MEAOES EAGLE

MEAOES stands for multiple audio experiences.

So here is a bit of news. While this brand may seem new to you and I. MEAOES is the new company started by former HIFI BOYs fame. Hifi Boys are no longer in business. The name has changed but the quality has not. The new EAGLE is a dual dual hybrid. Two BAs with two dynamics. This configuration seems to be what is hot nowadays.

But as you all know it is all about the integration of the hybrid formula. What is being used on the Eagle is an interesting mix of drivers. Two completely different dynamics for one. 8mm dome ceramic diaphragm handling the bass + 7.5mm dome diaphragm handling the very important mids + two BAs are located in the nozzles working for that treble.


What you get.
The Eagles comes in a medium sized box. A basic gray colored clamshell type zip up case. 3 sets of silicone tips, two set of foams and something unexpected: a modular copper cable with 3 different types of connectors. 3.5mm single, 2.5mm balanced, and 4.4mm balanced connectors. The modular system is easy enough to use. You just have to pull out the bottom 2/3rd of the connector out and connect them via the new plug you wish to use. The cables are a nice quality 6n crystal copper cable 2 core cable. The cables are well matched with the sonics of the Eagles and its modularity is very nice for all types of sources. The housing is a resin poured housing with hand painted shells. Definitely sturdy with good ventilation and passive isolation

With that I would like to thank Penon audio and MEAOSES for the review sample of the Eagles. They have been burned in for over a weeks' time and has the new improved nozzle filters in place. The Eagles was used using my Fiio K9 Pro, Ibasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, Fiio BTR7, IFI Gryphon and IFI signature. You can look them up on Penons sales page here.

The sound
The Eagle sound design is an energetic u shaped tuning, a broader stage for IEMs with good dynamism, a higher level of details with a clean brighter tonal character for its sound foundation. While its tonal qualities are slightly bright, its technicals are as good as any I have heard in the price range for hybrid IEMs. Unfortunately due to the unusual low impedance of the Eagles at 10 ohms. It will matter what you connect to the Eagles to in how you’re hearing them. If you connect the Eagles to a high powered amp you're going to hear a lot of brightness with a thin note weight. If you connect the Eagles to a newer warm sounding modern dap with low impedance out, Shanling/ IBasso DAPs or IFI products for example that will get you the best sound presentation for the Eagles. This review is based on the new nozzle filter given out to buyers after a factory mishap that installed the wrong filters in the nozzle. Perspective buyers will bet getting the Eagle with the new filter installed from this point forward.

The balancing for its presentation has greater elevation for its upper mids and lower trebles vs the lower mids with a moderate amount of bass impact. What makes the Eagles interesting is that it uses a dedicated dynamic driver for its mids presentation, a nicely resolving 7.5mm titanium dome driver. Titanium dynamics has the advantage of a tighter, more resolving detailed sound but gives off a slightly sweet cooler tonal character for music which some folks will like and some not so much. While timbre is generally good for the Eagles. Due to the innate sound properties for titanium with ample upper mids tuning there is a slight edginess to timbre and tonal character for the Eagles. You can see it as a type of coloring for the sound due to the driver material. Sound has a leaner note weight and a quicker decay of notes. Otherwise it has some very good definition for its sound presentation finished off by a very capable bass foundation. I feel as detailed as the Eagles are, you do have to be a fan of detailed hybrid presentations or even analytical types of sound tunings to enjoy this one. Its ample details is what stands out for the Eagles but it would have been even better if it had greater note weight with more lower mids emphasis and less upper mids presence than it shows.

Trebles.
The way the Eagles are tuned, you have to be a treble fan meaning you like your treble's presence to be forward to enjoy these. The balancing of the sound is bright, energetic and clean due to the most emphasis for its upper mids and lower trebles vs the rest of the tuning. This casts a cleaner slightly bright tonal character to the rest of the tuning.

While I would describe the tuning to be more of a U shaped signature these are very close to being more of an r signature, r signatures being treble first. Trebles show lots of detail as it is handled by the dual BAs in the nozzle of the Eagles. The BA in the nozzle aspect has some debate whether this design is good or not. In my experience if the tuning is emphasized in the treble region people will immediately associate that emphasis based on the BA in the nozzle design but in reality it comes down to how the BAs were tuned more so. MEAOES named this particular hybrid Eagles for a reason. Highs are soaring above the rest of the frequencies.

The main focus of the treble is its lower treble and then sees a gradual reduction of emphasis toward the upper trebles. This treble tuning is a bit uneven but for folks that love the high notes these are again seem to be made for folks that don’t mind to have ample treble emphasis. For the most part it is not the fatiguing type of trebles but it can be depending on the type of music you listen to. Anything melodic and well recorded this bit of brightness in the lower trebles brings a clarity and treble presence that sounds decidedly higher end but at the same time if you listen to your EDM and hip hop tracks with a lot of synthetic trebles involved. I found myself lowering the volume a bit to compensate for the slightly forced trebles.

It will be a matter of taste in how you like your treble presentation. If you want an easy going smooth relaxed rolled off treble that is not what you get with the Eagles treble tuning. Trebe is the opposite. Energetic and slightly forward. Again it will come down to your treble sensibilities.

Mids
Of the Eagles is handled by a nicely resolving 7.5mm titanium plated dome dynamic. Tonality overall is a touch on the cool side of neutral and this is from a combination of the lower treble emphasis and how titanium drivers present sound. As I type there are simply not too many titanium based dynamics I have heard that come off as warm and or dark. The detail aspect of the Eagles is nicely done however, its timbre suffers a bit by a slight rigidness in its presentation. A bit more analytical leaning in how the Eagles are tuned vs being musical or full bodied.

Its slightly sweeter tonal character is a bit unique among hybrids. What makes the Eagles standout for its mids presentation is that some of its technical aspects, especially associated with detail, is among some of the best for the price. Imagining is precise but not exactly 3D in how the sound is portrayed. Due to the mids emphasis taking a step back over the tribes and bass ends of the Eagles. Note weight as previously mentioned is not a strong suit for the Eagles. It has very good note separation and another standout of the Eagles is its broad mid range that presents a wider scope for its mids presentation than most. Female vocals and stringed instruments are more forward in the sound vs instruments or vocals that need some heft or body of sound. Its slightly laid back mids presence gives somewhat of a unique more broader take on the midrange for the Eagles.

Using a titanium dome dynamic for its mids gives a detail aspect that is uncommon for dynamics at this price range. I remember at one point titanium plated dynamics was the rage, look up old Dunu dynamics for example. But since then we have seen the Graphene craze, Beryllium craze, DLC craze and Planar craze. What was old is now new in the Eagles. But somehow I feel the tuning of the Eagles could have been a bit better vs how it is tuned now. As it stands it is more analytical in approach than musical. Which I feel is a bit of a lost opportunity.

Again to get the absolute best from the Eagles. Your sources and a proper tip matters and I do recommend trying out a thicker more substantial copper-based cable. For example
Penon PAC480 on the Eagles is superb and adds the one issue I personally have with the Eagles is by adding note weight. It does a good job smoothing out the treble notes a bit as well. PAC480 is a nice upgrade on the included cable but is a bit thick. Otherwise these are the cables to use for the Eagles. This in combination with a nice full bodied warmer sounding source and you got yourself a nice sounding Eagles.

Bass
So this aspect is a stand out for the Eagles. It is using a slightly larger 8mm ceramic dome. Much like how the Titanium dome is unique for the mids, so is the dynamic handling of the bass. I don’t recall ever hearing a ceramic dynamic so this is a first but what I do know is that the bass end of the Eagles punches above its price point. Analytical does not mean you're gonna have a weak one note bass end. Far from it the ceramic dome seems to have a texture that mimics another dynamic I regard highly for its bass texture. The silicone dynamic. Bass is moderate with nothing overly cooked but at the same time it clearly has a tight detailed rumbly punch to its make up. The bass is a strong suit for the Eagles and I can clearly understand why the designers for the Eagles chose this specific dynamic for the bass end.

Bass has a roundness with a texture to its tonal character that is once again not too common for its price. I will go as far as to say it will be a good idea for MEAOES to continue using this particular dynamic driver for future releases. Bass definition is what stands out to me for the Eagles. Bass sounds rangy yet tight with very good texture to its presentation. I can tell this dynamic was chosen for its definition and texture. Overall bass was a pleasant surprise on the Eagles. Its bass does a great job complimenting the detailed nature of its overall signature. Unlike the mids presentation with its more leaner technical presentation the bass end has more body to its note causing somewhat of an uneven presentation among the drivers.

In the end
The Eagles are unique in many ways and I feel it was a design that was not quite ready for prime time. These are not tuned for your average consumer but more for audiophiles that love a lot of details present for their music. Eagles are built well in all resin design, and providing a good selection of tips helps their cause. Their new modular copper cable matches well with the Eagles but with a highly detailed signature these do require a better cable to help with its shortcomings. They can sound tremendous with the right cable and source but not everyone will be trying these aspects that are required for them to sound better than they are.

In an industry filled with hybrids and a myriad of choices at the price, MEAOES is trying something a bit different. I can tell they were going for a higher end sound utilizing a unique driver combination but in the end they are a 10 ohm IEM which almost eliminates the need for a balanced plug. They end up being very sensitive to the sources you attach to them to so your experience with them will vary greatly. With the current deal of a free additional hybrid they are worth checking out but be warned you have to do some trial and error as far as getting the Eagles to sound their absolute best. And it is at their best they can sound tremendous but it comes at the cost of having the right stuff to use with the Eagles. As they are out of the box, I feel it is somewhat of a missed opportunity for the group as these have some serious potential.. Thanks for taking the time to read and as always happy listening.

Fiio FW5

Progressive designs from Fiio means they take their prior experiences in making audio goods, learn what was good and what was bad about them to make better, more advancements in their newer offerings. It seems for Fiio engineering, anything new they make means it is a step forward and never a step back. Case in point, the new FW5 is the culmination of 5 different prior wireless products. Their more recent UTWS5 brought something new for wireless arms that attach to your favorite wired IEMs making your wired IEMs wireless. What was innovative with that particular product was that it incorporated an efficient AK4332 DAC chip.

Why not use the same chip in a new wireless IEM for everyday use? The advantage of using this particular AKM chip is that you get a better signal to noise ratio with lower distortion levels with an enhanced dynamic range. In other words aka better sound performance. Then on the bluetooth end Fiio is utilizing the latest Qualcomm bluetooth chip in the QCC5141 with bluetooth 5.2 compatibility. As far as I know Fiio is the only company that has integrated this particular DAC chip with a bluetooth device in a Bluetooth IEM.

I reviewed Fiio’s UTWS5 arms here and have used it with numerous IEMs so I am very familiar with its sound performance. I had a good idea of just how that would have translated to the new TW5 even before receiving it. The end results, I will get into in this review.

I would like to thank Fiio for providing a sample of their newest FW5, it was provided for the purpose of a review and my take on them. If you feel the need to grab yourself the latest Fiio tech inspired wireless earphones for you, you can get yourself one here on their aliexpress page. The FW5 so happens to be on sale for the holidays and at the sale price for these. Would make for a perfect gift. They have been used nonstop for 3 weeks straight and I am now ready to share my thoughts about the FW5. My testing method is using them in real world situations and most importantly just listening to them. The FW5 was used on my phone for mic and music testing. The Fiio M15 for further music testing and my laptop for media use.

In designing the FW5, Fiio could have gone for the latest ANC tech to include in their FW5 but they didn’t. You gotta leave something for Fiio to focus on in the future I suppose. But instead, the FW5 is all about the sound. I have done my share of TWS reviews, and it seems wireless products are here to stay and for traditional enthusiasts that feel wireless can’t achieve sound quality levels of a wired IEM. Well yes and no.

If any wireless IEM is going to sound like your precious wired IEM connected to a nice sounding source. It will be the FW5. The limitation however is that you will not be able to connect the FW5 with different higher end sources with different sound tunings and or use your favorite cables to tweak the sound to your liking. However, you're not going to care once you hear how good the FW5 sounds.

There is a need for wireless IEMs for your outdoor excursions, even better when the sound quality is on point. If you think about it, do you need to listen to your stupid expensive, high end uber quality wired IEMs on the go? Does that even matter? What I am asking is, what is the likelihood you are going to be walking around with your expensive IEMs during your outdoor excursions and or exercising. Chilling in your backyard doesn't count. I am talking about using them for your commutes and or exercising with. I certainly wouldn’t. I actually see my higher end IEMs as something to be cherished for my solitary music listening. And no way am I going to use my best IEMs for walks and or exercising.

I suppose the idea of using an IEM is that you can plug them into your ears and be outdoors but at the same time. Usually, people that are into IEMs own more than a few of them. That is how the hobby goes of course. Most enthusiasts I know relegate a decent budget set for those times but even then, you got them wires that hang out of your ears to contend with not to mention in order to have your best sound quality you gotta carry around some type of dedicated source.

The better solution many have discovered are TWS products. The FW5 sound quality is ideal of being outdoors, and all the new tech involved in making it seems to have paid off. Even more surprising is Fiios' focus on sound quality and how they are bridging the gap between wireless and wired sound quality.

So why on this planet would you need to take out your overpriced wired IEMs for use on your busy commutes or for exercising if you can get a TWS product that not only sounds just as good but also allows you to have conversations when you get on a phone call? IPX4 certified meaning you can sweat on them? You want to sweat on your 1,000 IEM? That my friend is up to you. If you want to see your precious IEM die a tragic death. Go ahead and use them for exercising.

The FW5 consists of a 10mm DLC dynamic which is taxed with the bass to mids duties plus the addition of two Knowles BAs in the nozzle handling the treble duties. But then all of this is properly tuned by our friends at Fiio with the addition of the AK4332 DAC with its velvet sound enhancement and you get a sound quality that is not only acceptable to replace your best IEMs outdoors, but something that will actually be ideal for such use case scenarios.

Indoors the FW5 gets an astounding 30-40 ft of signal from its source through walls. Meaning you can leave your sound source playing and go about doing chores in the house. Outdoors get even a greater signal at almost double that of the indoor use. Its strong signal is one aspect I appreciate but then it has very good battery power. Rated at having 7 hours of use outside of the charging cradle. I found this to be accurate. I am getting close to that in 6.5 hours of real-world use. Charging case allows for 21 hours of use after charging. You can get a solid 3 full charge cycles from the cradle.The charging cradle comes with 4 led lights signaling how much charge it has. The cradle charges fully in roughly 1 hour 40 minutes. The earpieces fully charge within an hour of docking them inside the cradle. One aspect of this charging cradle I appreciate is that even though it is compact in size. The cradle actually closes with aftermarket large size tips on the earpieces. I have had charging cradles on other TWS products that you have to take the tips off of the earpieces to close tightly. This is a minor annoyance but one the FW5 has no problems with.

Pairing is simple and intuitive. Each housing has two buttons which gives you full functionality of your music and calls, the main button has a small, raised dot so you can feel the button, the secondary button does not so you can feel which button is what for easy access without taking them out of the ear. Functions are easy and work as intended with a press of the buttons. Pause, play, FF, rewind track, volume, answer calls, decline and or hang up calls. Fiio includes two mics from both earpieces that are used with a CVC noise canceling tech for cleaner clear vocal calls. My voice is heard loud and clear on phone calls as a result.
As of writing Fiio is considering adding an ambient mode for the FW5 in a future firmware as well with LDAC compatibility.

The housing for the FW5 is a strong industrial grade plastic with a metal plate for the outside aesthetics which mimics Fiios dynamic IEM offerings the FD5, FD7 in looks. The entire earpiece is much lighter in the ear than you would imagine. No fear of it being too big or too heavy, the actual part of the earpiece that fits inside your ears is the bottom portion with the driver in it. The general shape of the part that fits your ears has similar dimensions of an earbud but angled. Very comfortable to use for hours on my end. The outer portion houses the electronics needed for the FW5 to function. While the outside half is a bit bulky looking, you're not going to notice the bulkiness at all due to the earpiece actually being lighter weight in the ears.

Passive isolation is very similar to all resin IEMs or roughly 28dbs worth in my guesstimation. Which is not bad for having no ANC. Using foam tips helps isolation to a greater extent as well. The included two sets of silicones does a good enough job. One set is Fiios new HS18 tips which are a bit too soft for my own use, but certainly good tips included. Last bit of accessory is of course some cleaning tools and a USB charging cable. Fairly minimum in what you get but TWS IEMs don't need much. Current sales promo also includes a leatherette carry sleeve for the cradle. Excellent little bonus.

Fiio Control app. Using your android or apple device gives some extra functionality with the TW5. Unfortunately, as of writing I can’t get my Fiio control app to recognize the FW5 even when I reinstalled the app. I would imagine Fiio bringing an update for the control app to be better utilized but for now my review here is based on not using the control app.

Sound
So, what do all them fancy DAC chips and bluetooth tech get you for your sound? The FW5 has a mild v shaped tuning but balanced well in execution. What is important here is the sound is properly sourced and amplified which you can’t say about your other TWS products. The TW5 sounds like how you would hear with your favorite wired IEM using a nice powerful DAP. I do recommend a good run in with your music for the DLC driver to settle. Out of the box bass was boomy and mids a bit distant but since then the bass has tightened with the mids opening up quite a bit. Much better balanced as a result. I appreciate that the DLC driver is handling the bulk of your music. Excellent rangy dynamic qualities to your music as well as very good technicalities especially stage. If you take precedence for sound quality on your TWS IEMs, who doesn't? You have to take the FW5 very seriously.

Trebles
Is handled via two Knowles BAs in the nozzle. The BA in the nozzle design works despite what folks in the media may say about that design. It comes down to implementation and tuning more than this causing any problems with too much forced treble. In fact, the reason why this works really well in the FW5 is that the AK4332 happens to be a warm smooth sounding DAC. This smaller efficient DAC chip is not going to wow a person that is coming from a dedicated higher end DAP or desktop DAC/AMP. But for something like a smaller TWS housing to amply power the drivers to sound correct. The AK4332 chip is perfect for such applications. Fiio tuned the FW5 to be more dynamic full-bodied sounding than anything truly neutral in presentation. Which includes some treble emphasis to balance out its bass performance.

Trebles has good extension and is balanced well with enough presence to balance out the overall sound performance of the FW5. Trebles does a great job to compliment the DLC driver and this statement is actually a compliment to the sound design on the FW5. Cohesion is surprisingly very good on the FW5. Usually due to differences in type of drivers used, tonal and transient differences between drivers can cause a certain level of disconnect among hybrids but the FW5 actually sounds like the sound is emanating from one driver.

Overall trebles sound clean, crisp moderately airy and have very good details treble BAs are known for. It has the right amount of transient response and enhances the nicely done sound quality of the FW5. Treble tuning here plays relatively safe but with just enough edge to give you a bit of bite when called for. No irritating spikes to cause glare for the trebles. Utilizing two BAs seems to give greater control and adds to the realism for the treble end of the FW5s tuning. I have no concerns about the treble aspect of its sound. Its detail and ability is a pure win for the sound on the FW5.

Mids
Of the FW5 takes just a step back in the sound design. This helps to give a sense of grandeur, the reason why the FW5 sounds so spacious with a wide diffused sound field is due to the sound tuning. Its treble and bass ends both are moderately emphasized over the mid bands. The FW5 has a good 10dbs of upper mids emphasis to bring clarity and presence to the mid bands. Not too far off from my goldilocks for upper mids emphasis at 8dbs.

Mids overall has a good if not solid level of technicalities with excellent stage, note separation and details associated with its DLC driver. Its imaging is about average for hybrids in the price range, but I am talking about compared to the best wired IEMs which is not a bad thing, but it does have what stands out to be a glorious full wide deep soundstage that will wow a person hearing its sound for the first time. Its timbral performance is actually quite good given that it is tuned with a bit of coloration for outdoor use. The true trump card for its tuning is the stage of the FW5 which is tremendous. Wide for IEMs and even wider for TWS products. Its depth and height of sound is roughly equal in moderation but sounds superbly wider than most IEMs. You get a sense of grandeur that you don’t necessarily get from most IEMs. I would have liked the mids to be a touch more forward for my own likes in a sound, but you know what? This design works out just fine and actually sounds better balanced when using the FW5 out and about.

Bass
No way was Fiio not going to focus on this important aspect in the FW5 sound tuning. Bass is not an afterthought but a clear design choice for the FW5. Bass has a good elevation to about 10 dbs roughly equal to that of its upper mids and treble emphasis. 10 dbs of bass is actually borderline basshead territory for IEMs actually. But this was done on purpose. Bass is the first part of a sound tuning that wanes as you are outdoors. Bassy IEMS actually end up sounding more balanced as a result. Extra bass compensates for ambient noise and the bass end of the FW5 is pronounced but ultimately balances the sound tuning for the FW5. There is a clear difference in how much bass you will perceive when indoors using the FW5 vs being outdoors.
Since there is no ANC involved to help you hear all the details without any external noise. Having a bit of extra bass emphasis is actually a good thing.

Bass end of the FW5 can get brawny when called for, an aspect of the bass I appreciate is that it is well controlled for how much is emphasized. Bass for the most part is tight with good speed for dynamics. Bass digs deep with zero roll off that I can perceive. Bass texture is very good at the price point and will be satisfactory for folks that love to have some authoritative thump and rumble to their music. FW5 bass emphasis is ideal for out and about use. While the tuning is clearly a v shaped tuning. When you're actually using them outdoors it sounds even better balanced as the bass end is drowned out a bit by some external noise. Carbon based drivers excel in the bass arena for IEMS and the FW5 has a no compromise bass end with plenty of power backing it using that AK4332 chip that will surprise folks as you can have your wireless IEMs with full bass and it sounds just as good as any wired IEM if not a bit better. Can it rumble? Well yes and with good authority.

In the end
The FW5 is an excellent achievement by Fiio. It's a culmination of a lot of their prior TWS products but also one with excellent sound quality in mind. Who needs ANC when your sound quality is everything you want on the go. It has a very decent battery life and is quick to charge. Vocal calls sound great. Its intuitive music and mic controls are very convenient. Light weight with a secure fit, the passive isolation is good but not outstanding for TWS products but once you hear how good these things sound, you're not going to care. The FW5 will have more added functionality in the future with newer firmwares as LDAC and ambient mode is also being tested for possible firmware update. Its APTx adaptive and LHDC codecs are nice with 5.2 bluetooth compatibility. If you're looking for a wireless IEM that has excellent sound quality with solid hardware which ends up making the FW5 sound just as good as your wired IEMs. The FW5 is an excellent choice for your outdoor excursions, gaming, watching a movie or conversing with your no-good buddies. And remember, friends don’t let friends use their expensive IEMs to exercise. Just don’t do it. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Dunu Kima

Dunu's newest IEM is the tried-and-true dynamic IEM called the Kima. Complete with obligatory waifu infused box. The Kima comes to the masses with an all-metal light and strong zinc alloy medium sized universal shell housing a 10mm dual chambered DLC or Diamond like carbon dynamic and a strong N52 magnet. Being sold at the magical $109 price point the Kima has arguably some of the most competition at the price range.

You can tell where Dunu ranks an IEM based on its price segment. So while that statement rings true for most IEM manufacturers this does not mean the Kima is somehow a much lesser IEM than Dunus more pricier offerings. This is where getting the best out of the Kima and some subjectivity comes into play but thus far, every IEM I have tested and reviewed for Dunu really are forerunners on a sound value for each of their offerings. The Kima is no different. Just because their intro offerings, the Titan S and the Kima are priced as they are, you cannot assume they are cheaper in sound quality. Running the Kima with some proper amping with an aftermarket balanced cable, I personally find them extremely enjoyable to listen to. Even comparable to some of their more pricier offerings. The tuning of the Kima reminds me a bit of their original Zen.

With that I would like to thank Dunu for providing a review sample of their newest Kima earphones. You can find out more about the Kima on Dunus website here. I burn in every review sample for a period of a week's time and are now ready for evaluation using my sources. IBasso DX300Max. Fiio M15, Fiio K9 pro ESS, BTR7, Shanling M6 pro, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature for amping.

I appreciate that Dunu is always trying to improve their IEM offerings and it seems they don’t stay with a design for too long when there is a clear improvement to be had in a newer design. The Kima is slotted just above the Titan S in price point. I find both IEMs to be at or near the top of the IEM chain at their given price points and both are not some gimmicky hybrid. Both sets are utilizing the dynamic driver. It seems Dunu engineering loves the dynamic. Using a more capable highly resolving dynamic driver can easily cover the sound bands for a complete sound experience and this negates the need to add more drivers which ups the cost and adds more complications to the design. The single dynamic is the one constant in our hobby and I can’t ever see it going away, especially for Dunu.

What it comes with/build
Kimas is a solid built IEM, zinc alloy housing with brass nozzles make them light yet very sturdy for everyday use. I suppose the one negative of using metal housings is that the blocks of metal get colder during winter time but nothing to complain about for the build quality. The Kima packaging includes a 4 cored silver plated monocrystalline copper cable in 2 pin configuration, single ended. Comes with 3 sets of silicone tips. One set which is their substantial newly developed S&S tips which I will get into here shortly. A cleaning tool, stereo adaptor, cleaning cloth and an orange colored variant of their zip up case.

A bit of a word on maximizing the Kima: the Kima is a 32 ohm IEM and I noticed its included cable is good but not optimal for maximizing the sound quality of the Kima. The drivers used for the Kima are nicely resolving and upgraded cables will expand and enhance the sound of the Kima to a much greater degree, especially in balanced. You can’t expect Dunu to throw in a premium cable on a $100 earphone and they didn’t. It's a nice included cable, don't get me wrong on that. But I do notice the Kima has much more potential than what Dunu is showing you with its included cable. They take to amping like a champ like most dynamics but these especially love some power. A balanced cable is needed to get more power from most sources so if you're gonna go balanced anyway, then you might as well get a better cable is my point. An upgraded aftermarket cable is highly recommended to bring out what the Kima can truly do. And using a source with good power to boot.

S&S tips. I have to dedicate several paragraphs to these tips. Once in a great while a manufacturer will develop something and sneak it in their packaging. First seen on the Dunu Talos. The S&S tips stand for Stage and Studio. Which is a great descriptor for the tips. These tips are of the moderately sticky type of clear silicone, not the uber sticky type that attracts all sorts of lint. They remind me of the not so famous inverted tip mod I have been doing for years to make good use of tips that would sit and collect dust in my tip bin otherwise. Look up tip inverse mod on YouTube and you will see what I am talking about. The S&S tips however is a much improved design on that idea.

The S&S tips bring a focused sound design to the ears due to how well it seals inside the ears. The material is perfect to give a good seal inside the ears while opening up the sound. It gives one of the best full bodied sounds with a full bass end from just about any tips I have ever used. Where having proper tips count for IEM use. These tips are a gold mine. I have actually ordered a few extra sets of these from online Dunu vendors. As of writing they are now available for purchase separately. I have personally put out an APB for all my friends on headfi to grab themselves several sets to use with. Not every day we get a substantial tip design that was quietly introduced. The tip design is genius, no other way to put it. It will quickly become your go to tip for all your IEMs and not just the Kima and the Talos. Believe me as an IEM reviewer I do not dedicate a complete paragraph on just a set of tips. These will become your favorite tips to use on your favorite IEMs. Not since JVC introduced their Spiral Dot tips has something this substantial has come along. Even if you don’t end up getting either a Talos or the Kima for you. Get yourself some S&S tips. You will thank me later.

Sounds
The Kima is a variation of a neutralish harmon tuning, but has slightly more bass emphasis and bass extension with a minor emphasis to the trebles vs their more brighter, slightly more neutrally tuned Titan S. Overall it has better balancing with a smoother more natural tonal quality vs the Titan S which seems to be the reasoning why the Kima was priced a bit higher. It sounds like a mild w shaped in its tuning as its sub bass and upper treble end is ever so elevated with a moderate pinna gain for its upper mid bands. However, one thing for certain. The Kima is a true Dunu made IEM with solid technical aspects coming from its 10mm DLC dynamic.

As I was getting to know the Kima and its sound tuning, I mentioned earlier that they remind me of the sound balancing of the original Zen, to my surprise they do mimic them but with better treble extension. It seems Dunu has learned a thing or two to improve their offerings and applied that to all their IEMs, not just the pro models. For that I am grateful. While there is no longer a Dunu Zen the Kima here is available and while they both have a similar balancing curve with the Zen utilizing a much more higher end driver, the Kima is tuned a bit better to make up for it. The $100 price bracket is extremely important to an IEM manufacturer as this will be the price bracket that even casual listeners are willing to buy an IEM. So needless to say it has to impress.

