AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ - The Portable Ones



AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless+ is a high-end headphone with a comfortable design, and a price tag of about 350 EUROs / 390 USD. Given the price range, they will be compared to Sendy Audio Apollo (500 USD), Avantone Pro Planar Magnetic Headphones (450 USD), iBasso SR-2 Open-Back Dynamic Headphones (500 USD).

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Introduction

AIAIAI is the first company to have developed studio headphones with a wireless transmitter, and this is not your run of the mill Bluetooth codect, but rather a full sized wireless sending unit with a full lossless codec embedded. The headphones have an entirely new tech behind the Wireless transmitter / receiver, with the W+ Link technology, but also adds support for Bluetooth 5.0 and 80 hours of battery life for the headphones. Cabled usage is always supported on AIAIAI Headphones, and despite the selling point being the wireless connection, like with most headphones, the wired connection might end up sounding best.



It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with AIAIAI, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank AIAIAI for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:





The unboxing experience of all AIAIAI Headphones is fairly similar, and all of the components come packaged individually in their own plastic wraps. I like the modular approach, as it ensures that not only you get the best package possible, but you are able to fix the headphones by replacing a single component if something breaks down. The total package contents of the AIAIA TMA-2 Wireless+ Studio is:

• H10 · Ult-low latency - Wireless+

Headband with three connection modes: W+ Link for wireless ultra-low latency and lossless audio, Bluetooth® 5.0, and cabled. Built-in microphone, includes USB-C charging cable.

• X01 - Transmitter

W+ Link transmitter for wireless ultra-low latency connection. Connect the 3.5mm jack to any analog output to transmit wireless audio

• S05 · Detailed sound - Bio-diaphragm

Engineered with a 40mm speaker diaphragm made from stiff bio-cellulose for more defined high-frequency details, more pronounced mid-range, better dynamics, and more natural tonality.

• E08 · Over ear - Alcantara®

Ultra soft over-ear memory foam cushions covered with Alcantara®, an aesthetic, functional, and CO2 neutral material. Highly comfortable and ideal for longer listening sessions. Provide a spacious, open sound with low isolation.

• C02 · Coiled - 1.5m - Adapter

Coiled black 1.5m thermoplastic cable with soft touch surface. Extends up to 3.2m. Perfect for DJing or small studio use. Comes with 1/4 to 1/8 screw-on adapter.

• A01 · Protective pouch

Designed to protect your headphones from dust and scratches, the A01 protective pouch is made from soft nylon and features a mesh inside. Fits any TMA-2 and Tracks headphone.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

If you ever visited the AIAIA Website, you probably know that they have some of the best design and aesthetics for their webby, so we expect great things from them always. The headband of TMA-2 Wireless + is slightly different than that of the other headphones, and this one has the necessary receiver for the W+ Link and Ultra Low Latency Lossless Audio, Bluetooth 5.0 as well as the cabled connection.



You basically play IKEA or Lego when purchasing an AIAIAI Headphone, as you have to connect absolutely everything by yourself, but if you ever assembled a PC computer, or very basic furniture, everything will make sense and combine together just fine. The headphones come with a lot of extras, but at the end of the day, the two most magical components are the headband, and the transmitter for the W+ Link. If you haven't already, please take a look at my reviews on the AIAIAI TMA-2 HD and AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Headphones, as I covered a lot of the usage and overall build quality in those reviews.

To recap a bit, the headphones are covered in a soft touch material, and they come with the largest earpads, being fairly comfortable and well made. The headband doesn't creak, but there is some slight noise if you pinch / squeeze the earpads. There's no driver flex while wearing the AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless +, and they isolate fairly well from the outside noise, with about 10-15 dB, depending on the frequency. They do not have any kind of active noise canceling, but they are ok for usage in fairly noisy environments.

The latency for the W+ Link is about 16ms, which is better than most Bluetooth connections have, and it allows for lossless and uncompressed data transmission. The data rate is 16bit for the wireless signal, and it uses dual antennas. The best part is that they come with a proprietary transmitter, but you can quickly switch between it and Bluetooth, and wired, with zero hassle. AIAIAI Quotes a battery life of over 80 hours, but I wasn't able to test long enough to tell for sure how long the battery life really is, but it should be beyond 15 hours, which is as long as I can test reliably with my current equipment. As long as you charge them once in a while, TMA-2 Wireless+ should not run out of battery.



The drivers are made using a bio diaphragm, but this is not as sensitive and prone to damage as most Bio based products are, and you will find that TMA-2 Wireless+ survives well to everyday usage (tested with the original TMA-2 HD, that uses the same drivers, which are S05MK2). AIAIAI also uses help from Mr. Richie Hawtin, when designing their headphones, offered a headphone with a 40mm driver, 32 OHMs of impedance, and a sensitivity of 97dB. To use the Wireless connector, you basically turn on the headphones, by pressing the middle button on the headband, and then use the switch, found on the right ear to select whether it is using the Bluetooth input or the Wireless mode. When you engage the wireless mode and TMA-2 Wireless+ detects it, they will have a faint hissing in the background, which is always the same, regardless of the listening volume.



To enter Bluetooth mode, you use the physical switch found on the lower part of the headband, on the right side, and you need to keep the top and bottom buttons pressed at the same time until the LED starts flashing. Although TMA-2 Wireless+ isolates a bit from the outside noise, especially with music playing, it leaks a bit, and music is mostly audible to those around you.



Sound Quality

I have tried using AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless + in many configurations, including Wireless, using their Transmitter, Wired and even via Bluetooth, but the results have always been constant, the best sound being the one over the wired connection. Using the transmitter increases the noise floor slightly, and you can hear the amplifier of the headband turning on, as it produces a slight hiss in the background, which is easily drowned out by medium listening volumes. The latency using the W + Link connection is much lower than even aptX LL, which is unique to AIAIAI, and no other company managed to pull this yet. Using AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless + via Bluetooth has a lower background noise level, and it produces a very quiet, high frequency tone two seconds after music is playing, after which it goes completely silent. You can actually tell apart the modes because the W + Link has a much higher bandwidth, and you can hear more details in the background, especially at high volumes, where background information is much better presented using the TMA-2 with their W + Link Connection.



Overall, TMA-2 Wireless+ has the same sound as TMA-2 Studio, which has more or less the same sound as TMA-2 HD, as all of them are using exactly the same drivers and earcups, as well as earpads, and the originals had excellent sonic performance, so TMA-2 Wireless+ also has an excellent sonic performance, but it adds that wireless W+ Link connection to the package. This is a headphone that sounds best at higher volumes, and it becomes more controlled, more detailed, more dynamic and more engaging the higher you go in volume.

The signature of TMA-2 Wireless + can be described as clean, deep and fairly fun. The bass response as well as the overall detail is best over the wired connection, where TMA-2 Wireless + has the most impact and the most engaging sound. Engaging the Wireless connection for the W+ Link lowers the overall volume of TMA-2 Wireless, while disengaging it and switching to wired / Bluetooth increases the maximum volume you're getting from the wired connection. I love electronic music played through TMA-2 Wireless, and they are able to deliver a good amount of punchiness, excellent staging, and great overall clarity. For most of today's sonic notes, I've been using them wired, connected to an Astell & Kern SE180 Music Player, but also tested them connected to an iBasso DX300, Lotto PAW6000, Dethonray DTR1+ Prelude, as well as Astell & Kern SP2000T.



The bass of AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless + is deep, has a natural speed and excellent overall acuity. The bass response climbs as low as about 25 Hz, although most of its energy starts to be truly expressed around 35Hz. The bass feels quick enough for all electronic, metal and fast paced music, but it also has enough nuance and detail for Jazz and room music, AIAIAI having a remarkably good bass presentation for their price class and size. If you touch the back of the drivers while they are playing a bass heavy song, like Touhou Riddim, you can feel the TMA-2 Wireless + Vibrating in your hands.



We have a clean, clear and fairly crisp midrange with TMA-2 Wireless+. The midrange is very well layered, and has very good instrument separation, but also feels fluid and is never dry or fatiguing. Despite the signature and frequency response that AIAIAI posted on their website, the sound over the wired connection is fairly V-Shaped, and the midrange never feels very forward, or fatiguing. The signature they have posted there is fairly accurate for the W + Link, where the bass is lower in amount, and the sound becomes more reference, giving the midrange and treble a boost over the lows. In wired connection, the sound is just clear, clean and enjoyable with all music styles, and listening to Calliope Mori - The Grim Reaper is a Live-Streamer is simply musical, playful and enjoyable, with Karen's voice being presented really musical, well toned, and the background instruments being clear and well defined from the forward ones.

The treble of TMA-2 Wireless + is clean, on the smooth end, and fairly well controlled. Since this is a headphone music producers are likely to be using during their creative process, it is a good thing that it is not overly sparkly and fatiguing, but they aren't boring either, and there's a peak in the upper midrange / lower treble, as well as one in the middle treble that give music enough sparkle and presentation to cymbals so you don't have to mentally search for them. All in all, TMA-2 Wireless is fun and has an engaging signature, good enough for all music styles, with a particular affinity for electronic, pop, rock, and commercial music. Female voices are presented particularly sweet, and everything tends to sound sweet, fun, and enjoyable from TMA-2 Wireless +, as they show good versatility for all music styles.



Comparisons



AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless+ vs Avantone Pro Planar (390 USD vs 450 USD) - those two headphones have been made and sold for the same purpose, music production, mixing and mastering, but they are very different in their design and presentation. The overall comfort is better on Pro Planar which is larger, but also heavier, and has larger earpads. TMA-2 is more portable, and has Bluetooth / Wireless connection options, where Pro Planar has the option of having the cable connected either to just one cup or both at the same time. The overall sonic performance is comparable in levels of detail, but the soundstage is actually wider, more holographic on TMA-2, but also more open in the midrange on Pro Planar. Pro Planar can get considerably louder, with lower distortions, but requires a much stronger source to do so, and both headphones are slightly problematic if driven from an entry-level source. TMA-2 is more natural, has a more natural bass, more natural midrange, where Pro Planar is thicker, more dry, more smooth in the upper midrange, and has a slightly darker overall presentation.

AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless+ vs Sendy Audio Apollo (390 USD vs 500 USD) - Apollo is a really smooth and clean headphone, but if you're looking for bass and impact, TMA-2 Wireless+ is going to provide much more, with more low end reach, and less gentleness. Apollo is the kind of headphone that makes music enjoyable and smooth, clean and fun, but TMA-2 Wireless+ gives considerably more body, more weight and more depth to each musical note. The soundstage width is similar between them, while the overall level of detail is comparable. Some might say that Apollo is better refined and smoother, more mature sounding, but if you're listening to some EDM, Rock or Metal, you're going to have a better experience with TMA-2, Apollo being the kind of headphone I recommend for sure when you're most tired and need to relax, while TMA-2 is a universally likable headphone with good detail that I can recommend for any listening scenario.

AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless+ vs iBasso SR-2 (390 USD vs 500 USD) - We have one closed back headphone, and one open back, with very different designs and purposes, but similar price points, so the comparison should be made for those who aren't sure which is best for them. First off, AIAIAI does leak quite a bit, but it isolates quite a bit from the outside noise, so if you need isolation, AIAIAI wins for sure here. The sound is more impactful, has more low end and more bass impact on TMA-2, with more depth, where it has a wider soundstage and a more natural midrange on SR-2, which has more focus on smoothness in the overall sound, as well as refinement. The overall detail level is actually comparable, and AIAIAI proves to be a worthwhile competitor, AIAIAI has more width than it has depth, where SR-2 is slightly better with timing, especially if you're used to acoustic instruments.



Value and Conclusion

At the end of the day, the sonic performance of AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless+ is enough to still warrant their price point, but mostly for the wired connection sonic performance, and for the overall package. The W+ Link is ingenious, and it delivers on all the promises made, and we can say that the headphones are well made and comfortable, just like every other headphone made by AIAIAI.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a really good mastering headphone, with low latency wireless support, Bluetooth support, good battery life, and a punchy, fluid, detailed sound with tons of dynamics, AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ should be perfect for you and should make a good purchase for your studio, or listening pleasure.

Unique Melody MEXT - Price Cut, Musicality Increase



Unique Melody MEXT is the latest high-end IEM from UM, priced at 1099 USD right now, usually priced at 1200 USD, sporting Bone Conduction drivers, Dynamic Drivers, and Balanced Armatures. Supported by Unique Melody's high-end 4.4mm balanced cable, MEXT will be compared to other flagship IEMs that left an impression on me over the years, including Unique Melody MEST MK2 (1500 USD), Final Audio A8000 (2500 USD), Rhapsodio Zombie (2000 USD), Campfire Ara (1300 USD), Lime Ears Aether R (1400 USD) and Audeze Euclid Planar IEMs (1300 USD). I will also be pairing MEXT with the Astell & Kern SP2000T (2500 USD), iBasso DX300 (1200 USD), and Lotoo PAW 6000 (1200 USD). An option for custom fitting is available, and it is priced at 1399 USD.

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Introduction

Unique Melody is one of the most interesting and popular IEM and CIEM companies in the world, serving hundreds of passionate music lovers with IEMs that have proven the test of time, always refining their technologies and improving their designs, and offering what can be considered the best performance for high-end products seen out there. Today's IEM, the MEXT is a more affordable variant of their MEST MK2 IEM, and although it may feel like it is still pricey, at 1200 USD, it is about 30% cheaper than MESt MK2, without ever feeling cheap. In fact, we are here to see if we can find MEXT to be even easier to recommend than MEST MK2, and whether Unique Melody outdid themselves with this one, creating an affordable, yet still flagship sounding option for music lovers.



There are many music lovers who have experienced Unique Melody IEMs, but if you're not yet sure, they are sold and heavily seeked even locally, here, in Romania, where I have friends who ordered Unique Melody IEMs and still rock some from years ago. I reviewed my first UM IEM around when I first began writing reviews, and it was the Unique Melody Martian, a truly special model with a really clean and detailed sound. Unique Melody supports their products to death and back, and you should have no problems with any of their products, and even if you do, they are a CIEM designer, designing new tech and improving their IEMs always, and will happily help you.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Unique Melody , I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Unique Melody for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Unique Melody MEXT find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:







We have the same beautiful package we've seen before on MEST MK2, and MEXT comes with the same set of accessories, and the same outstanding carrying case. We also have special tips that make the most out of the bone conduction drivers, this time a pair being installed by default on the MEXT, along with a metallic ID card for MEXT, showing the authenticity of the IEMs. The carrying case is one of the most beautiful, highest quality cases ever to be included with an IEM, and Unique Melody totally knows how to make a nice package for their IEMs. The IEMs are presented separately from their accessories, the upper chamber being reserved for the living quarters of the IEMs, while there's a mini drawer for the accessories below. The full package includes:

• Unique Melody MEXT IEMs
• UM M1 Copper Cable
• UM "ESP" Double Drawer Packaging
• Dignis UM Leather Case
• Warranty Card
• Premium Grey Cleaning Cltoh
• AZLA Sedna EARfit XELASTEC SS / MS / M Tips
• Silicone S / M / L Tips
• Clamping Storage Clip

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

It is always exciting to review IEMs with unique technology inside, and Unique Melody is one of those companies that doesn't rely on more is better, but refines their drivers, the technology of their IEMs and takes everything to the bleeding edge of the available technology, both for the building process, but also for the design step, allowing each product to become its own entity and allowing us music lovers to experience new sonic presentations. MEXT has a similar design to the original MEST MK2, but if you aren't well acquainted with that one, or if you don't want to spend time reading my review on it before continuing this one, I'll explore what MEXT includes and how.



The first thing we notice is that MEXT relies on the bone conduction tech and drivers for its sound. UM paired the Bone Conduction drivers with Dynamic Drivers, and with Balanced Armatures, the Bone Conduction drivers being OBC Coil based, the purpose of MEXT being of achieving the best sonic presentation possible by using both bone and air conduction for sound. There's one of those OBC Bone Conduction Drivers, One Dynamic Driver, and 4 Balanced Armatures.

Unique Melody has actually been the first company in the whole world to implement Bone Conduction drivers in high-end IEMs, with their first generation of MEST IEMs. The tech works well, and by the time I got to review MEST MK2, I noticed a really nice overall presentation, but you really had to play around with the tips to get the best overall sonic performance possible. This is still true, and MEXT takes a bit of experimentation to get the best comfort and sonic presentation, especially as the sonics change drastically with different IEMs. I got the best overall presentation with the default Sedna XELASTEC tips included in the package, they have the best sub-bass reach, and are the super sticky type that will never betray your seal or fall out of your ears.



I haven't even had the chance to talk of the cable yet, but Unique Melody includes a high-end 4.4mm Balanced cable with the MEXT, named Unique Melody UM1 Custom Cable. This is a high-end option that could set you back half the cost of MEXT if purchased separately, and is made by PW Audio, having an OFHC copper wire, or oxygen-free high thermal conductivity copper. The cable is flexible, conducts no microphonic noise, and is surprisingly supple for a default cable, giving me absolutely no reason to replace it. For an experiment, I tried replacing it with the Copper+ Cable from Plussound, and there have been some changes, but at the end of the day I got the best overall ergonomics with the default cable.

With the default tips, which fit my ears perfectly, Unique Melody MEXT offers between 20 and 25 dB of passive noise isolation, depending on the frequency. The sound of my typing this review is slightly audible, with no music playing, but even quiet music will be enough to not hear anything from around the room. Oddly, MEXT has absolutely no leakage, and listening at extremely high volumes results in no leakage, and I can blast both rap and metal right next to my girlfriend and she can't hear a thing.



MEXT has a good drive factor, and given their 16 OHMs of impedance, and 108 dB of sensitivity, you'd expect them to be rather easy to drive. I am going up to about 92 / 150 on Astell & Kern SE180 for a satisfying experience in both volume and overall listening very loud, which is great, as most portable music players will be able to drive UM MEXT just fine, including DAC/AMPs like Shanling UA2. There is no trace of driver flex with MEXT, and the comfort I am getting is superb. The IEM shells are slightly heavy, but the over-the-ear fit of the cable holds most of the weight, and the IEM shells simply disappear in my ears. The shape and inner design is also super ergonomic, with no hard edges or corners. I noticed zero driver flex on my unit, and I can recommend UM MEXT even to those very sensitive to flex, as long as you insert them slowly and carefully, they do have both a dynamic driver and a Bone Conduction driver that can flex if you insert them too quickly.



As far as recommending sources for UM MEXT, anything goes, as long as it doesn't have a ridiculously high background noise and hissing. Sources with high output impedance should be avoided too, as the 16 OHMs of impedance indicate that UM MEXT can hiss with certain sources, like FiiO M11. I've been using a multiple of music players and DACs with MEXT, including Astell & Kern SP2000T, ifi Hip-Dac2, iBasso DX240, iBasso DX300, Astell & Kern SE180, Lotto PAW6000, PALAB M1 Mini, Shanling M3X, and HIFIMAN R2R2000.



Sound Quality

Unique Melody is an IEM that's fairly universal, with a sweet, U-Shaped sound, and tons of details. I have been using them to listen to both rock, metal and rap, but also classical, EDM, dubstep, and even some rare punk - gypsy cabaret. MEXT seems to master all of those styles perfectly, and there wasn't a time where I thought of grabbing a different IEM, so it will be perfect for all those who don't want to switch their IEMs for each song they listen to.



The signature of MEXT is extremely revealing, with a U-Shaped tuning, a strong sub-bass, and a strong upper treble, but with a natural midrange and bass-to-treble ratio, excellent imaging, and a wide, holographic soundstage. There's a good sense of musicality, and MEXT is fairly euphonic, complimenting both male and female voices, giving all music both shimmer, glimmer, and impact, along with superb resolution. You can literally hear all the details most flagships offer, but packaged in a natural and musical way, with no harsh edges. MEXT can come through as fairly aggressive for aggressive music, for example metal sounds aggressive and forward, while Jazz and Cabaret has a really detailed and smooth presentation. I tend to prefer listening to more relaxing music styles with MEXT, where Metal is best in those days when I really feel angry and want to pick a fight with someone.

The bass of MEXT can be described as a large sub, natural mid and pleasing upper bass. Music has a solid foundation in the sub bass, which can safely reach the magical 20 Hz, and lower, and thanks to the bone conduction driver presents this bass with a beautiful versatility, fast when it has been recorded fast, but long and slow when the song had it recorded this way. The driver has a furious sub bass impact, and for rap songs, especially if listened loud, you will feel that bass line, songs like Eminem - Fack having a really full and rumbly sub end presentation, but songs like The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army also showing those beautiful, thick, and full bass lines that were originally recorded for the song. This is a bassline I learned how to play as a beginner, and MEXT presents it satisfyingly. The mid bass and the upper bass are natural in both presentation and amount, so all instruments have the natural amount of body and thickness, with a bold and controlled presentation. There's enough upper bass to give male voices the weight they require, but no boominess to be heard withMEXT.



As a little tip, with all Bone Conduction Driver IEMs, you should really try the Sedna Earfit XELASTEC Tips, as those provide the best contact between the IEM shell and your ear, also try a good amount of tip rolling for the best experience. I'm mentioning this because poor fitting can be the number one reason you're not getting a good bass on MEXT, their bass being the kind that you feel in your jaw once the tips offer your proper seal and fit.

The midrange of the MEXT is remarkably sharp, clean and slightly recessed behind the bass and the treble. MEXT has exquisite instrument separation, being able to bring forward guitars and other instruments, as it was intended in the original mix, but creating a holographic presentation for the whole song. A good example is a simple song, like Hollywood Undead - Everywhere I Go, which has the voices pushed forward, and pleasing in tonality, along with the guitars, but with a rich background made up of synths and effects. The stereo separation and lateral extension is superb on MEXT. On songs like Haggard - Eppur Si Muove, we can notice a really rich and vivid presentation of both violins and soprano voices, MEXT being able to capture the full emotion in both the verse I of the song, as well as the Piano that makes the transition between verse I and the Chorus. As any analytical IEM will, MEXT presents the mistakes that are present in the record, trying to reveal rather than euphemize the song. The sweetness of MEXT I keep talking about comes from the richness and slightly wet character of the midrange, and the fluidity of the voice / instrument transition MEXT makes. In songs like Haggard - Chapter III - La Terra Santa, where they improved the recording process significantly, there are no mistakes to talk about, and MEXT paints this well, giving even the metal parts of the song a beautiful vibrance and richness. The bold lower midrange helps with all the classical instruments, while the peppy treble gives shimmer and sparkle to all the percussion instruments present in the song. To give you some idea of MEXT's ability to paint emotion, I had to pause the writing process for a while to sing along. If you're coming from a thicker and fuller sounding IEM, MEXT can be on the thinner side, but they never sound brittle or sucked out.

We also get a full treble from MEXT, with a really sparkly, rich and airy presentation. I'm delighted to report that MEXT has no roll off in the treble, and it offers a full sized extension, with all the air you could dream of, and more. The treble texture is natural, painting brighter songs bright, and smoother songs, smooth. You can go from Dethklok to Infant Annihilator and notice the differences in recording / mixing / mastering really easily, Infant Annihilator having that really bright and edgy presentation it is supposed to have. Going to the other side, in songs like Jill Tracy - The Other Side Of Pain, MEXT has a really well blended and musical presentation, no hard edges, but all the refinement and richness to each piano key. The bolder bass creates good contrast for Jill Tracy's high-octave voice, and helps paint a really natural stage for the entire piece. MEXT is a brighter tuned IEM, especially if you're coming from something like Fir Audio VxV or Beyerdynamic Xelento, but will be smoother and more natural compared to Sennheiser IE900, or Unique Melody MEST MK2.

MEXT also has superb dynamics, and this is present at all volume levels, but given their U Shaped signature, you won't need to increase the volume too much at all times, so you should be able to enjoy MEXT at any listening volume including quiet and very quiet volumes, where it retains and paints the dynamics vividly. It is also surprising to report that MEXT has superb coherency, despite having multiple driver types and a complex 4-way crossover. It is quite evident that the company knows how to create a proper crossover and design the IEMs to sound as natural and clean as possible, with no odd dips or peaks.



Comparisons



Unique Melody MEXT vs Lime Ears Aether R (1099 USD vs 1400 USD) - Starting with strong opposition, Aether R is a good IEM that many still love today. MEXT comes with a better default cable, and with a slightly more ergonomic shape. The Lime Ears package has me convinced with their sweet delicacies (literally, they ship some candy with their package). The overall sonic presentation is more detailed on MEXT, with better instrument separation, better resolution, and more sub-bass acuity, a snappier and quicker sound, and more overall resolution. Aether R tends to have more mid bass presence, but a more colored midrange, which makes MEXT more natural, and MEXT handles higher dynamic ranges, and higher volumes better. The overall tuning is excellent on both, if you want a more V-Shaped signature, Aether R should be it, while MEXT is more U-Shaped.

Unique Melody MEXT vs Campfire Ara (1099 USD vs 1300 USD) - Ara's one of the IEMs I could most closely relate to the MEXT, as they have a pretty similar tuning, both being U-Shaped, with good sub-bass, good treble extension, and tons of details. The biggest difference between them is in the build and ergonomics, as Ara is smaller, and has a very different body design. The overall tuning is fairly similar, and so is the technical edge, along with instrument separation, but MEXT has slightly more emphasis on how nuanced the bass is, whereas Ara has a slightly better instrument separation. Ara comes through as slightly smoother in the treble, achieving less fatigue, whereas MEXT goes for more energy in the lows and stays slightly more honest to the recording it is playing. Ara is less tip sensitive to get the best sonic performance, while MEXT can have a fuller, stronger sub bass with better impact, but it takes more fiddling with tips, and using XELASTEC tips in particular

Unique Melody MEXT vs Rhapsodio Zombie (1099 USD vs 2000 USD) - There's beauty in horror and Zombies too, with Zombie being one of those IEMs with a really strong treble, but also a strong bass. The comfort is better on MEXT, which is smaller in size, designed more ergonomically, and has a slightly more supple design, Zombie being rather LARGE. The default cable is also better on MEXT. The tuning is strongly V-Shaped on Zombie, which has not just the sub bass, but also the bass and even the upper bass uplifted, along with the treble and, having a recessed midrange. MEXT has a stronger sub bass, but a lower quantity to its mid bass and upper bass, and a stronger upper treble, but less main treble and upper midrange uplift. This makes Zombie much chunkier, and even its sub bass is over 10 dB above that of the MEXT relative to the midrange, which makes the zombie much chinkier and thicker, much warmer. The treble is more aggressive on the Zombie, starting with the upper midrange, which can make it a bit aggressive and fatiguing, where MEXT tends to keep most of the treble uplift to the main treble and the upper treble, playing violins, pianos and female voices more naturally. The midrange dip is not very evident on MEXT, whereas on Zombie, it is a clear dip, giving them a more colored presentation. Both IEMs have good detailing, but MEXT allows for a bit more information to shine through, where Zombie tends to choke a bit, due to their strong bass that can cover some of the other instruments.

Unique Melody MEXT vs Unique Melody MEST MK2 (1099 USD vs 1500 USD) - It will be confusing to say this, but MEST MK2 is actually a brighter, more aggressive, and more detailed IEM than MEXT. Of course, you were probably expecting this, but honestly, if you don't have them side by side, and just talking from memory, you may even be unable to say how they differ, especially if using the same tips. Both are very tip dependent, and XELASTEC should provide the best comfort for both. Knowing that MEST MK2 still holds the edge in detail and resolution, I can say that MEXT is smoother, more analogue-like, and more natural, but the difference is not extremely large, both being U-Shaped with a stronger sub bass, provided by the bone conduction driver, and a stronger upper treble. There's a certain better shimmer and glimmer in MEST MK2. Dynamics are similar between them, and the overall soundstage tends to be larger on MEST MK2, but instrument separation is more or less the same. I would recommend trying MEXT if you thought that MEST MK2 is a bit too bright and too sparkly for you, or if you ever felt that they are too open and want something slightly smoother and more natural.

