For the longest of time, I've loved Etymotic. In fact, I own their entire XR line up. I even got my son into it and he now refuses to listen to anything else, but I think it's time I re-evaluated my position. You see, not long ago, one of my kids bought the Salnote Zero and I was absolutely floored with the tuning. Then, when my ATH-MSR7 died (finally!) and I had a new excuse to get more audio equipment, I bought the Letshouer S12 Pro. This time I was floored by the apparent technical abilities of the S12, with so much detail being brought forward. This made me wonder, how does the ER4XR stack up against the competition these days?

Well, I previously posted a review lambasting the ER4XR for being boring and muddy. It turns out this old champ still holds the crown and it's not going to give it up easily.

After 3 months of using the Letshouer S12 Pro as my daily driver, I decided to try my ER4XR again. Good lord. What a revelation! This old champ was still the best, most versatile IEM on the table. I hung my head low and begged for forgiveness. What a fool I had been. My true love was by my side the whole time.


SOUND:

My impressions using my Samsung mobile phone with a Fosi Audio DS1.

Bass: Probably the weakest element. I could really use some more sub-bass, but there's warmth and slam. Listening to EDM is a treat! Yeah, and that's coming from the S12 Pro! Sure, not as intense, but does a great job and maintains outstanding clarity. Only bassheads need not apply.

Mids: Amazing. Just that, amazing. Meaty, chunky and forward, but never muddy (unless you need to change the filters).
There is a bit of edge to the upper mids, but the presentation is so coherent that I'm more than happy to overlook that. I even prefer a bit of bite there.

Treble: My favourite part. Clear, non-fatiguing and detailed AF. When I got my S12 Pro, I was impressed by the quantity of treble it had, bringing every high hat forward. That was great, but it also meant that songs which were mastered a bit hot, had this annoying sizzle at the top. After a month it started to drive me crazy.
Moving to the ER4XR, is like entering a warm, relaxing bath. The treble is all there, but not drilling holes in your eardrums.
Keep in mind though, if you want 'air' and 'sizzle' with your IEM, you might like to look elsewhere.

The tamed treble does have the consequence of making the soundstage sound compressed. Don't expect 3D imaging. The main aim of the ER4 is accuracy and realistic timbre, not party tricks. Despite this, the separation is very good. You don't get instruments bleeding into each other (unless the filters need changing... again).

ONGOING EXPENSES:
Something I rarely hear about, it's the ongoing cost of using Etymotic products. And here is where the praise ends for now. Tips and filters are not cheap, and even if you clean your ears religiously, you will need to replace them at least every 6 months, and they are not cheap. A lot of IEMs do not need replacement filters and tips, why does Etymotic products need it then? In fact, I'm half convinced that it's all part of Etymotic's business model to make sure you keep buying replacement parts. There really is no reason why Etymotic tips should self destruct after a few months. Per year, I'm looking at about $50 - $60 AUD in filters and tips replacements. No sir, I don't like it.

Another negative point is the use of proprietary cables. They are MMCX, but have a little notch that makes buying aftermarket cables difficult unless you go to Etymotic themselves. Also, Etymotic cables seem to be flimsy and of low quality, failing after a few months. This has soured my love affair with Etymotic products somewhat as I feel like an open wallet for the privilege of using their products.

IS THAT IT?
Pretty much. I'm not going to go into the fit because everyone and their mother knows about the Etymotic fit.
If you get the chance to demo the ER4XR, you might not be impressed. The ER4XR is not a K-Pop model that will wow you and make your jaw drop. No, the ER4XR is the cute, friendly girl next door, the one you'll end up marrying for life and realising what a lucky guy you are.

I just wrote a fairly scathing review based on the sound quality. I'm having to rewrite this as I still have fitting issues and this caused my perception of the sound quality to suffer.

Update - I've had my ER3XR for over a month now, and unlike almost every other IEM, it just keeps getting better.
I'm so impressed with the sound quality that it's making me rethink on how I view IEMs in general.

Package

Not much at all.
3 pair of tips. 2 triple flanged silicon tips and 1 pair of what are probably the worst quality foam tips I've ever come across.
Seriously, the foam tips are so bad that they fall apart the second you try to pull them out.

You also get a very, very tiny carry case and a shirt clip.


Build Quality

Oh boy, where to start?

Of course, I can only speak on my experience and your mileage may vary.

The build quality did not inspire much confidence at all.
One of the units would make static noises when pushing in. Thankfully this has not worsen since purchase.
The shirt clip destroyed itself almost immediately and I could swear one side was louder than the other.
As it turned out, the 3.5mm jack died after a week.
I bought a cheap jack and repaired it myself. This also fixed the channel imbalance.

I've been having terrible luck with IEMs lately and this has put me off IEMs permanently. It will be full sized headphones for me from now on.


Sticking Things In Your Ear

It's not bad.
These things go deep into your ear canal. It's a weird, initially uncomfortable, even painful, process/ Once you figure out how to put them on though, they are comfortable and reassuringly snug.
Oh, and when I say 'figure out how to put them on' I mean it, because the instructions and Etymotic's video showing you how to put them on are utterly useless.
I ended up watching a video by 3M on how to use hearing protection to learn how to put this things on properly.
And yes, they do isolate noise very, very well.

