Preamble:
The Sub 1k IEM market is one which has heated up ferociously in the last few years. Especially with the likes of Chi Fi manufacturers getting traction and even starting their own cult house SQ etc. Makes finding a good bang:sound IEM increasingly difficult.

I have been on this mission for the last 2 years (see my previous reviews). I've been through pretty much all well known manufacturers from 64 audio to campfire audio to beyerdynamic and Sony.

Every time I thought i'd found the one, i'd find myself finding flaws in the SQ or loose interest shorly after.

Right off the bat, these are not neutral nor as some have purported sterile. They are warm and have a slight bass boost.

Now take this with a grain of salt (i'll edit the review later if it changes over the next few weeks), but, the Sony IER M9 are hands down the best most coherent sounding IEM i have ever heard.

Source:
- MBP - 3.5mm
- E1DA G3 - 4.4mm
- Tidal Master
- The M9 even though rated at 20 Ohms responds remarkably to amping, the more power you give them the better and better they sound (much like the Z1R). Balanced is the way to go to power these.

Music Tested:
- Pop, Hip Hop, EDM, Rock and occasional Indie

Unboxing + Accessories:
- Blows everythign sub 1K (aside from the beyerdynamic Xelento which is on par) out of the water. Class act by sony
- Cables are great.
- Nit picking, the case like the Z1R is over engineered and stupidly annoying to store.

Fit:
- Very easy to get a good seal and good fit. The IEMs themselves are very light and contour naturally to the concha.
- The selection of tips allows a fit for everyone, silicone tips do produce at times a negative pressure effect due to venting on the IEM - can be circumvented by superiorly tugging your ear when you insert the M9 or doing a valvalsa whilst it's insitu.

Sound:

- Bass (9.5/10)
Being a self confessed bass head this was my biggest fear getting these IEMs that the bass was going to be lackluster and trash compared to DD bass on the Z1R.The bass on these are exceptional for a BA. Very much comparable to DD bass. These sound nothing like other BA bass (that is the CA Andro's), the bass is thick has a decent amount of rumble and even has the subwoofer effect. Sony have done something marvelous with their inhouse BA drivers. The bass is fast and has great attack. Precise. The only better Bass (technicality wise that is, not quantity) is the Z1R which had even better sub bass extension and rumble. Plenty of other DD and hybrids with more Bass quantity, but none this well executed (if you don't believe me listen to Take me back to london by Ed Sheeran). If the song has prominent bass, you get prominent bass. Never bleeds into mids and is suberbly executed. Well done Sony. -0.5 for the comparitvely less sub bass extension (i know not possible for a BA, but still)

- Mids (9.5/10)
The best vocals i have ever heard on a pair of IEMs, bar none. These outperform the Z1R in the mids easily. Male and female vocals are superbly executed, crystal clear with no distortion. High octave female singers can sound slighly blunted at times, but again minor caveat. On the very rare occasion the upper mids sounded shrill and artificial, however this seemed to be track specific. -0.5 for the occasional shrills (i need to reitorate, very infrequent, maybe more related to track mastering as it was only on 1 to 2 tracks out of 50)

- Highs (10/10)
I've never really been able to assess highs very well. I'm extremely treble sensitive so take what i say here with a grain of salt. The highs are clear and at no point in any tracks was there silibance or harshness. No matter how high you turn up the volume. Cymbals sound accurate and precise. There isn't much ariiness (compared to the Andros) but i never really cared about that.

- Soundstage + Seperation (10/10)
The best seperation out of any of the IEMs i've heard. The layering is simply exceptional. From memory the next closest would have to be the Tia trio which also had great seperation and layering, but after time sounded boring and unentertaining. The sounstage is wide, vocals still sound intimate but not in your face. The coherency is outstanding. These are very easy to listen to for extended periods of time without being being fatiguing.

Summary:
I think i can finally say i have found my endgame IEM. These are simply outstanding. I've gone through so many IEMs which i would keep for a week, a month and sell on. From the moment i heard these i knew they were the ones that will never get sold on. Unfortunately i don't have the previous IEMs to directly A/B but from memory these are a carbon copy of the Z1R with less bass, better mids and substantilly better highs - that is i found the Z1R sibilance unbearable. These easily beat out the CA Andros, Alas, Vega , 64 Audio Tia Trio, EE Legend X, Beyerdynamic Xelento and even Sony's own flagship Z1R. For me this is now the TOTL benchmark.

Preamble:
- Purchased without subsidisation for this review.