Unique Melody MEXT vs Audeze Euclid (1099 USD vs 1300 USD) - Euclid has a similar tuning to MEST MK2 and A8000, being brighter, and having less bass emphasis. In fact, this is surprising, given how Planar Headphones from Audeze usually tend to be chunkier and warmer in sound, but Euclid is a different story. The two IEMs have a similar body, both have really good construction quality, but Euclid is harder to drive and master, posing a problem for ultra portable sources like dongles. The overall sound tends to have an edge in detailing for Euclid, but it has more sub bass presence and impact on MEXT, which tends to balance the open and sparkly treble quite well. In fact, MEXT tends to have more nuance and presence in the bass, which can sound more natural overall. The stage is a bit wider and more holographic on MEXT, but Euclid has a bit more instrument separation. The differences between those two are rather small in technical ability and edge, and much larger in the tuning and presentation. MEXT comes with a better default cable, is slightly more ergonomic, while Euclid can take more EQ and distort less, which is important if you're a tinkerer.

Unique Melody MEXT vs Final Audio A8000 (1099 USD vs 2500 USD) - There are some similarities between A8000 and MEXT, both in how well made and polished both are, but also in the fact that both have a brighter, lighter, snapper tuning, with a ton of details. MEXT tends to have a better bass and impact, with more low end meat and a richer lower midrange, where A8000 extracts even more detail from sound, but is considerably brighter, which can easily turn to more fatigue if you're not a big treble head. They have a similar soundstage width, and similar instrument separation, but the extra chunk in the sub bass of the MEXT helps it gain more nuance in the lows, along with more upper bass presence, emphasizing male voices a bit more, where A8000's brighter tuning tends to thin out female voices more, adding more emotional edge to pianos and violins. Both are excellent IEMs, and both are really well designed, but if you're looking for a more U-Shaped signature, MEXT should be the obvious choice, while if you're looking for a more bright signature, A8000 would be the natural choice there.



Pairings



Unique Melody MEXT + iBasso DX300 (1099 USD vs 1200 USD) - DX300 has always been a big favorite of mine, with superb shape and ergonomics, excellent design, and tons of power for basically any IEM and headphone. iBasso is also one of those companies who cares about having a low noise floor, and who invests big money into making their DAPs last, so you can expect many years of service from DX300, and even when the battery will die, you will be able to replace it hassle free. The sonic is the most forward, most alive, most punchy of this pairing, with the most aggressive detailing. DX300 also has a natural lower midrange, which helps with MEXT's brighter and more sparkly presentation.

Unique Melody MEXT + Lotto PAW 6000 (1099 USD vs 1200 USD) - We have a more gentle presentation and pairing with PAW6000, with a more refined and gentle handling of both the impact and the treble, and with the excellent EQ Lotoo implemented in their PAW6000, if you feel that MEXT is too bright, you will be able to tone down the highs really easily. Although PAW6000 is not the best DAP for streaming, it can act as both a Bluetooth DAC, and a USB DAC, being one of the three DAPs I have the most around my desk, and which I can recommend for pairing MEXT.

Unique Melody MEXT + Astell & Kern SP2000T (1099 USD vs 2500 USD) - The pairing with SP2000T is superb, especially if you're using the 4.4mm output of the Tube Based DAP. The overall richness and impact of the sound is superb, and where most sources can make MEXT a bit thinner, SP2000T has a richer midrange, which helps MEXT gain more body and overall substance for all instruments. SP2000T also has none of the problems usually seen with FiiO DAPs, for example, today I tested an M15, and it has the weirdest bug, where if you disconnected the IEMs you are currently using, it would need a restart to start playing music when you connect a different IEM. That is not something to be expected, and not a problem you'll have with SP2000T. Astell & Kern DAPs are instead smooth, clean and work the way they should, gaining extra points from happy customers who can listen to music uninterrupted with them.



Value and Conclusion

Unique Melody otdid themselves once again, and provided us with a high-end IEM, at an even more affordable price than the original MEST MK2 and MEST IEMs, but with a similar level of performance, and even better overall default cable. It is unusual for an IEM to have value this good, and to stand its ground against IEMS 2.5X its price, MEXT deserves all the love it can get.



In fact, the overall performance, ergonomics, comfort, and build quality is so great, that MEXT deserves a place in Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame. It isn't even going to replace the original MEST MK2, and they each will appeal to a slightly different music lover, giving all of us reasons to be happy and enjoy music.



At the end of today's review, if you're looking for high-end IEMs with an excellent build quality, superb instrument separation, dynamics and a totally new technology, developed by one of the best companies out there, namely Unique Melody, then MEXT should be at the top of your purchase list, as it comes with all the best tech they have to offer, and has probably the best price / performance ratio they have to date.



Specifications

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

Khadas Tone2 PRO DAC/AMP - Musically Abundant



We have an interesting guest today, in the Tone2 PRO, from Khadas, priced at 250 USD, and with a 4.4mm balanced headphone output, and a Class A amplifier design. It will be compared to other DAC/AMPs, and the list includes Pro-Ject Head Box DS (400 USD), iFi Hip-Dac2 (190 USD), and Palab M1 Mini (500 USD). I only now noticed that the list of ~250 USD DAC/AMPs I reviewed is quite narrow, so Tone2 PRO will hopefully help fill in the spaces of products I can recommend to you.

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Introduction

While I don't have a lot of information about Kadas Audio, I do know that they're growing quickly and designing lots of new products, having good relationships with other audio manufacturers, including case makers who are willing to create and design leather cases for their upcoming products. I always recommend trying to purchase Chinese products from Amazon and other third party seller shops rather than directly from Aliexpress, if you're looking for quick shipping times and good support.

To sum up my experience with Aliexpress versus Amazon, recently, I purchased two HDMI cables from Aliexpress, one from Vention and one from UGreen, and both arrived not working, unable to achieve the standards promised, as they are rated for 8K / 60Hz or 4K 120hz, but both can only do 4K 60Hz, which means that the quality is lower than described. I tried to speak with the sellers from both companies through Aliexpress, and none agreed to return the money or take the cables back, and the Aliexpress dispute did not end in my favor, so I basically wasted the money on two products that I am unable to use. On the other hand, I once ordered a WD Black SSD from Amazon, and after not receiving it for about 6 weeks, they sent a second one with much quicker shipping, and I did receive both after 1 week. Amazon said that I can keep both, as per their policy. To sum things up, do not order from Aliexpress if you want support and warranty, and do not order Ugreen or Vention HDMI Cables ever.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Khadas Audio. This review reflects my personal experience with Khadas Tone2 PRO, and the unit is personal, bought from Amazon.de. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Khadas Tone2 PRO find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:







The price of the unit is not really reflected in the package, as Tone2PRO has one of the smallest, most compact packages I've seen for a DAC/AMP ever. It does come with a type-c to type-c cable for laptops and smartphones, but that's about it.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Features

At the technical level, Tone2PRO has a superb build quality, and is basically a tank, large slab of metal with a really aesthetic, geometric design. The unit has a high-end ESS ES9038 Q2M DAC chip, and it is paired with x OPA 1612 OP-AMPs, which are beasts on their own when it comes to driving power and overall quality. We also have a 32Bit / 384 kHz data rate bit perfect, with support for DSD512. The Line Out has a THD of -118 dB, and Kahadas included hardware MQA decoding with their Tone2PRO.



The RCA is Balanced RCA, with 3-Pin outputs, but it supports typical RCA connectors as well, so you don't have to worry about compatibility. We have one Type-C port that supports data and power, and a second I2S port that is basically there to offer support for Linear Power Supply units.



Generally, using the unit is really fun, it has no background noise, no hissing and it does not have a high output impedance, so it is totally safe and well made for IEMs. The unit has both a 3.5mm single ended output, and a 4.4mm balanced output, with fair driving power for headphones, as I'm able to drive Sendy Audio Peacock just fine, along with HIFIMAN HE-R9, KLH Ultimate One, Sendy Audio Apollo. It does not have enough power for super power hungry headphones like Audeze LCD-MX4, or HIFIMAN Arya Stealth, and it feels like it was generally designed for IEMs rather than large headphones.



Tone2PRO has a really good shape and stability on the desk, but I would not recommend it as a portable DAC/AMP, as the unit can get quite warm during usage, and can consume quite a bit of power. For a computer, this aspect is not very important, but for a smartphone, it consumes more than using the same phone in Bluetooth mode, which can be quite a lot.

The volume wheel at the top of Tone2 PRO controls the inner volume of the unit, Windows has separate volume control and the volume wheel does not change the Windows volume. I noticed the same behavior with Black Shark 4 as an Android Smartphone.



Sound Quality

For today's review, I've used a multitude of headphones and IEMs, including HIFIMAN He-R9, Ambient Acoustics MAD 24, Fir Audio VxV, Tingker TK300, Dethonray Tender 1, KLH Ultimate One, and Earsonics Onyx. Tone 2 PRO is generally able to drive pretty much any IEM and most portable headphones fairly well, but I do recommend it for IEMS more, as it has a super low background noise and hissing level, plus tons of detail and can achieve its maximum volume with no distortions. It has MQA decoding abilities, and a pleasing presentation.



The overall sonic signature of Tone 2 PRO is slightly warm, but mostly natural, with a really wide and clean presentation, tons of details, superb extension both in the bass and the treble, and it has excellent dynamics too. Comparing it directly to Hiby FC5 (which I have on the desk by chance), the differences between them are huge, and FC5 is much more forward and gets louder easier, but Tone 2 PRO is much deeper, with better layering and instrument separation, more refinement and resolution, and it is considerably more natural in tonality, for both male and female voices. Tone 2 PRO sounds equally good at all volumes, it doesn't get compressed or flat at low volumes, but it doesn't become distorted at high volumes either. It is also very versatile with all music styles, and will sound equally good with all music styles, from Rap to Pop to EDM to Dubstep.

The bass of Tone 2 PRO is super clean, deep, but not overly emphasized compared to the midrange and the treble. The general signature of Tone 2 PRO is natural, with no special emphasis on any frequency, so it will be perfect for someone who's looking for a very versatile and natural sounding DAC/AMP. The bass has a natural decay, full and bountiful presentation, the reach is perfect down to 20 Hz, as long as the IEM / Headphone supports it too, and the bass has excellent control with low distortion. The bass is exactly what both warm and natural IEMS need, as it presents the ability of the IEMS to the fullest, with no particular coloration.



The midrange of Tone 2 PRO is where it excels, as it has a really deep and clean sound, with tons of details, excellent dynamics and surprisingly good depth. The instrument separation is really good as well, Khadas Tone 2 PRO creating a holographic and well-rounded image of the songs it is playing. The midrange is natural in tonality and emphasizes both male and female voices equally, resulting in a generally pleasing, fun and sweet sound. Male voices sound forward and deep, natural with the right amount of texture and tonality, while female voices are generally on the sweeter, more euphonic side of things. Guitars sound natural, clean and have natural textures to them, while pianos are distortion-free. The soundstage is generally deeper than it is wide.



The treble of Tone 2 PRO is clean, fatigue-free, natural in extension and character, edging on smooth. The treble can be a bit smooth, especially if you have a smoother or warmer sounding IEMS, but it generally has good air and extension. The stereo imaging is surprisingly good, and even with bands like Maximum the Hormone, you can hear that in many songs, the voicing was recorded in double for left and right side to create a more aggressive effect, the band having a super fun and rocky presentation with Tone 2 PRO. More aggressive songs, and harsh songs can sound smoother and leaner on Tone 2 PRO. This is not a negative, as many IEMs and Headphones can be quite exaggerated in the treble, and be fatiguing or harsh, Tone 2 PRO helps with those.



Comparisons



Khadas Tone 2 PRO vs Palab M1 Mini (250 USD vs 500 USD) - We have an awesome amount of driving power from Palab M1 Mini, which also uses a balanced 4.4mm headphone output as the main, but the difference in price between the Palab M1 Mini and Tone 2 PRO is double. It feels like the Tone 2 PRO is a mini Palab M1 Mini, with a smooth and fluid sound, but considerably less driving power. The overall sonic has more details on Palab M1 Mini, along with more resolution, but Tone 2 PRO can provide a similar level of dynamics, impact, and a fluid, clean, natural sound, that is quite similar to M1 Mini, but for half the price, as long as you're mainly driving IEMs and portable headphones.

Khadas Tone 2 PRO vs ifi Hip-Dac2 (250 USD vs 190 USD) - Hip-Dac2 has a battery inside, and slightly more driving power, but it has a slightly higher output impedance, and with super sensitive IEMs, it will have a higher noise floor, and more hissing than Tone 2 PRO. The overall resolution is actually slightly higher on Tone 2 PRO, which tends to be deeper in sound, with better layering and instrument separation, also providing slightly smoother treble that can help with aggressive, harsh and fatiguing music. I recommend Hip-Dac2 much more if you need a portable device that won't eat battery, as it has its own, but if you're at a desktop unit, and if you're mainly driving IEMS and easy to drive Headphones, Tone 2 PRO is an excellent option.

Khadas Tone 2 PRO vs Pro-Ject Head Box DS (250 USD vs 400 USD) - While Head Box DS is quite a bit larger and more expensive, it mainly can deliver more driving power than Tone 2 PRO. The overall detail, resolution, micro detail, layering, instrument separation, depth and tonality realism goes to Tone 2 PRO, which can be quite a bit better than Head Box DS in all those aspects. Although Tone 2 PRO uses a balanced 4.4mm connector, it has considerably less driving power than the 6.3mm single ended headphone output of Head Box DS. For larger, hard to drive headphones, Head Box DS provides a fun, neutral sound that can be a bit bright, but is dynamic and punchy, while for IEMS and easier to drive headphones, Tone 2 PRO is more detailed, has a more natural bass, smoother treble, but still a lot of energy.



Value and Conclusion

With a price tag of 250 USD, Tone 2 PRO has a fair price point, for a desktop DAC/AMP with low distortion, good control for IEMs, and a deep, well separated sound. If you know the rule, you can have it cheap, quick or good. You can only pick two, and there will always be more affordable options for the same size and driving power, but most of them have a lower quality, refinement and overall clarity compared to tone2 PRO, which is quite good for the price. To get any real step up in overall sonics and driving power (together), you generally have to spend almost double, and get in the ~500 USD price range.



With a geometric, aesthetic design, two headphone outputs, and volume control, plus separate power and USB connectors (you don't NEED to use two USB Cables, but you CAN), Tone 2 PRO is really interesting to look at and have, plus a welcome DAC/AMP for your desktop. It has no latency for gaming and doesn't need USB Drivers or any additional software, working just fine right out of the box.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a high quality DAC/AMP with a nice aesthetic, and a controlled, no distortion, no hiss sound, excellent layering, detailing and a super beginner friendly sound that won't be harsh or fatiguing, I recommend Tone 2 PRO as a really awesome, hard to beat option at 250 USD, at the moment of writing today's review.

Astrotec Vesna IEMs - Low Entry, High Performance



Vesna is the most affordable Chifi IEM that I reviewed to date, or which I think I will be reviewing. It costs about 20 USD, and it has a single dynamic driver, non-detachable cable, but comes with a nice carrying pouch.

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Introduction

Astrotec is an entry-level Chifi designer, with a long record of pretty enjoyable IEMs. They tend to make fairly long runs of their products, so usually you don't have to worry about limited warranty or other issues, plus they have stayed in business for a long period of time, giving me confidence they are going to be around for even longer.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Astrotec, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Astrotec for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Astrotec Vesna find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:







The package of Vesna is fairly good, it comes with a carrying pouch, and two extra sets of tips. There is one Type-C to 3.5mm adapter inside the package, but my smartphone Xiaomi Black Shark 4 cannot use it. As far as I know, this is a passive kind of Type-C adapter, so only smartphones that have sonic output over the Type-C connector could use it. You can refer to my review on HIFIMAN RE400C for more info on this, but basically, you won't be able to use it unless you have an older Google Phone, some Samsung phones, or a Huawei Smartphone.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

Vesna is a very simple, but highly effective Entry-Level IEM. It has a thin, yet well made cable, through which you can see the copper wires, and a 3.5mm single ended jack. We have a cable separator on the cable, so you can deposit them without them tangling, but even without using that, Vesna is not very tangle prone, and the cable is of a high quality. The cable is slightly on the springy side.



The cable is not detachable, so when it does, the IEMs die, but Astrotec also sells an Evo version of Vesna which has a detachable cable. The IEMs have a metallic grille to protect the single dynamic driver from dust and debris, but I suggest checking whether they have that grille still on after taking them out, as one friend once had a metallic grille fall while wearing an older model, AM850, and had to have it removed by a medic.



There are Left and Right markings on the top of Vesna, and they are made for both over-the-ear and straight-down wearing styles, Astrotec really knowing that the entry-level market won't always want over-the-ear designs. The color choices are good, and the looks of Vesna are pretty cool, with a light blue back cover, and a silvery body. If you wear them straight-down, the cable does carry some microphonic noise, but it is bearable, while if you wear them over-the-ear, the cable will carry no microphonic noise.



Vesna needs a bit of power to play music, and I recommend using at least an entry-level dac/amp/dongle, like FiiO BTR5 2021, ifi hip-dac2, or Soundmagic A30. The comfort is ok, the body of the IEMs is slightly large, at the ear canal level, and the tips are somewhat large, but they stay well in your ears, and there are no sharp edges or corners that would create a bad comfort. Vesna is extremely light too, and the cable is light too, so you never really feel that you're wearing them. Vesna isolates fairly well for me, between 15 and 20 dB of passive noise isolation, I cannot hear my keyboard while I'm typing with only pretty quiet music playing in them.



Sound Quality

The sound of Vesna is actually incredibly good, and even though I never reviewed an IEM this affordable, Vesna can easily beat most 40 USD - 50 USD IEMs I know, in both treble, bass extension, and overall dynamics / details. The sound of Vesna can be described as natural towards V-Shaped, with a strong bass impact, and they sound excellent at all listening levels. The overall feeling is that Vesna goes for a versatile signature with great overall detail. They get more v-Shaped at louder volumes, and are more natural and even at quiet and medium listening volumes.



The bass is detailed, clean and has excellent extension, as low as 40 Hz, which for the price is amazing. The bass speed is natural, which means a natural note decay, and good presence for drums and bass guitars. Vensa somehow sounds really smooth in textures, without being boring, which helps a lot with listening to bands that tend to be harsh and fatiguing, like Leningrad and J-Rock / J-Pop bands. The bass quantity is more than enough for Rap and EDM / Pop, but Vesna is not a basshead IEM by nature. The bass has a really nice impact, with focus around 60Hz.



The transition from bass to midrange is smooth, and Vesna is not boomy or exaggerated in any frequency, plus they have a really natural and clean voicing. The timbre of Vesna is absolutely spot on, they have no coloration towards darkness or brightness, and although the treble is quite open, the midrange and voices are very good. Detail levels are comparable to a 50 USD - 60 USD IEM, and Vesna has excellent overall dynamics and details. They have a medium sized soundstage, with a good overall stereo imaging and instrument separation.

The treble is on the open and airy side, with a good extension as high as about 12 kHz, after which it rolls off smoothly which again is outstanding for a 20 USD IEM. The treble is not closed or deafened above 14 kHz, so they sound fairly airy and open. The overall treble character is on the smooth side, and Vesna makes even harsh and bright music sound enjoyable and fun. They have this really musical tuning to them, and for an affordable 20 USD IEM, I can't believe my ears how great they can sound, putting all KZ models to shame when it comes to actually playing music in an enjoyable and fun fashion.



Value and Conclusion

I actually tend to avoid reviewing entry-level IEMS below 50 USD, because most of the time they sound so poor that I sometimes had to simply drop the review on a few before. It simply wasn't worth the effort to provide them any kind of review, as a bad review is still marketing for them, and I don't want to spend my time reviewing something that I consider too poor in quality. Vesna is truly a surprise, the value ratio is through the roof, and for 20 USD, I would suggest purchasing it even if it is not necessary for you, as a backup IEM. You may be surprised to hear them sounding more pleasing, more natural, smoother and more enjoyable even than 100 USD - 120 USD IEMs.



Basically, the price / performance ratio can't get much better than this, and I feel forced to add Astrotec vesna to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame for the best price / performance ratio I experienced to date. Comparisons are not really useful here, since at 2X the price, most alternatives that I reviewed are considerably more expensive.



If you're looking for a natural, audiophile, musical and enjoyable IEM for 20 USD, Vesna is absolutely recommended, and the best entry-level IEM you can get for this price. You can get more by spending more, but if you have 20 USD to spend, regardless of your tuning preferences, most alternatives have considerable issues.

HIFIMAN HE-R9 - Mystery Of Cherry Songs



HIFIMAN HE-R9 is the latest 599 USD headphone from the master Chinese producer, and this time we have a closed back design on our hands, with dynamic drivers, and a bluetooth receiver, that will increase the cost to 749 USD. Given the price point, I will be comparing HE-R9 to other high end headphones, including Dan Clark Aeon Flow RT (500 USD), Sennheiser HD660S (500 USD), Adam Audio Studio PRO SP-5 (550 USD), HIFIMAN Ananda (700) and Beyerdynamic Amiron (599 USD).

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Introduction

There's nothing like having an entirely new product line from a manufacturer, and HIFIMAN didn't really make closed back headphones so far, so it will be fun to see them shine or give reason to bully them. HE-R9 is also based on dynamic drivers, where HIFIMAN has been a master of planar magnetic drivers so far, so HE-R9 is a first in many ways for them. This being said, Bluemini is a device we've seen when reviewing Deva PRO, and it seems to have been improving lately. I also have high expectations from HE-R9 because they have a similar design to those seen on some flagships in the past. If HIFIMAN could adapt those designs to new tech, pair them with their Bluemini well, and we might have a winner on our hands. I am also delighted to report that HIFIMAN is still in top 3 companies worldwide when it comes to warranty and fixing problems, offering superb customer service for their customers, regardless of their location, and having multiple HQs to serve local customers.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with HIFIMAN, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank HIFIMAN for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in HIFIMAN HE-R9 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:









The package of HE-R9 is really nice, and similar to that of Deva PRO, and it includes the headphones, the paperwork, a USB Charging cable, and an audio cable to use HE-R9 wired. The package doesn't have many extras, but it has all the basic necessities, for the price being fairly good.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

Starting with the build quality, R9 is made like a tank, with superb build quality, and those deep cherry red earcups. It has the same headband as Edition XS and Deva PRO, which allows for both lateral and planar swivel, giving the R9 superb fit and comfort. The weight of R9 is surprisingly light, and at 328 grams, they are some of the lightest closed back headphones money can purchase. The overall weight is also superbly distributed, making R9 super comfortable, to the point where you really don't feel like taking them off. If you've seen the photos in my review, you know we've placed R9 in many locations headphones aren't usually supposed to be in, so we're in the best position to report that R9 is very scratch resistant. Even after being placed on stone, on metallic and wooden surfaces with sand on them, the headphones have zero signs and scratches, the coating on the earcups being adequate for a headphone that will be placed on tables and other hard surfaces.



The earcups of R9 provide it with a ton of space, both for music to have space to play into, but also for your ears, and despite the headphones being more compact compared to Arya Stealth, Ananda, or Edition XS, I can say that HE-R9 is just as comfortable as those are for me, my ears having more than enough space enough the earpads. The erpads are also soft, covered in fabric, and provide excellent seal easily, the R9 experience being to take them out of the package and put them on your head, with no fiddling or effort necessary to get a perfect fit. The camping force is medium, at the sweet spot for me for both usage while at the computer, but also while I'm out and about.



R9 is fairly easy to drive, needing 100 / 150 on Astell & Kern SE180, which is the same as the majority of IEMS. R9 has a rather low impedance of 32 OHMs, but an ok sensitivity of 100dB, which won't be a big issue for most sources with decent driving power. You can use either the 3.5mm cable to drive them from a portable source, or connect the Bluemini module on the left earcup, which adds 25 grams to their weight. Given that they are already in the top 10 lightest headphones ever designed, this is not a big issue.



Using them wirelessly, the R2R module does its job really well. It seems to have a signature matched for them, although on my Bluemini it is written off as a Deva accessory. It is able to effectively improve their sound with very little effort, making R9 slightly heavier in the bass, more V-Shaped, compared to their wired sound. I noticed that using the R2R Bluemini module as a USB DAC, most of the useful volume is condensed in what windows shows as 0% ro 20%, after which it becomes too loud to be listenable. I also noticed this behavior with Aurender S5W, so it may be a problem on my windows machine, as it works perfectly on Android and on my smartphone.



Speaking of the Bluemini DAC / AMP, it has superb battery life, of about 8 hours in HIFIMAN's tests, and about 6 in mine, using loud music, LDAC and changing the song a lot. It also has good call quality, along with superb bluetooth range. The DAC inside is HIFIMAN's HIMALAYA R2R DAC, and it uses LDAC as the main codec, with support for aptX-HD, aptX, AAC and SBC, having all grounds covered.

The default cable is the same as the one that comes with most HIFIMAN Headphones, but it tends to be slightly microphonic with HE-R9, both because the headphones are very light and because the cable is somewhat rigid / springy. No other handling noise is audible or present while wearing them, and moving your head, walking or doing any other activities results in no noise, except for the slight microphonic noise. I recommend some aftermarket cables that are soft for the best experience. Since the default cable is 3.5mm single ended only, but most popular music players sound best from their 4.4mm balanced output, I suspect most enthusiastic music lovers will be upgrading the default cable.



HIFIMAN HE-R9 offers between 10 and 15 decibels of passive noise isolation, depending on the frequency, and they isolate the typing noise of my keyboard rather well, with quiet music playing, the typing noise being completely inaudible. They leak only very little, and although if you blast music at maximum volume, others will hear you, you can listen at very pleasing medium volumes without bothering anyone.

HE-R9 can be said to be perfectly built, really comfortable, and for a closed back headphone, it is the most comfortable one I tested to date. The build quality is superb, reminds me a lot of Deva PRO, and the ear cups are made to be sleek and scratch resistant.



Sound Quality

HIFIMAN He-R9 received about 100 hours of burn-in prior to me writing today's full written review, to keep my review technique fair towards other headphones and products reviewed on audiophile-heaven. They have been used both with their Bluemini R2R bluetooth DAC, and wired, being powered mainly from Lotoo PAW 6000, Astell & Kern SE180, iBasso DX300, Dethonray DTR1+ and Cyrus One Cast. I have used balanced cables for all the DAPs having 4.4mm outputs, and I've used the original cable for DTR1+, and Cyrus One Cast.



The general signature of HIFIMAN HE-R9 is a really warm-natural, holographic, wide and imposing signature, with a strong lower midrange, sub-bass, and detailed presentation. They sport superb dynamics and impact, and even given the competition that's usually super popular (HD660S and Ananda), HIFIMAN He-R9 can totally stand their ground. This is the first headphone to have a lead in the lower midrange, and the experience is entirely unique, as they have a super strong sub bass as well, and the initial impression I had in my video review, that they can vibrate on your head, remains. The presentation can be quite relaxed and forgiving, with a smoother treble that hides defects from bad masters, making R9 a good companion for metalheads and those who have more trashy tastes such as yours truly.