What you're getting with the Dunu Kima is very representative of how Dunu makes and tunes an IEM nowadays. Nicely technical and balanced in its sound foundation. The Kima is an easy phone to use and to admire for its sound qualities.

Trebles
Of the Kima is balanced well with moderate extension creating a natural tonal balance for its treble presentation to its mids presence. Kima is typical of harmon tuned IEMs but also does not seem to have any type of treble spike in the brilliance area for treble to add a sense of extra shimmer and sparkle. Trebles has a good if not solid sense of detail and is actually competent for micro nuances for its treble presentation. Agile, accurate and clean the trebles here is not too much and not too little. While this is more of a safe approach to treble balancing, I appreciate that it is done in a manner where there is no treble glare or grain from the treble area.

For the most part the Kima seems to stick to a harmon tuning and balancing with just enough trebles and lower bass to balance out the tonal qualities for its tuning. Treble balancing and its accurate tonal qualities makes for versatility for your music. Overall I have no complaints when it comes to the high notes for the Kima. The reason why the Kima is what I consider a bit higher up vs their Titan S is it does not emit a cooler tonal sheen for its tuning like the Titan S. Its better balancing is evident in its better tonal character and it starts from the trebles.

Mids
For the Kima is also balanced well from upper mids emphasis to its lower mids. The Kima is tuned with a good 10dbs of upper mids emphasis which provides a good amount of clarity. The mids lean toward naturalness vs being edgy. Emphasis above 10 dbs starts to become bright in tonal character. I would say the Kima is actually neutral in tonal character meaning it's not bright and it certainly is not a warm sounding IEM. Right smack in the middle of tonality which again shows mastery of the balanced tuning.

Due to its middle ground of tonality, note weight and balanced in its presentation, the Kima is an excellent IEM to gauge what your sources are doing for your sound presentation. The Kima can sound slightly brighter if you use a brighter neutral sounding source for example and the opposite when using a warm full bodied sounding source. So you get a level of transparency from a $100 IEM that is not all that common. Most IEMs in this price range will have its own flavoring to influence tone and sound character be it the standard V tuned IEMs to a bright neutral IEM. While it does have a moderate emphasis for its trebles to bass, it's actually more neutral in how it's presented vs being too colored in one way or the other.

Its technical aspects are solid and will be clearly better using more powerful sources but I wouldn't consider the technicalities to be special. At the $100 Price level technicalities for IEM sound has been upgraded to the point where the Kima is just slightly above average, instrument separation, dimensional imaging, details, timbre and stage are all good but nothing that really separates it from the top IEMs in the price range. What makes them win is due to its superb balancing with its safe harmon tuning. Other IEMs in this price bracket also have upgraded these aspects possibly due to manufacturers utilizing newer better drivers at the price range. The DLC dynamic has always produced a good technical foundation for sounds so it is no different for the Kima. So what is average or above average nowadays is actually good and certainly better than similar IEMs from a year or two ago.

A similar sounding IEM several years back would have been IEMs in the $150-$200 range is my point. A sign of the times? Could be but this is actually a good thing for the enthusiast. I can honestly say you are getting more value for your money from the modern IEM vs IEMs of yesteryear. And as such I have to grade these IEMs based on what others are doing as well. The level as they say has been raised. Kima does a lot of things right with nothing really glaring or with any issues in its sound production. As such, yes, the Kima is a good if not a solid deal at what Dunu is asking for a set.

Bass
Is moderate in both impact and extension here and maintains a good base level of detail in its execution. Dunu bass has always been tight with no bloat and it shows on the Kima. I know some might want more bass from the Kima but it has enough impact and rumble to provide for good versatility.

Moderate bass means it only has about 6-7dbs of bass emphasis. My goldilocks for bass emphasis is 7- 8dbs. I know that one extra dbs don't count for too much but it is the difference between having impactful bass vs leaning more toward a neutral flavoring for bass. Kima has enough bass to call it balanced with nothing too much in one end or the other. A few more dbs in the mid bass area and this will cause the tonal balance to become a bit warmer will start to creep into the lower mids, so again the Kima plays it safe. To be honest the Kima is the poster child for safe tunings with just enough treble, mids and bass for a complete well rounded listening experience. I will never take away a point for an IEM that has balancing for its foundation.

In the end
The Kima is a solid all-rounder on several fronts. Its excellent build quality and accessories package I would expect nothing less from Dunu. Its included cable is actually better than most cables that are included with IEMs especially at the price range. However, once you hear the Kima on a proper DAC/AMP and or DAP with some power you're going to want to upgrade that cable for balanced out. The Kima is the type of IEM even for folks that own much more expensive ones, you will hear their potential from the stock set up and will immediately know they can become much better than what they initially sound like. It is the type of IEM you spend just as much money or more on an upgraded cable for and try out over a dozen of your best tips just to maximize its sound. Dunu has made yet another outstanding dynamic IEM and it has all the best traits for using a highly resolving dynamic driver. The Kima sound can clearly become as dynamic as you are willing to invest for it. For folks that own the Kima and or you are looking for a set. The Kima is the type of IEM that will expand in how it sounds for you. My favorite thing to say for prospective buyers and new owners of the Kima. Try this and that. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

ISN S2,H2,C2

Ok so it is that time of the year when you will see newness. Newness in all things related to our hobby including shiny new IEM cables.

The sheer varieties of IEM cables are even greater than the actual IEMs they were meant to be used for, and the sound guys at ISN have created their newest modular cables in the C2,H2, and S2 cables. One aspect I appreciate about ISN cables is that their cable name describes what the cables actually are, you figure more manufacturers would do this instead of naming a cable from some mythological creature. I suppose if your goals are lofty with such things then any naming scheme is fair game.

With that I would like to thank Penon audio and ISN audio for the review samples of their newest cables the ISN S2, C2, and H2. You can look up the ISN S2 here. The ISN H2 here. The ISN C2 here. These are all sold on Penon audio website. The cables have been used on a variety of IEMS compared to their included cables for comparisons. Individual results may vary depending on the type of IEM you use these cables on. My report here is my finding about ISNs newest created modular cables.

C2 stands for Copper 2 core, H2 stands for hybrid 2 core and as you can guess, the S2 stands for silver plated 2 core. Each cable is composed of 2 cores with 72 shares of material per core. Its connectors and terminations, y splits are made of Aluminum alloy with carbon fiber accents. Connectors and 2 pins are gold plated.

When I initially was sent the cables for evaluation I made a classic mistake I will own up to and that was quickly judging these after a quick listen using the C2 on the new MEAOES Eagles IEM.

Let's get real, you spend extra to get extra. You don't buy a turbo charger for an engine to get no gains in power right? The Eagles come with a very nice, albeit basic copper cable that matches well with the Eagles tuning. So I figured I would try out the C2 on them as it has been the IEM I have been listening to a lot lately. Initially I was thinking they aren’t much of an upgrade. They kinda gave the same vibes as the stock copper cables actually.

But then I started to listen to more tracks which eventually turned into a 2 hour long session.
Then I changed back to the stock cable. OK here we go. Now I can tell the difference.The stock cable makes the Eagle sound not as good. Not as defined, aha! I should have known. This is how you test out a cable by the way. Get used to hearing a sound with the new parameter, the new parameter being the new ISN C2 cable, then switching back to the original cable it came with. I wanted to put the C2 back onto the Eagles right away. But that is what made me realize. The new ISN C2 is not just your average aftermarket IEM cable. Far from it.

I went back and forth using the same music tracks and now it was clearly evident the C2 is not just a clear upgrade but now I don't like the sound of the Eagles without it. Conclusion? Not all copper cables are the same. I know non cable guys want you to think a coat hanger copper is the same as a high end copper cable. But my ears are telling me the resolve of the ISN C2 is much greater than that of this copper cable that comes with a $149 IEM.

The ISN C2 are two cores of a higher end 6N OCC pure copper cable. For folks that already have some of the Penon cables. These are actually rated higher than one of their best pure copper cables being sold for much more. The difference in your standard sub $40 pure copper cable vs a higher end copper cable is that the C2 gives you all the benefits of pure copper but resolves on a different level. If you carefully listen to your music you will get better note separation, a cleaner blacker background. Greater note weight from bass to mids, resulting in a better detailed imaging to the host IEM. Every note will have better distinction vs the standard copper warmer smoothening properties. No smearing of the notes and certainly enhances dynamism for your music.

Connecting the ISN C2 with the very resolving Tansio Mirai Sands. Brings added note weight, a greater sense of bass punch, most importantly slightly smoothes out the treble notes which it clearly has a lot of. It is a cable like the C2 is what Tansio should have included with the Sands in the first place. Its included cable highlights treble even more so than the ISN S2. So not a good matching included cable. On the other hand the C2 sounds like it was made for its sound design.

The C2 is best paired with brighter neutral or harmon tuned IEMs that need a bit of added note weight and or fullness to its sonic properties. C2 will not hide treble notes but it certainly won’t enhance and or highlight treble notes. How copper cables like the C2 and how they match up with IEMs is just my own subjective views on how that is. If you feel you need even more warmth on a musical full bodied IEM there is nothing stopping you to enhance its dynamic sound properties even more with the addition of the ISN C2. I suppose the same can be said about using pure silver on a bright treble prone IEM at the same time. All that is a matter of taste as they say.

The ISN S2 is composed of 2 cores of the same 6N OCC copper that makes up the C2 but each share of its wires is now plated in pure silver. These are for folks that want the most transparency possible out of the 3 brothers. These have the most silver content out of the 3 cables. Silver plating on a higher end copper yields the cable to be just as transparent as pure silver but adds a sense of extra body, dynamism and musicality from the copper base cores.

Headfi here will tell you pure silver is the way to go for all things cable to get the best sonics. Aha not really. Pure silver has its uses but pure silver cables are more niche in what they do vs being really versatile. It is because the ISN S2 uses at its base those copper cores is what makes them truly versatile vs a pure silver cable. You just can’t get the same bass slam or the body for your music just based on a pure silver cable. You can get the most detail possible your IEM puts out but you just can’t add what copper cores do for IEMs with pure silver. Now when you add them silver plating onto a copper core is when you get benefits of both materials.

The ISN S2s are what you want to get if you want the best technicalities from your IEMs. A high end IEM deserves a high end transmitting cable and that is what the S2 does extremely well. Its highly resolving properties are similar to what pure silver does. You have to know what flavoring you want your food to be. Mild spicy and hot.

Lets say your IEMs have a smoother treble tonal character or feels it could use a bit more treble extension. The S2 will be what you're looking for. While the H2 sound shaping character is similar it is not exactly like 100% silver plating. These are what you get for warmer, full bodied sounding IEMs as these will enhance their technical ability, stage and treble presence, however unlike pure silver these will not only maintain the body and fullness of bass to mid notes but you will also get better clarity as well due to the higher end copper cores.

I took the S2 cable out to test, but this time I threw them on a much higher end IEM. Yanyin moonlights. The cable I was using it with is no push over in the Effect Audio Cadmus. You guys can youtube this cable and see what that is about. I connected the S2 to the Moonlights and I was actually expecting a bit of a drop off of the sonics on the Moonlight. Not only did I not get that but I got the best sounding Moonlight I have ever heard. Ok so this pairing clearly was telling me the ISN S2 was playing on a much higher level than I initially thought. The S2 has the most silver content of the 3 cable siblings. It does your higher end IEMs justice as it brings the highest level of transparency out of the 3. Widest stage presentation and clarity of the 3 as well. The ISN S2 specializes in enhancing technical aspects of the host IEM it is attached to, therefore out of the 3 I would recommend getting the S2 if you want a clear upgrade for just about any IEM you own.

The ISN H2 cable is the middle child of the trio. It comprises half the cores of the C2 and half the cores of the S2. This cable is simply the middle porridge. I have been using the H2 on the new Penon Fan 2 hybrid. The Fan2s included cable is one of the best throw-in cables for IEMs in the Penon OS133 which I did a review for here.

The H2 is a natural upgrade from the OS133. It simply does everything with not too much of anything yet also upgrades what you love about most from your IEMs. What I mean by that is it is well known in the industry copper gives you the best natural tonality, body, warmth bass and versatility, then when you add silver plating it upgrades the transparency and detail aspects for the copper base cables. While not at the level of transparency of the S2 and not exactly the warmer leaning C2 either. It does a bit of both.

It is simple, if you are not certain what type of cable you should go for and you own more than a few IEMs you're safe in trying out the H2 due to it literally being half the C2 and half the S2.

The best synergy for your IEMs using these cables should come down to how your host IEM is tuned as a sound design that you want to better or counter its characteristics. For example if your IEMs sounds a bit warm in tonal character and would like better clarity, enhance its technical ability and stage. Go for the S2, If you want to enhance mids to bass performance and love a natural warmer tonal character, with a smoother treble go for the C2. If you love the sound of your IEM and want just an upgrade to enhance all parts of what it does. Go for the H2.
Again H2 being half of the C2 and half of the S2. You get both aspects in one.

So let me break down what the cables are thus far. All 3 of the cables here look like they are made in the exact same way. All 3 are 2 cores with the same gauge and thickness, all 3 are very soft and flexible, All 3 have the same blue clear finish, most importantly all 3 of the cables include their new modular plugins which means you can pull out the bottom 2/3rd of the connector and plug into the male end in any termination you want. All 3 cables come with the 3 most commonly used plugs. 3.5mm single ended. 2.5mm balanced and 4.4mm balanced plugs.

Changing out the modular plugs is as easy as pulling out the plug you don’t need and replacing it with the plug you intend to use. It has a white dot on each plug where the groove lines up with the male end of the cable for easy insertion. The white dot, as simple as that is, is a great idea so you don’t have to bring out your magnifying glasses to see how it is lined up. Makes things easier and a plus for ISN cables.

Again, cables are not going to magically make your IEMs become something entirely different, but it will enhance properties of the sound that you like or dislike in an IEM. Cable synergy is for real folks and if you know what you're looking for in a match up cable. It will be the difference of an IEM becoming your favorite or one that collects dust waiting to be used.

In theory if you can just choose one cable out of the 3 to get, the ISN H2 would be the most logical out of the three cables, however the difference between the H2 and the S2 is not a clear night and day difference. If these new ISN cables were of a thicker gauge and had more cores to them, then it would make more of a difference but to be honest the H2 and the S2 have more in common than real tangible differences. The greatest difference comes from the pure copper C2 vs the S2.

Go for the C2 for hybrid or BA type IEMs, neutral, harmon or bright sounding IEMs or if your a basshead that want the best bass and mids out of the 3 cables. The H2 will be excellent for dynamics and well balanced IEMs. The S2 is for max transmission for any type of IEMs that need the best transparency, clarity, detail, technicalities and stage.

In the end.
The 3 cables options, all 3 are excellent in what they do. The added easier to use solid modular plugs in all popular formats is icing on the cake. Some insider knowledge about these cables is that these are made of actual higher grade of OCC copper that you can actually trust to be real from ISN. I know it is difficult to really trust a cable makers claim of higher purity of such a cable but the folks at Penon and ISN are not the type of folks to throw out fruity language to describe a cable they make. These cables are all about function, form and versatility. If you want some of the best cables you can buy under the $100 mark, I can’t recommend these cables highly enough. As a cable and IEM reviewer the ISN S2, C2, and H2 all 3 cables are giving you real value in the industry filled with such cables that claim they do a lot but in reality, they don’t. These cables are a clear gateway to higher end IEM cables and will clearly enhance any IEM they are attached to and isn’t that the real reason why we spend the money for such cables? Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy cable pairing always.

Shozy AVA TWS

The wireless audio industry is seeing a boom. With the need for wireless connectivity via bluetooth using all of our phones and devices we carry. Wireless devices make using earphones more convenient. I saw a random post recently remarking on a wired IEM review where the comment said. “ Wired IEMs are so yesterday.” I laughed out loud at that remark. But there is some truth to that post as your average non audiophile would probably prefer not to be tethered with wires hanging out of their ears. Seems everything is going wireless nowadays cus it is so modern. Then there is the convenience of not being physically wired. With enough years of bluetooth innovation using newer advanced codecs and wireless transmission. Just from my own stint with more recent wireless IEMs. Bluetooth is clearly making gains when it comes to sound. No matter how you see it, bluetooth wireless phones are here to stay.

Just about everyone in the industry either has TWS products out in the market or are making them as I type. The AVA is Shozys version of the TWS IEM and while this is their first TWS product, The AVA is surprisingly a mature product that comes to the masses with some pros and cons of its design. Which I will get into in this review. This being said, I can see them making even better ones in the future. For now we have the new AVA TWS from Shozy. Shozy tuning has a specific house sound which actually translates well to a wireless product. Even without knowing it was from Shozy I can clearly tell these were tuned and made by Shozy.

Shozy is all about a warm, somewhat old school musical style of sound tunings. If you're looking for harmon neutral analytical tuned sound, Shozy has nothing to do with harmon based tunings just so you know. Musical warm bassy full bodied sounding IEMs is your jam? Shozy tunings are just this. I equate Shozy house sound to be the Chinese equivalent to a Bose type sound. Very similar in tuning approaches actually.

With that I would like to thank Penon audio and Shozy for the review sample of their latest creation in the Shozy AVA. If you feel the need to get yourself a set of AVAs you can buy them here on Penon audio website. I have used the AVA daily to break them in for the past month and to test out their battery capacity. Connected them to 3 main sources for sound and function testing. My Laptop, my Samsung Galaxy phone, and my Fiio M15 for music listening.

Build wise, the AVA is made of hard plastics which in of itself is OK but I don’t have the best confidence these will take a fall from the head onto a hard surface. Banging your head to a heavy metal track would not be a good idea is my point. They fit secure enough for my medium sized ears but the included tips are just standard silicones with no real benefit to their existence besides being the tips that were included with the AVA. So what makes matters a bit worse is that the ear pieces are a touch smaller in stature. You have to have a secure 3-4 fingers on the housing to put into the ears or to take them out otherwise they might actually see an early death just a warning. Otherwise the cradle and the earpieces fit well and have no issues charging the internal battery of each piece. The Cradle itself is a nice porcelain white color that seems sturdy enough. Comes with 3 led green lights that indicate the internal charge of its battery.

I also found it a bit strange that my review sample of the AVA did not come with any instructions at all. So far I figured out how to turn on and off, pause, play, FF, and restart the current track via touch controls on the outer shells but otherwise you are left to figure things out for yourself. I still haven’t figured out if there is volume control at all. You can raise the volume from your source and that is what I am doing. So far single touch pauses music, double tap and it FF or Rewinds, longer press turns off the ear pieces. Music pauses automatically when getting phone calls.
The earpieces connect easily enough out of the cradle it starts to look for bluetooth pairing so not too confusing there.

Testing the parameters for the signal. It's not bad at about 30 ft without distortion or music cutout indoors. So yes you can leave your source/phone in the center of a room to do chores. I have had better but it is certainly decent. The stated battery time when using them outside of the charging cradle is supposedly 6 hours. Real world use is closer to 5 hours. Its relatively short listening time is ok. When put back into the cradle, the earpieces charge to max capacity quickly in roughly 45 minutes to an hour. You can repeat this process for the allowed 55 hours worth of charge time the cradle handles.

AVA comes with a set of silicones and a usb charging cable, a good looking all white charging cradle and that is really about it. No instructions as mentioned above. This is forgivable for a review sample but for a prospective buyer that spends on a new TWS IEM? Not so much. I asked @recdarmoose, the other reviewer of the AVA if he got some instructions and the answer to that was no. So there is a very good chance you will have to wing it for how to do things with the AVA.

Sound.
So this is where Shozy AVA makes up for its shortcomings. Shozy house sound is a bit like listening to a warmed up pair of old high end speakers. This can be good and it can be bad depending on what your audio sensibilities are when it comes to sound. It is one thing to be sitting at home and using your favorite pair of headphones or IEMs for critical listening but it is entirely another to be going on with your daily commute, working or walking about among a crowd of people.

For outdoor use the AVA has no ANC or does it have transparency mode for conversing with others while using the AVA. Its simple phone functions work as intended with clear vocal calls. Of course your music drops out when speaking using a phone. It is missing some of the higher end codecs like LHDC or LDAC and aptX is the highest end codec that the AVA uses. The other two being AAC and SBC codecs.

The sound quality of the AVA leans more toward a musical big dimensional full bodied sound production with a beefy bass note. A type of tuning common among Shozy IEMs actually. How that type of sound translates into a TWS IEM is actually something that actually ends up being enjoyable for your out and about excursions.

Nothing wrong with getting a TWS sound that mimics wired neutral harmon reference tuned sound I suppose but one issue with that is, when you're out and about without ANC, bass will drop off the face of the planet when listening to music. So having a beefier bass note is actually a good thing especially when you're outdoors. Due to the AVA shells being stuffed with electronics, it has much better passive isolation than you would imagine. Which again helps you shut out the rest of the world and gets you into your music.

The tuning of the AVA is more consumer than audiophile. Meaning it has a big bass end that comes alive with its 3D virtual sound processing. This processing is a bit unique in that it brings more of a diffused sound field to the sonics of the AVA vs sounding closed in. Its encompassing musical full bodied sound is a bit like having a dolby type processing for its sound. A big warm thick, rich and meaty dimensional sound signature. The balance is there but it has one aspect that might be a deal breaker for some. It uses a 6Khz spike in its treble presentation which is both good and bad at the same time. Let me explain.

Technicals.
The AVA is not the most technical sounding TWS IEM, It relies heavily on its full bodied dimensional sound. There is a certain wall of sound effect from how they tuned the AVA that again is both good and bad. Its sound separation, detail and imaging could be better, could be its warmer tonal quality with a big mid bass emphasis masks some detail for the sound but overall certainly not bad at the price point. Think old school jukebox sound quality and I think you might get a good idea what I am talking about here.

They sound nothing like a wired IEM at the same price point due to its unique dimensional processing and Shozy’s old school type tuning. Its imaging is unique in that it was tuned to be dimensional and for the most part it succeeds which will actually WOW folks when you hear music through the AVA for the first time. Its timbre suffers a bit due to the ample coloration in the tuning but heck who cares when you want to get your music on with a full thick warm bassy signature going on for your outdoor excursion. To be honest this is the type of tuning I personally like for outdoor endeavors. Nothing says you're having a good time like camping using the AVAs and getting your thump on.

Trebles
Is a bit uneven. Mid trebles are where the main point of emphasis is in fact it is deliberately tuned with a 6Khz spike. A bit unconventional and will be an issue for folks that are sensitive to the region. Most wired IEMs nowadays stay away from that region. Not Shozy. I know some are very sensitive to the region and the treble tuning can get a bit splashy for drum accents and a bit neutered for higher level treble notes. It seems whoever is at the helm at Shozy tunes more by ear vs following an established harmon curve. If you're a fan of old school speaker sound I think you would love how the AVA sounds. 6 Khz treble emphasis and all, it makes the treble sound a bit like speaker tweeters. If you're sensitive to the region then consider this a warning.

However the spike and its unevenness and all, kinda works with the rest of the tuning. It has enough treble presence to balance out the big bass it's got so not all is lost in the way Shozy tuned these. These mimic a speaker sound experience and I think that is what Shozy was trying to do with the tunging. Its virtual processing manages to spread out the sound in a dimensional manner and seems to bring a bigger diffused sound field than your average wired IEM sound. The upper trebles is lacking so not the most airiest of treble notes but for what it's got, it does pick off details well enough to call the sound complete.

The coloration of the trebles means anything close to the mid treble bands will be highlighted but the treble tuning could be more even and better balanced. I am ok with the treble presentation as it forcefully highlights treble notes at times and with tunes that don't have much emphasis in the area it sounds more balanced to my ears. So it will be a matter of how brightly recorded your tracks and how much treble your tunes have in them in the first place. For the most part works to convey the trebles but not my favorite type of treble tunings.

Mids
Has a male vocal bias as it has some thicker lower mids than your traditional upper mids emphasis for most IEMs nowadays. Again this is how Shozy likes to tune their IEMs and just about all of them have some type of warmth due to the thicker lower mid profile. Music notes in general has a full note weight as a result. This is where that old school tuning comes into play. Its mids production has a very good body of note and there is nothing that sounds thin or recessed compared to your traditional v shaped IEM. I can say the AVA is more of an unconventional V shaped IEM in that it does have that treble spike to balance out the big mid bass of the AVA.

Mids layering I find to be a strong suit of the AVA. That meaty sound is on full display when walking around. It is quite immersive in the process. As mentioned above its technicalities are not the best but when you have a big full rich sound that envelopes your hearing and your listening to enjoy the music vs analyzing. Hey, this works. While it lacks a bit in an accurate timbre or does it have a crystalline imaging aspect to it. It makes up for it in sheer musicality, fullness with that rich tonal character.

Bass 10dbs of beef chuck.
Is the aspect that is intriguing with the AVA.
Nothing wrong with a bit of rumbly beefy bass for your outdoor excursions. Especially tuned for the younger set as these have a big dose of bass for its sound signature. Much like the rest of the sound we are not talking audiophile bass but something a bit more trunk of funk in the type of bass. Mid bass is big on the AVA and it does cast a shadow on the tuning causing warmth. Not overly so but it's there. Its tonal character is clearly leaning more so on the warm side of neutral. It's not that the bass is overly cooked or has a bit too much. We are talking roughly 10dbs of boom. Which again means the AVA is a very colored sounding IEM. Bassheads especially would enjoy the beefy slabs of bass that are included in its sound signature. The AVA reminds me of Shozy’s B2 IEMs I did a review for here.

Much like the Shozy B2 The AVA will clearly satisfy a bass fan. More mid bass than sub bass but since it has plenty of mid bass the roll off is not severe towards the sub notes. In fact it is very surprising the power you get with its deep rumble. It clearly has some power behind its bass notes. Actually using the AVA outdoors the bass ends up balancing the sound much more so than being indoors. The AVA most definitely has more of a fun type of sound signature than anything that I would consider enthusiast or audiophile. But again who is actually doing sound analysis using a TWS IEM outdoors anyhow is my point. Don’t know about you but I actually require and demand a full bass end when outdoors which the AVA clearly provides.

In the end
The AVA ends up being the type of sound that is very enjoyable for outdoor use. Its usability is intuitive and while it could use some better battery times. It makes up for it with a sound design way more suited for outdoor use. These are TWS IEMs for bass fans but it is how they present that bass with its dimensional processing that makes the AVA sound unique for TWS IEMs. For their very first TWS IEM Shozy has applied their trademark warm full bodied bassy sound tuning for the AVA that ends up being much more enjoyable than you would imagine. Especially for old timers that enjoy this type of musical sound signature. If your in the market for a new TWS IEM that don't conform to what is the norm nowadays. These might be what you're looking for. As always, thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

Cadmus 8w

A new IEM to me is something that comes and goes but a substantial cable will stay with me through the years. Recent Signature series has brought 3 great cables to the market. How do you improve upon what's been established? Well you can start by giving me more. More of what makes the cables excellent. Turn a 4 cored cable to an 8 core and now we are talking serious higher end cable. A good thing is always cherished by the enthusiasts among the community and for folks that enhance their IEMs using metallurgy in the form of cables. It is debatable which sibling of the 3 signature series cables is the most popular. I am sure EA knows but I have a good feeling they are all pretty popular.

My favorite out of the 3 is the Cadmus. I am sure you have seen plenty of readers about the 3 cables and how they all enhance your favorite IEMs but for me there is no question which one gets the most use. I even put it out there. I wished there was an 8 wire version.

Wish granted. What you guys are seeing is the 8 wire version of the Cadmus. Why is that important? Well for one that is double the material count. If you are into your cables you know why that is important. This brings a different level of sophistication to what these cables do. What was good with a 4 wired version is not doubled.

Who wants to eat a porterhouse steak that is thin?. I want that meat thick and juicy. The 8 wire cadmus is exactly this. Upon first listen I was greeted with a sound expansion that while the 4 wired version did to a similar effect, but not quite at the level of the 8 wire. Music is given depth, stage and a dimensional aspect the 4w version does not quite do.

I have always believed in thicker cored cables. I have seen folks post about how they want light thin wires cables as they dont like thick cables. I am actually the opposite. I am a huge fan of cables that have a lot of material thrown in. Reason for this. If the material is gold? Why not get a healthy double dose serving of it?

And that is exactly what the 8w cadmus is about. There is simply more to love. I know exactly what the 4w version does and it is still one of my most used cables ever since EA has introduced me to their handy work. But I have to say, the 8w version came out just brilliantly.

The 8w Cadmus has to be one of the best silver plated copper cables in existence. I know EA has much higher end cables but folks if you liked what Cadmus was doing for your IEMs. Then what the 8w does will blow your mind.

