphones are well known for bass, whether it’s having fantastic control despite being elevated (such as the audeze headphones), or being fast and well extended despite being fairly flat (such as the higher end offerings from HIFIMAN). However, I find that the PM-3 doesn’t fall in either of those two sorts of camps that people are used to – and not for the better.

 

While the bass remains clean sounding, I have a few issues with it. First off, unlike other planar magnetic headphones I’ve heard (granted they’re all much more expensive than the PM-3), the bass is lacking a little in extension. This causes the bass to lack a bit of “thump” to it and can sound a little unnatural (almost a little plasticky sounding). I love listening to Gorillaz’s “Plastic Beach” album for some interesting and cool bass textures, and overall, due to its lack of extension, I miss a bit of some of those textures with the PM-3.

 

In addition, the bass lacks a bit of articulation. Bass impact lacks a bit of tightness and can feel a bit softened and slow. What you end up with is a fairly flat bass that doesn’t have the speed of other more neutral planar magnetic headphone bass, while having a bit of a bass bloom feel like you get in warmer planar magnetic headphones, but without the awesomely satisfying impact and thump you get from them.

 

I wouldn’t go as far as to the bass of the PM-3 is bad, as I realize most planar magnetic headphones I’ve listened to are much more expensive than the PM-3, but I did have high expectations coming into this review, and I was left a bit empty handed. Now, comparing it to other portable headphones, I think the bass can very well hold its own, but I didn’t compare the PM-3 with other portable headphones in its price and get completely blown away thinking “WOW! So this is the bass prowess that planar magnetic headphones are capable of!”

 

Midrange

I’m happy to say that I enjoyed the midrange of the PM-3 a lot more than I did the bass. The midrange is very well presented and very well balanced. I may call it just a tiny bit forward. It sound very natural and present a good amount of detail and texture. Individual instruments are impressively articulate and offer a dynamic sound and good separation (despite a fairly unimpressive soundstage), while vocals come off with very good clarity and realistic. The midrange is definitely the strong point of the PM-3 to me and offers a very clean and detailed sound that doesn’t leave much to be desired.

 

Treble

The treble region from the PM-3 is also something I found to be good – despite it not fitting my personal taste. The treble is fairly smooth and inoffensive with a bit of a treble roll off. Because of that, the treble can lack overall energy and lacks some air. The treble, nonetheless, has very good speed and articulation as well as a fair amount of detail. I do, however, find the treble to lack a little texture in its decay. As someone who likes the treble sparkle and air of something like the HIFIMAN HE560, I was honestly happy with the treble presentation of the PM-3 and I think it’ll be a great option for those that are more sensitive to harsh trebles.

 

Soundstage and Imaging

As it’s been said many times by many people – the soundstage leave quite a bit to be desired. I actually found the soundstage to have adequate height, but the PM-3 can feel quite a bit claustrophobic when it comes to width. It’s a closed in sounding headphone. Despite that, I found the imaging to be quite good with the little space that is being offered up and overall separation is nonetheless excellent. If you’re willing the compromise an open sound for a non-fatiguing sound and very good isolation (being a closed back headphone), I don’t see the soundstage as being a deal breaker, although I have to note that I feel that size of the soundstage is fairly unimpressive even compared to other portable headphones.

 

PM-3 as a Portable Headphone (Oppo PM-3 Via iBasso DX90 > Aune B1)

While most of my listening impressions were done with my desktop set up, I recognize that the PM-3 is designed and intended to be used as a portable headphone. And with all the good designs that make it a very good choice for portable use, I thought I at least owed it to talk about its sound with my portable set up.

 

As I’ve also stated earlier, the PM-3 scales quite well and its sound with my Asus Essence III is certainly a few steps up from its sound running through my portable set up. In general, with the Essence III, you get a better soundstage, a good amount more detail throughout the sound spectrum, and better extensions overall as well (particularly bass extension – much better on the Essence III). Everything is generally more natural and more refined, which is not shocking to say comparing a 1000+ desktop set up to a portable set up.

 

However, I did find that the sound of the PM-3 out of the Essence III can be a bit boring, and my portable stack spices up the sound a bit. Most portable devices were not tuned to be as flat and revealing as an expensive desktop system, and the DX90/B1 stack helps breathe more energy and life into the music with the PM-3. The bass hits a little harder while still remaining well controlled, and treble has a little more energy and life while still remaining far from being harsh. I found the overall listening experience of the PM-3 to be more enjoyable with my portable rig despite it losing some level of detail.

 

I think the PM-3 makes for a fantastic sounding portable headphone. However, for me, I’ll still be sticking with my Earwerkz Supra 2. My take on portable gear is to “get the most out of the sound for as little as possible.” The Supra 2 happens to be about the same price as the PM-3 (in fact, the universal version is the same price at 399 USD), but I still favor the sound of the Supra 2. Compared to the Supra 2, the PM-3 has a larger soundstage with a slightly better bass extension. But the Supra 2 has a cleaner sound overall with more detail and texture in the mids and highs. I also find the separation to be better on the Supra 2 and the overall sound to feel more open (better treble extension) despite the soundstage being even smaller than that of the PM-3. The Supra 2 also much smaller (obviously) and has better noise isolation. So for me, I still prefer using my IEM for portable use.

 

 


I like the PM-3. Despite the bass not being where I feel it could be and its fairly small soundstage, it is probably one of my top recommendations for those looking for a good looking portable headphone. The PM-3 is a beautifully designed headphone that functions very well for the purpose of portability (or even just for use at home since it scales fairly well) and a nice neutral sound. While I have yet to hear the new sennheiser momentums 2.0, I think the PM-3 has overall better sound than the likes of the BeoPlay H6, B&W P7, Bose QC25, just to name a few of the top portable headphones.

 

For those looking for good sound without compromising look – let me correct that – while making a fashion statement, the PM-3 is definitely one to look into. Quality sound with quality swag.

One of my favorite parts of this hobby that I've grown to love over the past few years is trying new things and just experiencing how different components (or combination of components) have their own unique way of expressing what is essentially the same music. So when Aune Audio began looking for reviewers of their B1 amplifier, I jumped on that train real fast. I’d like to give a big thank you to Aune Audio for providing me a unit to review and, of course, my review is solely my own opinions and I am in no way affiliated with Aune Audio.
 
            The Aune Audio B1 came well packaged in a DHL bag, a brown box, and finally its actual box. The box is sturdy and simple. Inside, you find the amp, manual, a business card, a USB cord for charging, and a short 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable. The overall presentation is simple but very nice, and Aune provides everything you may need to get the B1 up and running. The only thing that I would have liked to see is some sort of storage case, or even just a nice little bag for it.
 
 
            The Aune B1 is built like a tank, and it’s a damn good looking amp. Its chassis is built from brushed aluminum with only its volume knob being made of plastic. The B1 feels solid and has a nice heft to it. The build quality leave little to be desired and a whole lot to admire. My unit did come with two tiny tiny scratches, on at the bottom of the amp, and one on the volume knob that made me a little sad. Honestly though, build is awesome!
 
            It’s clear that the engineers over at Aune Audio paid a lot of attention to detail when designing the B1. The “highlight” of the B1’s design is obvious its two windows that show the components inside the amplifier. When I first saw a picture of the B1, I thought it was some sort of portable tube amp. I mean c’mon… looking at the tubes is half the fun! Now obviously the B1 isn’t a tube amp, but I still think displaying its internal components was a pretty cool little feature and is definitely a bonus in terms of aesthetics. The LED lights just make things even more awesome to look at.
 
            The buttons around the B1 are also well designed. Most of the functions of the B1 are controlled by sliding switches, where you slide it to turn a feature on or off. To prevent the switches from being easily changed, Aune had the chassis on the sides slightly indented. I don’t think that’ll solve the problem completely, but I personally had absolutely no problems with the amp accidentally shutting off or accidentally blowing my brains out by switching to high gain, so hey… what do I know, maybe it’s doing its job just fine.
 
            The back side of the B1 is well designed with two strips of material that keep the amp from sliding too much on a flat surface and prevent the amp from scratching. Now I won’t pretend to know what material it is, but I would guess that its pleather (I don’t think its real leather?). All I know is it looks very nice and gets its job done.
 
Size wise, I think the B1 is very reasonable. It’s a little taller than my iBasso DX90 with about the same width. The two as a pair looks very nice!
 
My only gripe about the B1’s design is that if you decide to make a portable stack by rubberbanding a DAP to it, it’ll block off the gorgeous display of its components unless you use the other side. But then that defeats the purpose of the pleathery material protecting the amp and you risk scratching the amp. Oh well… it seems inevitable.
 
Again though – Built like a tank and damn good looking.
 
 
            The B1 is quite a special little device. Not only is it a class A portable amp, which is not all that common, it also has an interesting current switch that gives it a bit more flexibility in driving more demanding headphones. In addition to that, the B1 also includes an on/off switch, micro USB charging port, battery indicator, and of course a volume knob, input jack, and headphone out jack.
 
Being a class A amp, the B1 does get quite warm after using it for some time. It remains very safe to touch though and never gets overly hot by any means – definitely still very safe to keep in your pocket or to use portably.
 
What’s kinda bizzare is the current switch. In the B1 manual, Aune quotes in RED, “Never flip [the current switch] under B1 is working.” Ignoring the slightly broken English, it doesn’t sound like Aune is messing around. I wonder what would happen if I just … …
 
            The B1 is advertised to be able to run for 10 hours with low current and 5 hours with high current. I did run the battery dry on low current and got approximately 9 or 10 hours out of it. I didn’t keep a strict count, but the battery life is certainly around what it’s advertising to be. 10 hours isn’t bad, but it is trumped by other portable amps that can last 20, 40, or more hours (The most I’ve heard of is like 80 hours or something. That’s pretty insane.). However, remembering that most high quality audiophile DAPs currently on the market can barely last 10 hours, it’s not a problem at all. You’ll just have to remember to bring two chargers along when going on a long trip! Plus, remember that it’s a class A amp and, thus, fairly inefficient, I guess 10 hours is actually pretty good.
           
            I didn’t bother running the B1 on high current to see how long it lasts, as I don’t see that as necessary. If I’m running it with high current, I’ll probably be using a fairly demanding headphone, which means it’s not portable and I’ll probably be near some sort of power source where I can freely charge up my B1.
 
                   Listening was done with my iBasso DX90 as the source running line out into the B1 and then into my Earwerkz Supra 2, HIFIMAN HE560, and HIFIMAN HE1000 (just for fun and cuz I have it with me as a beta unit… why not). Basically all genres are covered and all audio files ranging from 256kbps and up (with the exception of DSD files) are used for my sound impressions.
 
 
Noise Floor
The B1 is quiet. With my Earwerkz Supra 2, one of the most sensitive I know, it does have a tiny bit of hiss, but a VERY manageable and hardly noticeable amount. It is one of the quietest amps I’ve had the pleasure of listening to and I wouldn’t worry about it hissing at all honestly – very nice and very dark background. The DX90’s amp section still trumps it in terms of noise floor, but it’s hardly a difference at this point.
 
Channel Imbalance
The B1 does have a bit of channel imbalance issue that could be problematic, as the B1 also happens to be pretty loud. Running DX90 > Aune B1 > Earwerkz Supra 2, I had to set the line out volume of the DX90 to 200/255, which is the lowest I’ve ever had to set it, in order overcome the regions on the volume knob where the B1 has its channel imbalance. So what does that mean? Well first off, those using the most sensitive IEMs may need to do a bit more research or to give the B1 a listen first to make sure that the B1 is a good match with the sensitive IEM. And second off, those that do not have digital control over their line out signal may also need to do more research. It’s really unfortunate to see that this may be the dealbreaking point for those using the most sensitive of IEMs because of the sound that the B1 produces (hint: it’s awesome).
 
Sound (For Real Now)
            As a whole, I think the B1 is one of the most neutral portable amps that I’ve ever heard, and is certainly the flattest sounding in the sub-300 dollar range that I know of. And that’s a good thing. I really like this neutrality that the B1 has.
 
B1 compared to Amp section of DX90 (Using Earwerkz Supra 2)
            I love my DX90 and I consider it to be one of the best (if not the best) DAP currently available under 500 dollars. I do have a few gripes about it though, as I feel that it is just a bit warmer and smoother sounding than I would prefer it to be. The B1 addresses that issue for me quite beautifully. When connected to the DX90 via its line out, the improvement over using just the DX90 alone is significant.
 
            The most obvious change and improvement come in the bass department. The B1 removes the midbass bump that I find the DX90 to have, and bring on better bass extension. What you get is a much cleaner, tighter, and faster bass that retains a very fun sound all while making the sound straight out of the DX90 seem muddy and bloated in comparison.
 
            The midrange of the current firmware I’m using on the DX90 (FW 2.2.0) was a little forward and can be just a bit thin and unnatural sounding for me. The B1 also helps the DX90 out here. It pulls the forwardness back just a tiny bit while giving the midrange more fullness by presenting a flatter upper midrange that fixes the DX90’s slightly unnatural tone.
 
           The treble from the B1 extends better than that of the amp from the DX90, giving the sound slightly more air. The B1 also adds a nice crispness to the sound, but never making the sound harsh or bright.
 