Something to take note of...
With IEMs, I need large tips as they are the only one that can give me a proper seal. So, naturally, I went straight for the large triple flanged ones.
BAD IDEA!
When fully inserted, the treble disappeared and the sound was muffled and dull.
As it turned out, I needed to use the standard size, because it's all about the size of your ear canal, not your outer ear. So keep in mind when fitting them.



Sound Quality

Being used to bright gear like the MSR7 and Fiio F9 Pro, I went through a lengthy adjustment period. I was not used to such a full sound.
However, as I started paying attention, I realised how clear and detailed everything was. Yes, the sound is warm, but also very precise.
Songs which were unlistenable before, because they sounded so thin and bright, became full of body.
You will hear people say that the ER3XR is no good with EDM and bass heavy genres. That's total nonsense. There's plenty of kick and thump to the bass.
What you won't get is bloat or exaggeration.
I have yet to come across a genre that doesn't sound good, which makes sense considering Etymotic's commitment to delivering sound as it was recorded.

Bass - Thick and full bodied. Actually, probably my favorite part. It's spot on. Nice visceral hits and provides plenty of body. People say it's light, but compared to the Fiio F9 Pro and even bassy IEMs like the Audio-Technica, you get way more body and thump. It's beautifully detailed too!

Mids - Thick, forward and controlled. Best mids I've heard? Probably.
There's no distortion or bleed. I haven't heard such engaging mids in an IEM since the ATH-IM70, and I loved the mids in those.

Treble - smooth, detailed and controlled.
Don't expect airy high hats dancing around your head, but what you get is accuracy and detail. They are detailed without being sharp. No sibilance at all.
My sibilance test track is Saint Etienne's Slow Down By The Castle, which is murder with the Fiio F9 Pro and uncomfortable with the MSR7.
Not with the ER3XR though!
The guitars are sharp but no peaks

Soundstage - intimate but coherent, there's both width and depth as long as you've found your ear insertion sweet spot (that sounded dirtier than I intended).

Conclusion
My experience with the ER3XR has been one if highs and lows, from fitting to quality control issues, this has soured my experience.
However, the sound. Oh good lord, the sound.
The clarity, body and coherence is astounding, and it's all done with a single BA!
It really makes you question the logic and value of all the multi drive monsters which are so fashionable at the moment.
Just make sure you get a proper fit!

I've been listening to rubbish my whole life. I should’ve been listening to this instead.
That was my first thought when I heard the AZLA Horizon, the definitive proof that South Korea is indeed the best Korea.

I’ve always followed the mantra of never listening to anything I couldn’t afford, hence I had to make do with the ATH-LS70 (fun but not good for modern bassy genres), the ATH-E40 (good all rounder but unexciting) and recently, the Fiio F9 Pro (impressive for the price, but with an overdone treble and weak mids). Circumstances lead me to have a bit more spending money, so of course, I went IEM shopping.
I ended up trying only 2 IEMs. The Fiio FH5 and the AZLA Horizon. In a different world, I would've probably walked away with the FH5. However, in this world, the Horizon exists, and that's all that matters.





Package

Not much here. IEMs, cable, 6 pair of tips and that's it... 'kay thanx bye. No foam tips or carry case for you!
It all seems like a rather poor showing for the price, but apart from a carry case, you get all that you’ll really need.


BUILD & FIT

If I were feeling generous, I would say the AZLA Horizon looks unassuming, but I'm not, so I'll just say they look cheap.
That's not to say that they are built cheaply, far from it, but when compared to the sexy waifu curves of the FH5, these look more like the girl next door rather than a supermodel. Not to say that girls next door don't have their charms, mind you.
You do, however, get a nicely braided cable which feels nice and has low microphonics. MMCX, of course.

The actual shell is a lot smaller than I expected. Certainly smaller than the FH5 and nowhere near as cumbersome as the ATH-E40. However, quite a bit larger than the ATH-LS70is.
Thankfully, the nozzles are quite long, providing plenty of sexy insertion and stability.



Included in the package, we get SednaEarfit tips, and Sedna wants to make sweet, sweet love to your ears.
I heard that SednaEarfit tips are sort of a big deal. I don’t know what makes them special compared to your standard tips, but they sure feel nice!
They have a kind of a grippy, dry texture that sits very secure in your ears.
The over-ear cable is soft and comfy. Perhaps not as comfortable as the Fiio F9 Pro, but I found no hint of discomfort.


SOUND

As I stated earlier, I do not listen to gear I can’t afford, so I don’t have a point of reference compared to say, the Andromedas.

My impressions are:
Clear, coherent, expansive, detailed and exciting.
No multiple BA set up here, just a single tweaked dynamic driver, proving that the technology is anything but dead.

Bass: Present, detailed... DETAILED, tasteful, impactful, beautiful and stunning.

My ATH-LS70’s have a lot of bass, but all they do is a monotone rumble. The Horizon goes far deeper and far more controlled. No sloppiness or taking over the mix. They are part of the music, not the focus, yet so present and slamming.
The Horizon is not a warm IEM per se. It has no mid bass coloration. Instead, it opts for a boost in the low/sub region. This gives a clean presentation with lots of energy down the low end.
I love it to tears.

Mids: Some say these are recessed but I think they are perfect. Clear and natural.
Vocals don’t stand back in the mix and they don’t sit inside your head. They sing around your head, if that makes sense, yet strong and present.
At no point do I get the sense that mids are fighting to be heard or getting lost. It's not a wall of noise, but a beautifully laid out table.