How do they help shape your IEMs sound? Silver plated copper cables are a staple among enthusiasts and not all SPC cables are the same. Arguably the most versatile type of IEM Cables. I own a boat load of similar type cables and none of them quite approach what the 8w cadmus does for my IEMs.

I am an IEM reviewer so I get to know each and every IEM I write about and once in a while I get a cable that will clearly enhance everything about an IEM sound signature. Enhance it in a way that makes your standard IEM into something almost completely different and we are not talking about a downgrade folks.

Cadmus 8w, a work of art.
Light cable enthusiasts need not apply. Cus the 8w Cadmus is double the material. However the standard cadmus is no push over, if you want something a bit lighter, I have no reservations recommending the standard 4w version, but if you want a cable that makes your IEMs sound the absolute best they can be, the 8w version to me is special. I have tried easily a dozen IEMs using the 8w and it enhances all of it. What it does for your IEMs are as follows. Some more, some a bit less but this is pretty much consistent across my testing thus far.

-enhances stage perception in all directions.. Go back to using your older cables and your headstage will not be as big, note weight not as substantial. Including the 4w version.

-enhances imaging with added dimensional aspects. It's not just the stage that gets fuller and grander; your sound is better separated with an uptick in 3D ness and imaging of your music.

-enhances detail aspects. That better separation with a clean background lets you hear the little micro details in your music easier as you get that better separation.

-enhances in most cases with a richer tonal character. The foundational aspect of the Cadmus is its superior copper cores. Which as a result

-enhances texture of instruments and vocal performances.

-enhances timbre. What you thought was a good natural timbre for your music out of your IEMs needs a bit of added space for it to be even better try the 8w Cadmus.

-enhances dynamism, that beefier sound your hearing comes with this added benefit.
Which includes a punchier bass presence.

-enhances details for the treble adding a bit of air and space to its presence the handy work of all the silver content of the Candmus 8w.

-most importantly will enhance any type if IEM you attach it to as it should.

While the 4w does these aspects to a certain degree, you get double the effects and much easier noticed more so with the 8w no question that in this case, more is indeed better.

Dunu Talos

Planar IEMs are the rage nowadays. It seems every year there is a trend that everyone follows in order to get themselves a piece of the pie sort to say. Be it the beryllium craze from a few years back to the new planar craze now. The way I see it, if Dunu gets involved and makes a Planar that means it is what's hot at the moment. Sure Dunu is riding that wave of what's popular, what really matters is what Dunu has done with their version of the planar IEM.

The Talos is designed with a brand new CNC machined aluminum alloy medium sized dome type housing. The unique alloy metal design incorporates a new 14.6mm planar magnetic driver ultra thin diaphragm, but what separates the Talos from other planar IEMs is that it also incorporates a dual BA that enhances the trebles of the Talos with a flick of a switch.

This does two things. It allows for a different sound profile for the base tuning of the Talos as the switch brings more treble presence, especially more brilliance for the trebles. You like your sparkly extended treble that is exactly what you're going to get, a whole heaping of it actually. So that will be a matter of taste in how you like your treble presentations. To be fair, poorly recorded material with a lack of clarity and treble end up benefiting the most from the added treble enhancement but for me anyways, I thought the base planar tuning did just fine for most of my eclectic music collection I listen to.

For folks that complain there is not enough treble for your liking. Hey guess what, no need for a pro version of the Talos cus you got your pro version just by flicking the switch with more treble than you will ever need. Talos becomes the standard Talos and the imaginary new revised pro version of the Talos at the same time. I joke. If you follow the naming scheme and the need to always create updated versions of Dunu classics you will know what I am talking about here.

If you read the majority of reviews about the Talos. It is pretty unanimous that the Talos stock planar mode has plenty of treble with really no need for the extra BA enhancement. Hey, I applaud Dunu for trying something new here. However, why not go for a potent smaller dynamic in the housing instead of the BAs. I would have loved to see this instead with a variable bass switch. How cool would that have been, you need more boost in the bass? Imagine a neutrally tuned planar but when you feel the need for more bass. Flicking a switch for 3-4 dbs of more boom. To be fair it has been done before with hybrid IEMs but not quite yet with a Planar. Instead here we get more treble. To be honest I have not seen a single post or review saying they actually prefer the BA enhancement mode. But I suppose it is there if you feel the need so it's not a loss of a design.

With that I would like to thank the fine folks at Dunu for allowing myself to give my $.02 worth and how I hear the Talos. The Talos was provided for the purpose of a review by Dunu. You can purchase a set for you on their website here. The Talos and every IEM I do reviews for are burned in for a period of a weeks time and are now ready for evaluation using my IBasso DX300Max, Shanling M6 Pro, Fiio M15, BTR7, K7, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature.

What you get.
Dunu packages are always tops. Here we get the familiar Dunu labeled quality zip up rectangular hard case, cleaning tool, stereo adapter, 3 sets of tips and most importantly a well matching 4 core silver plated crystal copper cable in single ended. I was a bit surprised Dunu did not include a variation of their modular cables, maybe to save a bit on cost? Reason why I say this is because while the cable itself is of a nice quality and matches well with the sound design of the Talos. It is well known that Planars perform better with more power no matter how efficient they are tuned. Talos' sound is most definitely enhanced with more power. A balanced cable would mean better performance from the Talos as most players throw out more power through their balanced outs. The good news there is that the Talos is a .78mm flat 2 pin design in which you can easily use an aftermarket cable to use in balanced for the Talos.

The other aspect of the included accessory's worth mentioning is a new type of tip which seems to be a Dunu exclusive. These new sticky type silicone tips are surprisingly very good if not just out right substantial. I am going to assume these were designed by Dunu as I have never seen these types of tips before. The tips are officially called S&S tips which stands for Stage and studio, these are now sold from your favorite Dunu vendors. I am a huge fan of these tips and have been posting about just how unique and well-designed they are. Not every day we get a tip design that just works with every IEM and maximizes their sound. These tips are worth mentioning as it was the first time in a very long time I have seen a substantial new tip design that seals this well and makes every IEM sound their best. Worth looking them up and getting a few sets for you, especially if you own more than a few IEMs.

Sound design
Recent trends for Dunu seem to be variations on the neutral tunings. Minus their Vulkan IEMs which was a more of a musically tuned deep bass focused IEM, the Titan S and even their limited edition Vernus and their newest Kima are all tuned with more neutrality vs anything with too much coloring or V shaped tunings. Neutral tunings are arguably the most versatile as there simply aren't too much in one aspect of emphasis in sound over another when it comes to sound balancing. Trebles do end up playing a bigger role in a neutral tuned IEM as it will come down to how the manufacturer emphasized the treble aspect of the tunings. The Talos to my ears sounds similar to how their Titan S was tuned but one that is clearly an upgrade. Its strengths are that it brings a wide technical resolving sound presentation for IEMs with just enough musicality to its makeup to not make it sound sterile or too analytical.

Planar IEMs when designed correctly give an astonishing amount of details that seem to cover the gamut of a complete sound profile. I still feel dynamics for IEMS provides the best natural timbre, bass and texture but it is arguable which type of drivers provide a higher grade of sound overall. Don't know if the Planar will be here to stay or if it is merely a trend but I do know the Talos sounds very good when it comes to its sound quality and how it portrays sound overall. And once again I am going to clearly mention that you have to be into your neutral tunings to admire what the Talos is about. I have gotten folks that end up buying IEMs due to a review I would put out only to complain about the bass end not to their liking. Read the sound description folks, it is the sole reason why I post a review in the first place to give you a good idea what you're dealing with. A neutral tuning is not going to have an overly pronounced bass end. Just to be clear on that.

Trebles ( based on the stock planar tuning)
of the Talos has an ample slightly elevated presence included in its balanced neutral tuning. ( A bit of a side note. I do recommend a good burn in for the Talos as this area seemed to smooth out and sounds much more cohesive with the rest of the signature than out of the box. Bass also seems to get better presence as well.

Treble areas of the Talos are slightly elevated, have excellent detail, clarity and extension. This was the reason why I was surprised even more treble enhancement was added to this sound profile. Do they actually need the extra dual BAs for more treble and air? Sure why not. But you would figure the base planar tuning would be rolled off or lack somehow in the upper trebles. But that's not what I am hearing from the Talos planar tuning. Add the switch and you get extra brilliance for trebles. Extra sizzle, sparkle, shimmer. Most will find the trebles to be standing out of the balancing with the BAs on. For rock and metal music or EDM this will be a bit much. The base treble tuning actually sounds more balanced and in tune with the rest of the signature. The treble has just a slight bit of tizziness especially noticed on open listen but has smoothed out for the most part over time. I don’t get a sense that the Talos actually needs more treble. Its a function switch for some might be a good thing so I am not gonna doc a point, at least Dunu is trying something different.

Extra treble mode definitely adds more brightness to the treble area. For the old timers and folks that need that extra bit of treble enhancement for that added air and sizzle. Your planar is calling your name. Base trebles have excellent presence and its transients are very tight much like how BAs presents trebles. Planars to my ears just simply don't have any issue covering the treble area. Now when it comes to the bass end that area brings a bit of a different take. Will get into more later. But let's talk about what makes the Talos stand out. Its mids presentation.

Mids of the Talos is broad in scope wider than tall with good depth to its presentation. Its forward projecting presentation brings a proper layering and has enough note weight for vocals and instruments to sound proper. Its nicely resolving detailed presentation brings a technical aspect that I am actually used to hearing from Dunu. I would expect nothing less to be honest. Everything they make recently has a level of resolve that is some of the best in the industry for the type of IEMs they make. Its sound separation, imaging and a believable realistic timbre makes the Talos stand out. The one aspect that truly stands out for me with the Talos is vocal music. Just fantastic on the Talos. The level of details on the Talos is exemplary and proper form for Dunu and I think this is the one constant that I can say without reservation that you will get from a well designed Dunu IEM. If you feel the Talos sounds a touch thin or they aren’t how I am describing them. Try them with a proper DAC/AMP and and upgraded balanced cable, you will come away with something that will be way more than what you paid for. A bit of Power my friends is a good thing in the case of the Talos.

Competition is stiff for Dunu and anyone that makes a Planar. I know there are a lot of options out there now for planars but I do know the Talos clearly is worthy of its asking price just based on how well it resolves at its price point. I was not disappointed with how the Talos presents its mids and I am certain it will be a strong suit for a majority of folks that invest in getting a set.

Bass
True to a neutrally tuned IEM. These are not for bass first enthusiasts. The bass emphasis for the Talos leans more toward its sub bass but still has some solid details for its bass end. Its sub bass emphasis leaves a very clean and present mids emphasis which was the point of the tuning. Bass impact is enough to complete the sound balancing but is not emphasized to make it have any type of boominess, nor does the bass end have the quality of a well tuned vented dynamic driver. But to my surprise it does have a nicely textured sub bass note that I appreciate.

Bass impact is subdued a touch but makes up for it in sheer speed. It is well known the planar driver provides speed on a similar level of a BA. Speed metal fans would appreciate the sheer speed of the Talos bass end. Its mid bass has less emphasis vs its sub bass but not enough to make it sound unnatural for its bass presentation. For the most part the Talos is actually very versatile sounding and can do bass genres. It's just that it specializes more for acoustic, orchestral, jazz and vocal type music vs bass genres. And this was the main reason why I would have liked Dunu to come up with a bass switch instead of a treble switch. In any case what's here is good but nothing that stands out as being special or of uber quality for bass. Bass seems more to compliment the mids and treble vs being highlighted and that is what you're getting with the bass. The bass end comes much more alive with more power here as well. Using the new Fiio K7 dac/amp which has a very good bass foundation for its sound. The Talos loves its power and bass from this source. Synergy of the Talos seems to be one where sources with good power and good foundational bass will mesh extremely well. Second runner up would be my IBasso DX300Max.

In the end
The Talos is clearly a Dunu product. Their version of the Planar IEM has some uniqueness in how it looks and does provide a treble enhancing switch for the hybrid mode. I think most folks will be happy with its base Planar tuning to not be too bothered by the switch. Or some might actually enjoy having a bit of extra treble. Its well balanced tuning with a wide stage for IEMs comes with some of the best mids for a planar IEM I have heard. If fed the right source the Talos sounds quite good if not just outright amazing. I would expect nothing less from Dunu as the build quality is tops for this one, not to mention a great looking IEM. I know there are a lot of choices nowadays for Planars but one made by Dunu you can always trust its production values and their solid tunings. Dunu has delivered yet once again with a very capable sounding Planar that will do your music justice. Overall these will more than compete with the likes of other IEMs in the price bracket and if you want a neutrally tuned planar IEM that will ramp up nicely with your more powerful sources. The Dunu Talos is a very nice option. I think the Talos sound quality will easily have staying power as it is an easy IEM to like for its sound quality. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always. And get yourself a set of them S&S tips for your other IEMs. You will thank me later.

NF audio RA10

Great sounding $50 IEMs are actually not as many as you would expect. It's a strange price bracket for IEMs as either IEMs are clearly budget oriented which cost below the $50 mark and they start getting more technical and better performing and much more numerous at the $100 price bracket. NF audio has created a completely new IEM using a smaller 6mm micro dynamic with a brand new smaller form all plastic housing.

My fondness for the micro dynamic goes way back in my IEM journey with an IEM that was solely unique at the time the JVC FXC51. Nothing too particularly great about this IEM, in fact it was a neutrally tuned IEM with bass emphasis that had some old school brighter Japanese enthusiast type tuning. It had some wonky treble emphasis but had some astounding details, airy and had a bass end that had some outstanding definition for its price point. I still own these and while newer, cheaper IEMs have easily surpassed these. I have always thought the Micro Dynamic had some serious potential and would love to see more made using the smaller micro dynamic.

Fast forward to today and we have a brand new design from Near Field Audio called the RA10. Not only is the driver they are using unique in that it is a 6mm micro dynamic but so is its housing, its design is most definitely a one off and very unique.

With that I would like to thank Penon audio and NF audio for the review sample of the RA10. They have been burned in for a period of a weeks time and are now ready for evaluation using my sources IBasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Fiio K7, BTR7, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, IBasso DX160, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature. If you feel the need to get yourself a set of RA10 you can purchase a set for you or a loved one here at Penon audio.

The design
The RA10 is unique on several fronts. Unique in its housing design and unique in the driver it is using. The RA10 is one of the more smaller form dynamic IEMS i have the pleasure of putting into my ears. Why does that matter? Well for several reasons. Most IEMs are medium in size and it is not uncommon to see a much larger shell design for hybrids and tribrids. I would say a majority of the sizes of universal IEMs are at least a medium. So what about folks that want a smaller, more comfortable shell or if you physically have small ears. The RA10 is small enough to fit folks with small ears. That is refreshing. I would consider my own ear size to be about average medium in size for a male but I personally have friends and family members with some smaller ears that cannot enjoy using a UM Mest or CA solaris in their ears. It is simple, they won’t fit.

I also know many enthusiasts that love to have music playing while they rest. The RA10 was made for you. On the other hand its smaller size also poses a bit of an issue for folks with deeper ear canals as its size also has a shorter nozzle meaning the included tips might not fit well for folks with deeper or larger ears. It is the opposite issue of a larger sized IEM that doesn't fit smaller eared folks. So what to do? Not a big deal, dig deep into your tip canister and find yourselves some double flange tips, I am sure you own a set or two in your big collection of tips. Works extremely well with the RA10. This means the included tips will be a hit or a miss. For me it is a miss as I don't quite get a deeper insertion for a secure fit. So tip rolling is highly recommended on the RA10. Once you do find a good aftermarket tip to use on the RA10. They have a surprisingly decent passive isolation. Rated at 24dbs of passive isolation. That is most certainly good enough to be walking around with and the RA10 makes for good out and about IEMS. Obviously if you take a premium to comfort for IEMs. These are about as comfortable as it gets.


Its looks
If I am to be honest does not exactly scream premium. The colors are pastel? The pea green color my review set is just not all that flattering looking. They also seem to come in all white and and a white with orange color. The plastic housing is sturdy enough and NF audio has always used the protruding 2 pin design for their earphones. I would have liked to see a flat 2 pin design as these are so light, a flat 2 pin would have no issues with having a solid connection on the light shells.

The reasoning for the protruding 2 pin design is due to NF audio history of making monitoring IEMs for stage use. Protruding 2 pins with the cables that goes with them tend to hold a stronger connection to the IEM housing. If you're using them for monitoring use then yes but these were made for music listening. Ultimately the issue with protruding 2 pins is that this design elongates most 2 pin cables. I have a boat load of 2 pin cables but none of them will look right on a protruding 2 pin design is my point. If you do plan on getting aftermarket cables. The QDC type shroud designed 2 pins works on all the NF audio IEMs.

What you get.
The RA10 is a very simple package. You have to temper your expectations as these are being sold at $50 price point. You get a simple soft carry string pouch, a single set of silicone tips. Here is how I know these were made for smaller ears in mind. The set of tips comes with a set of XS or extra small. And finally, it comes with a decent matching silver plated OFC copper cables in single ended.

The sound.
So here is where these will be a bit of a surprise for potential buyers of the RA10. The sound quality of these easily punches above the price to buy a set. The RA10 is tuned for music listening but is one with very good clarity with a technical ability you can never assume you're going to hear from a $50 IEM. The sound balancing is most definitely NF audio house tuning meaning you will get ample upper mids emphasis which casts a clean and clear sound foundation for their tunings. A type of harmon tuning, leaning more toward a reference detailed yet balanced signature. You would never assume the word reference would come up in a $50 IEM but yes these are like a well balanced reference neutral harmon tuned IEMS. Their technical sound is what makes the sound quality of the RA10 a winner in my books.

Trebles.
Is in moderation with nothing that stands out too much, I would say most emphasis is in its lower to mid trebles but has solid detail for the treble end. It's not the most airy of treble notes and has a moderate extension. NF audio treble tunings for music listening have good presence and these guys seem to know when to back off a bit for a more balanced approach to a music listening sound profile. Reason why I mention this is because their monitor series comes a bit bright in their tunings and while the sound profile of the RA10 leans more clean in how it sounds, it does not really encroach on being bright, which is key to longer term listening comfort. The trebles here have a solid footing for its sound foundation with solid macro detailing. Micro level is about average here but nothing that makes the treble out of place, uneven or over exaggerated. Overall the treble is more of an equal footing with the mids vs overstepping the mid bands which can cast a brighter shadow for the sound. The advantage of the micro dynamic is its rigidness vs a larger dynamic. Quick snappy transients are the benefit and here the trebles are clean, details well and has just enough presence to provide a well balanced take on the sound tuning.

Mids
RA10 is where the NF audio house tuning comes into play. RA10 has ample upper mids, never seen a graph of the RA10 but if I was a guessing man it would be in the 12db emphasized range for its upper mids presentation. Upper mids can become sensitive to the listener, too much and it can cause a tonal imbalance, brightness, shoutiness and becomes fatiguing. Too little and music becomes soft, lacking attack and bite to be truly versatile. I suppose it will come down to how you like your IEM tunings but I have yet to see an NF audio tuned IEM with moderate pinna gain or upper mids. These sound more harmon in how it is tuned vs having too much in the upper mids. Overall the mids band has a clean sound foundation with a surprising resolution to its sound profile.

Technicalities are actually very good, given its driver tech and implementation and this is the area that seems consistent with micro dynamics. Its detail, timbre, imaging, sound separation with a clean tonal character is all very good especially at the price level except for one crucial aspect that keeps them from being a true higher end sound. It is mostly a sealed IEM with a small venting near the stem and a vent on top of the RA10. The tiny vent holes do two things, relieves any pressure build up in the housing and vents the dynamic for its bass presence. Absolutely zero driver flex of any type was heard on my end.

The RA10, all of it will fit inside the ear with nothing sticking out of your ears. All of it will go into the concha of the ears, with a physical size being as small and compact as it is. This has an effect on its stage. It has a fairly narrower stage, music for the most part is presented mostly in your head, it has a narrower stage than the average IEM head stage. Music is most definitely wider than deep or tall and they certainly don't sound confined. It sounds spacious actually but music comes more intimate than open and has nothing to do with a wide broad sound for IEMs.

Comparative pics. Double flange vs stock short tips.


Dunu Talos next to RA10

I suppose you have to be realistic with a $50 IEM but at the same time. I feel NF audio has a missed opportunity here to really bring out something special in the price bracket. If this exact same tuning and balancing of the sound was presented with a much wider stage. It would be the best sounding $50 IEM on the planet. I suppose NF audio went with more passive isolation for street use vs making the RA10 more of a semi open design for better stage and air for home use. You can look at it that way.

Mids are a strong suit of the NF audio tuned IEM and here the mids clarity is the good type of clarity and we are talking about a clean sound that stays away from overly sharp tones causing fatigue. It could use a bit more meat to the mid bands as it sounds more neutral for the mids than being forward. With that somewhat narrower stage it lacks a bit of depth as well. And that is really a minor complaint about its sound characteristics. Otherwise it's a nicely technical sound profile that gives you outstanding details for the money. Other aspects like sound separation, imaging and timbre are all stand outs for RA10. These sound way more audiophile than any $50 IEM has a right to be.

On a side note. I do recommend a more substantial cable to bring a meatier sound from the RA10. I won't go into to much detail about that but I did try out some of my better cables and just about anything you own will be an upgrade from the cable that NF audio has included. The included cable is fine for the given price point but lets just say the higher resolve of the RA10 benefits huge from a proper cable.

Bass is
Surprising. This 6mm dynamic packs a nice punch with a surprising deep reaching rumble. It's more closer to a neutral tuning than being a bass first IEM. So everything is in moderation here but that bodes well for its overall versatility. The bass end is like accidentally getting that small pepper in your taco that you were not expecting that brings some heat. That makes your brows sweat. Bass end of the RA10 actually turns out to be another strong aspect of the RA10. To be a musically tuned versatile IEM you have to have enough bass to make modern music sound like modern music. Here the RA10 provides a good usable dynamic tight punch for its mid bass and a surprising sub bass extension that works well to complete a sound. The RA10 is a very easy to drive IEM, they are pretty much made for using on a phone. However where these really take off is on something with some power. Bass fills out to a much better degree especially. Bass overall is clearly defined much like its overall sound presentation which shows a consistency in how the RA10 was tuned. The least of my worries on the RA10 tuning is the bass and yes it doesn't have world class texture nor does it convey the most realistic bass presentation but it does provide a tight well defined bass which clearly knows its role in the sound tuning. Bass is spunky enough to actually hear your EDM and hip hop correct. Which again shows some versatility.

Overall the RA10
Is a bit of fresh air from all the new IEMs that are in the market today. You can never assume how an IEM will sound vs how they look. Looks aside, the RA10 delivers where it matters. Its sound quality is among some of the best for its price point. In fact if you would like to introduce a loved one or significant other with some smaller ears something that is properly tuned with good balance, dynamics and class leading clean detailed sound in a small sized IEM form. The RA10 will be a great introduction to proper sound tunings. They will make for excellent media IEM for your phones and tablets. They will make for excellent listening while working out or walking due to how light, comfy and sturdy they are. They will make for perfect fall asleep IEMs as they are extremely comfortable with surprising passive isolation. You don't want to give your old has been used IEMs to your loved ones that barely fit them. You want to give them a new IEM that will fit them with a very good proper sound quality. The RA10 has its purposes. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Fiio K7

Fiio needs no introduction, I am certain you know the company that brings to the masses new and innovative audio products that are clearly made with passion and drive for audio enthusiasts around the world. The one aspect I appreciate about Fiio is that they have products that cover a broad range of needs for the audio enthusiast, be it the digital audio player to a nicely performing IEM. Over the years I have seen the humble beginnings of what is now a premiere force in the audio industry. Just my opinion on Fiio but as an enthusiast. I appreciate the dedication which clearly shows in their products.

What put Fiio on the map for many enthusiasts was their affordable line of audio sources and amps that has progressively gotten more advanced and objectively better through the years. I know folks turn a blind eye to advertised marketing material as we are constantly bombarded with the stuff, especially at this time of the year but with Fiio you can actually see the differences and advancements in their newer audio goods compared to their prior iterations. This does not seem to be a company competing with others in the industry but one that actually competes with itself. Don’t believe me check out the specs of something like their Fiio K5 or even the K5pro and then compare what you're getting in the K7 for a bit more. Or any of their previous DAPs and sources to what is available now. It's not that the prior dac/amps Fiio have made are somehow worse. They all have their pluses and minuses but one thing I do know about recent Fiio offerings.

All their audio goods seem to be produced with value in mind for what you're paying in the market. Fiio actually gives a buyer a reason to invest in a new piece of hardware they are making. If it's not an advancement in why you buy, then why even bother? Case in point we have the new K7 today a simple yet powerful dac/amp which is sold in a price range most can afford at $200. The K7 doesn't have wifi, bluetooth or MQA, It doesn't have a built in screen nor does it have batteries that can recharge. Nope this one is simple.

Ok I can see a scenario of some that might look at it as a negative here. Does it need to have MQA? And wifi and bluetooth? Or have a battery? I suppose it all comes down to what your needs are in a dac amp. Take a look at what the K7 was meant for and you will get a good understanding of what Fiio has done with the K7 that makes it quite substantial. It's not a portable gadget dac/amp. They got other sources that do those things. Nope, the K7 is an old school straight up powerful DAC/AMP. Aka sound card for your audio/media needs.

Everyone knows integrated computer audio is just a step above your phone audio in some cases worse. Most definitely nowhere close to a dedicated source or a sound that comes from a well implemented DAC/AMP. Integrated stuff is about as plane jane and non dynamic as it gets for sound quality but what you get when you add the K7 in the mix, you get something that sounds every bit the desktop unit the K7 is and more.

With that I would like to thank Fiio for providing a sample of their newest K7 for the purpose of a review. You can read all about their latest master work here. Also like to thank Sunny of Fiio for having the grace to be patient with me you are an angle. You can look up the K7 and purchase one on their aliexpress page here. The K7 has been used for a period of a month and now I am ready to report what makes this particular dac/amp something you need to pay attention to.

There is a lot of good in audio nowadays and you can certainly get some fairly substantial upgrades for sound cards for around the price of the K7 but nothing that I consider ground breaking if I am to be honest. I own and use numerous portable sources and I have done a review of Fiios own BTR7 you can read about here. I was blown away by just how capable the BTR7 is and most importantly its sound quality and power at the price/ form factor. So it isn't that Fiio does not make other dac/amp devices that have all the bells and whistles. Sometimes you just want a desktop plug and play device that will have substantial power to drive your more demanding Cans and even sensitive IEMs, but most importantly need to have a clear upgrade in sound quality when you're at home or work. That is in fact what the K7 is all about. Just my opinion, but the K7 here is a groundbreaking device at the price it sold at and I will get to my reasoning why in this review.

In the K7, we have the opposite of the small form portable wireless BTR7; it is a straight up power driven DAC/AMP. I would say most would probably use it on their computers. This is how I was using the K7. It does have some universal functionality in that you can connect anything from a game console via optical, record player via RCA line in, an external amp via RCA line out, a phone/tablet/DAP via not included USB-C/ lightning to USB-B cable or even connect to some speakers. So it is not 100% bare bones but what is important is how its power output and sound quality translates to using them with your favorite IEM or headphones at home.

What you get.
The K7 comes with the unit measuring 4.5”x2”thick x 6”long. For the international readers. Approximately 114mm x 51mm thick x 152mm long. Comes with a smaller external DC power adaptor and a wall cord. A meter long or 3.2ft USB-A to a USB-B cable to connect your computer with. And that is it. ( A bit of a complaint but I was hoping Fiio could have included at least a USB-C to USB-B cable but that's just a minor complaint. Makes you go out to the webs to buy one if you plan on trying to connect your phone, tablet or DAP to the K7.

It is using the same aluminum alloy chassis as their K5 and K5 pro. Of course the internal design is a one off meaning it is unique to the K7 but one that is surprising for its price point that makes them stand out. The inclusion of using their higher end THX AAA 788+ amplifiers two of them in a true balanced out configuration. For folks that are new to THX amplification. The K7 goes down as the cheapest device to be using these particular Amp chips in dual configuration for Fiio. Not to be confused, the BTR7 uses a more compact, less powerful variation of this amp chip called the THX-AAA 28.

These are the same Amp chips Fiio is using on their flagship DAP the FIIO M17 and their flagship portable DAC/AMP the Q7 and their flagship DAC/AMP the K9 Pro. A powerful output is one aspect of the K7 throwing out a solid 2,000mW of power at 32 Ohm load and plenty of usable power at 560mW at 300 ohm load. This my friends is ample power for most Cans and every type of IEM, high impedance buds ect. I would say this dac/amp will drive most 600 Ohm Cans with good listenable volumes as well. It should be enough power to drive about 95% of headphones and most definitely 100% of IEMs and buds out there with ample headroom.

