Disclaimer

I got this unit as part New Zealand tour arranged by team Hifiman, thank you very much for including me in this tour

Introduction

I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 13 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain

I've listened to Hifiman Ananda for about a month. I've used them mostly with Hiby R6 amped through Schiit Magni 3. The source will be either my personal flac or spotify.

Music preferences

My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.

Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Gontiti
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
- Toto

Daily Gears

My typical listening gear daily is Hiby R6 -> Reso Concerro for USB to SPDIF converter -> Schiit Gumby -> DIYT2 -> Stax SR-007 Mk2

When traveling I usually use Sony MDR-1000x paired to the Hiby R6.

Build Quality and Design

If you haven't seen them before, they are quite big, no matter how big your ears are, these will cover them just fine.

The pads are quite soft, the sides are leather, while the surface that touch your ears are alcantara i think? they are comfortable and I don't have problems using them for 2 hours and more.

The headband construction is mostly metal, clamping force is medium. They are very open design, so will leak a lot of sounds!

Sound Quality

Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? Warm, cozy with bit of sparkle on the high end. They have a slight mid-bass hump that gave them these nice warm, lush and smooth sound. Music sounds quite laid back, however they are quite resolving and details as well, the extra sparks in the upper mids and treble help them sounds sweet and fresh. I love how they sounds just about "right" and natural, if any spectrum is bit forward, it is done in a very subtle way that you do noticed them, but it's never annoying.

Bass

While the bass doesn't hit super hard, there are enough amount of them to give body to the music. The slight mid-bass hump is enough to gave some warmth to vocals and mids but never intrude into the mids region.

Mids

Mids are clear and beautiful, although they might sits just ever slightly behind the bass and treble. Even though the Ananda is a warm headphone, the mids still come out very clear and clean.

Treble

Treble are very well extended, and as mentioned before, slightly elevated to gave nice sparkle to music. No sibilant or sharp edges at all here.

In my opinion, Hifiman has managed to tune the Ananda to perfection, they sounds lovely, I can listen to them for hours and hours without any fatigue. It's just sounds right and relaxing. When you listen to them you don't really care about the quality of the recording, or how good the string sounded (really good by the way), you just enjoy the music and let it flow....

One thing that really worth mentioning as well is that they sounds very good out of portable as well. I tried them direct from Hiby R6 and while not as good as the Magni 3, still very enjoyable.

Comparison

I will be comparing the Ananda with Sennheiser HD800.

1st Song - Toto - I Will Remember

The intro of this song feature a really nice drum bass rolling left to right right (or the other way around), I almost always startled at the beginning. Both headphones did a good job startling me, although the Ananda is a bit softer with the drums while HD800 is more precise. When the vocals start coming in, the mid-bass of Ananda really help a lot here, delivering more romantic vocals, makes them more pleasant to listen to. HD800 deliver a very clean mids, however at the cost of being a bit thin and raspy sounding vocals. They are both good, it's just for this particular case, I prefer the Ananda experience compare to HD800.

2nd Song - Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour - The Bird

In beginning and throughout the song, there is a constant drum bass keeping the beats. On the HD800 it's a constant "dib dib dib", while on the Ananda it's more like "dirp dirp dirp". There is also a constant cymbal (hi-hats?) on the back right, on HD800 it's sounds more clear and distinct, I can hear the same thing on Ananda, just not as bright or defined. Mind you this is all very small difference and not that obvious. I would guess this is caused by the tuning of HD800 which is leaner and brighter compare to Ananda. When listening to this song, I was thinking the Ananda will win again, however I actually prefered HD800 sounds compare to Ananda. The instrumental mids/trebles are really the hero for this song and HD800 strike back here.

Driven out of Hiby R6 and Magni 3, I felt that Ananda and HD800 are within the same class, they deliver the same resolution and details, imaging is better on HD800, but the warmth of Ananda is easier to listened to.

At the end of the day, it really a matter of taste I suppose, you want analytical and lean? go HD800, warm and cozy? Ananda. Gentle reminder that this is all my opinion, YMMV with different source/amp/etc.

Summary

I loved the Ananda, if I don't have my Stax system, I might buy and build my system around Ananda, and happy to call it an end to the journey. They are that good.

At $999 (discounted to $849 at the time I publish this), I felt that it's a very strong contender for under 1k headphones. It's easy to drive, easy to listen to, built quite well and most importantly, sounds just right out of anything.

Give it a listen if you can, you might find them to be the headphones that you never knew you needed.

Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer

I got this unit as part New Zealand tour arranged by team Hifiman, thank you very much for including me in this tour

Disclaimer 2

I am not an IEM guy, I don't have any expensive IEMs, so I don't really have anything for comparison on this review, please keep that in mind when reading my review.

Introduction

I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 13 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain

I've listened to RE2000 Silver for about a month. I've used them mostly with Hiby R6 direct or amped through Schiit Magni 3. The source will be either my personal flac or spotify.

Music preferences

My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.

Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Gontiti
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
- Toto

Daily Gears

My typical listening gear daily is Hiby R6 -> Reso Concerro for USB to SPDIF converter -> Schiit Gumby -> DIYT2 -> Stax SR-007 Mk2

When traveling I usually use Sony MDR-1000x paired to the Hiby R6,

Build Quality and Design

As far as I can tell, they look exactly like the RE2000 Gold that I've tried and reviewed before. I have no problem with their build quality, they survive just fine in my jacket pocket for a whole month when I am not using them on my daily train trip or in the office.

Again, the shape is quite weird, but like the RE2k gold, I have no problem with their fitting. One thing that I noticed is that somehow the silver is more comfortable for longer listening session, while I remember previously on the gold I have to take a break after an hour because my ears will be little sore. I am not sure if anything changed at all dimension wise, or maybe it's my tip selection, or maybe my ears change their shape, oh well.

I used a foam tip for most of the listening.

Sound Quality

Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? I remember when I first listened to RE2K Gold, I was "wowed" by their sound quality, but this time for the RE2K silver, directly out of the Hiby R6, they are just....ok. They still sounds good, but I am not immediately impressed by them. But that all changed when they are amped by the Schiit Magni 3. Now I got those WOW effect back!

Alright, so properly amped, they sounds full, rich, heavy bodied, vivid, engaging, bold.... you got the idea. They have a slight W shaped signature, with a clear emphasize on bass, but otherwise quite well balanced accross the spectrum. There are plenty of resolution and details, without sounding analytical, cold and boring.

The bass, is still brilliant, and I feel that it's still the main component of what makes the RE2K sounds so brilliant, they gave good impact, provide a body to the music when needed, but never bleed into the mids. There are very clean separation between bass and mids.

The mids are quite clear and natural sounding, with a bit of slightly forward upper mids tuning. Due to this, I notice that sometimes, upper mids can sound a bit harsh/edgy. I came to the conclusion that this happens when I listened to the music too loud. Lowering the volume helps, or maybe EQ can help as well, but to be honest it doesn't happen to often, although when it happens you will notice them. This is also very dependent on the recording as well.

The treble is well extended and controlled, never sibilant or too sharp. I like how they did the treble, there is no sense of enhanced brightness but it's definitely exist and play well with the mids and bass.

Comparison

Unfortunately I don't have anything to compare the RE2K silver to, so I'll just use Hifiman Ananda that I got for review as well. It is not intended as an equal comparison, but more of how they are different in sound signature and characteristic.

Let's start with the obvious things, sound stage. RE2k have smaller sound stage, making music sounds very close to you, while the Ananda got way bigger sound stage, giving some space between you and the music. Yes very obvious, nothing to see here, move on.

How about sound signature, the Ananda is a warm headphones, there is some bump on mid-bass that doesn't exist on the RE2K. On the other hand, RE2K hit harder on the sub-bass. The mid-bass hump make the Ananda an "easier" headphones to listened to, it has a more laid back sound, compare to the edgier RE2K.

I can't help to thing that Ananda sounds smoother as well, while RE2K is more grainy. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that RE2K is more raw and honest, while Ananda is more forgiving and relaxed.

At the end of the day they are both a fabulous headphone and IEM, and if I have to choose one I will take the Ananda over RE2K, just because I love full sized headphones way more than IEMs.

Don't forget that Ananda is crazy big and leaked hell lot of sounds though!!!

Summary

Well, RE2K silver is truly marvelous, I don't listen to a lot of IEMs, so I don't know if there are any other IEMs with similar quality as them, but as of now, they are the best sounding IEM I've heard so far (like the RE2K gold).

At $1500, they are still pretty expensive, however I just checked today and there is a special price of $799, and I don't know how long it last, but at that price folks, they are perfect.

Highly recommended! get them while they are cheap(ish)!

Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer

I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour

Introduction

I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 11 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain

I've listened to CA Dorado for about a month. I've used them mostly with LG G6. The source will be either my personal music or google play music.

Music preferences

My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.

Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Gontiti
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna

Sound signature preference

Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I used to enjoy Fostex TH-600 and Sony Z7 very much, but I don't own them anymore and now listen mostly to Stax SR-3.

My typical listening gear is Parasound Zdac -> Parasound Zamp v.3 -> Stax SRD-7 -> Stax SR-3

When travelling I usually use Sony MDR-1000x paired to the LG G6.

Build Quality and Design

As expected with Campfire Audio, build quality is excellent, the housing is made of liquid metal alloy with gold/bronze color finish. They look and feel exactly the same as Lyra II except for the color and the length of the nozzle.

For some reason, the Dorado nozzle is twice as long as any other CA IEM's nozzle that I have tried. I wouldn't expect that to be an issue, but surprisingly it took me a while to find the right tips. My usually fit medium size tips doesn't fit on my ears with the Dorado, I had to switch to smaller size tips.

After I find the right tips, then it's not a problem anymore, they are as good as other CA IEMs I've tried in the past.

I've reviewed a few of CA IEMs before, but this is the first time I tried their hybrid design. CA Dorado is a hybrid of 8.5mm beryllium PVD dynamic drive paired with two balanced armatures, so I am pretty curious to hear how they sounded.

Sound Quality

Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? They have a smooth warm sound with a nice quantity of bass and nice sparkle in the treble region, I think they have a mild V-shaped sound signature.

Typical to CA house sound signature, I found the Dorado to be relaxing, rich and pleasant sounding, they didn't necessarily give me the "wow" effect when I listen to them the first time, but as I listen to them more and more, I like them more and more as well. It just sounded right to me. With the Dorado I think CA want us to enjoy the music, rather than analyzing every details in the instruments.