            The other major improvement that comes with the B1 is the soundstage and separation. You get a significantly larger soundstage, particularly in width, which really opens the sound up. Separation is also a very big step up compared to listening with just the DX90. The sound from the DX90 alone is claustrophobic and congested in comparison to the very nice and open sound when you add the B1 into the picture.
 
            After spending some time with the DX90 connected to the Aune B1, it’s honestly very hard to go back to listening with just the DX90 as the B1 just tightens and cleans up the sound so fantastically well. This is not to discredit the DX90 of course. It’s a 400 dollar all-in-one box solution with everything stuffed into a very small box. On the other hand, the B1 is 200 dollar standalone amp that’s bigger than the DX90. Hell it better be better than the amp section of the DX90. What is awesome, however, is just how much better it is. The B1 really is a fantastic sounding amp and if you’re willing to sacrifice some portability, it is very well worth the additional 200 dollars and extra bulkiness. This thing simply sounds fantastic.
 
DX90 > B1 > HE560/HE1000
            This portable combo drives the HIFIMAN headphones quite admirably if I must say, and in the event that I’m traveling and staying at a hotel or something where I can use my full size headphones but obviously couldn’t bring along my full size amplifier, I would be happy to live with this combo for the time being.
 
            Some things that it tends to lack while driving these headphones in comparison to my Asus Essence III:
 
-The bass extension and punch is good, but it does lack the last bit of bass extension that gives the rumble that planar magnetics are so famous for
 
-Overall soundstage is a bit smaller but holds its own. The B1 tends to lack a bit of depth, and that really comes out when paired with the HE1000. The HE1000 is a fantastically layered headphone with great out-of-head imaging, and it clearly doesn’t perform its best in terms of soundstage and layering when paired with this combo.
 
-Not surprisingly, the detail retrieval of this portable set up is not on par with the much more expensive Essence III, but for the price, it does a very respectable job.
 
            So I also tried listening to the HIFIMAN headphones with different current settings, and honestly I don’t hear all that much a difference. The HE560 and HE1000 are not notoriously hard to drive. If anything, they’re some of the easiest orthodynamics on the market. I would guess that perhaps the current switch would make more significant of a difference on headphones that are more difficult to drive. I would swear that the HE1000’s treble is just a teeny tiny bit sharper when the current is set to high, but I would really not bet my money on it. For me, the difference between the two settings was pretty much nonexistent.
 
Summary on Sound
            What you get from the Aune B1 is an impressively detailed sound that is very well balanced and gives a great sense of space. I wouldn’t be inclined to call this amp warm nor cold. To me, it’s simply pleasantly balanced and uncolored. Despite that, the B1 is in no way boring to me as it has a very tight, crisp, and detailed sound that just begs you to take notice of it. I’m very happy with what the B1 offers and I think it is of fantastic value at its MSRP of 200 dollars.
 
            Aune Audio was a company that I was aware of, but never paid all that much attention to. I know they made some well-regarded desktop friendly components, and I thought their company logo was pretty slick looking, but that’s about it. My experience with their B1 amplifier really put them on my radar. I obviously hold the B1 in very high regard, and I think it’s a gorgeous piece of gear – inside and out. I would like to thank Aune again for the opportunity to demo this beautiful portable amplifier, and I’ve very excited to see what products they have planned for the future!
            Do I recommend this product? Absolutely yes. The only thing keeping me from giving the B1 a full 5/5 is its channel imbalance issue. If Aune is able to resolve that issue somehow, I think this amp would be an easy recommendation to just about anyone looking for a portable amplifier at this price. But for now, those using a DAC with a powerful line out signal combined with a sensitive IEM may want to think twice about purchasing this amp. For anyone else, go crazy! 

One of my favorite part of this hobby that I've grown to love over the past few years is trying new things and just experiencing how different components (or combination of components) have their own unique way of expressing what is essentially the same music. So when I was approached regarding the Altone 250 that was to be sent out for a tour, I didn't hesitate to say yes. This review is of the Altone 250 that was distributed on a tour organized by CTC Audio. I am, of course, not affiliated with CTC Audio or T-Peos and simply here to share my thoughts.
 
I did not receive the Altone 250 in the original packaging, so I won't comment too much on the overall experience. It comes with two cables (black one having a mic and a 1 button remote), some ear tips, a soft shell case, and probably the most kickass shirt clip I've ever seen. The shirt clip is a bit bulky, but its simply the most effective shirt clip I've had the pleasure to use. If it was just a bit less bulky, I think it would be right on the money.
 
Besides that, there was also a set of ear guides that came with the package. I don't believe that it is part of the actual package, so I didn't really bother using it, as I wanted to use these as how most people will use them (Edit: I was told the ear guides are provided, but are not particularly useful). Accessories covered all the necessary things. Besides the shirt clip, it's fairly simple and gets the job done.
 
 
The Altone 250 is almost certainly designed with portable use in mind (I would be surprised if it wasn't). However, I did have some issues with the execution of the product in terms of its build and design.
 
The housing of the Altone 250 is mostly metal with just a bit of plastic, making it a very solid and sturdy earphone. However, it also makes it a tad heavy. As someone with pretty small ears, I did find them a bit heavy for me when I'm walking around with them.The good news is that the detachable cable connectors I felt was well implemented, and I was pleasantly surprised. When I first saw pictures of it, it instantly reminded me of Sleek Audio's design of connectors, and I thought it might be rather disasterous. Not that case! The lock-in mechanism with the cable is quite tight and I definitely don't see the cables coming loose or losing the earphones because of a loose connection.
 
The good news, unfortunately, ends when we look at the cable. This thing... is kind of a pain... The cable is springy and retains its shape pretty stubbornly. In addition, cable noise is a huge problem for me. Like... its really loud. I feel like I have to pose like a statue when I listen to this. If the cable is to hit anything, it transfer a lot of noise. The Y split is well designed with a nice metal finish and the Altone logo on it... but wait... where is the slider to make adjustments? If this was a piece of gear meant for home or desktop use, I'd be fine with it, but for a portable product, the slider is just so important to me, and I think its just a bit lazy (or a huge mistake I guess) to be leaving it out. I feel like too many low and mid tier manufacturers trip up when it comes to making the cable for their products. So many portable products honestly sound really good, but with the often difficult cables, you might as well cross out the portable part of the product (ok rant over).
 
The isolation on these are average and good enough for commuting. They block out a decent amount of outside noise. If only you could block cable noise as well...
 
Everyone has their own preferred signature, so I'll get this out of the way first: these are not tuned to my preferred signature. BUT! This does not mean I can't appreciate them. These are quite bassy, and as someone who appreciates a much flatter signature (with just a bit of a U shape), I naturally didn't get along with the sound signature of the Altone 250 too well. However, I do recognize that bassheads would definitely like these and that there is still a need for this type of tuning. So with that, let's talk sound!
 
Oh! Also, my listening was done running the Altone 250 out of my iBasso DX90 as well as using the Aune B1 as an amp. Music vary anywhere from 256kbps AAC files to 24/192 files, and from classical to metal. Basically all the bases are pretty much covered.
 
 
The bass is big. Not unacceptably big, but big. There is quite a bit of a midbass bump that gives the Altone 250 a nice and big bass punch, while a respectably good extension gives the sound some nice rumble. I was quite happy that despite the bass being a bit boomy and slow, I didn't find that bass to be particularly one-note, and separation in the bass is still good. Overall texture and detail does take a hit, as its not the most detailed bass you'll find in the price range, but its nonetheless a fun sounding bass. While the midbass bump wasn't a big problem in terms of bleed or coloring the midrange, there was still some problems with it. It does affect the lower midrange to some degree - most obviously in male vocals. Syllables with lower resonances, for example, and "uh" sound, (ex. hUNdrend, hUNgry), can be unnaturally resonant. Snare drums also tend to have a unnatural warmth to their sound with a heavier weight to their impact. I wouldn't consider it a deal breaker, but I did find it fairly noticable.
 
Getting past that however, I do enjoy the Altone 250 more and more. Besides the problem discussed earlier with the lower midrange, I found the midrange quite natural and quite smooth. Again, not the most detailed you will find in the price, but a very enjoyable sound that is just slightly on the relaxed side to my ears. The upper midrange and treble has just a bit of shimmer to it that gives the sound some nice sparkle and energy. Treble extension is not bad, but does start to roll off some past 15k or so. What you end up with is an inoffensive treble that still has a good amount of energy to keep it engaging and exciting sounding.
 
Soundstage isnt' particularly large or jawdropping, but I find it acceptable for the price. Separation and imaging in the upper register is quite good, but does suffer more in the low end.
 
I was pretty harsh on the Altone 250 writing this review, I'll admit. I feel that it has some obvious, and honestly, really avoidable flaws. They're undoubtedly a fun sounding headphone. However, at the end of the day, I do find myself iffy with recommending them. I think forking out 200 dollars for them is just a little bit hard to swallow. Comparing them to other bass heavy earphones of lower prices, they're undoubtedly cleaner sounding and better. But with its cable noise, I feel like spending 100 dollars on similarly tuned earphone would get you about the same experience. Basically, you won't get the full experience of what these can offer unless you sit like a statue. I keep feeling like I should give these just a bit of a better score, but unfortunately I just don't find these practical. I can see myself recommending them for specific needs, but for the most part, unfortunately, I think this earphone is a bit of a swing and miss.

I received this unit of the Fiio X3II as part of North American leg of the preview world tour that Fiio generously organized. The firmware I used the majority of the time with the X3II is FW0.22beta. Fiio has since released a new firmware that they plan to use for the X3II on release, but I did not get a chance to update it and spend any time with it, so my review will be based around the beta firmware.
 
            This is the second preview tour that I have been included in from Fiio, the first being the X1 preview tour. As part of the tour, the opinions I state are solely my own as I am not affiliated with Fiio in any way. I would, however, like to give a big thank you and shout out to Fiio for another great tour and another great product, and for including me in their X3II tour!
 
 
            The X3II is solidly built product with dimensions nearly identical to its younger brother, the X1. However, rather than being constructed by mostly hard plastic like the X1, the X3II is made up of mostly of what I’d guess is brushed aluminum with a nice gun metal grey sort of color to it. Thus, overall if feels sturdier and nicer than the X1.
 
            The scroll wheel also saw some improvements compared to the X1. I remember complaining that the X1 scroll wheel lacked any grip, and someone with dry hands like me found it a little difficult at times to turn the scroll wheel. The X3II adds a bit of grip to the scroll wheel, now making it much easier to scroll through your music and settings with. A very welcoming change to see Fiio implement!
 
            I complained about the silicon case of the X1, and I have to complain again about the silicon of the X3II. It’s just such a dust magnet and I find it impractical. Not only does it clean out the lint in your pocket for you, but the grip it has also makes it difficult to put the X3II in your pocket or to take it out (at least for me and my other younger brethren who wear skinnier jeans). I honestly think I would prefer a soft plastic or pleather case instead as I just see no use in this case. If this was my own personal X3II, I would opt to just not use it. Of course, I do understand that it may be a step taken to keep costs down, so I don’t mind it too much overall. I just don’t see a real use for the case.
 
 
 
            The User interface is also similar to what I can remember of the X1. It’s very intuitive, user-friendly, and the position and function of each button are also very well implemented. The boot-up time is very quick and the overall presentation of the UI is nice with a little bit of customization. I think new users will pretty much be able to pick up and get comfortable with the UI of the X3II very easily. Updating is as easy as clicking and dragging the new firmware into the Micro SD card, and then clicking two buttons to initiate the firmware update. Scanning music from the Micro SD card is also a piece of cake, and the scan time is also not unreasonably long.
 
            The battery life on the X3II, like the X1, is also really good. I got a good 12 hour or so out of it before it ran out, which is better than the majority of DAPs currently on the market.
Overall, the X3II is a very easy to use and practical product. The UI is fairly glitch-free (I didn’t encounter any glitches myself) and I’m certain that those to purchase the X3II will be pleased with its lack of any significant firmware issues on release!
 
            Listening to the X3II was done with my Earwerkz Supra 2, using file ranging from 320 kbps to higher resolution files up to 24/192. While the X3II can decode DSD files, which is awesome for those who have DSD, I did not use any DSD files with the player. Music genres spanned basically the entire spectrum, ranging from electronic music to classical and jazz. I also focused on listening to the X3II as a standalone DAP and did not use it as a USB DAC/Amp during my time with it.
 
            Before getting into the sound of the X3II, I would like to address some issues I encountered while listening to the X3II with my very sensitive Supras (Quick Disclaimer: The Supra 2 is the most sensitive pair of in ears I have ever seen and owned).
 
            The first issue I found with the X3II is that there is an obvious audible beep that I can hear when I switch between songs. It’s not a significant issue, but I did find it getting annoying every now and then. Second off, I found that sometimes when I play high-res files, every now and then there seems to be a sort of distorted background noise that appears. It’s very inconsistent but it is something I would notice. In all honesty, I’m not even sure if it’s because of playing high-res files, it just seems to be a trend that I find. I do think that this is something that Fiio will be able to fix with some firmware updates. Finally, the X3II also has a bit of hiss with my Supra 2, so if you’re using some VERY sensitive IEMs, I would suggest making sure the noise floor isn’t unacceptable for you. I personally found the background noise to be prominent, but at an acceptable level. With the Supra 2 being the most sensitive IEM I know of, I assume that at least 95% of IEMs will work with no problems at all with the X3II, and only the most sensitive of people will find it to be a problem. Just something I want to note regardless.
 