As an IEM reviewer all that power doesn't mean squat if it is a noisy 2000mW at 32 Ohms. Fortunately there is another aspect that Fiio keeps on getting better at with their newer devices. Compared to devices past, all their newest audio goods including the K7 has one of the cleanest noise floors imaginable on any such modern devices. I have IEMs with 10 ohm impedance and I have yet to detect any hiss of any type in the K7 on low gain. That is remarkable as I own DAPs that emit minor noise and those were pretty much made for IEM use is my point. A black background enhances dynamics for our music and that is that the K7 does. Hence the K7 is actually ideal for IEM use, This and it has to be one of the best bang for buck for sheer sound quality around. Will get back to these aspects on my sound tester later.

Going back on the lack of wifi and such. If I was a guessing man, I am thinking Fiio is going for all out sound quality and power on this one for the bucks. To me anyways this is what truly matters for a DAC/AMP. You can have all the bluetooth compatibility and wifi you want on a device, but does it have enough power to drive your Cans with a clear upgrade in sound quality to match? Are you willing to give up on those features as long as the sound quality is one of the best you have heard at this price and not to mention power output usually reserved for much higher end devices? If you answered Yes. Then the K7 will be for you.

K7 from the backside can be connected via USB, Coaxial, optical, RCA in single ended line in, RCA pre/single ended line out.

The front side of the K7 centrally includes an oversized knob for its digital volume wheel. This volume wheel has a slight lag especially when turned on. For me anyways, it is not a big deal. Volume adjustment is a fairly smooth experience. First 1/3rd of the wheel ramps up slower vs the later half where it can jump to higher volumes in a hurry. I was very surprised this works surprisingly well even for my 10 ohm highly sensitive IEMs. Volume adjustment becomes easy and intuitive the more you use it. Its smooth volume gain is greatly appreciated from an IEM reviewers perspective as I can’t have jankiness to the volume wheel. The best aspect of Fiios volume wheel is that it has no imbalance issues, some much more expensive devices I own have.

I suppose Fiio had to add a bit of a modern touch by adding in some RGB lighting around the volume knob which indicates the type of music file you're listening to. The lighting when turned on emanates a rainbow of colors and then fixates on one color that indicates the type of file you're using for sound or music. I know there have been some rumblings of folks that don’t like the RGB lighting. To be honest it isn’t all that bad. It does add a bit of a modern touch to the design which otherwise would be fairly bare bones looking. Certainly matches the RGB lighting to my main work/ play laptop. Fiio rep has told us that they might consider a way of turning that on and off via firmware.

Front panel contains two toggle switches with two levels of power. Low output obviously for your easy to drive Cans and IEM usage. High power output which gives you the full brunt of its clean power. I do wish there were 3 levels here: low, medium and high gain but the way these two levels work it will work for anything easy to drive to stuff that is much harder to drive and everything in between.

Next to that is the function switch. Line out to your external amps using the K7 as a DAC, Preamp mode to put that power to speakers, Phone out for your headphones. The input button toggles between the sources you are connected to USB,OPT,COAX,LINE.. Simple, clean and effective. There is a slight pause when toggling switches, which is actually a good thing.

Headphone out includes a full size 6.35mm and a balanced 4.4mm. K7 comes with a 6.35mm male to 3.5mm female adapter so it serves both types just fine. Of course the 4.4mm can be easily used with an adapter if need be for 2.5mm balanced connection, Or 4.4mm balanced to XLR for your Cans if need be but these extras were not included for the K7.

For a company known for including extras, the K7 is basically no frills and certainly no extras. But why so? You may ask. It's because they make it up in sheer sound quality that's why. If you need to get yourself some extra adaptors and cables to use the K7 that will be up to you. However once you actually hear the K7 perform. You will understand why Fiio didn’t have to provide a single extra.

The foundation for the K7 sound quality comes from two new AK4493SEQ DAC Chips. A newly developed chip by DAC chip manufacturer Asahi Kasei which is described as a 32bit premium stereo dac with AKs famous Velvetsound technology, achieving industry’s leading low level distortion characteristics and wide dynamic range. On a personal note. I own numerous DAPS with AK chips which I am a huge fan of.The AK4493SEQ reminds me a lot of their former AK4497 in performance and its sound quality. Could be AK just giving more to the consumer. Subjectively for folks that love musicality and dynamics the AK line with their Velvetsound is still highly sought out by audio manufacturers for their smooth natural dynamic take on the DAC sound which is clearly evident on the K7.

Then you add them THX AAA 788+ Amp chips. But then it goes beyond that. It is well known in the industry, to have power you have to have a clean source for that power. Short of actually doing a full linear power supply. Fiio included a 12V/24w power supply complete with low noise LDOs or low dropout regulators integrated into the hardware for clean usable power to the K7. What you should care about is how all this translates to how the K7 will sound.

I am gonna just say it for my readers here. The K7 is the best sound quality dac/amp I have ever heard at this price point. The closest dac/amp I own at the K7 price range is an older Audinst HUD-MX2 dac/amp that I have used over the years I bought for around $250 and believe me for sheer power and SQ nothing I own comes close. For prospective buyers that own the Fiio BTR7. Imagine that sound quality in a full blown desktop dac/amp and that is actually what the K7 sounds like.

When I first heard the K7 I was hit by a full blown powerful dynamic sound quality that I was not ready for. I own devices that cost way more than the K7 yet there is no comparison to anything at the price range. There just can’t be. Compared to mid fi level DAPs I own the K7 is on a different level for sheer sound quality and power. Compared to my Audinst which has an excellent neutral sound quality. No comparison. The sheer authority and dynamics are from something you would need to pay much more in order to achieve.

And this is the reason why Fiio did not offer extras in the box for the K7. I can see the board meeting with their engineers on this one. “ So what can you do with a $200 dac/amp that will raise the bar for such devices.” The answer was the K7.

Sound quality.
The first thing that hits you is its grand sense of its presentation. The sound that emanates effortlessly is its power and an enveloping way. Once you hear it you can’t unhear it. It has more than just power in a physical sense. Its sheer dynamics with that power that is again something you would never assume you can hear at this price range. I know Fiios own flagship K9 pros will have greater sound quality, and I have never heard the K9 pro but I would imagine the sound quality of the K7 coming awfully close at a fragment of the cost, especially their former original AK version of the K9 pro. The sound quality of the K7 is one of the best if not the best I have ever heard and at the $200 price level. My basis for this statement is that I actually use and own a fairly wide variety of devices from Fiio and its competition, Shanling, IFI and IBasso to name a few.

The reason why I own and use more sources than most is due to my obligation as a reviewer. One of the aspects of reviewing is that I try an IEM on a variety of sources and not just one or two. It does the IEM or Can no justice to hear them through a single source to get a good evaluation of what the IEM is doing. For this reason alone where I spend the money is for sources that can do the IEMs and Cans justice. The K7 punches above what you will be paying to own one in sheer sound quality alone. If I was to put a price tag on its sound quality and power, I would put it somewhere north of $500 and that is being conservative.

Trebles.
The similarities of how the trebles are presented for the K7 is remarkably similar to their bluetooth dac/amp the BTR7. But even better defined, expansive/ grander in scope. Trebles has a good solid footing in the sound tuning of the K7 but it is more grounded in how it sounds vs being lofty or overly extended for the sake of high fidelity. In other words it is clearly an AK based sound. The trebles has a very good definition of note and you will certainly hear treble tones with accuracy, clarity and precise transient qualities. I own Dac/amps with greater extension brightness/emphasis for trebles but some might not like the more analytical angle that particular dac/amp may portray speaking about the Audinst I mentioned earlier. A smoother treble seems to be a part of the AK velvetsound tech that brings more of a euphoric musical take on the DAC signatures vs being analytical or dry neutral in nature. Of course the amp stage has a lot to do with how the source sounds overall but treble presentation for a dac/amp will give it arguably more character even vs the bass end. For the K7 its treble layering is superb, defined yet clearly stays well controlled which leads to a very slight smoother more rounded treble response AK is known for. Treble qualities helps with its smoother yet clearly dynamic signature of the K7

Mids
Neutral yet supremely layered. Here is where the sound quality of the K7 brings a full bodied emotive sound experience to your Cans and IEMs. The mids of the K7 exudes musical dynamism. Leaning naturally slightly warmer in its presentation the mids for the K7 has the most important ingredient for a higher end sound quality. That is its dimensional character. It not only exudes an ideal body of note but enough head room for your cans and IEMs to add its own coloring to the mix and somehow maximizes their synergy together for a sound experience you would never expect at this price range. The natural tonal character and presentation of the K7 gives you a raw power that is missing from a lot of DAPs that provide decent specs. The AK4493SEQ chips provide the digital shaping for what you are hearing. The THX amps provide that big full blown power that you're not hearing from your conventional sources. The design comes together for one of the absolute best sound qualities you're ever going to hear anywhere close to this price range.

Mids gives a sense of power that you're missing from your DAPs. Music should be about getting you immersed and sometimes added power is needed for ultimate synergy with your favorite IEMs and Cans. The K7 amplification is what sets it apart from my DAPs and other sources I own. A powerful mid range means it has a full range that others just can’t reach. This combination of AK DAC integration with THX amplification is for folks that love their musicality in music. The sheer reason why we even listen to music in the first place. It provides the punch in a literal sense that seem lacking in portable music players. The height and depth of the mids is astounding and here is where I feel where the THX amplification really stands out vs your traditional op amps. Granted I have heard sources with wider stage but if you care about body, texture, fullness, grandeur of your sound. The K7 has it in spades. No matter what I connect the K7 to. It literally maxes out the sound quality of what I connect it to. That my friends is remarkable.

I don’t feel like I am downgrading from using my DX300Max to the K7. Let me put it that way. On the contrary it actually sounds like a side grade as crazy as that sounds. We are talking about a player/source worth over 10X the price of the K7 is my point. Somehow I am not getting a lesser sound quality here. That is the astonishing aspect of the K7 that I just can’t understand. Diminishing returns? Check out the K7 and you will clearly understand. Sure you can get a DAC/AMP that has all the features you're looking for with wifi and bluetooth and such. But I am willing to bet anyone that reads this. All them nice looking wizbang dac/amps wont beat the K7 for sheer sound quality and power. Going on a limb on that one.

Bass. Personal THX!
Beyond the meaty mids presentation of the K7. Here is where the K7 shines in my opinion. You can’t have THX amplification with a weak neutral bass. Common now, Bass is a part of the K7 sound profile. Surprise, surprise, it is not actually a fully neutral type tuning on the K7 but I prefer it that way. My point is when was the last time you heard a live concert and it sounded neutral? Natural should be about a natural bass impact and deep hitting sub bass presentation. Cuz it is in the mix it has to be present in the sound source right? That's the way I see it any way. The K7s outstanding dynamic character perhaps starts at the bass, its impact and range in its tuning. The K7 has an impactful bass end and clearly shows it can provide plenty of low end to any phone it is attached to. Certainly not to the point where bass is the main focus. I would put that on its luscious full bodied mids presentation. Bass is just the icing on the cake here. I have always claimed Fiio engineers are made up of bassheads. Why else would they hand pick THX implementation?

Never heard anything they do for source or IEM wise that didn’t have a good amount of it, and you can certainly expect that for the K7. This ends up making neutral IEMs and Cans sound even better than they should on any other source. And for bass fanatics. Short of actually applying a bit of bass boost which the K7 does not have. Don’t need it. Where bass is critical for tone, definition, tightness, completeness with its impact and extension. The K7 presents a full monty bass aspect that sounds remarkably natural in cohesion with the rest of its sound signature. Fiio did not include a bass switch on this one but to be honest it isn’t needed.

Its natural full bass character brings that dynamism forward for gaming, movie watching and your music. Which I tested and I have to say going from Fiios prior K3 which was what I was using my media laptop to the K7 is not just a small upgrade in performance.

No crazy 3D dolby mode or anything but my playing time using the K7 on God of War was unbelievably satisfying. Directional cues, I can tell exactly where monsters are waiting in ambush. Its epic sound score comes through with excellent immersion. Explosions, sound effects of my Axe, arrows, water effects, weather effects. I was 100% immersed in its audio production using the K7 and is that not a reason to get something like the K7? To upgrade your media sounds? It is actually mind blowingly FANTASTIC for gaming. Let me just say as an avid gamer and music listener. If something happened to the K7. I would get another without blinking. Actually, I have been eyeing their K9pros. You know how this hobby goes. By the way, that is the warning I will give prospective buyers for K7. After using the K7. You most certainly will start thinking of Fiios higher up DAC/AMPs. If the K7 at $200 is this good. You gotta wonder how their flagship DAC/AMP performs. Now I know what I want for Christmas let me put it that way.

Movie watching. Big explosive effects using your closed cans in my case the Fostex TH-X00, a classic bass driven dynamic can which is a staple of my headphone collection. I don’t think I have ever heard bass on these cans quite like how it sounds with the K7. Beyond the bass. These cans and the K7 make for the perfect Movie watching experience. It is my personal THX audio. I can’t even begin to tell you folks how enjoyable watching something like Gladiator or something grand in scale like Blade runner sounds like using this combo.The K7 provides the exact dynamic experience for movie watching that you want to hear when watching such movies. You're not going to hear these soundtracks with a wimpy analytical sound are you? Nope give me some beef! K7 has that in spades.

For music listening
The K7 is my ideal sound signature as a source. I will just post some pics of IEMs and headphones I have tested the K7 with. I am gonna tell you folks. There is nothing that I will post in this review that sounds mediocre with the K7. I can blindly choose one of the 100s of IEMs or any of my Cans. It really dont matter. All of it sounds superb on the K7. The body, dynamism, definition added dimensions and layering with a raw power of the K7 sound is what wins it for me. A note to my fellow IEM enthusiasts. Do yourself a favor. I know there are a number of cheaper dac/amps, dongle dac amps and such you can get for your $200.

Get yourself a K7 and be done with. Your essentially getting a stupid high end DAP sound quality experience in the K7 for the money. You want maximum sound value? You will certainly get that with the K7.

In the end.
I am mad at Fiio. Yes, that's right. Mad at em. This device has now made me want to get all their flagship products that I shouldn’t be spending on. I do have two grown sons both in Universities that require I spend an arm and a leg for, to help with their tuition, food and life expenditures, not just my own. I am sure some of you know what I am talking about. But now I am questioning my priorities. College tuition and books for my sons is not as important as a new Fiio Q7 or K9 pro.

I kid. The K7 here is substantial folks. Out of all the audio goods I have reviewed this year the K7 goes down as the most substantial of all of them. This thing surprises me every time I listen to music on the thing. Let alone watch a movie or play a game using its sound. It has one of the most dynamic, musical meaty sound signatures I have ever heard in any source. It clearly plays to how l like to listen to my music.

It is like a thick cut of aged prime wagyu beef that you savor with every bite. This magical combination of AK4493SEQx2 and THX-AAA788+x2, extremely low noise floor/ clean power= audio bliss. No other way to put it. If you're considering a new sound card for your audio needs. You have to consider what Fiio has done with their K7. It is about as good as it gets for the bucks folks and if making your money counts for audio goods is a priority to you. Get yourself a K7 and be done with. You're not going to hear a better sounding source at the price of getting one. I am willing to guarantee you that. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Simgot EM2R

Simgot stands for simple and elegant. An IEM manufacturer that has been around since 2015. Had some great success with their initial offerings the EN700pro, EK and EM series. Quote taken directly from my inquiry about the company from their rep. “ We trust only the finest product and perfect service, only the fusion of old school rules and fashion creativity. Don't give in to conservative and troubles, we will redefine your senses. Stop step around and start set out. Salute to art and science.” I am sure this translates better in Chinese but regardless I get their meaning there.

Disclaimers: The Simgot EM2R was provided for the purpose of a review by Simgot. The EM2R has been burned in for a period of a week's time and are now ready for evaluation using my sources. IBasso DX300, IBasso DX160, Shanling M6pro, Fiio M15, BTR7, IFI gryphon, IFI signature and Fiio K7 for amping. You can look up the Simgot EM2R on both aliexpress and amazon.


What you get/ build
The new trend for new IEMs. It is all about the waifu infused presentation. Instead of the usual Anime inspired waifu we get a more traditional hottie Chinese Waifu. Ok so this is someone's idea of a sexy waifu character. It's a nice touch and certainly living up to the newer trend for IEM packages. Its medium sized box houses the earphones. A well matching, yet annoying silver-plated copper cable in single ended. Will let you know why in the review. Two sets of silicone tips. One labeled bass tips and another set labeled crystal clear tips. A smaller sized flip lid case.

I personally prefer the clear tips as the bass tips seem to slightly neuter the overall clarity and details a bit for the sake of better bass. Clear tips are shorter and much wider vs the longer narrow bore of the bass tips. This to me sounds more balanced vs the bass tips. Your experiences may vary so I would definitely try out both. The quality of the tips are just ok. Nothing special in fact I am certain 99% of folks that get a set of the EMR2 will use much better aftermarket tips. The case that comes with the package is a smaller pleather case that fits the IEMs and cables but not so much the tips. Overall, the accessories package is just average. I was hoping for more sets of tips actually as tips in the scheme of things don’t cost much. Even though the included tips are serviceable, more is never a bad thing.

The build of the EM2R is a familiar smaller side of medium teardrop shape which houses two well matching drivers. 10mm 3rd generation carbon nanotube diaphragm handing the bass to mids and a single Knowles BA handling the trebles. The housing is plastic light, comfortable yet solid in its build. Certainly takes on a modern look with its visual design. Build wise I have nothing to complain about for the shells itself but the inclusion of one of the most annoying obnoxious cables I have ever used on an earphone takes the EM2R a step back from glory in my opinion.
Let me explain. The included cable utilizes some stiff ear guides and then the actual cable make up is a thin flimsy type of cable. Every time I take the EM2R out of its case. Using the 3-finger method to wrap up the cables works fine but don't expect it to stay the same shape as you put it in the case. I have to untangle it as the ear guides make themselves go wherever they please. This happened so many times it was more than annoying than I would like to admit. A $100 level IEM should come with better cables that don't easily tangle is my point and the ear guides are even more annoying. Unfortunately these tangle and tangles a lot.

EM2R has a surprising average passive isolation for IEMs. It's not an outstanding isolation like all resin builds but certainly usable outdoors. The EM2R is using a protruding 2 pin design which originates from stage monitor IEMs as monitor IEMs needed to have better strength for the performer, so the protruding 2 pin were developed as the answer. The matching cable sits very sturdy on the housing and should provide good use as long as you're ok untangling the EM2R every time you take them out of the case. This is where I feel Simgot could have done better. Given the tonal qualities of the EM2R. I would have preferred a pure copper type cable which would have matched better for its sonics. One with no annoying ear guides and not tangle prone. The included cable has decent transparency but seems to enhance detail aspects of the EM2R vs adding body of note. Thin cables do that. So while serviceable, not the best matching cable.

The protruding 2 pin design I am not a fan of. The idea of using a universal .78mm 2 pin design is so you can use aftermarket cables in balanced. And you still can but in order to fit correctly you have to order recessed 2 pin cables with a shroud covering the 2 pins or QDC type cables. Which eliminates my entire 2 pin cable collection from being used properly. Your standard 2 pin cables work on them, but they are going to stand tall on the housing which does not look right or feel secure. This is my point.

I get the idea of the protruding 2 pins but for consumer use, they would have done better with a standard or recessed 2 pin design. The included cable does connect securely and that was the idea behind the design so it's not a loss.

The sound
EM2R has a variation of a v shaped tuning with what seems to be enhancements at the sub bass, upper mids, and lower to mid trebles. I do recommend a good burn in for the EM2R as they sounded a touch harsh on open listen. It seemed to me they get better cohesion as they age and that is always a good thing. It was a very good choice by Simgot to let the very capable carbon nanotube dynamic handling the bass to mids presentation for the EM2R. This allows the EM2R to have very good technical aspects as well as nicely done dynamic timbre and a spacious sound for the EM2R.

The carbon nanotube dynamic was first introduced by JVC of all companies with their budget IEM the FX40 about 10 years ago. Yes I still own this set. And the one aspect that is very good about this particular driver is for its technical ability. Which clearly shows in the EM2R. Bass impact and definition, mids presence, detail and clarity. The Carbon nanotube and its siblings, Carbon, graphene dynamics have been used as a sound enhancing dynamic for IEMs since.


Trebles
The advantage of using a single Knowles BA for trebles is that it can clearly portray treble frequencies with little to no struggle at all.. Added to the fact that Simgot has put the BA right in the nozzle to give you a clear shot at the trebles. The BA in the nozzle is debatable if that gets you, “better treble.” Some may argue that this causes a bit too much forwardness for trebles but to be honest. It is more about the tuning more than anything. I have heard IEMs that seem to sound a bit more forward for trebles due to the treble in the nozzle design but I also own a few IEMs that blend in perfectly well with the rest of the tuning with a similar BA in the nozzle design. So which is it for Simgot? A bit of both. Here is why. They included 2 types of tips for a reason. Some folks just like trebles a bit more than others. EM2R is not the most tip sensitive but they do have a tendency to be brighter with the right or wrong tips, pending on how you see it. The Treble tuning here is ample in design meaning there is plenty of treble for its balancing.

Trebles have good usable presence but also can come a bit hot if you got the wrong tips involved. The good news there is that you can tip experiment till you hear it the way you want to for the EM2R. The treble BA are focused well for its intended use but comes a touch metallic and a bit forced at times. Its nicely detailed and mostly clean but does seem to be emphasized a touch more in the balancing in conjunction with a healthy amount of upper mids presence. Not the most extended treble but certainly has plenty of sparkle when called upon. Its tonal character is slightly brighter over neutral and the BAs work like tweeters for the EM2R. Even without knowing what drivers are being used for the trebles, you can tell they are using BAs here due to the infamous BA timbre. BA performance for treble is clean, clear, well defined with excellent transient qualities but on the opposite hand comes a bit rigid if not a touch digital in approach. Simgot could have used their 10mm Carbon Nanotube driver to cover all parts of its tuning. But you do get a bit of the extra treble presence here and it isn’t just because of more treble presence. Definition is a standout due to the treble tuning and hence the EM2R is nicely defined in all regions for its sound presentation.

Mids
Of the EM2R are a standout. The Carbon nanotube drivers do a great job with better definition, dynamism and timbre aspect than most for the price range. This is clearly due to the drivers being used. Its technicals are done nicely with a well separated image. Shows better than average dimensional character due to the nicely done separation and layering. Vocals sound forward due to the ample lower and upper mids presence. Some might find the upper mids to be a bit much as this casts a clean and clear overall tonal character with vocals that are forward projecting on the EM2R sound presentation. I personally don’t find the vocal to be overly forward but that will depend on a person's sensibilities for the upper mid region. Apparently the EM2R was tuned for vocal presentations as vocal ranges especially female vocals stand front and center of your imaging. It is a type of coloration for more music enjoyment, depending on how you see it.

Folks that are sensitive to forward vocals and ample upper mids will be sensitive to the EMR2 tuning. Its mids are a touch uneven in emphasis vs your traditional harmon tuned IEMs. But makes up for it with some very nice technicalities for its tuning.

Imaging, sound separation, detail on a macro level, decent timbre with clean tonal qualities are all at a good healthy level with some moderate stage involved. This presentation would have been better with a larger wider and deeper stage but for what it has, its certainly not a canned sound. The resolve of the carbon nanotube dynamic is clearly on display for the EM2R. It can sound a touch analytical at times but manages to not be just about the detail. Folks that take a premium to clean sound presentations would like the EM2Rs sound presentation.

Bass
Of the EM2R is there to enhance the mid-range. The tight, speedy, fairly deep hitting bass end of the EM2R also is presented with a good amount of detail for its presentation. This is where the carbon nanotube really shows what it can do. Bass sounds effortless and always on point. Its moderate emphasized bass tuning is clear of any masking or shadowing of the sounds. The bass end has a natural tonal character and has some surprising impactful ness with a good texture that is always a pleasure to listen to. Nothing sloppy or unrefined for the bass end. It does its job without any hesitation or off tonality. The bass end is one of the better aspects of the EM2Rs tuning. Bass fanatics will want a bit more in the way of quantity but the quality of the bass end is above average for the price range. Bass seems slightly more sub bass focused than mid bass and how well your tips fit your ears makes a big difference in how much impact your going to be hearing. If you use loose fitting tips you will wonder where all the bass went but if you have a tight sealing tip, something like the Azla Crystal fit tips. You will get a much better bass experience.

In the end.
The EM2R is a capable detailed IEM with good dynamics and a clear clean sound profile. While some might take issue with just how much upper mid emphasis it has. I feel it was tuned that way to deliver a forward vocal presentation. It will definitely depend on how sensitive you are to that region. These make for excellent pod cast, audio book or any music with vocals involved due to is vocal forward tuning is overall versatile.

Its cohesion is not the best but certainly not bad at the same time. The strong aspects of the EM2R are in its technical sound presentation and in the price range has to be one of the better iems for picking off details for your music. The EMR2 is just a touch of analytical but still retains a musical sound signature.. They could have used some better balancing for the mids, better treble extension but taken as they are. These sound enjoyable at the price range nonetheless. The EM2R is a good sounding IEM but also has some negatives in the tangly included cable with an uncomfortable stiff ear guide and a protruding 2 pin design that is counter intuitive to the very reason why going with a 2 pin design in the first place. Overall the EM2R is a nicely detailed hybrid that can do with some improvements in its tuning and its accessories. Simgot did a good job in making the EM2R competitive at the price range, though the package could have been a bit better.

With the competition heating up in the $100 price range for IEMs I feel the EM2R can compete. For folks that want a lot of bass with warmth or a harmon balanced IEM you will do best to look else were. But if you're in the market to find a vocal forward monitor and like a cleanly detailed well imaged technical capable sound profile for IEMs. These might be what you're looking for. As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

As of time of reviewing the Simgot EM2R is on sale on their Amazon page here with a bit of a discount on top of the coupon being shown for a less than $100 sale price. Use promo code YPAO78PT

Penon Fan2

Not often do we get Penon made IEMs and the Fan2 happens to be the latest offering from the group that keeps on making premium in ears. The Fan2 consists of 4 drivers in an all resin build. The build you should be familiar with but the actual shape of the housing is new. Its got the longest stem of any of the recent Penon offerings for one. This seems to give an added effect of stage with better passive isolation. Will share more thoughts on that later but for now, inside the new medium sized shell are 2x 6mm dynamics and 2 BAs. More specifically a Sonion BA doing the mids and a Knowles BA doing the treble.That leaves the two sets of dynamics handling the bass.

From a design standpoint I have always advocated the use of smaller dynamics to handle bass. Contrary to popular belief, just because a dynamic is smaller in size does not mean it will have smaller bass. It has everything to do with tuning more than physical size for drivers. In the headphone space I have owned plenty of 40mm dynamic headphones out punch and out rumble larger 50mm dynamic headphones. I suppose it's the idea of a bigger driver gives you bigger slam. I found out the two sets of 6mm dynamics are both handling the bass frequencies in unison. Kinda like a dual push pull system for bass. Penon is using their latest biological dynamic with what they claim has a crystal plating.

Apparently, humidity can affect a biological dynamic, hence the need for a “crystal plating.” Which is a newly revised version of the biological dynamic Penon has used for their prior IEMs. My experience with biological dynamics is that it does bass splendidly well for IEMs. Will get into that later in the bass descriptor but for now just know you're getting the latest and greatest from Penon tech.

The Penon Fan2 was provided for the purpose of a review. You can read more about them and purchase a set here. The Fan2 has been burned in for a weeks period and are now ready for evaluation using my sources. IBasso DX300Max, IBasso DX160, Shanling M6 pro, Shanling M5S, Fiio BTR7, Fiio K3 2021, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature.

What you get/ build
The Penon Fan2 comes with a new medium sized rectanglish 3”x4” clamshell type zip up case with a soft formed lining for the earphones and cable to be more secure inside. If you don't need or want the lining you can take it out of the case for more room if you wish. Accessories include two sets of silicones, a cleaning tool and clip. Accessories are standard fare here and nothing too spectacular. Overall just ok with usable tips. The cable on the other hand clearly makes up for any shortcomings for the accessories. The highly regarded OS133 makes a debut as an included cable offering with the Fan2 which matches splendidly with the sonic qualities. The cable will come in any termination when ordering.