First of all let's talk about the bass, they are tune exactly to my preferences, they are more heavy on the sub-bass rather than mid-bass, which give them a nice kick when needed, but safe from having music sounding too warm. I will admit that sometimes the bass can feel a bit too much and music can sound a bit thick on the Dorado, but it only happens on music that was warm in the first place.

The mids are quite clear, although very slightly recessed. While there is good quantity of bass, I never felt them bleeding into the mids.

The treble is excellent, they are quite extended, detailed and crisp sounding. This must be the magic of the BA driver at work, because Lyra II try to achieve similar performance with single dynamic driver but can't really reach the same level of smoothness and ease as the Dorado did.

Comparison

Lyra II vs Dorado

This is quite easy for me, the Dorado is like my wishlist for the Lyra II sound signature.

The bass on Lyra II is more heavy on mid-bass rather than sub-bass, which makes music sounds a bit too warm for my taste.

The upper mids/low treble on the Lyra II can sound a bit harsh, while it's always controlled and smooth on the Dorado.

No brainer for me, the Dorado is definitely the better IEM than Lyra II.

Dorado vs Hifiman RE2000 (based on memory)

Please bear in mind that this brief comparison is based on memory, so take it with a grain of salt.

In general, RE2000 is the better IEM in sound quality, it has the "wow" effect the first time you hear them. The bass is definitely more detailed and textured than Dorado.

The impression that I have left of RE2000 is "energetic", while Dorado is "relaxed", so it's different sound signature.

Comfort wise, the Dorado does it better, so is packaging wise, as in, Dorado got better cable and accessories compare to RE2000.

Last, but not least in my opinion, is the price. RE2000 cost 2k, Dorado cost 1k. I can say for sure that RE2000 doesn't sound twice as good as the Dorado, in fact I would bet that someone will prefer the sound of Dorado compare to RE2000.

Summary

For me the Dorado is close to perfection, it reminds me of my experience with the CA Andromeda, which is a another IEM that is close to perfection as well for me.

It can sound bit thick sometimes, and the long nozzle is a bit weird, but it's very minor things compare to other fine qualities that they have.

It's very close to reaching the perfect score for me, but at the end of the day I think it would be the perfect IEM (personally for me) if Campfire Audio would just cut down on the bass a tiny bit. So today it will get a 4.5 star from me.

Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer

I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by brooko, thank you very much for including me in this tour

Introduction

I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 11 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain

I've listened to Hifiman RE-2000 for about a month. I've used them mostly with LG G6 and Hifiman Supermini . The source will be either my personal music or google play music.

Music preferences

My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.

Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Gontiti
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna

Sound signature preference

Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I used to enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, but I don't own them anymore and now listen mostly to either Sony MDR Z-7 or Stax SR-3.

My typical listening gear is: Sony UDA-1 -> Parasound Zamp v.3 -> Sony MDR-Z7 or Sony UDA-1 -> Parasound Zamp v.3 -> Stax SRD-7 -> Stax SR-3.

When travelling I usually use Sony MDR-1000x paired to the LG G6.

Build Quality and Design

Build quality of the RE2000 is, as expected from 2k IEM, is very good. It is construted from a mixture of brass coated with 24k gold electroplating and plastic. They are quite solid and feels good in your hand.

The design is rather unique, I never saw any IEMs with similar design to the RE2000. When I first got them I had my doubt that it will fit nicely on my ears as the shape is rather unusual, however it actually fits quite nice.

For the RE2000 my preferences is to use a double flange silicon tips (which I can't remember where I got them from, not part of the RE2000 package), as they gave a good sealing and some distance from the shell to the inside of my ears. If I used normal silicon or comply tips, I find the shell to kind of put pressure within my ears, and make them a bit sore after a while.



RE2000 also came with a detachable rubber cable, it's probably not the best looking cable in the world, but it does what it's suppose to do and quite flexible and tangle free.

Sound Quality

Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? WOW! brilliant! music sounds vivid, rich and engaging. They are quite balanced accross all spectrum, but let me first start with the bass....

The bass is probably the best things about RE2000, they are impactful, detailed, but never bleed into the mids. There are plenty of sub-bass to give music those thumps and rhytm to make you tap your feet, it almost made me want to

dance to some of the beatful music. The bass is not just some big bloated frequency as well, there are clean, detailed and provide some texture! bass has texture!

Mid bass is suficiently there to give enough body to the mids and treble, but never too warm! I got to hand it over to Hifiman, this is without a doubt the best bass I've heard on an IEM, I would say they also compete with Sony Z7 and Fostex TH-600 bass (probably better).

The mids are quite clear and natural sounding, however they are very slightly forward as well, enhancing the sounds of any vocals and string performance.

The treble is well extended and controlled, never sibilance or too sharp. I like how they did the treble, there is no sense of enhanced brightness but it's definitely exist and play well with the mids and bass.

Overall I think Hifiman has created a masterpiece here. I have to be honest that I haven't listen to that many IEMs in my life, especially not a higher tier model, but I am pretty blown away by the sound quality of the RE2000, and can safely say that this is the best IEM I have heard so far.

Comparison

Well this is bit tough, I simply don't have anything in my posession that is comparable price-wise as the RE2000.

I was reviewing the Lyra II and RE800 at the same time as RE2000, however in my opinion the RE2000 simply a class above them in term of sound quality and balance.

In term of sound quality and frequency tuning I would probably choose RE2000 over Fostex TH-600 and Sony Z7 as well, it's just so masterfully tuned to (almost) perfection in my book.

I am hesitant to compare them to the Stax SR-3 as I think this is probably stretching them too much, so I won't do it. It's just too much differences that it's not comparable. In case you're curious, the Stax get more head time from me, however I can't really use them in the train and plug them to my mobile phone can't I?

Summary

I suppose it's obvious if you've been reading that I am clearly mesmerized by RE2000, it's just the perfect IEM for my taste, and a well executed one as well.

Yes it's super expensive, and no I can't afford them, and they are not the most comfortable IEM in the world, but by golly! The sound quality definitely delivers on those 2k price tags!

If you're some of the lucky person who grow money on your backyard and looking for the best sounding IEM, then look no further my good friend, this is it.

Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer

I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour

Introduction

I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 11 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain

I've listened to CA Lyra II for about a month. I've used them mostly with LG G6 and Hifiman Supermini . The source will be either my personal music or google play music.

Music preferences

My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.

Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Gontiti
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna

Sound signature preference

Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I used to enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, but I don't own them anymore and now listen mostly to either Sony MDR Z-7 or Stax SR-3.

My typical listening gear is: Sony UDA-1 -> Parasound Zamp v.3 -> Sony MDR-Z7 or Sony UDA-1 -> Parasound Zamp v.3 -> Stax SRD-7 -> Stax SR-3

When travelling I usually use Sony MDR-1000x paired to the LG G6.

Build Quality and Design

I've forgotten how good CA made their IEMs, the build quality of Lyra II (or any other CA IEMs) is simply impeccable, the material and finishing is just top notch and you will have to hold them in your hand to really appreciate them.

Fit wise, I never have any issue with CA IEMs, and Lyra II is no difference, they fit my ear nicely, I can easily listen to them for 3 hours without any issue.

Sound Quality

Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? They have a smooth warm signature with an obvious mid-bass hump and another small bump in the lower treble region.

This gave them a relaxing and laid back sounds signature, and the lower treble bump gave them a nice extra sparkle to make them sounds fresh.

Lyra II has quite a good details as well, although due to the warm sound signature it's not that obvious. It's a kind of earphones that wants you to enjoy the music rather than analyzing them
and pinpoint every fault in the recording.

The first tip I used was a comply tx400 tips, and it was great, however I wish they would have just a tad less mid-bass, so I tried changing to comply comfort tips and notice that it increases the mid-bass a bit, making them sounding even warmer.

I also tried some silicone tips, now this brings the mid-bass to a perfect level for me, however I notice now that some vocal music is quite sibilance. I am guessing this is caused by less mid-bass to counter those small bumps on the lower treble region.

At the end I choose to go back to the tx400 tips, which provide the best balance for my taste.

Comparison

Lyra II vs Lyra I

Lyra II sound signature is very similar to Lyra I, however the extra sparkle (upper mids/lower treble bump) has been added to Lyra II, which in a way made them a better earphones for my taste as the original Lyra is a bit too plain for me.

In essence Lyra II is more enjoyable IEM compare to it's predecessor, however I have to point out that those improvement is subtle and not major

Another thing worth noted is the inclusion of Lits cable for Lyra II vs the original Tinsel cable for Lyra I. I find the Lits cable much better in flexibility compared to the Tinsel ones. The tinsel cable can get a bit tangled and hard to unravel.

Lyra II vs Hifiman RE800

There are 2 big differences between the Lyra II and RE800, the first one is Lyra II have big mid-bass while RE-800 have a lean one, making the RE-800 sounding cleaner on the mid-ranges compare to Lyra II, however on the same side it makes them sounding a bit thin.

After hearing Lyra II for quite some time and trying the RE-800 music sounds quite thin an dry, however once my brain got used to the sound signature, they're actually not that bad. RE-800 probably won't appeal for people who likes warm sound signature.

The other one is the emphasize on the upper region, Lyra II have bumps on the upper-mids/lower treble while RE-800 have bumps on the trebles and higher regions. In general RE-800 sounds bright and clean, while Lyra II is more warm and full.

Both of them have excellent sub-bass and details, I think both of them are equal in class, just different sound signatures.

Summary

I really enjoy my time with Lyra II, it's a great earphones with a great packages (Lits cable is very nice!).

However during my listening period, there will be time when I hit a song that either sibilance, or too warm for my taste, fortunately this is something that can be fixed by a bit of EQ.

At the end of the day, it's a solid build, warm sounding IEMs with a bit of sparkle on the upper mids, although it's not perfect, they are pretty close for my book. If you don't mind a bit of EQ than I believe you will find them a solid choice for mid-tier IEM.

Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of New Zealand tour arranged by @Brooko & @Andykong, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to Cayin i5 for about 2 weeks when travelling to/from office and in the office as well.
 
Music preferences
 
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
 
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
 
Sound signature preference
 
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
 
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so I guess I am flexible
 
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Parasound Zamp v.3 -> ZMF Blackwood
 
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
 
Build Quality
 
The Cayin i5 is CNC'ed from aerospace aluminum alloy and I can confirm they feel solid in your hand.
 