Using He-R9 with the Blue Mini DAC seems to have a lower dynamic range, you can hear the LDAC compression algorithm, as they are super detailed, and they become warmer, thicker, more V-Shaped and more aggressive, while driven from a wired source, the sound becomes super detailed and clean. This being said, Blue Mini drives them with much better authority, control and impact than any portable DAC/AMP or Bluetooth receiver like FiiO BTR5.

The bass of the HIFIMAN He-R9 is super deep, controlled and reaches the magical 20 Hz easily. Most of the energy in the bass is in the 40-65Hz range, and the bass is quite clean, given the raw quantity it has. The total bass is uplifted, along with the lower treble, which makes the sound warm and slightly dark. R9 has a natural speed for their bass, and can keep up with super aggressive dubstep songs, but will have that magical long note decay for Jazz and Cabaret music. Songs like Vini Vici - Namaste sound punchy, deep, and have a superb impact. R9 has very low distortions, even at super high volumes, being able to play music with a lot of bass really well, and controlled. The song also has surprising instrument separation, layering and a holographic presentation.



We have a clean, natural midrange with a wide and holographic presentation. There's a good amount of space between instruments, and although voices are usually pushed slightly more forward, music never becomes vague or dispersed through R9. The midrange of R9 tends to be better at medium and lower volumes, where the music tends to expand naturally inside the cups, and it creates a really holographic presentation. The sound gets more forward and aggressive at higher volumes. There's a really nice amount of detail and resolution, to the point where background instruments are really easy to discern, even easier than they are on Ananda and most open back headphones. R9 seems to be perfect for keeping all of the information available in a song there, and for presenting it to the listener. The ear cup design also helps greatly with the timing of the music; the shape gives music a really natural decay, a faster driver combined with the acoustics to create decay for it, resulting in a really natural and pleasing listening experience. The midrange has some coloration from the lower midrange emphasis and this is audible with most music. To get a more natural sound from R9, you need to push them towards the back of your head, and have your ear align with the shallower part of the earcup.

The shape and acoustic design of R9 follows the objective of trying to present an open back headphone, but from a closed back one, and manages to do this much better than any other attempt I heard personally. If you're looking for dynamics, R9 is super dynamic, but when used wired, the source helps a lot with this as well. It has super good instrument separation and layering, R9 being in line with most headphones priced around the same point, like Dan Clark Aeon Flow, and beating Sennheiser HD660S in both separation, layering and also soundstage size.



The treble of R9 follows a natural presentation and generally doesn't impose, having a smoother presentation and lower presence than the bass. This means that most music will be non-fatiguing and you won't ever feel like taking R9 off your head because they became tiresome. This happens to the point where you can quite literally blast songs like Infant Annihilator - Decapitation Fornication, and you will get more impact in the lower bass, from the drums, than you get from the cymbals and the treble. R9 is surely forgiving and won't highlight defects in recordings, even old and bright recordings sounding euphonic, smooth and pleasing through them. There is a good amount of treble present in music, but it is presented in such a way that all the peaks that normally come through as fatiguing are flattened, and although you can hear the cymbals and air in music, you never feel struggling with it. Even songs that are normally extremely fatiguing like Caligvla - I, Caligvla, have most of the impact in the drums and the voices, with much less emphasis on the cymbals that are typically rather fatiguing and brightly mastered in the song.

All in all, He-R9 is a fairly enjoyable headphone, with a smoother top end, a strong bottom end, and a wide, holographic midrange. They present music with every bit of detail it has, and have a longer note decay, all leading to a fairly euphonic presentation that has an emphasis on the lower midrange, complimenting male voices, Dubstep, EDM, Rock, Metal, Deathcore, and impact in general. Songs that play unexpectedly well on R9 are Igorrr - Probleme d'emotion, the soprano voice being quite emotionally presented, but the highlight of the song being the thick bass note intertwined with the crystalline piano that gives this song a really deep and dark groove. Songs and albums that are mastered louder play really well on R9, which has enough control for them, so pick your favorite Atilla song and you'll be rocking. The headphones sound pretty much like most Space Rock songs, groovy, deep, impactful but musical and fluid.



Comparisons



HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Beyerdynamic Amiron (599 USD vs 599 USD) - Amiron is a good start, especially as it has exactly the same price as He-R9. The overall comfort feels similar between them, Amiron having slightly harder but more dense earpads. The lateral swivel and fitting is better on HE-R9, and they are much easier to drive, being better for portable usage, and isolate better from the outside noise. The clamping force is similar between them, and both feel rather light, with R9 feeling slightly lighter than Amiron. The overall sonic presentation is much hotter on Amiron, which has an upper midrange / lower treble peak that can make it pretty fatiguing at times, while R9 has a more natural sound in the treble, smoother and with less harshness / sibilance, but also much more treble presence, more bass impact, and more bass quantity, playing bass guitars with much more life and energy, power and impact. R9 is better for most music styles, where Amiron can be fatiguing. If you listen really quiet, Amiron has a thinner presentation, where R9 is warmer, more euphonic and more musical, while if you listen really loud, R9 is more impactful, where Amiron can be pretty fatiguing and harsh.

HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Dan Calrk Aeon Flow RT (599 USD vs 500 USD) - We have two very different headphones here, Aeon Flow RT having a stronger clamping force than R9. The comfort is great on both sides, because both have good, soft earpads, and ergonomic shapes for their earpads. Both have good sealing and easy fitting. The drive factor is much harder on Flow RT, which is much much harder to drive, and needs a strong dedicated source, has proprietary cables and will be more complicated to use in the long run. The sonic presentation is strongly U-Shaped on Aeon Flow RT, which has a thinner tuning, a brighter tuning, with far more treble energy, and lower body, despite the high sub bass quantity. HE-R9 sounds more lush, warmer, has a wider sounding midrange, with more impact in the whole bass, and more emphasis in the lower midrange and the bass. The background instruments are played louder on R9, which presents more information in the background, despite both headphones having good layering and instrument separation. If you want a more analytical headphone with a brighter sound, you should go for Aeon Flow RT, while if you prefer a warmer sound, with more bass and more lows, I would say to go for R9.

HIFIMAN He-R9 versus HIFIMAN Ananda (599 USD vs 700 USD) - Ananda is open back, and you probably noticed that most competitors are open back, because HE-R9 goes for a very open presentation that should appeal to those looking for a really holographic sound. The detail levels are comparable between Ananda and HE-R9, although the way they present details is really different. The larger earpads of Ananda are slightly more comfortable than HE-R9, but the lateral swivel and adjusting mechanism is better on R9. The sonic is more natural in the midrange on Ananda, as it compliments both male and female voices more equally, and it has a more even overall tonality. R9 sounds stronger in the lower midrange, which gives all music a certain warmth and slight darkness, R9 has a ton of soundstage, and at times you can hear certain background instruments and effects louder on R9 than you do on Ananda, but the treble is far better on Ananda, and especially as I'm one who hears cymbals and air as soundstage, I get a more realistic stage from Ananda, where R9 sounds wide in the bass and midrange, but has a really relaxed and smooth treble. The bass is much stronger and more impactful on HE-R9, and it has more substance and raw energy.



HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Sennheiser HD660S (599 USD vs 500 USD) - You'd be surprised to hear me saying this, but HE-R9 has a much better comfort compared to HD660S. The default cable is better on Hd660S, and it is slightly less microphonic, but the earpads are much softer on R9, the headband does a better job at distributing their weight, and they feel lighter than Hd660S while being worn. The sonics are more dynamic, more fluid and more impactful in the bass on R9. HD660S is brighter, sounds narrower, and has a more focused sound. The overall tonal balance is more natural on Hd660S, where R9 has a stronger lower midrange emphasis which colors the entire sound somewhat. When comparing them, the treble of the HD660S is more present and although more harsh, gives many songs more sparkle and more information in the highs, whereas the bass of R9 and larger stage tends to make music more enjoyable.

HIFIMAN He-R9 versus Adam Audio Studio PRO SP-5 (599 USD vs 550 USD) - The difference in comfort is huge here, with the R9 having a much larger earpad, much softer earpads, and much lower clamping force, and being also lighter. The overall comfort of R9 is much better than SP-5, and the build quality also feels a bit better, with higher quality to the plastics, and higher quality earpads. The overall sonic presentation is extremely different as well, R9 is groovy, dark-ish, impactful, and has a bold presentation, where SP-5 is extremely bright, with a U-shaped sound that has a strong treble, tons of energy up top, and much less energy in the bass. The overall dynamics are higher on R9, which has much more control, SP-5 sounding rather dynamically compressed in comparison. If you want a bright, strongly U-Shaped headphone, PRO SP-5 is still relevant, but if you want a more impactful, more dynamic, more comfortable experience, with a stronger lower midrange / bass emphasis and a more holographic presentation, R9 should be your answer.



Value and Conclusion

We have superb price / performance for HE-R9, and they are able to stand their ground even against most open-back, planar competitors. In fact, the overall value and price / performance ratio for R9 is so good that it deserves a place in Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame, as one of the best closed back headphones ever designed as far as comfort, sound and overall build quality goes.



The overall comfort and build quality are superb, and when HIFIMAN decides to make a closed back headphone, they can make it wide sounding, with super good instrument separation and detailing, using the closed back design to control the amount of detail you hear, rather than closing off the sound of their typical drivers. They deserve mad respect for being able to pull it off without clamping your head with a vise, as it typically happens with closed back cans.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a super comfortable, wide sounding, clean and impactful headphone, with a ton of detail, resolution and which can be driven from most reasonable portable music players, HIFIMAN HE-R9 should be perfect for you, and comes at a really friendly price point, with excellent support from the company, and is currently available with and without the Bluemini DAC/AMP, so you can get the best package for your needs.

IKKO ARC ITB05 Bluetooth Necklace Cable - Cyber Musician

If you're into necklace style Bluetooth IEMs, ITB05 should be cool for you, as it has a pocket-friendly price of 129 USD. It will be compared to the Shanling MW200 (120 USD), FiiO UTWS3 (80 USD), and 1More Dual Driver ANC PRO EHD9001BA (150 USD).

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Introduction

IKKO takes us once more by surprise with an efficient and high quality product, having a good price performance ratio for their IKKO ARC ITB05 Necklace Cable. There are many such necklace Bluetooth adapters, and all of them with their own performance and sonics, so usually we try to follow the one that has enough power output, along with the best price / performance ratio, as it is quite likely that for all of them, the Bluetooth protocol used will be the bottleneck for their performance.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with IKKO. I'd like to thank IKKO for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with IKKO ARC ITB05. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in IKKO ARC ITB05 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:

We have a basic package with ITB05, as it comes with just the bare needs. Since this is a necklace style, there's no need for tips or many accessories, but there is one short USB Charging cable included in the package, alongside the paperwork.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Features

The main ARC ITB05 unit is a lightweight, flexible necklace with Bluetooth receiver abilities, and inside it has a DAC, AMP, and a battery to power IEMs. The aesthetic is actually beautiful, and the unit feels high-end, well made and polished, with a beautiful look to the sides that become visible while wearing it. The neckband is soft, made of silicone, and the whole unit does not transmit much noise while you're wearing it.

IKKO quotes a battery life of about 9 hours, which is pretty accurate for what I've been getting. The unit has 64mW at 32 OHMs, a rather high power for a unit that is meant to power only IEMs and earphones, so I'm happy to report that it does deliver well on most fronts. WE have a Silver Plated Copper Cable for ARC ITB05, and it uses Bluetooth 5.0 which has good overall coverage for all bluetooth devices.

The Bluetooth chip inside has support for SBC, AAC, but also aptX and aptX HD, ITB05 becoming in the top necklace Bluetooth AMPs from what I tested to date. In fact, the unit has a pretty high quality DAC inside, the AKM4377 Hifi DAC chip, and it is fully balanced. Basically, it is equal to or better than most dongles and portables that run fully balanced to your IEMs, offering both good power, and a reliable connection for its bluetooth signal.



Sound Quality

The unit I have is equipped with 2-Pin connectors, good for driving all kinds of IEMs, including KB Aurora, IMR Audio Elan, Earsonics ONYX, TRN VX PRO, Tin T3 Plus and Moondrop Illumination. ARC ITB05 is fully able to drive all of those IEMS, and basically every single IEM that I tried with it. There's minimal background noise, only present if you really look for it, while the overall sonic performance is superb, detailed, clean, wide and has a ton of strength, a full bass, and good overall dynamics. I am surprised to find myself saying this, but ARC ITB05 actually sounds and works better than a high quality and well regarded piece such as FiiO BTR5 or BTR5 2021, which is still quite awesome, but less convenient to use in actual practice.

The bass sounds pretty natural, without a particular enhancement, but it is fairly quick, snappy and has good punchiness. There's a certain sense of control over all IEMs I tested, the bass never rolling off or feeling too light for the IEMS. The overall signature of ARC ITB 05 is really neutral, so if you're looking for a lot of bass, you may need to engage some EQ, but given the good headroom it has for IEMS, you're unlikely to run out of headroom, and you should be able to add a few dB of bass where needed.

We have a really clean, detailed and quick midrange with ITB05. There's a good sense of width and a fairly natural depth as well. The dynamics are surprisingly good in particular, and you can't really tell that you're using a Bluetooth necklace here, the bluetooth working really well for the aptX HD algorithm. This codec also has the least reliable signal, and you will lose the signal sometimes, if you forget your phone and walk to a different room, but for walking with the phone in your pocket, it is stable enough. I noticed a good overall tonality for both male and female voices, and a vivid presentation for guitars and pianos.

The treble of ARC ITB05 is the most surprising aspect of its sound, and the most pleasing surprise. It has a really airy, well extended and refined treble, with great overall sparkly ness and detail, giving music a ton of brightness where needed, and providing a very welcome sparkle where music needs it. ARC ITB05 is actually prone to revealing recording / mixing / mastering mistakes, so its neutral signature may be less recommended for those who listen often to poorly recorded music, but I found it to be perfect for all my rock and metal, all thanks to its quick speed and good overall sparkliness & dynamics.



Comparisons

IKKO ARC ITB05 vs FiiO UTWS3 (129 USD vs 80 USD) - Thank you guts for making requests on what the competitors should be, I never would've guessed you were struggling to choose between those two, but the short version is that ITB05 has quite a bit more power than UTWS3, also better overall bluetooth range support, and in my general experience, the sound is more neutral, more detailed and cleaner, with more detail and a louder volume at maximum, where UTWS3 seems to be slightly limited placing them side by side.

IKKO ARC ITB05 vs 1More Dual Driver ANC PRO EHD9001BA (129 USD vs 150 USD) - Although 1More Dual Driver ANC PRO costs a bit more, it comes with ANC or Active Noise Canceling, and a pair of high quality IEMs, offering a more convenient package than IKKO, where you need to invest at least 100 USD more for reaching the same listening experience as 1More Dual Driver ANC PRO. On the other hand, you can take IKKO ARC ITB05 much higher, and I always recommend considering a separate DAC + AMP source if you have decent IEMS with good quality already. 1More Dual Driver has a smoother, warmer sound, where depending on the IEMS you pair with ARC ITB05, you will get better dynamics, better details and better overall resolution in general. If you're looking for a simple listening solution out of the package, I recommend considering 1More Dual Driver ANC PRO, while if you're looking for the pro / advanced version of the listening experience, I recommend going with IKKO's ARC ITB05 and getting a pair of high quality IEMS.

IKKO ARC ITB05 vs Shanling MW200 (129 USD vs 120 USD) - Shanling has basically the same product, but with different design, and with a different sonic performance. The overall build is pretty much the same, both units look awesome, and they work pretty much the same. The maximum power is much higher on ARC ITB05 and it will provide a more vivid, more dynamic, and more detailed overall sound, with more strength, better loudness and more power, also lower distortions at the maximum volume. The presentation is also much smoother, less airy and less neutral on MW200, sounding considerably more sparkly, more airy and more clean on ARC ITB05.



Value and Conclusion

I am willing to say that ARC ITB05 has excellent value, and for the price paid you're getting an excellent bluetooth cable, with enough power for most IEMS, and very low background noise, but with a fully balanced design. It has a pretty good battery as well, offering a reliable music listening solution, with good speed and dynamics.

At the end of the day, if you're looking for a high quality Bluetooth Necklace Adapter with a neutral signature, good soundstage width, a sparkly, airy presentation with a neutral, 1856quick, but punchy bass, then IKKO ARC ITB05 is a really recommended BT Adapter with good build quality and comfort.

FiiO FD1 IEMs - Warmer, Thicker, Effect

FiiO FD1 is an entry-level IEM priced at 59.99 USD, with a single 10mm dynamic driver, plated with Beryllium, using N50 2-way magnets and celluloid faceplates. Given the price point, it will be compared to Tin Hifi Audio T3 Plus (70 USD), KBEar Robin (55 USD), and HIDIZS MS2 Rainbow (90 USD).

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Introduction

FiiO is that one company everyone knows about, and almost everyone owns a product from, be it an entry-level IEM, some kind of adapter or cable, or even a high quality music player like their FiiO M11 PRO. They have a wide selection of products, each of them with their own strengths, and they are a company that started their journey as a company who cares about your pockets and how much you spend on their products, offering good price / performance ratio for their products. It is generally recommended to purchase FiiO products from trusted sources like Amazon and authorized sellers to get the best warranty and service, and I generally do not recommend purchasing directly from Aliexpress as FiiO has grown quite a bit and they have a huge number of shipments every day, so direct fixes will take a pretty long time, and shipping to China will be fairly pricey for you.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with FiiO, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank FiiO for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in FiiO FD1 IEMs find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:

Like with most of their products, FiiO made the package of FD1 excellent, and they include the IEMs, a beautiful plastic carrying case (same as the one included with F9PRO and forward IEMs), and a huge selection of tips. The cable is also part of the package, as the cable is detachable, and you can replace it with an aftermarket version (not advised given the current price of FD1). The full list of the package includes:

• FiiO FD3 IEM shells
• Plastic carrying case - FiiO HB1
• Cable
• Foam Tips, two pairs
• Balanced - Red Silicone tips, three pairs
• Bass - Black Silicone tips, three pairs
• Manuals

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

FiiO designed FD1 around the large 10mm dynamic driver, and its N50 Dual Magnetic Circuit IEM, with a beryllium coated diaphragm. Beryllium has high rigidness, but is light and should provide good speed for FD1. The two way double magnet won't transform the dynamic driver of FD1 into a planar magnetic driver, as they are on one side of the driver, but rather adds to the strength of the magnet, giving FD1 in theory more dynamics and control.

The text on FiiO's website includes a lot of words, many of which are a raw translation, but FiiO boasts a lot the fact that you won't get any driver flex on FD1, and that it will be comfortable for long wearing periods, subjectively this being true as it doesn't have flex on the driver, and is fairly comfortable to wear. FD1 is on the larger side, and won't fit those with small ears, but they are very light at just 4.5grams for each shell, and the cable is good with ergonomics. The cable is quite tangle prone though, so use a cable separator to avoid having to untangle it every time you take them out of the pocket.

The plastic shell of FD1 is interesting to look through, if you want to see some IEM technology, and you will notice that the driver has a rather small opening through which the sound actually comes. The 32 OHM impedance helps with noisier sources, and the 109dB of sensitivity mean that you can use FD1 with most entry-level affordable sources, including Shanling UA1, iBasso DC05, HIDIZS DH80, HIFI Walker H2, Maktar Spectra X2, as well as FiiO BTR5 2021, and FiiO UTWS3, with the proper adapters.

The cable of FD1 is detachable, and connected to it via a 2-Pin connector, and it is a High Purity, Single Crystal Copper Wire. The 30-core, four twists, 120-core total cable is a good quality one for the money FD1 sells for, and I wouldn't upgrade it to something else for FD1 in particular, as they pair well together.



Sound Quality

I have used fiiO FD1 with a multitude of sources, from entry level music players such as FiiO M3K, all the way to high-end flagships such as Astell & Kern SE180 and Dethonray DTR1+ Prelude. FD1 generally does not scale much with the source, and using it even with a smartphone is a fun and rewarding experience, the IEM avoiding guilt tripping you to purchase any extras to enjoy it.

The overall signature of FD1 is like that of a mini FiiO FD3, a smooth, full, warm presentation with good clarity and details. The soundstage has more of the focus on width than it has on depth, but the signature of FD1 is fairly smooth and it has a rolled-off top end, making the stage wide in the mids rather than the treble. FD1 is enjoyable for almost all music styles because it comes through as a pretty relaxing IEM without much harshness or fatigue. You would typically call the signature of FD1 Laid Back.

The bass of FD1 is fairly full in quantity, and has a pretty good extension, as low as about 30Hz. It provides a good amount of mid bass and thickness as well, with a full presentation. FD1 has some slight bloom of the lows towards the mids, but the slower speed fares well with its own quantity, giving the impression of a lush and relaxing evening, rather than a peppy or slowed down bass.

The midrange of FD1 is combined well with the bass, and it has a pretty smooth midrange, with a full and thick presentation. The midrange has a good width, and instruments are not mashed together, but fairly well separated, especially for the price point. We have a good amount of lushness and a pretty natural tonality, both male and female voices being ok for the price range. There's a bias towards male voices sounding deeper and female voices sounding a bit darker than they should but this is given by the tonal balance towards a darker signature as FD1 does not have a very strong treble.

The treble of FD1 is smooth and fatigue-free, leading to a pretty easy and light listening experience. There's not much action going in the treble, but the highs are not rolled off entirely, rather gently and slowly, leading to a fairly natural listening experience, albeit a limited one in resolution, by the absence of the treble sparkle.



Comparisons

FiiO FD1 vs Tin Audio T3 Plus (59.99 USD vs 70 USD) - The overall sonic presentation is quite similar between FD1 and T3 Plus, and I generally would recommend picking the one that looks / seems most comfortable to you, but there are some minor differences in sound, in the details, where T3 Plus scales a bit more with the source, and can get more detailed, so if you're using a high end player, or a better source, such as at least a Shanling UA2, T3 Plus is going to provide a slightly better sonic performance. On the other hand, if you purchase the IEM to use with a smartphone, the FD1 will be 10 USD cheaper, but still provide a beautiful sound.

FiiO FD1 vs KBEAR Robin (59.99 USD vs 55 USD) - Robin actually is another IEM with a similar signature to FD1, but slightly less detail and resolution. FD1 is only slightly more expensive, but it provides a good amount of detail and impact, making for a fun, thickish and warm listening experience. The soundstage is also a bit wider on FD1, although both Robin and FD1 have about the same amount of depth and dynamics.

FiiO FD1 vs HIDIZS MS2 Rainbow (59.99 USD vs 90 USD) - MS2 Rainbow is actually physically smaller than FD1 by a small margin, but it has a slightly heavier build. The sound of MS2 Rainbow is actually similar in thickness to FD1, but it has a more sparkly treble that balances the overall signature more, giving a more V-Shaped tuning and more sparkle / detail for the treble. There's no mystery that I'm a bit of a V-Shaped signature lover, so it makes sense that I'm digging MS2 Rainbow, but if you want a smooth top end with a nice bass, FD1 is fun and better priced than MS2 Rainbow.



Value and Conclusion

At the end of the day, the value of FD1 is excellent, and FiiO provides a fairly consistent and high quality package for a fair price. They provide the technology, comfort, lightness and the sonic performance to be competitive in the entry level market, which is no easy feat, considering how aggressively the chifi companies are pricing their best IEMs. FiiO still makes sense in today's market, and their FD1 is still easy to recommend.

If you're looking for a fairly thick and full sound, with a good amount of clarity, and with a smooth treble, FiiO FD1 is comfortable, fun to use and light to wear, so it is a fully recommended IEM at the moment.

Periodic Audio Rhodium Dongle DAC - Diminutive Music Shaper



Priced at 49 USD, Rhodium is one of the smallest and discreet dongle DAC/AMPs made to date, with 32Bit / 384 kHz decoding abilities. It features a fairly low power output, of 31mW, so it will be suited for usage with IEMS and portable headphones.

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Introduction

Periodic Audio is a company that offers excellent performance for their IEMS, but also good technical background information. They created some really unique products over the years, and I will be reviewing the upcoming Periodic Audio IEMs with detachable cables in the near future as well. The company has good support for their customers, and is in the list of recommended companies for me.



It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Periodic Audio. I'd like to thank Periodic Audio for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Periodic Audio Rhodium Dongle Dac AMP. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Periodic Audio Rhodium find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:











The package of the Rhodium is fairly simple, and it includes the dongle DAC/AMP, and a typeA to typeC adapter. This is the smallest dongle I have reviewed to date, and the lightest one, so the package being tiny is no problem, especially for the price. The package is vertical and looks a bit like what you'd see for a multivitamin supplement, so make sure to not lose the Rhodium package when handling it, or your grandfather may become more musical than he ever was.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Features

To use Rhodium, you just plug it in either your smartphone, or your computer, and it basically works. It is an active DAC chip, so it has its own DAC / AMPs and capacitors, working with basically all the smartphones and computers I tried it with. No additional drivers are needed for windows 10 at the moment of writing today's full written review.



The chips inside Rhodium are more of a mystery, but they have been identified as Realtek ALC5686 SoC, a component that has been used with other high-end audio capacitors in computer design. Rhodium is a TRS device, single ended, and will work well for smartphones that have no Type-C port, or computers / laptops where the audio jack has a poor quality (most of them do).



We have support for PCM signals only, with PCM support up to 384 kHz / 32 Bit, and while I like to push new technology like DSD and DXD, and MQA, I personally do not use them very much, since most of my music is not available in those exotic formats. In fact, almost my entire library is made of redbook flac files that I ripped myself, and most of those CDs aren't even available for purchase anymore, let alone in MQA or exotic formats. While you can set up Foobar2000 and other players to decode DSD and deliver it via PCM, for the vast majority of users Rhodium will be adequate, and for those who need MQA and DSD, there are alternatives for a higher price.



Rhodium has a rather low power output, and with 31mW of power, it will drive mostly IEMs and portable headphones, plus the best sound can be found at average listening levels, rather than loud. The low 0.007% distortion, and high 113 dB of signal to noise ratio are excellent, for a unit that is so low. The power consumption of Rhodium is incredibly low, and it does not change the battery life of my smartphone in any way, with a 23mA constant power draw. It weights 4.4 grams, being one of the lightest DAC/AMP dongles I tested to date.



Sound Quality

The sonic performance of Rhodium is good, and it has a pleasant, warm signature, with some midrange forwardness, but good background nuance and detail, all within a flat frequency response. To take today's impressions about the Rhodium, I've been using exclusively IEMs, and those include Tin T3 Plus, Dunu Falcon Pro, IMR Audio Ozar, Campfire Mammoth, Earsonics Corsa and QoA Queen Of Audio Adonis.



The bass of Rhodium has a flat presentation with lesser impact, and this is one of the places where you notice the lower power it delivers, but the bass has good nuance and definition. The bass has good warmth in the upper bass, and you can totally listen to EDM, Pop and Electronic with Rhodium, but the best performance is with Jazz, Country and Acoustic music, where the overall warmth and pleasing tonality creates a really relaxing listening experience. The overall speed of the bass is slow, which means long note decay and slower impact.


The midrange continues this fashion, and it is presented smoothly, clean, and with good timbre and pitch. The midrange is slightly forward, with a good amount of detail, and Rhodium is surprisingly wide for the signature and size it has, having a good depth and width, presenting music in a very 3D style. Despite the rather low power it has, the dynamics are great, and Rhodium provides a good depth and distance between you and the singers from your favorite songs. I would call the midrange organic in nature, and it is a breath of fresh air, compared to brighter and more peppy DACs / dongles like Beam 2 from Audirect.