I spoke briefly about the new resin housing and I have to write about this new shape. It clearly has the longest nozzle of any of the Penon resin designs. Some pros and cons of this design is that it forces the user to have a deeper insertion into the ears. Witch unto itself is not a bad thing if you're used to using IEMs. However the nozzle shape is slightly awkward in that it points at a downward angle. I have a friend who has owned and heard 100s of IEMs and he finds the Fan2 new resin housing a bit uncomfortable for him. I happen to have a larger ear than him so they seem fine for me. This guy owns numerous other Penon IEMs so this was a bit of a surprise to me. But I can understand due to the new housing shape. This longer nozzle also seem to cause a variation of its sound based on tip selection. These do seem to be more tip dependent than most. If you find the mid bass to be a bit much or too little with too much treble it might be due to how they fit for you so you have to experiment with different type of tips more so on the Fan2 than most. It was clearly designed for a deeper insertion so know this before experimenting.

Sound design and technicals.
As stated, Penon is very deliberate in everything they design. There was a prior FAN IEM they created that was a single dynamic design. Fan series of earphones, I can call them now are named as such as they design these for their audiophile audience. Therefore the name FAN. With the 2nd iteration of the FAN design we go from a dynamic IEM to a hybrid in the Fan2. Fan2 is the most neutrally tuned Penon IEM and I do believe was designed about the same time as the new ISN H30 which interestingly enough also happens to be a neutrally tuned IEM. You can read my review of the ISN H30 here. The Fan2 is very similar in many ways to the H30 design. They both use two BAs. Possibly the same BAs, not certain but they have differences in their tunings. Both are neutrally tuned IEMs but with the obvious design differences being their dynamic drivers.

The other difference is how the Fan2 was tuned to be a higher end IEM vs the H30. Fan2s neutral balanced tuning has a more refined extended treble tuning vs the H30. Its bass has greater definition. Mids are the most similar between the two IEMs as well as the actual balancing for the frequencies. The use of a slightly larger shell, and how the treble was tuned with a dual dynamics on tap doing the bass. The Fan2 is basically a higher end ISN H30.

The Fan2 technicalities are standard of Penon fame. Meaning they use quality components and drivers for their designs.Technicalities are some of the best for the bucks always.. Trebles with a different better balanced tuning focus with better extension, bass which is tighter, a touch better defined, speedier and then using a larger shell vs the H30 seems to give the Fan 2 even a wider sense of stage, airier trebles, an airier sound. That wider sense of stage and space makes for a different level of immersion. A different level of earphone. It seems Penon tunes for the given price points they sell their IEMs for. The Fan2s sound profile being neutral has everything in moderation with no particular parts of the tuning that stands out above the others. Excellent balancing, has very good definition both macro and micro, imaging in space with good timbre be it BA timbre, sound separation, very good cohesion, neutral tonality with a hint of richness. Excellent well defined, tight and speedy bass impact with good rumble and texture for its price level. Very good stereo separation, excellent wider stage with a moderate depth for IEMs. Fan2 is fan service for their patrons.

Trebles.
The trebles of the Fan2 were tuned differently from the similarly neutral ISN H30. Here is where treble tunging makes for a different level of IEM. The Fan2s treble tunging is the opposite of the H30s mid treble focus. The Fan2s treble focus is more at the heart of the lower trebles and then a nice treble extension for the upper trebles. It does have the Penon classic anti sibilance/fatigue free dip at around 8-9Khz. Which was the actual focus for the trebles for the ISN H30. Micro detailing for the trebles could be a touch better but for the most part the better balanced trebles of the Fan2 injects air to the treble frequencies. Excellent crisp macro detailing and is easily the more refined treble experience. One of the best aspects for Penon branded IEMs is to expect fatigue free trebles for their IEMs and this is at the heart of their treble presentations.

I have seen some rumblings of enthusiasts that have posted that would like more of the 8Khz presence for the brilliance factor. It isn’t that Penon neuters the area altogether. It is not as emphasized as the other regions of the tuning. This makes for better versatility. Ask a rock and metal listener how they like the 8Khz spike and more than likely they will tell you it is not pleasant to get a whole helping heaping of crash cymbals in your ears. I would like to think Penon knows what they are doing in that regard and it shows for their IEMs. The trebles overall are handled splendidly with the single Knowles treble BA. The treble blends in seamlessly with the mids presentation.

Mids of the Fan2 are affected from the better treble and bass tunings of the Fan2. Mids sound broader, somehow deeper and airier sounding vs the similarly tuned ISN H30. The mids are the meat and bones of the Penon tuned IEM and here we get an excellent Sonion BA handling the mids duties for the Fan2. Mids come with one of the better imaging aspects for IEMs. The Sonion BAs are amazing for mids due to their tonal qualities. This is reflected in the Fan2 richer tonal presentation. It does sound like a different Sonion BA that is being used vs the Orbs, Globes and Volts. Can’t confirm this but it is probably due to having moderate bass ends on the Fan2 vs the others mentioned that use the Sonion BA. Mids have excellent neutral clarity and presence in all parts of the mids bands. Utilizing roughly 6dbs of upper mid pinna gain, the Fan2 has just enough to really balance out the mids presentation while injecting a very good clear definition for the mids. It wouldn’t be a Penon tuned IEM without a dimensional character and you get that with the Fan2 as well. Penons mids presentations are emotive with their deliberate use of the Sonion BA. And I can say there are not many really neutrally tuned Penon IEMs. The Fan2 is now the closest to a neutrally tuned IEM even over the Serials.

Bass
The two 6mm crystal plated biological dynamics handling the bass has about roughly 6dbs of bass. You can see the balancing of the 3 types of drivers here with the Fan2. 6dbs is really the bare minimum for a neutrally tuned IEM. Anything lower than that and the bass will start to sound anemic and lack in impact. I know 6dbs of bass does not seem much but for a neutrally tuned IEM it is right at the moderate level of bass in all aspects related to bass. Here is where the level of bass presence is identical to that of the recent ISN H30 hybrid. Both sets are focused more for mid bass vs the sub bass presence. Which is OK but I would have liked to see the Fan2 have just a bit more in the sub bass.

Where the slight lack of emphasis is made up is in the sheer quality of the bass performance on the Fan2. Fan2 has a tight well defined bass presentation. Which is exactly what you want from a neutrally tuned IEM. Its bass tonality is natural with excellent transient and speed qualities for dynamic bass. Percussion sets especially sound excellent for the Fan2. It has a moderate level of rumble for sub bass. All of their prior made IEMs for Penon has more emphasis for bass. However to get a greater bass presence your best copper based cables and tips apply here. Bass has plenty of impact and its cohesion with the BAs are done well. I have heard plenty of hybrid IEMs where the bass sounds different altogether from the BAs it is using. Not so with the Fan2. The idea of using a hybrid is to get the natural bass impact and rumble of the dynamic vs the tight clean well defined BA presentation. You get just this with the Fan2 as the bass integration is nicely done. Sure I would have liked to see just a bit more emphasis for the bass but as far as the overall balancing goes. The Fan2 is the very definition of balance.

In the end
The Fan2 is yet another nicely designed hybrid from Penon. It actually fits in perfectly with their current line up as it is the most neutrally tuned Penon IEM out of the bunch. It is the one area they have not really explored in the past. I suppose the Serials come the closest to the Fan2 but those are differently designed altogether. Even their flagship Volts and Legends are more colored in comparison. Its overall tuning is clearly a Penon version of the neutral tuning. You will never see an analytical type tuning from Penon. Well balanced and refined yes but bright neutral will never happen. Penon IEMs are all about listening to music and that includes bass genres. I own bass first hybrid IEMs where it will pound your ear drums into submission if need be. The Fan2 is not it. While being very versatile due to its outstanding balancing the Fan2 is not the IEM I would choose for bass genres..They sound surprisingly capable for bass genres it's just that that is not their strongest strength. Fan2 still shows good versatility and you know it is a Penon made IEM when mids are clearly some of the better aspects for the IEM. Vocals sound superb be it male or female, acoustic tracks sound fantastic, punchy for pop and is surprising just how well it does for Jazz, orchestral and rock music.

Penon Obsidian cable shown.

The all-resin design Penon uses are outstanding for their solid nature. The new Fan2 has one of the longer nozzles that sit on a medium housing. This makes the Fan2 have a deeper insertion of the ears and seems to present the Fan2 sound with an outstanding sense of a wider stage for IEMs with added sense of a greater passive isolation. The Fan2s neutral tuning gives precedence for accuracy and detail which bodes well for a versatile listen. The included cable for the Fan2 is the highly regarded Penon OS133 cable in any termination you want. You can read about the cable here. The cable matches amazingly well with the Fan2 sound signature but like all good things that are made well. A higher end aftermarket cable brings out even better performance for the Fan2. If you're in the market in search for a well made, excellent sounding neutrally tuned hybrid. Penon just released a very competitive and compelling product in the Fan2. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Fan2 optimiazed. IFI Gryphon+ Penon Obsidian+ Fan2+ Spiral dots.

Penon Obsidian

Everyone knows by now Penon produces higher end IEM cables among other audio goods they sell on their site. It was their cables that initially drew me to the company. I bought several of their cables in the past and that led me to hear their IEMs. Much of what Penon produces is very methodical and well thought out. They are certainly not a company that randomly makes items for the masses and hopes it sells well. That does not seem to be the Penon philosophy.

The Obsidian is their newest Penon branded IEM cable and at its core is roughly 400 cores of Ohno Continuous Cast, higher grade of copper cable but then they added something in the mix to throw in a hint of coloration via gold plating and what you end up getting is something like a super copper cable. I know 2 cores does not seem much in the mix here but I feel it was done intentionally as a design more than just throwing in some random different cores. The connectors and terminations also happen to be gold plated copper as well adding to how the cables influence the sound of your IEMS. .

With that, the Obsidian was provided for review purposes by Penon audio. If you feel the need to grab yourself a higher end copper cable you can look up their page here. The Obsidian has been used with a variety of IEMs and sources. This report here are the end results of what these cables do.

Cables for IEMs are for the hard-core enthusiasts that want to squeeze out that last bit of synergistic aspects to their favorite in ears and in my review, I will relay what I feel these cables are good for and what type of coloration they lean toward. Coloration is best described as making a tonal or sound change to the base sound of an IEM. I know there are plenty of non-believers in cables that think your random $20 cable will be the same as something like the $150 Obsidian I am writing about here. But there must be a reason why the Obsidian cost the way they do right? If you're the type that thinks cables do nothing for a sound signature. Then you best be reading another review. This review is about Obsidian and why they cost $150.

Tendencies Obsidian.
Of pure copper cables is one of musicality, warmth, fullness, dynamism and naturalness. I don't mean to say your IEMs will get all these aspects from a cable and will suddenly change to these aspects but more the cable enhances these areas of sound or influences the sound with these aspects. Then there is the added gold plating on a few cores. What does that do?

It adds a touch of coloration for the copper and is the anti-pure silver effect to cables. Pure silver brings out the best detail and technical aspects of earphone tunings. Gold plating for cables darken a sound adding a richer tonal quality. However, it can come out as being a bit too much for the host IEM as this might color the tonal qualities in the wrong direction. Last thing you want is for your warm sounding IEMs to sound even darker. For a gold-plated cable to be truly versatile, it can’t be 100% cores being gold plating. I noticed cables that partially uses gold platings end up being much more versatile in the long run. I have done reviews of gold-plated cables in the past and unless you have a gold plating on pure silver which yields an interesting mix of richer tonal character over a highly technical presentation. Not to mention the sheer cost of such cables. Look here about the Penon golden Armour, gold plating on copper is more common but yields something that becomes a niche type of cable for example the Penon GD849 cable is an 8 core OCC cable plated in 18k gold you can read about here. It certainly looks more premium with all that gold plating; however, it turns out that the cheaper gold-plated cable in the GS849 with only 1/2 of its 8 cores plated in gold is the more versatile cable than the GD849 with all of its cores plated in that glorious 18k gold here.

You figure more is better, right? Well, when it comes to gold plating, not really. All that gold plating on pure copper adds a bit too much a darker tonal quality to an IEM changing the tonality a bit too much. Take an IEM with a lot of bass emphasis that has a warm tuning. Something like the Shozy SCB2. That IEM with something like the GD849 is a no no.

This is what I mean by niche cable. Only good for certain types of sound profiles. Of course, the idea with such synergistic aspects with cable match ups is that once you do match up with the right cable for your IEMs that is when the sound will become optimum.

Back to the Obsidian. Which only has a few cores of the mentioned gold plating. This in return only gives a slight hint of that darker tonal effect to its host IEM. That is a good thing my friends. The Obsidian is mostly pure OCC copper in what it does. It does add more weight to notes, it does influence a fuller bass line. It does not enhance treble notes. Them added few cores of gold plating and you get a more natural more textured tonal effect for vocals and instruments alike. A slightly richer take on your sound profile with an increase of fullness and dynamism, What not to like about that?

Music becomes fuller, thicker, more dimensional, more body with better texture is what the Obsian does. Oh I forgot the Obsidian also happens to be Penons first set of modular cables. I think all their cables will eventually get the modular treatment from this point forward. One set of cables to rule them all. You just have to pull out the bottom 2/3rds of the plug and replace them with another that you need. It is easier than most modular set ups as there are no twisting caps involved. It is a 4 pin plug n play set up and will only fit with a notch on one side so no way of messing up the plug in and out process. Since it is using 4 holes there is no way these will accidentally fall out of place either. So the setup is tight and works as intended. Works out to be very good for people like me who use a variety of DAPs or sources. Excellent ease of use for its modularity there.

The Obsidian is certainly an exotic looking cable with its darker sheathing finish with some of the gold plated cores that you can see from the outer PVC finish on them. Not the best as far as flexibility or pliability but not bad here as they are a 4 cored cable composed of 100 shares each core. I also appreciate that Penon does not use unnecessary ear guides for most of their cables. Cables just feel more comfortable being draped around my ears with no ear guides for me. Each Obsidian cable is hand made to Penon specs and you will most certainly get a high quality cable in the process. Continuing on the gold plated theme. Yes, even the connectors and terminations have an influence on your sound. These are all gold plated copper material further adding to the musicality of the Obsidian cable.

Testing the Obsidian cable, the best matchups for the Obsidian cable are neutral, bright, treble first and overall balanced IEMs. The Obsidian will work extremely well with BA or hybrid type of IEMs. The idea of matching up a musical enhancing cable like the Obsidian is for analytical, bright or detailed IEMs that seems a bit rigid in its presentations.

Matching the Obsidian to one of the more brighter tuned IEMs I have done a review for, the Tansio Mirai Sands. This match up is ideal in that the Obsidian enhances its mids to bass presence while bringing a smother richer treble response. This is in comparison to its stock cable that enhances brightness a bit too much for my liking.

Another well matching IEM for the Obsidian is the new Penon Fan 2. Absolutely superb match up as it increases body of notes, enhancing a richer tonal quality for its mids. Fan 2 is more of a neutrally tuned IEM and as so the Obsidian enhances note weight and presence from bass to mids and once again with a smoother treble quality adding a slight darkening of the trebles. Fan2 as a result sounds more natural and dynamic using the Obsidian.

Absolutely superb on the ISN H50. I seen some posts of former owners of the ISN H50 that was complaining about how the H50 is not as organic sounding as some of the Penon counterparts. Well the Obsidian is the answer to that. It brings the H50 sound quality to a completely different level adding a very similar effect to how it did for the Fan2. The synergy with the H50 is clearly there. H50 now has a body of note that was missing from the base cable. Bass impact has increased. Sound more emotive and its tonal qualities sees an improvement across the board.

The Obsidian works with warmer tuned IEMs if you prefer that warmth but generally with warm tuned IEMs, technical enhancing cables like pure silver- or silver-plated copper type cables are what I personally prefer.

You want to go the opposite of how your IEM sounds for a better matching synergistic aspects for your IEMs.

In the end
The Obsidian is yet another well-made cable from the sound guys at Penon. The Obsidian is only partially gold plated which brings out a slightly richer tonal character to the host IEMs with the base cores being a higher end of pure copper cable. This in turn makes the Obsidian a more versatile cable vs the 100% gold plated cables. One thing I discovered about Penon is that they do things on purpose, so these were deliberately made to bring a slightly richer musical enhancing abilities for copper cables. The Obsidian is a great new cable from Penon and if you have an IEM that you feel might need some added musicality, slight warmth, a richer tone and enhancing the dynamic qualities of an IEM you have to consider the Obsidian. Now with modular plugs. Thanks for taking the time to read.

ISN H30.

ISN is a sub brand for Penon Audio. A lot of the tuning philosophies for ISN stems from years of know-how and design from the group that keeps on making premium IEMs. They only create a handful of earphones a year and with each new IEM comes a lot of questions. Never a question of quality and workmanship but mostly. How does this compare to that or. How do they rank among existing ISN IEMs? The price point is a good indicator of where the H30 rank among their hybrid line up. This being said. The H30 has a sound unto its own that does not necessarily mean it is a lesser earphone vs the rest of the ISN crew. The H30 is a new hybrid incorporating two well established BAs and one 9.2mm Beryllium frosted dynamic for bass.

Inside the smaller side of medium shells houses 3 drivers taxed with the specific parts of the sound tuning. The unique aspect of the H30 shells is that it has an uncommon longer stem for universal resin designs. This probably was a design aspect that forces the user to have a deeper insertion for the IEM giving better, passive isolation and with straighter closer shot to your eardrums, possibly eliminating some possible resonances. Whatever the reason is. They are quite comfortable for my medium sized ears but they do require a deeper insertion so your comfort may vary depending on ear shape and insertion depth. The ISN H30 uses One Knowles BA for trebles, one Sonion BA for its mids presentation and finally the 9.2mm Beryllium frosted dynamic for bass. From my initial thoughts about the H30 to now it turns out that the tuning and balancing here is actually the smaller brother of the H50 and oddly enough the most recent Penon Fan 2 hybrid. More so than the H40 and or the EST50.

The H30 comes with a standard 8 core OCC copper cable in any termination you choose when checking out. The cable is actually a very nice pure copper cable that was chosen for the ISN H30 which actually matches well to enhance its tonal qualities. Pure copper cables will enhance the H30s mids with added body, bass emphasis and helps with a smoother treble response. For the bucks you can’t expect world class cable but in this case it does match up well, especially in balanced form. ISN H30 comes with 2 sets of silicones, 2 pairs of foams, missing from my review sample. A cleaning tool, a clip and a standard ISN clamshell case. Overall the accessories for the price is standard fare with no real need to upgrade the cable. But as all things are good you can get even better with your aftermarket cables and tips.

The H30 was provided for an evaluation by Penon audio for the purpose of a review. You can get yourself a set for you here. They have been burned in for a weeks period and are now ready for evaluation using my sources. Ibasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, BTR7, UTWS5, Shanling M6pro, IFI signature, IFI Gryphon, Fiio K2 2021. ( Due to the more neutral tendencies of the H30 your warmer full bodied sounding sources synergizes better with the H30. Shanling and IBasso DAPs)

Sound profile and technicals.
The balanced tuning of the H30 leans more neutral in its tuning vs their prior IEMs such as the H40 or the EST50. As mentioned earlier I feel these are more closer to the H50 in how it is tuned vs the others. Actually is the most neutrally balanced IEM for ISN. This comes as a surprise to me as it seems higher end IEMs are normally more neutral in tuning but not so much for ISN. The EST50 arguably has the most coloration for its tuning while the new H30 turns out to be the least colored out of the bunch. Its got a moderate yet spacious stage for ISN IEMs. Its technicalities are better than what the price would indicate. Details and imaging in space are both standouts for the H30. The surprising factor is that these being more moderate in balancing and its emphasis for the 3 regions of sound. Its moderate bass infusion brings a clean clear treble to mid range presentation on the H30.

Trebles.
This is the area that some will find a bit of an issue as its main focus is in the sensitive 8-9Khz region. Overall the trebles has moderate emphasis and does not have any real spikes but its main focus for trebles is right at the 8-9khz region. Which if you're sensitive to a bit of splashiness in the treble region this might affect you. Next to the 6-7Khz region this is one of the most sensitive areas as far as treble tunings goes and while emphasized does not overstep the rest of the tuning, it does give credence to overall clarity, imaging and how you hear the details on the H30. The treble's brilliance region is where the main focus of the trebles is boosted a touch. Its trebles provide good clarity and overall nicely done definition with that main focus for mid trebles and while some are more sensitive for this region of the trebles. I don’t feel it was overly emphasized to the point of fatigue. The area provides plenty of sparkle and for the most part is a clean type of treble. Its attack and decay seems about right but in the same token comes a bit rigid, slightly metallic sounding due to the BA timbre of the Knowles BA.

I know there are some debates among the purists when it comes to BA timbre but the way I see it. If your used to hearing speakers with tweeters. BA timbre or not the treble BA does a better job at reproducing treble with clearly defined treble notes better than most types of drivers. This is the reason why some of the highest end IEMs use dedicated treble BAs. The treble tuning here has a seamless cohesion with the Sonion BA that takes over the presence region to the lower mids of the ISN H30. And yes that is yet another strong suit of the ISN H30. Its cohesion is done really well. The presentation of your music will be fluid from trebles to bass and that is a good sign that these guys clearly know what they are doing here.

A bit of a tip on the trebles,
I know there is some debate about burn in for BA type drivers. From my own experience as I do burn in for every single IEM. I do recommend a solid burn in cycle for the H30. It seems to smooth out the treble a touch. Out of the box seems to clearly let you know about the treble being emphasized at the 8khz region. After a week, not as much. So something had to change with the balancing. So burn in is important on everything you get. If not just to squeeze out 100% of what you're hearing. Why not? You got nothing to lose.

Treble tunings can make or break an IEM and I feel is more important than any other part of an IEM. Contrary to how others might view it but it is the treble that you will notice first before the bass and even the mids. So treble has to make a statement but at the same not fatigue. The main emphasis of the treble tuning on the H30 is its mid trebles with a gradual roll off into the higher upper trebles frequencies.. This treble tuning works but treble seems just slightly forced and not as extended as I would like. It has plenty of sparkle and that is the area that the H30 is really good at in its treble emphasis. Just at the edge of sparkle and splashy. Tips do an awesome job to smooth that treble to your liking. Trebles overall are clean but with a touch of brightness. Not so much to irritate or fatigue. But then it will come down to just how sensitive a person is when listening to music and trebles.

Mids
It is the mids of the H30 that wins the H30 to be a true ISN IEM. The mids are done by a single full range Sonion BA. Mids of the H30 are not overly forward but nowhere recessed either. Its got a perfect amount of upper mids gain, roughly 7dbs which in my opinion is the goldilocks for upper mids to be proper. A bit lesser than that and mids sound more smoother than it has to be. A bit more than it can start to sound brighter and sometimes uneven sounding. ISN did a masterful job at balancing the mids here. A bit more upper mid pinna gain in conjunction with that treble tuning and it will become a touch shoutty and maybe a bit more brighter than how the H30 sounds.

Tonality for the H30 mids presentation is clean, neutral in tonality with a hint of richness in how it is presented. Mids have a neutral amount of emphasis and are fairly linear in how it projects your music. The mids are portrayed through a moderate stage, for ISN IEMs the H30s have a nicely spacious, well imaged sound but is clearly not the top of the technical side of ISN IEMs. Its overall technicalities for the mid bands is actually about as good as it gets for the price range using one of the better BAs for its mids. Timbre, sound separation, imaging, tonality all are done well including the spacious stage it has but everything on the H30 is in moderation.

Its timbre is decidedly BA in nature but Sonion BAs produce a richer tonality vs the Knowles counterparts lessening the rigid tendencies of BA presentations. You're definitely not getting a dry mids rigid non emotive mids presentation here. H30 while being the most neutrality tuned ISN IEM is not an analytical neutral type of sound either. It balances a fine line of musical and neutral and that is a good thing. There is a reason why some of the highest end IEMs in the market use the Sonion BAs for their mids presentations and the H30 clearly benefits from its use of the Sonion BA..

The H30 can pick off details surprisingly well and has good spatial layering to its sound with a moderate amount of body. Its definition is a standout for the mid bands with vocals and instruments that are well rounded in its foundation. The H30 is not as colored sounding as some of its older brothers. The benefit of a neutral balanced tuning is that it does give a more honest rendition of your recordings.

The bass
Of the H30 is handled by a 9.2mm Beryllium frosted dynamic. Which I don't know if that stands for a different type of Beryllium coated dynamic but seems to be the same type. Bass end is focused more for its mid bass than sub bass and true to being more neutrally tuned is moderate in emphasis. I would say roughly about 7dbs of mid bass with a mild roll off for sub bass.

These are nothing like the older H40 or even the H50 with a sub bass lift for bass emphasis. And certainly far from the speaker like bass of the EST50. Its definition for bass is about what you would expect. It's certainly the tight and speedy type of dynamic bass. Has a moderate rumble with good texture. At the same time these will not impress anyone that is a bass first fanatic. I would point you to the EST50 if you require bass to be of the utmost importance in the balancing of all things. The H30 is again more neutral in how it is tuned and as such you can’t expect dominant bass. The bass end here compliments the tuning and overall balancing for the H30 extremely well.

Bass comes clean and defined. It's just not as emphasized as some of its older brothers. Bass sounds natural in the process. Acoustical tracks with natural bass lines sound every bit cohesive with the right amount of impact, attack and sustain. Drums sets sound amazingly accurate as a result. I do wish there was a good 2-3dbs more sub bass emphasis for my own personal likes in a bass tuning but otherwise not much to complain about here. Just know these are not the bassiest ISN IEM they have made. But on the other hand, does not sound anemic either. Has good definition for bass and is just enough to really balance the presentation nicely.

Overall
ISN does not make a lot of IEMs and when they do. They are carefully planned out. Where does the ISN H30 sit in the scheme of their line up? It is the intro hybrid for ISN and as such these are very nicely done in the price bracket. Sure they could use a touch more extension on both ends but its nicely done technicalities make up for any shortcomings for the H30. These fit very comfortably among the ISN hybrid line up with surprising neutrality. For some this might be a good thing or bad, depending on how you see it but they certainly do not have anything in its sound makeup that makes them step out of bounds. Its balanced neutral tuning makes for great versatility. Its tonal balance is energetic, clean and makes for a great daily listen. ISN has brought out yet another compelling hybrid to the market and this time it is a neutral offering that I am sure will please fans of the ISN sound. It is actually a good thing these guys mix things up with their tunings and does not stick to just one type of sound signature. They put their own spin on these types of tunings but with each ISN release having its own unique sound presentation.

How they compare.
H30, neutral balanced, good technicalities cohesion and imaging. Moderate bass with a slightly forward treble.

ISN H30, ISN H40, ISN H50, ISN EST50

H40, musical analoguish mildly warm tonality, V tuning with a larger stage vs the H30. It is debatable which IEM has the better detail retrieval. The H30 actually might win in that department but one thing for certain the H40 clearly has more bass presence and has one of the widest stages for ISN IEMs.

H50. musical, w shaped tuning with a holographic wide stage presentation. These are higher end than the H30 with superb sub bass extension, greater body, layering deeper and wider stage and a more refined extended trebles. The higher end H30 is actually the H50. It is clearly the level up from the H30 but the H30 being almost a 1/3rd the cost is not 1/3rd the sound performance of the H50. If you are a fan of the H30 and these are the first ISN IEMs and want the next level. That would be the H50…… And the Penon Fan2. Will put the reason why on the Fan 2 review coming up.

EST50. This tribrid is more of an L shaped tuning with the brawniest bass and authority over the ISN H30. These are actually the upgrade to the H40 sound signature more so than the H50 which is tuned completely differently. The EST50 uses premium higher end drivers giving them even richer tonal character and much more authority in all regions of sound. EST50 are the beefiest sounding ISN IEMS and as such while these are the flagship ISN IEMs the H30s are a great compliment for folks that own the EST50 believe it or not. How about something a bit more neutral with your L shaped full bodied musical IEMs. The EST50s have the smoothest extended trebles and a deep reaching mids presentation with a big brawny bass end that is sheer authority when called upon. There is a reason why these are ISNs flagships.

TGXEAR SERRATUS

This hobby of ours, the one where there are always new audio goods that promises higher end sound. That demands your attention, you read about earphones and headphones and wonder, does the hype actually live up to the actual sound? So I am guilty of stoking the flames of some of that hype among headfiers. I will admit that, but I am much like you. I read about phones on the threads and always wonder. Is this going to sound any better than what I already own?