It is an Android based music player, and it got 4" touch screen, so imagine holding 4" smartphone in your hand, however I find them to be a bit thick, maybe double the thickness of my LG V10 phone. They both also shared very similar weight.
 
Interface
 
Cayin work together with Hiby to create a quite simple and easy to use interface to access your music. I am not going to focus too much on this section, if you're familiar with operating your smartphone I doubt you will have issue with using the built in music player.
 
Since the i5 is built on Android, and they were pre-installed with google play, you can in theory install your favorite music player if the built-in program doesn't suit you. I am happy to report that google play music is working fine out of the box and that's a big plus for me as I use them heavily to stream my music.
 
Unfortunately I can't help to notice that performance when using google music player is a bit slow/sluggish compare to the built-in music player. I suppose this is understandable as i5 only packed 1gig of RAM and not exactly running the latest snapdragon processor. Just bear in mind that they were optimized for the built-in music player and don't expect to play angry bird on them (maybe you can, I didn't try
 
As a DAP, the i5 has another handy feature up it's sleeve, you can use it as a DAC! I tried this using my linux computer and it work without any issue.
 
So you pretty much have a DAP that probably can do all the thing that you asked for, feature wise it's hard to beat the i5.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? I would say they sound neutral, balanced and transparent. The i5 keep a good balance between being detailed and musical at the same time, they are not too laid back and not too forward as well.
 
The i5 is powerful enough to make my ZMF Blackwood sings, and they can go very loud, however I find that the amp is not as powerful and dynamic compare to desktop amp, in my case I tried using the line out from i5 to parasound zamp and can't help to hear more dynamic and life from the blackwood.
 
Comparison
 
Comparison mostly done using ZMF Blackwood and focused on sound quality
 
i5 vs LG V10
 
The LG V10 is no slacker in the sound department, carrying a ES9018 DAC, and to my surprise they both sounds very similar if not exactly the same. Ok I suppose it's impossible for them to sound the same, however the differences is very subtle that I am not sure if It's an actual difference or just my imagination. Bottom line from what I can hear, they have similar sound signature and quality to them, which make the LG V10 a good alternative for i5. Having said that, i5 offer more features and can handle DSD natively.
 
Hifiman Supermini vs Cayin i5
 
Similar experience with V10 here, i5 and supermini share similar sound signature, however the Supermini managed to deliver a slightly more airy, refined, extended treble and deeper bass compare to i5. However i5 got some nice EQ and obviously far more features than the Supermini. I suppose they are quite different product and it's not an apple to apple comparison.
 
Summary
 
In a way, Cayin i5 is a remarkable device, they sound good, and probably have all the features you need in a DAP, heck you can even use it as a DAC, so in theory if you are a big fan of their sound signature you don't need anything else. It will serve as your portable DAP, desktop DAC, amp, everything!
 
Unfortunately nothing is perfect, and I have two small problem with them:
1. They are bit bulky and heavy
2. It's not better than my LG V10 (sound wise, but can go louder that V10)
 
I still see i5 mainly as a DAP, so the problem above become a bit of issue for me, I don't want to carry 2 big devices, and if I can't hear any difference with my existing phone, why would I need them?
 
While it's not for me, I am sure other people will find them great and I won't argue that they are a great DAP packed with good features.
 

Disclaimer
 
I was approached by @TeamHiFiMAN to review the SuperMini and Megamini, in which I happily accepted, thank you very much for including me in this tour.
 
Please note that the Supermini and Megamini is very similar, so most of the things written here will be the same as the Supermini review.
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to Megamini for about 3 weeks. I've used them mainly when traveling to/from office.
 
Music preferences
 
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
 
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
 
Sound signature preference
 
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
 
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so I guess I am flexible
 
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Project Polaris -> ZMF Blackwood
 
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
 
Build Quality
 
I can't find any info if Megamini is build from the same CNC aluminum such as the Supermini, however they have the same feel as Supermini, as such they feel solid and sturdy, quite small and light as well. The buttons layout is a bit different from Supermini, the back and ok button now sits beneath the screen, power button on the right and volume on the left. I like them a lot, and the size is perfect to be a portable DAP. One thing to criticize is the display which is a fingerprint magnet. It's almost impossible to keep them clean, I always end up smudging them with my fingerprint, but to be honest thats me being picky.
 
Interface
 
The interface is quite simple, which I think is a big plus. It's designed to do one thing, plays music from the SD card. Done. While I usually favor devices with more features, I found the simplicity of Super/Megamini quite refreshing, not much of options there, you can choose to play your music based on file explorer, artist, albums or genre. You can also play all songs on your Sd card, and of course you can shuffle or repeat. Done. Just play some music and enjoy, don't worry about other thing.
 
Having said all that, I kinda wished they have EQ support, and some basic function like pausing the music if I disconnect the headphone, hopefully future firmware update will make this possible.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? I would say they sound neutral, balanced with a very slight boost treble. They are also quite transparent that when I change my headphones I can immediately hear the difference in the sound signature. I found their overall presentation to be very polite and smooth, but firm. separation is quite distinct and clear, bass has good impact and presence.
 
Now unlike the Supermini, I can't find this magical treble handling that make the Supermini special, Megamini still sounds fine, however it's missing something that makes the Supermini awesome, while the Megamini just sound....great.
 
Comparison
 
Comparison mostly done using ZMF Blackwood and focused on sound quality
 
Megamini vs LG V10
The LG V10 is no slacker in the sound department, carrying a ES9018 DAC. I find they both shared a very similar sound signature, balanced and quite neutral. However I find the Megamini to deliver a more refined sound overall, treble sounds a bit brighter and bass a bit deeper.
 
Supermini vs Cayin i5
Very similar experience with V10 here, i5 and Megamini share similar sound signature, again Megamini managed to deliver a slightly more airy, refined, extended treble and deeper bass compare to i5.
 
Supermini vs Megamini
Now these two are very similar in build quality and dimension. The difference is Megamini have color LED while Supermini only got monochrome LED. It's also worth mentioning that the Megamini doesn't have any balanced output. In term of sound quality, they also share very similar sound signature, HOWEVER, I notice that Megamini is a tad muted on the treble, compared to the Supermini, and bass is also bit more fuller on the Supermini.
 
Summary
 
Recommending the Megamini is easy, it's perfect for people who likes the Supermini but:
1. Don't care about balanced input
2. Don't need additional earphone
 
And that's pretty much myself
 
Unfortunately I can't help to notice a very subtle difference in the sound quality, it's very very subtle but I believe it's there.
 
The Supermini is just awesome, The Megamini is great, very close to Supermini but not quite there.
 
Having said all that, $150 is a big difference for me, and to be honest those differences in SQ is not worth $150 in my opinion.
 
So, if you want the ultra portable DAP that can play pretty much all music format, have enough power to drive most of headphones/earphones and affordable....tada...Megamini it is.

Disclaimer
 
I was approached by @TeamHiFiMAN to review the SuperMini and Megamini, in which I happily accepted, thank you very much for including me in this tour.
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to Supermini for about 4 weeks. I've used them mainly when traveling to/from office.
 
Music preferences
 
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
 
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
 
Sound signature preference
 
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
 
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so I guess I am flexible
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Project Polaris -> ZMF Blackwood
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
 
Build Quality
 
The supermini is CNC machined and build from solid block of Aluminum alloy, as such they feel solid and sturdy, quite small and light as well. Buttons has satisfying firmness and depth as you click them. I like them a lot, and the size is perfect to be a portable DAP. One thing to criticize is the display which is a fingerprint magnet. It's almost impossible to keep them clean, I always end up smudging them with my fingerprint, but to be honest that's me being picky.
 
Interface
 
The interface is quite simple, which I think is a big plus. It's designed to do one thing, plays music from the SD card. Done. While I usually favor devices with more features, I found the
simplicity of Supermini quite refreshing, not much of options there, you can choose to play your music based on file explorer, artist, albums or genre. You can also play all songs on your SD card, and of course you can shuffle or repeat. Done. Just play some music and enjoy, don't worry about other thing.
 
Having said all that, I kinda wished they have EQ support, and some basic function like pausing the music if I disconnect the headphone, hopefully future firmware update will make this possible.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? I would say they sound neutral, balanced with a very slight boost treble. They are also quite transparent that when I change my headphones I can immediately hear the difference in the sound signature. I found their overall presentation to be very polite and smooth, but firm. separation is quite distinct and clear, bass has good impact and presence.
 
There is one thing that I really love out of the Supermini, the trebles sounded very sweet for me. When listening to acoustic guitar, the higher frequency sounds very articulate,
there is a spotlight on some region of the higher frequency. It is very enjoyable for me, I never heard such sound before on any other DAP. It's not overly bright, it's just trebles done with such and grace and finesse that is such a highlight for me as a self proclaimed treble head.
 
I do apologize for my rambling, it's a very enjoyable sensation for me
 
Comparison
 
Comparison mostly done using ZMF Blackwood and focused on sound quality
 
Supermini vs LG V10
 
The LG V10 is no slacker in the sound department, carrying a ES9018 DAC. I find they both shared a very similar sound signature, balanced and quite neutral. However I find the supermini to deliver a more refined sound overall, especially on the treble area. But they're pretty close
.
Supermini vs Cayin i5
 
Very similar experience with V10 here, i5 and Supermini share similar sound signature, again Supermini managed to deliver a slightly more airy, refined and extended treble compare to i5.
 
Supermini vs Megamini
 
Now these two are very similar in build quality and dimension. The difference is Megamini have colour LED while Supermini only got monochrome LED. It's also worth mentioning that the Megamini doesn't have any balanced output. In term of sound quality, they also share very similar sound signature, HOWEVER, I notice that Megamini is a tad muted on the treble, compared to the Supermini, and bass is also bit more fuller on the Supermini
 
Bundle Earphone
 
The Supermini come with a bundle balanced earphone, and to be honest I have low expectations when I saw the looks of them, the cable seems quite thin and the build
quality doesn't scream premium. However when I tried them they are actually very good sounding.
 
The earphone have a quite balanced sound signature, with a bit of spotlight on the mids and midbass. However it's a slight bump and I still would call them evenly balanced.

I still prefer my MEE P1 but the bundled earphone is not that far away in term of SQ. So I would say you're getting a good deal.
 