            Another thing to note regarding the hiss is that I believe it’s an improvement from the X1. I remember detecting some hiss with X1 while using the Noble 6, which is not nearly as sensitive as my Supra 2, so while I’m not able to do side by side comparison, I can say with a good amount of confidence that its nonetheless an improvement from the X1.
 
 
Sound Description (For Real This Time)
            Right off the bat, I can say that the X3II is a great sounding DAP at its 200 USD MSRP. The overall sound is fairly neutral with just a little bit of warmth to its sound and a little bit of brightness to the upper midrange to my ears. The bass has good punch and focus to it with a much improved extension in comparison to the X1, the mids are musical and engaging with a little extra bite to the attack on instruments like snare drums or cymbals, while the treble is a little more on the relaxed side with a softer decay that can lacks a little bit of definition to the sound.
 
            Nothing on the X3II necessarily stands out as punching far beyond the price point, but as a whole, everything does sound pretty good. You get a respectably sized sound stage, good timbre and dynamics, as well as a satisfying amount of detail coming out of a 200 dollar all-in-one device.
 
The Great Battle: Fiio Vs. iBasso
            In my mind, the biggest competitor Fiio currently has would perhaps be none other than iBasso Audio. Having owned the DX50, currently using the DX90, and having auditioned both the X1 and X3II, I can safely say that both companies make some great product that doesn’t leave your wallet crying. Here are just some of my thoughts I’ve collected.
 
            There have been a couple reviewers who have gotten their hands on the new X3II before me. I absolutely agree with the general consensus that seems to be out there that the X3II is certainly a step up from the X1 and is a great sounding player. However, there have been a few comparisons between the X3II and the X5 that troubles me a bit. Here’s why.
 
            I have never heard the X5 before, so naturally I have no clue what it sounds like and cannot comment on its sound. From the looks of it, it seems that some people find the X3II and X5 very similar, maybe a little TOO similar. I can very much understand remarks stating that the two have a very similar signature, as I too have come to recognize the general Fiio house sound, but when people start making remarks regarding the X5 as more of a “side-grade” rather than an upgrade or that the X3II comes incredibly close in terms of sonic performance to the X5, I get a little worried. To me, the X3II does not perform at the level of a 350 dollar DAP – and it shouldn’t be expected to either!
 
            iBasso’s DX90 is a fantastic DAP and is still one of my all-time favorites. It can be found for around 370 dollars or so these days, making its price very close to that of the X5. Comparing the X3II to the DX90 is really no comparison at all. The DX90 has a much fuller sound with more dynamics, more natural timbre, and kicks the level of detail up quite a few notches in comparison to the X3II. So as you may expect, when the X3II is suggested to be very comparable to the X5, I’m left wondering what the sound of the X5 is like. I cannot deny the incredible success and immense popularity that the X5 has had, but something just doesn’t seem to add up for me. I’d love to have a listen to the X5 myself if Fiio is able to send me a unit, so I can do a comparison myself.
 
            On that note, the reality is that the X3II’s big iBasso competitor is not meant to be the DX90, but its younger brother: the DX50. In this sort of comparison, I must say that I see a lot of good things in the X3II. Note that it’s been a while since I’ve had my DX50, but I still remember its sound quite well. I find that the sound of the X3II has more musicality and engagement to it than that of the DX50, which I found can be a bit flat and sterile at times. In addition, the levels of detail from the two are very comparable. I don’t dare to comment anymore on that since I don’t have the DX50 to do a direct A/B comparison. However, if I had to choose one over the other, I would probably give the edge to the X3II because it has the musical qualities that DX50 lacks without making any real sacrifices for it.
 
            Comparing the UI of the DX50 to the X3II, I think I would still give the edge to the DX50, with its touch screen and the three big buttons. I'm just a big fan of those three big buttons as they make life so much easier. I also feel that the DX50 UI is just a bit more organized, but that very well could just be me being use to it after using an iBasso product as my DAP for a little over a year now.
 
            Getting another opportunity to listen to another Fiio DAP has been a great experience, and Fiio has cranked out yet another great sounding product. While I don’t think that the X3II will make quite the splash the X1 made in terms of price/performance, afterall, the X1 goes for an awesome 100 dollars, I do think that Fiio was extremely successful with putting out another competitive product for a VERY competitive market. For those looking for a mid-fi sound at a reasonable price, I think the X3II has to be on the list. Not only does the X3II sound great, it has a great UI and a good amount of versatility to it.
 
            Fiio is good at what they do, and they’ve only gotten better at it in the past few years with their highly competitive DAPs. Congratulations to Fiio on another great product!

Earwerkz currently has two IEMs in their lineup with the name “Supra.” This is a summary and review of the original Supra, the 2 BA Supra 2, not to be confused with the Supra 1 that was later developed by Earwerkz.
 
Earwerkz is a company located in Buford, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. Earwerkz’s rise in popularity has been quite stunning, in part due to some overwhelmingly positive reviews, and in part due to their launch of their universal (and custom) two driver IEM, the Supra 2, on Kickstarter gaining attention.
 
As backer number 3, I was lucky to obtain 1 of the 10 spots available to purchase the Supra 2 at the phenomenal price of 240 dollars. At this price, the Supra 2 is undoubtedly the best sounding and most sonically impressive IEM that I have ever experienced, and I’m pretty certain that it will take quite a few years until technology allows an IEM of this caliber to be priced at a mere 240 dollars. With that in mind and assuming that Earwerkz will not be offering the Supra 2 at that price again, I’ll be discussing the Supra 2 from the perspective of them being priced at their MSRP of 390 for a universal pair, and 430 for a custom fit pair, as I find little value in discussing these IEMs relative to a price in which the majority of people won’t receive for them. I will also simply refer to them as Supras.
 
            Those that have funded a Kickstarter campaign before know that it’s almost unheard of for a campaign to deliver on time. It’s just not something that happens. There always seems to be some problem with production or quality control that pops up. Earwerkz, despite having problems of their own (they had some issues with their engraver), fought hard and succeeded in fulfilling their promise of shipping the first batches of the Supra in February. On top of that, Jack Vang of Earwerkz was always on Kickstarter or his email to answer questions, and constantly updated his backers on the status of their IEMs. Jack was more than happy to answer any question that anyone had, and in a timely manner. Talk about customer service!
 
            Even more good news for Earwerkz’s customers is that Earwerkz promises to ship the finished product to you within 10 days of receiving your ear molds (assuming you are getting a CIEM), and it doesn’t seem like anyone has been let down by Earwerkz yet.
 
            Excellent, excellent, customer service. Nothing more to say about it.
 
            Upon receiving my Supras, I was a bit surprised to find that it wasn’t packaged in a box, but instead, in a padded envelope. Ripping open the package, I was a bit disappointed to find only a softshell case with Earwerkz’s logo on it. Where’s the pelican or otterbox case?
 
            Inside the softshell case were the Supras along with an Earwerkz cleaning cloth and cleaning tool (universal owners will also receive comply tips). So to put it simply, accessories were simple and the bare bone necessities. Would really have loved to get a hard carrying case along with my IEM, but it seems that they’re not included in with the Kickstarter Supras but are standard with a purchase from them.
 
            While the lack of a hard case was certainly disappointing, I must, however, comment on the softshell case that Earwerkz provided, as I see it as softshell cases done right. Earwerkz clearly didn’t design them to fit in your pockets. They’re larger than your average clam shell cases that are offered from companies like Shure. I’ve never liked small softshell cases that force you to jam your IEMs into. The cables tend to get tangled or retain its wound up shape after pulling the IEM out. Ugh! I want my cable STRAIGHT when I use them! Not only that, but most cases still don’t fit in your pockets all that well. So why make them that size? Maybe it’s just me, but I found Earwerkz’s softshell case much better. It’s still small enough that you can comfortably use them as protection for your IEM when you’re on the go, but it’s also large enough that your IEMs and rest in them comfortably as well. Thumbs up to Earwerkz for their softshell case.
 
            As one of the final stretch goals, Earwerkz opened up the option of purchasing the Supra 2 as a custom IEM along with the original option of purchasing them as universal IEMs. While I’ve demoed countless demo units of CIEMs, ranging from larger companies like UE to smaller companies like CustomArt and Clear Tune Monitors, I’ve never actually owned a pair of CIEMs myself, mostly due to the fear of them not fitting properly as I have very small ears. Seeing that the Supras aren’t a particularly big investment in the realm of CIEMs, I took this opportunity to test the waters of custom monitors. I think it’s important to note that Earwerkz offers their custom version for only 40 dollars more than the universal, which is a much more generous offer than most other CIEM makers.
 
            As a first timer in the realm of custom monitors, the initial fit was pretty disastrous and uncomfortable. I knew I was putting them in my ears the right way, but it always seemed uncomfortable after a while. It took me a few days to get it down, but once I got the hang of it, fit is fantastic and the Supras simply disappear. I’m very happy with my first CIEM experience, and also very relieved that I got a good fit on my first try.
 
Edit: Added thoughts between custom and universal Supras.
 
Got a chance to meet up with a bud, backer #49, to compare universal vs custom Supras.
 
The universal Supra honestly have the best universal shell I've ever experienced, beating out the Stagediver and Aurisonics shells which were the two best universal shells in my opinion in terms of comfort.
 
A heads up or warning to universal supra users! Make sure you have a tip that gives you a deep insertion. It makes ALL the difference. I listened to my friend's Supra and they sounded awful, no where near the level of detail or naturalness that the customs had. In comparison, the universals sounded veil and fake. It wasn't until we tried using a smaller set of tips that the universals started sounding better. Don't be afraid to try tips a size smaller than you may usually like to use! If the Supra stick out of your ears at all, YOURE NOT GETTING THE FULL EXPERIENCE OF THE SUPRAS.
 
 
            The acrylic shells of the Supras are beautifully built, with no signs of bubbles or inconsistencies. The 2 pin jack is also slightly recessed and very tight. Cables will stay firmly connected to the Supras. Absolutely no problems with loose connectors or signals cutting out with the Supras. Having own and tried a fair share of acrylic IEMs, I can most certainly say that the build quality from Earwerkz is top notch.
 
            Inside the shells, the two drivers are cleanly oriented and with very minimal amount of wires showing. Given that a two driver CIEM isn’t a particularly complex driver configuration in this day and age, Earwerkz nonetheless prides themselves in creating a clean and well-built IEM, both inside and out. All the wires of the Supras are neatly packed in a heatshrink tube (or maybe just plastic?) that connects the drivers to the 2 pin connectors.
            As a bonus for Kickstarter backers, Earwerkz allowed us to customize our engraving. I designed my Supras with the theme of my a cappella group, The Stereotypes, in mind, using our group’s colors and engraving our logo, “(stereotypes.)” as well as my embodied stereotype stage name, “Mr. Boy Wonder” (I’m a grown man that looks like I’m still 15 years old) onto each side of the Supras. The final product most definitely exceeded my expectations and I now have in my possession a gorgeous set of custom fitted and designed IEMs. Awesome!
 
            The significance of cables and their effects on sound may be forever debated. Regardless of various people’s opinions, I would still like to bring the topic of cable up, as Earwerkz does offer an upgrade cable with the Supras and all of their IEMs.
 
            The Supras came with Estron Linum’s BaX cable, an incredibly ergonomic, soft, and low profile cable. Seriously… this is an experience it yourself to believe it kind of deal. I know very well how it’s practically revolutionized cable ergonomics and started a new age of ergonomics, but damn I was still not prepared for just how ridiculously thin and comfortable this cable is. Experience it yourself, or you may never understand.
 
            Linum also heavily markets their cables for how they upgrade the sound of the IEM. So do these cables change the sound, or is this more voodoo magic with fanatics willing to defend it to the death? The answer is a most definite and confident YES that it does indeed change the sound of the Supras.
 
            So this is the part where half of you are ready to jump at me with pitch forks, while the other half are ready to embrace me with open arms. Well that’s not quite where I’m headed with this either. Does the BaX cable improve the sonic qualities of the Supras? Do I hear details that I’ve never heard before? Well hell I don’t know. I don’t think so? I’ve never tried a 1000 dollar cable that promises to bring your audio gear to new heights, and the BaX certainly doesn’t do that to the Supras.
 
            On the other hand, the BaX undoubtedly changes the sound signature of the Supras to some extent. Compared to the Supras with my plusSound X Series cable, the BaX cable adds more treble air to the Supras, giving it an overall thinner, but more open sound, while the copper X Series cable undoubtedly has more fullness to its sound compared to the BaX cable. The difference is enough that I can hear it when I switch between the cables, and takes some time for my brain to get use to the change. Perhaps the extra added air from the BaX gives the Supra better imaging or treble detail. I don’t know, I didn’t really bother to try to find out. I like the fullness of the sound that the plusSound cable offers so I stuck with them. While not as ergonomic as the BaX cables, the X Series cable were also designed with comfort in mind, and it’s plenty comfortable for me that I’m willing to sacrifice a tiny bit of comfort for a sound I enjoy more. At the end of the day, I was honestly surprised at the amount of difference two cables that differ in price by about 30 dollars made.
 