Treble: Slightly bright, maybe? But there’s no harshness or sibilance. Just airy detail. No brittleness either.
The best way I could describe it, it's like a pleasant and entertaining dinner guest. It makes its presence known but never becomes loud or annoying.

Soundstage: Not as immediately impressive as the Fiio F9 Pro that sounds like you're inside a huge warehouse, but it's natural and very, very satisfying. The imaging is pretty nice too, allowing me to clearly place the instruments on stage.


COMPARISONS


MSR7
Okay, what kind of nutcase compares an IEM vs a full sized headphone?
Me.
My whole purpose of getting an IEM was to replace my MSR7 which get stupidly hot in the Sydney summer heat.
I love my MSR7, but the Horizon kinda blew them out of the water. The highs are as detailed, yet they are smoother and less prone to harshness.

The MSR7 has a rather strange midrange which sounds a bit (to quote Lachlan from lachlanlikesathing) "honky", which makes female vocals sound amazing, but male vocals can sound somewhat hollow and nasal. Specially at higher volumes, where it starts to sound shouty.
The Horizon, on the other hand, sounds full and detailed without resorting to tricks to make the mids cut through the mix.

The MSR7 has nice bass, but not a lot of it, which, combined with the weird mids, can make things sound thin.
No such problem for the Horizon. Its stellar bass performance slaps the MSR7's anaemic bass in the face, providing a far more satisfactory and deep listening experience.
Overall the Horizon is an upgrade which is also way more comfortable. Win/win.


Fiio F9 pro
Okay, this comparison is nowhere near fair as the Horizon costs about twice as much, but this was my previous daily driver.
The F9 Pro has an impressive soundstage and well controller bass response, which is fairly restrained.
The Horizon's soundstage is not as expansive but sounds more coherent and natural.
Both are very detailed, but whereas the F9 Pro achieves this by turning the treble up to 11, the Horizon does it effortlessly.
The F9 Pro is sibilance hell at high volumes. Listening to St Eteinne's Slow Down At The Castle with the F9 becomes an ear-piercing test of endurance. There are absolutely no issues of this sort with the Horizon as there are no piercing peaks, but retains the energy and sparkle which makes for an exciting listen.

In the midrange, there's no competition. The F9 Pro's vocals tend to get lost in a mist. Although pleasant, they are not completely satisfying. The Horizon is both satisfying and well presented with a sense of body which is in front of you but not inside your head.

A lot of people felt that the F9 Pro’s bass was too light. I thought it was decent, with good control and depth, however, the Horizon has more sub bass which goes deeper. Neither are warm, but The Horizon gives you a bit more with better quality.


FINAL THOUGHTS

I was very fortunate. Minidisc in Sydney had a $100 discount on the Horizon, meaning I ended up paying $350 dollaroos instead of the usual $450.
Frankly, I would've happily paid full price.
It excites me to put them on and rediscover my music library. Maybe it's because it's such a leap from the Fiio F9 Pro, but having heard the LS200, ER3XR and FH5, which are in a similar price range, I would pick the Horizon every single time.
In a market saturated by IEMs that boast an ever increasing number of BA drivers, AZLA tweaked the good ol' dynamic driver with astounding results. Well played Korea, well played.
Now, if I could only afford the Andros...

I'm an Audio-Technica fan. In fact, it was my chance encounter with Audio-Technica's IM70 that led me down the wallet busting rabbit hole that high performance audio is.
Over the years I've collected various bit of AT gear like the M40x, E40, LS70 and MSR7.
Although the MSR7 is a great pair of cans, wearing them in the heat of the Australian summer can certainly strain the relationship.
So, off I went to Sydney's premiere headphone store, Minidisc, in search of something more portable, and hopefully, a bit cooler on the ears.
I tried the Etymotic ER3 and the ATH-LS200. Both sounded muffled and congested with little to no sparkle in the top end (yes, the MSR7 does ruin everything else for you). I was about to buy the ATH-M60X when I remembered the F9 Pro. I had a quick listen and, well, they live in my house now.
They are like mini MSR7s with very similar signature.



Packaging (AKA: Look at all those goodies!)

Inside the box you get 4 different kinds of tips, each with 3 pairs (S/M/L).
These are tip for enhancing voice, balance, bass and foam tips that reduce treble and enhance bass.
The changes are subtle but noticeable.
Perhaps I have freakishly large earholes, but most tips are way too small for me, except for the large bass ones.
Also in the box, you get two carry cases. A soft fabric pouch and a hard, waterproof plastic case for when you take your F9 Pros scuba diving with you, I suppose.
Inside the soft pouch you'll find two MMCX cables. One standard 3.5mm cable with a remote control and the word "Pro" written on it, in case you forget which F9 version you bought, and a braided balanced one.
Also, if you look carefully, you’ll find the actual IEMs sitting snuggly in a foam block. Remember not to throw these away as you might need them later on.



Physical Attributes (AKA: There's a metal alien bug in my ear and I'm cool with it)

The F9 Pros a completely made of aluminium with decorative ripples across the body of the IEM. It feels sturdy and it's all finished with a very high degree of polish. The metal grey colour looks elegant and serious, never betraying the fact that you're a middle aged man listening to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.