Having said that, personally i would prefer Hifiman to remove the earphones bundle in favor of lowering the price of the Supermini. My argument is that people who is willing to spend around $400 for a DAP most likely already have a preferred Ear/Headphones so not sure whats the target market here. Again this is purely my personal preferences.
 
Balanced output.
 
In case you didn't know, the Supermini also feature a balanced headphone out. Now I don't own any balance headphone or earphone so I am not crazy about this. The bundled earphone is a balanced earphone so I give it a try and compare between the balanced and normal output, but i can't really hear any big difference (if any). YMMV but yeah I am not sold on this balanced things. Just another personal pref.
 
Summary
 
Well, this has been interesting experience, as a heavy user of google music I didn't expect myself to be attracted to the Supermini this much.
 
At first the idea of a $400 music player that only does basic things is a bit much, remembering that  it's the age of streaming music.
 
But once you hear how they sounded, oh boy, sweet love! MEE P1 sounds great out of it, ZMF Blackwood sounds great out of it, the bundled IEM sounds great out of it. This tiny DAP
got enough power to drive some heavy headphones!
 
While there is some obvious room for improvement, especially on the software area, I can't argue that The Hifiman Supermini deliver what it's advertised: mini in size, great in sound and easy to be driven.
 
If you want features, look elsewhere now, this is not the DAP you're looking for.
 
If you're looking for a true portable music player that delivers great sound, look no further, it's the Supermini.

Disclaimer

I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @RHA Team, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to RHA DL1 for about 4 days. I've used them mainly as a desktop DAC/AMP out of my Linux laptop.
 
Music preferences
 
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
 
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
 
Sound signature preference
 
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
 
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so I guess I am flexible
 
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Project Polaris -> ZMF Blackwood
 
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
 
Build Quality and Design
 
DL1 has an excellent build quality, felt really solid in your hand, have enough weight to feel premium but not too heavy that you can't carry them around as portable device. The dimension is quite similar to Fiio E18, the DL1 is bit thicker and heavier, while E18 is more on the lean side and boxier.
 

 
 
The gain, bass, and treble control have enough firmness and feel pretty solid, they won't accidentally change if you put them in the pocket of your jacket. The volume control (doubling as on/off button) is a bit different, they are quite flashy I suppose. I don't have any problem with them, but personally would prefer button similar to the gain/bass/treble button.
 
DL1 has 2 USB slot, one is USB-A for USB OTG from Android/Iphone and phone charging, while the other one is micro-usb for charging the DL1 and using the DL1 as a DAC. I would like to point out here that the Fiio E18 has similar feature but manage to do this with 1 micro-usb slot, something that I think DL1 should go with for the sake of simplicity, just my personal opinion of course.
 
Other features:
- 3 level gain
- Bass and Tone Control (awesome)
- Balanced output
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? As a DAC/AMP, they have a U shaped sound signature, I notice that sub-bass and treble is elevated a bit, giving them a fun and engaging sound signature.
 
I mainly used the DL1 as a desktop DAC/AMP, running out of my linux box. Installation on Linux is a breeze, no issue at all. Windows 7 installation is also quite easy, just download the drive and you're good to go. On windows 10 I have to disable the driver signature otherwise the DAC won't function with the driver.
 
My first trial with the DL1 is using ZMF Blackwood out of the built-in amp, and boy they sounded good! I can't believe a portable DAC/AMP have enough power to drive the Blackwood! I believe ZMF Blackwood have a mid-centric kind of sound, so paired with the DL1, it brings a wonderful balance to the presentation, they sounded sweet and musical, very engaging.
 
I though I was happy with my Xonar STU + Project Polaris (and some old fashioned EQ) pairing, but DL1 is very much on par if not more engaging due to the different sound sig they bring to the table.
The fun doesn't stop there, when I switch headphone from Fostex-TH600 to ZMF Blackwood, I always thought they are lacking sub-bass (compare to TH-600). Well enter DL1, crank the bass adjustment to +2 and we're back on business! I am really really impressed with these small DL1, they pack a lot of punch for their size.
 
Ok let's try different things, I put on RHA CL750 through DL1 and it was good, a bit too much treble but that's ok, just lower the treble -1 and everything sounds great!
 
RHA CL1 is similar story, hook them up with the DL1, even more treble than CL750, but that's ok, lower the treble -2 and it's beautiful!
 
I can't stress out how the bass/treble control is such an awesome feature, because personally for me there will be time when I wish I had bit more bass/treble/mids, and fiddling with soft EQ is a bit annoying, but hardware tone adjustment like the one on DL1 make a whole different for me, very easy and fast.

Comparison

RHA DL1 vs Fiio E18
 
Like the DL1, Fiio E18 is a DAC/AMP that also pack a bunch of nifty features such as mobile phone charging and some excellent bass boost, although the E18 doesn't have bass/treble control and balanced output, they are still provide a good value for money in my opinion.
 
This comparison is using them both for DAC and AMP. Right so let's get straight to sound quality, Fiio E18 sounds pretty decent, they have a good amount of bass quantity, good mids, but not much of treble extension on the upper region. The DL1 in comparison provide a better textured bass, it's more punchy and full, clear mids and better treble extensions and overall details.
 
Sound and feature wise RHA DL1 is a clear winner here, having said that, Fiio E18 is still a good value if you have tight budget.
 
RHA DL1 vs Asus Xonar STU + Project Polaris
 
Now this is more of an equal comparison, I would argue both of them is on par in term of class, they have similar amount of details and quality, what difference is their sound signature. Xonar STU have more of a neutral, balanced and bit laid back sound, while the DL1 offer more forward and sharp sound. Again, bass and treble is a bit elevated on the DL1 compare to Xonar STU. If I have to chose between them i'll take the DL1, just because the sound signature enhance my ZMF Blackwood experience, obviously YMMV with your headphones.
 
RHA DL1 + Project Polaris
 
I can't help to try pairing the DAC on DL1 and amped them through Project Polaris. Now, the DL1 amp is pretty good, I mean it's strong enough to drive the Blackwood so it's no slacker, however Project Polaris is even better than DL1 amp. The elevated bass of DL1 sounds more....firm, full, it has better slam and presence, and the treble is more controlled and refined. Using this combination to drive Blackwood is really an awesome experience, they sound spectacular, man...the synergy is so fun and exciting they sounded like a whole different headphones.
 
Summary
 
In case you didn't notice, I think DL1 is awesome, I wish I can trade my gear and get the DL1 (maybe I'll keep Project Polaris), they sounds so good with the Blackwood.
 

 
For the price you paid, you're getting a lot of good features here, tone control, heaps of power, balanced output, heck even mobile charger.
 
If you're looking for a 1-box-to-rule-them-all solution in portable package, please, do yourself a favor an give DL1 a try, you're in for a treat.
 
 

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @RHA Team, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to RHA CL1 for about 4 days. I've used them with LG V10, Walnut V2 DAP, and through RHA DACAMP L1 . The source will be either my personal music or google play music.
 
Music preferences
 
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
 
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
 
Sound signature preference
 
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
 
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so i guess i am flexible
 
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Project Polaris -> ZMF Blackwood
 
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
 
Build Quality and Design
 
I was quite impressed with the build quality of CL750, but CL1 is just a step (or maybe two) above them. It's hard to describe how beautiful and smooth the ceramic is, it's a pleasant feeling to hold and felt so good in my ear. The fitting for me is perfect, it's like it was custom mould for my ears. I also have to praise the nice flexible ear guide, they are firm enough that it will hold on my ear, but flexible enough to bend as you like to fit your ears.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? They have a bit extreme V shaped sound signature, treble and sub bass is very emphasized, the effect of that is the mids feel quite recessed. I love the bass, they are quite detailed that you can hear the bass texture and there is plenty in there to provide enough kick to the music. The treble....well...there is so much of them, and this in my opinion is a double edge sword.
 
I listen to a lot of acoustic guitar music and I found CL1 sound sig quite enjoyable, string sound on higher frequency sound crispy and clear thanks to the elevated treble, unfortunately there is so much treble sometimes the string sound is so sharp it's painful. One of my typical test music is Acoustic Alchemy - Girl With A Red Carnation, and there is a point in there where the steel guitar sounds quite sharp, I've never had this kind of experience with other IEM or headphones before. It's interesting because CL750 never sounded bad with my instrumental music, but CL1 can be bad with bright instrumental music. 
 
Female vocal is a even worse, this is dependent on the mastering (and maybe quality of the source as well), for example, I tried listening to Vanessa William - Colours of the Wind and the sibilance is quite extreme that I can't finished the song. Madonna - Cherish is almost similar experience. From what I can hear both recording is a bit bright, and the CL1 just doesn't play good with bright vocals. SSSSSSSSslytherin, imagine song with heavy sssss and amplify them, you'll get the picture. However, not all vocals are sibilance, for example Orange Pekoe - Oriental Jazz Mode sounded just fine to me.
 
I do found solo piano to sound great with them, most of the solo piano recording i listened to tend to sound bit dark, so CL1 fits them well, even better than CL750.
 
Having said that, if you don't mind using EQ, i find that lowering the treble really make huge difference, with the treble reduced, they become better balanced and actually a very good IEM. 
 
Comparison
 
RHA CL1 vs MEE P1
 
P1 is quite balanced with slight mid bass hump, while CL1 is extreme V shaped sounding, so they are quite different. The bass is better on CL1, but for me thats the only thing the CL1 wins again P1, again the treble of CL1 while good, can be disturbing and painful, while P1 can pretty much go with every song without a hitch.
 
If you reduce the treble on CL1 using EQ, then it's a worthy rival for the P1, however remembering the price difference between the two, I will say P1 is the one providing better bang for your buck
 
RHA CL750 vs CL1
 
When i listen to CL1, i have and immediate feels that the CL1 is like the big brother of the CL750, very similar sound signature but more, specifically more bass and treble. More bass - great!, more treble - hmm, not so great for me. CL750 alread a bright IEM by default, and CL1 somehow add even more trebles make them sounding hyper-clean and bright, while this might be favorable for some music, when you hit those bright recording it's really painful to hear them.
 
Again, with EQ they can be a better IEM, I prefer the bass of the CL1, but prefer the treble on the CL750, so a bit undecided here. However comfort and build wise CL1 is way better than CL750. 
 
Notes on balanced cable
 
The CL1 came with a silver balance cable, and since DL1 support these balance connection, I just have to give it a go.
 