Having talked briefly about the changes in the sound of the cable earlier, I thought I’d continue with a more in depth impression of the Supra’s sound. All listening was done with my trusty portable rig consisting of my iBasso DX90, plusSound X Series Copper cable, and, of course, the Supra 2 themselves. Something to note is that the Supras are very sensitive IEMs. While I had no problems with hiss out of my DX90, using my desktop amp (which is overkill anyways) as a test did result in quite a bit of hiss. The Supras are one of the most sensitive IEMs I’ve heard, and the most sensitive IEM out of the IEMs I’ve personally owned.
 
The Supras are a very natural sounding IEM with a very slight U shape that gives the sound a bit of fun while remaining within the bounds of neutrality. The bass is well textured with a good balance between the mid and sub bass, as well as a surprisingly good bass extension coming out of a two driver IEM. Bass attack is very fast and very clean, with a fairly short decay that also has a good amount of rumble to it. Any sort of bleed or muddying of the midrange due to the bass is non-existent. Overall bass quality is fantastic with great dynamics, however, for those looking for some hard hitting bass will most likely find the bass lacking in quantity.
 
            The midrange of the Supra is most certainly the star of the show. The midrange is smooth, well balanced, detailed, and oh so natural. Instruments are realistic and accurate, while vocals have great clarity and are incredibly engaging to listen to. Transparency is the name of the game for the Supra. Not just the midrange, but the entire spectrum. The Supra offers some of the most enjoyable midrange out of any IEM at any price bracket.
 
            The treble of the Supra can be described as airy, detailed, but inoffensive. The treble response of the Supra is fairly smooth without any peaks that may lead to sibilance or create an unnatural timbre. As a person who enjoys a little more treble energy than most, I would personally ask for just a tad more sparkle to the treble, but the Supra’s treble are excellent as is in terms of treble energy and air thanks to a great extension up top.
 
            The soundstage of the Supra may be the one point that I find that doesn’t quite punch above its price as much in the Supra. While having a nice open and airy sound to it, the soundstage is quite lacking in width and depth, although it does have a good amount of overall height. Considering the Aurisonics ASG 1Plus, priced at about 100 dollars more, you get a much more expansive soundstage, although I’ve always found Aurisonics IEMs excel in terms of having a good sense of space and dimensionality. Despite having a more intimate soundstage, the Supra makes use of the space available to it with excellent instrument separation and imaging. Each instrument is presented with accuracy and precision.
 
            Overall, the Supra's sound presentation can come off as being slightly on the analytical and dry side but I find that it remains engaging and energetic despite that.
 
 
CustomArt Ei.3 and Earwerkz Supra 2 (CIEM)
I consider the supra 2 to be the king of value as the supra is fantastically detailed and natural sounding for a 430 dollar CIEM (or 390 for the universals). So being about 100 dollars less, how do the two compare?
 
In terms of sound signature, the supra and the Ei.3 are more similar than they are different. However, the way in which the music is presented is quite different. For me personally, the past year or so has been fantastic, as more and more companies seem to be nailing the sound signature which I consider to be “natural” – which is generally a very slight V-shape with just a tad of extra energy in the upper mids. I would consider both of these IEMs to be close to my ideal sound signature. This sort of signature can often come forth as being fairly dry or boring, but the Ei.3, in particular, is a very musical sounding IEM.
 
Directly comparing the supra and Ei.3, the supra has a punchier and lower extending bass, a more aggressive upper range, and an overall more forward sound. The overall sound of the supra are crisper but dryer with better detail and overall texture as the presentation of the music from the supra are fairly analytical. Compared to the supra, the Ei.3 can feel as if it has a softer attack on the music as it’s not as sharp sounding as the supra (not to say they’re harsh sounding). While the supra are more detailed than the Ei.3, I think many will prefer the musical and smooth sound of the Ei.3 over the supra’s sound. The Ei.3 also has the benefit of having a better soundstage than the supra, particularly in terms of depth and width. The supra’s one big weakness to me is its very underwhelming soundstage.
 
In summary, I find those who enjoy a more analytical but energetic sound will like the supra, while those who enjoy a smoother, more musical, but slightly less textured and detailed sound will find the Ei.3 much more appealing.
 
            Earwerkz created a fantastic IEM in the Supra 2, an IEM which I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a balanced yet fun sound. My experience with Earwerkz from the very first moment that I chose to back their project on Kickstarter to this very moment has been nothing short of being overwhelmingly positive. After quite a few conversations with Jack about his company and products, to keep things short, I can say that Earwerkz has great business practice and they’ve really got their acts together. Every step is planned very carefully. Even the release dates of new products to come were mapped out with each detail carefully planned out. From customer service, to build quality, and most importantly to sound, Earwerkz has got everything covered, and they manage to do it in all in a friendly, efficient, and professional manner!

Quick Story and Intro
The reason I'm writing this review is not because this is a cool new up and coming product. In fact, its quite the opposite. Peachtree released their second version of the DAC iT, the DAC iTx, in 2013. I've heard only great and positive things about Peachtree in the time I've been here with the Head-Fi community, so naturally, when I was looking for an affordable desktop DAC, I instantly thought of the DAC iTx as a potential option. Strangely, even after being released for many years, I couldn't much about the DAC iT let alone the DAC iTx. Seeing that Peachtree has dropped the price of the DAC iTx from 499 to 299, and having heard good things about the original DAC iT at its original 499 price, I could only see the DAC iTx at 299 as a pretty safe, if not good, deal. So I took a little risk and bought these. I'm now sitting here wondering why this little device has gone so unnoticed and feel the strong need to at least get some impressions of the DAC iTx out there.
 
Usability
The DAC iTx is a very desktop friendly size. It's chassis isn't that smallest I've seen but it's definite small enough that using it as a desktop DAC is still very reasonable.
 
Getting the DAC iTx setup was a breeze and its a very intuitive and easy to use device. Switching between different inputs couldn't be easier. I actually had an initial problem downloading the driver for it. It turns out, Peachtree had actually recently updated the firmware for the DAC iTx and that their website hasn't been updated yet. Its great to see that even after two years, Peachtree is still keeping their products up to date and running smoothly. Once that little bump in the road was taken care of, everything was smooth sailing and enjoyment.
 
Inputs include USB, Coaxial, as well as an optical while there is one dual RCA line out. I would have loved an extra set of RCA line outs so I could have the extra versatility of connecting the DAC iTx to my speaker amps as well. But besides that, no real complaint, as these very user friendly.
 
Build Quality
The build on these is awesome. The chassis is completely metal, the buttons are metal, and the bottom has a rubbery surface to prevent sliding. The device has a solid feel to it and the buttons have a nice feel to them as well. The really nice look of the DAC iTx is a bonus here!
 
Sound
So the reason I decided to purchase these is mainly because I was a bit tired of using my iBasso DX90 as a USB DAC, so much of my sound impressions will be based off of this transition, but keep in mind that I have also heard my fair share of dedicated DACs. Just something to keep in mind, as I recognize that it may be odd comparing the two.
 
In addition, listening was done using my desktop setup consisting of: Asus Zenbook UX32VD > AudioQuest Forest > Peachtree Audio DAC iTx > AudioQuest Evergreen > Burson Audio HA-160 > Forza Audio Works Claire Hybrid HPC > AKG K812.
 
Interestingly, the DAC iTx, while using an ESS Sabre 9023 DAC chip, it didnt quite have the typical colder sound that the Sabre chips tend to have. Bass is extremely full sounding, deep, and punchy while being just slightly elevated and warm. Despite that, the bass is incredibly well controlled while adding a great amount of excitement to the music. The midrange and treble remain in good balance and provide a fantastic amount of detail. Worlds ahead of the dual Sabre DAC from the DX90. The overall sound is just a tad sharper in tonality than the DX90 line out, making the sound of the DAC iTx really pop while making the latter sound quite stale and uninvolving. 
 
I cannot stress how exciting it is to listen to the DAC iTx and how engaging its sound is. Everything pops to life with great accuracy, articulation, and detail. It's not just the punch of the bass giving the DAC iTx it's drive. The way the DAC iTx delivers its sound is simply a thing of beauty.
 
Soundstage and imaging of the DAC iTx is also a very positive thing to talk about. While the dual DAC of the DX90 shows its prowess with an every so slightly wider soundstage, the DAC iTx walks all over it in terms of imaging and three dimensionality. 
 
I recognize that I'm comparing a 420 dollar all-in-one device with a 300 dollar dedicated DAC, but I cannot stress enough the value the DAC iTx holds, even compared to other dedicated DACs. At the price of 299, there really isn't anything about the sound you can really complain about. The sound is simply fabulous and addicting.
 
End Note
I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the DAC iTx. It's breathed life into my music in ways I haven't experienced in quite a long time and has brought a new level of interest in my music to me. I honestly feel that this product has been glossed over just a bit and perhaps a little forgotten. Maybe that's because Peachtree is more focused on making products oriented towards speakers systems? Regardless, I genuinely hope that this short little review can direct a few people looking for a desktop DAC towards the Peachtree DAC iTx, because this is one rocking piece of equipment! I don't rave about a product all that often, but this is really a damn good DAC for 300 dollars!

Brainwavz has, again, kindly provided me with a review unit of yet another one of their products. The M1 is not a newcomer in their line of products, but instead, one in which they would like to make more known to the public (and for good reasons!). To sum things up quickly before getting into details about my opinions of the M1, I can say that the M1 is perhaps one of my favorite IEM from Brainwavz.
 
Accessories:
Brainwavz IEMs all come with a good variety of accessories. This has always been one of their strengths. The IEM comes with a small softshell case with a good variety of tips, including some comply tips, and a 3.5 to 6.3mm adaptor. For a 50 dollar IEM, you couldn't as for much more!
 
Design , Comfort, and Isolation:
The M1 is a simple but nice looking IEM. The housing is mostly plastic with the nozzle being made of metal (I believe). The housing, despite being mostly plastic, feels sturdy and well made. Best of all, it is VERY comfortable. I had no issues at all wearing them for long periods of time.
 
The cable, while fairly sturdy with a nice 45 degree angle jack, brings about a lot of questions regarding the design. First off, where is the neck slider? I find the lack of the freedom to adjust the neck slider to be a careless and obvious design flaw that could have very easily been avoided. Secondly, the cable is a bit on the stiff side. I don't find it to be to the point of being unusable, but the overall ergonomic of the cable took a hit due to its inflexibility. Last but not least, the cable transmit cable noise quite easily. They're a bit better than the flat cables from Brainwavz's S Series, but to me, its still not ideal, and the inflexibility of the cable is one of the reasons why the cable noise is present.
 
Isolation on the M1 is fair and isn't anything particularly impressive or worth complaining about. The M1 do have a small pore that presumably helps the dynamic driver. Thus, isolation isn't top notch. But it's more than enough for every day use walking around busy streets.
 
Sound:
While I wasn't too fond of the M1's cable, I did mention that it's one of my favorite IEM from Brainwavz. That's all thanks to the sound, as the M1 is quite a good sounding IEM with a fantastic price/performance ratio. All of my listening and comparisons were done using my trusty DX90 and with various files that are at least 320 kbps.
 
The M1 has a very pleasurable sound signature. While I wouldn't call it "neutral" as Brainwavz advertised it to be, I guess it's pretty close to neutral when you're comparing it to the majority of the IEMs in this price range, so we'll say its neutral enough. The sound has a bit of warmth to it but nonetheless keeping the sound well balanced and very natural.
 
The bass of the M1 is very good. The bass has good extension, though the M1 does struggle a little with detail retrieval with the very bottom end as there is still some roll off. Despite that, the bass of the M1 is very well textured, being better than most IEMs I've heard in the 50 dollar bracket. Overall, impact lacks a bit of focus and finesse, but I found the bass from the M1 to leave very little to be desired.
 
Vocals on the M1 is also quite a treat. Good vocal detail with great clarity makes the vocals clean and enjoyable. There isn't any occasion where I found the vocals to be veiled in any way or overly forward or aggressive sounding. The upper midrange has a good "bite" to them, giving instruments like the snare drum a nice edginess to them without sounding too aggressive.
 
The only significant complaint I have may be the treble, as it doesn't quite live up to the good midrange and bass detail of the M1. While not being recessed, the treble can cause the likes of high hats and cymbal crashes to sound very distant and somewhat blurry, as the treble is a little lacking in overall clarity, control and extension. 
 
I found the soundstage of the M1 to be passable, but not particularly impressive compared to its competition. Width fairs well against other IEMs in the price range, while still being on the smaller side, but the sound of the M1 sounds flat, as it's quite lacking in height.
 
Despite my criticism of the sound of the M1, there was a lot going on with sound of the M1 that I really felt makes it a worthy sounding IEM and of great value at its asking price.
 
Comparisons:
 
Vs. Zero Audio Tenores
The tenores have been a favorite of mine since a friend recommended them to me as a nice low budget IEM for everyday use. The tenores have a sweet and smooth sound that is just very easy to listen to. I found the sound of the tenores and the M1 to actually be quite similar. Overall, the tenores have a smoother and more laid back sound with a slightly more elevated bass (and i mean very slightly) and more treble energy while the M1 offers a more forward vocal with better vocal detail. However, with its incredibly soft, easy to use, and low noise cable, I still find the tenore to be a champion in the realm of budget portable IEMs. The M1 however, is really quite a good sounding headphone and is of great value. These two would both make my list of some of the best IEMs in the sub 50 USD IEMs.
 