These guys are tiny. Pictures don't give you the sense of scale. Sure, they are no Etymotics, but compared to my ATH-E40, these are practically microscopic, and with small size comes comfort. Oh, these boys are comfy!
I have worn them all day at work without the slightest hint of heat or discomfort. Even the dreaded over-ear wire didn't bother me.



Sound impressions (AKA: How much room is inside these thing?!)

I’m not going to give you a detailed breakdown of frequencies such as treble, bass, etc... because it means little to me. I’ll instead describe what I hear.
The first thing to hit me was the soundstage, it's bloody massive! There's a real sense of positioning and scale unlike any other IEM I've heard (mind you, I'm no expert). I had no idea an IEM could create such an expansive soundstage, not at this price anyway.

But what about the sound?
It’s an MSR7. That's about it.
Oh, you haven't heard the MSR7?
Well, it's bright and detailed with none of that mid bass hump that most consumer headphones have these days, and this is what the F9 Pro sounds like.
Voices, instruments and positioning is very easy to determine and it all sounds pretty natural to me with a real sense of air and presence.
Okay, maybe the mids are recessed, it's not as forward as the MSR7, but they do sound more natural. Unfortunately the sense of distance works against the F9 Pro when used in public as the voices seem to get lost.
There's no bass bleed in or distortion. Although it may appear bass light on your first hearing, bass can go pretty punchy and deep.
My only issue is the intensity of the treble. Depending on the tips you're using, It can pick up sibilance on badly recorded audio, like the MSR7, but harsher and more piercing. With the Bass and stock tips, it can be quite uncomfortable.
It doesn't happen all the time but if you're sensitive to sibilance, you can try the included clear silicon (vocal enhancement) or foam tips which tone down the highs a bit and brings more thump to the bass.
Another option is to get Comply T500 tips which get rid of sibilance completely. You do lose some sparkle though, but mind over matter. If you don't mind, then it doesn't matter.



Final thoughts

Is it perfect? Of course not. The treble is hot, most of the tips will get no use and some will want more bass, but then again, is there a perfect IEM?
What the F9 Pro is though, it's amazing value. It blew away some IEMs twice its price with its clarity and soundstage. At no point was I left wanting for something more. Your mileage may vary of course, but the next time you are IEM shopping, give the F9 Pro a listen, you may be surprised.

The Fiio A1 is an insanely small portable amp. It weighs less that a fly’s fart and it uses about as much space.
Priced at only AUD $49, it’s probably the cheapest audio equipment I have.
So what is it good for?
It’s an amp. It increases volume and that’s it. It doesn’t increase audio resolution, tighten bass, massage your feet or make the little man playing music inside your phone keep up with the beat better (no matter what ‘What Hi-Fi?’ Says). All it does is amplify the signal, because it’s an amp and that’s what amps do.
So, does it do it well?
Yes... and no.
As you might imagine, such a tiny device doesn’t have a lot of power. Don’t expect to suddenly be able to use some 300 ohms set of cans that your phone wasn’t able to drive. No, this is to simply provide a little extra oomph where it’s needed.

Case study:
The Audio-Technica MSR7 is not difficult to drive, however, I could never get enough volume out of my phone. The A1 served its purpose beautifully here delivering rich, powerful sound whereas before it struggled.
This is what the A1 is for, to provide that little bit of extra power, and for the price (and size), you couldn’t reasonably expect anything else.

I was in love once. Her name was ATH-IM70 and and her honey dripping tones enchanted me.
One day, she passed away and I moved on to the ATH-M40x.
It was not the same.
I flirted with the ATH-LS70is and the MSR7 but none could quite get there (The MSR7 got really close though).
Trawling through Addicted To Audio's online store, I found the ATH-E40 on special.
I had given the E40 the cold shoulder in favour of the LS70 previously, but it was so cheap that without thinking l bought it.
I’m in love again.

Packaging: Decent.
You get 4 pair of silicone tips and a really handy hard carry case. Nice!


Comfort: Okay.
This is an older model in Audio-Technica's catalogue, something that becomes very apparent in the design. It's neither slick or immediately comfortable.
You'll need to fiddle with it to get it to seal and sit on your ears properly.
Once they are in place, they sit there quite nicely. Not as comfortable as the LS series but it doesn’t feel like your ears are being ripped apart like the IM series.


Sound: Just great!

Treble: Nice!
Clear, detailed and relaxed. There's a decent amount of sparkle that gives the treble plenty of energy, despite this, sibilance is practically non-existing.

Mids: Great!
Mids for days and days. Meaty, lush and forward. The mids are godly in this IEM. Natural and full ranged without distortion or hollowness. Just perfect.

Bass - Lovely.
Not too much, not too little. The bass has a decent level thump without overpowering the rest of the frequencies. Very clean and articulated. I have not noticed any bleeding into the mids.

As far as I'm concerned, the ATH-E40 is basically perfect. There’s no area where I find it lacking.
They do not have the slamming bass of the LS70 or the detail of the MSR7, but those are overkill and can be overwhelming at times. The E40 is balanced and fun at the same time. I am satisfied.

Of course this is just my opinion and your mileage may vary etc, etc....

Please keep in mind that obtaining a good seal is crucial for these earphones to work at their full potential, so make sure to play with the tips till you find one that fits properly.