Packaging and Accessories:
- Good
- Case is solid
- Good tip selection
- The cable is very nice

Build:
- Good
- Only caveat is changing tips is very hard due to nozzle design
- very light

Fit:
- Good
- Comfortable to wear

Tuning screws:
- Gives a bass bump
- The bass becomes bloated with the bump

Equipment used:
- E1DA balanced off MBP16

Sound:

Bass: Good quanity. Lacks speed and prescion. There is a boost in the midbass, bleeds into the lower mids.

Mids: Upper mids recessed. No harshness in vocals.

Treble: No silibance. Not airy or extended.

Soundstage: average, nothing special. Poor technicalities, doesn't have good seperation.

Overall:
A very average set of IEMs, even at this price point i think there is better to be had (i.e. BLON and YBF). Lackluster listening experience, overyhyped. I initially thought they sounded decent but after comparing with other IEMs - but it was the E1DA doing their magic improving the sound.

FIrst of.

These are incredible. At the price point of $60USD, it is incomprehensible how these can sound so good.

Testing Equipment used:
- Iphone SE + MBP
- JDS Atom

Music Genres:
- Pop
- Hip Hop
- R&B
- Rap

Build Quality:
- Decent, it could probably take a drop or too
- Cable is also quite good

Fit:
- No issues, the nozzle is quite large so might make it difficult to put some tips on (especially silicone)

Bass:
- Very very very very well done. The extension is perfect. Great quantity of slam and yet is still fast. There is good seperation between sub and mid bass also.

Mids:
- Refined, slightly recessed especially the low mids. The hgih mids are crisp. Vocals sound great. No mixing of bass and mids.

Highs:
- Decent, not the best but can't fault anything in particular. Depending on volume can be a tad harsh at times.

Soundstage:
- Wow, this is what i didn't expect, the space is very impressive. These don't sound intimate like most IEMs there is a sense of space which is hard to describe. Very impressed.

Seperation:
- For $60 the fact that it's possible to delineate a tamborine from a bass drum bang from a snar is insane.

I cannot recommend these enough if you enjoy a V/U shaped sound signature (these are far from neutral).

They offer a very good bang:buck ratio. But there are better more coherent sets available (substantially more expensive however)

Summary:
- Small preamble: bought with my own money, complete unbiased opinion.
- I bought these headphones due to their FR, knowning they were somewhat bass heavy (which is what i was after).For open-planars, they have an exceptional amount of slam in the sub-bass with fast decay and a decent amount of rumble. Mids sound nice, with the high-mids not sounding shouty. Treble is crsip, no harhness and no silibance.
- Use case: People who like R+B, Hip-hop, EDM and Pop. I think the reviewer who gave them 3 stars was being unfair (it'd be like rating CA andromedas a 1/5 because it has , these headphones were never marketted as being neutral or harmon target. These are warm headphones with an emphasis on bass - which i think is the exact reason they are excellent. They do what they do very well.



Testing Gear:
- JDS Atom
- Topping D30
- Hiby R5

Genres:
- Hip-hop
- EDM
- Pop
- R+B

Build Quality:
- Other than the plastic rings, metal, metal and more metal. These are built well. Sure there are some cost cutting pleather cups and band) but overall it's a 8/10.
- Cable is very nice, thick and well braided - you won't need any after market cable unless you're after a balanced output
- Lack of case is of note, however a headphone stand works fine and these can sit nicely on a mouse pad without getting damaged

Sound Quality:
- Bass: The big reason to by these, I've listened to 2 - 3 open planars and these had the best bass response by far. That's not to say they are muddy or massively emphasized. Good slam with fast decay. Doesn't spill into the mid range and there is clear seperation between mids and bass. It should be noted, the bass even though exceptional, isn't anything like a closed-back counter part (i.e. CA cascade), though sacrificing a bit of slam results in great staging, clarity and a far superior listenability.

- Mids: They are there. Not the most pronounced. Male and female vocals sound nice. Not shouty. Not much else to say really.

- Highs: Crystal clear. No silibance. No harshness. I'm extremely treble sensisitive and can listen to these for hours with no issues.

- Soundstage: Very good for the price. Depending on the genre they can sound intimate at times, but not at anypoint congested.

- Another thing to note, these work really when given plenty of juice. I noticed that even though they will run of a Hiby R5, to get the best sound you need to really pump some amps in - they are wonderful to listen to from the atom.