Vs. Brainwavz S0
Being at the same price and from the same manufacturer, the S0 and M1 seemed like an obvious comparison. Listening to the two, what immediately pops up is the M1 has less of a bass bump and has more bass control than the S0. compared to the S0, the bass is more articulate and clean, although not quite as extended as the S0. Vocals and treble on the S0 are more forward than the M1. While I prefer the less aggressive vocals and the well controlled bass of the M1, I much prefer the nicely tuned sparkle of the S0 treble to the somewhat strange sounding treble of the M1. The M1 is more comfortable to wear while having less cable noise and a sturdier 3.5mm jack, and if I had to decide on choosing one over the other, the M1 is the clear winner to me.
 
Final Thoughts:
The M1 is a good IEM and one of my favorites from Brainwavz. At 50 dollars, it is price very competitively and is most certainly worth a consideration. The M1 works well with most genres thrown at it and sounds quite good playing most types of music. While sounding quite stellar, I found the cable to leave quite a bit to be desired. It seems like Brainwavz hasn't quite figured it out yet when it comes to cables, as I haven't found any of their IEM's cables to be what I would consider "good." Nonetheless, I found the M1 to be a very well made IEM and the first IEM from Brainwavz that I have heard that I believe deserves a 4.5/5 rating compared to the 4/5 that I have given to other Brainwavz products. Way to go Brainwavz!

Introduction
 
I'm very happy to have another shot at listening to yet another IEM from Brainwavz, the newly announced (and officially released today) Brainwavz S0, which they consider the "baby brother of the S5." Again, I gotta give another big thank you and shout out to Audrey for giving me the opportunity to listen to another great product from Brainwavz. As always, I've put my honest thoughts and opinions of the S0 here and I have no reason to do so otherwise. So here's what I have to say about the newest addition of Brainwavz's single dynamic driver line of IEMs!  
 
Accessories
 
Although the S0 I received is the production version, I did not receive the S0 in its final packaging. Nonetheless, I felt the need to address the accessories that came with my S0 for two main reasons:
 
1) The long awaited shirt clip is here! YES! This little guy reduces the S series' cable noise substantially. The flat cable tend to transfer noise quite a bit and the shirt clip really helps eliminate that problem.
 
2) The tips I received with the S0 were different from the usual tips that I've received from Brainwavz in the past. They've switch to tips that look like the Sony hybrid tips. This change is quite welcoming for me as I found the tips more comfortable than the old tips. HOWEVER, I was really disappointed in the new biflange tips that the S0 came with. I very much preferred the old biflange tips that came with past Brainwavz products I've owned, and the old biflanges are what I'm currently using with the S0. This is just something I noted, I don't know if this is a change Brainwavz intends on keeping or not (though I must say I like the overall change). 
 
Design and Build
 
 
Like the S5, the S0's housing is built solidly from metal. I would guess that the two are made of the same material, but they look different (with the S5 being more glossed and S0 being more matte) and feel a little different, so I'm not 100% on that. Regardless, the S0 housing is very sturdy like the S5 housing. The strain relief is quite a nice looking red color, which I felt is a nice look and gives the S0 a little bit of deviation from the all black color scheme.
 
Like the rest of the S series, Brainwavz chose to use a flat cable... which I'm still not a fan of. In addition to the cable noise, the flat cable is also not as flexible as other cables. Unlike the S5 however, the cable isn't as bulky and the Y-split is substantially smaller (Yea!). The cable is still well built but still isn't ideal in my opinion, and still has room for improvement.
 
The S0 is designed to be worn straight down. I'm not the biggest fan of wearing IEMs straight down due to both comfort and reduced cable noise, and I personally much prefer an over ear design. Nonetheless, Brainwavz executed a well designed IEM with no major flaws to it ... besides the cable noise. I felt that the over ear design of the S5 cable made the S5's cable noise poor but acceptable, but the straight down cable design of the S0 really makes the cable noise problematic without the shirt clip (yes... I'm just advertising the use of the shirt clip at this point ). 
 
Comfort-wise, Brainwavz does a nice job with the S0. The S0 is a comfortable IEM with a decently light housing, despite it being metal. I do, however, find the S5 a little more comfortable than the S0 (simply as someone with small ears who prefers wearing the cable over his ears).
 
Sound
 
The sound impressions of the S0 were taken listening to the S0 from an iBasso DX90 with music of all genres and ranging from 256kbps to 24-bit/192-kHz.
 
Quick Comparison Vs. the S5:
 
Right off the bat, the S0 has a flatter and more natural sound than the S5. The somewhat unnatural metallic sound of the S5's upper midrange is reduced, and the bass is also toned down a bit. The sound of the S0 is smoother than the S5, but the smoothness is traded off with slightly less detail and treble extension. The S0 still has an elevated bass and a small amount of forwardness in the treble, but, in my opinion, the S0 is as "neutral" as an average consumer will be looking for. A big thumbs up to Brainwavz for creating a flatter sounding IEM while still keeping their targeted consumers in mind.
 
Bass:
 
The bass of the S0 is warm with a slight midbass bump that is still in good balance with the midrange. Control and articulate I found to be a bit better than the bass heavy S5, with bass extension comparable to the S5, but overall could still use a little more tightening and texture. The overall clarity of the bass, however, is very nice and being reminded that this is a 50 USD IEM, there's isn't all that much to complain about. I feel that the bass of the S0 is good and enjoyable, but by no means the best I've heard.
 
Mids:
 
The midrange of the S0 is where there's quite a bit to be happy about. The mids can be described as having a little bit of warm to them while being smooth yet detailed. Although not as detailed as the S5, the midrange of the S0 is much more enjoyable and natural, with a more realistic timbre as the upper midrange isn't as forward as that of the S5's. That goes for both vocals and instruments alike. Vocals in particular, while not as detailed on the S0, are just much more natural and enjoyable. For a 50 USD, the S0 has some surprisingly good clarity to the midrange. Another big thumbs up to Brainwavz.
 
Treble:
 
The Treble is toned down compared to the S5 but still has a forwardness to it. Treble is also smooth, but maybe just a little bit too much so, as I found that while the treble is very present, it lacked just a tiny bit of sparkle (to my ears!) and detail. The treble is also a little rolled off, again, giving it a smoother sound. I could use a little more extension and air from the treble. The good news of all this, of course, is that the S0 is pretty free of sibilance, making it a very enjoyable and easy listening experience. I didn't hear anything particularly harsh with the time I've had with the S0. 
 
Soundstage and Imaging
 
The soundstage of the S0 is good. It's very close in terms of size compared to the S5, but maybe even besting the S5 slightly in width. Imaging and overall separation is also well done for a 50 USD IEM, but I do feel that the S5 pulls ahead a bit in separation.
 
Conclusion
 
Although I still find the S5 technically better than the S0 in regards such as separation and detail, I personally found the S0 to be a more enjoyable listening experience, simply because of its more relaxed signature and smooth sound. I'd still be very happy to point those looking for a more forward and energetic sound towards the S5, but the S0 offers quite a bit for the money too.
 
While I believe the S0 is a nice IEM priced at a very good price, I don't believe it is THE IEM for the 50 dollar price range. The sub 100 dollar market for IEM is growing FAST and is incredibly competitive. With my Zero Audio Tenore still as one of my favorite IEMs and currently selling on amazon for 49 dollars, it's hard for many IEMs to really stand out from the crowd. Nonetheless, I'm more than happy to give the S0 a recommendation despite it not being the most technically superior of the bunch (with the Tenore being better in terms of soundstage, detail, separation etc.). I give it its recommendation simply because the S0 offers an enjoyable listening experience while still being technically solid. There's a lot of crap IEMs out there you can get for 50 dollars, and there's also a few very good IEMs you can get for the same price. I'd definitely put the S0 at the upper end of that list!

I’ve had the S5 as a review sample for about a month now, thanks to the generosity of Brainwavz, and I’ve put my thoughts and opinions of the S5 together here. I’m a bit late to the party in posting a review, but nonetheless hopefully some people will find it beneficial and informative. As always, I have no affiliation with Brainwavz and have no reason to write anything but my personal opinions on how I feel about these IEMs. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how this little guy performs.
 
Accessories
The S5 comes with good number of accessories. It comes with a nice soft shell carrying case to put the S5 in with 2 compartments to put other accessories in. Inside the case, there are two little bags with a ton of tips, ranging from comply to tri-flanges. Thumbs up to Brainwavz for the tips provided. They’re comfortable and with a good variety. I would start tip rolling right away, as the S5 is really really prone to changing its sound with different tips, and I really really disliked the sound of the S5 with the stock tips (I’ll get to it later). Along with the plethora of tips, you’ll also find the manual for the S5 and a 3.5 to 6.3mm jack in the case. The 3.5 to 6.3mm jack is nicely built and I think is a standard accessory given with some, if not all, Brainwavz IEMs, but the reality is … when will I ever use that with the S5? Don’t think I’ll ever be using that with the S5 (who knows I could be wrong), but it’s a really nicely made jack so in the end it’s definitely a plus!
 
Build Quality (and Cable Noise)
I see the S5 as a good IEM to pull out for mobile use and daily commutes. So from this point forth, I’ll be approaching the S5 more as a nice portable IEM rather than an IEM for sitting down and serious critical listening. Such an IEM must have some sturdiness to it and the ability to take some beating from every day use. The full metal housing of the S5 does just that. It’s well built , nice looking, and very solid, giving me no worries of having it breaking or falling apart on me after a bit of abuse and every day wear and tear.
 
The cable, however, doesn’t quite live up to the housing’s nice implementation for mobile use. The cable is surprisingly flexible and usable despite it being thick in terms of width. Nonethelss, I did find the cable a bit too thick and with a decent amount of cable noise (not terribly so). If the cable had come with some sort of shirt clip, it would resolve the cable noise problem almost completely. I’m also not a big fan of the massive Y-split. The S5 is an IEM with a beautiful housing, nice color scheme for the cable … … and then this bleck Y-split. I find a good part of the cable noise to be due to the Y-split hitting my chest or rubbing against my jacket as well, making the Y-split a bit problematic to me.
 
I also find that the cable is fairly prone to getting damaged. I accidentally rubbed the cable against the edge of my desk and that left fairly obvious white mark on the gray cable. This is purely an aesthetics issue, as I have no doubts about the cable’s sturdiness. It’s a sturdy cable with good strain relief that’s clearly made to last.
 
Overall though, the build of the S5 is very solid, with a strong yet flexible cable and a pretty damn nice looking housing!
 
Fit and Isolation
Simply put, the fit of the S5 is great and I can’t imagine anyone really struggling to get a good and consistent fit on these. For me personally, the insertion depth of the S5 doesn’t go very deep (YMMV as I’ve heard others say it goes deep), which results in a fairly average isolation. In addition to that, there are bass ports on the housing, which always takes away from isolation to some extent and makes the IEM prone to wind noise. However, the bass ports are facing inward, making it hidden and less prone to wind noise than a lot of vented IEMs that I’ve listened to. I think that was a smart design, for despite the shallow insertion and vented bass port, the isolation is surprisingly proficient for daily commutes. Of course, if you’re expecting Shure level isolation, you’re gonna be letdown pretty hard.
 
Sound
The overall sound of the S5 is very obviously v-shaped with a bass the packs quite the punch and a treble region that’s sparkly. The S5 are a fun and enjoyable IEM to rock out to when out and about. I wrote the sound impressions based on what I hear running the S5 from an iBasso DX90 with files ranging from 320kbps mp3 up to 24/192 recordings like Chesky’s binaural recordings.
 
With the stock tip, I found the overall sound warm with an elevated midbass with an emphasis that extends into the lower midrange. Upper treble was also not as extended. First impressions with the stock tips were not particularly favorable. Switching around tips however, yielded some surprisingly different results. I settled on using a set of Ortofon tips, which brought the thickness in the lower midrange down a good amount while giving the upper treble a bit better extension, although at the cost of giving the already energetic lower treble a bit more energy as well. The sound impressions will be based on the sound with the Ortofon tips. Tip rolling is highly recommended!!!
 
Treble:
The treble is energetic and sparkly. For those sensitive to treble, be weary of fatigue. For those who enjoy a bit more energy in the treble, I being one of those people, the treble is quite the treat. The lower treble is forward, giving instruments a nice shimmer, but at the same time a bit of a metallic and artificial tone at times. The extension on the treble is good, and gives the sound a good sense of air, although it won’t be on the level of an IEM such as the Vsonic GR07 in that regard.
 
Midrange:
The midrange on the S5 with the Ortofon tips, are clean sounding and a bit recessed, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. I was happy to find that the midrange wasn’t overly thick or warm, as I was half expecting from a bassy, wallet friendly, and comsumer oriented IEM. Timbre and tonality are natural sounding and instruments to have a good sense of realism to them. Vocals lean slightly towards being on the relaxed side with good detail, but lacking a bit in overall finesse and clarity in comparison to the instruments.  
 
Bass:
The bass is big! It’s been a while since I’ve put earphones with this much bass into my ears, as I tend to lean towards a more neutral sound. Thus, it took me a bit of time to get my ears adjusted to the sound. The bass, despite being big, however, is by no means basshead level or overbearing. In fact, it reminded me of why sometimes you just gotta love a good thump in your bass. The bass impact is surprisingly clean, considering the quantity of it and the price of the IEM, but is nonetheless a little bit on the slower side. Sub bass also has decent extension with a good amount of rumble to it. Overall, the bass is definitely elevated, but with good impact and decent texture to go with it.
 