I have a love/hate relationship with my Fiio X1ii. On one hand, it introduced me to the world of quality audio, teaching me that not everything is about bass and the importance of clarity an restraint. On the other hand, it's a buggy, slow mess of a player that comes with a huge side order of frustration. After battling with over the last couple of years I gave up and decided to use my phone for music duties.
Yeah, phone audio is rubbish, however the interface is great. I decided to go for a DAC/AMP combo and call it a day.
Looking around, I saw the Calyx PaT was on special ay $76 down from $130 (those are Australian dollars by the way) so I pulled the trigger.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting much at the price and size. If it got anywhere close to the X1ii in terms of sound quality I would've been happy.
Well, it does sound a bit like my X1ii, except a bit better!

Build:
Good. A well machined piece of aluminium (I assume it's aluminium) with a soft rubber backing.

It's light and it feels like it could take a beating.

Portability:
This thing is tiny. Only a tad bigger than my thumb a weighing about 20g. Theres no need for mounting kits and such. You can just leave it dangling if you want or grip it under your phone with your hand.

Compatibility:
I've used the Calyx PaT on both my android phone (Version 7 - Nougat) and my PC (Windows 10) and it worked seamlessly with no driver required. Just plug and play.
The unit has 5 control buttons which work just fine on Windows (and apparently with iOS devices) but no luck with Android.

Be aware that this unit only does a max of 48khz at 16-bit. No 96khz 24-bit for you!
Also, one thing I've found is that FLAC produce some clicks and pops. May it's because I'm using level 8 compression.
I converted my files to WAV and the issue disappeared.
If I remember, I'll re-encode them as FLAC level 4 and see if the issue pops up again and will update this.

UPDATE: I lowered the compression level to 4 and now works beautifully.

Power Draw:
The unit is unpowered and relies on USB to function. Fortunately it just sips power.
Even With my old Galaxy S4 it didn't make much of a dent to its already disastrous battery life. With my new Huawei Y7, I listen to music for more than 11 hours a day and by the end I still have over 40% power left. YMMV of course.

Sound:
The first thing that hit me was the openness of the sound. Unlike my phone which sounded like everything was being played inside a phone booth, the Calyx PaT opened the stage and gives a lot more depth to the sound positioning.
Don't ask me how or why that is, but it's there. It just sounds so clean and full bodied!

My daily headphone is the MSR7. As most of you would know, it's a bit anaemic in the bass department. The Clayx PaT gives it a warmness and oomph that complements it beautifully.
Treble appears smoother too, with some of the harshness in the higher regions toned down providing a less fatiguing listening experience.
Compared to my Fiio X1ii, the sound is very similar except that there's more impact down the low end. There's a good amount of both quantity and quality.
Treble sounds a bit smoother. It could be placebo effect, but the highs and mids do appear to sound a tad richer and better separated.

I woukd say the Calyx PaT edges out my old X1ii and decimates my two phones in terms of sound quality.

Final Thoughts:
So, If I were to describe the sound of it, it would be warm, clean, detailed and spacious. Not bad for less than $100.

If you are not satisfied with the sound quality of your android (version 5 or higher) or iOS device, I have no reservation recommending the Calyx PaT. It's a cheap option that has nothing cheap about the sound it produces.

There comes a time when one realises that sound quality is not about bass quantity, and you start to search for clear, undistorted sound.
While my ATH-M40X does a damn good job of providing me with sonic bliss, they are uncomfortable. And by uncomfortable I mean something close to passing a large kidney stone.
So out I went into the world and searched for a new soul mate. This is how I met the MSR7.

Build quality:
Sturdy and refined, the MSR7 is made up mostly of Aluminium and plastic decorated with tasteful colour highlights.
It dismisses the brash, loud designs of headphones today for a more conservative, elegant look that may not turn heads immediately but it will sure impress those who notice. These are good looking headphones.

Sound Quality:

Bass: Present, fast and well controlled.
Let me make this clear. These are not headphones for bassheads as the MSR7 values quality in place of quantity.
Bass is well articulated and at no point does it overpower the rest of the music.
Basslines are aptly and accurately reproduced, however there's none of the bass heavy thrills you get with bass heavy headphones such as Beats or the M50X. That's not to say that the bass is not satisfying. EDM does sound very good and you get very tight, controlled thumps, but there's not a lot of it.

Mids: Lush, extended and somewhat elevated.
These are Japanese headphones made primarily for the Japanese market, and indeed, listening to Japanese music, specially with female vocals is an experience to behold. The sense of presence is palpable. Very natural and balanced.
Some people feel the mids are a touch unnatural. They might be right, but considering how these cans turn female vocals into a toe curling experience, I couldn't care less.

Highs: Extremely detailed, bright and effortless.
Highs are a point of contention. They are extremely detailed, even to the point that bad recordings and mistakes become evident, so are poorly compressed files.
Highs have a lot of energy, but don't think they are aggressive. They rarely feel harsh or piercing, and if they do, it's usually the fault of the recording.
However, many people are treble sensitive and it can be too much for them.
I recommend you audition this headphone before you commit yourself.

Soundstage and imaging:
Soundstage is fine for a closed back headphone but it's the imaging that impresses me. Very accurate. It gives you a good sense from which direction the sound is coming from.
Not only does this make the MSR7 good for music but also for gaming.