Now let me take you back a bit. I have been on headfi since 2011 about the same time as this guy TGX78 he called himself Aka Jim as far as I can remember, he has always been a positive voice on the threads as far as his views goes for IEMs and sound. One thing for certain: I have always known Jim as a neutral head. It got a proper neutral sound with good technical chops and he was usually on board. We have gone back and forth throughout the years and it was only recently I discovered that he has gone onto developing his own earbud company in the form of the old school style earbuds called TGXEAR. If it was just any headfier it would be one thing but it is our good buddy TGX78 who knows a thing or two about what proper sound. To be honest I trust this guy's ears for good sound vs your random Chinese manufacturer making new IEMs on a weekly basis. This being said, I have always known he had a legit talent for modding and tweaking what was already good on an earphone to sound even better.If you know his background you will get a good idea why he has a passion for accurate audio.

When he got a hold of me to hear the Serratus I read a few impressions and a review about them and so far it has been nothing but praise about the buds. In fact I challenge anyone to find anything that is considered mediocre or average descriptor about the Serratus on the threads. I will spare you the time to look, there is none. OK I am game, I had to hear them for myself. With that, I would like to thank Jim for a sample of the Serratus for this review. You can check out his site and order you a set from here. They have been tested using my sources. Ibasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, BTR7, IFI Signature, IFI gryphon, Shanling M6 pro.

Admittedly I am an IEM guy. Always have been but lately it has dawned on me that maybe there are more to IEMs than just throwing in a bunch of drivers in a housing and calling it good. The Serratus seems like a passion project and is one of three models Jim has for sale on his site. These are high impedance earbuds meaning they will require some power to drive correctly and sound correct. Serratus is the most efficient out of the 3 buds having a 300 Ohm impedance. The Tantalus at 500 Ohms and Alpha being 600 Ohms. Jim plans to have 5 models by the end of 2022 and toward 2023 with one being a planar bud.

The Serratus for a DIY project turn production is quite nice on several fronts. It comes within its case a set of foam tips that is using a thinner foam material and another set of foams that uses a thicker foam material. And yes the thicker foams actually have more of a fullness effect including its bass presentation. So bass foams are what they are called. The balanced foams are what I prefer as it gives the best balanced sound from the Serratus. Found out it was tuned with these foams so it most definitely gives the best sound production between the foams. The Serratus uses a 4 cored pure silver cable terminated in a 4.4mm balanced for my review set. When I asked about the cable, he wanted to go with the most transparent cable he could source for the Serratus. 4.4mm balanced as most players put out the most power in balanced mode.

By default, these buds are not made for your phones, well that is unless it is attached to a portable amp. They aren’t really made for walking around with either as they are clearly an open type bud even more so than your typical closed bud housing design with a few vents. There is a large vent hole on the back end of the Serratus which effectively opens up the sound of the Serratus. Think open can and you might have a good idea just how much sound leaks.

On open listen, I was pleasantly surprised at how accurate, natural, open, balanced, spacious and airy the sound was, then I was greeted with a layering of the sound that I couldn't believe. I will put it out there these don’t sound anywhere remotely close to anything I have heard at the price range.

So what does roughly $200 worth of cash get you for IEMs, headphones and audio goods in general nowadays?. It gets you a very basic entry level DAP, might get you a bluetooth source. Gets you a fairly basic headphone that has some ok dynamics and stage but what about accurate timbre and balance? SQ wise not exactly lofty in how a $200 level headphone will sound but serviceable. This is how I would describe most IEMs, headphones and audio goods in the price range. Most hybrid IEMs will leave you wanting better timbre and better stage, most dynamic IEM does better with timbre but what about staging and balancing. Some do this and that better than others but most will not have all of what I consider a higher end sound. The Serratus however is different.

Never in a million years would I have guessed you can get a reference grade sound from a $200 earbud of all things. I know some of you are earbud fanatics and love what they do for sound for the bucks. The Serratus is the closest to a neutral reference tuned anything I have heard in the $200 range and really there is no close 2nd.

They don’t sound like your traditional ear buds first of all. Most earbuds I have heard are all about the mids and bass and while some do treble better than others most bud trebles I have heard are just ok. If it has ample treble it's not the most articulate or does it have the best extension. The Serratus is different. I have no idea how Jim was able to tune these things to sound like the way they do but I remember messaging a good buddy of mine and fellow headfier what I was hearing the first time I put these buds into my ears. I was shocked. They sound like a full blown headphone even the imaging is portrayed in a much grander scale than most. To get this level of refined spacious sound, there is no possible way I was hearing what I was hearing from them. But I was. OK now this is something new on me.

Forget what you know about earbud sound and go take a listen to some of the highest end IEMs in the market today and then you might have a good background to understand what Jim was going for and how the Serratus will sound like. These don’t sound like your typical bud at all. They sound like stupid high end in ear speakers. No other way to put it.

With that out of the way. So exactly how do they sound? First of all the tonal balance from trebles to bass is insanely great. There is not any aspect of the sound that feels out of place, out of rhythm, or out of phase. What you hear seems like a clear clean glass window to the performance. If this is what Jim was going for. Serratus nails it. Then there is its technical ability. These $200 buds achieve a technical level I have not heard in anything that is sold at its price. Its imaging in space, sounds separation, cohesion, range, texture, body, transient response, timbral accuracy, tonal accuracy all of it is on point presented in a large spacious wide and deep airy head stage. Yes from a $200 earbud.

Trebles
Of the Serratus is substantial. I never thought buds can have the type of treble that is total in how it performs. When I say total or should I say TOTL. Refined trebles need to be airy, articulate, sparkly, extended and needless to say detailed in the right way. That is exactly how I am hearing the Serratus treble. I have to put it out there the Serratus has one of the very best complete sounding dimensional trebles I have ever heard in a bud form. And I think this is what really separates the Serratus from other buds I have heard. These just don’t sound good for trebles. It clearly shows articulation. Treble timbre that is accurate. What music and instruments should sound like. It is quite astonishing. What good is balancing for an IEM or a bud when the treble has off tonality or sounds canned. Open airy trebles is one aspect but that also includes a dimensional character I never thought was possible using a single larger dynamic driver…. In a $200 bud. This is something I expect in super high end IEMs not so much for buds. Let me put it that way.

But then there is the mids
The strong suit for most buds is how they present the mid bands. The mids of the Serratus is quite simply spectacular in how it performs, seamless, ambient and liquid with a technical element that is really something to behold at its price level.. The effortless well balanced mids production of the Serratus has such great accuracy, neutrality, which all lends to one of the best stereo imaging for earbuds I have ever heard. The airy trebles continue through the mid bands on the Serratus. Its supreme timbre and tonality is something to behold, everything that needs accuracy to come correct. You're going to hear it accurately. Details that seem to be ghostly in how they produce sound. Mids have very good neutral body of sound and seem to adapt to the tracks you're listening to. Combine these aspects to the substantial imaging it has and you get a reference level neutral presentation for the Serratus.

Orchestral scores sound stupendous out of the Serratus. You gotta understand, Jim has been a classic violinist for 30 plus years. So a bud he produces will absolutely have to have an accurate timbre with a realism to string instruments. I haven’t heard his other buds yet but I am willing to bet money the other two will have some very nicely done timbre as well.

The Serratus is clearly a passion project that came into fruition for him. And we are the recipients of his talents. The Serratus reproduction of stringed instruments is one of the best if not simply the best I have ever heard from anything I have heard in that regard. It will be my new benchmark for stringed instruments. Let me put it that way. I am very surprised how good vocal performances come from Serratus. Vocals for both female and male performances sound superbly dynamic with excellent center imaging in space. Rangy, defined superbly accurately and spot on in tonality. All within a holographic large airy head space. I keep on mentioning the word accurate in my sound descriptors but I have no other words to describe how the Serratus portrays your music.

OK so these are not going to be the bee's knees for bass genres or something like EDM as they are neutrally tuned but all is not lost. They do have excellent versatility as it actually has a good bass foundation included with its sound balancing. Being the easiest to drive out of the 3 I figure Jim would make this one the most versatile in its tuning..

I had a good feeling these were going to be neutral but I had no idea it was gonna include some outstanding bass as well.

Bass.
The bass end of the Serratus is there more to support the unbelievable mids and treble presentation of the Serratus but it has its own bass presence as well. Bass for the Serratus is clean, tight defined like the rest of the sound signature. When listening to pop music and or bass genres these have a moderate physical punch including some deep reaching rumble. The Ibasso DX300Max and the Serratus makes for a potent 1 2 punch and I have never heard my DX300Max sound as good as it does with anything else.

Its sub bass is not as pronounced as some commercially tuned buds, nore are they the final word on bass texture for sub bass performance but at the same time it represents the fast tight accurate type of mid bass and its overall bass is more at a moderate level more so than anything that sticks out of the tuning. Again that balancing is there including the bass end. The Serratus is not all about classical and orchestral scores. It can do modern genres just fine. Surprisingly great for old rock and metal music. But if you are at all into your large orchestral and instrumental music. You're in for a treat like you wouldn't believe.

Bass here is not an afterthought but is very much equal to the emphasis and details in the mids and the treble end. Natural bass lines sound about as authentic and real as it gets. It is only when hearing synthetic overly saturated bass lines that the Serratus is not the best for so yes they are not perfect but damn folks if that is all that is not at a 100% level on these at their price point. You have to pay attention to these things. I would imagine the other two buds being made with Beryllium composite material would provide that extra texture for the bass end.

Overall I have to give it up to Jim and his tuning skills on this one. For a guy that has never made a retail product in the form of a bud before. These are astounding for his very first run at it. We have a talented tuner among the headfi crew and a guy that clearly knows what he is doing. A clear direction and the type of reference sound that the Serratus represents is something that you can’t really get in comparable $200 products at all. You have rolled your eyes to the giant killer description that you see on the threads. I mean what does that mean anyway?. How can the sound of a $200 earbud compete with TOTL level IEMs that are sold in the thousands?

Throw the Serratus on a nice dac/amp and hear them and you tell me what you're hearing. These are a marvel of engineering and tuning. I never would have guessed just how good these things would sound. And they sound spectacular. If you're a timbre head, instrument head, accuracy head, classical music head, or an orchestral whore, a jazz person. Get yourself a Serratus and find out for yourself. Pretty great for vocal performances as well I might add.

If there is such a thing as a giant killer, I really can’t see how sound can get better at this price range. These my friends are the true definition of GIANT KILLERS. And it comes in the form of a $200 bud.

Fiio FH7S

One of Fiios most popular IEMS was their former flagship hybrid the FH7. With all the newer hybrid releases from Fiio it was only a matter of time before they came out with a successor to FH7 in the new FH7S. Their hybrid line of IEMs in general has seen much success but Fiio seems to have a certain sound profile they like to tune their earphones with and while it might not conform to a harmon neutral based in its tunings. I can tell they want something that will engage the listener and bring out the best traits of the drivers being used for the FH7s,

The new FH7S has a new housing that was first seen for their FH5S. The all-metal build seems to have a hard plastic type coating on the surface to ensure no blemishes or scratches can occur. Its matt black finish is nothing flashy but the edgy looks give them a mecha armor type design that gives them a newer modern look. The 3 screen meshes on the back of the shell effectively vents the drivers of the FH7S making them semi open in design. This has an effect on how you hear the FH7S sound so it is a part of its make up in how it was tuned. The new FH7S also comes with arguably one of the best included accessories packages in the market and even newer, an in house developed silicone tip set in the HS18 you can buy separately here.

One thing for certain is that you're not going to be left thinking how lame the cable is or how gimpy the tip selection is. Fiio makes sure from a consumer perspective that you are getting a king's ransom of nicely matching accessories with the new FH7S. 19 pairs of tips including premium spinfit CP145 tips and their newly developed HS18 tips.

I will gladly give Fiio an A grade for the presentation and what the FH7S comes with.

You are bound to find a good set of well-fitting tips for your ear shape and whether you're using the FH7S in single ended 3.5mm or balanced 4.4mm. Fiio got you covered as its cable includes their proprietary twist lock plugs in both terminations. Included with the lavish accessories set is one of the highest quality box clam shell type cases to carry around your precious FH7S in existence. I am a huge fan of these box cases Fiio provides as it comes lined with velcro attachments that form to any IEM you throw in them, which prevents the shells from clanking against each other.


Disclaimers: The Fiio FH7S Was provided by Fiio for the purpose of a review. If you feel the need to get yourself a musical set of FH7S for listening to your music with. You can find them on their Aliexpress web page here. The FH7S was burned in for period of a weeks' time. Now ready for evaluation using my sources. Ibasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Fiio BTR7, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, IFI gryphon, IFI Signature, and Fiios K3 2021 edition on my laptop.

Build, form, function.
The FH7S is a semi open design and by nature they will not isolate as much as a fully closed all resin design. This being said, the passive isolation here is not bad. They certainly can be used outdoors especially since it has a powerful bass end to its sound qualities. I would say for semi open designs it is just slightly above average compared to other such designs. I would guess it is getting about 24dbs of passive isolation. The tradeoff for a semi open design is well worth it as the FH7S has a proper stage with a big spacious presentation for IEMs. The housing has a thick matt black finish coating making them scratch and fingerprint proof resistant. As far as builds go, I have complete confidence this housing and build is top notch. A grade for the build here. I know some folks prefer 2 pins vs the mmcx designs but the bottom line is, if you take care of your IEMs and know how to take a cable out properly than you will not have any issues with either type of connectors.

Its cable is the newer LC RC cable that was provided with the pro model for the FH5S pro edition. This cable is a monocrystalline copper-based cable plated in silver. It is more closer to higher end copper cables in properties which matches extremely well with the FH7S sound signature. And what can I say about modular cables. For an included cable I have no complaints here. Matching well with the sound profile of the FH7S.

Sound what you care about.
The FH7S being the younger sibling to the new flagship FH9. You can read my thoughts about them here. The FH7S conform to Fiios version of their musical bassy house signature. What is that you might ask? Well, is it one-part authoritative bass, one part forward vocals, another part large spacious balance. You get some form of these 3 ingredients to all of their more recent IEMS minus the FA7S which has the most neutral tuning out of all of the current Fiio line up.
For hybrid designs you have to bring out the best of what the drivers can do. But more often, we see much cheaper designs from hybrid IEMs that use a whole lot of drivers to be tuned in a manner where you are not really noticing how the drivers are being utilized. Why use a highly resolving Knowles BAs, 4 of them with a very capable large 13.6mm DLC dynamic driver to tune for a harmon neutral tuning? Fiio on the other hand clearly has optimized each driver on the FH7S for their given strengths.

But I get it. Purists will tell you, “ Based on the included graph, these will be shouty and too bassy. “ Ya ok how about actually listening to them and letting folks know how they actually sound? Here is where a graph does not exactly show how spacious, large and holographic a sound is. My point is yes these have coloration to its make up. They are tuned to immerse. They are indeed made for music listening, it is obvious to me as you will get a type of imaging that is almost impossible using a single or lesser quality drivers. These image in a larger scale with a spacious environment in how you're hearing your tracks. Not quite to the extent of the FH9 but it gets pretty damn close.

On top of that holographic presentation, it has details that are associated with a good BA implementation. It is the layering of the FH7S that is supreme in its presentation. Presents with very good height and depth and needless to say is a wide imaging IEM for hybrids. Its technicalities show the strengths of multiple BA arrangements and is a strong suit at the price range. Again back to the imaging, what won me over immediately was when I landed on a live recorded track. This is where I got a good taste of that dimensional imaging of the FH7S.



You can close your eyes and it is like you're there next to the artist. It is perhaps one of the very best IEMs for live music sets as it gets you ever so close to and how the ambience of the room the recording was made so accurately. Its dimensions and how they float about your hearing senses is extremely nice to hear. This was when I found myself saying. Wow!

Ok so back to reality. So what if the upper mids are a tad forward. This is how Fiio was able to tune with a forward center imaging. Vocals especially are projected forward in the mix but then has layers to its presentation with excellent depth to hear exactly where each instrument lies in the recording. Once again the purists will say. It is too forward. Don’t know about you but I don't mind having some beautiful singers whisper their lyrics into my ears. That's just me but that is actually a turn on for me. Goose bump instances. Yup these can do it. So why all the angst against an IEM you never heard and judge based on a graph. Plus when was the last time you seen a ruler flat neutral IEM made by Fiio?. Not too many to be honest. Their more recent Fiio FA7S comes the closest to a neutral type tuning but their hybrids? Not a single one of them are tuned that way. So what would make you think they will use overly large dynamic drivers with a boat load of BAs and tune them for neutral?

Well let me ask you this? How neutral is live music? These aren’t tuned to be IEM accurate. These are tuned to be musically accurate. How music is mixed in a concert performance for example. When have you ever heard a live concert with neutral bass? Think how that translates to an IEM presentation.

The FH7S is music forward but in a good way. This was done on purpose to immerse you. There is nothing that is laid back in its presentation. Isn’t that the very definition of being immersed? I suppose if you're a ruler flat neutral guy that loves 100% accuracy with a dry flat tuning. Ya I can see you being offended by the immersive sound qualities of the FH7S. But you know what? You can go look up other IEMs that will suit your needs more. But for folks that love them, some Holography for your musical presentations. READ ON!

Trebles.
Will be determined based on the 3 tuning caps. Its base configuration or the balanced cap gives a solid rendition of the trebles without being overly bright or strident. Here is the area I feel Fiio has improved their tuning since their FH5S. One method I test if there is too much treble or the dreaded treble glare is if crash cymbals sound a bit too forward.

This track is one of my go to tracks for treble. Too much forward treble causes fatigue and much like how the treble is tuned on their current hybrid flagship the FH9. The good news on the FH7S is that it clearly has some treble but seems to have a good balance of presence, proper transients and clarity all around. Nothing missing in its presentation: the trebles here are clean, crisp, defined and extend well.

Its red colored bass cap only reduces the treble aspects by a few dbs throwing the balancing of the FH7S to be a touch more warmer. This does not enhance the bass here but more curbs the treble via nozzle filter. Which is an old school trick to take a bit of the edge off the treble end. If you are a bass purist and love you some warmth to your tracks. This configuration will give the warmest tonal character overall vs the other caps.

Balanced white cap is just like it sounds but tonality is still a touch warm due to the thick bass line of the FH7S. Most of my review was done with the balanced cap. Its treble green cap brings the most treble but ends up actually balancing out the FH7S sound a touch better than the green cap due to the treble being about as elevated as the bass end. More treble, yes but is clearly listenable and brings a touch of extra clarity and articulation for the treble end with the most extension here.

Overall I have no issues with its treble presentation. Its relatively balanced treble if not a bit on the BA timbre aspect for its treble presentation. Good but not exceptional treble. Treble gets a B+ grade

Mids
It is the mids of the FH7S are tuned like how you would hear a live set. OK so the mids have some coloration here and you can clearly tell the bass end of the FH7S sounds is big and brawny. They do have a mid bass hump for its lower mids. Which ends up making them sound like a 5.1 set up in its presentation. These are clearly made for bass fans but the mids here will be more dependent on how you actually like your mids to be portrayed. If you want a clean mids presentation it will depend on the type of music you listen to. Generally instruments and vocals are clear with very good imaging throughout but some bass tracks do bring the sound a touch more forward from its mid and upper bass presence that makes some of the lower mids sound bigger and more forward..

You have to understand what type of tuning the FH7S is going for. It is clearly a bass focussed IEM but one that you can clearly listen to other genres with. Knowing that these are not neutral in any way or form. The mids here are done well especially if you don't mind some mids warmth from the bass emphasis. Which again ends up adding body and fullness to the mids presentation. On top of that a forward upper mids presentation and you get a forward vocal imaging with a full bodied sound, again a lot like a live music performance for your music. The mids gets a B grade here as well. Mids are not the most accurate nor do they give the cleanest presentation in terms of IEM balancing sense but if engagement factor takes precedence for how you like to hear your music. The FH7S is as emotive and versatile as I have heard a hybrid at this price range. Its wide large mid bands portray music intimately and there is nothing thin or dry about its sound quality. Utilizing some highly detailed Knowles BAs for its mids, the FH7S mids performance is highly musical a tad forward with very excellent imaging.

Lastly, that physical bass.
OK so here is the reason why you want to get a set of the FH7S. These use Fiios proprietary S. Turbo tube technology for its large and in-charge 13.6mm DLC dynamic that handles bass. Don’t expect neutral here from a 13.6mm DLC dynamic. What's the point of using such a potent capable dynamic driver if you're not going to bring the boom? The bass of these reminds me greatly of its older brother the FH9, so much so it looks like it is actually using the same dynamic drivers used on the FH9. Unless told otherwise, I am going to assume it is using the same.

I am very familiar with the bass end of the FH9 and here we get a similar impactful full bored brawny bass end to the FH7S. I am fairly certain Fiio folks are bass enthusiasts. I mean they included bass boost on their portable amps back in the day. Bass is clearly a part of their DAP signatures. Bass is a part of their dynamic IEM series and much more so on their hybrid series.

Bass here is a big, brawny, well textured and impactful powerful physical type bass. The type of bass you want to hear at shows and out and about. It has to be difficult to tune a relatively balanced tuning but also incorporating in its design, a big 13.6mm dynamic that is dedicated for bass. There is no mystery here in what Fiio is going for. These are for bass enthusiasts. You're not buying no neutral flat barely there bass IEM in the FH7S. What you're getting is something similar to a 5.1 speaker set up but for IEMs

The deep low hitting full rumbly well controlled bass here is about as tight and as defined as it will get for just how much physical bass you're actually getting. These clearly satisfy the basshead in me as it will others that are seeking a well defined bold bass end. For bass I will give it an A grade here. You just can't get big physical bass to be much better.

Now I have seen some complaints of how the bass overshadows the lower mids. I think if you accept what a 5.1 speaker profile is and how it is presented and think in terms of how that actually sounds vs IEMs. Something akin to your entertainment media speaker setup. OK now your starting to understand what Fiio was going for. And as such. The FH7S also happens to sound a lot like your entertainment system but inside your ears. You can’t tell me these don’t sound like a full THX theatre experience when watching movies and playing games.

Goes without saying Bass genres for music is going to perform on point. Your hiphop, EDM, RnB, pop, Jazz and reggae are going to be some of the best you will ever hear for earphones. Extremely impactful and entertaining. Yes indeed. But even for not bass genres these images so well they are very easy to like, especially for anything recorded live.

Truth is they do have a bass hump for the lower mids but how you gonna control this much dynamic ability for bass. When have you heard an external sub woofer actually not have a hump for the overall sound presentation? Is that really a bad thing? Well for purists yes but not so much if your like some added warmth to your music for that ultimate immersion quality.

Overall
I think Fiio got another winner here. I called the FH9 disco in your ears. The FH7S can do disco alright but are balanced well enough for versatility. Forward and bold to immerse and its imaging is one of the best for its class and for the type of sound it is going for. Know what type of sound profile these are and if you like that theatre type grand sound you will be a fan. So, you have to be a fan of an authoritative bass. Due to the big dynamic bass end of the FH7S. These make for perfect gaming and media IEMs. Movies and gaming sound spectacular on the FH7S and if you want a great media watching and playing IEM as well as your bassy music. These gets the thumbs up from me. Sure, there are IEMs that has a better, more even mid-range but not one that has this much bass. These fall into a fun sound signature that can sound very immersive for any type of media you're into.

Especially one that requires the right amount of boom and rumble. Fiio has provided a musical full bodied IEM tuning on the FH7S that has a big, scaled sound. If you're even remotely into your bass genres, you have to seriously consider what the FH7S offers. In a way it is like a cheaper alternative to its bigger brother the FH9 while not quite reaching the standards that bring the FH9 to another level in sound performance, the FH7S comes remarkably close but at $200 less. These are catering to folks that listen to music vs analyzing what is accurate, if you consider just how a 5.1 speaker setup might actually sound like in an IEM form, the Fiio FH7S comes very close. In those terms, the FH7S is a blast to listen to. We listen to music as a form of entertainment and if you're not entertained then what's the point. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

SuperTFZ Force King

TFZ has been producing dynamic IEMs since 2015, recently has changed up their name to SuperTFZ for their newer offerings. My prior experience with the new SuperTFZ line of IEMS was the Force 1. Which you can read about here. In this review we are taking a good look into yet another new release from the group called the Force King. It will be referred to as the FK here for Force King from this point forward. It seems that TFZ clearly likes to use dynamics for their designs as most of their IEMs are dynamics. The FK utilizes a large 11.4mm graphene diaphragm, dual magnets with a tesla flux in an all too familiar housing. I say familiar because I have seen this exact housing used on a whole bunch of Chi fi manufactured IEMs. So not all that original in looks and its build, but ultimately what matters here is the sound.

I am new to the TFZ earphones. It is all new to me anyway since I have never heard any of their prior TFZ earphones. Then I was introduced to the Force 1 which opened my eyes and ears to what these guys can do with the tried-and-true dynamic design. The Force King is a newer release from the group that supposedly is a one up on the Force 1. It has to be, cus they are charging an extra $50 spot for the admission to get a Force King IEM. I would say it is more differently tuned than similar. Force 1 is a balanced V shaped Fr. To my ears the FK here is more of a neutral slightly brighter tuning with some moderate bass emphasis. The FK was made for monitoring vocals and instruments.

Which is a bit surprising as there are not too many IEMs dedicated for monitoring purposes but upon reading the description of the FK and finally being able to listen to them. Yes, these were made for monitoring music. Just because an earphone was purposefully made to monitor vocals and instruments does not mean they are going to be not so good for music listening. Arguably, one of the best bang for buck Cans I own is the Beyer DT1990pro which happens to be a monitor can.

Disclaimers: The SuperTFZ Force King was provided by Penon audio for the purpose of a review. If you feel the need to get yourself a set. You can look up their sales page on Penon audio website here. The FK was burned in for a period of a week's time and are now ready for evaluation using my sources. IBasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, BTR7, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, IFI Gryphon, IFI DSD Signature. Fiio K3 2021 edition.

As mentioned earlier The Force King is priced a bit more than the Force 1. With a price increase my expectation for this set has also increased. To me the Force 1 was and still is criminally underrated and overlooked dynamic based IEM. It seems to me TFZ earphones have somewhat of a negative reputation among the prior owners of the brand's offerings. Too many of the same type of IEMs with not enough distinction among the various offerings will do that. I remember back when TFZ was releasing one IEM after another. There were almost too many and all with a very similar design. I had a difficult time figuring out which TFZ IEM was what.

Here comes yet another release of another dynamic made by TFZ called SuperTFZ Force King? So what does that mean exactly? To be honest all I care about is if the price of the IEM holds its value, regardless of a manufacturer's history. With the ever-increasing competition among Chi Fi manufacturers, it is even more important now than ever to bring out a compelling product. Earphones under the $100 mark are all considered budget so when they go over that price point it has to mean the sound will have to be upgraded from the various $100 and lower IEMs. It has to compete with other offerings in the price range or better yet do one better.
The Force King is marketed as a monitor for stage and is tuned using a highly resolving 11.4mm graphene dynamic. The sound difference between this set and their first offering being the Force 1 was clearly evident. The definition of the sound was on a different level. The overall sound had much less coloring to its tuning, letting instruments and vocals come out with much clarity and details. OK so I can believe these were designed more for accuracy.

What you get.
The FK comes in a very similar packaging as the other SuperTFZ designs. Taller rectangular box with a simple silver-plated copper cable in single ended and several sets of tips, a stereo adapter and a simple pouch. Nothing out of the ordinary. The included accessories are identical to their $79 Force 1 IEM, including its SPC type thin standard cable. Accessories here fall into the category of just OK with no real substance to any of it actually. Nothing that stands out as being good for the price. Just Ok. The cable is again just OK. its tips are just OK, one set is just flimsy and cheap feeling. If you want to optimize the Force King you will have to dig into your Tip collection and better cables. Which I highly recommend for prospective buyers of the Force King. Overall, its accessories get a C- grade. A bit disappointing in what you get but functionable.

The Build
Here is once again just OK. The plastic mass produced housing is filled with what looks like resin which encases the single dynamic driver inside the housing. The shells are gold colored what seems to be a metal plate with colored vents red and blue to separate the sides of the shells. This shiny surface will smudge easily and leave prints every time you handle them. Its fitment is good as its size is a universal medium in bulk. Nothing out of the ordinary. The build here is the same stuff you see for a lot of chi fi IEMs. Much like its thrown in accessories. The way the FK looks and its build is nothing new.. I do believe this exact housing was being used over and over again in their former TFZ offerings. Why change something that works right? The new Force 5 that also came out at the same time as the FK has a unique original housing. Not so much the FK. Overall build is just a C grade. What is surprising to me is that their first release the Force 1 actually has a more premium all resin build vs the Force King. So why the upcharge? It was for its sound.