Soundstage and Imaging:
The soundstage is fair on the S5. It’s not particularly large, so for those that like a larger and more open soundstage, these are probably going to be a bit of a letdown. The soundstage on the Zero Audio Tenore that I have with me is quite a step up from the S5 in all regards.
 
The imaging, however, I felt, made up for the smaller soundstage of the S5. The precision of each instruments come out nice and clear. However, due to the midbass bump, some instruments in the lower frequencies can have a tendency to lose some clarity. I was quite happy with the imaging of the S5 as a whole, however, and found it to be impressive for a hundred dollars.
 
Overall Detail:
I find that the approach to the level of detail to be very different when you’re looking at a portable and fun sounding phone versus a sit down and listen analytically phone. Thus, I’ve left out (for the most part) discussion the overall detail of the S5 in the sound discussion. Overall, the level of detail throughout the spectrum is good and very much on par with IEMs in its price range, with a bit of overall detail lost in the midbass and lower midrange, but with good detail in the upper midrange extending into the treble. These are, of course, by no means detail monsters.
 
Looking at the S5 from the perspective of using them as a portable IEM, I found their sound very impressive. Despite not being a particularly forward and aggressive sounding IEM, the S5 is able to retain its sound well even in a noisy environment. The S5 is definitely not one of those IEMs where you “hear new things you’ve never heard before,” but it’s an IEM that retains its details and integrity well even with outside noise, making it much more ideal of an IEM than my more expensive IEMs, where a bit of outside noise will result in losing some instruments altogether as they’re drowned out by the outside.
 
Conclusion
I’ve had a lot of fun listening to the S5 and they’ve replaced my Tenores as my go-to budget IEM that I grab whenever I head out my door despite the Tenores being better in some regards. I'm honestly really impressed with how fast things are moving along. Budget IEMs are sounding better and better while retaining some fantastically low prices. It all makes me really look forward to what the future holds for audio enthusiasts!
 
For those looking for an IEM with a fun signature (that still packs a punch in sonic capabilities) for everyday use, the S5 does get a big thumbs up from me. They’re an engaging IEM that can get you boppin’ as you head towards where ever it is you’re heading to. I’ve used them almost every day the past month for my 20 minute walks to and from campus. There are, however, better offerings, in my opinion, in terms of bang for the buck IEMs that offer a cleaner and more detailed sound than the S5.

Introduction:

 

I’m sure as many know by now, Fiio has started touring their first batch of pre-production X1 DAPs to get feedback from the community. I think that’s a fantastic way to gain insight of how well received the product is (as well as what needs improvement) while being a great opportunity for the community to have a chance to see if the product is for them or not. With that said, I’d like to give a big thank you to Fiio for putting me in the “Americas” roster for the X1 tour.

 

Of course, I have no affiliation with Fiio in any way nor do I have any incentive to give anything but my person honest opinion on the Fiio X1. With that being said, let’s take a look at this little device! This review looks at the X1 using the 0.21 firmware, which is the most recent beta firmware (as of now at least.)

 



 

Build:

 

The X1 is solidly built and finished quite nicely. I believe most of it is a hard and durable plastic, with a bit of metal here and there. No jagged edges or any part of the device that might make one question the durability of the it or how it was put together. Being plastic, it’s not as hefty feeling or as cool to feel as the anodized metal finish of the iBasso DAPs. Nonetheless, for the price of 100 USD, there isn’t much more I’d ask of the X1. I think the build is fantastic.

 

The only gripe I really have is the scroll wheel. As someone with pretty dry hands that doesn’t have all that much friction, I found the scroll wheel too smooth sometimes and difficult to use as my thumb would just glide around the wheel unless I really put some pressure on it. If they could use some material that allows for better grip, I think that would be ideal. Of course, I’m one of few people that would actually have that kind of problem, so I don’t really find it a huge problem either of course if that doesn’t change.

 

The case works. I personally never really liked rubber cases as they collect dust like a mother screw* but I guess it protects the X1 from scratch. Why not?

 



(The black case for the X1)

 



(Relative size of the X1)
 
User Interface:

 

Although not the most gorgeous or most personalizable UI (can’t really beat apple…) I found the X1 UI quite intuitive to learn and get use to. Volume control with power button on the side, forward/back buttons on the bottom, back menu button on the top right, select button in the very middle with a scroll wheel that works nicely around the select button, and a shortcut menu button on the top left. That’s about it. Simple and intuitive. Its also important to note that the screen of the X1 is quite HD. I was surprised at how nice the album cover art looked. Its no retina iPhone screen but its better than a lot of audiophile DAPs (with exceptions of course) and certainly better than anything I know under 100 dollars.

 

I also found the buttons very response and have a nice click to it. I personally like them more than the 3 buttons of iBasso, which always leave me wondering if I clicked on it or not. The buttons on the X1, despite being small, are very easy to identify and click on since they’re quite far apart from each other.

 

I liked how the X1 split the music settings and general settings into two. It makes it a lot easier to find what you’re looking for. Settings for the most part are quite standard. Sleep timer, brightness, etc. they’re all there. What I quite liked from the settings was how you can actually have various options for key-lock setting. When in locked, you have the option of controlling some combination of volume, play/pause, and forward/back button which I thought was pretty smart to be able to control how much control you have when the device is locked.

 

Another great feature of the X1 (not really UI) is its battery life. I haven’t had it run out of battery on me despite using it throughout the day. I think Fiio listed it as being >12 hours. That’s pretty damn good. That’s all I can really say on that.

 

One problem I’ve had with the X1 UI is the media library scan. It seems like it’s only been me though, so I’m unsure whether it’s my unit, my microSD card, or maybe me? Either way, the scan, for whatever reason, can’t seem to get past 107 songs. The reviewer before me didn’t seem to have this problem, so I’m really scratching my head on this. If it is a firmware problem, I assume Fiio will have it figured out by release. For now, well… I don’t know, let’s just assume I’m messing something up haha.

 

Update: So a few days of trying to get it work, it suddenly works. I did nothing different. So I assume it is some sort of rare bug that possibly occurs for whatever reason.

 

Another thing is that the device can get a little laggy at times. That’s nothing a restart can’t, but the goodbye animation can be pretty painfully slow to have to wait for since that lags as well.

 

Overall, solid UI that I’m sure many people will be pleased with as it seems the device will be fairly glitch-free for the most part upon release. Could ask for a bit more customization of how the interface looks (or just… make it look a little nicer as it looks quite basic as of now but that’d really just icing on the cake if they do.

 

Sound:

 

Line Out:

 

The line out was tested with the X1 connected to the wonderful Vorzuge VorzAMP Pure II. First and foremost, the X1 line out is fairly loud (although I believe not quite as loud as the X3). The Pure II is a fantastic portable amplifier for IEMs with almost no channel imbalance. Using the X1 line out however, really pushes the Pure II to the region where channel imbalance may occur when I used the setup with the Noble 6 which, granted, is a fairly sensitive IEM. For that reason, I would put the power of the amplifier and the sensitivity of the headphone/IEM into consideration when using the line out.

 

Putting that aside, the sound of the line out of the X1 is quite good. It’s not as warm as I thought it would be, in fact it’s quite flat with maybe a little treble tilt that gives it a good sense of air. Detail is quite good, although the overall sound is a little thin and not as full. Bass extension and overall bass presence is also a little lacking.

 

Putting it all together though, you’re getting a DAC that decodes up to 24/192 for a line out with a clean and accurate sound on a device that’s 100 dollars. Good deal? Yeah.

 



(I was too lazy to take the DX90 off... rubber bands are hard to deal with you know? )
 

Headphone Out

 

The overall sound of the X1’s headphone out is neutral with a bit of warmth to it. Given Fiio’s products often being described as warm (and most budget-fi products being warmer in general), the X1 did not have the warmth that I was expecting. The fairly neutral sound was very welcoming.

 

What I liked:

 

-Instrument separate is very well done for a 100 dollar device

 

-Nice L/R imaging and a respectively wide soundstage

 

-Detail is present. It’s by no means a reference class device but it doesn’t leave you wanting more (especially when you’re on the move)

 

-Bass is well controlled and tight

 

-Nice and natural sound without being boring and dull

 

 

 

What I didn’t like:

 

-Similar to the line out, the bass extension and impact are both lacking.

 

-Soundstage lacks depth.

 

-Not the best noise floor. With my BA IEMs, it’s quite obvious when music isn’t playing, although it’s not much of a problem when music is actually playing.

 



(X1 with Noble 6 and Brainwavz S5)
 

Comparison to HTC One M8:

Bleh… the M8’s sound is so mediocre and so lacking in detail. I’ve never liked it. Let’s just move on…

 

Comparison to iPhone 4S:

 

I’m assuming that this is a comparison many people will be considering. Should I buy the X1 or is my iPhone good enough? So here are my thoughts on the two devices. Short answer is, I like the X1 sound over the iPhone’s sound. Whether you want another device purely for music at the cost of an extra 100 dollars is on you (being an audio geek… I’d totally go for it!)

 

Overall, I’ve always felt that the iPhone 4S is a little unnatural sounding. The vocals are quite forward (too much so), the overall sound is a bit on the thin side, while the bass lacks a bit of detail and control. It’s a fantastic sounding device considering how many functions it has and it’s a very competent device for mobile use. It lags behind a dedicated music player though. Considering all the possible functionalities it has, I doubt the music player of the iPhone even consists of 100 dollars out of its total price anyways.

 

The X1’s sound is in some ways similar to the 4S, while improving in most aspects. Sound is a little fuller, vocals isn’t as “in your face,” and bass has more control, contributing to an overall more natural and a more enjoyable sound (to me at least). Soundstage on the X1 is also a little better. It’s a very close call though.

 

Comparing the X1 to the iPhone does re-emphasize the weakness I’ve stated about the X1 multiple times though. Despite the X1 bass being cleaner, tighter, and much better controlled, it’s just also very polite and not particularly extended.

 



(X1 with iPhone 4S. Yea my 4S is not in good shape...)
 

Final Thoughts and Conclusion:

 

I don’t praise Fiio for creating a giant slaying device. Compared to my iBasso DX90, well, the DX90 pretty much does everything better. Compare the X1 to my portable setup, well… forget that. Of course, Fiio’s goal for the X1 wasn’t to crush higher price devices and piss of all the X3 and X5 owners while they’re at it.

 

I do, however, praise Fiio for creating a fantastic alternative to portable audio. The X1 is a very functional device with quite a few good features that has a fun but clean sound along with a sturdy build that doesn’t make consumers feel like they have to baby it lest it breaks. All of this come packaged in a small device competitively priced at 100 dollars. As I said earlier: Good deal? Yeah. In fact, I will very likely be purchasing one myself to use as a portable device when my portable setup's size proves too impractical (like when I need it in my pocket).

Hi guys, after spending some time with the new IEM from Rhapsodio, I thought I would post a more formal review of my experience with the IEM. So for those who have been interested or curious about Rhapsodio, hopefully this will shed some light on what they’re all about!
 
UPDATE: Added some general thoughts on the IEM compared to some TOTL IEMs at the very end.
 
UPDATE 2: Sammy was kind enough to send me his RD3 Version 2 for a comparison to the original version.
Here is my thoughts on original vs version 2:
Version 2 of the RD3 sounds very similar to the original, its very obviously just an upgrade to better a few aspects of the RD3. Thus, I don't feel its necessary to write a new review or to make any massive edits to the original review. Instead I'm putting my thoughts here.
 
First off, and possibly the most significant change, is actually the fit. If you look at the two housing, you can't tell that they're any different. In fact, when I was switching cables between the two versions of the RD3, I almost made the mistake of mixing which piece is which up. The differences are very subtle. Overall the new RD3 is a tiny bit smaller, with changes to a few ridges and bumps here and there. The fit however, improved drastically. I don't know how Sammy did it, but the fit significantly improves. Even for someone with small ears like me, version 2 just disappears. I had a meet with two other friends who are also very avid audio geeks, and they both made the comment on how much better the fit is, saying how these may be one of the most comfortable IEM out there. Thumbs up to Sammy for making this change!
 
In terms of sound, again, version 2 retains the sound signature that makes RD3 unique. However, midrange and treble resolution improves, especially in the treble. Snares have just a bit more detail and sparkle compared to the original version. Midrange also comes forward a little bit more, but the vocal weakness I find in the midrange remains, as the vocals are still just a bit too pulled back. The improvement, nonetheless, is quite welcomed.
 
There is also an improvement in soundstage. Soundstage is a little bit wider, and with a more obvious improvement to the depth of the RD3. Soundstage is still not as expansive as I hope to hear, but having any improvement from the very unimpressive soundstage of the original RD3 is a big plus to me.
 
Introduction
Seeing some pretty good review of Rhapsodio’s products around Head-Fi and various forums (mostly of the RDB series), I was pretty interested when I saw that Rhapsodio started making IEMs with full aluminum housing as well as introduce a new IEM, the RD3. I contacted Sammy of Rhapsodio to know more about the RD3 and found his customer service pretty top notch. It was pretty interesting having a series of real conversations with him, talking about the process of getting into the IEM business, and of course, how he came to make his new line of single dynamic driver IEMs with the RD3 being second from the top (the Ref. Ti. One being at the top). I, of course, have no affiliation with Rhapsodio and have no more of a reason to write a review for the RD3 than for my own enjoyment and for others who may be eyeing Rhapsodio like I was.
 