One very important point to consider is that these phones are very sensitive to the source and source material. That is to say that low bit rate MP3s will not cut it. Artifacts will become apparent and your listening enjoyment will suffer. I recommend lossless formats.
Also, your phone may not be the optimal source for these cans. My DAP gives me much better audio quality than my Samsung Galaxy S5.

So to wrap it up, the MSR7 offer terrific value in terms of sound and build quality.
As always, your value may vary. They are light on bass and the treble can be too much for some. However, if you're on the market for an accurate, well balanced and extremely detailed headphone, the MSR7 is a winner in my books.

For a few months I had been using my ATH-M40x as my daily driver. They are really good cans but also large and bulky.
I decided to get myself an IEM.

After much research and consideration, I decided to get the ATH-E40.
So I popped into Minidisc in Sydney and walked out with the ATH-LS70is.
So why did I snub such a highly regarded IEM like the E40 in favour of the LS70?
Well, the LS70 made quite the impression on me. In fact, it put big stupid grin on my face as I was demoing it.

Okay Let me start with the package.

Package:
Not much to write about. The usual high quality boxing you get from Audio-Technica.
Unlike previous generations of IEM, you don't get comply tips, only AT's usual rubbish hard silicone tips, although the new casing design makes this a tad more forgiving.
The cable is OK I guess. It's detachable which is an essentail for me as I kill cables just by looking at them. The only problem is that it uses a proprietary design instead of MMCX. You can find cables in eBay, but you have to be mindful to buy the right connector.
This new cable also doesn't inspire as much confidence like the one included with the ATH-IM70. It feels a tad cheaper and not as robust, but it does include a microphone and in-line control, which works a treat with my Fiio X1 2nd Gen.
I can't attest to the quality of mic as I haven't used it.
Unlike the ATH-E40, you don't get a carry case, only AT's little pleather bag which doesn't do much to protect your investment.
Really AT, throw in at least a cheap plastic case.

Comfort:
If you've used previous AT IEMs, you know they are big, bulky chunks of plastic designed for alien ears.
Well, I'm happy to report that the LS series, at least for me, are far, far more comfortable. A lot lighter too!
My old ATH-IM70 was so heavy that it would constantly pop out as it was dislodged by its own weight.
This issue is gone now, and because of the lighter weight, the included silicon tips are actually bearable now.

Sound:
After listening to the ATH-E40 (Which didn't impress me. Too much mids distortion), The LS70 was a bit of a shock.
It sounded very warm and bassy. However, after the shock passed, I noticed how smooth and clean the sound was.
The sound comes across like a quality dark chocolate. Smooth and rich but with a sharpness that helps definition.

Okay, I was always on the fence with burning in headphones. It kind of makes sense but I was sceptical over its benefits.
I tried it anyway, and after leaving the LS70 overnight with about 8 hours of pink noise, the bass settled and mids took presence. A significant improvement.

So, after 8 hours of pink noise burn-in and using Sony hybrid tips....

Bass: Deep, impactful and well behaved. It's doesn't boom and it articulates well. However, on some tracks it does fill a tad loose.
Some people may find the bass too much and I totally get it. I liked the bass on the ATH-E40 better. Regardless, it's not bad. There's quantity and quality here. It all makes for a fun listen, specially with EDM.

Mids: Good but not great. Not much in the way of distortion. It's clean and detailed but nothing to write home about. Voices feel a bit (just a bit) distant.
They articulate well, but there's a slight feel of thinness or even hollowness. I think this was done on purpose to stop the mids distorting with bass bleed-in.


Highs: Smooth, well extended, detailed and polite.
The highs feel a lot like my ATH-M40X but without spikes that drill into your head. All the detail is there but it's not thrown in your face.
There's no distortion or sibilance that I could detect. Very nice and non-fatiguing.

Soundstage and imaging: Wide soudstage without much in the way of depth.
That's not say depth is non-existent, there are some funky 3D effects you get every now and then but for the most part is sounds like you're on stage with the band instead of being in the audience.
Imaging is good. Listened to Daft Punk's Lose Yourself To Dance and the voices were all around me moving about with good transition. Perhaps not as good as my M40X but it does get the job done.

Modding (of sorts):
Should you find the LS70 too bassy or muddy, I would strongly suggest to ditch the stock tips and try others. Sony hybrids noticeably cleaned up the sound while Comply foam tips made it sound veiled and far too muddy.
I also removed the nozzle filters and replace them with HiFiman RE400 filters which are far more transparent. This opened up the treble without being sibilant or spiky. Simply delightful.

Conclusion:
So what's the deal with the LS70?
It's very coloured and the bass is boosted.
I can see a lot of people snubbing the LS70 as mainstream trash that plays to the unwashed masses. The audio gods will be angry.
So why did I pick it over the E40?
Well, while I'm out and about or in the office, I can't sit there analysing every little sound. I want a comfortable, fun sounding IEM that can work with any genre you can throw at it. The LS70 does this with style.
Another product that shows that the guys and gals at Audio-Technica really knows their stuff.

I don't have golden ears. I can't tell you why something sounds good or why it sounds bad, I can however tell how much enjoyment I'm getting out my headphones.

My old IM-70's died (the left cable) and since they were still under warranty, I returned them and got the ATH-M40X (why spend money on a cable when I can have them replaced, right?).