Preface:
This is the first time i've recieved a product for review and as such i tried my best to impartial to that fact.
Since i'm leaving a somewhat average review when other reviewers have left 5/5 i'm expecting some backlash for this. Originally i was going to leave a 1.5/5 review, however after factoring in the build quality as well as 'unboxing' experience i upped it by 0.5.

I would like to Thank Paul from Effect Audio for giving me the opportunity to review these cables at no cost to me.

Testing equipment:
- 64 Audio Tia Trio
- Hiby R5 & Iphone X

Comparators:
- $15 Copper cable from Aliexpress
- $40 Pure silver cable from Aliexpress
- $170 64 Audio Copper hybrid cable

Tracks used:
- Coldplay "Hymm for the Weekend"
- Ali Gatie "It's You"
- Kanye West "Follow God" , "Stronger"
- Riton "Turn Me On"
- Toto "Africa"
- Black Eyed Peas "RITMO"
- Jay Z "Empire state of mind"
- Chainsmokers "Roses" , "Who do you love", "Something just like this",

The Cables:
There are 3 varities, all with slight nuiances in sound.

• Firstly, the 'Maestro' ($99), which was actually my favourite. It seemed to amplify the bass ever so slightly and pronounce the musics timbre. All other frequencies was unaltered. This cable is made completely of copper, which explains it's sonic attributes. At $99 USD i don't think it's too bad a value given it's build quailty as well as the quality of the metalic fittings. However, when i compared it to a similar pure copper cable which i had purchased from aliexpress for $15, the sound quality between the two was very comparable. When i was A/B both cables, i could not distinguish which cable was which. However, the $15 Aliexpress cable was made like crap, you get what you pay for (so to speak) and i can safely say the longevity of the aliexpress cable is very questionable.
  
• Secondly, the 'Virtuoso' ($149), i comapred this against the 64 Audio stock cable as this appeared to be the most fair comparison. Since both are made of pure copper with silver shielding. The sound had no difference to the copper cables. I don't know what else to say other than that. The additional $50 for silver shielding didn't change anything. This time, the 64 Audio cable had the ergonimics, though the Virtuoso again had the better build quality and metallic fittings.
  
• Lastly, the 'Grandioso' ($199). Comparing this to the $40 pure silver cable as that's the most fair. Though, the Grandioso only has 2/4 cores which are silver the remainder are copper. There was a slight (and i need to emphasize the slight) change in the frequencies response. The mids and highs were more pronounced and sounded a little bit clearer. Again, comparing it to the $40 aliexpress cable, the sound was very hard to distinguish, however over time i realised that the Grandioso had a bit more bass compared to the aliexpress cable, whilst the aliexpress cable had more clarity. Again, the Grandioso had a far better build quality as well as ergonomics.
  

Summary:
It appears to me the premium that you are paying for these cables does not equate to a better sound signature or anything of the sort. Rather, what you are getting is a more robust and beautifully crafted cable with good quality fittings. I have no doubt that these cables will also last longer than the aliexpress counter parts. So if you are looking at purchasing these cables the most prevelant thing to consider is the build vs. cost factor, as the sound signature does not have any impact.

Preamble:
Bought from a dealer with no subsidies. I've been searching a long time for a TOTL IEM which does everything. And i can finally say, after going through about 10 sets of TOTL IEMs i have found mine.

Comparators
Empire Ears Legend X
Sony IER Z1R
Campfire Audio Andromeda
Campfire Audio Atlas
Campfire Audio Vega

Source
Hiby R5
MBP 15
Iphone X

Tracks
Bass response: Drake MIA, Ed Sheeran South of Boarder,
Mid response: Ed Sheeran South of the boarder, Toto Africa, Sam smith How do you sleep
Treble response: sam smith How do you sleep, Dj snake You know you like it, not ok kygo,
Stage: Trampoline Shaed, Heaven Avicii

Others songs listened to: Firestone kygo, dance money tones & I, Hope chainsmokers, counting stars one republic, variety of Jay z & eminem

Packaging
Average packaging by 64 Audio. To be frank dissapointing considering the packaging and tip selection provided by Sony (which is $1,200 AUD less).

The tip selection is lackluster and really doesn't afford much choice, however i foudn myself preferring the foam tips (later i changed to comply M for all models to keep it fair)

Build
Very solid build, i can safely say, even if they knock against each other, they will not scratch.

Fit
Fit can be finicky, but if you allign it properly in the ear, it fits well.

I found the stock cable (64 audio ?premium cable) to provide a great grip around the ear

Go up a size in foams and rubber/silicone for the best seal

Sound
The most apt description i can think of is, neutral with a bass boost as well as a mid boost. This results in one of the best FR i have heard. The highs are not harsh and the bass packs great punch. Albeit, not to a basshead level (unless you EQ it, which is responds very well to).