Accessories
I had pretty mixed feelings about the accessories that came with the RD3. Simply put it, I hated the tips that came with the RD3. They’re the black and red ones that look like the ones that Heir and Noble use. I’ve always found them a bit too stiff and hurt my ears after a while. They also didn’t stay in my ears very well, so I abandoned the tips as soon as I could and did a little tip rolling to find ones that work for me best. Besides the tips and the IEM, there was nothing else that came in the case with the RD3. As many people have stated before, yes it is quite lacking in accessories.
 
The case it came with though, is something quite special. It’s a really nice looking case made partly of plastic and metal. It’s definitely not as sturdy as a pelican or otterbox case, but it’s plenty sturdy and it looks fantastic, almost like a fancy mini briefcase with the Rhapsodio logo on it. I thought it was a great touch and definitely something I think Sammy should keep. It is a little taller than traditional pelican and otterbox cases, but the extra height allowed me to fit my DX90 into the case along with the IEM, which saves me some space when it comes to carrying my portable gear.
 
The case does tend to get a bit dirty though, from what I have no idea. After a trip around Taiwan, I found that there are a bunch of random marks on the case just from sitting in my backpack. Most of them easily washed off but some of them unfortunately did remain.
 

 

 
Cable
Another noteworthy thing I got from Rhapsodio was an upgraded cable. It’s the copper Panther MK1 price at 175 USD I believe, and it is one HELL of a cable. It comes with a nice gold plated 3.5mm jack (that somehow reminds me of a jack from a company that Rhapsodio use to be affiliated with…) that works well with mp3 players that have cases. Overall build of the cable is quite good and I don’t see any particularly weak spots in it.
 
The ergonomics of this cable is just fantastic. Let me say that again, Fan-Tas-Tic. It’s a bit tensile with a rubbery feel to it with the ability to bend and fold in any shape or form. Completely tangle free, and just extremely flexible. Because it’s so crazily flexible, it has zero ability to retain any sort of shape or form. So there is an ear guide, but a very good one at that. Yes I do believe to some extent that cables make a difference in sound, but most of the time I simply don’t believe dropping 500 dollars on a cable is worth the upgraded sound (if any at all to some people). However, being someone with glasses, I am more than willing to spend some extra money to get a more comfortable cable, as I really don’t like ear guides, and the Panther really does that. The ear guide is a very thin plasticky material (questionable whether its heatshrink or not) that retains the shape around the ear very well while feeling like it’s not even there. Again, just fantastic ergonomics, and definitely up there with the ergonomics of the Noble cable but without the pesky earguide.
 
Cable noise wasn’t a problem and adding in my own little shirt clip brought it down to very low levels.
 
One downside I did find with the cable, however, is EMI. It seems that the cable is quite prone to EMI. Having my phone near the cable causes quite a bit of sound.
 
Another downside was the slider. It's a very thin plastic and its just a bit too loose. After a period of time it does tend to start creeping its way back down to the Y-splitter.
 
Overall, just a very usable cable with very little to gripe about and with a lot going for it (dare I say the best sub 200 USD cable I've yet to try?... I want to say yes it is!)
 

 

 
Design, Comfort, and Build
Build quality of the IEM and the Cable were both very good, and it’s clear that Rhapsodio has really upped their game in terms of build quality. With their machine made aluminum housing, there are no more problems with different sized ear pieces.
 
There was little problem that I had with the recessed sockets of the IEM (will explain more later) but it was something just a tiny bit of super glue fixed and it wasn’t really enough of a problem to justify me sending it back to get it fixed. The IEM is in perfect working condition, and is very sturdily built. So quality control issue, yes it’s still present, but I have to say I’m impressed with the way Sammy dealt with it. Seeing the problem and the weakness in the recessed socket, he created a new design for it that he will be implementing in the IEMs to come. So for those who are interested in his IEMs, this will not be a problem for you.
 
The aluminum housing is really great and I’m a big fan. It’s not super lightweight, but I was surprised at how light it was. It is quite big though. As someone with MINISCULE ears (we’re talking TINY), I was a bit worried that it might not fit. I did have some initial issues with fit but finding the right tip made all the difference. Honestly if you have anywhere near normal ear size, you will have no problem at all.
 
The fit was surprisingly comfortable for me despite them barely fitting my ears. They fit very snugly in the ear and do disappear after a while. I did get some discomfort after 3 or 4 hours, but again, that’s really because of how small my ears are.
 
*Random Side note: Something nice about the IEMs that Sammy did mention to me is that the housing was designed to be easily taken apart (for future upgrades).
 
Now back to the recessed sockets. The RD3 does have bass ports to let the dynamic drivers breathe a bit and give it more bass power. What’s interesting about the bass ports though is that they’re designed with the recessed sockets, making them very low profile. I didn’t even notice they were there until Sammy pointed them out to me. The recessed sockets are not part of the aluminum housing, and are a plasticky material that’s inserted into the IEM. The bass ports, are a small gap that’s left between the aluminum housing and the recessed sockets. Hard to explain, so I’ll let the picture tell the story. You can see a tiny gap on the bottom side.
 

 
Isolation these are good but not amazing. It's definitely more than enough isolation for everyday use, going on the train, plane, or just walking around the city.
Now that I think I’ve covered most of how the IEM performs on the outside, let’s get to how they perform sonically.
 
Sound
Right off the bat, this IEM is not for everyone. Neutrality is not its game. The sound signature is quite fun and V shaped and definitely packs a punch in the bass. Sammy did mention to me that these are his “musical” IEM design while his flagship Ref Ti One is the one designed for a reference and neutral sound. Despite having quite a fun signature, the RD3 does present detail well. Most of my listening is done with just the RD3 and the iBasso DX90 running mostly ALAC and FLAC with resolution up to 24/192.
 
Burn In:
The RD3 has had over 200 hours before I listened to it to write this review. In all honesty, they sounded awful before burn in, and I was kinda pissed. Yes part of it is definitely the “brain burn in” aspect of the sound changing. Coming from the ASG-2, with a wamer sound, the RD3 was very hard to get used to. But without a doubt, a HUGE aspect of it has been the IEM, and it’s dead obvious. At first listen, the bass was so overly boomy and with so much bass rumble, that I couldn’t listen to it for more than 20 or 30 minutes. It hurts my ears. Bass has become much more controlled since. Of course, will get into more detail later, but just a quick example of how drastically the sound changed, because it really did.
 
Treble:
The treble region turned out to be probably my favorite part of this IEM. Its sparkly, airy, and probably borderline sibilant for some people (not for me). It’s very crisp with really nice detail and texture a decay that's really pleasant and natural to my ears. Cymbals and snares are fairly present and, in my opinion, are what they’re meant to sound like – energetic and fun. The upper treble is extended well to give the IEM a nice sense of air without causing the sound to be thin (which apparently the Ref. Ti. One does to some degree). I also had no problems with the treble ever getting too energetic or hot, and sibilance was never an issue.
 
 
Mid:
Instruments take the spotlight. Good detail on instruments and nice realistic sounding instruments for an IEM around the 500 dollar mark. The ability to “feel” the instruments is remarkable and really brings some realism to the music. Texture on instrument is also done very nicely.
 
Vocals on the other hand are a bit more of a hit and miss. The RD3 overall has a more recessed midrange, and it hits the vocals most obviously. Vocals are pulled back a bit and lose some detail and focus in comparison to the fantastic instruments of the RD3. Male vocals in particular, are more recessed, while female vocals are more forward with better detail, but can still be a little bit thin.
 
 
Bass:
The bass of the RD3 is quite a treat. The RD3 presents bass in a way in which I've never quite heard in other IEMs before, and honestly, I'm not too sure how to describe it. The bass is very big on the RD3, and as stated earlier. Bass has good extension (starting to fall off ever so slightly around 40Hz) that gives the bass a good amount of rumble and texture with almost a sub woofer like feel to it. I've enjoyed the bass quite a bit with acoustic tracks. Drums and bass guitar have great authority in the low frequency and really have great texture to them without ever really bleeding into the mids or bloating. The Bass is big, but the impact doesn't quite have the finesse of something like the parterre, which may suggest the bass being muddy or bloated, but the bass of the RD3 is anything but that. It just sounds very raw and realistic. When it gets to songs that are very demanding on bass, however, it shows that bass can be a little slow and you can hear the bass lose a little bit of its focus on impact.
 
The IEM also has the awesome ability to move air very well without distorting the sound. It really shows with how visceral the bass is as well as the IEM's ability to make instruments sound so live, allowing the listen to feel the plucks of a string. The bass from the RD3 is one of the best I've heard from headphones and IEMs alike and it's quite unique in all honesty.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
Ah… the soundstage… its the weakness of the RD3. It’s on the smaller side. Coming from the ASG-2, which has a pretty respectable soundstage, the RD3 soundstage seemed claustrophobic. It’s small. For a 500 USD IEM, the soundstage is really what disappoints from the RD3. I'm being a bit overly critical of the soundstage, it's just that I really expect more out of it at its price point. For a frame reference, the soundstage is comparable to the Heir Audio 3.Ai that I have, being a little better than the 3.Ai, a 300 USD IEM. So its my no means bad, just falls behind the competition in the price point. 
 
On a brighter note, imaging was quite good. Despite the smaller soundstage, instrument separation was, nonetheless good, with each individual instrument being very clean and able to be easily picked out from the rest while at the same time working together well for a nice coherent sound. Layering is also surprisingly good at able to be detected despite the lack of soundstage.
 
Conclusion
Despite some of the flaws of the RD3, I’ve enjoyed my time with it quite a bit and it’ll be an IEM I save when I want some energy and fun in my music. Would I recommend it at its price point, yes and no. It’s a very enjoyable IEM and there’s a lot to love about it. But its sound signature simply is not for everyone. And the soundstage again is a bit disappointing. I honestly think the RD3 would be an easy recommendation if only its soundstage wasn’t so subpar with what other IEMs in the same price range offers. The soundstage lost the RD3 a few of points in my book. If you can overlook that, I think the RD3 is an excellent IEM and a good IEM at its price. In conclusion, I give the RD3 a thumbs up if you're looking for a really fun and engaging IEM, but I do hope that Sammy can expand the soundstage a bit if he chooses to update the RD3 somehow.
 
Now a few pictures to end 
 

 

 

 
 

What its like in my small ears!
 
Update: General thoughts and impressions/comparisons after hearing some very fine IEMs
I have found new love for the RD3 after spending some time comparing it to some IEMs in its price range as well as 1K+ IEMs, and this is my attempt at putting my thoughts together. A few things to note is that I did not have NEARLY enough time to audition each IEM and compare them to the RD3, so these are fairly general and obvious things i took notice of in the time that i got. Also to note is that I got the opportunity to try some very good demo CIEMs, and naturally, being demo CIEMs, take my thoughts with a grain of salt as the custom version sound can and will be different to some degree. 
 
In addition, I'd like to note that I purchased UE tips for my RD3 and have found great results with it. Comfort is better than before, a little better soundstaging and imaging, at the expense of an ever so slight bass bloat comparing it to the MEElectronics tips I was using with the RD3. A very good investment though IMO.
 
Some IEMs that I got to try were:
Demos of flagships from CanalWorks and Clear Tune Monitors (both which were fantastic), UE18, AKG K3003, Shure SE846 (fantastic), Sennheiser IE800, FitEar Parterre and F111, Ocharaku Flat 4 Sui (quite good!), and InEar SD3 (little overhyped for IMO).
 
And now for some general thoughts and impressions. 
 
Overall I found myself appreciating the treble and bass of the RD3 more after listening to some very nice IEMs. I've loved the treble from the RD3, and I still love it. Finding treble balance is difficult and varies from person to person, but I found the RD3 treble very close to what is ideal for me. Treble detail always just lags behind against some of the 1K+ IEMs, but I'd say its still fairly good an IEM that's around 600 dollars.  
 
The bass, I had initially described as big (and I still say its HUGE), but a little slow at times. Yes bass impact is a bit slow compared to a lot of more balanced IEMs, but the bass of the RD3 left me very unimpressed with the bass of some of the TOTL IEMs I listened to. I found the bass coming from IEMs the IE800 and UE 18 a bit bloated, and the bass coming from the SD3 TERRIBLY bloated. I found the RD3 bass cleaner while remaining very prominent.
 
On the other hand, the lack of focus from vocals shows more as a weakness of the RD3 comparing itself to some TOTL IEMs. Vocals from SE846, UE18, and AKG K3003, for example, were all more resolving and more properly imaged than the RD3. The RD3 vocal is just slightly more laid back and less detailed compared to them.
 
Soundstage, of course, shows itself as another weak point. In all honesty though, to my surprise, the soundstage of the RD3 held up better than I thought it would against other IEMs. The most obvious weak point of the soundstage is probably height. You don't get a lot of the nice "choir singing over your head" or percussion hitting above your head sound compared to a lot of IEMs. Despite having a small soundstage, what the RD3 does do well is give a natural sense of space. Although instruments are place much closer together, it doesn't feel like they're confined to a small space, which was something that warmer IEMs like the InEar SD3 often suffer from. 
 