Packaging
The box is big. Almost like a small moon that happens to be a battle station.
Inside you get the headphones (duh) and 2 cables. A straight 3 metre and a nice curly one. Both of them are pretty long, but obviously, the curly one is the most portable.
I did however buy a 1.2m cable from Ebay for about AUD $17 to use with my Fiio X1ii.
You also get a nice pleather bag to stash your headphones. I would've preferred a carry box instead, but hey, I would've also preferred to get an Orpheus 2 too, so I guess you got to take what you can get.

Comfort
To start with, they feel comfy. The pleather is soft and firm and the clamping force is reassuring. This is great for a couple of hours, but after that, my ears began to ache. The pleather pads are not large enough to accommodate my entire ear. This causes quite a bit of discomfort.
I'm seriously considering getting some HM5 pads to replace the stock ones.
Thankfully, despite being huge monsters, they are pretty light (240g), so at least it won't snap your neck when you bend over to tie your shoe laces.

Sound
Coming from the ATH-IM70, my first impressions where mixed.
The treble is far more detailed and brighter. Bass felt a bit light, but that's my preference. There are quite a few people complaining that the bass is too high. Horses for courses I guess.
I guess the revelatory moment came when I started to notice a whole lot of details that I could not hear with my old IM70s. The instrument separation is really nice and you just don't get muddle sounds. Everything sounds really tight and well controlled.
Voices do sound a bit receded, but then again, that could just be me coming from the IM70.
The one low point I found with these cans is the soundstage. I was hoping for an improvement from my IM70s, but they sound almost exactly the same.
The IM70s soundstage was good for an IEM, but underwhelming on a pair of headphones.
Imaging is OK. No issues with it whatsoever.

Conclusion
For the price, the ATH-M40x is terrific value. Good, sharp sound that reveals little details in songs. I'm happy rediscovering a lot of my music as it has added new depth to my music library. Yet still, I don't love the M40x like I did my old IM70s.
The IM70 had a really distinctive sound signature that made vocals drip with honey. The M40x is far more flat and clinical. Not to the point of being boring, mind you, but it lacks some of the character and personality. However, I do find myself making excuse them to put them back on, so I guess that counts for something, right?

Review updated for firmware 1.6.2

The DAP And Package

Sturdy, slick and well built. These were the first things I thought of when I took my player out of the box for the first time.
The Fiio X1ii generation is a delight to touch with it's smooth lines on its all aluminium body. It certainly does not feel like it would break if you were to drop it (mind you, I have not tested this myself).
In the package you get some faux carbon fibre body stickers, a mini USB cable to charge and transfer files, some screen protectors and a plastic body protector. It is a shame though that the screen protectors have a tendency to show every finger print that comes within 20 metres of the player, but it's a minor inconvenience for what it's a very well made and designed DAP.

Charging to a full battery takes about 3 hours and will give you over 10 hours of music. Not bad and it can comfortably get me through my work day with continuous music.

The player does not come with any internal storage so you have to provide your own in the form of a micro SDcard. The X1ii can support up to 256GB of storage. That's a lot of music but you do have to wear the cost of storage on top of the price of the X1ii.
A common complaint is the speed, or lack of, of file transfers. I can attest to this as transferring 16GB of music took the better part of an hour. It is recommended you use an external card reader with write capabilities till Fiio figures out a fix.


User Interface

A lot of people have complained about the UI. I, personally, do not find it terrible. It's functional and laid out in a logical manner. It does even allow you to change themes with different colour schemes to suit your mood.
One of the biggest complaints about the X1 2nd gen is the issue of responsiveness. Firmware updates have helped tremendously with this, however, a certain degree of sluggishness remains. I'm talking fractions of a second. Not sluggish enough to be unusable but there's enough of a delay to be noticeable.
To be fair, I'm listening to music, not playing a video game. I do not need ultra responsive controls.


Creating playlists can be a bit touch and go. I used MusicBee to sync files and it's not as straight forward as my Sony Walkman. You do have to tweak the settings to get things to work.
Once the files and playlist has been uploaded, they do not show in the playlist section under categories. To use your playlist, you have to have to browse files and find the playlist files. Not overly complicated if you separate them into its own folder but an unnecessary step for something that should be detected by the player.

Bluetooth apparently works for some people but I must say I've had no luck pairing it to my car. My car requires me to enter a pin into the device I'm trying to pair. The X1 ii does not have a feature to do that so the pairing simply fails. Others have had much better luck than me with their cars and BT headphones.

Gapless has been added as of firmware update 1.6.0. Works great with FLAC files but it is not supported for MP3s.

Sound Quality

Paired with ATH-IM70 and ATH-M40X.

Sound quality can be subjective and my only point of reference is my old 4GB Sony Walkman NWZ-E374.
The X1ii sounds lighter, more detailed and controlled. My old Walkman had a mid/upper bass boominess that felt overwhelming specially with male vocals and pianos. This is not apparent in the X1ii, although the bass seems to have lost some of the impact, I do appreciate the clarity and balance my music has now. Certainly far more detailed than my old Walkman at least, and it does not seem to have an aneurism when the bass range gets too busy.
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Soundstaging is OK. Not great, but it does give a sense of space. Although my old Walkman did give me a better sense of verticality, the X1ii does provide better horizontal imaging.

The equaliser does not seem all that effective. Perhaps it's my ATH-IM70 but moving the dials on the EQ does not seem to make a lot of difference, at least not as much as my old Walkman.