The following observation is based on my listening, no proper measuring or volume match has been done: I am pretty sure that when i used the silver balance cable out of the DL1, i hear more sub-bass and (sadly) even more treble. I am not sure if there is something different inside the DL1 circuitry or if it's just my imagination but thats what i heard.
 
On the normal copper cable, my sweet spot for CL1 through the DL1 is -2 treble, when using the silver balance cable, i have to bring down the treble to -3. Again this is purely based on my listening, but other then the elevated bass and treble, I can't hear any other difference. In this case I honestly prefer the normal copper cable.
 
Summary
 
While I did enjoy CL1, I have to be honest that their treble is bit of a dilemma, by nature i prefer a bright sounding cans/IEM, however the CL1 just have too much.
 
If you don't mind using EQ, you will find CL1 a very good sounding IEM.
 
If you don't like EQ, and thinking about getting the CL1, I would recommend a trial first before commiting to them.
 
If you're treble maniac, look no further, this is your heaven.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @RHA Team, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 10 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to RHA CL750 for about 4 days. I've used them with LG V10, Walnut V2 DAP, and through RHA DACAMP L1 . The source will be either my personal music or google play music.
 
Music preferences
 
My music preferences is mostly instrumental, whether it's Classical, Jazz, Celtic, New Age, etc. I also enjoy music with vocal on them, but my playlist is mostly instrumental. I would say around 80/20 mix.
 
Example of the music I listen (not limited to):
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Tony McManus, Soig Siberil
- Hawaiian Slack Key guitars
- Fusion Jazz (Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Fourplay, Special EFX, you get the idea)
- Akira Jimbo, Tetsuo Sakurai, Casiopea
- Incognito
- Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi, Musica Antiqua Koln, Rolf Lislevand
- Yoko Kanno
- Madonna
 
Sound signature preference
 
Hmm...not sure what my pref is, I enjoy Fostex TH-600 very much, It's one of the best headphone I've heard, so that make me a fan of U or V shaped sound signature.
 
Having said that I also enjoy ZMF Blackwood which have mid-centric sound sig compare to the TH-600, so i guess i am flexible
 
My typical listening gear is: Asus Xonar STU -> Project Polaris -> ZMF Blackwood
 
When travelling I usually use MEE P1 straight out of DAP/Phone.
 
Build Quality and Design
 
This is the first time I use RHA product, and I am quite impressed with the build quality of the CL750, the silver casing is pretty solid and smooth, and not heavy at all. I also like how they cover the cable with a transparent plastic tube/rubber?, no microphonic sound at all, although when it's tangled they kind of make them hard to untangle. The ear guide is ok, although i would prefer a more stiff ones.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? They have a classic V shaped sound signature, treble and sub bass is emphasized, mids is recessed but still enjoyable. Music sounds clear and crisp, but can sound a bit thin or hollow.
 
When I tried them the first time I have a bit of trouble with the fitting, apparently I push the tip too much and that stop them from getting a good fit on my ears, and without a good fit, they will sound very hollow with harsh treble and lacking bass, so if you tried them out and find them sounding bad, maybe it's not fitting your ears properly.
 
I listen to a lot of acoustic guitar music and I found CL750 sound sig quite enjoyable, string sound on higher frequency sound crispy and clear thanks to the elevated treble, however i did miss a bit more mid bass that will bring body to the string sound.  From my experience, instrumental music sounds great with CL750, even though the mids are recessed you can still enjoy them.
 
Hearing female vocal is a bit different, it's very dependent on the mastering (and maybe quality of the source as well), for example, I tried listening to Vanessa William - Colours of the Wind and the sibilance is very obvious. Madonna - Cherish is almost similar experience. From what I can hear both recording is a bit bright, and the CL750 sound sig just elevated them even more. However, not all vocals are sibilance, for example Orange Pekoe - oriental jazz mode sounded just fine to me
 
I do found solo piano to sound great with them, most of the solo piano recording i listened to tend to sound bit dark, so CL750 fits them well, in my opinion anyway.   
 
Having said that, if you don't mind using EQ, i find that lowering the treble really make them shine, with the treble reduced, you can hear the mids clearly and they actually sound very nice.
 
Comparison
 
RHA CL750 vs MEE P1
 
Coming from MEE P1, I can't help to notice the absence of the mids on the CL750, it's there but definitely outshine by the treble, it's bit shocking in the beginning. However as i used the CL750 overtime I didn't really notice the recessed mid as bad as before. The treble on the P1 is never sibilance, and in my opinion is perfectly balance with the mids. 
 
So MEE P1 have more balanced sound signature compare to CL750, with some slight mid-bass hump on them than given them a warm sound sig. I notice that CL750 have a bit more sub-bass (probably around 60hz region) while the bass on MEE P1 is more pronounced on the upper region (maybe around 110hz and above). 
 
If i have to pick it would have to be MEE P1 for it's more natural balanced sound, but with a bit of EQ CL750 is pretty close behind them.
 
RHA CL750 vs CL1
 
WHen i listen to CL1, i have and immediate feels that the CL1 is like the big brother of the CL750, very similar sound signature but more, specifically more bass and treble. More bass - great!, more treble - ah, not so great for me. CL750 alread a bright IEM by default, and CL1 somehow add even more trebles make them sounding hyper-clean and bright, while this might be favourable for some music, when you hit those bright recording it's really painful to hear them.
 
Again, with EQ they can be a better IEM, I prefer the bass of the CL1, but prefer the treble on the CL750, so a bit undecided here. However comfort and build wise CL1 is way better than CL750. 
 
Summary
 
If you read through my review, you might get the impression that I don't really like them, but the truth is I quite enjoyed them, I listened to them nonstop for hours on the Walnut V2 (great pairing here) and only if I compare them to the MEE P1 then I realized the recessed Mids.
 
If you like V shape sound signature, bright and clear sounding IEM, give RHA CL750 a try, they might be the right IEM for you.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 9 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to CA Andromeda for about 2 weeks. I use them exclusively from LG V10 amped by Fiio E18. The source will be either the built-in LG music player or Google play music.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok I am not going to muck around with this one, CA Andromeda is perfect. I can fault them in any way, they simply sounds right to me, in every aspect. There is enough bass, perfect midbass/warmth, forward enough mid, and excellent treble response.
 
Is this the best IEM in the world? probably not, but it's the best I have heard so far. Does it beat my full size cans? hmm.....yes and no.
 
Comparison
 
I can only compare them to my ZMF Blackwood, so yeah (as usual) it's not a fair comparison but it's all I got.
 
All right, let's start with the obvious, for soundstage, ZMF Blackwood clearly beat CA Andromeda, that's the very first obvious thing I notice when comparing them. I don't have
any problem with Andromeda soundstage, but ZMF sounds more spacious compare to Andromeda.
 
Now let's talk resolution and details, again CA Andromeda is awesome, they are really really good, but when you compare them side by side with Blackwood, I will have to pick up
the Blackwood as the winner, however the difference is not that big here, I really have to focus on listening to notice the difference.
 
However there is one thing that I prefer Andromeda over the Blackwood, the balance. As I mentioned before, they are just perfect. Blackwood is awesome headphones, but I found Andromeda
to provide better bass compare to the Blackwood, and probably slightly better treble sparkle. Please bear in mind I compare both of them from the same source/amp, so it's very likely
Fiio E18 is not adequate to drive ZMF Blackwood.
 
Conclusion
 
No argument, the best IEM ever for me, I am in love. The only downside is I can't afford them....yet, but I will own them one day
 
Thanks for reading

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 9 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I've listened to CA Jupiter for about 2 weeks. I mostly use them with LG V10 direct without any amp. The source will be either the built-in LG music player or Google play music.
 
Build Quality and Design
 
The build quality is most likely the same as CA Orion, only different in color, very solid and build to last. Even though they are bit edgy, I found it fits quite nicely with my ears, better than CA Lyra I think, which is interesting because the Lyra has smooth curves while Jupiter is edgy, can't understand why but it is what it is.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? For me they sounded warm with elevated treble. I also notice that music sounded quite forward to my ear, soundstage is quite good for an IEM. I really enjoy their sound signature from the very first time I've put them on.
 
I listen to a lot of acoustic guitar music (Tony McManus, Hawaiian slack guitar to give some example) and I found Jupiter tuning to really fit this genre, guitar string sounds really beautiful on Jupiter, and the elevated mid-bass really really helps bring overall sense of warmth to the music, enveloping the higher frequency of the guitar string, beautiful....simply beautiful.
 
Jupiter also have very good separation, listening to Bach Brandenburg concerto, each instrument has their own place, i never heard them congested even when the music is busy.
 
The treble, for me, is the star of CA Jupiter. I love hearing how cymbal is being reproduced, and the decay sounds just about perfect, not too long, not too short, it's the best treble quality I heard on IEM so far.
 
My only critics for CA jupiter (sound wise) is that on some music, it can be sound too thick, sometimes I like to eq them a bit, lowering the mid - midbass a bit so they're less warm.
 
Comparison
 
Now this is a bit hard for me, because I don't own any IEM on the same price level as CA Jupiter, so I am going to compare them with my Fostex TH-600
 
CA Jupiter vs Fostex TH-600
TLR, TH-600 is still better than CA Jupiter.
 
Ok, for me TH-600 is so special, because the treble quality is just magnificent, it's great on CA Jupiter, but still can't beat Fostex.
 
Some significant different between CA Jupiter and TH-600 is the sound signature, CA Jupiter has pretty thick mid-bass, while TH-600 is more lean in this aspect, but the sub-bass in TH-600 is definitely superior compare to CA Jupiter.
 
The mids is one area where Jupiter can beat TH-600, mids on the Jupiter sounds quite neutral in a sense that it's not elevated and fits perfectly with the overall tuning of the IEM. Mids is a bit recessed on TH-600
 
Ok this is obviously not a fair comparison, but please be advised I need to run the fostex out of dedicated tube AMP + DAC for them to sound really good, while I just ran jupiter straight out of my phone. If I listen to the Jupiter on my way to the office or home, i actually thought the Jupiter is as good as the fostex, but if compared them side-by-side then I think the Fostex is more capable technically and sonically.
 
I've tried using the Jupiter on my DAC/AMP, however it is so sensitive that I picked up so many background noise. I still can listen an enjoy the music but the noise is just too annoying, so I exclusively
use them with my LG V10, where I can't hear any noise at all.
 