The treble of Rhodium rolls gently, and has a lower presence, leading to a smooth and relaxing top end, with a good amount of clarity and air. The sound is well controlled even at high volumes, and it can push some high decibels into the IEMs I used for testing it, plus it has low background noise and hissing. Rhodium pairs well with brighter IEMs, and with IEMS that are easy to drive, like Tin T5, or FiiO FH5S, and even dd hifi Janus, as it stays controlled and relaxing with those.



Value and Conclusion

For the 49 USD price point, Rhodium is an excellent dongle / dac / amp purchase and it provides a natural, refined and relaxing sound, with enough power for IEMS and portables. It has one of the lowest power draws of all dac/amps, and it will be the perfect partner for long trips, especially if you don't have access to power, and want to enjoy your music for long hours. If your smartphone does not have a 3.5mm single ended jack, then Rhodium will be the perfect partner, and if it does, Rhodium will sound smoother, warmer and more relaxed than your smartphone, so it will still be an improvement, especially if you're using bright and shouty Chifi IEMS.



At the end of today's review, Periodic Audio Rhodium is one of the most relaxed, smoothest and most organic sounding dongle DAC/AMPs, and it most certainly is one of the most energy efficient ones, and a fully recommended purchase if you're looking for a pleasing and warm sound.



Specifications

• Frequency Response - 2 Hz to 192 kHz, +0/-3 dB
• Dynamic Range - 113 dB
• SNR - 108 dB A wt.
• THD - Less than 0.007%
• Output Power - 31mW @ 32 Ohms
• Current Consumption - 23mA @ 1mW output
• Cable Length - 63mm
• Weight - 4.4 grams
• Operational Temperature - -20 to +50° C
• Operational Humidity - 0-95% Relative Humidity
• Overall Length - 117 mm
• Max Width - 10.8 mm
• Max Thickness - 6.9 mm

Fir Audio VxV IEMs - Flagship IEM Hits Luckiest Notes



Fir Audio VxV or 5x5 is a high-end IEM priced at 999 USD, and with five drivers per ear, a full bodied presentation and a special ATOM pressure venting system. Given their price point, they will be compared with Campfire Ara (1300 USD), Unique Melody MEST MKii (1500 USD), Audeze Euclid (1300 USD), iBasso IT07 (900 USD), and Lime Ears Aether R (1400 USD). I will also be including pairings with iBasso DX240 running AMP8 MK2 Module (950 USD), Dethonray DTR1+ Prelude DAP (1000 USD), and Astell & Kern SE180 (1500 USD).

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Introduction

Fir Audio is a company from the USA, focused on creating both Custom and Universal In-ear Monitors or IEMs. The IEM we are reviewing today, 5x5 or VxV, is available in both Custom and Universal variants, and it features some of the company's best technologies, including 5 drivers for each ear. A bug thanks today goes to Project Perfection PTE LTD from Singapore, who are the sellers of VxV in Singapore, and one of the most important distributors of those IEMs. They are also official distributors for Dita Audio, and if you read my review of Fealty and Fidelity, you probably know that both made it to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame, so it will be interesting to see whether Fir Audio VxV will do as well.



It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Fir Audio, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Project Perfection PTE LTD for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Fir Audio VxV Universal IEMs find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:







The package of VxV is the smallest, most compact I've seen for an IEM at this date, and they barely have a package, coming in a very tiny cardboard box, where you can find the carrying case, inside of which you will find VxV, their cable, and a selection of tips, plus a cleaning tool. The presentation is made to be space effective, and this is actually something possible, because it helps save our planet and create less waste compared to less efficient solutions.



Features

• 1x Dynamic Driver
• 2x Mid-driver Balanced Armature
• 1x High-driver Balanced Armature
• 1x Ultra-high Driver Balanced Armature
• MMCX connectors
• 2.5mm TRRS balanced connector -or-
• 3.5mm TRS 3-pole connector
• Chassis: Hybrid 6000 aluminum and DuPont ® engineering plastic.
• SPECIFICATIONS
• 16 ohm
• 20-20Khz

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

Technically speaking, 5 x 5 or V x V is an interesting IEM with dive drivers per each ear, and with a very fair purpose in mind - to sound good with everyday music and everything that is played through them. The company names this the EDC or Every Day Carry, and they tout the VxV as having a welcoming sound. The physical build of VxV is excellent, and they are made of solid Hybrid 6000 Aluminum and DuPont Engineering Plastic.



Fir Audio is actually one of those big guys who develop new technology and implement new ways of creating IEMs rather than just repeating and purchasing just the drivers from the producers, and they implemented the DAA Sound Reactor technology inside of 5 x 5 as well. They also implemented the ATOM pressure system, and the Tactile Bass Technology in 5x5. The company promises that VxV is made in small batches, to ensure the highest of quality controls, and as someone who just purchased and had to return multiple TVs due to poor quality control, I really appreciate that we can have those nice things as audiophiles, good quality control, and good build quality for our products.

The Dynamic driver takes care of the bass, with two mid Balanced Armatures, One High Balanced Armature, and One Ultra High Balanced Armature. The cable for today's sample is the balanced version, with a 2.5mm connector, and Fir Audio has an alternative that is single ended, with a 3.5mm connector.

The ATOM Venting system is basically a pressure relief system that helps equalize the pressure between the ear canal, the IEM driver and outside pressure, to reduce listener fatigue and reduce hearing loss from wearing IEMs. I can say that it works well, and there is ventilation flex or driver flex with VxV.



The Tactile Bass Technology is the kind of tech that helps conduct the low notes through the entire IEM shell, using it as a Transducer, having a unique coupling between the IEM shell and the Bass Dynamic Driver. This is borrowed from the flagship M-Series from Fir Audio. We also have the DAA Sound Reactor technology inside of VxV, which is basically a special way of arranging the drivers in a tubeless configuration, with the dynamic driver pushed to be in physical contact with the IEM chassis / shell.

Subjectively, VxV is comfortable, has no round edges, and it is the kind of IEM I can see myself using for many hours in a row without wearing fatigue. The ultra low impedance of 16 OHMs tends to leave the VxV prone to some hissing, especially if you're connecting them to noisier sources like FiiO M11, or Hiby R6, but things are super ok with Lotoo PAW6000, and Astell & Kern SE180. With no driver flex, no microphonic noise, and an excellent comfort, VxV is the kind of IEM that makes wearing IEMs a pleasure, and I can fully recommend them for both their comfort and construction quality.



Even with quiet music playing, it is impossible to hear my girlfriend screaming at me from 2 meters away, as we're both working, so VxV is great at passive noise isolation. It also has very little leakage, and most people won't hear what you're listening to. Sadly I wasn't able to test the latest cables I had in for review, as the MMCX connectors mean no 2-Pin cables, but I may want to look into some high end cables for VxV.



Sound Quality

Fir Audio VxV is the kind of IEM that sounds great with all sources, as long as they don't have a high output impedance, but for the sonics part of today's review, I've been using VxV with high-end sources, in hopes to find the best performance possible for VxV and to give them the best chance I could. The main pairings I went for are with Astell & Kern SE180, iBasso DX300, and Lotoo PAW6000, but also with portable DAC/AMPs such as Palab M1 Mini, Cyrus One Cast, and unique music players such as Dethonray DTR1+. I also allowed a burn-in time of about 100 hours for VxV, which I do for all IEMs, so that burn-in believers and non believers can both be at peace, VxV having had its chance to shine and change their signature as much as they're likely to do. One thing that I noticed is that if you're using the balanced cable variant, you're likely to experience a good overall sound, and you won't need to upgrade the cable, but if you went for the single ended variant, and your music player / source has balanced outputs, you're best upgrading your cables, VxV getting more energetic and engaging with cables like Effect Audio EVO 1 and Plussound Copper+.



The overall tuning of VxV can be described as perfectly natural, sweet, well separated, with a full, deep and natural bass, natural tonality, with beautiful female voicing, as well as natural, deep and smooth male voicing. VxV is unique because it really manages to feel the most transparent, all while sounding deep and natural, smooth and impactful. Most transparent sounding IEMs and Headphones tend to be brighter, and have less bass quantity, as well as sub bass, where the bottom extension of VxV is superb. In fact, they also have a superb treble extension, and a lot of air, enough so that if you're listening to brighter tuned EDM and Dubstep, you will hear all the sparkles and the micro details presented there with no misses.

The bass of VxV is deep, rounded and full, with excellent reach as low as 20 Hz, and a lot of energy for the entire bass body. VxV is excellent at present music with good impact, deep and full, with no cutout on the substance for instruments, and a delightful, lush tuning for all instruments. The best part of their sonic presentation is the way the bass can keep up with any song, but won't become too quick or dry even if the song is slow, so Jazz and Classical has all the elementary building blocks in the lows for instruments to sound correct and accurate, while EDM, Dubstep and Metal music sounds quick, delivers outstanding impact and everything just seems to sound natural. The company tried to make an IEM that sounds as natural as it is humanly possible, and this is exactly what they managed to do with VxV, the low end having just the right parameters to sound spot on. The slower and smoother the original music is, so the more it leans towards Jazz and Slow Pop, the more satisfying and sweeter VxV sounds, as it provides the kind of Chugg impact for Deathcore, leaving natural trails after bass notes in Metal music. This natural decay is perfect if you're looking for impact and explosion, but can feel like the note decay is long if you enjoy Infant Annihilator on a daily basis.



The midrange of VxV is also a full and deep experience, with excellent layering and a natural soundstage, in both width and depth. I am willing to go as far as saying that VxV presents music very holographic, sphere-like, with sounds coming from literally any area and angle, within a natural boundary around the listener. VxV is the kind of IEM that will showcase female voices as well as male voices, having the right amount of smoothness and fluidity to give artists like Mori Calliope, Jill Tracy and even Pop singers like Kesha a sweet and fun tuning, pleasing for listening. VxV is also capable of properly rendering screams and complicated voices such as those of John Mess from Dance Gavin Dance, or Alesana and Asking Alexandria. Something you won't see me saying often, but VxV has a really pleasing presentation for dialogue as well, as the natural presentation doesn't recess the midrange much, so you hear a really natural voicing, which can make movie watching and gaming with VxV considerably more pleasing than I expected them to be. You could call VxV one of the most musical IEMs created to date and tell no lie there.

The treble of VxV is actually fun to hear, because you'd imagine them being too smooth or rolled off, at least when you hear "natural presentation" but that ain't the case at all, and they provide a really nice resolution, micro and macro detail, as their sound is very focused and sparkly. They have a good extension as high as about 16kHz-17kHz, having a natural amount of treble, as well as a natural texture and treble presentation. This means that you're unlikely to be bothered by the treble or fatigued by it, but you'll notice sparkles in songs where the artist intended the highs to be easily audible. All in all, VxV is fun, engaging and plenty enjoyable, being the kind of IEM that you can easily listen to on an everyday basis without ever growing bored or growing tired of. I can't emphasize this enough, but if it is refreshing to see and hear an IEM done for pure enjoyment, without a particular focus on a coloration, and made to be enjoyable in all possible scenarios, VxV being the cup of tea you'd enjoy both with your fancy friends, best friend, and alone, truly a versatile master of all.



Comparisons



Fir Audio VxV vs iBasso IT07 (999 USD vs 900 USD) - We also have a good comparison with IT07, an IEM that's made to be as clean, clear and detailed as possible, with the least compromise. iBasso is a master of live and alive tunings, and they generally manage to make interesting music players, but their IEMS always had a specific tuning, that's light, clean and slightly ethereal (AM05 and IT04 being good examples for it). IT07 is much bolder, heavier sounding, with a really natural tuning, and it is similar in many ways to VxV, including comfort, but I found VxV to have slightly higher resolution, focusing slightly more on detail, and also managing to reproduce certain male voices, like deep baritones, slightly more accurate compared to how they would sound in real life. I also found VxV to be more credible when it comes to its soundstage, although to be fair both IT07 and VxV have a similar stage, and a similar instrument separation to begin with. IT07 can be thicker, and also slightly more hot in the treble, which can mean a more engaging sound, where we know from the sound quality part of the review that VxV is as natural and as comfortably sounding as it is possible, all while having the highest amount of details possible.

Fir Audio VxV vs Lime Ears Aether R (999 USD vs 1400 USD) - Aether R is the kind of IEM you start listening to, and never stop. This is a characteristic I found true about VxV as well, and you're likely to insert both in your ears and forget how time flies, because both are tuned for enjoyment, and both are comfortable. I found VxV to be slightly smaller and more ergonomic than Aether R, but it doesn't have any switches and ways to tune it, like Aether R has. I also found VxV to be more natural in the midrange, with a more natural bass and treble, where Aether R has certain colorations to its sound, as I presented in my full written review of it. Most listeners will find that VxV sounds excellent out of the box, with their default cable, and with pretty much all sources, where Aether R is slightly more dependent on good tips, a good source, an upgraded cable, and requires more time to get adjusted to. Somehow, Fir Audio managed to really achieve their promised perfectly natural sound with their VxV and this is truly a sight to behold for a music lover who always notices all the minor imperfections in the midrange of all IEMs. Aether R will have a slightly bolder bottom end, a slightly less upper midrange enhancement, and slightly less treble extension, where VxV will have a sound that you can really call natural and transparent.

Fir Audio VxV vs Audeze Euclid (999 USD vs 1300 USD) - Euclid is an IEM that many love, but it is a very neutral and fair IEM, it will present music exactly as it was recorded, mistakes and bad parts included. VxV is the perfect alternative, because both IEMs have excellent build quality, and similar comfort, with Euclid actually being slightly larger. The overall sonics are very different, with Euclid being extremely neutral, clean, clear and crisp, with a very resolute and honest sound that will highlight every single little detail and nuance in music, while VxV is much more natural, considerably less fatiguing and less bright, smoother and generally presents music closer to a real life tonality, where the neutrality of Euclid implies that it is a bit brighter. They are both source dependent, but you could get away with a lower quality music player with VxV, and a FiiO M11 PRO could do just fine, while with Euclid, they reveal the source quality as well, so music players such as iBasso DX300, DX240, Astell & Kern SE180 and Astell&Kern SP2000T are much better sources for Euclid, increasing the initial cost for the best performance. VxV is also slightly more beginner friendly, and more user graphic friendly, compared to Euclid that has a serious and high-end approach.

Fir Audio VxV vs Unique Melody MEST MK2 (999 USD vs 1500 USD) - Unique Melody really knows how to deliver performance and price / performance, since their 3D Terminator IEMS are some of the best selling IEMs ever created, but VxV and MEST MK2 are closer to each other, for comparisons. The general comfort is slightly better on VxV, especially as they are smaller with almost 30%, compared to MEST MK2. The fit is considerably more important on MEST MK2, and they work best with Azla Xelastec tips, where VxV are less sensitive to tip rolling (no IEM will be zero sensitive to tips type and quality, but some are really sensitive to tips quality). The overall presentation is considerably more V-Shaped on Mest MK2, where it has a fuller, more midrange forward kind of sound on VxV. I actually think this is one of those situations where I would generally grab MEST MK2 for rock and metal, but VxV is more versatile, especially when the music was not recorded very well. MEST MK2 tends to apply their sonic signature to music a bit more, where VxV tends to color sound less. MEST MK2 has more sub bass and more treble, where VxV has a fuller sound, less

Fir Audio VxV vs Campfire Ara (999 USD vs 1300 USD) - The price difference between Ara and VxV is somewhat significant by the point we review their comparison, as ara is about 40% more pricey than VxV. The comfort is great on both, and both are really nicely made, with good build quality, but the default cable on VxV is slightly better than that Campfire uses by default with their IEMS (especially as Fir Audio makes Balanced cables an option). The overall sonics are more natural on VxV, with a more versatile, fuller, and more warm presentation. Ara tends to draw more details from music, but it can end up being slightly more fatiguing, especially if you're sensitive to treble sparkle and strong top end. The bass is comparable between them, VxV has a somewhat slower bass note presentation, where Ara tends to be quicker, but has more sub bass quantity, less mid bass. VxV has a more forward midrange, with more emphasis on a perfect tonality, and fullness of voices, where Ara tends to present details more fiercely, the same way Dita Fidelity does, VxV having more of Dita Fealty DNA in their sonic presentation. The treble is stronger, more resolving and also potentially more fatiguing on Ara, where VxV goes with a really natural, clean and safe treble that's versatile and which I can enjoy regardless of how tired I am.



Pairings



Fir Audio VxV + Detonray DTR1+ Prelude (999 USD vs 1000 USD) - It always seems like DTR1+ does something to IEMS, because it seems to have some kind of adaptive output impedance, always changing its signature depending on what it is being paired with. VxV is one of those IEMs that sounds really engaging, dynamic and punchy, but also really colorful with DTR1+. Somehow, they tend to be natural and well balanced with most sources, but DTR1+ brings the most sparkle, most dynamics and overall color in the sound of VxV, giving them a really detailed, clean, yet active and peppy sound.

Fir Audio VxV + Astell & Kern SE180 (999 USD vs 1500 USD) - SE180 brings a sweeter, fuller sound to VxV, making them really smooth in the treble, yet interesting and engaging. You mainly explore your main music library with SE180, but I found that this is what I prefer to do with most DAPs, as Streaming services never have all of my hipster bands, so once I got a microSD full of music, SE180 is the perfect source to drive the VxV. The background is especially silent, and SE180 is one of the most silent sources you can find on the market, plus one of the fullest, deepest and most impactful ones.

Fir Audio VxV + iBasso DX240 + AMP8MK2 (999 USD vs 950 USD) - This is one of my favorite sources, because the sound is simply sublime. iBasso really knows how to make beautiful sounds out of really normal looking players, and DX240 is one of the best examples of iBasso's finest craftwork. I like the overall dynamics, engagement and the punchiness of this pairing. The midrange in particular is slightly more colorful and sweeter than with most pairings, giving VxV a really well rounded and dynamic presentation. DX240, especially with AMP8 MK2 has one of the best dynamics you can find in a portable music player.



Value and Conclusion

The value of Fir Audio VxV is actually pretty great, and they have a pretty solid position in today's market, despite the diminutive package, and the sparse accessories they come with. The company is the kind of company that will focus considerably more on providing the actual sonic performance to back their products, rather than impressing with their package, so I'm happy to say that for their price, VxV sounds pretty good, natural, and achieve exactly the purpose that Fir Audio set for them.



The sonic performance, excellent build quality, along with Project Perfection PTE LTD from Singapore's support are so nice that I am going to add Fir Audio VxV to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame as the best IEM to purchase if you want a really versatile take on the audiophile hobby, and something to sound beautiful regardless of the music, mastering quality, or other conditions, as VxV is invariably enjoyable with all music styles.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for one of the most versatile IEMs ever designed, with a really comfortable fit, high quality chassis and driver technology, support well by the producing company, and sporting unique tech for their sound, Fir Audio VxV is going to spend a lot of time with you, and find a place in your heart, as one of the most natural sounding IEMs ever creating.

Tingker TK300 IEMS - Delayed But Never Forgotten



Priced at 99 USD, we have a high quality IEM from China, and Audiosense, the same company who made the mighty AQ3, the new Tingker TK300. With Dual Knowles Balanced Armatures, and a Dynamic driver hybrid configuration. It will be compared to Tin Audio T5 (130 USD), IKKO OH1 Meteor (140 USD), and HIDIZS MS2 Rainbow (90 USD)

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Introduction

Tingker is a sub company of the mother company Audiosense, and is managed by the same people. I forgot to post my review on the TK300 for almost a year, until I found it on the shelf for "to be reviewed", so it will be interesting to see how it stacks up to IEMs released nowadays, and what the performance is like for an IEM released a while ago, but which was considered to be high value. TK300 has a hybrid configuration, with a good build quality, and Knowles drivers.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Audiosense or Tingker, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Audiosense for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Tingker TK300 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:









The package of TK300 is rather minimalistic, smaller than most Chifi IEMs I review nowadays, but it comes with a really beautiful high-end carrying case that is plastered with wool on the inside. They also come with two types of silicone tips.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The first thing you notice with TK300 is that they have a high-quality cable, with a thick and resilient construction. They also have a detachable cable, based on the MMCX connector, and ended in a 3.5mm single ended connector. The cable is not tangle prone, and does not conduct microphonic noise, being rather flexible and ergonomic. The cable is made of silver plated copper with eight strands, each strand having 19 pieces 0.05 in size.



The IEM shells are made of Aluminum, while the large 9.7mm dynamic driver is coated in Titanium. We have a low impedance of 18 Ohms, which is rather ok, and an ok SPL of 105dB. This means that TK300 will be rather easy to drive, but may be somewhat sensitive to hiss. With 8 grams in total, so 4 grams for each EM shell, TK300 is rather light and should be comfortable for most people.

The cable has soft ear guides and those are rather tight, and you can totally feel them coiled around your ear while wearing the IEMs, but do not cause discomfort. The passive noise isolation of TK300 is average to poor, having between 10 and 20 dB of passive noise isolation, depending on the frequency, tips and how good your seal is. They do not leak at all, at least not audibly so.



Despite the theoretically easy to drive design, I am running them at 105 / 150 on Astell & Kern sE180, so they do eat quite a bit of power to be driven well.



Sound Quality

For driving the TK300, I have been using Astell & Kern SE180, iBasso DX240, Lotoo PAW 6000, and Dethonray DTR1+ Prelude. They are drivable with more affordable sources, but if you tend to listen loud and very loud, you'll need to step the volume up to 80% - 90% for most portable sources.



The signature of TK300 is generally V-Shaped, with a really slow and well cooked bass, tons of details and a strong technical edge, a dynamic and engaging sound, excellent treble extension, and a fairly natural timbre and tonality. All in all, they are versatile and work well with all music styles, and the sonic presentation they provide is best at extremely high volumes, being more vivid, more engaging and more detailed the louder you go. At lower volumes, the V-Shaped signature becomes more evident, midrange is pulled away from the listener, and everything is more flat, including the stage that seems to get more narrow and compressed, especially at quiet listening levels. All the listening impressions and descriptions have been taken at medium to loud listening levels.

The bass of TK300 is clean, deep and sounds quite slow, even for a dynamic driver bass. I've seen quite a few people saying it reminds them of a high quality subwoofer, and that is correct, it moves a lot of air and gives music a ton of body / energy, without forcing itself too much on the listener. The slow speed is enough for rock, metal and most Electronic music, but not for Technical EDM, Trancecore, or Math Metal / certain Death Metal / Deathcore bands. The bass is especially pleasing with music that's recorded to sound as close as possible to acoustic, having just the right amount of body to create the feeling / impression you're right there with the artist while they play the song.



The midrange of TK300 is lower in amount, relative to the bass and the treble. This V-Shaped signature gets more balanced at higher volumes, and the overall detail is always really good, with exceptional resolution, layering and instrument separation, along with imaging. The voicing is also very natural and clean, with a good amount of emotion and upper midrange presence, to give pianos, as well as female voices the intended energy and bite. Guitars sound smooth, and the texture type of TK300 is generally on the smooth side, as they are not overly fatiguing, and rather risk becoming a bit boring compared to the competition that tends to have a much more aggressive texture around the price point.

The treble of TK300 is detailed, clean, and has exceptional extension for the price point. We're talking about an IEM that can easily extend up to 15kHz, for the entry-level price range, so TK300 delivers well on all fronts here. The treble has some emphasis compared to the midrange, but most of the emphasis is in the mid treble, rather than lower treble, so sound is usually not metallic, harsh or exaggerated in sibilance. In fact, despite the high quantity of treble, the texture and presentation is on the softer side, giving the TK300 a soft and relaxed presentation that can feel a bit too smooth.



Comparisons



Tingker TK300 vs IKKO OH1 Meteor (99 USD vs 140 USD) - The Basshead Meteor is more comfortable, but also heavier, and TK300 has a slightly better cable quality. The sound of the Meteor is deeper, heavier, and it has a quicker bass. The stage of Meteor is a bit wider, but TK300 has more and better instrument separation, presented in a more intimate space. TK300 is more V-Shaped, has a stronger treble, and more treble extension. Both have a smoother texture presentation. Good details are present on both TK300 and OH1 Meteor.

Tingker TK300 vs HIDIZS MS2 Rainbow (99 USD vs 90 USD) - MS2 Rainbow is another V-Shaped IEM with a good price point, so they make a veritable competitor for TK300. The comfort is actually comparable between them, although MS2 is a bit smaller and the cable is a bit more loose than that of TK300. TK300 has a thicker, more quality cable. The sound is more detailed, cleaner and more open on TK300 which has better treble extension. MS2 Rainbow sounds thicker, a bit more boomy, and also rolls off earlier. TK300 has a slower bass, which is interpreted as more natural, and more pleasing by some listeners, but the bass in particular is less technical, while the midrange is more detailed.

Tingker TK300 vs Tin Audio t5 (99 USD vs 130 USD) - T5 is actually a bit more comfortable than TK300, but the cable quality is a bit better on TK300. The overall sonics are more harsh on T5, with less sub bass extension, and TK300 sounds fuller, deeper, more dynamic, more detailed and has a much better overall technicality than T5. Comparing them side by side, T5 sounds almost loose, in comparison to TK300 which sounds tight, well balanced and natural in tonality.



Value and Conclusion

For the price of 99 USD, the package, IEM construction quality, and the technical prowess of the sound is excellent, and TK300 is still an excellent deal, even though I only managed to review it much later than it was sent my way. I think that it still makes sense to invest in purchasing it, and you won't regret going for it, even in today's full market.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a V-Shaped IEM with tons of detail, good instrument separation, fairly good construction quality, and a good amount of dynamics, Tingker TK300 should be a great option, even now in 2022.

Arylic S10 Multiroom Steamer - Awesome Sound & Shape



Arylic S10 is the entry to Streaming, and it is a unit priced at 79 USD, a diminutive design, and RJ45 LAN Port, Line In, Line Out and a remote included in the package. Given the price point, I have not reviewed many streamers around the price point, but there is the Triangle AIO C Connect (150 USD) I can compare the S10 to.

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Introduction

Arylic decided to invest in, and create an interesting streamer that's about as affordable as Pi alternatives are, but which is much easier to program, use and which has a solid design, with Arylic excellent support behind. Arylic is one of the few companies, like HIFIMAN, who provides good and direct support for their products, including excellent aftermarket support, with good build quality and excellent customer communication

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Arylic. I'd like to thank Arylic for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Arylic S10. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Arylic S10 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:





The package of S10 is actually pretty interesting, because Arylic likes to make rich products with rich packages. The full package includes:

• S10
• User Manual
• Remote
• 5V1A Micro USB Power Adapter
• Aux 3.5mm cable
• 2-1 RCA Cable.

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Features

We have a very simple design and build with the S10, but it is a very effective one as well. The front of the streamer has 4 LEDs, one of which will be lit to show what input you're currently using. There's also a huge IR or infrared receiver at the front. At the back of the unit, things get a bit more busy, and we have a RESET button, a LAN port, USB input, AUX Input, Line Out and a microUSB power supply.



Generally speaking, the AUX input does not sound as good as the Ethernet or the Wifi input. S10 supports inputs from Bluetooth 5.0, RJ45 Ethernet up to 100M, as well as Wireless signals from the 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz networks. The Bluetooth distance is quoted to be about 30 Meters, but I found it to be roughly 15 meters with no obstacles for a good , reliable signal. The SNR is 91dB, which on paper is actually pretty humble, paired with a THD of about 0.03%, which on paper also sounds pretty meager.