The two IEMs that sounded most similar to the RD3, I felt, were the IE800 and SE846. In particular, I found the SE846 a very worthy upgrade to the RD3 (Note: I heard the SE846 on its neutral filter). The SE846, compared to RD3, has less bass and a little more focus on mids to me. Detail in the mids are very much improved, especially with vocals, and the balance between treble and mids on the SE846 is probably the closest to ideal for me personally, of any IEM I've heard.
 
The IE800, being a single dynamic driver IEM, shares a lot of characteristics similar to the RD3 in terms of presentation of details like timbre, and, well, basically having that "dynamic driver" sound. I found the sound a little thin however, despite having more detail and bass extension than the SE846, and just personally find the SE846 more enjoyable. Both, to me, share some similarities to the RD3, and could be an upgrade in their own ways to the RD3, although the RD3 performs very well and holds up strong comparing itself against the two.
 
Comparing the RD3 to closer to something around its price, I thought a comparison with the SD3, often said to be one of the bassiest universal IEM, would be interesting. To my surprise the two were completely different. Yes both had big bass, but that's as far as similarities go. The SD3 was VERY warm next to the RD3, and was hard to listen to. Now, I'm sure if I was coming from being used to the SD3 sound and going to the RD3, the RD3 would suddenly seem thin sounding. But comparing the two IEMs to other IEMs, the SD3 is just a lot more unnatural sounding in comparison. The bass of the SD3 is also VERY bloated next to the RD3, and also quite uncomfortable to listen to. I can't help but feel that unless someone is really looking for a warm sound, that the RD3 is a better option for a bassy IEM at around 600 dollars. Overall, despite still liking a more neutral sound signature than what the two IEMs offer, I really found some respect for the bass of the RD3, being able to remain very clear while being present in the music. 
 
So in general, the RD3 is by no means a giantslaying IEM that challenges the status of many TOTL IEMs and flagships. They're flagships for a reason, expensive for a reason (well... most of the time), and though despite most having some flaws, at the end of the day they are generally quite good (to put it fairly simply... some may say well they're X dollars and you say only "quite good?"... or say ew are you kidding X sounds like they're 100 dollars... so.. general statement here). The RD3 does have its own strengths that makes it quite a unique experience.

The Sony PHA-1 is a great option in the few selections that one has for idevice DAC/Amps. Its been around for over a year now and with the news of the now released PHA-2, the predecessor of the PHA-1, the price of the PHA-1 has dropped quite a bit. For a while it hovered around the 400 dollar price point, but now it can be gotten around $330-350, making it one of the most affordable options for the idevice dac/amp. Having had these for a little over two months now, I thought I'd give these a little love and share my thoughts with the hope that, just because the hype is currently around the PHA-2, this nice little device wont be forgotten.
 
I'm currently running these with my Asus zenbook via USB, iphone 4S, or ipod classic gen 7 as source via LOD to the PHA-1 with a toxic cables silver poison LOD to USB cable, with heir audio magnus cable to my beloved Aurisonics ASG-2 iem.
 
Design:
I've tried a few idevice dacs or amps, more precisely the Fostex HP-P1, V-Moda Vamp, and the original algorhythm solo (still hoping to try the hifi m8 and theorem 720!). In terms of design, the sony is still the best, and honestly by quite a HUGE margin. Every little thing that sony implemented on these is really just better than its competitors.
 
The little rubber strips that run along the top and bottom of the device prevents the housing from rubbing against the table or the DAP it's attached to. It also stabilizes the device and keeps it in place.
 
The protective silver chassis that protects the volume knob and the input and outputs, often called the "roll cage" i believe, though annoying to some, is also a well designed extra bit of protection for the device. I've heard that they can be removed if someone is really that against them but Ive never had a problem with them myself. They really add extra protection to the front of the amp and theyre very sturdy. Its clear that that volume knob is not about to get touched by ANYTHING.
 
Another great design, and probably the coolest, and in some ways, the most "revolutionary" aspect that this amp brings to the market is its rubber clasp system. Instead of rubber bands that are sometimes hard to get around both the amp and the DAP, they created a clasp system that Im sure most people are aware of. The amp has ridges on the side that locks the rubber strips in place, and one simply has to put the strip over the DAP and lock the strip in the other side of the amp too and the DAP and amp will be bound nicely together. Its MUCH quicker and easier to use than the traditional rubber bands.
 
Another great freature of the PHA-1 is just how versatile it is. It is compatible with idevices, walkmans, and many DAPs. Along with that, its also compatible with PC or mac and acts as an external USB soundcard. Of course, more and more devices are becoming more versatile, but very few compete with the price that sony currently offers with the PHA-1 (for example, theorem 720 and hifi m8 both being over double its price).
 
One gripe i do have to mention is the lack of a line out. I dont think the PHA-1 offers an option to run a signal from the internal DAC directly out to a different amp. I really wish that was possible.
 
One other thing to mention is the channel imbalance for sensitive iems. And yes it can be a deal breaking problem for some unfortunately. With my ASG-2, which are fairly sensitive, i did have channel imbalance problems as i tend to listen to music at lower levels. But after implementing soundcheck on my itunes and my iphone 4S, the overall volume of the music decreased and i was able to turn the volume up, which eliminated the problem completely. So possibly a problem, but not something that cannot be solved (really hoping the PHA-2 is be different).
 
When it comes to design, i feel like sony pretty much nailed it in almost all aspects besides a few small complaints.
 
Battery Life:
Battery life is where i wish sony could do a little better. These have respectable battery life, very much on par with other similar products on the market. But for an international traveler who has to fly from Taiwan to the east coast of the US, a trip easily up to 20+ hours, the 6 hour battery life on these, or ANY idevice DAC/amp for that matter (except for the newly introduced theorem 720), is simply not enough. They are enough for my drives to Chicago but im still hoping for an improvement in battery life.
 
EMI:
Some amps will suffer from EMI especially when theyre being paired with a phone. Never had a problem with the Sony PHA-1. Absolutely none. Please do share with me if you experience EMI with these.
 
Sound:
And now we get to probably the most important part of anything on this website. How do they sound? I can say with a bit of confidence, that theyre pretty darn good at their current price!
 
Switching from the audio jack from an ipod to the PHA-1 is a pretty clear and obvious difference. Soundstage is very much expanded with much more 3 dimensionality. Detail retrieval is on a different level, and the dry, cold, sound of the iphone is replaced with a much smoother and enjoyable sound. 
 
The overall sound of the PHA-1 can be described as being relaxed and laid back. A sound that's very easy to enjoy, and with a very nice and dark background.
 
The sound of the PHA-1 is very neutral. No frequency stick out in particular to my ears. Bass is precise and has great depth to its slam, mids are smooth and flat (could as for a little more refinement), while the treble gives good detail but are never aggressive (just to sum it up real quick).
 
Soundstage is nicely implemented. Its fairly 3 dimensional (though not quite at the level of the HP-P1) with great width in particular. As stated earlier, the sound is more laid back, and instruments are further away than Ive become use to with the previous iBasso amp that i was using. I personally feel that the vocals are often just a little too distant and can lose a bit of intimacy and get mixed into the background. In particular though, that's more of a problem at lower volumes. Cranking up the volume knob eliminates the gripe i have of that.
 
Imaging is good but not stellar. Instrument placement and separation are both excellent, but I could ask a little bit more from the precision of the instrument placement.
 
The detail retrieval, also stated earlier, is a good step up from the ipod. The sound is much cleaner than an ipod, much less congested, and also much smoother sounding. The complexity with drumming and guitar in power metal for example, is very well defined and clear sounding with the PHA-1, while the ipod falls behind by a large margin. Comparing again to the HP-P1, which is my favorite of idevice DAC/amps that ive been able to try, its still not quite there in comparison however. With an MSRP originally of 600 dollars, I really wish that these had detail that is almost on par, if not on par, with the HP-P1. But remembering that theyre currently priced below 350 dollars, all I can really do is tip my hat to what it can do at the price that its now being offered at.
 
Conclusion:
The PHA-1 is a great amp that offers a lot of versatility with great sound at a price that is much more attractive than many of the other products that fit a similar niche. At the MSRP of 600 dollars, I really dont know how i could recommend these. With the likes of the fostex HP-P1 with MSRP of 650 dollars and the Hifi M8 being well regards for 700 dollars, I dont see much competition or demand for the PHA-1. But now cut the price of the PHA-1 in half, and suddenly you have a deal that cant be ignored.
 
The Sony PHA-1 with its flexible number of uses, amazingly well thought out design, and good sound, fulfills a role as a strong contender as a mid tier idevice DAC/amp with a great price, or any DAC/amp for that matter, and I would absolutely recommend it. I definitely hope that people will still consider it as an option despite the presence of the PHA-2.

Thought I'd give a little love to this iem and write a quick review for it. In my opinion, its one of the closest that monster has gotten to its typical description of "clear highs, smooth mids, and punchy dynamic bass."
 
Build Quality:
These are definite build better than some of the other monster iems. Feels sturdy in its metal housing and the right angle jack feels sturdy. The right angle jack is a bit on the stiff side so strain relief might come to question but so far it seems to hold on its own pretty well. The flat cable is tangle resistant and smooth. Not much to complain about there.
 
Accessories:
The Gratitude comes with a nice bit of accessories. The packaging, of course, is very well done like pretty much all monsters products. Two soft cases, one for the iem, and another that seems to fit an iphone or some sort of DAP well. The iems come with a large amount of tips, however the tips were a bit disappointing. The tips are sticky and rubbery and i couldnt get the biflanges or triflanges to actually fit into my ears. Theyre so soft that they just bend.
 
Cable Noise:
Something I do have to bring up is the cable noise. There is a LOT. Fortunately the gratitude does come with a shirt clip and i found that to be SUPER useful. I ALWAYS use it. It really reduces the cable noise by a significant amount
 
Fit and Isolation:
I felt like these iems could have been good looking. But theyre not. Theyre like the monsters version of the TF10s. The housing fits nicely into the ear but the metal connecting the housing and the cable just sticks out like crazy. Not only does it make the iems look a bit weird when inserted, but it also adds a lot of weight to the already bit heavy gratitude. Every so often, i do find these popping out my ears or start to lose its isolation. Asides from that, these are still fairly comfortable iems that i have no problem wearing for a few hours at a time. 
 
Isolation overall is pretty good actually. It blocks out enough noise for me to walk around campus without having to turn the volume up beyond what I would be comfortable with.
 
Another thing to note is that these seem to have quite a bit of noise from driver flux. Makes me worry that the drivers might give in on me sometimes.
 
Sound:
Overall, i feel like the sound of the gratitude is just what someone needs when theyre commuting and just want a mobile earphone instead of carrying amps and all that. The inline mic also works nicely and adds to the deal. 
 
As a whole, the sound is very forward and a little aggressive. Everything will jump at you a little. To me that works just fine as the sound is engaging and the sound isnt easily drowned out by outside noise. Again though, the isolation on these are quite good and do its job.
 
Treble:
Trebles are forward and a little sharp. It really brings out the energy in the music. To me, the detail in the treble coming straight from an iphone is pretty good. I'm not particularly sensitive to harsh treble but I can see many people feeling the treble is a little too aggressive on these.
 
Mids:
Mids coming out of the gratitude are a little thin to me. Part of that i feel like is simply due to the iphone 4S im using. I've always felt like the sound was a bit cold and thin through an iphone, but i also dont think amping these really gives it much either. Overall, the mids pass and i take it for what it is but nothing really special here.
 
Bass:
One of the most well done part of the gratitude is the bass. To me, its just the right amount for commuting. Its always present enough so that it will never be drowned out by outside noise, but its not so overpowered like many monster products that it bleeds into the lower mids and affects the overall sound quality. Bass is surprisingly fast with quite a bit of impact. Bass extension quite good, much better than expected from a 60 dollar iem, though you will still be "hearing" more bass than you actually "feel."
 
Imaging and Soundstage:
Probably my favorite thing about the gratitudes, and where the gratitude really does much better than i expected it to do. Soundstage for a sub $100 dollar iem is pretty good, in particular, height. You can really feel a choir behind the lead singer floating over your head, which is not something i commonly find in sub $100 iems.
 
Imaging and instrument separation is probably the greatest wow factor of the gratitude. Simply put it, each instrument is well defined and clear while acting very coherently with one another in the music. Each instrument is easily pinpointed and fit well individually into the stage.
 
The music again, is very forward and a bit in your face. Vocals, especially is very much "in your head" rather than a more laid back singer actually on stage. Definitely not optimal for critical listening, but when in a noisy environment, i feel like the forwardness of the sound keeps the music engaging.
 
Conclusion:
A lot of what I've stated about the gratitude might seem like a turn off for a lot of people, and it should be. Things like the vocals being "in your head" or having an overly forwards sound with harsh trebles or heavy bass are probably a lot of things that people (myself included) run away from. But its important to remember the reasons for owning such a piece of equipment. youre not in an optimal surrounding for listening to music, and so changes have to be made to the music to accommodate that. For an iem designed for mobile use, i think monster really has a winner here. I would be happy to pay more than $100 for it. For $60? Didnt really think twice on that and definitely didnt regret the purchase. Its a shame there wont be many left on the market.