The deal breaker
While functional, there are a few issues that could well be deal breakers.
Despite multiple software updates from Fiio, the software still buggy.
My X1ii somehow managed to corrupt my SD card.
I had to format and transfer all the files again.
Normally, this would be no big deal, but you must consider transfer speeds.
To fill up my 16GB SD card, the transfer too over ONE AND A HALF HOURS.
Consider that this DAP supports up to 256GB.
You could literally spend the entire day transferring files.
I don't think this is something that can be fixed with updates either.
I suspect this is a hardware issue caused by Fiio cheaping out on components.
I'd love to be proved wrong, but considering that no update has changed this, I think I could be right.

Wrapping It Up

The X1ii is the troubled child in the Fiio DAP lineup. Despite its flaws and quirks, I found great value in this DAP. Your mileage may differ, obviously, but I have become quite attached to it. It does what I want it to do. I'm mostly concerned about sound quality, so for me, this trumps most other issues I may have come across. However, with woefully inadequate transfer speeds and its predisposition to corrupt your SD card, it demands more patience than some people may have.

I do recommend this DAP, but I would strongly advise trying it before handing out your money..

Coming from a cheap pair of Sony earphones, I was initially fairly impressed by these IEMs. The bass was powerful and the treble was far more detailed than I was accustomed to. However, it wasn't long before the honeymoon period ended and the shortcoming started to show.
First, the bass. There's a lot of it. I'm talking basshead level here. At first it sounded impressive, adding some nice, smooth bass to neutral tracks, giving them life and vibrancy where there was none before, however, things took a nosedive with bass heavy songs. Here the bass it's extended and wobbly, bleeding into mids and making a muddy mess of things, which brings me to my next point. The mids.
They could make a movie about these earphones and call it "Dude, where's the vocals?". The mids are recessed, not to the point where you don't hear anything but vocals have an artificial thinness to them with no body or impact.
If you'e looking for accurate vocal reproduction, I'm afraid the CX 3.00 not only misses the mark, but the entire postcode. 
The highs are inoffensive and slightly muted. I really don't have much to say other than it does its job. You don't get sibilance and fatigue is not an issue.
 
If there's one thing this IEM does right, is comfort. Small, light and shaped in such a way that you put them on and forget about them. I have literally worn these all day without any issue. More companies should see what Sennheiser did here as an example of outstanding comfort design.
 
Now comes the really bad bit. In fact, it's almost unforgivable from an experienced company like Sennheiser. The cable.
At first, the cable looks and feel great! It's rubberised and slightly flattened giving it tangle resistance and reduced microphonics. However, the cable has a tendency to self destruct. The rubber coating softens after a while and then it starts to peel off after 3-4 months of use. It gets to a point where the very thin inner cable is exposed and the unit fails completely.
I returned my pair under warranty hoping it was a manufacturing error. My second pair suffered the same fate despite take precautions and using the carry case to store them when no in use.
 
So to sum it all up, these earphones are competent, better suited to EDM but lacking severely when it comes to vocal tracks.
Certainly much better sounding than the stock earbuds you get with your phone, and much more comfortable, but don't get too attached to them as they will fail fairly quickly due to poor cable quality.

Rich, clear and natural sounding, these earphones are a delight to listen to, however, your mileage may vary depending on your hardware and how well this IEM fits you.
 
When I first tried them on, I was kind of disappointing. It sounded muffled and boomy. Soon I began to experiment with the different tips included in the package.
The Comply foam tips are comfortable and secure, but they do muffle the treble and tend to wear out and become soiled quite quickly. The stock silicon tips do a better job with the sound but I found them to be uncomfortable and quite difficult to get a proper seal. Thankfully I had some Sony hybrid tips lying around which not only provided improved comfort but also opened up the sound improving detail and and soundstage, giving a far more balanced and lush sound that made my toes curl.
 
Another point to consider is your audio source.
I tried these IEMs with my cheapo ZTE phone and my low end 4GB Sony Walkman and they both sounded boomy in the mid-upper bass region. However, when I tried them with my new Fiio X1 2nd gen, the boominess was gone. It appears that the IM70 is quite susceptible to its sound source.
 
Something to keep in mind as well, is the comfort... or lack of. These are not IEMs that you can put on and forget about them. They can only be worn in an over-the-ear fashion which may not be comfortable to everyone specially considering the size of these things. After a while I got used to it, but never to the point like my old Sennheiser CX3.00 which completely disappeared from my mind when I put them on.
 
The build quality can be a bit shabby at times. My first pair suffered from channel imbalance and quite horrendous driver flex. I returned them and got a second pair which although had no issues with balance, it still has some driver flex when I put them on with silicon tips. Also, while changing tips, I noticed the nozzle filter had fallen off the right side. Thankfully I was able to put it back in.
Make sure you keep your receipt in case you need to exchange them.
 
So bottom line. These earphones have a warm, forward vocal signature with rich, natural sound that is best suited for female vocals but also does a stellar job with almost any genre you throw at it (except death metal, IMO). You do have to keep in mind that you may need to experiment with tips, take the time to fit them properly and ideally use a fairly neutral sound source.If you align your stars and planets correctly, you will end up with an addictive pair of IEMs that will win you over with its smooth, honey dripping tones.