S10 is able to decide FLAC, Mp3, AAc, ALAC, APE and WAV, and up to 24bit / 192kHz signals, weighing in about 200 grams. The remote works pretty nicely, and you will need to use the 4 Stream app with it. I found the app to be pretty awful for me, since it is slow, and the UI is cluttered with useless options, pretty complicated to get what you need it to do, but also fairly bug-free compared to the majority of APPs for Streamers. Setting S10 up takes about 20 minutes and once it is set up, everything works fairly well.



I noticed no big difference in replacing the default USB converter, the unit being fairly well isolated from power converter related noise. We need to mention that S10 has a DAC chip inside, as the main signal it outputs is an AUX signal, or an analogic one. The USB input is for using a USB device with up to 1024 songs on it. AirPlay 1 is supported as well as QPlay, Spotify. The full list of supported Apps includes: iHeartRadio, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer.



All in all, despite my dislike for the 4 Stream app, it works as intended, and I experienced no bugs, no odd behaviors, and S10 is a fun to use unit that does what it is advertised to rather well, providing a fun and engaging experience for music listeners. It is not possible to find what the DAC inside of S10 is, and it cannot output a digital signal, so it will become the DAC for your system.



Sound Quality

I want to start by saying that S10 is intended for more entry-level and budget systems, and that testing it with a high-end system will be fairly pointless, since you don't purchase a 79 USD DAC for a high-end system. The biggest advantage of S10 is the very low overall noise from all of its inputs, and the zero noise sonic performance from its ethernet input. While there aren't many streamers at this price point, there is none that's as quiet as S10 is in the background, and which has as many inputs.



Generally speaking, the sound of the S10 is really clean, well balanced and fairly detailed for the price. The sound has a fair amount of soundstage width, a fair amount of depth, and if we consider that we're paying for it less than for the majority of dongles, the relative performance for the price is not just good but actually excellent. I noticed a pretty dynamic sound that's not compressed or distorted with S10, and volume is never a problem since you'll be using it with an external amplifier for volume control.

In fact, S10 sounds fairly detailed, clean and well rounded, with a slightly warm midrange and a somewhat smooth treble, not a lot of upper treble quantity, but a fairly good bass presentation without considerable roll off in the sub bass. The sound has good contrast and control, plus a good instrument separation for the price. Connecting an external Amplifier like SMSL AO200 to it, using a pair of NHT C3 Speakers, or connecting Edifier S1000DB to S10, I hear a really clean and fun presentation. The sound is considerably more detailed, cleaner and has less overall background noise than using the 3.5mm headphone output or line out of my Comptuer / Motherboard (Gigabyte), and has better definition, resolution and clarity than using my smartphone. S10 is slightly above in clarity, definition and background noise to using a FiiO BTA30, but has a different usage scenario.



Comparisons



Arylic S10 vs Triangle AIO Connect (79 USD vs 150 USD) - We have two very different Streamers here today. The biggest difference is that while S10 cannot do any kind of digital output, AIO Connect has a really noisy analogue output and using it via its line out was almost impossible, the noise floor being generally very audible. This is why direct comparisons would be complicated, AIO has the advantage of using an external DAC which may be more potent than S10, but it also has a starting price of double that of S10, where S10 replaces the DAC in a system. I would recommend considering AIO Triangle as a Streamer for more expensive setups, and S10 for entry-level, bedroom, or bedside setups where having a simple DAC with a simple AMP or even active speakers is fun and feasible.



Value and Conclusion

Here we have it, the most affordable streamer I ever tested, and it never felt cheap, rushed or undercooked, so I'm happy to report that S10 surprised me in a pleasant way, as the company always did so far. The overall sonic performance is superb for the money, and most DACs in this price range tend to come with some serious noise from all inputs, and be unusable, especially multi room setups.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a really good performance for the money, clean, clear sound with next to no background noise from any of the inputs, tons of inputs, and a fairly stable app, with good support from the company, S10 is fully recommended.

Dethonray Tender 1 - Sound Of Dreams



Detonray Tender 1 is a boutique high-end IEM with a 10mm Planar magnetic driver, and a price tag of 639 USD. It will be compared to other flagships, including Campfire Mammoth (650 USD), Moondrop Illumination (800 USD), and Metalure Wave (600 USD). I will also be including airings with Dethonray DTR1 + Prelude Music Player (1000 USD), Astell & Kern SE180 (1500 USD), and iBasso DX240 (950 USD).

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Introduction

I really hope you already read and enjoyed my review of the Dethonray DTR1+ Prelude Music Player, because there we got to know a bit more about the boutique producer Dethonray and their excellent design for DAPs, as well as their unique approach to music. Their music players are surely not made en masse, so they try to squeeze considerably more performance out of their designs by using different approaches to music. Their products are generally reliable, but their music player was fairly barebones, so it will be interesting to see how their IEMs will look and sound, considering that they also have a pretty barebone design.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Dethonray, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Dethonray and Mr. Anson for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Dethonray Tender 1 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:







The package of Tender 1 is actually also barebones, with two sets of tips included in the package, as well as the IEMS and their cable.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The technology behind Tender 1 is a tried and tested piece of tech, namely a single large dynamic driver, like Audeze employs in their Euclid, but much more affordable on Tender 1. The highlights of Tender 1 include a low impedance of just 28 OHMs, but paired with a low sensitivity of 98dB, which means that they will be somewhat hard to drive and will require a high quality source for the best possible sound. They have a rated power of 5mW and a maximum power of 10mW, although it is never clear exactly what those mean, as Tender 1 is an IEM that needs a ton of loudness from most music players to actually get loud.



The cable has a normal length of 1.2 meters, and is connected to the IEMs with a Gold Plated MMCX connector, and a single ended, 3.5mm jack. Like all Dethonray products to date, the IEMs were made with a single ended cable, but it is really easy to replace it and experiment with others, so you don't need to own Tender 1 and DTR1+ both to get the best enjoyment, although arguably, they will sound beautiful together. Speaking about he cable, it has a Silver construction, being a really high quality one, with no tangling and no over springy design, so Dethonray did not miss with it, the only downside being that it is Single Ended only, but they did make it especially for their own DTR1+ music player.



The IEMs have Aviation grade Aluminum Alloy, and they have a super ergonomic design that tries to follow the ear curve more than smaller IEMS. Tender 1 is available in Blue and Black, and they provide excellent actual wearing comfort for my ears, but they are slightly on the large and heavy side. Someone with ears smaller than mine may experience Tender 1 as too large. On the other hand, they are good at isolating you from the outside noise, providing between 15-25 dB of passive noise isolation, depending on the frequency.



There is good driver ventilation, with one ventilation port near the MMCX connector, and one on the belly of Tender 1, providing good protection against driver flex, which is not present with Tender 1. The metallic surface and touch is really pleasing and comfortable with Tender 1, and there is no discomfort while wearing them.



Sound Quality

I have tried pairing Tender 1 with most of the high end music players I have, including Astell & Kern SP2000T, iBasso DX220 MAX, iBasso DX300, Lotoo PAW6000 and Cyrus One Cast. The interesting part is that although all of them seem to give a beautiful sound to Tender 1, the best pairing for Tender 1 is by far with their own DTR1+ Prelude Music Player. The sonic part of today's review will be taken using DTR1+ Prelude Music Player, as well as Astell & Kern SE180 (as DTR1+ does not have USB DAC functions). The sound of Tender 1 is best at medium and higher volumes, for best dynamics, but the really good resolution and instrument layering helps a lot if you prefer to listen at quiet volume levels, and enjoy your music in peace, but still get the most detail available in it.



The signature of Tender 1 cn be described as really clean, resolute, analytical and U-Shaped, with good emphasis on both the sub bass and the upper treble, leading to a really crisp sound. The overall soundstage is natural in size, but Tender 1 has excellent layering and instrument separation, plus all instruments have perfect tonality and overall clarity, and a neutral presentation when it comes to their body, having the right amount of body to not be thin, but don't go into the thick and chugg part of sound.

The bass of Tender 1 is superb, as they are capable of rendering bass as low as 20 Hz, having excellent extension in the sub lows. The bass has a more neutral presentation after the initial strong sub-bass, which gives Tender 1 the U-Shaped presentation I was talking about. The bass is quick and has enough speed for Metal, rock, even Infant Annihilator and Queen Kona, the overall snare presentation having one of the quickest presentations provided by an IEM. Despite this, their sound is not overly fatiguing, and the analytical edge Tender 1 has is always kept in check by the musical midrange.



Speaking of the midrange, Tender 1 has a beautifully musical midrange, with excellent overall clarity, and an analytical presentation that still holds good musicality for guitar solos and other instruments. To expand on this, the midrange is really resolute and detailed, and the sound of Tender 1 is super clean and crisp, but they have a slightly wet character to their sound, so they are never dry or fatiguing, or grainy. This works well for basically all music styles, giving a detailed and clean presentation to all music, but gives the best overall presentation to rock, metal and acoustic music, where the analytical presentation helps recover details that are otherwise lost with smoother and warmer sounding IEMs. The overall dynamics are insane on Tender 1, and the Palnar driver tech helps with it, compared to most Balanced Armature based competitors, and even when placed against IEMs with dynamic drivers, the sound of Tender 1 is dynamic and punchy, although most folks will probably listen at levels quieter than those needed for the maximum dynamics, since their tuning is U-Shaped and requires less volume to get the same level of details and clarity compared to a natural or smooth tuned IEM. The dynamics, layering, instrument separation and overall definition gets better with higher volume. Tender 1 has exceptionally low distortions at maximum volume, despite the reserved specifications the company wrote on the back of their package.

The upper midrange has some emphasis, but it is not the strongest point in the highest of Tender 1, as their treble is something unique in the world of IEMs, their treble getting louder the higher it goes in the frequency range, basically making up for our natural lower hearing ability in the higher treble. The treble has a really clean and sparkly presentation, with a very slightly wet character that helps keep the treble in check from being harsh and fatiguing. Indeed, the treble of Tender 1 is really well done, fairly bright and sparkly, peppy, but still not grainy or fatiguing. The raw quantity of the treble alone may be a bit much if you're looking for a smooth signature, but for my ears, it is perfect and I never felt the need to remove Tender 1, even after listening for hours at uber high volumes.



Comparisons



Dethonray Tender 1 vs Campfire Mammoth (639 USD vs 650 USD) - The overall signature is very different between the Mammoth and Tender 1, but the first thing you will notice is that Tender 1 is larger and Mammoth is smaller physically and more comfortable. In fact, the sound of Tender 1 is more closely related to the sound of Campfire Holocene, but somehow most requests for comparisons for Tender 1 have been to compare them with Mammoth. The overall signature of Mammoth is heavy, thick, powerful and full. The signature of Tender 1 is crisp, lean, airy, wide and considerably brighter, with a particularly better treble presentation. Mammoth will be great for someone looking for a deep and full sounding IEM, and someone who doesn't want a lot of treble, but for someone looking for an analytical IEM with more detail, better clarity, and a much more airy presentation, and more information in the higher registers, then Tender 1 should be the natural choice. Tender 1 also has a more musical midrange, that is leaner, and easier to enjoy with rock and metal, where Mammoth seems better made for Jazz, Rap and certain Deep House styles.

Dethonray Tender 1 vs Moondrop Illumination (639 USD vs 800 USD) - We have an interesting comparison here, because Illumination, at least on paper, should sound better than Tender 1, but in actual practice, the treble of Illumination sounds quite blunted compared to the actual good extension and air of Tender 1. Illumination is the kind of IEM that has excellent bass and a thicker presentation in the mids, but the upper midrange and lower treble ends everything a bit soon, at about 8-10kHz, after which there's less information in the higher registers, compared to Tender 1, which has excellent overall treble even up to the highest registers. The midrange is also more musical, more analytical, and more detailed on Tender 1, although Illumination has a more solid and stronger bass, Tender 1 having slightly better sub bass.

Dethonray Tender 1 vs Metalure Wave (639 USD vs 600 USD) - Metalure wave is a good example of an IEM that is larger and heavier than Tender 1, but which was still fairly comfortable, iud you need to mentally place Tender 1 in the comfortability of IEMs out there. With Wave, the weight is more of an issue than is the size alone, whereas with Tender 1, the size may be the largest deterrent. The overall clarity of both IEMS is great, but they have a really different tuning, with Tender 1 being much more focused on the treble, and having a much thinner sound, Wave being one of the thickest and smoothest IEMs I heard to date, with one of the best overall bass thickness and substantial midrange presentations I heard. By comparison, Tender 1 manages to squeeze considerably better treble presentation, with more energy, more clarity and better sparkle, more information in the higher registers, and a more airy presentation. The soundstage of Tender 1 is considerably larger, and their levels of body for each musical instrument is closer to natural, where Wave is a thickening agent. They will surely appeal to very different customers and music lovers. The midrange is dynamic, engaging and musical on both IEMs.



Pairings



Dethonray Tender 1 + DTR1+ Prelude Music Player (639 USD vs 1000 USD) - To my surprise, this has been the best pairing for Tender 1, and it is visible that somehow Dethonray and Mr. Anson managed to optimize them to work the best together, as the pairing provides the best overall clarity, depth, musicality and engagement in the midrange. The overall soundstage has a really natural size, but excellent separation and layering, with the stereo imaging also being superb, DTR1 + really being able to take Tender 1 to a whole new level compared to what you'd expect when hearing them driven from a smartphone or dongle DAC.

Dethonray Tender 1 + Astell & Kern SE180 (639 USD vs 1500 USD) - We have a smoother, warmer source in SE180, as it provides less sparkle in the treble for Tender 1, and they are brighter tuned IEM, so this change can be welcome, especially if you're easily fatigued by stronger top end. The dynamics are also insanely good, along with the overall resolution and detail. The bass and low end is slightly better than with most sources, and the Astell & Kern Bass effect, where it provides a more substantial low end, is present once again, giving Tender 1 a really solid sonic tuning.

Dethonray Tender 1 + iBasso DX240 (639 USD vs 950 USD) - DX240, especially if paired with AMP8MK2 will actually sound similar to DTR1+ and will give Tender 1 a similar, engaging, dynamic and punchy sound, but with more versatility as a music player, as DX240 can run Android apps, and has more functions, including a balanced output (not that it would matter for Tender 1 in particular). The overall sonics of the pairing are vivid, clean and sparkly, with a stronger upper treble, good bass extension and tons of detail, plus a wide stage, with good instrument separation.



Value and Conclusion

For the price being paid, 639, Tender 1 is an excellent IEM with great build quality, a super high quality cable, ergonomic design, and detailed sound that actually is more resolute than most competition in the price range, yet which is still musical and enjoyable.



I want to take the chance to add Tender 1 to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame, but as a subchapter of, and part of the entrance for the DTR1+ Prelude Music Player, as the pairing is simply so good together that you want to get both of them if you go for either.



At the end of the day, Tender 1 is a well made boutique IEM with a good price performance ratio, a really resolute sound, and if you're looking for affordability and planar magnetic drivers in portable Earphones, Tender 1 is an excellent choice, and available from your favorite shops.

Zoom F6 Portable 32-Bit Float Point Recorder - Ultimate Portable Interface



Zoom F6 is the latest, strongest and best (spec wise) portable recorder made by Zoom, and comes with a price tag of 700 USD. Today we will explore it and its abilities, and we will also explore how it compares to Zoom H5(280 USD), Zoom H2n(200 USD), Lotoo Paw 1(500 USD), and we will also be exploring pairings between Zoom F6 and Rode NTG-2 Shotgun Microphone and Rode NTG-3B Shotgun Microphone.

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Introduction

Zoom is a big name for anyone who ever had to record something, literally anything. They generally make the best recorders if you need to be on the go, and portable recorders usually tend to have much better quality than most interfaces, although if you're working a lot on a computer you can even use most Zoom products as digital USB interfaces. Zoom is generally really reliable and most of their products are used beyond death, with movie producers using older zoom recorders even to date, and even in big budget movies. This is the same for game studios and music recording, zoom products being employed literally everywhere people need to record audio.



It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Zoom. I'd like to thank Zoom for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with the Zoom F6 Portable Recorder. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Zoom F6 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:









Zoom F6 comes in a large package, but if you're looking for many extras, there really aren't many. Most zoom products come with a carrying case, but given the shape and size of Zoom F6, you'll mostly have to rely on third party creative cases for this one. The package of F6 includes:

• The field recorder itself
• A camera mount adapter, to hold it on your camera
• 4 AA batteries (non rechargeable)
• Quick Start Guide
• Cubase LE download code
• Wavelab LE download code

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Functionality

Zoom F6 is very different from the original Zoom H5 I've been using for years now, and they really improved on the reliability and overall build quality parts with the new one. We have a nice color display this time around, with VU Meters, and 6 separate volume wheels for controlling the volume of Zoom F6's inputs. This is really useful for those who use different microphones at the same time.



Zoom designed this unit to be as robust as possible, with a full metallic body, and metallic latches for all of its XLR inputs. We have 32bit Float processing, and dual AD or Analogue to Digital converters inside F6, and this applies to all of its 6 XLR inputs. The amount of dynamic range that F6 is capable of processing goes from whispers all the way to metal concerts and rocket launches, the 32-bit float processing meaning that it should never run out of dynamic range and should never distort. This does not eliminate the need for processing your sound, but it allows you to recover information even if the difference in loudness was extreme at the moment of recording.

Since F6 is a field recorder, this means that it will have to record sound and music in very inconvenient situations, and that it is prepped to go with you wherever you need it. To comply with the most hardcore recording situations (for example recording bird sounds in the forest, recording waterfalls, and other sound effects necessary for movie and game design), F6 is designed with three different power supply options, including 4 X AA batteries (works with rechargeable batteries), Sony L-Series batteries, and it also works with an AD-17 AC Adapter. The Sony L-Series batteries are not included in the package, but if you decided to invest in F6, you probably know what you're doing already, and don't mind spending a bit more on an external battery. I have been using F6 mostly with the 4 X AA battery option, and I've done this with rechargeable batteries, time in which I found out that Eneloop Pro batteries from Phillips have the best overall battery life.



F6 also features Advanced Look-Ahead Hybrid Limiters, and it has switchable +4dB inputs for mic/line. We have the highest quality of preamplifier embedded in F6, with up to 75dB gain, and -127dBu EIN. This, once again, works for all 6 XLR inputs, and each input has two tracks, so you can do 6-Channels and 14-track recording at the same time, with F6. We have a monitoring jack, 3.5mm Stereo single ended / unbalanced jack, and the headphone output is actually an audiophile-grade 100mW volume control.

The SD slot can accommodate SD cards as high as 512GB, and since the data rate isn't extremely high, F6 recording only audio, you won't need to purchase special cards for it either.



You can even use Zoom F6 as an audio interface to record music to your computer, a situation in which it works up to 48kHz, and it can do both recording to the microSD card, and recording to your PC, at the same time. There's a Zoom F Control App for iOS that allows wireless remote controlling, file renaming and metadata entry, but as far as I know, there is no Android variant available out there yet. Zoom features an algorithm named Zoom Automix which helps you with volume leveling and lowers the need to always change the volume, and will automatically adjust the volume of your mix to reduce the ambient sound.

For professional filmmakers, Zoom designed F-Control FRC-8 which has 60mm faders and controls for trim, pan and track arming, although this is a hardware component sold separately. Since VR and 3D content has been making a huge rise for everyone, Zoom has an Ambisonics mode, and it offers A-to-B decoding and balanced ain linking, allowing for VR, and AR sonic capture for 360 degrees audio.



Each one of the six XLR inputs has Neutrick XLR Connectors with locks on them, and individual volume knobs. You can see the volume as you adjust it on the display, and it is adjustable by 1dB. The Zoom F6 also has record, stop, pause and play controls on the face, and a 1.54" LCD monitor that's bright and will easily be visible while in the field.



Recording usage & Experience

If you never used a recorder before, setting up F6 will take about 5 minutes until you configure everything and you're ready to go. I do not really recommend it for beginners, since it is a pretty professional unit, but it will offer the absolutely best sonic quality and performance from all portable recorders, so it will be useful. This is the kind of recorder used at Hollywood for big movies, so don't be shy, even if it looks rather small and pocket-friendly.



I have tried using Zoom F6 with multiple microphones, most of them Shotgun type, and it features a 3kOhm input impedance, with options for phantom power of 24 Volts or 48 Volts. This works much better than you can imagine, all microphones sound great, and my favorite part is that using the phantom power from F6 sounds considerably better than using batteries on microphones that allow it, like the Rode series of shotgun mics.

Zoom F6 makes everything really easy as it has volume meters with peak indicators, so you know when your mic is set too loud. I would personally suggest setting the sound in such a way that the volume on the monitor never shows peaks above -6dB and I would suggest increasing the volume in post, using a simple audio editor app. It is really easy to match video and F6's audio if you clap right after you press record, this being the main way people have been syncing video with audio.



F6 is really rugged, has some edges, and does not require a lot of special protection, but will scratch rather easily and my unit already has some usage signs, even though I mainly used it indoors and the only times where it could get scratched have been when it was in a backpack next to IEMs and headphones, for the B-Rolls and photo shots.



I have been powering the Rode NTG-2 Microphone from Zoom F6 and Zoom H5n. It requires phantom power, so here the quality of the recoder is quite important. H5n struggles with NTG-2, which requires quite a bit of power, and you can hear some distortion when you increase the volume on H5n, and you generally can't get it loud enough without distorting, and increasing the volume in post results in far more distortion than F6, which is completely silent, and provides a much cleaner, deeper and distortion-free sound.

The same happens when I try to power Rode NTG-3B, which also requires phantom power, and where the quality of the recorder also shines through, but this one is different. NTG-3B requires very little power and will happily work with both Zoom H5 and Zoom F6, but the sound is quite different. NTG-3B picks up noise floors really easily and even at lower volumes, Zoom H5, as well as other more budget oriented recorders will have a somewhat high noise floor with NTG-3B, which sounds like a constant hissing and background noise that's happening. This does not happen with Zoom F6, and it is able to not only have enough power for Rode NTG-2, which eats power like candy, but also have enough control and a low enough noise floor for Rode NTG-3B.



Sound Quality

The two major parts of F6's sonic performance when recording are the microphone preamplifiers, and the ADC or Analogue to Digital converters that help convert the sound recorded to digital information that our computers can read and process. F6 features top of the line, ultra high-end microphone preamplifiers, as well as ADC or analogue to digital converters, and it is one of the best sounding microphone recorders / interface / portable recorders that money can buy in 2022.



The overall sound of F6 can be described as really clean, clear, with no colorations, but extremely low distortion. It is possible to tell apart the sound recorded by F6 and H5, as well as other recorders, as F6 has a much better overall clarity and detail level, with much less background noise, microphone hissing and overall distortions. If you've been following my Audiophile-Heaven Youtube Channel, I tend to have some dynamic variation in my videos, where sometimes I would be quite quiet, and other times I would talk much louder, and this would show as pretty bad clipping on H5 as well as H2n, and other recorders too, Zoom F6 being the first recorder that shows absolutely no clipping or stress when the dynamic is quite high.

Zoom F6 is great for recording music, even live concerts as well, and you can mic multiple singers, as well as instruments, thanks to its 6 XLR inputs, plus the sound is always really clean, clear and crisp with no background noise. Comparing just the sonics with Zoom H5, F6 has much better impact, and H5 tends to sound somewhat loose and wooly, with much more background noise. F6 is really noise and hiss free, and tends to have much lower distortion at high volumes.



F6 has a really good quality for sound effects as well, and if you've been following my works, you probably heard about Seventh Heart Studios and our upcoming game Eternal Hour. I have used Zoom F6 to record some sound effects for Eternal Hour, and the quality is really good, you can use a shotgun mic to isolate a specific sound, for example a bird call, or a car honk, or you can use a dynamic microphone to record voice, and provide voice acting for a commercial project. I will be one of the voice actors in Eternal Hour too, and will definitely be using zoom F6 for recording my voice, although I have not yet decided which side character I will be playing. Since I'm the Director and the Programmer too, I don't want to take the spotlight from actual professional voice actors who are much better at VA and Voiceover work.

With F6 you get a really clean representation of sound all across the frequency range. This makes it perfect for recording both voice and instruments, where most recorders tend to have some roll-off in either the treble or the bass. Usually, the microphone attached to a recorder is more of a limiting factor than the recorder, and the recorder mainly dictates the dynamic, clarity and detail of the recording rather than the depth in the lows or extension in the highs. This being said, doing side by side comparisons from videos I filmed using both I can say for sure that F6 is the top of all the recorders I used to date, and even using the same microphone with all of them, the sound will still be highly different between recorders, just like it changes when using different AMPs, DAPs and DACs for listening to music.



Comparisons

To start the comparisons part of today's review, I want to highlight a few videos with audio recorded using Zoom F6. Please check this, this and this video to understand how F6 sounds like. You can use this to compare the sound quality between recorders. I will also be making a dedicated video where I highlight the differences in audio between all the recorders I've used throughout time, to help you better understand how they sound.



Zoom F6 vs Zoom H5 (700 USD vs 280 USD) - You can check a video recorded with Zoom H5 here, and one with Zoom F6 here. It should highlight the differences between F6 and H5 fairly well. The usability of the two is different, I never seen H5 as a rugged type of device, and always had to pay tons of attention to not breaking it. It is also made of plastic and feels less like a high-end outdoors interface, but you can see it being used by Disney productions along with youtubers with millions of views for artistic projects, so it is not much less of a recorder, just a different option. F6 sounds like a huge upgrade over the H5, with a much much better dynamic, less distortion at both high and low levels, with much more clarity, better textures to voice (more natural texture, H5 sounds smoother, but lacks the proper timbre to sound natural), and F6 sounds considerably more controlled too, especially when you're using a better microphone that shows the differences. I am, of course, talking about using the same external mic, because H5 has an embedded XY mic, which for about half of the price of F6 is a really nice bonus. We're talking about a device with which you can already start recording in Zoom H5, while with F6, you invest about 700 USD in F6, and you need to pay at least 400-600 USD more on a high quality microphone to justify your purchase. The XY mic of H5 is perfect for sound effects as well, plus it is more portable than having F6 + a cable + a microphone, but the quality is better on F6. You will have to adjust to the scope of your project, and decide on whether you can carry F6 and want a better sound, or if you can settle for H5 and don't need to invest more in an interface.

Zoom F6 vs Zoom H2n (700 USD vs 200 USD) - Please check out this video with the audio recorded on H2n here. H2n is a mini recorder with no XLR input, and has multiple microphones, in both XY pairs, and a MS setting. Using H2 feels antiquated, it has a mini USB interface, compared to the Type-C interface of F6, and H2n is perfect for someone who's just starting with audio and needs a really entry-level solution for their audio. It can be great for a small band trying to record a demo, or if you're doing a small artistic project, but you will hear its limitations very quickly. Just like how Zoom H5's XY microphone takes in more noise than a dedicated shotgun mic, it also takes Echo, and with XY mics, you hear the room you're recording in. This is really nice if you go outdoors and need to record sound effects, especially if you want them to be stereo, but it is really not a good approach for voice. The MS option of H2n sounds better for voice, but H5 sounds much more clear, more dynamic, more detailed and has less background noise, plus less distortions than using H2n, so I upgraded from H2n to H5 in the past, even though it added some more echo to my recordings. Since H2n cannot be used with external microphones, I want to mention that the headphone output has a lot of noise and hissing, and you cannot use it as a direct interface to input microphone to your PC and play through the result to do Karaoke, as I tried doing that and the result is quite noisy. At the end of the day, H2n has a really clean and clear sound if you're recording on a microSD card, and if you can take advantage of its XY microphone or MS microphone, but if you can afford to invest, Zoom H5 is a huge improvement, and Zoom F6 + a proper microphone is on another planet entirely. F6 has considerably better overall dynamic, better details, better timbre, more resolution, less distortions, less background noise, but it also costs considerably more, being the tool of a professional, where H2n is a perfect tool for a beginner, as I was when I started doing Youtube.