Sound
These are tuned to be more brighter neutral than the Force 1 with a more even balancing, including a more moderate amount of bass. What stands out for the FK is that it has a very good technical ability for its sound presentation. I suppose if you monitor music for accuracy and sound cues that means the sound tuning has to be tight and it has to have excellent details in all parts of its sound. This is not only evident on the Force King but it is the reason why I feel these are a single dynamic folks should be looking into when looking for a highly resolving single dynamic presentation. Its detail level is akin to multiple BAs and or hybrid offerings but from a single larger dynamic. These will surprise just how dialed in, tight and complete they are for imaging, staging, timbral accuracy and detail in general.

The catch
Its included cable is so very average if not just underwhelming. Since the Force King is a detailed monitor presentation. I advise a nicely resolving pure copper type cable to really bring out the musicality in the Force King. This review was mostly done using its included cable. But it was difficult to not throw on one of my copper cables to get an immediate better sound. These love some copper cables and they like a bit of amping as well. As they are, TFZ is guilty of the throw in cable and accessories. Throw in what you got into a package and call it good.

Trebles.
Has moderate lower to mid treble elevation for its treble presence but is more grounded in how it sounds vs being overly emphasized. Its treble tonality has a clean bell-like sound presentation. Its treble articulation has weight with good energy and transparency. Treble accuracy with clarity is very good on the FK with no real glare or treble haze. It does have a full slightly forward treble end to its sound presentation so for folks that are looking for a smoother rolled off sounding experience. These were made for monitoring every note in a recording so you can guess it has zero roll off in its treble presentation. Treble cleanliness is something I appreciate with this sound in that it does not seem to over exaggerate but you can easily make out every treble note with the FK.

I suppose it will come down to how much treble you can tolerate but for me anyways. I don't find the treble fatiguing. It is enhanced but not overly so. Treble balancing is solid on the FK. One aspect I can appreciate about the graphene dynamic TFZ is using on this set and likewise for their follow up IEM the Force 5 is that it is clearly a resolving dynamic driver. Its treble tonality has a better timbre vs BAs or even other types of dynamic material which ends up being detailed in the right way. The resolve of its sound presentation means I can make out micro details on the trebles and that is something not all IEMs in the price range can do.

Mids
Of the FK comes in nice and clear. Here is where they have a good amount of upper mid enhancement in conjunction with a moderate treble presence and the tonality comes in just a touch cooler over neutral in its presentation. As mentioned before the included cable does the FK sound no justice but it is good enough to give you a taste of how the FK sound but does nothing to optimize just how good these can sound. A highly resolving graphene driver here being pushed and pulled using highly magnetized dual magnets effectively acts like a dual dynamic in presentation. Its sound coverage from the lowest bass to the upper trebles is complete and FKs mids sound clear, clean with a good body of sound., if not a touch clinical for both vocals and instruments alike. Again this is made for monitoring so it has much less smoothening for its frequencies vs your standard V shaped IEM sound tunings.

Since the tuning is more geared toward imaging, tonal accuracy and details. Its cleaner tonal qualities can sound a touch monitor dry. But using a good copper based cable fixes this aspect right up. I wouldn't call the presentation overly dry but its tuning is at the middle ground of being a bit analytical but one with good balance. Its mids presentation has just enough coloration for it to not sound sterile or aggressive. These are clearly more resolving than their prior intro SuperTFZ IEM the Force 1. Especially noticed on how well it layers and images for its mids presentation. Micro details are easily picked off on these, it has to be one of the best at the price range for its details. But the double edge sword for such detail is that these will not gloss over poorer recordings as much as something that has a lot of coloration to its sound. Its bigger brother the Force 5 is much more rigid, ruler analytical neutral flat vs the Force King. So it is a nice middle ground of one part fullness/ musical, one part accurate/ neutral and another part focused on the technical.

Bass
Much like its mids and treble presentation, comes clean and tight in its overall presentation. It has a moderate amount of bass that clearly stays away from the lower mids. With no bass shadow to color the sound tuning its bass is a touch on the dry side here as well. Tight bass presentations are something that I appreciate from a listening perspective and the dual magnets seem to keep the sound of the Force King in check including its bass. It helps that it only has a moderate amount of bass emphasis to help with its overall clarity to monitor the sounds but also helps with its overall speed. The Force King has one of the faster dynamic bass presentations I have heard in a single dynamic IEM. It clearly keeps something like speedy congested metal tracks in place and spaced. Bass has enough impact to be accurate in its bass production. A well-controlled tight speedy bass presentation which all monitor type IEMs strive for. Its little brother the Force 1 actually has the most bass presence of all the more recent SuperTFZ offerings and those are made more for music listening vs being used for double duty as a monitor and listening to music like the Force King.

The Force King shows versatility due to its linear balanced bass. It's no nowhere near bass head territory so folks that like them some bass emphasis will do better looking into its younger arguably better-looking sibling the Force 1. Folks that want nothing to do with bass at all as far as impact goes and don’t mind a highly detailed bright neutral rigid tuning, the newer Force 5 is exactly that. The Force King is somewhere in between the other two in its tuning which makes for a good balance of monitor like neutrality but with enough bass and treble to make them versatile for music listening.

Bass of the Force King is a middle ground from the Force 1 and the Force 5. A solid low hitting bass with not much in the way of roll off for its sub presence. Which ends up being just enough to not make something like hip hop or EDM music sound anemic. The speed of the driver that is being used is on clear display on the Force King and that is something to take notice. No driver being used for IEMs are speedier than the BA as they don't need to move air for that impact but the Force King here does a splendid job to keep that bass speed and tightness on a full range dynamic to have that monitor accurate quality to it. Its presentation is complete and is less colored than most IEMs in the price range. Again much closer to a neutral tuning but has a good quality bass presentation. Seems TFZ was going for more of an accurate monitor type sound signature with just enough bass to make your tracks have a complete and accurate rendition. So you can say the FK quality bass presentation is there to complete the sound profile and give a more accurate account of the bass.

Overall
You want your music tight clean with some precise imaging, airy trebles and details a plenty that is what the Force King does exceptionally well. It's not overly neutral like the Force 5 but not a clear V shaped tuning either like the Force 1. I admire that the Force King is very versatile in its presentation and will serve double duty as a stage monitor for vocals/instruments but is balanced well to make every music genre sound proper. It's got a highly resolving driver it is using for its sound presentation which is clearly evident in how it picks off details. It is a shame that the Force King did not come with a proper cable to enhance its musical abilities.

Optimized SuperTFZ Force King.

TFZ made an audiophile friendly IEM in the Force King, enthusiasts that are looking for a highly detailed monitor at the price range should most definitely look into a set of the Force King. Its balance, technicalities and resolve is a clear strong suite. Its wide spacious engaging sound is another. Its been a while since I reviewed what is marketed as a monitor IEM so that makes these a bit unique in the scheme of things. They have a clean, tight sound profile that brings an honest rendition of your music. Which is both good and bad at the same time. Its slightly dry and chiseled presentation can be offset a bit by using a proper cable for it. So while the package or what you get in the box is not perfect, not too many IEMs get that part right at this price range actually so I suppose I can’t fault TFZ in that regard. This is an IEM that deserves a good matching copper cable and some amplification and then you will start to see how nice these can sound. I think TFZ has achieved what they were looking for in the Force King and these will please enthusiasts and musicians alike. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Fiio BTR7

Fiio needs no introduction as the company seems to keep on innovating and bringing out audio goods for enthusiasts around the world. Fiio has introduced so many innovative electronic devices over the years that enhance our music listening experiences in so many ways, with the advent of the Bluetooth wireless devices. We see an ever-increasing number of portable sources. As feature packed as the newest smartphones and tablets are, our phones and tablets when it comes to sound, just don’t cut it. When it comes to actually having enough power to drive a set of cans to sound correct or have enough SQ to drive your nicely resolving IEMs. We all know that there are limitations on our daily communication devices for sound. The BTR7 represents a well-engineered easy solution to the issue of. What to take with you on the go to get proper music happening out and about.

A wired dongle DAC solves the issue for a proper sound quality output for our phone devices but then poses another problem altogether. As small as these devices are, they are tethered via USB cable to our charging port which causes several issues. Dangling and swinging from the bottom end of our phones which is not exactly ideal. You can throw on the awkward band to have it not swinging from the bottom of the phone but then it increases the bulk of the phone and is not so pocketable after. And what happens when you get an important phone call?


I suppose if you were stationary that is not an issue, but then better driving power also means it will be using that precious battery life of your phone. The idea of using that wired device when you're walking around or doing physical activities. Not really ideal, you know what I am getting at. I am an admitted old school enthusiast. I am that one guy that invested too much money on interconnect cables thinking those will enhance the output of the amplifiers attached to my source. Heck I still have a few on hand that I use.

Fiio E12A I still have around to test IEMs with. I am a firm cable believer and even do cable reviews and it took Fiio to make me realize just how cumbersome a wired source is on the go vs wireless. The last bluetooth device I did a review for was Fiios own UTWS5. A dedicated dac chip embedded into wireless IEM arms that allows for more power and a full ranged sound connected to your favorite IEMS to make them wireless. To this day has blown my mind just how capable those things are. You can read my take on them here.

With the BTR7 in hand, this little device allows for much greater possibilities as you can connect everything you own right into your shirt pocket and use all the cables you amassed for use on your IEMs and Cans. Essentially the answer to a no compromised sound and power right in your shirt or pants pocket and with a mic so you can have conversations while you're listening.

First time I booted them out of the box. I turned on my Fiio M15 bluetooth and it immediately recognized its smaller brother the BTR7 and I was streaming high-res files via LDAC transmission. I kept on thinking no way this is a wireless sound quality. I got Fiios new FF3 buds at the same time I got the BTR7 so I threw those on there.

I was not prepared to hear a big bold musical sound experience. I posted about it right away on the discovery thread. As this was indeed a discovery for me. The out of box experience was one for the ages, it was mind shatteringly good it was unbelievable what I was hearing. OK so I was grinning from ear to ear at that point and I was giddy with how that sounded.

Disclaimers. The Fiio BTR7 bluetooth dac/amp was provided by Fiio for the purpose of a review. I have been using the BTR7 for the past month on a regular basis for this review. You can find more information about the BTR7 here on Fiios aliexpress page.

What you get.
The BTR7 measures 1.5 inches wide by 3.¼ inches tall and 3/4th inches thick. Roughly 40mm wide by 84mm tall, 15mm thick. I have read some grumblings of the size on the BTR7. To me this thing is still small. Folks that say it is too big? Really? I suppose if they are coming from Fiios prior devices or the competition which all have some smaller form factors but for what this thing sounds like and its power output it is still a smaller form factor and can easily be thrown in a shirt or pant pocket with no issue.

The BTR7 comes with a nice form fitting case and a USB type-C charging cable and a Type C to Type C or Type C to lighting cable for either android or apple devices when buying a set for you. So a bit about the case. I actually like the case as shiny as this BTR7 is, yes you need something to protect it. However, it has one glaring omission. What about the clip? It goes without saying, you get these smaller wireless dac/amps to use out and about. A clip makes a whole lot of sense. This is an early prototype, not finalized yet of the official case with clip that will be available in the near future. For now you get the gray colored faux leather case.

The BRT7 is roughly the size of a larger lighter, my use case scenario is that I throw the Bluetooth in my left shirt pocket and just connect one of my earphones to it on the go. I have thrown it into my jeans pocket on the go as well. In both cases it works as intended and with ease of use. I have tested the unit on a fairly large variety of IEMs and CANs in both wired and wireless connection and this here is my report about the BTR7.

Battery life.
I did several full charges, full use cycles and I am getting 8 hours consistently using the BTR7 in high gain via LDAC in the 4.4mm balanced out. The battery life increases to roughly 10 hours in single ended with the same high gain and LDAC settings. I know there were some rumblings on the BTR7 thread about battery life not being too good on the BTR7. To me, this is very acceptable considering the BTR7 has enough power to drive most efficient CANs. I would say anything 300 Ohms and lower should do just fine. Lastly, I will explain why the BTR7 is ideal for IEMs in the sound section.

Connectivity.
Based on my testing the BTR7 was connected to my phone or to my Fiio M15 and can be used up to 40 feet away indoors and this is through 2 walls. Which is over the 10 meters Fiios claims. This seems to be slightly reserved in how strong the connection is with my testing and even more so outdoors at 70ft roughly double from Fiios official distance at 20 meters away. This will allow the BTR7 connected to your source when doing some chores indoors or even better outdoors doing something like cutting the grass. I can say cutting the grass using the BTR7 has never been more enjoyable.

Specs;
Bezel less 1.3 inch color IPS Display
ES9219CX2
THX AAA-28X2 amps
Qualcom QCC5124 Bluetooth chip supporting up to 5.1
Supported formats: SBC,AAC,aptX,aptX low latency,aptX HD,aptX Adaptive, LDAC
XMOS XUF208 wired + Wireless support
Data stream support up to OCM 3/84Khz native DSD256
USB DAC mode with MQA 8X rendering support.
Wired and Qi wireless charging 880nAh battery, with 8-10 hours real life use.
3.5mm+4.4mm outputs
Built in microphone for voice calls
Supports CTIA wired devices with inline controls and mics
One click “dongle” mode/ USB mode
Fiio control app support with OTA upgrade
As of writing this review 10 band PEQ functionality
UAC 1.0 driverless mode, UAC 2.0 highest bit rate with driver
Weight: 68g


Ease of use/UI
The bright and clear colored 240x240 IPS display shows how you're connected to your source. It has an embedded mic at the top right corner and then 4 buttons on the same side with 2 of them functioning as forward back and volume up and down at the same time and lastly a rocker switch that enables USB functionality for connected use and charging.


A prolonged press on the power button gets you the menu options, a longer press turns the system off. Menu options are as follows; gain setting Low and High, filter settings fast which seems more dynamic/ full sounding to my ears, more dense. Hybrid fast which sounds more neutral, more open with a wider stage presentation, EQ: Jazz, pop, rock, dance, USER, R&B, classical, Hip-hop. Car mode and U-Audio, dimmer 5 settings, Language English/ Chinese, screen timer 5-30 seconds, Input priority, factory reset, and finally, version. Pressing the function button below the power button gets you into the menu option and pressing it again gets you out, also functioning as pause and continue playback.

In terms of just usability and functionality wise it is definitely user friendly and intuitive; I have never used any of Fiios prior Bluetooth dac amps and I was able to navigate within the minute I opened up the box and booted up the first time. The first thing the BTR7 does on power up is look for a source and is in pairing mode. Once connected it will auto detect the highest Bluetooth codec and you're connected playing music. The only potential issue I can think of is for folks that have some sausage fingers might have some issue doing some precise presses against the buttons. As the buttons are set fairly tight next to each other spaced approximately half an inch apart. Most folks should have no issues with the button layout, however.

Boost balanced out mode on the control app means it will bust out a bit more power for more demanding headphones and user PEQ can also be set from the control app with better precision but apparently seems to have a few bugs noted on the BTR7 thread. I am not a huge EQ user so this part is not a big deal for me but I can see if you're precise in how you like to hear certain genres of music, this might not be the most ideal for your needs. I am confident however that Fiio will bring a more refined EQ experience with better firmware's in the near future. Control app by the way is a good bit of software to have for additional control functions such as Bluetooth codec selection, additional volume controls from your phone, channel balance, distortion compensation, and operation mode. Lastly the control app is how you upgrade the firmware as it will download the latest and install it using this app. There are some adjustments you can do on the control app and for some reason you need directions on what all the buttons do and don’t read the included directions. The control app actually has the directions on it as well.

For the most part this is what folks will be greeted with on open box use. The volume buttons up and down act as next track, previous track depending on a prolonged press which will activate next track or quick presses which will activate the volume level. Will also work to scroll up and down on the menu options. Overall navigating and the use of the control app on your phone gives some extra functionality and works easily enough.

Mic function.
Ok so beyond just being a proper sounding wireless dac amp. Let's say you're listening to your music connected to your phone and you get a call. No worries there. The BTR7 includes a high-quality mic on the unit. Brilliant in that you can just speak toward where you have your BTR7. I use it in my left shirt pocket. My voice was heard nice and clear when making a call. Music will stop when you get a call and when you're making a call and continue to play afterwards. So essentially the BTR7 makes your wired mic with controls obsolete. You can be listening to your closed cans out and about and you will clearly be heard when getting a call. OK so I am a noob with these Bluetooth devices but as basic as this functionality is. It is brilliant to include a mic on the unit itself and works flawlessly with good range.

Power and Sound. Providing up to 160mW+160mW in single ended and 320mW+320mW (32 Ohm loaded)

Ok so why the physically bigger BTR7 vs even their older smaller, cheaper BTR5? Well, it has to do with including 2 THX amps for the amp stage. AKA more powa! When you're thinking THX you're not thinking some wimpy limp sound with no bass are you? Hecks no. I did some testing for my more moderately demanding Cans and my more harder to drive IEMs, results at the bottom of the read and the BTR7 has no issues pumping glorious sound through all of it is my point. With ample power on tap, the BTR7 gives a nice balance of power, functionality and most importantly sound quality on the go. The whole purpose of such a device is to be clutter less and to be used in your commutes and such but it can also be used as a sound card for your laptop or phone in wired connectivity. Best part about that is the BTR7 uses its own internal battery.

The sound of the BTR7 can best be described as a fluid, dynamic with a clean black background, bold, well detailed and layered in its presentation. When you look at the physical size of the BTR7. No way was I thinking it would have a big musical sound signature. How surprised was I when that is exactly what I got from the BTR7 out of the box. The sound from the BTR7 is a big full burly type of sound with plenty of authority. Nothing light or overly neutral, my goodness these things have no business sounding so good using your earphones and headphones. It's not the most resolving sound but where dynamic swings for your music counts the BTR7 delivers with the type of aplomb that you want to hear when out and about. You gotta understand what this thing was made for and then it makes complete sense how it was tuned.

Its default fast digital filter mode the sound is best suited for IEMs and Cans with more neutrality and balance as it synergizes better with the big bold musical sound signature of the default Fast setting. On the Hybrid Fast setting, trebles seem to be affected a bit more in this setting and the BTR7 takes on more of a neutral, more extended treble presentation with a slight increase for stage that matches better with more colored IEMs and Cans. Sometimes these DAC chip filters can sound more subtle than actually make a difference but for the BTR7 having what essentially is 2 types of sound profiles is a good thing. Then you add the PEQ in the mix and you can fine tune the BTR7 to how you want to hear your music.

Trebles has a clean well-rounded presentation, and it seems to extend a bit more so using the hybrid fast digital filter as mentioned earlier. Its treble gets a solid tonal footing to the base BTR7 sound with no over or under enhancement for the trebles. It's not the most resolving treble presentation for sources but at the same time is difficult to fault how the treble plays out. Playing around with the filters and or the PEQ in combination should get you an approximation of how the BTR7 should sound for you. My review here is mostly based on just the filter settings with no EQ.

Overall, in the base FAST setting the BTR7 is a good solid treble end but overall SQ does sound ever so slightly warm with more emphasis in its mids to bass presentation more so than focusing on the treble aspect of its tuning. One good way to describe the BTR7 base sound signature is that it sounds like a nicely resolving closed can with a bold bass end. Hybrid Fast is like the sound that comes from an open can with a bit more neutrality to the base sound. In the cable realm. A pure copper cable vs using a pure silver cable. I think you might get a general ideal here of what the filter settings are doing.

Mids of the BTR7 is where the magic sauce of the sound signature of the BTR7 is doing its thing. Mids sound broad, open and very nicely layered yet linear in how it is portrayed. Its precise imaging sounds like how a good DAC/AMP should and I am not just talking about a small form dac/amp. I am talking about a dedicated DAC/AMP you use on your desktop with a full-bodied amplification. And that is what really made me sit back countless times. I just could not believe the sound that was coming out of this small form factor. It might look small, but it certainly doesn't sound small.

I owned the first Fiio DAP the X3 a long time ago and their first Android DAP the X5 3rd gen. Showing a bit of the old school audio sound signature. Natural warmth, well balanced and detailed in its presentation with clearly evident dynamics and that is how the BTR7 sounds to my ears. Mids with body and fullness that is highly euphoric due to that natural tonal character and big dynamics from the bass end.

The Bass end of the BTR7 is what you would consider a THX amplification should and could do. The Bass is nothing less than fantastic in its presentation on the BTR7. Being a former basshead in my younger days I can always appreciate sources that are not shy about bringing the thunder. In its base form the bass is where the emphasis lies for its presentation, so you get a big bold deep hitting bass end from the BTR7. Again, IEMS with a neutral tuning will benefit the most from the BTR7 base FAST sound signature. But for bass fans even without using EQ I can say the BTR7 has an unexpected bass presence that will be a crowd pleaser. It has bass and it is a part of its base tuning. Bass shows a tactile impact from mid bass to the deep end and anything connected to the BTR7 will benefit from its emphasis on bass presence.

Of course, if you feel the need to bring even more boom, that is what the PEQ functionality is for and you can turn it on hip hop or dance EQ and get some more of that. The bass leaning signature of the BTR7 makes a whole lot of sense to me as the first aspect of how we hear sound out and about will drown out the bass end first actually equalizing how you're hearing your music. Music ends up sounding more balanced out and about of course that all depends on what IEMs and Cans you have connected to the BTR7.

Connected USB mode
Sound quality ramps up a touch expanding its stage and dynamics. It is not a night and day difference between wired and something like LDAC mode wireless. But it does seem to benefit a bit from being connected SQ wise. Same mostly neutral signature with excellent power and extensions on both ends. Sounds a touch fuller and more detailed but the actual sound quality difference is not so drastic to where it is a clear winner over using it wirelessly. For wired connectivity I tested it using my laptop. And to be honest I prefer connecting it via Bluetooth from my laptop as I have enough things, mouse, CD drive, external HD connected to my laptop and having the Bluetooth option where there is one less wire connected to my laptop with really not much in the way of sacrifices for sound. THX amplification for gaming is a treat using my gaming laptop and the BTR7.

How does it sound with my IEMs and Cans?
As good as the BTR7 is to drive your easy to drive headphones with. It is the IEMs that will benefit from the sound quality and its power all with a supreme silent background of the BTR7.

First up is with the Fiio FF3
Which I got the same time the BTR7 arrived. It was in the same package actually. This combo is amazing. The wide sound of the FF3 with its punchy bass end in use with the BTR7 right off the bat was made of one another. The 45 Ohm sensitivity is moderate for buds but easy for the BTR7 to drive to full capacity. This combo as good as it synergizes with each other ultimately is for stationary use as the FF3 is a bud meaning its sound leakage is not ideal for using outdoors. This combo got me thinking of just how good the BTR7 sounded as much as the FF3 sounded. The dynamism and synergy for this combo is simply astounding. If you're an old school enthusiast and you take precedence for rangy broad musical sounding sources and earphones with a punchy bass end. This bud is most definitely for you in combo with the BTR7

Next up. Fiios own FD7
This is even harder to drive at 50 ohms in a semi open all metal build. This IEM needs power to really strut its performance to the next level and here I am hearing the FD7 sound as good as I have ever heard it on anything I own including some sources that dwarf the cost of the BTR7 by 10X fold. Best results are utilizing the 4.4 balanced out. The FD7 sounds like it is on steroids with this combo. The FD7 is closer to a neutral type balanced signature so the FAST filter was used for this combo, and it clearly shows it benefits from the fuller note weight of this filter. Broad reference type sound is achieved using this combo. I can say the BTR7 does the Fiio flagship Beryllium dynamic justice giving it plenty of power with ample headroom to spare. Just a fantastic pairing of these two.

Why stop it at just two Fiio earphones.
Next up with the 18 ohm FH9. In many ways the FH9 is tuned a lot like how the BTR7 is tuned. Forward projecting big musical yet technical in its sound presentation the FH9 and the BTR7 is a case where two of the similar type signatures actually match. BTR7 brings out the strengths of the FH9 sound presentation. Bass is full on, mids highly emotive and treble extended and sparkly with a wide broad engaging deep sound. This is yet another earphone that benefits from the power and highly dynamic presentation of the BTR7. You would deduce the fact that maybe Fiio here produces IEMs to synergize with their own sources or something. Just astounding how good this combo sounds with each other this time in Hybrid Fast filter. A highly detailed presentation with high levels of imaging, very engaging from the first time I plugged into the BTR7.

Between how the FD7 and the FH9 performs on the BTR7. The FD7 sounds spectacular with a bit of volume and the FH9 with lower volume listening due to how detailed the presentation can be. Both sets sound spectacular on the BTR7.

Now onto some Cans.
Yes you can. First Can in use is a headfi favorite the Sennheiser X58 in balanced. This 150 Ohm can is not the most efficient but can be driven even out of a phone. The question is. Can the BTR7 do this can justice? The quick answer is yes. BTR7 has absolutely no struggle bringing the the X58 to blaring volumes. Dynamic cans even the more efficient types actually benefit from some amplification, and it goes without saying the X58 ramps up nicely with the power of the BTR7. Dynamic and full range in how it sounds, this is yet another pairing where I don’t feel using a desktop rig is necessary when you got the BTR7 on tap. Clean, well balanced and superbly dynamic in its delivery. If you need a simple source for your X58 to do its sound some justice. Look no further than the BTR7 as it will not only give you enough driving power but also will allow you to make some phone calls if you decide to use these out and about.

Lastly, I plugged in one of my favorite Cans, my Beyerdynamic Amiron Homes. The 250 Ohm Amiron Home. I mean it's got Home for a title, right? Not so on the BTR7. You can use a can like the Amiron Home out and about if you choose. Cus it drives them with good authority. With the Amiron Home I do have to crank up the volume to about 75% for good volume so I am starting to see the limitation of the driving power of the BTR7 but sound quality wise. It is right up there with some of the best-connected DAC/AMPs I have tried on the Amiron Homes. I have used this combination doing chores inside and outside my home and the joy of making my Amiron Home wireless just made me giddy to be honest and with really no sacrifice to SQ. This gives the widest BTR7 presentation as the Amiron Home is an open can. Bass is a bit more drowned out outdoors but still very much enjoyable to listen to. Absolute treat listening to the Amiron Home using the BTR7.

So I tested out easily over a dozen IEMs and 4 Cans at my home and really the performance of the BTR7 is consistent across the board.

OK so this one was a longerun
But I was having so much fun testing out the BTR7. I have a nickname I give to things I am fond of and I can proudly give the name… Drum roll please… How about mighty mouse.

Older folks know what mighty mouse is and that is exactly what the BTR7 is. It is mighty in its performance but small in stature. If the smile inducing dynamic sound signature doesn't get you moving than how's about the supreme black background with no hiss whatsoever for your sensitive IEMs. Has enough driving power for Cans and buds up to 300 Ohms with ease. It has a crowd-pleasing signature that is easy to use for your daily walks and or excursions. The BTR7 is a device I never knew I needed until I got to use one. I can see a scenario where folks will ditch their large DAPs or cumbersome dongles for the BTR7. If you're looking for a killer everyday solution for sound and power on the go. I can’t recommend the BTR7 highly enough. I don’t know what is better about it, the crazy good sound quality or the power driving the sound. How's about both, all wrapped up in a convenient easy to use package. Thanks for taking the long time to read. You're truly appreciated…. Ds.

Fiio FF3

Aha the ear bud. Love em or hate em the bud will be a mainstay of the IEM experience. Who has never tried an earbud before? The first set of in-ear speakers for just about anyone in the hobby is the cheapo throw away earbuds the airlines give you. Not the best experience when it comes to sound but at least you will be able to watch your family friendly movie hovering 30K ft in the air.

The idea of stuffing a larger 14.2 mm diaphragm inside your ears in theory should bring a larger dynamic sound. The FF3 is a new earbud by our friends at Fiio. This being my very first experience with one of their earbuds. I didn’t know what to expect but a bit of a clue is how the buds are designed with dedicated air vents/ ports out back for the bass end of the FF3. Then you have to consider what the driver here is made of. Beryllium plated dynamics are nothing new to the sound scene but I do know they are very capable to bring out a complete and technical sound. All sold for a bit under a $100 spot? OK now I am intrigued.

Disclaimers: The Fiio FF3 was provided by Fiio for the purpose of a review. The FF3 has been burned in for a period of a week straight and now is ready for evaluation. If you feel you need to get the latest from Fiio you can purchase a set for you here on their aliexpress page. My sources for testing out the FF3 consists of my sources. IBasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, IBasso DX160, Fiio K3 2021, Fiio BTR7.