Summary
 
This is the best IEM I've heard so far, if I were asked to choose 1 IEM at this point in time, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up the Jupiter.
 
They are a bit pricey, but I honestly think they are worth it.
 
Simply said, if you're a treble-lover like me, and love hearing acoustic guitars, I encourage you to try CA Jupiter, I think you will find them the perfect IEM for those genre.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 8 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my 
ears, my preferences, my brain
 
As the last member of the tour I am lucky enough to listen to Lyra for quite a long time, and it has been a great pleasure. I mostly use them with LG V10 direct without any amp. The source will be either Spotify premium or my own mp3/flac.
 
Build Quality and Design
 
The build quality is pretty much on par with Orion if not better, it's made to last a long time, very sturdy and solid. The design is a bit different though, the Lyra have round corner while Orion has edges, that makes the Lyra a bit more comfortable compare to Orion.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? For me they sounded warm and relaxing, very smooth and enjoyable. When I listen for them the first time, I was bit overwhelmed with how warm they were, but in time I got used to it and enjoy them a lot. 
 
This warmness, is pretty much the signature sound for Lyra, it really brings the music alive, providing beats and atmosphere as needed. Listening to instrumental guitar brings a lot of joy as the mid-bass provide a body to the string sound that made them sound full and rich. It works pretty well with Classical music too as the mid-bass just provide those necessary atmosphere to bring the orchestra to it's full glory. At times however this mid-bass can sounds a bit too much, depending on the type of music and how they were engineered, but this happens like in 1 out of 20 songs that i tried, and those particular song wasn't mastered really well in my opinion.
 
One thing that I noticed as well is Lyra has a lot of details, it might not be so apparent because the sound signature of Lyra is not bright, but having said that the treble is definitely there and well extended, and it's just about the right amount. I usually prefer a bright sounding headphones/IEM but the treble tuning on the Lyra works very well for me.  
 
Comparison
 
Now this is a bit hard to me, because I don't own any IEM on the same price leve as the Lyra, so I am going to compare them with what I have.
 
Lyra vs Phonak PFE 012
Well this is not even a comparison, Lyra definitely outclassed my Phonak. Resolution, details, imaging, they're just far above the Phonak, the only thing the Phonak won is the comfort, but that's about it.
 
Lyra vs Fostex TH-600
Ok this is obviously not a fair comparison, for me TH-600 outclassed Lyra, but not as bad as how the Lyra outclassed the Phonak. One thing for certain is the big difference in sound signature. The Lyra is warm sounding while Fostex is more U shaped kind of sound signature. Other than the sound signature difference, i feel that the Fostex bring out more details, resolution and soundstage. Yes yes i know it's not a fair comparison, but Lyra shows a a good fight here.
 
Right, so to summ it up, if we draw a line between Phonak and Fostex (in term of sound quality), the Lyra is probably three quarter toward the Fostex, and for me that's is quite good for IEM.
 
Summary 
 
I have always prefer full size headphones compare to IEM, until i tried Noble Savant. Campfire Audio Lyra is the 2nd IEM I've heard that i think can equal or surpassed full size headphones, and in my book that saying a lot.
 
They are beautifully built and solid, have sound signature that will definitely please a lot of sound (but not everyone), provide enough details and resolutions but stays musical at the same times, and comes with good leather case, cable and accessories....they got the whole package, at a price.
 
I suppose my only gripe is the price, I don't have any similarly priced IEM, and they do deliver, but somehow I kind of expecting more from them, maybe it's just my sound signature preferences, or maybe I haven't heard enough IEM to appreciate them more, but it is what it is and the price + the sound signature cut 1 star from the rating for me.
 
But if you got the money and like your music warm, look no further, Campfire Audio Lyra won't disappoint.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 8 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I listened to the CA Orion daily in my commuting from home to work and in the office for about 10 days. 
 
Build Quality and Design.
 
Build quality of Orion is top notch, when you hold them in your hand you know that they are very sturdy and can take some beatings, they are rock solid. At first I thought they were bit big and chunky, don't think it will fit on my ears, but I am wrong, they actually fit nicely with my ears. In addition to that I personally like the design as well, less curvy and more edgy.
 
Pair that with the silver plated copper cable (ALO call them the Tinsel cable) just complete the whole package for me.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? For me they sounded natural and easy to listen to, there is no enhancement in the whole spectrum of sound, nothing offensive, quite relaxing and laid back. I do find them quite a bit mid-centric, with just enough warmth to make them pleasant. Detail and instrument separation is also quite good. This is one of the earphones that don't need a lot of EQ to sound right, in fact I kind of happy listening to them as they were without any adjustment on any spectrum at all. One thing that I notice is they do really well with female vocal, listening to Ana Caram & Astrud Gilberto is just magic, very sweet sounding and mesmerizing.
 
Having said that, since I am a guy who prefer a bright sound signature, I do wish the Orion to have a bit more sparkle to the treble segment.
 
For me the biggest weakness of Orion is the amount of bass, don't get me wrong they got some bass, but it's light in quantity, so instead of "OOMPH" you get "oomph". I find that this take out the pleasure a bit when listening to music with some bass kick (obviously YMMV as you might prefer light bass).
 
Comparison
 
I think I find the perfect comparison for Orion, Phonak PFE 012. Ok maybe not perfect, but they both share a single BA design so I think it's quite fair to compare them side by side, strictly from sound quality, not including accessories, build and cable quality (in which the Orion totally destroy PFE 012).
 
Note: I only have the green filter for PFE 012, without EQ they sounded too bassy/muddy for me, so I applied some EQ to lift the Mids and Trebles.
 
Bass: While the Orion is light on bass, PFE is the complete opposite, with the green filter there is too much bass! With a bit of EQ they sounded really nice. So hands down to PFE for bass.
 
Mids: Mids is still dominated by Orion, they mids on PFE is pretty good but not as full sounding and rich as the Orion. 
 
Treble: It is bit brighter on the PFE, but this is pretty much due to EQ, without EQ they're just dull. I tried applying EQ to Orion but I find that the PFE is more respoding to EQ compare to Orion. 
 
Noise Isolation: Due to the shape of the PFE, they didnt really cover my ears as much as Orion, so for me the Orion does better passive noise isolation compare to the PFE.
 
Comfort: The PFE is lighter than the Orion, this is due to the build material and size, but they are equal in comfort for me.
 
Efficiency: I can drive the Orion comfortably loud using only 50% of my phone volume, however I have to use almost 90% to reach a loud enough sound with the PFE, the Orion is the winner here.
 
After listening and comparing them side by side, my personal conclusion is they are quite equal in sound quality, just different tuning and sound signature.
 
Summary 
 
If you listen to a lot of vocal music, I think you will enjoy the Orion. They deliver the complete package, high quality build, cable, accessories, natural sounding that will fit with majority of music genre. 
 
Basshead and people who like bright sound signature? this might not be the earphone you're looking for.

Disclaimer
 
I got the chance to have a listen on the HD630vb thanks to Brooko and Sennheiser, so thanks again for the chance, I really appreciate them
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 8 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I listened to the HD630vb daily in my office for about 2 weeks.
 
In the past i have listen to Sennheiser HD600 and it was pretty good, but somehow my real love is with the Sennheiser HD580, which I owned for quite some time in the past. I still remember how I felt when I use it for the first time, everything just sounded right and natural, it was such a wonderful sound. Unfortunately I got 1 big problem with them.....they are open and leak a lot of sound. My office is my primary place to listen to music, so eventually I sold my HD580 since I can't really use them there.
 
When I read about the Senn HD630vb, somehow I got the idea that this is an answer to my problem: a closed version of Senn HD580/HD600! Boy am I wrong.
 
Ok so this is my memory of Senn HD580 sound (please note this is based on my memory so it might be wrong): warm, relaxing, laid back, easy going sound. 
 

 
 
So I was expecting similar sound when I put HD630vb for the first time, instead I got this:
 

 
Ok maybe that's a bit over the top, but to be completely honest I am a bit disappointed in the beginning! Where is my closed Senn HD580??? I start listening with the Bass on 0, and at this point they really sounded lean and clean, then I start playing around with the Variable Bass (VB)....and then...hmm....ok....this is actually pretty good.....and I kept on listening....

Build Quality and Design.
 
The build quality is top notch, they feel really solid and looks like mostly made from metal, the earpad is quite thick and comfortable for me, isolation was ok as well. They are a bit heavy though, still comfortable to wear, but you definitely feel them on your head.
 
 
 
Design wise, well...I am not a big fan of the silver finish, obviously this is personal preferences and YMMV, but it's a bit too flashy for me. I kept worrying that I will scratch those silver coating, never happened though.
 

 
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? They sound clean and detailed, rich, vivid, but neutral in their presentation, and quite revealing as well, if your source file is bad you will definitely notice. One thing that I am missing is the mid-bass hump that bring those warm sound on headphones, they simply doesn't exist here, giving them an impression of a cold neutral sound, but the VB does help a lot here.
 
Treble
The treble on HD630vb is executed perfectly, they are quite detailed and extended, but never sibilance, everything is in control. For comparison I own Fostex TH600 and Ultrasone pro 750 and the treble can get quite hot with them depending on the recording.
 
Mids 
The mids, as the treble, is pretty spot on as well, very clear and quite forward in my opinion, sitting pretty much on the same position of the treble (if not a bit forward than the treble). I really enjoy listening to Peter Cetera voice on HD630vb, it's like they are being showcased here, where the voice really stands out againts the other instrument. On the TH600, the voice is a tad behind the instrument, just very slightly.
 
Bass
Ah the bass...this is definitely the spotlight of HD630vb. According to the official specification, the bass dial will affect +/- 5dB at 50 Hz. At minimum level, the bass is still there, they're just lacking the body and feel of it. At maximum level, the bass is everywhere, it bleeds to the mids and overshadowed everything, it's just a bit too much for my taste. I found my sweet spot at 2/3 of the dial. At this level the HD630vb became a very fun headphone, you get the detailed mid and treble, and the thump of the bass to wrap the whole experience into a beautiful harmony. 
 
Soundstage and imaging
 
Being a closed headphone, the soundstage is not as wide as an open one, it's a bit small but not that bad, music feel closer to my head and that can be good depending on the music, this also contribute to the feeling that the mids and treble are forward sounding, kind of remind me of the Ultrasone Pro 750 sound signature. The imaging was pretty good though, I can easily pinpoint the placement of the musical instrument, left, right, a bit on the front, further to the back....you get my point.
 