Zoom F6 vs Lotoo Paw 1 (700 USD vs 500 USD) - No video is available on Paw s1 right now, but I am working on one, you should see it on my Youtube Channel once I manage to finish one. Paw S1 is an XY microphone / interface, just like Zoom H2n, and it provides a different approach, with built-in memory and a better headphone output, but at a considerably higher price than H2n, closer to H5. Comparing H5 and Paw 1, they are close to each other, and the XY microphone configuration is great on both, H5 being larger and having XLR inputs as well, so better for an artistic project and if you will be getting shotgun microphones sometime in the future. Paw 1 is more like a high-end Zoom H2n, where it is rugged, high quality in build, and can resist aggressive usage without taking damage. The sound of F6 is still above all of them in resolution, clarity, detail, depth, dynamics and how little background noise / hissing there is with any microphone. You will need to process the sound of all of them somewhat, but the sound straight out of F6 is almost perfect and I can totally recommend it to any aspiring musician and filmmaker looking for a high-end interface, while Paw1 is better for a reporter, or someone who needs a tiny, yet nimble recorder to take notes, or sound effects.



Value and Conclusion

It was really fun reviewing, and using Zoom F6 for the months I've been using it, and I can say for sure that if you're an aspiring digital media creator, filmmaker or youtuber, or if you're a game designer, the F6 is worth every single dollar from its price tag. You never know the pain if you have never been outdoors, filming all day, then you come back home and notice that your setup was done wrong and that now you have no audio or that it is corrupted / broken.



There are many recorders to choose from, but none so far hasn't ever provided the level of clarity, precision and low levels of distortion that Zoom F6 is able to deliver, and I'm talking about larger mixers and such too. If you're on the Go, and if you're a filmmaker, if you want to make some awesome content, you'll want to know that Zoom F6 is the thing to get.



In fact, even big productions and big studios, including series from Disney and big movies, along with rock and metal bands are using Zoom interfaces and portable recorders. Most movies and series are filmed in conditions where you simply can't bring a full sized interface connected to a power source, so portable recorders like Zoom F6 are perfect and just the thing to get to get that crisp, perfect audio. At the moment I'm writing this full written review, I just posted my video review on FiiO BTR5 2021, and because it had poor audio (it was not recorded with F6), it did not bring new subscribers, but videos on much more obscure products that have a good audio tend to bring new subscribers, so for Youtubing as well as artistic videos, audio is more than half the value of that video.



Before closing today's full written review, I want to add Zoom F6 to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame as one of the most recommended interfaces, but not only. This is the kind of product that you can use for driving IEMS and Headphones too, and although it doesn't have an ergonomic interface for headphones, it could be just the perfect tool for recording voice for a studio. Don't forget, it works both as a soundcard interface, and can record to its own microSD card at the same time.



At the end of today's review, zoom took me by surprise with their F6, and although I was not a strong believer in the quality of interfaces, F6 delivers really nicely, and delivers on everything it promises to deliver. It is an interface with a detailed, vivid, and clean sound, no distortions, and it is perfect for both novices, but also professional film makers, and game developers too.

KBEar Aurora - Arctic Sunrise



KBEar Aurora is a high quality IEM priced at 169 USD, available from Amazon, and comes with a large 10mm single dynamic driver, and a nice thick blue cable. They will be compared to other high quality IEMs including Dunu Falcon PRO (220 USD), Linsoul 7Hz Timeless (220 USD), and QoA Queen of Audio Adonis (190 USD). It has been confirmed that a new version of Aurora with different aesthetics will be released soon, but I confirmed it with KB Ear and Ms. Wendy that the sound will be absolutely the same, so the review is valid for all variations of Aurora from KB Ear.

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Introduction

KBEar has long been known for high quality affordable IEMs, and good reliability both of their products, but they decided it is time to dip their toes in a higher price range, so we have the Aurora we're reviewing today, an IEM with a considerably higher price tag than previous KBEAR releases, but with a package and sonic performance to match the tag. If you want to purchase KBEar products, it is best to use Amazon and Linsoul when possible, as shipping costs quite a bit to and from China, and local / international shops usually have much quicker solution times than shipping something back to the producers in China.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with KBEAR, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank KBEAR for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in KBEAR Aurora find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:







The package of Aurora is actually better than what we're used to seeing from KBEAR, as this time they invested in a pretty nice box, with a few interesting extras included, the biggest one being the beautiful leather carrying case. The full package includes:

• Aurora earphones
• Stock cable
• Four pairs of colorful ear tips
• Three pairs of grey red ear tips
• Cleaning brush
• User guide

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The Shell of Aurora is made from an Aluminum Alloy with vacuum plating. The shell is a bright silver in color and decorated with brilliant blue outline, writing and accents. KB Ear got quite serious with Aurora as they included a 10mm Tintanium Dome Dynamic Driver, customized for them.

The cable that is included with Aurora is a bright blue in color, which subjectively is a bit odd / weird to see, but it is of a very high quality, flexible, very safe from microphonic noise, and not tangle prone. The Cable connects to the IEM with a 2-Pin connector that has just the right tightness for actual usage, and the cable is a silver plated copper wire cable.



Aurora has an impedance of about 18 OHMs, and they are somewhat sensitive to hissing, especially from noisier sources, or sources with a high output impedance. Their rated frequency response is from 20 hz to 20 kHz, and their Sensitivity is of 105dB, but they are mostly easy to drive and won't be an issue for most smartphones and portable sources. Although KBEAR have been courageous with their photo shots, I would advice against sprinkling water on Aurora as they do not have an IPX Rating.

The actual wearing comfort is subjectively excellent, and Aurora is one of the most comfortable IEMS I had in my ears, despite their somewhat large size and slightly heavy design. They have a really ergonomic inner design, and present no driver flex for my ears, plus the default white tips installed on them work just well for me, and they have an ergonomic soft wrap for their cable. The cable is also of an excellent quality, and Aurora generally feels like a high-end IEM as far as the construction goes.



There is a lot of ventilation on Aurora, inside and lateral, so the passive noise isolation is mostly average, and I can hear myself quite clearly typing with no music on, but even at very quiet levels music will cover my typing noise. Aurora leaks very little and it is ok for portable usage if you don't want to bring too much attention your way.



Sound Quality

Before writing today's review, I have allowed about 150 hours of burn-in for Aurora, to keep things fair towards them, and I have used the cable they come with. I also used a multitude of sources, all from their single ended outputs, since Aurora does not come with a balanced cable. The list of sources includes Astell & Kern SE180, Astell & Kern SP2000T, iBasso DX240, iBasso DX300, Lotoo PAW6000, and Dethonray DTR1+ Prelude. I noticed that they prefer being paired with a stronger source, and despite their low impedance, they will become more engaging and more dynamic if the source has a good headroom, and Aurora scales well with the source. Aurora is somewhat tip dependent and you will get much better and more accurate bass and mids if using tips that compliment your ears and your fit with them.



The overall signature of Aurora can be described as slightly V-Shaped, clean, clear, it has a flat tendency where it doesn't have a strong emphasis on lows and highs and only a moderate one. The detail level is good, resolution is good, but soundstage width is extremely impressive, as Aurora produces a really wide and holographic sound with a lot of space in between, but at the cost of instrument separation, as instruments are less separated than on competitors. The fact that the company managed to design a unique tuning is surprising and I like the Aurora for ethereal and atmospheric music, but the somewhat scattered and airy presentation won't work quite as well for forward and aggressive music. The louder you go with Aurora, the more detailed, more dynamic and more engaging it sounds.

The bass of Aurora is clean, very deep and very nuanced, with beautiful subsonic presentation, and there is no significant roll off that I can detect and talk about, which puts Aurora way ahead of the competition in terms of bass. It won't cover the base for diehard bassheads, but for most users who just want a nice sub and bass, the Aurora sonic presentation is really well balanced and fun, both for EDM, Electronic, Metal, House and Rap. The mid bass in particular has some recess to it, which can make Aurora slightly cold, but avoids the boominess and bloom of the lows. The bass has natural speed, slow enough to be natural with all music, and quick enough to work for metal and rock.



The midrange of Aurora is unique. They clearly have a large shape inside the IEM with the function to create dispersion, or the driver is tuned quite uniquely, because they have a huge soundstage to my ears, with a ton of width, and a really holographic presentation, but at the cost of instrument separation which is fair rather than good. The midrange has a sweet tonality and works perfectly for female voices, guitars, and even more aggressive instruments such as trumpets sound enjoyable and non-fatiguing, non-harsh. The midrange has a natural speed to it, and the character of Aurora is slightly wet and splashy, which makes it fluid and musical with pretty much all music styles. Aurora is fairly engaging and dynamic, without a visible compression for their sound.

We have a nicely extended treble with Aurora, as it reaches about 14kHz, which is quite good for the price. The treble lacks the last few sparkles of air, but has excellent resolution until the 14kHz it presents, and it has a ton of detail, Aurora doing quite good with their treble. The treble speed is quick, but has a somewhat wet character, so the treble is harshness free and sibilance free at the same time. The treble quantity relative to the midrange is somewhat high and Aurora has both ends uplifted above the mids, but the midrange isn't distant or too recessed, just moderately so with most music. Most people will hear Aurora as balanced-natural-slightly V-Shaped.



Comparisons



KBEar Aurora vs Linsoul 7Hz Timeless (169 USD vs 220 USD) - Timeless seems to have received mostly love, although like any thing that exists in this lovely world, there are those who didn't like it quite as much. The comfort is comparable between them, although the faceplates of Timeless that are large are slightly less comfortable for me, Aurora winning in the comfort aspect. The sound is more technical and more detailed on Timeless, but it also has much stronger treble and a more fatiguing sound that's brighter, despite also having more sub bass as well, being more aggressively V-Shaped. Timeless is more technical, and also more pricey, but Aurora has a more enjoyable midrange, with a more natural tonality, and is more musical as well as smoother in the mids and less aggressive, which works well with all music styles as long as you're not looking for an aggressive signature on purpose.

KBEar Aurora vs Queen of Audio QOA Adonis (169 USD vs 190 USD) - Adonis is a great IEM, and one that I recommend heavily, but as far as comfort goes, Aurora is slightly more comfortable than Adonis, which tends to be slightly larger despite being slightly more rounded. The sound is more analytical from Adonis, with a brighter, more technical approach, as they have a more detailed sound, and a quicker speed to bass, treble and midrange. Aurora sounds more natural, and it is easier to enjoy with rock, metal as well as electronic music, despite the slightly lower resolution. For those who are detail addicts and who want a really quick and revealing sound, Adonis is still awesome, but for those who want a stronger sub bass, and a more balanced tonality, Aurora is easier to recommend, and should bring a smile to your face quicker.

KBEar Aurora vs Dunu Falcon PRO (169 USD vs 220 USD) - Dunu Falcon-Pro is slightly larger than Aurora, and Aurora is generally slightly more comfortable than Falcon Pro, also slightly less dependent on tip rolling. Having tested them side by side, Falcon Pro is considerably warmer in the midrange and mid bass, it has more warmth, slightly more thickness and more substance, where Aurora has a colder, brighter sound that's more sparkly. Dunu is more open, as in wider, but not necessarily more holographic than Aurora. Aurora extends better in both the sub bass and the upper treble, where Falcon-Pro's performance is slightly worse at both ends. Aurora does really well for those who want a more technical sound with more focus on detail, where Falcon Pro is more romantic, and better for those who appreciate a warmer sound with less focus on the technical aspect.



Value and Conclusion

KBEar seriously outdone themselves with Aurora, and this is the kind of IEM that I enjoyed a lot and can safely recommend to friends, close ones and those looking for a high price / performance ratio. Everything, from the package, build quality, and the sonic performance is excellent with Aurora and I consider KBEar to be improving and providing better and better products every day, Aurora being a good example of it, as they punch nicely for their 169 USD price point. I have enjoyed my time with Aurora quite a bit, despite having pretty low expectations and I find it to be fun to the point where I will listen to it even after posting today's review.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a natural sounding IEM with a good amount of width, a fair instrument separation and excellent overall detail for the money, Aurora is an excellent choice, and as long as you remember to try some tip rolling, you should have an excellent experience with them, and they are a fully recommended purchase.



Specifications

Driver unit: 10mm Strong Magnetic Nano Titanium-plated Diaphragm
Earphone shell: High grade aluminum alloy
Interface/Connector：2PIN 0.78MM
Plug type: 3.5MM
Impedance: 18±2Ω
Sensitivity: 105±3dB
Frequency response：20hz-20KHZ
Cable length: 1.2m
Cable material: 8 core OFC silver-plated cable without microphone

Hifi Expert KLH Ultimate One - Basshead Impact From Future



KLH Ultimate One is a high-end, open-back pair of headphones priced at 400 USD in Europe (including taxes), sold and fulfilled by Hifi Expert in Romania. Given the price point, the main competitors will be Sendy Audio Apollo (500 USD), Sennheiser HD660S (500 USD), Avantone Pro Planar (450 USD).

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Introduction

If you've been following Audiophile-Heaven, you probably know that we are from Romania, and the team is basically me and my girlfriend, taking photos and doing reviews, plus friends whom we change sonic impressions with. But the heavy work is done here, locally, in Bucharest, so it is always interesting to see how local shops react to the existence as well as interest of a reviewer, Hifi Expert being the shop that is the most fun to visit. They are the official dealer / importer / distributor for Yamaha, as well as other big name brands like Aurender, Triangle, and others, and they have large showrooms with tons of products for music lovers to test and enjoy. Taking a visit to Hifi Expert is a wonderful experience, as you're met by a team of knowledgeable, warm and friendly folks ready to help you with every step of your audio journey.

They are ready to help with both new customers, and entry-level folks, but also with audiophiles who already have a huge system and want help with room treatment and acoustic measures, as Hifi Expert has everything in store, from entry level IEMs and Headphones, all the way to high-end flagship Speakers, streamers, and more. I appreciate the fact that Hifi Expert is selling those for the equivalent of 400 USD, which is a good price considering the Ultimate One pricing in other European Countries.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Hifi Expert or KLH, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Hifi Expert for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in KLH Ultimate One find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:









The package of KLH Ultimate One is actually a high quality one, with a nice carrying case, a carrying pouch and the cable included in the package.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

KLH Ultimate One is a high-end headphone, made from wood and plastic, with metallic parts supporting the earcups and the adjusting mechanism. It looks as high-end as it goes, with a really nice adjusting mechanism that is smooth, and with a detachable cable, based on a single 3.5mm Stereo 3-Pole Jack, found on the left earcup, at the bottom.



The cable is quite long, and it is ended in a 3.5mm single ended jack, with a spring stress relief, and can work with an adapter from 3.5mm to 6.3mm for bigger pieces of equipment. The cable is ultra flexible, and does not conduct microphonic noise. The cable is also made of pure silver litz and has a braided textile cover material to help with its integrity long term. The headphones are made in the USA, with a large 50mm Pure Beryllium Driver, and with Premium Lambskin for the headband and Earpads. The wood of the cups is Zebrawood, and it helps with the acoustic integrity of Ultimate One, plus they are fairly light at 340 grams, but still feel really well made.

Diving deeper into the specifications of Ultimate One, we have 32 OHMs of impedance, which is a fairly typical impedance, and we have a sensitivity of 97 dB, which means that Ultimate One is going to be somewhat hard to drive from portables. The comfort of Ultimate One is fair, they are mostly soft in the earpads and the headband, but the earpads are small for my ears, and the fit is leaning towards being on-ear rather than over-the-ear. This being said, once you've been wearing the Ultimate One for a while, about 10 - 20 minutes, the earpads get softer, and they become more comfortable. I have medium towards large sized ears, so that plays a role too, as for my girlfriend the earpads are more than okay.



Ultimate One is a fully open back headphone, so they do not isolate, and the leakage levels are medium for an open back headphone, those around you will hear music at a conversational level, if you are blasting it fairly loud, and will hear your music whispered if you're listening at medium listening levels. Ultimate One isolates enough so that I cannot hear my own typing sounds if I'm playing music, even at fairly quiet levels. The leakage levels are lower than a HIFIMAN Deva PRO, but higher than a Beyerdynamic Amiron.



Sound Quality

For driving the KLH Ultimate One, I've been using high-end sources, including Astell & Kern SE180, iBasso DX240, Cyrus One Cast, Dethonray DTR1+, and Lotoo PAW 6000. KLH Ultimate One is fairly silent with all sources and will not reveal too much background noise, and it is fairly independent of the source, sounding good even with more affordable sources, including FiiO M11 PRO, iBasso DX160, Lotoo PAW S1, and Hifi Walker H2 Portable Music Player. I am going at a solid 70% on most sources, and close to 85% in volume for loud listening, so Ultimate One needs some juice to play well, and their large Beryllium dynamic drivers surely love a powerful source.



The sound of Ultimate One can be described as lush, smooth, fluid, thick, very well separated, forward in voices, with a smooth and gentle treble, tons of dynamics, details, and a very precise soundstage. When you first hear them, the sound is slightly dark in tuning, with more lower midrange, and bass than upper midrange and treble, but that feeling goes away fairly quickly, and as you listen more, you start noticing more of their beautiful sound, a sound with tons of details, but excellent imaging and a musical presentation. Ultimate One sounds best at high volumes, where it is the most dynamic, most punchy and most colorful.

The bass of Ultimate One is a central element of their sound, with a strong, bold, impactful bass that's as rumbly as it is thumpy, and which bears excellent detail and nuance. Ultimate One is excellent for rock, metal, but also for EDM, Jazz and classical, having the needed bottom end to render music full, lush and deep. Even songs like Apashe - Witch sound clean, with a deep and rumbly bottom end that vibrates the headphones on my head, feat almost impossible to get with most competitors that just render a bodiless vibration. Ultimate One has a really good amount of depth and can render bass as low as 20 Hz if you really push them, but they are best for music that's rhythmic as their bass has a natural speed and is capable of keeping up with quicker and more expressive music. If you need a way to think about KLH Ultimate One's bass, it sounds like a high-end subwoofer, will sound beautiful with any music style, but still won't distort even with bass boosted songs, Ultimate One having a huge headroom for EQ.



KLH designed a really musical midrange that's thick, laid back and lush. I actually noticed that I'm pumping more and more volume as I Ultimate One is distortion-free, and the laid back character means they're never fatiguing nor bothersome in any way. The midrange is smooth, clean and detailed. There are hints of some extra thickness, especially in the lower midrange, but the upper midrange is pleasing, for both more strident instruments like trumpets, but also for female voices which are presented sweet, fun and appealing. Ultimate One is one of the best headphones I heard in my entire reviewing time when it comes to instrument separation and stereo imaging, it doesn't simply cut instruments apart from each other, it just defines them really well. This is all aided by extreme amounts of dynamics. KLH managed to nail the tonality really well, and like most IEMs and Headphones based on a Beryllium driver, Ultimate One is able to deliver a musical and pleasing experience, with punchiness in both lows and mids.

The treble of Ultimate One is smooth, fluid and gentle, presented with a good amount of attenuation. Ultimate One is the kind of Headphone that will never be hot headed or troubling, but will still manage to be enjoyable and sparkly when it should. KLH managed to nail an interesting signature where the treble does not roll off completely, but it is pushed behind the midrange and the bass, still having enough presence for sound to be airy and wide. KLH Ultimate One is generally deeper than it is wide.



Comparisons



KLH Ultimate One vs Sennheiser HD660S (400 USD vs 500 USD) - Starting with the epic HD660S, a headphone that's better known that most, the sound of Ultimate One is actually much more pleasing, more relaxed, and with a much deeper, stronger, and more fluid bass. In fact, even the comfort is Ultimate One is better, as HD660S has a really tight, and hard earpad, and a hard headband, providing what I consider to be one of the most uncomfortable experiences for an open back headphone out there, although both of them have a really good build quality. The detail level is better on Ultimate One, but the tuning is a bit darker, more lush and thicker than HD660S which sounds brighter. KLH Ultimate One is more relaxing, it is smoother in the treble, where HD660S is actually brighter and can be harsh and fatiguing at times, compared to Ultimate One. If you have any love for bass, and if you enjoy a more detailed, yet musical sound, with good imaging and a natural soundstage, I recommend Ultimate One here, as both in comfort and overall sonics it is a better but much less known headphone than Sennheiser mighty warrior.

KLH Ultimate One vs Avantone Pro Planar (400 USD vs 450 USD) - Pro Planar actually is similar to Ultimate one in many ways, but it has larger earpads, and I would say a more industrial design. Most folks will prefer the zebra wood design of Ultimate One, and the sound is actually equal in detail, but Pro Planar has a slightly more dry sound, with more congested presentation, that helps reveal a bit more detail and textures in music, especially in the upper midrange and lower treble. Ultimate One is a better listening headphone, being smoother, having a better sub-bass extension than Pro Planar, and Ultimate One has better imaging and instrument separation. They are both excellent and work well for a multitude of usage scenarios, Ultimate One being better for listening, and enjoying music, while Avantone Pro Planar is a better Mixing / Mastering / Music Production Headphone.

KLH Ultimate One vs Sendy Audio Apollo (400 USD vs 500 USD) - Apollo is more comfortable than Ultimate One, with much larger earpads and much softer earpads. This won't matter as much for folks with small ears, but it will for those with elephant-like ears such as yours truly. The build quality is equal between them, and Ultimate One is more portable, coming with a flatter case, where the Apollo Carrying Case is a bit too bulky for me to consider truly portable, although arguably both offer great deals of protection to the headphones. The overall sonics are quite different, both headphones being smooth, clean, and musical, in similarities, but KLH Ultimate One having a bold, strong, and impactful sub-bass and bass, where Apollo is much flatter and more creamy in presentation. While those words don't make much sense before listening to them, Apollo has a softer impact in the bass, and more focus on the midrange, with a softer general sound, yet a similar level of detail to Ultimate One. Ultimate One is the headphone to get here if you like bass, and if you like impact, and an impressive, emotional sound.



Value and Conclusion

HiFi Expert and KLH presented us with a headphone that's a bit tight in the earpad size, but provides one of the most satisfying basshead experiences I've had with open back headphones, all without forgetting the technicalities and keeping an excellent detail, resolution, clarity, and instrument separation. In fact, Ultimate One brings all the advantages of a Beryllium coated driver, mixes them with a heavy and punchy presentation, and gives it a smooth treble, effectively creating one of the most engaging headphones ever created for rock, metal, rap, pop, electronic and more.



Before the end of today's review, KLH Ultimate One deserves a place in Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame for their engaging, punchy, deep sound, and for the resolution, detail and clarity they have. You should also check out HIFI Expert, the shop selling the Ultimate One, as it is one of the warmest, coziest, and most friendly hifi places I've seen in Romania, with a varied offer, and excellent prices, in relation to the typical European Prices.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a heavy, satisfying, lush, smooth and fluid headphone with excellent detail, excellent build quality, a punchy and impactful bass, smooth and musical midrange, and a smooth treble, but with a good soundstage, KLH Ultimate One should be perfect for you. Coming with a carrying case, and a one sided cable made of Silver, it should satisfy all listeners universally, regardless of your favorite music style.



Summary In Romanian

KLH Ultimate One este o pereche de casti deschisa, produsa in USA, de catre KLH, si vanduta in Romania de HIFI Expert, unul dintre cele mai mari magazine audio din Bucuresti. Acestea sunt o pereche de casti deschise, cu driveri mari de Beryllium, piele de miel pe earpads si pe headband, dar si cu o constructie metalica care sa ofere integritate structurala castilor.



In ciuda materialelor de inalta calitate utilizate in constructia KLH Ultimate One, avem parte de o greutate redusa, de doar 340 de grame, iar design-ul deschis permite un sunet mai aerisit decat cel tipic castilor inchise. Cablul este detasabil, si cu o conexiune de 3.5mm in partea inferioara a castii stangi, si are o lungime de aproape 2 metri, venind cu un adaptor de la 3.5mm la 6.3mm pentru sursele de putere inalta.

Subiectiv, castile sunt comfortabile, iar earpad-urile sunt moi, dar marimea lor este micuta, pentru mine devenind on-ear mai mult decat over-the-ear. Cablul este de calitate foarte buna si nu transmite zgomotul microfonic cu usurinta. Datorita design-ului deschis, KLH Ultimate One nu ofera izolatie impotriva zgomotului ambiental, iar muzica se aude si in exterior, dar nu la fel de tare ca si restul castilor deschise, cum ar fii Hifiman Deva Pro.



Sunetul castilor KLH Ultimate One este unul puternic, plin de impact si viata, si cu o prezentare a joaselor plina, si muzicala. Ultimate One sunt un adevarat vis pentru orice iubitor de bass, de muzica electronica, dar si de Jazz sau rock, oferind un sunet atat de plin si care coboara in joase, pe cat este muzical si separat. Ultimate One ofera inalte matasoase, usoare si relaxante, dar nu le sterge, oferind o auditie placuta, si neobositoare.

Cea mai frumoasa parte a sunetului Ultimate One este separatia intre instrumente si acel Stereo Imaging, adica precizia cu care Ultimate One plaseaza instrumentele in scena, si definitia pe care o ofera fiecarui instrument. Ultimate One este capabil sa redea nivele ridicate de dinamica si detalii, iar acest lucru este cel mai usor de sesizat la volume inalte, unde sunetul lor devine mai clar si mai bine definit, iar mediile apar mai in fata comparat cu joasele care devin mai controlate.



Atat experienta cu KLH Ultimate One, cat si experienta cu HIFI Expert este una surprizintator de placuta chiar si pentru un audiofil ca mine, care am compus peste 400 de articole si recenzii. Atunci cand intri in magazinele HIFI Expert esti intampinat de oameni care inteleg sunetul, si care nu vor sa iti vanda, pe cat vor sa te ajute sa identifici ceea ce ti-ar aduce fericirea, acele produse potrivite pentru tine. Am fost placut surprins si de oferta variata, preturile foarte bune, chair relativ la ce preturi poti gasi in Europa si USA, iar daca inca nu ai avut sansa, chair iti recomand sa arunci o privire in unul din showroom-urile lor, ambele fiind in zona Universitate Bucuresti, iar cel nou, Yamaha, unde se pot si testa KLH Ultimate One fiind la 2 minute distanta de la metrou.

IMR Audio Elan - Lion At The Door



IMR Audio Elan is the current IEM flagship priced at 600 GBP or about 800 USD, made by IMR Audio, with a 10mm CNT ADLC Driver + Bone Conduction motors, and a highly customizable design. Given the price point, it needs to be compared to other flagships like Moondrop Illumination (800 USD), Campfire Ara (1300 USD), Unique Melody MEST MK2 (1500 USD), and Campfire Vega 2020 (900 USD).

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Introduction

IMR Audio is one of the best companies to get a high-end IEM from, knowing that they worked many hours to bring you the ultimate performance possible. All IMR Audio products are made in small runs / limited batches, so if you're looking for a high-end IEM, you should grab one for as long as they're available. IMR Audio provides direct care to each customer, and the limited batch release of their IEMs means that more attention is given to each pair, and they are ready to stand behind their products, helping customers when they encounter any problems with the products. Elan is their high-end IEM with a 10mm bespoke CNt ADLC Driver + Bone Conduction Motors, featuring their typical highly configurable design.