Out of the box
You get the buds with a nice cable attached to it. So Fiio went with a permanent connected cable but it happens to be their monocrystalline silver-plated copper cables in 4 cores and encased in 3 layers of PVC coating. Fiio did a bonus here in that you can change out the default 3.5mm connector with a 4.4mm balanced connector which stems from their modular cable designs for IEMs. Going balanced with the FF3 shows some excellent results with your players and I will get to why on the review later. It's a nicely matching highly resolving cable but one that is not replaceable. Not a big deal really, if you're into your cable rolling you can’t do that with the FF3. Maybe they will allow replaceable cables on their upcoming FF5.

The included cable seems sturdy, soft and pliable for everyday use and seems every bit the quality cable Fiio is known to provide with their In ears. FF3 also comes with 3 types of foam covers. Labeled bass foams, Balanced foams and crisp foam tips. Considering the FF3 by default comes with plenty of bass. I much prefer the transparent crisp foam covers for me. The design of the foam covers do have an effect on how you hear the bass end and or the treble end. But it also will be dependent on the shape of your ears, specifically the concha of the outer ear. Basically, your results will vary depending on just how good a fit you get with these buds.


Open box sound experience was interesting. I was immediately hit by some brawny bass and I suppose I should have expected that as I tried the bass foams out of the box. I can’t say the bass had quality written all over it, in fact it was the big brawny burly, bloaty type of bass. OK we are dealing with a bassy signature. By the way if you're a graph reader. I wouldn’t take too much credence in the provided graph Fiio provides. What I hear and what that graph makes it sound like are not the same. It does show it has bass presence but also shows a steep drop off from 100hz down to 20hz at about 20dbs in drop off… NOPE!.. There is no possible way there is that much drop off in the bass end. I have heard plenty of iems with rolled off bass. And I can’t say the FF3 has rolled off bass. It has more mid bass than sub bass yes but even for sub bass. Yes ladies and gents. HUSTON we have a BASS CANNON!. Again do not look at that graph thinking there is a drop off for bass. FF3 Bass just dont drop off like that from what I am hearing. Now I actually tried the FF3 outdoors to test their isolation. Now I can understand the graph. When outdoors any semblance of decent bass performance can be tossed out the door. You won’t be hearing much bass if anything it sounds neutral which in reality the FF3 is far from it. Bass is especially big and brawny out of the box. A good driver workout is highly recommended.

But then I landed on an acoustic track and lo n behold there is a semblance of balance for these? OK so this is getting even more interesting.

Buds by nature will be as open as it comes as far as sound leaking in and out. You need something with more passive isolation, then IEMs are more what you should be looking at but there are clear advantages of these bud designs as far as sound goes due to their looser fitting open sound nature in the concha of the ears. One of which happens to be stage perception. The stage of the FF3 is about as wide as I have heard anything I have put into and outside of my ears. These things are a marvel like that. IEMs with this type of stage and you're spending a few grand for the presentation in the IEM realm. But you get that with the FF3.

The sound
The large and in charge sound presentation of the FF3 is more about a musical full bodied sound. To my ears sounds more like a balanced mild V shape tuning vs being the r shaped tuning that Fiios official graph would show you. Has surprisingly excellent technicalities and of course with an authoritative deep hitting bass. Its sound to my ears mimics a room full of speakers the most. Not the tightly chiseled sound experience you get from IEMs but the FF3 at its best the sound can and does become euphoric due to how ambient, punchy, airy and surround the sound can get.

Trebles
Of the FF3, will be dependent on a few aspects. The foams you are using with them for one. A completely front face covering foam will mask a bit of the treble presence, which is the bass enhanced cover, will make the FF3 have the warmest tonal quality with the brawniest bass. The balanced one seems to be a thinner material perhaps. The treble transparent cover has no foam material at all centrally which definitely gives me the best treble aspect for the FF3. Again all this will be dependent on how tight fitting the FF3 is for your ears.

Also to my surprise the FF3 is transparent and detailed enough to let you know just how much treble detail your sources have. Going from my Fiio M15 to the Fiio BTR7. I can tell the BTR7 treble presentation is not as extended and overall not as clear as the Fiio M15. Which should be expected but this clearly shows the FF3 is using a nicely resolving driver.

Trebles for the FF3 is clean and detailed but lacks just a tinge of body for the treble notes and again I think this is how I am perceiving the treble notes due to how they fit for me so I can’t say your going to be hearing similarly as I am on my review unit set. Trebles come clean for the most part and has decent extension. It's more macro in its presentation vs being micro. Overall, for me anyways I always thought the best treble details for in ears comes from the IEMs due to their design aspects and the in ear sound projection vs being on the ear like buds. The resolving nature of the beryllium plated dynamic comes through for the FF3 and its treble detail is good here and I don’t find the treble to be too much or too little. Treble tuning was done well by Fiio. The transition to the mids is seamless as you get that perfect cohesion from using a single larger dynamic driver.

Mids
Is the bread and butter for all of the buds in my possession and this is also the case for the FF3. Mids are not exactly forward but certainly not recessed either. Much like how I perceive the treble, mids' presentation gives an outstanding well layered and broad spacious performance on the FF3. Vocals for both female and male presents with good clarity and a natural tonal character with just enough body to feel I am hearing a complete sound experience. If I press the buds against my ears I get more body and or fullness to the sound of the FF3 so this aspect will be dependent once again on how well these are fitting for you. Generally however I have no complaints about how even keeled and well imaged the mids presentation is for the FF3. I mentioned that imaging is a standout for the FF3 and also its timbral quality. It has the weighty sound presentation that mimics floor speakers a bit more so than anything I have heard in the bud form. Its lower mids I feel has a slight lift for its presence with an overall large wide deep stage. It has ample height to the sound to not make it sound neutral or too laid back. I am a huge fan of anything with beryllium in it but the tuning is always first before material and here we have a very capable full bodied and versatile sound on the FF3.

Bass
As I mentioned before it will be dependent on the foam covers and how much bass your source throws out as well. It has more mid bass with a mild roll off toward sub bass but if you look at Fiios official graph it makes it look like it has no sub bass. My bass tracks all of them make the drivers on the FF3 rumble in the jungle.

A good sub bass track to test is a classic hip hop album. NAS if I ruled the world with Lauren Hill. It has a deep sub bass line in the track that is in the background of this track. If an IEM or headphone can’t hit that note that means it has a roll off. The FF3 picked up that sub bass note like a champ. Beyond that anything that has a bit more emphasis in the mix for bass and you're gonna not only hear it but it will rumble your lobes. If I was to be a bit more critical of the bass. It's not the tightest bass presentation even for ear buds. But, they are a blast to listen to. The FF3 sounds like a 2.1 in your ears. There is no question the FF3 has bass authority. If you're into your hip hop, EDM, rock, pop. Every type of, bass genres the FF3 will be a treat to listen to. But it is versatile enough to handle jazz and even orchestral scores with that wide large sound field and a big bold bass.

Amplification.
This is how you get the most out of the FF3. Its 45 Ohm 105db sensitivity means a bit of power will really bring out what the FF3 is capable of. It is efficient enough to be used on a phone but once you actually amplify the FF3 using the balanced option it will be difficult to listen to them underpowered. Not only does the sound expand but you get greater control of bass more emotive mids presentation and a better articulate treble end to boot. It ramps up to power like a true beryllium plated dynamic should. Listening to the FF3 in balanced is highly recommended.

Overall.
Call me impressed. The FF3 was a surprise to me in so many ways. They are just a blast to listen to. Of course if your into your neutral analytical tunings this might not be the case for you. But for folks that enjoy listening to speakers might actually like these more so than an IEM. Its sound presentation is very musical and highly enjoyable if not just out right fun to listen to. Its not the tightest of presentations but heck when was the last time you heard a live music event and it was tight? It mimics the live music experience with a big bold bass, a very broad and well imaged mids and a detailed treble end. The FF3 are the real deal.

It is difficult in all of headphone land to achieve the sound presentation of the FF3 at the cost level. FF3 is clearly tuned to be a crowd pleaser and I am just another guy enjoying them for what they are and can sound like. Throw them on a good amp and you will be smiling from ear to ear I am willing to bet on it. They suck for passive isolation but so does all ear buds so you can’t fault them for that. So more or less stationary listening. In that use case. These rock all over the place for sound. Very enjoyable, versatile with a sound experience that is not too common at the price to get one. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

Optimal FF3. New BTR7 via 4.4mm balanced out to FF3 with transparent crisp foams.

SuperTFZ Force 1

TFZ stands for The Fragrant Zither, was established in 2015 and have been selling mostly dynamic based IEMs with a few hybrids since its inception. What is SuperTFZ? Perhaps a new line of IEMs made by the group? As numerous as their offerings are, I have never heard a TFZ made earphone. That is until now. The SuperTFZ Force 1 is a tried and true dynamic IEM but with some surprising aspects to its make up reserved for more higher end IEMs but sold at the very accessible price of $79 on Penon web site here.

Initial impressions of the Force 1 were good even out of the box, easy on the eyes and to the ears. What was impressive is just how premium the entire package looked upon receiving and opening the taller rectangular box. A unique presentation and a first for a sub $100 IEM that is for certain.
Opening the top half of the box reveals two earpieces laid out in an almost jewel like presentation for its housing pieces. The all-clear resin makes them look not only premium but stunning to look at. One way to impress is the use of a clear resin shell which clearly shows the inner workings and the drivers used for the sound of the IEM. What is interesting is that the driver seems to be encased in its own metal shell inside the resin. The Force 1 utilizes a dual magnetic system culminating in a tesla flux, aka strong magnets to help control the highly resolving 10.2mm 4th gen nano coated beryllium plated dynamic. The rest of the package includes a thinner standard silver-plated copper cable in single ended in a standard .78mm 2 pin connector. Two sets of silicone tips and a pouch. I would say this is about average in what you get accessories wise with this level of earphone, but I have to wonder in making these so premium looking. Why not go all the way and include some better stuff, more variety of tips and a more premium case and charge a bit more? My point is that the sound more than competes with the best of the best sub $100 earphones based on my testing with the unit. What was included is fairly insignificant as most sub $100 packages are.

Disclaimers. The SuperTFZ Force 1 was provided for the purpose of a review by Penonaudio. The Force 1 was burned in for a week straight and is now ready for evaluation using my sources. IBasso DX300Max, Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature, Fiio K3 pro, Fiio QTR7.

Build and ease of use.
The Force 1 is using an all resin build for this one and as solid as resin builds are, this one looks premium due to how clean everything looks. The physical size of the Force 1 is medium in size but is slightly bulky in build, you can see the dome that encases the dynamic driver sitting right at the heart centrally in the resin housing. Positives of resin builds are that you usually get better passive sound isolation with all that resin inside your ears. The Force 1 here shows better than average passive isolation as a result, I would guesstimate the isolation to be at least 26-28dbs of passive isolation more better with foam tips, which makes for an excellent out and about earphone. The negatives of resin builds is that they will crack and/ shatter if dropped from a tall place or hit a concrete floor with some force. Casual use with the occasional drops, they will do fine but if you accidentally drop them from your apartment terrace on the ground below that will be the end of the Force 1. The included cable here with its blocky metal accessories is a bit unique looking but in the end the cable and the tips are insignificant as far as enhancing the sonics to your Force 1. Your better aftermarket cables, especially in balanced and tips most definitely applies to the Force 1.

Open listen
I was impressed with its spacious clarity and definition, showing a nicely wide sound field with some solid dynamics and imaging. Ok, call me surprised? These sounded pretty good out of the box. But like all IEMs I review, I quickly put them on the burn in to see where they go. As far as anything using Beryllium goes. I do recommend a solid week's worth of burn-in for the Force 1. A week's worth of burn in actually balances out the sonics better than what I heard on open listen. Mids become better fleshed out, more dense in its presentation, better bass control and treble seems to clean up a touch.

Sound design of the SuperTFZ Force1 is a balanced mild V shaped harmon tuning with a good amount of clarity, surprisingly dynamic and technically solid for its foundational sound signature. Its balancing is a strong suit in that I don’t feel either the treble or the bass aspect sticks out in the balancing too much for its tuning. It has Just enough treble extension and sparkle to add a bit of clarity, a bit of air which helps with micro detailing. Just enough bass presence to give a complete sound profile with a nicely imaging mids to the Force 1. A complete sounding single dynamic in the sub $100 range? When I say complete I mean it has it all, deep reaching bass, check, good well layered rangy mids, check, and clean extended detailed treble, double check all with a nice spacious tight sound presentation. Its balancing clearly shows versatility which is key for a well rounded IEM sound signature.

Trebles
The type of dynamic drier the Force 1 is using is nothing new to the market but one thing I do know about real beryllium coated dynamics is its technical ability with solid extension on both ends of the spectrum. The trebles of the Force 1 is no exception. Quite remarkable just how complete the sound this single dynamic covers but not only is the driver more resolving than most dynamics but then they included a dual magnet reaching a tesla flux. I remember when the Beyer Xelentos came out folks were enamored with the idea of having a tesla flux magnet on a dynamic driver and what that does for sound. Well if it is true to what the descriptor on the Force 1 says, these have to be the cheapest tesla flux magnets used for dynamics. The sound certainly reflects that. A good resolving dynamic and strong magnets means a tight well detailed executed sound including its treble end that gives a complete treble experience. Extension with ample sparkle the good kind not the glary splashy type. This was evident even on open listening.

Treble presents with a clean speedy transient definition and seems to be balanced well between the lower to mid trebles with a good treble extension that leads to an airy treble note. Beryllium plated dynamics has no issues reaching the abyss for bass on the opposite end of the spectrum; it is the Force 1s ability in the trebles that is impressing me just as much. Trebles are not overly saturated or do I hear a treble spike that forces the trebles in the presentation. Its treble is moderate in emphasis with enough treble presence for all types of music I listen to. A versatile treble with good accurate transients and tonality that is just a touch on the cool side of neutral but otherwise trebles are one of the strong aspects of the Force 1 presentation. It is usually the treble end that fails for most sub $100 IEMs but not so much the Force 1. It is clearly showing me it can do accurate treble from orchestral tracks to hip hop. At the price point it is actually nicely detailed with a level of clarity and refinement that is usually not apparent at this price point.

Mids
Mids of the Force 1 is just ever so slightly laid back. Not to the point where I feel parts of the mids presentation has a recession, but it reflects on the staging of the Force1. It's wider than taller with greater depth than height of the sound.. Mids however benefit from a resolving Beryllium plated diaphragm of the Force1. It has just enough upper mid pinna gain to give credence to vocal presence both male and female. Its overall tone character is more neutral than warm or cold. Though on open listen the Force 1 was just a touch on the brighter side of neutral. Burn in seems to have opened up the sound of the Force 1 and balances its overall sound to a greater degree.

With amplification the Force 1 sound expands and scales nicely. Which by the way is most definitely recommended for optimal Force 1 sound experience. Its 32 ohm sensitivity is easy enough to drive with any source but it is when you throw the Force 1 in balanced mode on a dedicated player with some power is when the sound becomes more than what you paid for a set. Beryllium plated dynamics shows the advantages of the material by throwing out a more capable technical ability. What is impressive about the Force 1 is just how good it is in the technical aspects. It is timbrally accurate, mostly neutral in tonalities, images better than most in the price range which is the result of some excellent detail retrieval. All within a tight moderately wide spacious stage presentation. This was when I realized these things are much better than what the price here is indicating. Its balanced yet dynamic sound presentation bodes well for all types of music genres including bass genres. The Force 1 does vocals justice and sounds great for instruments, strings or otherwise perfectly fine if not just outright better than most I have heard in the price range. These sound great for acoustical tracks as much as synthetic tracks. Again that versatility is key for a well rounded IEM and Force 1 here is clearly showing it can do it all.

Bass
Bass of the Force 1 is moderate with a solid definition for its presentation. Its mid bass is punchy with no bleed and has a very nicely done textured sub bass extension. I have yet to experience any real beryllium plated or pure beryllium dynamics that is shy about the bass end. Not a single one have I experienced with any type of neutrality for its bass presence. I realize that TFZs prior history all have some semblance of emphasized bass. The Force 1s bass is tasty, tight, speedy for dynamics when called upon and rumbles like a champ when boosted. Even in stock form it has plenty of bass ability. I have not yet seen a frequency graph for the Force1 but I would wager to guess it has a healthy 7-8 or so dbs of bass lift. Bass genres sound proper as a result. Just my opinion but 8dbs is the goldilocks of bass presences for IEMs. Anything over that would be knocking on basshead territory and anything below that you might want to use your bass boost on your amplifiers. The Force 1 here has a nice balanced bass presentation with a nicely textured rumbling sub bass presence and is most definitely satisfying. I mentioned amplification for the Force 1. Its overall presentation gets a natural expansion of sound but more importantly it gets a nice uptick in bass definition and texture using some proper amplification. To my ears it is difficult to hear the Force 1 using a weaker source after you hear it properly powered. It goes from good sound to euphoric with amplification and that is why I highly recommend throwing some power in the mix with these.

Overall
The SuperTFZ Force1 is indeed a force to be reckoned with. It is easy to overlook this particular model as there are so many compelling products being pushed out of China at the price range. I am personally guilty of overlooking the TFZ brand. These guys have made so many dynamic IEMs that look similarly. I pretty much had no inclination of trying one out as I figured it must be yet another average sounding IEM, until I heard these. How surprised was I when these turned out to be one of the best dynamic based IEMs at the price point that I have ever heard. In fact I will go as far to say I am fairly certain these will easily compete if not just sound better than most dynamic IEMs being sold anywhere close to this price range

The sound quality is much better than you would imagine. I have owned and heard numerous sub $100 IEMs and done reviews for some of the best in the industry. The Dunu Titan S comes to mind. Pound for pound the Force1 is right there with the heavy weights in single dynamic land. These aren’t going to be a giant killer by any means, but they do have a properly complete broad nicely resolving tight sound presentation that is highly enjoyable for any genre of music. Being versatile is huge in my book toward greatness and the Force 1 is just this. When amplified they have no business being sold at the $79 price point. No matter how much an earphone costs, if the sound does not immerse you into your music then it's just not good enough to throw in your ears. The Force1s are clearly worthy. Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

Optimized Force1 IFI Gryphon+ ISN G4 in balanced+Force1+JVC Spiral Dot +++

Cat Ear Meow

Obscure brands are nothing new from the various/ myriad of Chinese manufacturers and makers of IEMs but one that is called Cat Ear Meow? Well let's just say you have to take a good look at what the IEMs are made of and what their goals are for such a name and its design. I have no idea if that is going to be the brand name going by Cat Ear from this point forward or if this is just a one-off design from some random company that produces other random IEMs.

However, what is interesting is that it is being sold on the Penon audio website here. From what I know about Penon audio business philosophy, they try not to offer goods on their site they consider not to be any good. This is based on just dealing with Penon and knowing their product line on their site, not to mention the numerous emails back and forth from them and this is how they maintain the Penon site and the goods being sold on it. Which makes a lot of sense. Why offer goods on your sales pages that are not any good? So that alone had me curious about a $55 earphone called Cat Ear Meow.

This and the fact that it is using two different types of dynamic drivers in its make up in an all metal housing in 2 pin form. To be specific it is using a 10mm LCD dynamic and an 8mm PET dynamic. From the descriptor on the back of the box, the Meows are using the 10mm LCD for mids to treble and the 8mm PET polymer dynamic for the bass. Truth be told dual dynamics are fairly rare in the industry and even more rare given the price point. But how do they sound?

Design
Meows are made with an all metal zinc alloy plated housing in an ergonomic medium size. The only real issue with all metal builds is how cold they can get in the middle of winter. Otherwise the shells are heavier than plastic or even resin shells but not by a big margin and certainly not uncomfortable to use. It has a very nicely done ergonomic universal shape and with a bit of a unique presentation for how they look. Cat Ears provides a few customization options on the Penon site. Standard silver, a gunmetal gray which costs $10 more and the most uber version which is the gold set. All 3 designs have different cat motifs/ artwork on each color.

So you gotta wonder, these folks must be pretty proud of this one, I mean how can you provide not one but 3 different design choices for the looks of the earphones for an obscure $55 earphone right? Also I have a sneaking suspicion that these were designed for the ladies, as they all have a femanine aesthetic to them. Though no reason why the fellas aren’t fans of cats. Just an observation that is all. The 2 pin design for this price is always appreciated for easy cable changes. I can confirm the Meow here sounds awesome on more power much like most dynamic based earphones these are no exception. A bit of juice from a small amp and these end up sounding much better than what you paid for a set. They drive perfectly fine from a cell phone but amplification helps to increase its sense of dynamics as far as sound goes. I noticed bass gets better control and tonal qualities from using something like my IFI Signature. The Meows seem to like a bit of power to really strut its sound.

The Meow comes with what the manufacturer claims is a -196 degrees C cryogenically frozen silver plated OFC cable as well as the housing. Ok, that's great n all but to be honest the cable that was provided is no better than most sub $100 packaged in cables. I will give some pointers for proper cable pair ups toward the end of the read. Meow to my ears sounds much better with just about anything that will allow for balanced out, more on that at the end of the read. Meow also includes two sets of silicone tips, one set called balanced and another called bass. Both having a slightly different effect on the Meow sound. Finished off by a fairly useless pouch that is too thin to really use. Pretty much basic packaging which is what you can expect for a $55 earphone.

Disclaimers: The Cat Ear Meow was provided for the purpose of a review by Penonaudio. They have been burned in for a period of a week straight and are now ready for evaluation using my sources Ibasso DX300, Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, M3s, IFI DSD Signature, IFI Gryphon and Fiios BTR7, K3 pro 2021 version on my laptop.

Even at the $55 range of earphones, let it be known there is some stiff competition so Cat Ear has to have it where it counts. The Sound. As good looking as the design is, none of that matters if the sound is no good. But like I mentioned before there is a reason why Penon saw it being worthy enough to be sold on their site.

How they sound.
The sound profile is a balanced yet slightly warm harmon tuning. I know some folks associate warmth with lack of resolve or have too much bass to make them sound warm. These are the good type of warm leaning more natural than anything artificial sounding. A mid forward sound with a slightly laid-back treble presentation will get you a bit of natural warmth. For the most part it is balanced well but clearly is a mid-first IEM which is a bit unique especially for the price range.

Mids of the Meow takes the spotlight for its tuning. Here is where I will give a bit of a warning to prospective buyers in the dual dynamic Meows. I always listen to an earphone fresh out of the box just to get a good idea of how they sound from the factory. To say it was one of the worst sounding IEMs I have heard on open listen is an understatement. For folks that have nothing to do with burn in. I would avoid the Meows altogether as you will not understand any of what I write about how they sound. Compressed and confined the open box sound quality was astoundingly bad. But for all types of IEMs in existence it is the dynamic type that needs the burn in and the Meow housing two types of dynamics. You bet they need it, I would highly suggest at least a week's worth straight. If you plan on trying a set for you. Consider it a warning.

Treble
Is presented with a smoother angle and I don’t perceive the usual treble spikes to enhance the region much. Bulk of the trebles comes from a lower treble emphasis, but I am also not hearing the most airiest or the most extended articulate trebles. A lot of budget IEMs try to create a sense of treble extension and air via treble spikes to make it seem like it has more treble. Which in turns colors the sound profile to be on the colder side of neutrality but not so much the Meow.

You can’t expect a highly resolving treble for a $55 budget set but on the opposite end I feel Cat Ears portrays a more natural take on treble vs forcing the trebles much to your ears. It does convey somewhat of a slightly darker treble character which is both good and bad. Darker sounding treble is a bit unique in the price range, let me put it that way. It does seem to lack treble extension for refinement beyond the price point. This, somewhat reserved, yet natural in its treble tuning allowing the mid bands to shine and take the spotlight for its sound focus. The bulk of the treble detail is more macro than micro but is good enough to make the meow sound complete in its presentation. Again not the most extended treble but certainly serviceable for its warmer sound profile. The good news here is that for folks that worry about budget sets that have a tendency to go harmon treble brightness. You won't have to worry about that at all with the Meows. Its treble is decent at the price point but somewhat unremarkable at the same time. Which is again both good and bad. It is good that the treble end of the Meow is somewhat reserved and stays in check but bad in that some might feel the treble to be a bit reserved at the same time.

Mids
Mids of the Meow is what gives them the warmer tint on their tonal character. Due to the somewhat reserved treble tuning the mids are what you're going to hear front and center. The tuning here is a bit unconventional to today's upper mid overly hyped IEMs. The Meow is somewhat reserved for its upper mids presence, while the graph shows plenty of upper mid gain, it lacks resolve from the driver to truly take advantage of the upper mids enhancement. Again helping in the warmer natural take on its mids presentation. The meows presentation is diffused and can sound spacious but presents with mostly a moderate stage level for IEMs. Has better depth than it does height for sound but otherwise the mids of the Meows gives a slight warm and inviting tonal character that mostly sounds natural. A mids tonal character that is just ever so slightly warmer than a neutral tone. Parts of its technical presentation could do better here but for the price level its inviting warmish non fatiguing tonal character and its decent spacing helps a lot to engage the listener and get into your music.

Its imaging takes a bit of a hit due to the slightly reserved treble emphasis and its lack of extension. You're not getting an airy sound here at all. If anything, it sounds a bit closed in at times but nothing that sounds artificial. Male vocals sound more proper on the Meow than female vocals due to a lack of proper treble harmonics having an effect in the upper mids in combination with a softer attack. However, for the most part, mids bands are surprisingly engaging nonetheless and are layered decently for its sound presentation.

I would say it is lacking a bit in its transient response. Stringed instruments lack bite, making some music sound a touch soft in its attack. Its timbre aspects are just ok, nothing that will win any awards there, however it has a surprisingly spacious sound separation and makes good use of its stage limitations and can actually sound enveloping. Moews do not have the most dimensional sound but not too many $55 earphones do. Due to the natural warmth of the Meow sound presentation. I noticed more neutral and or brighter sounding sources match better with the Meows, warmer sources not as much. Meows mids are a bit like the treble end in that while it does nothing to really offend, It does nothing really egregious either. These pretty much read casual beater all the way. If taken as such they will deliver. The two dynamic drivers seem to jive well and its cohesion here with the bass dynamic is fluid in delivery.

Bass
Has got equal mid to sub bass presence on the Meows. As warm as the mids are for the Meows the bass end is warmer. It is interesting that the manufacturer claims to be using a PET type 8mm dynamic I would assume for its bass presentation. Bass is good here but nothing that is going to make you take notice. It does a good job at representing the bass notes and is for the most part versatile in how it sounds with decent sub bass presence. The quality of the bass end here is not the best I have heard at the price point. But they certainly represent good bass for the price. Its speed is OK but is not a standout, its tightness as well as its speed is what I consider just average here but not a standout either. It does have some surprising deep reaching sub bass rumble when called for, not the best textured bass but not bad.

This is a case where I feel these guys would have done better just to use a better more resolving single dynamic and just tuned that instead of using a different dynamic to do its bass. It is hard to really hear the benefits of the Meow using two different dynamics vs using a more capable more resolving single dynamic driver is my point. Bass here does a great job to help the overall presentation, but does nothing really stand out as being anything special at the price range. Not bad but not great at the same time.

Overall
The Cat Ear Meow is a musical sounding $55 earphone that takes on a unique role for budget level IEMs. Its design is a standout, its materials are some of the better used at the price range and not too many IEMs at the price uses two dynamics for its sound presentation. It's got a unique warm natural sound character that sounds even better when amplified. Very stylish for the folks that love them some cat design motifs. At the price range the Cat Ear Meow is more than capable of sounding good for its naturalness and spacious sound presentation. These are more for casual use and in that regard they are fun take from this obscure brand. For the price you're getting a nice little package and a well-represented easy listening sound signature. The meows are more for casual use and for enthusiasts that like a warmer, non fatiguing IEM. It's not the most resolving IEM at the price range but it will surprise you just how good they can sound with a proper source. For the best results I do recommend using an aftermarket balanced cable, just about anything that's got a good amount of silver in the cable to help with the detail aspect of the Meow.
Thanks for taking the time to read.

Optimized Meow. Yanyin Moonlight cable Fiio BTR7 in balanced.

Cable pair ups.
Due to the warmer tonality of the Meows. Really anything that has good transparency will be better than the included cable. The included cable is OK and if you're on a tight budget there is really no need to get yourself a different cable. However even a cheaper $30-$40 cable will do wonders for this IEM. Let's be realistic there is just so much a manufacturer can include in an earphone that is worth $55-$75. I am just saying. Heck even try your other cables that came included with your other IEMs is what I am saying. Preferably something thicker with more silver content in the mix which would counter Meow warmer tonal character.