Comparison
 
Ultrasone Pro 750: As mention above, I feel that there is similarities between Ultrasone Pro 750 and Senn HD630vb, some of them are the lack of mid-bass (can be change with VB), and how the mids and treble sounds a bit forward. The main difference is I think the Senn HD630vb is on a different class, they are just more detailed and refined compare to the Pro 750, plus of course the VB just make them a whole more versatile headphone.
 
Fostex TH-600: This one is interesing comparison for me, I would say they are almost at the same level, TH600 have a bit more warmth, hotter treble and bit more details than HD630vb, it's possible that this is due to the bright sound signature of TH600. While the HD630vb is a "fun" sounding headphone (depending on your VB level), they are more polite than the TH600, where it's always party time with Fostex
 
Other features and amplification
 
As you know you can use HD630vb with android and iphones, and control the volume or track skipping using the button on the right side of the headphones. Well this features work perfectly with android, I don't own iphones so can't really tell if they work as fine as the android version. 
 
While they sound fine coming out directly from my phone or 4th gen ipod, I really think they need a good DAC + Amp to really shine. My desktop rig is Micromega MyDac + Project Sunrise V1, and coming out from them they sound really sweet, which make me think this is more suitable as a desktop headphone instead of a portable one. 
 
Summary
 
Have you ever heard some music using a headphones and thinking: "this thing got too much bass! i wish i can bring them down a bit" or "this will be perfect with a bit more bass"......well now you can. I really applaud Sennheiser for their execution here, not only this headphones got a well implemented variable bass, they also provide a clear and well balanced sound accross all spectrum.  
 
If you're looking for a closed headphone within the $500 range, I advise you to give them a try, they are a very strong contender to TH600, with a more controlled treble and of course the wonderful Variable Bass. While it's not going to please everyone, this is one headphones that you have to hear to appreciate, and I am pretty sure if you give it chance you'll be hooked....well if you don't have anything better

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of New Zealand tour arranged by Brooko, thank you very much for including me in this tour.
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 8 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I listened to the X7 daily in my commuting from home to work and in the office for about 10 days.
 
I am going to compare the X7 with 7th Gen Ipod Nano mostly, with a quick comparison to my HTC One M7 
 
For the majority of my listening i am using Shure 215 on my travel and Ultrasone Pro 750 on the office, i also try out other headphones with them such as phonon SMB02 and JVC FXT90.
 
Build Quality 
 
Similar to the X1, X3II and X5II, I love the build quality of X7. Solid all metal body, feel good in your hand, and as a sucker for a brushed metal look, I think the look gorgeous.

They are bit thick compare to my HTC One, but shorter and about the same width. Due to the thickness of it, I don't think they will fit in your jeans pocket (well maybe they will but I really wouldn't recommend it). While commuting I always put them in my jacket and they fit fine in there.
 
Interface
 
I will talk a little bit about the build in Fiio Music player here. I must admit the first time I used them i found them a bit confusing, I got the impression that they are trying to cram a lot of functionality and features into the music player, which is great, however resulted in a bit complicated user interface.
 
After a couple of days using them i kind of get used to it and don't have any issue anymore.
 
But this is Android, if you don't like Fiio music player you can download others, Neutron, PowerAmp, you name it, is just a click away (hopefully if google play service is working).
 
I exclusively use the Fiio music player just because i don't see any reason to use the others, they play anything i throw at them, MP3, FLAC, APE, CUE. No lag, no crash, just chugging along nicely for me.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? I would say they sound neutral with a slight boost in bass and treble. They are transparent enough that when i change my headphones i can immediately hear the difference in the sound signature.

I also find that i enjoy the sound coming out of the X7 more than X5II, it just sounds good and engaging straight away, 1st impression is really good.
 
The X7 come with an IEM Amp module, which is quite good for IEM, but I found them a bit lacking in power for the Ultrasone pro 750. They can get loud enough (around 90 on the volume level) but it's just not sounding as sweet as when I used my project sunrise amp, but hey it's not fair to compare the IEM amp module to project sunrise.
 
I also tried the line out paired with headstage arrow 2g and find them really good sounding, probably better than the IEM amp module, however for majority of the listening i use the IEM amp module just because it's less hassle.
 
As mentioned above, i am comparing them to 7th gen ipod nano, please note that this comparison is purely for sound quality only, in term of functionality and flexibility  no way the ipod can wins again fiio, although they win in size and weight obviously.
 
I use Fiio headphone switcher to quickly compare the sound between the ipod and X7, the primary music for comparison is Acoustic Alchemy - Red Dust & Spanish Lace Album
 
So how do they fare againts 7th gen ipod? well to my surprise they sounded really really similar. This reminded me to the experience back when i am comparing X5II with 5th gen ipod.

When i first listen to Fiio X7 i thought they are the clear winner compare to ipod nano, however when i use the headphone switcher to quickly change source, i found that they are on par.

Sound signature, soundstage, detail retrieval are almost at the same level, the obvious difference to me is the treble extension where guitar is sounding more clear and detailed on the X7 compare to the nano, but they are very subtle and not huge differences.
 
I also do a quick comparison with my HTC One M7, well the HTC is ok but not really a match for fiio, guitar sounds a bit twangy on the HTC compare to the fiio, and there is this hollow gap in some mids frequency on the HTC one. I am not really keen to listen to my phone while having the X7 with me so  it's easy to say the Fiio is definitely better than HTC One M7 (Please note that i am not using a stock rom on the M7, and if that affect the SQ of the M7 i wouldn't know for sure)
 
Summary
 
Ok, so why would i want to buy fiio X7 if ipod nano is almost as good as them? It depends.
 
What do you need from a DAP? do you just want to listen to your MP3/itunes collection? I Think ipod will be the cheaper solution for that.
 
However these days I personally find that I listen more to streaming service than my mp3/FLAC collection, and unfortunately I can't listen to that on my ipod nano.
 
I think Fiio X7 is the easy answer here, to have a quality sounding DAP to listen to any streaming services available, being Android will give you any flexibility to choose your streaming service. You can also choose any traditional music player that you like, pretty much winner from both side of the world
 
I also love the idea of the interchangeable amp module, and would really be interested to see the roadmap for future amp modules in the plan. Would be interesting if Fiio can sell the X7 at less price without any amp module attached say for head-fiers who already invest in portable amp.
 
My only gripe with X7 at the moment, is that, I am a subscriber to google play music, and without google play service i can't listen to my google play music. So thats minus  1 star for me. 
 
Other than that, she is definitely a keeper.  

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australia/New Zealand tour arranged by @d marc0, thank you very much for including me in this tour
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 7 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I listened to the Savant daily in my commuting from home to work and in the office for about 10 days.
 
This is my first time listening to mid-high tier IEM, so i am really excited. In general, i am not a big fan of IEM for two reason:
1. Can't find a good fit
2. Can't find one that really have the same quality as full size headphones.
 
I think the savant has successfully solved the 2 issues above.
 
I am going to compare the Savant briefly with my Shure SE420, Etymotic HF5, and Sennheiser HD 580
 
Build Quality and Design.
 
Build quality of the Savant looks pretty solid to me, i like how the design is simple, curvy and quite small. Obviously it is not as small as my Ety's but seems a bit leaner than the Shure SE420.
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? Awesome..... simply awesome, almost perfect! They are very well balanced, balanced in a way that all the frequencies are evenly represented.
 
The bass, mids, trebles have equal position and volume, nothing is over anything. Another thing that really pleasant for me is how musical instrument being represented by the Savant, it's almost like each instrument in a piece of music has equal opportunity to make a sound, and i believe this is the reason why they sound very detailed for me. This doesn't mean that classical music lost their dynamic, some instrument still sounds louder than other as it is intended, but i can hear all of them. Interestingly with all the detailed presentation they manage to sound very musical as well, it doesn't sounds cold or analytical at all, just pure rich, engaging musical experience out of the Savant. 
 
Last but not least, i am not sure how, but they fit really well on my ears, be it comply foam or silicon tips, they slide (almost) perfectly into my ears, and stays nicely in there. I say almost because i am sure custom mold IEM will fit even better, but for universal IEM, they are the best i have tried.
 
One final bonus, they also isolate pretty well, which i suspect due to the nice fitting on my ear.
 
The only issue for me, and that's me nitpicking really, is that i wish they have a bit more bass quantity in them. To be fair i've been listening to a lot of Ultrasone 750 lately and they just have amazing bass, so the Savant doesn't really compete in those department.
 
Comparison
 
Etymotic HF5: HF5 sounds a bit thin compare to the Savant, it lacks the body and warmth that makes a music engaging IMO, HF5 is not a bad IEM, but compared to the Savant they just doesn't compete.
 
Shure SE420: The Shure trebles sounds a bit rolled of, giving the impression that it's a dull sounding IEM compare to the Savant. I got the impression that Shure mid/lower mid is a bit too thick for my taste, well at least compared to the savant. They just don't have that balance of sound.
 
Sennheiser HD580: When comparing HD580 againts the Savant, i felt that HD580 had a bit of mid-bass frequency bump that give them a warm impression. The savant doesn't have this bump, hence giving a perception of cleaner sounding treble. I didn't think one is better then the other, they simply just have a different sound signature.
 
Summary
 
I am sold.
 
I haven't tried that much IEMs compare to full size headphones, so I probably not the best person to review them, however this is the best sounding IEM for me, the most comfortable as well! In the past i have owned T-Peos Altone 200 and JVC FX-700, which sounds and feel good as well, but they're not as good as the Savant. This is the first time i listened to IEM and didn't miss my full size headphones. This is the first time i put an IEM and don't feel annoyed by the fittings.
 
Well done Noble, this one is a winner and a keeper.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of New Zealand tour arranged by Brooko, thank you very much for including me in this tour.
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 7 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I listened to the X5 II daily in my commuting from home to work and in the office for about 10 days.
 
I have always wanted to try out the original X5 since the first time i saw it, it just looks so nice and majority of people seems to like them a lot, so i am very happy that I finally got a chance to try out the 2nd gen one.
 
I am going to compare the X5II with a Rockboxed 5th Gen Ipod. 
 