We also have three cables, all made of Oxygen Free Copper, for both Single Ended (3.5mm) and Balanced (2.5mm + 4.4mm) sources. Elan is hand assembled and is noted to require about 200 to 300 hours of burn-in to reach optimal working condition, time which I allowed for it, although we'll explore below whether it changed the sound a lot or not.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with IMR Audio, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank IMR Audio for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in IMR Audio Elan Earphones find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:









The package of IMR Audio Elan is part of the IMR PRO series, and comes with a metallic card and one cable extra compared to the IMR Audio Ozar I just reviewed on Audiophile-Heaven.



The total content of the package is excellent, and given the price of Elan of 800 USD, it still feels like one of the best packages out there. We have:

• The IEMs
• Single Ended 3.5mm Cable
• Balanced 4.4mm Cable
• Balanced 2.5mm Cable
• Manuals
• Carrying Case
• The big carrying case everything comes in
• 6.3mm adapter for desktop sources
• Huge Selection of tips
• 8 Acoustic Nozzles
• 6 Acoustic Dampening Filters

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The outer design of Elan is very similar to that of Ozar, and the only physical difference between them being the screws, which are red in color for Elan and gray in color for Elan. If you take them apart, you can actually see the huge 10mm bespoke CNT ADLC Driver, although there are good amounts of protection so no dust or debris will reach the driver.



As is the case with all IMR IEMs I reviewed to date, Elan is highly configurable, and there's a huge selection of dampening filters as well as nozzles, with the nozzles changing mainly the amount of treble and bass, so the tonal balance, while the dampening filter tips will filter the entire sound, adding a dampening factor and smoothing the sound, or being more transparent and allowing more of the original sound of the driver to shine through. Although you may think that this is a novelty feature at first, I actually had a ton of fun experimenting with Elan, and I managed to settle on the Black Lower Nozzle and Blue upper filter, which provides the absolute maximum amount of bass and treble, basically allowing the driver to unleash its maximum potential.



The driving factor is really good with Elan, and they have a very reasonable impedance of 35 OHMs and a fair sensitivity of 99 dB. This means that they won't be prone to hissing with most sources, but they will need a bit of power to reach their true potential. I've been using Elan mainly with high-end sources such as Astell & Kern SE180, Astell & Kern SP2000T, iBasso DX240, iBasso DX300, Lotoo PAW6000, and Dethonray DTR1+. All of those sources are capable of driving IMR Elan really well, and I noticed no background hissing or noise with any of those sources.

Ergonomically, Elan is one of the more comfortable, best built IEMs I have seen to date. Everything matches perfectly together, and they have a really ergonomic shape, smooth inner part, and a beautiful technical design on the outside. There are ventilation ports on both the outer face plate, and on the inner surface of Elan, helping remove any driver flex that could possibly appear with their large dynamic driver. They feature removable cables, based on the popular 2-Pin connector. Elan and Ozar have been my favorite pairings for reviewing the Plussound Copper+ Cable, and they are compatible with all universal 2-Pin cables.



The best sonic performance for my ears is with the default silicone tips, but for improved comfort you can always use comply and off-brand foam tips. The default cable is not microphonic prone and does not conduct microphonic noise, but it is slightly springy. Wearing the Elan is a really fun and comfortable experience and although they are on the slightly heavy side, the construction and ergonomics help distribute the weight so that you almost never feel that you're wearing them. The bores are on the average size, Elan having no trouble getting an excellent seal with my ears.



If you plan on using Elan on stage, for performing and singing, then you're in good luck because they isolate quite well from the outside noise, to the point where with medium volumes to music I am unable to hear my keyboard's noise in the background. They also leak extremely little, and I actually wanted to share an Incubus song with my gf, she placed her head next to mine and still couldn't hear the song, even though it was playing at medium volume.



Sound Quality

For today's review I have mainly used high-end sources and portable music players, including iBasso DX240, Astell & Kern SE180, Lotoo PAW6000, and Dethonray DTR1+, all of them being able to drive Elan really well. I have also used aftermarket cables, including Plussound Copper+, to assess the sonic qualities of the default cables, and whether they could hold back Elan. All in all, after you purchase Elan, you are set for fun, and you don't need to think too much about upgrading the cables, although the drivers are revealing enough to show when you're using a better cable. Elan also scales a lot with the source, the difference between using a midrange source like FiiO M11 PRO and using Astell & Kern SE180 being large, and SE180 providing a much cleaner, deeper, controlled source, compared to using M11 PRO.



I have allowed 300 hours of burn-in time for Elan, but I have to admit, the actual sonic performance did change quite a bit in the first 10 hours, after which it has been pretty much the same. Given the fact that the first 10 hours could account for mental adaptation to a new signature, I will just recommend respencing the producer's guideline, if you're looking for the best experience. I found that Elan sounds really good at all volumes, but shines more at higher volumes, where the quality of the drivers, including low distortions, excellent detailing and stereo separation shines through the most. The overall sound of Elan is hard in nature, with hard impact, and it has a natural texture with a natural speed for its sound.

The signature of IMR Audio Elan can be described as deep, impactful, lush, warm, and very detailed. Elan has that detail similar to Unique Melody MEST MK2, but a much stronger and deeper bass, literally being that basshead IEM with tons of detail and clarity that you always wanted, especially when going from being a basshead to appreciating detail. In fact, Elan has a really nice stage with good depth and width, but also an excellent stereo separation, and great overall layering. They surprise the most with the sub-bass impact that's huge yet controlled, and which makes my Adam Audio T10S Subwoofer sound like a camel having an indigestion. You can surely call Elan V-Shaped, as they have a strong treble, with good bite and presence, and a really clean, deep and full bass. Using other filters will change this V-Shaped presentation I am describing, but the sound always has a rather strong bass, and good treble extension on Elan.



The bass of Elan, like the bass of most IMR Audio IEMs, is a central point to their sound, and a key element in their design. Mr. Bob always tunes those to have a strong bottom end with at least one of the drivers, and as I love bass I almost always go for the most bass + most treble filters, which basically should allow the sound of the driver to shine through the most, allowing me to judge the raw performance of the driver the best. Elan has incredibly good bass, it is huge, thick, it can chugg and it can punch, but it is kept well under control and never goes out of line, although when it is called for it has good vein and outstanding depth. As someone pointed out recently on Social Media, you generally can't expect IEMs to have good bass reach as low as 20 Hz and present impact well, but IMR Audio is one of the few companies that defies this, and their IMR Audio Elan reaches 20 Hz for sure, and can actually give me mini vibrations in my jaw, and I can not only hear but actually hear the bass. The Bone Conduction motors play an instrumental role for this, and all IEMs implementing Bone Conduction elements I tested so far provide a really unique way of hearing the bass in your entire head, providing a really filling sound to it, like you get when listening to speakers, in a well treated room.

The midrange of Elan is not colored, hidden or veiled by the bass, but it inherits that punchy, dynamic and contrasty presentation that the bass has, along with some extra substance to music. The bass is so quick yet so large and satisfying that all instruments, including guitars have a natural timbre, tonality and texture to them. You can hear and feel the fingers of every guitarist sliding on each string, strumming and chugging the guitar in a symphony of colorful elements. As you might have guessed, I am enjoying Elan a lot with rock and metal, and this is because the upper midrange is also enhanced, and their V-Shaped sound is pleasing with all the more edgy instruments. In fact, speaking of the upper midrange, there's a general uplift in the whole upper midrange area, but the peak itself is blunted, so Elan never gets too hot headed or metallic sounding, instead having a peppy and contrasty sound in the upper midrange, with no actual peakiness or listening fatigue.

The lower treble of Elan is actually smoothed out and dampened quite a bit, even with the brightest filters, so it is the kind of IEM that's never too hot or fatiguing, but the mid treble and upper treble are both elevated, so the driver doesn't roll off, rather providing a clean and fun presentation. The overall sound of Elan ends up being extremely coherent (just 2 drivers, and they play well in sync, as both provide a good amount of bass at about the same speed and decay), also extremely dynamic. You can push the volume of Elan quite a lot without hearing any distortion at all, and you can hear all those micro details playing in the background with Elan, the same way you hear with high-end flagship, but this time with tons of bottom end and body. Elan tends to have that upper midrange / lower treble peak dampened heavily, so the sound will lack the peak the vast majority of IEMs provide, making Elan both engaging, dynamic and detailed but also fairly easy to listen to, the bass and lows being the most impactful part of its sound.



Comparisons

I recommend always clicking on the name of the IEM I am comparing, so that you can read a bit more about their signature, and so that my comparisons make a bit more sense.



IMR Audio Elan vs Campfire Ara (800 USD vs 1300 USD) - The first comparison will be between two very different IEMs, with Ara having a much more focused sound, with a more linear / neutral signature, less bass emphasis, but still a fairly good bottom end extension. The comfort is comparable between them, and Ara is a bit more comfortable, but Elan comes with three cables, while Campfire Audio cables are single ended only, and if you're rocking a high end music player, you will need to upgrade the cable to use the Balanced output and take advantage of the full might of your source. The overall sonic presentation is much leaner, more neutral and linear on Ara, which is made for technicals and those who want a really clean presentation. Ara can go as low as 20 Hz, but Elan actually sounds like it reached those 20 Hz and has considerably more bottom end, the sound is much fuller, deeper, there's more rumble and rattle of your brains with low bass notes. Elan also has more nuance to bass, despite the lower price point. At the midrnage level, Elan is slightly more recessed, presenting music with more emphasis on bass and upper midrange, whereas Ara is more natural and linear in the entire midrange. Elan provides a more drastic upper midrange to midrange ratio. Ara is considerably colder, Elan considerably warmer. The treble extension makes Ara brighter and can be fatiguing after long listening hours, whereas Elan tends to never get fatiguing, but can be configured to be quite similar to Ara if you get a low bass nozzle and a transparent dampener.

IMR Audio Elan vs Unique Melody MEST MK2 (800 USD vs 1500 USD) - I feel like this comparison is the most important I should be making today, because I really love MEST MK2, and am actually already working on reviewing the Unique Melody MEXT, but I feel that with the V-Shaped filters Elan sounds the closest to MEST MK2, yet they are still fairly different. Physically, MEST is larger and slightly less comfortable than Elan, but the default cable of MEST is a bit better, being less springy than that of Elan. The sonic presentation is more bright on MEST MK2, with more accent on the upper treble, but also on the S sound, that can lead to a slight extra fatigue. Elan has more sub-bass and bass body, which makes it more punchy in the lows, where MEST MK2 has a more forward midrange and treble, giving it more brightness, where Elan is smoother. If you're looking for a brighter sparklier sound, MEST MK2 should be the one for you, while if you're looking for more bass, more depth, more substance and a fuller sound, with more vein and rumble, then IMR Acoustics Elan should be perfect for you.



IMR Audio Elan vs Campfire Vega 2020 (800 USD vs 900 USD) - Vega 2020 is the classic vanilla experience for music lovers and enthusiasts, providing a really pleasing, full and natural sound. By comparison, Elan sounds similar, yet different at the same time. Depending on the filter combination, Elan can sound more V-Shaped, have a stronger treble, and slightly more nuance and detail than Vega 2020. By comparison, Vega 2020 can sound a bit more natural, unless you match the filters on Elan for maximum naturalness. Elan always has a bit more bass quantity and depth, but you can actually configure it to be bass light if you want to, so the limit with Elan is just your imagination, while Vega 2020, while superb, always will have the same signature.

IMR Audio Elan vs Moondrop Illumination (800 USD vs 800 USD) - The only IEM in today's list that has the same price as Elan, and the sound, concept and design is quite different, although both have in common the 2-Pin connector. The overall sonic presentation of Illumination is peppy, but also a bit hot-headed with a bit more focus on the raw resolution than Elan. In contrast, Elan sounds considerably heavier, thicker, fuller and more satisfying in the bass, especially in the sub bass. The open design of Illumination allows it to pan instruments further away from the listener, while Elan has better instrument separation and definition. TThe treble of Illumination has a very typical upper midrange / lower treble peak, that can make it hot at times, where Elan has a dampening for that peak, allowing it to play louder with less fatigue, but taking away some of the resolution you notice at first in return. The actual resolution and detail, after listening to both for many hours for today's comparison, is better on Elan, which although has slightly less treble bite, actually captures and renders certain background elements and micro details, especially bass nuance and substance in music, a bit better than Illumination.



Value and Conclusion

At the end of today's review, we can safely say that IMR Acoustics Elan punches way above its price range, and the sound they provide is as good as other flagships on the market right now, with a special tuning to it, so I can only stare in curiosity at the tracking updates on as I'm waiting to hear the Black Matter, a model even more exquisite than Elan.



In fact, the overall performance of Elan is so great that I am going to add it to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame as one of the best IEMs I've ever heard, and even though it is a limited run product, more units may always come along, and checking out IMR Audio is always worth it, as they add new awesome products every season, with many new interesting products announced recently.



Speaking of IMR Audio and the customer experience with them, I have only good things to say. My review on Elan has been delayed a bit, because during the photoshoot I broke the left ear of Elan. I can confirm that IMR Audio has spare components and that they managed to make and fix the Left Earpiece of Elan, so you don't have to worry about warranty one bit.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a high-end IEM with excellent ergonomics, great build quality, three cables included by default in the package, a configurable sound that's based on some of the best sounding drivers out there, with both a large Dynamic Driver that's extremely coherent, strong and bold, and a bone conduction driver backing it, then IMR Audio Elan is a fully recommended purchase, and when you see one in store, don't be shy, because they are very limited in runs and will run out quickly.

IKKO Zerda ITM01 Dongle DAC AMP - Music Movie Game Changer



Ikko designed a new DAC/AMP with a pocket-friendly price point of 50 USD, under the Zerda naming. It features a high-quality decoding chip or DAC, and a magnetic detachable cable with a proprietary interface. The main competitors, given the price point, will be iBasso DC05 (69 USD), Soundmagic A30 (50 USD), and HIDIZS H2 Bluetooth AMP (50 USD). Most IKKO products are in the entry-level price range, but they are known to offer some of the best overall performance you can get for their money, being often cited with love by customers and fans from all over the world.

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Introduction

IKKO is one of those companies that appeal to you if you're a weeb, or someone who's really in love with Anime, Manga and Gaming culture. They have beautiful aesthetics for their package, but are growing, and are reliable, and their products have always offered good price / performance ratio, along with excellent support from the company.



It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with IKKO. I'd like to thank IKKO for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with IKKO Zerda ITM01. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in IKKO Zerda ITM01 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:





The package of ITM01 is really simple, but also effective. It includes the DAC AMP Dongle, and two USB Cables, one short USB cable for smartphones, in type C, and one long Type A cable for PC computers and laptops. You need to dig the paperwork out of the plastic case to discover the longer cable, but it is a nice addition for an entry-level DAC AMP.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Features

Starting with what we know for sure about IKKO Zerda ITM01, it is a Dongle DAC AMP with three modes, Music Game and Movie, just like the GravaStar Sirius Pro TWS IEMS I reviewed recently. It is also widely compatible with all smartphones and Windows machines, and has a plug and play design. It uses the ESS 9290 DAC, a fine choice, and can decode PCM up to 32 Bit and 384 kHz. It has DSD decoding abilities up to DSD 128, but via DoP.



We have really nice SNR numbers of 118dB, and a low output impedance of 0.8 OHMs, so it shouldn't hiss with sensitive IEMS, nor cause impedance shifts that would induce changes in tuning and signature. We also have the output voltage rated at 2V at 32 OHMs, and the output power at 125mW at 32 OHMs. It is not quite clear whether this is per channel or total, but usually it is better to assume that it is the total output power.



Now, the unit has a magnetic cable, with a proprietary interface, which is kinda cool, because for a dongle dac amp that is always in your pockets, this design means you will never break that interface and the cable. Exactly as IKKO states, you just need to hover the cable around the Zerda ITM01 and it will attach automatically. The unit has lights on the lateral sides that look much more badass than what I managed to picture, and it has three buttons on the face, one center button for switching the mode, and volume minus / volume plus buttons. You need multiple presses to change volume a bit by bit.



By default, ITM01 Zerda enters at maximum volume in Windows, and it is extremely loud for headphones and IEMs, having more than enough power for the likes of KLH Ultimate One, Dunu Falcon Pro, IMR Audio Ozar, Campfire Mammoth, Blon B60, Earsonics Corsa and 7Hz timeless. I couldn't find any hissing or background noise with any of the IEMs and Headphones I tested the ITM01 Zerda with, but given the 0.8 OHM output impedance, it is possible you may notice some with IEMS that have an impedance lower than 8 OHMs. The unit gets ridiculously loud even with hard to drive headphones, like Sendy Audio Peacock, or HIFIMAN Arya Stealth and Audeze LCD-XC. It even has good overall performance with Crosszone CZ-8A, although for that one I would recommend a Palab M1 Mini at minimum for best sonics.



The unit gets warm during usage, but not hot, and it draws medium amounts of power from my smartphone. Being light and small, with multiple sound modes, ITM01 Zerda is on top for dongles when it comes to its performance.



Sound Quality

The overall sonic performance of ITM01 Zerda is extremely different between its sound modes, and they are color coded. Let's go through them, but keep in mind that Green = Music, which is the default mode for it, and this is where ITM01 Zerda sounds best, which I will explore in detail. The main pairings have been with Sendy Audio Peacock, KLH Ultimate One, Earsonics Corsa, Sivga SV021 Robin, Campfire Holocene, and Queen Of Audio QoA Adonis.



Blue = Movie mode is pretty much just the music mode with a very forward midrange. The mode also widens the soundstage, but results in a somewhat unnatural midrange with some harsh reflections in the treble, and less bass depth / impact than music mode. It works ok for watching movies, especially if you can't quite hear the dialogue, but it is not perfect for music, since there is a music mode, which sounds considerably better. Movie Mode enhances the textures significantly, along with background information, so you will hear a ton of detail you normally don't, but it can't sound quite as natural as the Music Mode.

Purple = Game Mode takes what Movie mode does and widens the soundstage even more, creating the feeling that music is coming from all over the place. It helps when gaming because you can hear precisely where your enemies are in fps games, but the stage is extremely wide, not deep. The sound in Game Mode has the least bass, which does not help a lot with impact, but it sounds dynamic, and is much less harsh than movie mode on textures, still sounding wider and more holographic (width and height of stage is over the top). Female voices sound sweet, and all electronic music sounds great in this mode.

Green = Music is the main mode, and this is how I used ITM01 Zerda most of the time. The soundstage is natural, and music has a natural amount of width and depth, textures are natural and everything is just pleasing to the ear. ITM01 Zerda is really fun to listen to, being musical, full, and deep, with low distortions and good dynamics.



The bass is clean and deep, can reach as low as 20 Hz, when the songs calls for it. The bass gets better with higher impedance on headphones, and with lower SPL on headphones and IEMS, and IKKO Zerda has best sonic performance at quiet and medium listening volumes, having a slightly overdriven sound extremely loud. With top of the line headphones like Sendy Audio Peacock and Audeze LCD-XC, the sound is natural and full, detailed, and the bass has good nuance.

We have a really musical, sweet and fluid midrange that has smooth textures and a clean presentation. Zerda has a very slight coloration towards being thick and warm, but it is mostly natural and clean. Even Vocaloid and synthetic voices sound natural and smooth, musical and pleasing. ITM01 Zerda has good overall detail, and the music is dynamic. I cannot emphasize this enough, but when paying 50 USD, I am not expecting much in terms of driving power, yet Zerda can make Sendy Audio Peacock and HIFIMAN Arya Stealth dance on my head, so you will never feel like you need more power unless you're using something ridiculously hard to drive like HIFIMAN HE6SE. Of course, there is more quality to be found at higher price points, but



The treble of Zerda is clean, detailed and has a natural texture. There's a good sense of air and space in music, but the music mode sounds the most intimate from all its modes, while movie mode will enhance the stage width, for some added harshness and grain in the treble, while gaming mode keeps the width, but turns the textures smoother.



Comparisons



IKKO Audio ITM01 Zerda vs Hidizs H2 Bluetooth AMP (50 USD vs 50 USD) - We're talking about two slightly different devices here, and H2 is a bluetooth device, which is even smaller than Zerda. Sadly, H2 has slightly worse overall technicality, which means less detail and resolution, less dynamics, and ITM01 Zerda has much better driving power, details and clarity, but H2 is Bluetooth and wireless. ITM01 Zerda also has three sonic modes, which H2 does not have.

IKKO Audio ITM01 Zerda vs iBasso DC05 (50 USD vs 69 USD) - This comparison is important as DC05 is now becoming the most recommended and most purchased DAC AMP Dongle out there, and besides the physical differences between the two, where I prefer ITM01 Zerda as it should survive better to long term usage, the cable not being attached to it. The overall sound is more dynamic and vivid on DC05, has similar driving power between them, and ITM01 has three sonic modes, being able to achieve a wider, more holographic soundstage than DC05, at the cost of naturalness in the midrange.

IKKO Audio ITM01 Zerda vs Soundmagic A30 (50 USD vs 50 USD) - A30 is larger physically, and has the cable attached to it, but it also provides a thicker, warmer sound. ITM01 Zerda has much more driving power, it sounds more dynamic, and has much more driving power, and where A30 is mostly best for IEMs and portable headphones, ITM01 Zerda does a great job with harder to drive headphones and planar magnetic alternatives. If you want a thicker, warmer, smoother sound, and don't need a ton of driving power, Soundmagic A30 is great, while if you need more driving power and punchiness, ITM01 Zerda should be the obvious choice.



Value and Conclusion

We can all say for sure that just like all of the other IKKO products I reviewed to date, ITM01 Zerda has excellent value, and that the company delivers, just like always, on their promise. While the Movie and Gaming modes won't be useful for absolutely everyone, if you're one of those who will engage them from time to time, Zerda is surely a versatile DAC AMP Dongle.



At first, I assumed that I would have some trouble using and recommending it because the cable is proprietary, but after using it for a long while, the magnetic proprietary cable is actually pretty cool, and I like having it, makes the unit light, but versatile, plus, instead of the type-c port breaking, if you sit on it, it just disconnects. The cable does not have exposed pins either, so it is all pretty cool.



At the end of the day, if you're at the beginning of your audio journey, but if you want a versatile DAC AMP Dongle with good driving power, a versatile shape and great dynamics, that will work well for both IEMs and Headphones, IKKO Zerda ITM01 is one of the best I can recommend right now.

HIFI Expert Yamaha TW-E3B TWS IEMs - Music Composer Strikes



Yamaha TW-E3B is a high quality TWS IEM priced at about 99.4 USD internationally, available in multiple colors, and provided to us by the awesome HIFI Expert shop in Romania. Given the very universal price point, they will be compared to other high quality TWS IEMS, including GravaStar Sirius Pro+ (150 USD), Astrotec S80 (90 USD), NUARL N10 Plus (165 USD), and ZMI PurPods PRO (95 USD).

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Introduction

Yamaha requires no introduction as they are the only company in this entire world that can provide you with audio products for both listening, recording, and a motorcycle to go with your edgy rock-punk music. Yamaha is officially sold and imported, supported and represented by HIFI Expert in Romania, and they actually have an entire shop dedicated to Yamaha products, from the most affordable entry-level TWS IEMs and Earphones, all the way to high-end speakers and other flagship devices. The one thing that the showroom lacks is motorcycles, but they have plenty of warmth, open mindedness, and helpful advice to make up for it, having what I can call the most cozy showrooms in Bucharest for Yamaha products. This is a place where you can find something for you regardless of your pocket size.



It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with HIFI Expert and Yamaha, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank HIFI Expert for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Yamaha TW-E3B find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:





The package of E3B is impressive, and for an entry-level TWS IEM, they come with a lot of extras, including their nice carrying case, but also four pairs of tips (one installed + extra 3), and a short charging cable. The impressive part is that the whole package is colorful and the TWS IEMs come with a thick selection of manuals and paperwork.



I got to know that this specific pair has been made on 2021.03.16. I appreciate the inclusion of manuals a lot because I always have to just play around and figure out how to pair, how to connect and how to enter modes with TWS IEMS.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The carrying case of TW-E3B is one of the best I've seen in my entire life, as it managed to resist scratching after we've taken it outdoors and took all the photos you see in today's review. TW-E3B also has enough space planned inside for all silicone tips sizes, and they charge rather quickly inside the case. Speaking of the battery life, Yamaha quotes a battery life of 6 hours for the IEMs with AAC and a medium listening level, and I could get away with about 4.5 hours using aptX and high, near maximum listening levels.



The Carrying Case houses three additional charges, so you could easily reach 18 hours if you're a heavy user, or reach closer to 24 hours if you use more modest listening volumes and AAC or SBC. Yamaha made sure to use the latest Bluetooth 5.0 variant, and they also have A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP as supported profiles for their Bluetooth connection. The TWS Earpieces are extremely light, weighing in at just 5 grams each, and they feel very well made, very sturdy, and featuring zero scratches after being taken outdoors and part of our photo shoot.

Yamaha has made multiple color variations for their TW-E3B, but what they do not tell a lot about is the microphone quality, which is above average, and provides a pretty natural and clean voice for the person on the other side, making TW-E3B a fairly consistent replacement for hands free models. They are made for sport too, with IPX5 rating, and feature a small dynamic driver, just 6mm in size.



The main feature Yamaha boasts about with their TW-E3B is the Listening Care feature, which is basically a dynamic compression and volume adjustment so that you don't lose your hearing early on, and so that you can enjoy as much detail and resolution from E3B as is humanly possible.

Subjectively, the connection to my smartphone, a Xiaomi Black Shark 4 is very stable. They are detected as aptX TWS+, and they hold stable connections while walking and doing gym, also while running. E3B is ergonomic to use for my daily activities, they stay really nicely in my ears and have no driver flex when I insert them in my ears. Even more, despite the tips looking like your run of the mill Chinese silicone tips, the fit with E3B is absolutely perfect, they provide the best seal I've had in years, and the whole wearing experience is superb. I would use TW-E3B just for the sake of how comfortable they are, but the sound also helps with that.

Loudness wise, Yamaha TW-E3B gets plenty loud, and they are comparable to a pair of Unique Melody MEST MK2 driven by an Astell & Kern SE180 at high volumes (130 / 150 on high gain). There is absolutely no difference between sources, so it won't matter if you're pairing them with your smartphone, or digital music player, and I always recommend smartphones for TWS IEMs as those phones usually have stronger Bluetooth modules integrated so support the Wifi and GSM antennas. E3B isolates extremely well from the outside noise, and once you place them in your ears, you get almost 20 dB of noise cut off, and even with moderate music levels I am unable to hear myself typing this review, or my gf's laptop as she plays Genshin Impact. TW-E3B leaks very little and you won't have to feel embarrassed for listening to happy songs, or podcasts while you're in public commute.



TW-E3B controls the smartphone volume, and does not have a separate volume. They also seem to get quieter the more you listen to them, somehow the Yamaha Algorithm for hearing protection kicking in similar to how Samsung local dimming algorithms kick in for the QLED TV Series, and this can lead to lower total listening volume, with more details at lower volumes, as promised by Yamaha. The button controls click loudly, and I could not press on the IEM faceplates while wearing them, having to squeeze E3B between my fingers to press the button. I find physical controls to be much better than touch based ones, as they have a much lower rate of misclicks and lead to better user experience.



Sound Quality

The sonic performance of Yamaha TW-E3B is simply superb. They get plenty loud, but what surprised me the most is the sonic performance, as they are insanely detailed and well separated for the price point. Most TWS IEMs around 100 USD tend to be warm, thick and choked with bass, and provide a medium resolution that's acceptable for the price, but with nothing special to brag about.