For the majority of my listening i am using Shure SE420 on my travel and Fidelio X1 on the office, i also try out other headphones with them such as AKG K500 and KRK KNS 8400.
 
Build Quality
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Similar to the X1 and X3II, X5II is build in a similar manner, solid all metal body, really feel good in your hand, they are bit bigger than X1/X3/Ipod 5th gen but i really like the dimension, it just feel good in your hand. I had the chance to use the pre-prod unit and the final production version of the X5II as well, and i can happily report that the scroll wheel is so much better on the final production unit, they have more resistance and an obvious step to them compare to the pre-prod unit.
 
Interface
 
This kind of stuff never bothered me much, but if anyone need to know i found them very easy to use, no problem here, i kinda get used to the interface from my handling with the X1/X3II on my previous tour.
 
Deep Sleep
 
One thing that i really like is their ability to go to deep sleep without shutting them down, this feature was first introduced on X3II and thankfully stays on the X5II ,when i plugged out my earphone X5II will go to deep sleep after it's idle for a couple of minutes, when i plugged my earphone back it will resume the music instantly, awesome!
 
Sound Quality
 
Ok the most important part for me, sound quality, so how do they sound? I would say they sound neutral with a bit of boost in the bass region, it's definitely the most neutral sounding DAP from Fiio that i've heard, at least compare to X1 and X3II. They are transparent enough that when i change my headphones i can immediately hear the difference in the sound signature.

AKG K500 sounds really natural with them, but i love pairing KRK and Fidelio X1 better than K500, i am guessing because they just add more sparkle to the neutral sounding X5II. 
 
The X5II has enough power to drive any of my headphones without using any amps. I tried using headstage arrow 2g out of the line out but honestly i can't hear any major improvement, the X5II is fine as it is.
 
As mentioned above, i am comparing them to a rockboxed 5th gen ipod, i use Fiio headphone switcher to quickly compare the sound between the ipod and X5II.
 

 
 
So how do they fare againts 5th gen ipod? well to my surprise they sounded really really similar. I honestly expected the X5II to be miles ahead, but it's so much closer than that. They both share a
neutral presentation and similar detail retrieval (at least from what i can hear using the same source of music files). There is a difference of course! When listening to Acoustic Alchemy, guitar notes has longer decay on the X5II, the echo of the steel being pluck lasted longer on the X5II, it's interestingly sort of being cut short on the ipod, X5II also provide punchier bass than the ipod, this is all the difference without any EQ being used.
 
Let's not forget that the similarity ends there, the X5II just provide a whole lot more than just a simple music player, it plays DSD, it can act as a DAC (a good one as well, they pretty much just plug and play on my linux box), it's one DAP that can do (almost) anything.
 
Summary
 
Similar to the X3II, They are awesome, sounds good, feels good, work as DAC, work as DAP, and pretty much the only thing you need for your portable music solution, have two microSD slot so you can carry all the music that you need in the world.

While they are really good, i honestly still thing that X3II provide better value for money compare to X5II. If you got the money, X5II is the better sounding DAP, but if you're tight on a budget, the X3II come really close.
 
Note: I don't have the X3II for direct comparison with the X5II, the above statement is based on my lasting impression on them, so please take them with a grain of salt.

Disclaimer
 
I got this unit as part of Australasian tour arranged by Brooko, thank you very much for including me in this tour, this is my first time listening to high end DAP!
 
Introduction
 
I am just another music fans in this world, I love listening to music, and that made me stumble into head-fi around 7 years ago when looking for the best way to listen to my music. I am not in anyway an audiophile, heck not even close, so please forgive any lack of details in my review. Most importantly this is my personal impression on the unit, most likely i heard things differently than you, my ears, my preferences, my brain
 
I listen to the LP5 Gold daily in my commuting from home to work and in the office for about 7 days.
 
I don't have any hi-end DAP so for comparison purpose i will compare the LP5 Gold with my Micromega MyDAC + Project Sunrise Combo.
 
For the majority of my listening i am using Sennheiser HD 580 and KRK KNS 8400, with a bit of AKG K500 and Sony MDR SA1K thrown in.
 
Build Quality
 
I got to be honest, I wasn't really impressed when I saw the pictures online, yeah they look ok but doesn't look so special to me, But when I actually see the unit with my own eyes, boy was I wrong. You could tell, just by looking at them that they are a premium device. I was actually a bit afraid of taking them out of the case in fear of scratching them or dropping them, but that doesnt last really long thankfully .
 
The rosewood finish is just gorgeous, the curve helps you put the unit firmly into your hand, i am not a big fan of the color gold, but that's just my personal preferences. They look like they weight quite a bit but really light in reality, a bit bulky but I guess you need the space to put the IC board and other component inside. I also like the firmness of the volume knob, it's quite firm that it won't accidentally turn in your pocket.
 
In summary, the build quality is top notch, one that you would expect from a high end DAP.
 

 
 
Interface & Features
 
Ok let start with the interface first, it's quite basic, you don't have fancy interface and plenty of buttons like Fiio, but that might be an advantage for some people who like it simple. It's pretty easy to understand, the middle LP button that act as an Enter button and power switch. You can long press on the up button and it will lock the button. Long press the middle LP to turn on or turn off the unit. I never really care much with this kind of stuff, it works fine for me.
 
Features...ah this might be the downside of the LP5 Gold. Instead of discussing the features they have, lets discuss the features they don't have (and should have imho)
 
- No DAC support
- No EQ
- No L/R Balance
- Weird sorting issue
- Some music format is not recognized (e.g M4A)
- No 3.5mm socket (The 3.5mm socket is line-out and the volume pot doesn't work on them)
 
I first try the unit on my way home, I just got my Philips Downtown on my bag so it will have to do, plugged them excitedly to the 3.5mm socket thinking that it's a headphone out and found that I can't adjust the volume. I broke them! that's my initial thought, I just got the unit and somehow I broke them! Great! When I got home I quickly try the K500 on the 6.3mm socket and it works sweet!
Allright...hang on...ah right, the 3.5mm socket is just for Line out and not headphone out.....hmm.....but then I would need to use adapter for IEM? seems a bit silly to me.
 
Ok now I know not to use the 3.5mm without amp, let's copy some files into the player, it works without problem there, plug them to my linux box and they recognized the storage straight away. Move some of my music into LP5. Let's try out some Brandenburg Concerto......hmm...why does it shuffle the list there? Apparently LP5 play the music by the order of the file copied. So it's not alphabetical or numeric, oh this really frustrates me, I want to hear my concerto in order! sigh....
 
These 2 is probably my biggest issue with the DAP, I don't need fancy stuff, but it should be a simple matter to look at the Meta tag of the files and sort by track number, and add an option to use the line out as a headphone out (if possible hardware wise).
 
At least it plays DSD and got 64 Gig internal storage
 
Sound Quality
 
The most important part for me, sound quality, the build quality might be awesome, the features can be lacking, but the most essential in DAP has to be the sound quality in my opinion. So how do they sound? In short: Spectacular! to me they sounds neutral with a hint of warmth, transparent, rich in details, with a bit of treble rolled off at the top sound spectrum. It's quite interesting, they sounds really good, but they won't enhance your music in any way, if the source is bad it will sound bad, if the source is good the sound will really shine, they are just really honest.
 
This is the first time I would use the word transparent for any music player. From my perspective, when I am using LP5 Gold to listen to my music, all i've heard is my music files + my headphone, It's like the LP5 disappear from the chain altogether. It's really nice since I can clearly heard distinction between my headphones, Senn HD580 sound very natural and relaxing, with just the right amount of warmth in there. KNS 8400 sounds fairly neutral with a bit of spark in the treble region. My biggest surprise is to find how enjoyable the Sony MDR SA1k on LP5, for me the LP5 is better paired with a bright headphones to compensate the treble rolled off of the the DAP. K500 also sounds great on them, but I didn't use them that long compare to HD580 or KNS8400. It's fair to say that LP5 have enough power to drive all of my full sized headphones with authority. They all paired beautifully with LP5, I wish i still have AKG k340, I'll bet they sound even better out of the LP5.
 
Since I don't have a worthy DAP to compare with the LP5, I can only compare them to my desktop rig, Micromega MyDAC + Project Sunrise V1. I use J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.3 In G, BWV 1048 - 2. Allegro, performed by Musica Antiqua Köln to compare my desktop rig and LP5 Gold. Musica Antiqua Köln led by Reinhard Goebel is my favourite ensemble for Bach Brandenburg Concertos, they play the concerto at lightning speed with accurate precision, if you haven't listened to them you should! anyway back to the SQ review.
 
On my desktop rig, the Concerto sound rich, warm, super energetic, and just pleasant to listen to, i feel like i am in race speeding at 200 km/h. When i switch to the LP5, i get the same feeling of richness, details, less warm though and this will be a bit weird, but the tempo just sound bit slower to me, it's like speeding at 175 km/h now. I tried to go back and forth a couple of time and the feeling linger. I should put some stopwatch just to compare them but unfortunately i dont. After comparing them I can see that my desktop rig most likely colored the music (more warmth for example) and the LP5 is just honest, transparent and doesnt add anything else to the source. I am sure this is a quality that a lot of audiophiles look for in a high end DAP.
 
I hate to admit it but the LP5 gold is probably on par with my desktop rig, i still prefer my desktop rig, but i am probably biased since i used to their SQ for a long time and haven't really get used to the natural sound of the LP5 gold, but seriously on the detail retrieval, power, soundstage, they are on the same level in my opinion.
 
Amping
 
I tried pairing my Headstage Arrow 2G out of the LP5 Gold line-out socket, and while they add some color to the sound (more bass, extra sparkle on high end region), I don't necessarily think they are really needed, it sounds fine straight out of the Headphone socket, YMMV though.
 
Summary
 
Well this is a hard one for me, I used to think that Sound Quality is the prime factor for any DAP,AMP,DAC or headphones, others is less important. For LP5 Gold it turns out that while the Sound Quality is superb, the lack of features and firmware refinement really hits their overall rating.
 
I look at the clutter at my desk, with my DAC + AMP, interconnect, power adapter, and all of that can be replace by a single LP5 Gold....that is just awesome...
 

 
 
If you can overcome the lack of features and quirky firmware (which as of the time of this writing a new firmware has been released), got $750 lying around, you will find that the LP5 Gold is one spectacular sounding DAP that will play your full size headphones without any effort, i don't think you will have any regret (sound wise anyway