Yamaha TW-E3B provides a superb sound that is plenty detailed, has excellent clarity and resolution, being in line with what you generally expect from high quality Chifi IEMs like 7Hz Timeless, FiiO FD3, Tin T3 Plus, and Dunu Falcon Pro. We all know that Yamaha is not new to the audio market, but so far they focused on a pretty natural sound that kept resolution on the sidelines for an increased naturalness of the timbre, TW-E3B being a whole new approach to music. We have a slightly V-Shaped signature with a clear peak in the upper midrange that brings crystal clarity to all instruments, tons of detail, and a full, deep bottom end that's pleasing and controlled, and which brings a ton of body to all music.

The bass of TW-E3B is clean, deep and full. They have the quantity you'd expect from a TWS IEM made to sell. The bass has audiophile qualities though, being tight when it has to, having excellent reach as low as 20 Hz, and providing a fairly strong tactile feeling to it. Most TWS IEMs, regardless of their price will roll off around 35Hz, and Yamaha E3B doesn't look like it would extend so well on paper, having a rather small dynamic driver, but they are surprisingly good for rap, pop, electronic, classical, rock and pretty much all music styles. The bass has two peaks in frequency, one in the 40-60Hz area, and another one around 100 Hz, that can add some upper bass emphasis to E3B.

The midrange of E3B is extremely clean and well defined, and has a warm-bright presentation that's quite new. Basically, everything from the lower midrange is warm and has a rich presentation, tons of substance and inherits some thickness from the bass. On the other hand, the upper midrange peaks together with the lower treble, around 8kHz through gentle rising curves, leading to incredibly good resolution and detail. The upper midrange has a splashy presentation that takes the edge off and renders the sound more fatigue-free than dry and metallic counterparts seen in most entry-level TWS IEMs. The soundstage of TW-E3B is also superb, and they do render width well, having a pretty good instrument separation and stereo imaging.

This time around, Yamaha sacrificed some naturalness, but the sound is still plenty natural, and E3B gets tonality, as well as voices absolutely perfect. The background instruments are presented quite a bit louder on TW-E3B than on most IEMs, but this doesn't get intrusive and for most listeners it sounds natural and like E3B is simply more detailed and has better resolution than the competition. E3B has a very black background, and the listening experience feels very pure and mature, TW-E3B having a distinctively better performance than you would expect from a TWS IEM.

The treble of E3B is fairly clean, presented with a splashy - wet texture that makes it fatigue-free despite the higher concentration of highs, and there's plenty of air in music. At maximum volume, you can hear no hissing or background noise, which is once again surprising for the price range of E3B, where you usually get a ton of loud hissing when pressing play / pause, E3B having none.



Comparisons



Yamaha TW-E3B vs NUARL N10 Plus (99.4 USD vs 165 USD) - The construction quality and package quality is higher on N10 Plus, and you can feel that price difference. The wearing comfort is equal, but for me E3B works a bit better, thanks to a smaller, lighter construction and better overall eartip quality. The actual sonic performance is comparable between the two, but N10 Plus has a more warm presentation, thicker midrange, and smoother treble. Both can get similarly loud at maximum, and both have good controls that are not touch based. The increase in price on N10 Plus is mostly there because they feature ANC or Active Noise Canceling, which adds a layer of noise above your music that should cancel external noise. This works well for some people, but the passive noise isolation of E3B is higher by default, making them a fairly good option for portable usage, including airplane usage.

Yamaha TW-E3B vs ZMI PurPods PRO (99.4 USD vs 95 USD) - I was surprised by the sonic quality of PurPods PRO, but in all honesty, I always prefer the bean like shape for TWS IEMs for comfort and actual wearing, compared to the apple airpod-like shape. E3B is much more ergonomic, lighter, and simply sits better in my ears, a thing which I can easily feel even if doing light activities like walking. The sound is impressive on both IEMs, and reviewing E3B doesn't make PurPods Pro any less impressive, but E3B is on a different level of detail and clarity, it has considerably more resolution, better upper midrange presence and treble extension, with a wider soundstage.



Yamaha TW-E3B vs GravaStar Sirius PRO+ (99.4 USD vs 150 USD) - I just posted my take on Sirius Pro+, but if you're looking for an edgy, unique design, Sirius Pro+ is going to be, as E3B looks very usual for a pair of TWS. The actual wearing comfort is comparable between them, but Sirius PRO+ has more functions, and more sonic modes, or rather, it has more EQ profiles. The actual performance is similar, both are comfortable, and both are quite detailed, but E3B focuses more on a really detailed sound, with more overall resolution and texture, while Sirius Pro+ has a warmer, thicker presentation, with less treble and upper midrange focus. The overall latency is slightly lower on Sirius PRO+, but unless you're gaming or following action videos, it should not be noticeable as I didn't really notice any delay on E3B while testing them. Connection stability is slightly better on E3B, and you can do more intense activities wearing them, without losing connection.

Yamaha TW-E3B vs Astrotec S80 (99.4 USD vs 90 USD) - The comfort and build quality is better on E3B, and although they are priced the same, E3B is smaller, more ergonomic and better for physical activities, the tips being more sticky and having better comfort. The sound is more detailed on E3B, with better overall clarity, resolution and better sub bass extension. The treble is also more sparkly and more airy on E3B and it generally feels like an upgrade from S80, although to their right, S80 was launched a while ago, and they might just be showing their age.



Value and Conclusion

Yamaha TW-E3B showed us today that even big companies like Yamaha can be competitive with their pricing and actually beat Chifi TWS IEMs at their own game, providing a similar sound, but with the excellent Yamaha Build quality, great detail and natural midrange that Yamaha is known for.



Even better, you have excellent warranty, full support, and you can even listen to TW-E3B before purchasing if you visit HIFI Expert and their Yamaha showroom in the Universitate Area in Bucharest. This is the shop to go to, if you want to hear the best products Bucharest has to offer for the acquainted audiophile, as they have everything, from entry-level earphones, all the way to high-end flagship speakers and monitors, Vinyl Players and more.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a true high-end TWS IEM with a beautiful sound, tons of details, and excellent build quality, Yamaha will surprise you with their TW-E3B, which re considerably better in both raw performance and price / performance ratio than Skullcandy, Apple's Airpods PRO, and Sony's TWS IEMS.



Short Romanian Summary

Yamaha TW-E3B este o pereche de casti construita de marele producator audio-moto Yamaha, avand Bluetooth 5.0, o constructie de inalta calitate, un driver dinamic de 6mm, si o forma ergonomica, cu o greutate redusa de doar 6 grame pentru fiecare casca. Acestea sunt vandute de HIFI Expert, unul dintre cele mai mari magazine de specialitate de produse audio din Bucuresti. HIFI Expert este chiar importatorul oficial Yamaha in Romania, si desi inca nu au si motociclete in showroom, experienta acolo este superba, poti asculta si testa orice produse te-ar atrage, inclusiv modelele de varf de gama ale producatorului Japonez.



Yamaha a optimizat castile E3B pentru a proteja auzul ascultatorilor, si ofera una dintre cele mai bune nivele de detaliu si claritate pe care le-am auzit intr-o casca portabila de tip TWS la aceasta ora. Aceste casti TWS sau True Wirless utilizeaza aptX TWS+ atunci cand sunt conectate la un telefon modern, si ofera o conexiune stabila, chair si pentru alergare si sport. Yamaha stie ca utilizatorii lor vor sa foloseasca castile pentru activitati fizice, iar acestea au inclusiv rating IPX 5, fiind rezistente la stropiri cu apa si praf.

Subiectiv, Yamaha TW-E3B sunt printre cele mai comfortabile casti pe care le-am testat pana acum, iar pentru cineva care a scris peste 400 de articole, acest lucru este ceva interesant. TW-E3B utilizeaza un silicon special care adera perfect la ureche si ofera un confort sporit comparat cu tot ce am testat in zona aceasta de pret.



Sunetul oferit the YW-E3B este unul superb de detailat, clar si are joase puternice, clare si pline, cu un o scena naturala, lata si adanca. Comparat cu majoritatea castilor de tip TWS, la care am observat ca TW-E3B prezinta considerabil mai putin zgomot de fundal, si o claritate a instrumentelor din decor sporita. Volumul maxim este comparabil cu cel al unei perechi de casti high-end conduse de un player audiofil de inalta calitate, dar algoritmii Yamaha par sa reduca volumul dupa un timp, pentru a proteja urechile ascultatorului.



Pot spune cu usurinta ca daca ati utilizat casti Sony, Skullcandy, Apple Airpods PRO sau alte modele comerciale uzuale, veti observa o imbunatatire considerabila a claritatii, rezolutiei, si nivelului de detalii pe care il are sunetul cu castile TW-E3B. De asemenea, bass-ul din TW-E3B este suficient pentru majoritatea ascultatorilor, dar este un bass de calitate, controlat si nuantat, bun pentru orice stil muzical, de la rock la electronica.



Daca inca nu ati avut ocazia, va recomand sa vizitati showroom-urile Yamaha si HIFI Expert, care se gasesc in zona Universitate, unde puteti gasi si testa multe produse, si veti fii intampinati de un personal politicos, respectos, si orientat spre client, dedicat ajutarii omului in gasirea sunetului perfect pentru el.

Shanling UA1 Dongle DAC - Rhombus Sounds



We're having a look at Shanling UA1, a dongle USB DAC priced at 45 USD, making it one of the most affordable DAC/AMPs, so today's mini review will focus on the sound of UA1, as within this price point there are far too few competitors capable of the same feats as UA1.

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Introduction

Shanling is a large company from China, and while their experience with high-end desktop systems is undeniable, they want to offer some of that to us entry-level, budget product lovers. You can expect great service from them, but if you purchase their products from Amazon, and other websites that offer direct warranty, you're better covered, as for entry-level products, sometimes you'll end up thinking that it would have been cheaper to get a new product than ship a defective one back to China, where they are produced.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Shanling. I'd like to thank Shanling for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Shanling UA1. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Shanling UA1 find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:





The package for Ua1 is rather simple; it comes with the DAC/AMp and a Type-A to Type-C adapter too.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Functionality

We're having a look at one of those DAC/AMP units with a tail, where the Type-C cable is connected to the main DAC/AMP, so happy thoughts and feelings for all of us who want it to be tailed. The advantage of those, versus those like those made by ddHifi is that they place slightly less strain on the Type-C connector of your smartphone. The disadvantage is that the Type-C cable is generally the first thing to break, rendering the entire unit useless. If you abuse them, every type of Type-C DAC will eventually break though, so as long as you use them carefully all will survive equally well.



Ua1 is a low power, low cost option from Shanling, and it features 80mW of power at 32 OHMs, being one of the highest power portable DAC/AMps you can get for such a low cost, but the Channel separation is about 77dB at 32 OHMs. We have a low output impedance of 0.5 OHMs, so Ua1 is well suited for usage with low impedance IEMs, and won't induce hissing or noise to them. The extremely low weighty of 8.3 grams makes Ua1 one of the smallest tail-style DAC/AMPs you can find out there.

The thing with today's review is whether getting Ua1 will improve the quality of your listening experience compared to the default DAC/AMP that comes with your smartphone, or using your smartphone's Audio Jack. Since it uses an ESS ES9218P as a DAC, we can expect good things, this DAC being used in some pricey configurations too. We have support for hi-res, including 384kHz, and DSD256. The cable is shielded as well, so Ua1 is fit for more serious listeners on a budget too.

Inline controls of IEMs and remotes do not work with Ua1, and it can get rather warm during usage, eating a bit more power from a smartphone than most DAC/AMPs. Even though I call it low power, the driving ability is better than most DAC/AMPs in this price range.



Sound Quality

For the sound quality part of today's review, I have experimented with IEMs mostly, like Tin Audio T5, Campfire Holocene, Master & Dynamic ME05, Queen Of Audio Adonis, and even Moondrop Illumination. Generally, Ua1 is able to drive all of them very well, with minimal noise, and minimal trouble, and it works alright even for easier to handle headphones too, like Valco VMK20. The general signature can be described as wide, slightly forward in the mids, but with open highs, zero roll-off, and a slightly thinner, yet clean bass.



The bass would be the least interesting part of Ua1's sound, as it is slightly lower in power and output than Ua2, and iBasso DC01. On songs like Panic! At The Disco - Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time, the bass guitars are not very present, but the voices are slightly forward, while the cymbals are airy and bright. The soundstage is wide, and the entire sound is generally clean and open.

The midrange of Ua1 is clearly its central element, and while I can't call it bright, it has a thinner presentation thanks to its lower bass quantity. Instrument separation is fair. There's a slightly sweet resonance to all instruments, and even on songs like Gorillaz - Rhinestone Eyes, the voices are slightly pushed forward, while instruments are placed behind, and on a wider plane.

The treble of UA1 is surprisingly not rolled off, which I enjoy, and it is able to render some cymbal crashes where they're called for. UA1 is also able to play well with technical music, like technical death metal, but its general speed is medium, with a good amount of detail for the 45 USD paid.



Value and Conclusion

Priced at 45 USD, Shanling Ua1 is great value, and I urge you to find something that's better in raw value, or something that can deliver a better overall clarity and detail for the same price right now. Because I want to know what can be better to recommend to all my friends reading audiophile-heaven. As things stand, and based on my experience, Shanling Ua1 is a safe option if the 80mW of power is enough for you, and if you mainly use IEMs.



The overall sound will be better when using Shanling UA1 rather than using your smartphone, or the default Type-C adapter dongle that came with it. This includes the Huawei basic Type-C USB DACs that have a smoother, but rolled off sound that's thicker but with less resolution than Shanling UA1. Most dongles in this price range will have even lower power output than Ua1, and worse support for hi-resolution files.



At the end of the day, if you're looking for a high quality dongle, with a clean, well extended sound, and with good overall ergonomics, an ESS chip, and 80mW of power, Shanling Ua1 is recommended at its 45 USD price point.

Earsonics ONYX IEMs - French Melody



ONYX is the name of the latest high-end In Ear Monitor handmade in France by the French company Earsonics, priced at 490 EUROs or roughly 561 USD. This is a proof of art movement made by the company, trying to create the most affordable high-end IEM they could, all while including all their best technology inside an IEM that's made to last. Given the price point, it will be compared to other high-end IEMs like Campfire Mammoth (650 USD), Moondrop Illumination (800 USD), Metalure Wave (600 USD), and NX Ears Baso (550 USD).

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Introduction

Earsonics is getting more and more interesting, but to be honest I'm writing this introduction after having heard the Onyx and having spent some time with it, as it has been under NDA since it arrived to me and until now. I have around 20 IEMS in queue for reviewing at any given moment, so whatever gets ear time for me must be really good, Onyx being an IEM that got absurd amounts of ear time, only in light of its sound. The tech inside is interesting, your top of the line hybrid setup, with BA and Dynamic Drivers, all cast in plastic, then placed inside a metallic case for best sonics. The company is really trusty, answers communications quickly and is deeply involved with music loving communities, being there for you, ready to back their products, which are all hand made in France.



It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Earsonics, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Earsonics for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it. The purpose of this review is to help those interested in Earsonics ONYX find their next music companion.



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:





The package of Onyx is really nice, but Earsonics is the only company I know that includes only two sizes of tips with their IEMs, rather than three. They have Foam tips, two sizes, double flange tips, two sizes, and single flange tips, two sizes. I like Single Flanged tips the most, both for sonics and comfort.



There is also a high quality carrying case included with Onyx, and the usual paperwork. The cable included with Onyx is a high-end one, and there's also a cleaning tool to keep your Onyx as sparkly as possible. All of this comes in a matte black box, offering a high-end unboxing experience for Onyx.



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The build quality of Onyx is great, they are cast in a metallic shell, with something unique, the Acrylic Heart technology. This basically means that all the drivers inside of Onyx are cast in an Acrylic shell, and they have the True Wave patented technology as well, basically a special tube inside the bore that helps guide the sound in Onyx for the least distortions and reverberations.



We have a combination of dampers and passive filters that help filter the sound of the 4 drivers inside of Onyx. They have a hybrid configuration with a full sized dynamic driver, and three balanced armatures, two for mids and one for treble. The low impedance of 16.5 Ohms means that Onyx is inherently slightly sensitive to hissing, so you should try to use them with a high-end source, my favorite pairings being with iBasso DX240 + AMP 8 MK2, Lotoo PAW 6000, Dethonray DTR1+ Prelude, and Astell & Kern SE180 + SEM2.

The company acquired experience over decades, and while they are extremely popular with music makers and within Europe, some of the USA-based music lovers as well as Asian music lovers may not have heard yet about the company that's actually worth hundreds of thousands of Euros in capital. Onyx is their road to making their best sound affordable and offering it all, along with their handmade magic, for just 490 EUROs.



We have a detachable cable with a 2-Pin connector for Onyx, and the default cable is a high-end UnHr 4C Cable made of Silver. The cable is not very tangle-prone and not springy, and does not carry any microphonic noise. The IEM shell is exactly the same as the one found on Corsa, but that does not mean that the inside parts are the same, just the metallic shell that cancels unwanted vibrations and noise. Metal is theoretically the best material to make your IEMs and Earphones from, but usually tends to suffer a bit from being heavy, and if the IEM is not well designed, you will feel some shocks, like it used to happen with early TRN models. Onyx has no such issues, and having all the drivers isolated in the Acrylic Heart provides the best of both worlds - the sonic abilities of a Metallic Shell, and the customizability and support of the Acrylic Heart.



The IEMs themselves are really comfortable, slightly on the large and heavy side of things, but they fit my ears perfectly. You can remove the faceplate using a screwdriver, but that should not be needed, since the company offers one of the best warranties and support out there. The company is not a consumerism oriented company like most Chifi companies, and they avoid releasing unfinished things often just to push the next, rather refining each product, making them by hand, and offering the best experience possible with them. To achieve this while keeping the cost of Onyx low, they plan on selling those directly only, to cut off distribution costs, so my usual Amazon links may not work until the company hopefully puts the Onyx there.



Onyx has a low impedance, and has an extremely high sensitivity of 122db/mW, but in reality I am around 100 / 150 on Astell & Kern SE180 for a medium listening volume, so they are not exactly easy to get loud despite the very friendly specifications. They are comfortable though, and I never felt like taking them out of my ears, plus from all the testing I tend to be sensitive to poorly fitting IEMs lately, something which will be reflected in most future reviews, Onyx providing an excellent comfort for me. Passive noise isolation is great, with 20-25 dB of passive noise isolation, and the leakage of Onyx is zero, as my girlfriend could not hear me blasting death metal at ear bleeding levels, two meters away from her.



Sound Quality

Earsonics Onyx is the kind of IEM that I tried once and I knew it was love. Some IEMs I appreciate after a while, some I never learn to love truly, and some, like Onyx, I know I love right away. The sound is exactly what I am looking for, in so many ways that you will feel my review is tilted, but the only thing that could tilt my words is the raw performance of what I'm reviewing. If you honestly think I care what any company or third party thinks about my words, you need to remember the reason I am writing - for you - the reader. With that out of the way, I've been using Onyx with a few high quality sources, including iBasso DX220, iBasso DX240, Astell & Kern SE180, Astell & Kern SP2000T, Lotoo PAW 6000, Dethonray DTR1+, and others. Generally speaking, Onyx is somewhat sensitive to hiss, and I recommend high end sources. It also scales a lot with the source, so entry-level sources won't provide an experience that's as fun as flagship DAPs. This being said, iBasso DX160 is more than enough for driving Onyx.



The overall signature of Onyx can be described as engaging, energetic, vivid, U-Shaped and distortion-free. The point to which it is distortion-free is extreme this time around, and this is an IEM with a really strong sub-bass and treble, but which is never fatiguing, an IEM that has excellent imaging and instrument separation, all confined in a natural soundstage. The level of detail that Onyx has is comparable to most flagships like Unique Melody MEST MK2, and Campfire Ara, but all is packaged with an impactful bass and sub bass, the dynamic driver doing an exceptional job at keeping the sound balanced and enjoyable. From the really natural and slightly midrange forward, bright signature that Corsa had, I assumed that the company would always go for pretty natural sound, Onyx only keeps the musicality and beautiful voicing for female voices from Corsa, and packages it all in a much more puchy tuning.

The bass of Onyx is deep, fun, full, impactful and enhanced considerably above the midrange. The sub-bass along with parts of the mid bass are heavily boosted, and Onyx has a strong and bold sub-bass punch, rumble and impact. The bass has a natural to slightly quick character, so it is revealing, and helps recognize textures in electronic music, listening to Rap, EDM, Pop and Dubstep being a really revealing experience, while the whole tuning has enough musicality that Bass in Jazz music, along with Rock is natural and smooth. I am head over heels after having a strong sub bass with my music, especially since I enjoy some hood rap and trap, Onyx being able to deliver bass deep and full enough to satisfy any basshead lusting for some of those lows. The bass of Onyx extends as low as 20 Hz, and is enhanced as high as about 60 Hz, so there's both sub bass, and some punchiness in the mid bass that you feel in your jaw, but you also hear with every drum hit. You could say that they're so rhythmic that they give you a dance fever, you feel the need to stand up, and move your body to the music you're enjoying. Even on very brash songs like Nekrogoblikon - Chop Suey, the chorus has extremely deep and earth-shaking bass notes, presented naturally smooth. The voicing is sweet, and the guitars are always musical and playful, although the cymbals are bright and sparkly. No sign of fatigue, and this is one of those bands everyone finds fatiguing, both in ideology, videographic content, and recording.



We reach the midrange of Onyx, which is something else entirely, really detailed, clean and distortion-free. You don't really understand what distortion-free means here, until you hear another ~600 USD IEM side by side, and feel the need to increase the volume on Onyx because you can. You can hear more of your favorite sounds with absolutely zero distorts, and you can enjoy more of those sweet voices without fearing they will become harsh once you reach ear bleeding levels. Onyx presents music maturely, with a ton of textures, but those are smooth and not fatiguing, plus it has one of the sweetest presentations for female voices, but also natural presentations for male voices. It is immensely musical and enjoyable. Even ethereal sounding music like Mili - world.execute(me); sounds incredibly vivid and sweet, detailed, with a strong bottom end, and a sparkly top end, all without being fatiguing. Switching back and forth with some Chifi IEMs, even those around the price point, you will notice that they are also detailed, but harsh. Somehow, Earsonics managed to apply the passive filters and dampeners in just the right way to make Onyx detailed, yet fatigue-free.

Earsonics managed to deliver a really bright and peppy treble, with tons of air and a healthy extension up to 16-17kHz, yet deliver it in such a manner that it is never fatiguing or too much. The treble texture is fairly smooth, and treble speed is slow, character slightly wet, in such a way that Onyx delivers music enjoyably, yet bright and vivid. It reminds me a lot of the original IE800, and the signature I enjoyed from them, but Onyx is far more refined, more detailed, and has a more musical midrange. In songs like Reol - The Sixth Sense, the treble is presented vividly, sparkly and bright, energetic. The bass is deep, hits with every occasion, while Reol's Voice is as sweet as I've ever heard her.

Onyx has a natural staging, in both width and depth, and their sound is remarkably dynamic and punchy, surprising in how good the instrument separation and overall refinement is. Onyx has great imaging and separation. Bringing the voices and singers slightly closer to the listener is part of why Onyx is so enjoyable, as you hear all that delightful bass, bright treble, but never lose the voicing and forwardness / actual instruments and music from music. We're most sensitive to midrange, and we literally have evolved to listen for human voices, so the way Onyx has a natural stage compliments their sound well, for Rock, Metal, Pop, EDM, Dubstep, Rap and Commercial Music in general, even Punk and Downtempo.


Comparisons



Earsonics ONYX vs Moondrop Illumination (561 USD vs 800 USD) - We have good IEMs here, Illumination is a bit smaller, but not much lighter than Onyx, so the comfort is comparable between them. The sonic presentation is fairly different, with Illumination focusing on having a soundstage as wide as possible, but also losing some treble extension in the process, and some bass extension, Onyx sounding better in both how low the bass can go, but in how high the treble can go, with Onyx having better overall imaging and instrument separation. The resolution and raw detail is comparable between them. Illumination works better with classical, orchestral and music that is supposed to sound wide and expand a lot, where Onyx sounds better with pretty much everything else, especially because Onyx has a special musicality and texture smoothness that makes it more musical, and better controlled at extremely high levels, where Illumination can become a bit harsh. The two do follow a somewhat similar V-Shaped tuning, so they are directly comparable.

Earsonics ONYX vs Metalure Wave (561 USD vs 600 USD) - I still enjoy the Wave every now and then, and it is not an IEM that has faded away for me. The construction quality is equal between them, and a 10/10. The overall comfort is equal, they are about the same weight, and about the same size, and both have a smooth, ergonomic inner part. Wave is deep, lush and full, where Onyx brings more treble and more edginess to the sound. The overall signature is deeper, more lush, fuller, and smoother on Metalure Wave. Wave also sounds more bassy, wider, and has a much smoother texture that flows more naturally, you could say it is more musical. Onyx sounds more edgy, more live, more lively, presents a bit more detail in music, also more dynamics, a more precise stereo imaging, and better overall instrument separation. I love both, but when I feel like a pure basshead I go for Wave, while when I want some treble bite and sparkle, I go for the Onyx.

Earsonics ONYX vs NX Ears Baso (561 USD vs 550 USD) - Nx Ears Baso did not arrive to me with a case, so I am not sure what the default package looks like, but the carrying case is better on Onyx. The default cable is better on Onyx as well. The overall comfort is equal, slightly better on Baso which is somewhat smaller, but also slightly heavier. The sonic presentation is more edgy, more forward, more dynamic and more detailed on the Onyx. Baso sounds smoother, with less treble energy, less bass impact, and a more intimate sound. Onyx sounds wider, with more depth and better overall imaging and separation.

Earsonics ONYX vs Campfire Mammoth (561 USD vs 650 USD) - We have two high quality IEMs here, one that's bass heavy, and one that's V-Shaped. The comfort is equal, although Mammoth is a bit lighter, and smaller. Default cable quality is slightly better on Onyx, which has a thicker, better constructed cable, which is a bit more tangle-prone. The overall design is more edgy, and cooler on Mammoth. The overall sound is much thicker, deeper, more wooly and smoother on Mammoth. Onyx is brighter, more impactful, more dynamic, and presents more detail in music. Mammoth has a slightly wider soundstage, with more depth, but Onyx has better imaging and instrument separation. Onyx sounds more live, more forward, more aggressive, more punchy, Mammoth is smoother and more relaxing.



Value and Conclusion

At the end of the day, Onyx has tremendous value, and consider it is a handmade IEM, offers perfect quality control, plus the company doesn't want to sell you the next IEM next year, they want you to have a long lasting IEM you'll be enjoying for a while. That's something to respect and a good reason to go for a product, Onyx being an excellent example of a well done IEM that could have cost much more for the sonic performance, but the company decided to do every music lover a favor and offer it for a really good price.



The package is not that interesting, and this is literally the only IEM in the whole world that comes with two sizes of tips instead of three, but the construction quality is excellent, cable quality is excellent (silver cable included in the price), and the comfort is superb.



If you're into a strong, vivid, dynamic and punchy sound with a strong sub-bass, strong bass, clean and detailed, distortion-free midrange, and a bright, yet non-fatiguing treble, then Onyx has a superb sound. In fact, where Corsa didn't quite make it to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame, Onyx does and this is an IEM I really enjoy on a personal level.



At the end of today's review, if you're looking for a high-end IEM for a fair price, if you want a bold, vivid and dynamic signature with extreme clarity, if you want a handmade IEM, designed by professionals, and if you want to taste what zero-distortion music sounds like, Onyx is an excellent offering and you can taste a flagship for a mid range price with this one, so fully recommended purchase from me.