• Bass: good amount of punch. Fast decay and impact.
• Mids: Male and female vocals sound very good. Not recessed at all. yet not overpowering the FR. This is the first IEM i've heard where the balance is achieved perfectly.
• Treble: Very nicely done. Not harsh at all, no silibance. Yet there is still 'sparkle' and cymbal strikes sound fantastic.
• Stage: Extremely impressive. Not congested at all with very good sepeation.
• Instrument seperation: Excellent
• Isolation: With foam tips probably near the 15 to 20db mark.

Comparisons

• Legend X: This is the most 'fair' comparison, as both are on par price wise. The Legend X has a better bass response (impact). Both have good bass control and fast decay. The Trio anhilates the LX in the mids, the mids are far clearer and lively than on the LX. Both have nice highs, neither are silibant or harsh. The sound stage on the Trio is far superior, leaving the LX sounding congested. Seperation is also better on the Trio. In my opinion the Trio wins out here.
• Sony IER Z1R: The sony coming in at ~$1000 less. The Z1R has more body in the bass, both are on par with control and decay. I would say the Z1R has more bass rumble and sub bass extension. Again, the Trio has far superior mids, the Z1R in comparison sounds recessed (not to the same degree as the LX though). I personally prefer the highs of the trio, as i sound the Z1R treble harsh and extremely fatiguing to listen to for more than 30 mins. Both have comparable sound stages. Seperation is also on par. The build quality of both is very good, however the Z1R is very easy to damage and scratches extremely easy. The overall package of the Z1R is very appealing. I think this is a draw, as even though i prefer the trio, those who aren't as treble sensitive as me, would be hard pressed to choose between the 2.
• Campfire Atlas + Vega: This isn't really a fair comparison as the CA are single DD vs. the Trio which is a hybrid. So i'll keep the comparison short. If you want mids, a better fit and can stomach the extra $1500 or so in cost, get the Tia Trios.
• Campfire Andromeda: This was an interesting comparison, as interestingly comparison as the mids on both where on par (vs. the others which all had inferior bass to the trio). The bass is the easiest to compare, as the Trio easily wins out. The mids. 1 BA vs 1 BA. The difference being the Trios open driver design. the difference in minute and hoenstly differentiating the 2 is difficult, other than that the lower mids have more impact on the Trio (due to the DD). Highs, i personally prefer the Trio as at times the andro's were harsh (not often). Soundstage was larger on the trio and seperation was on par with one another. I personally prefer the trio due to the lackluster bass performance on the Andromeda, however, i also appreciate that those who purchase the andromeda aren't looking for extravagent bass response.

Summary
I've been searching for a TOTL IEM for over a year now. In the process i have gotten to listen to a wide variety of brands and different models. I found, after my inital excitement about one the them, i would in course find flaws and deficiencies in everything to date. Until the Tia Trio. I wasn't expecting for these to be the ones i finally setlled on, as there is barely any information about them and reviews involving the Trio usually focus more so on the Fourte or U12t. As such, when i intially purchased these i wasn't expecting to be blown away. But was i wrong, I think these are a serious contender for some of the best IEMs ever made. This is the first time, my thirst for bass impact and forward mids have been satisfied without silibance or fatiguing treble. Well done 64 Audio.

Preamble:
Bought these brand new with my own money. Have used these regularly for running, gym weight sessions and taekwondo.

Comparators
Jaybirds X3

Source
Apple watch 4
Iphone X

Tracks
Bass response: Drake MIA, Ed Sheeran South of Boarder
Mid response: Ed Sheeran South of the boarder, Toto Africa, Sam smith How do you sleep
Treble response: sam smith How do you sleep, Dj snake You know you like it
General work out trakcs (EDM, Rap (eminem Kamikaze, rap god), Mix of Jay Z (Niggas in paris, empire state fo mind)

Packaging
Odd choice by apple here. Seems like they were trying to cut costs.
The included tips are not that great

Build
Good.
They are robust and can take a knock and fall and be completely fine

Fit
Really good fit.
The ear hooks are good at keeping them stable and in your ears
Symbio W and Final Audio E tips work really well to get a better seal (go a size up)
Comply foams also work well
Tips impact the sound signature to a decent degree, silicones (exagerate the highs slightly) and foams diminishes it
UPDATE: After further comparison to my girlfriends Jabra 65t and using the Final E tips, the isolation is no longer a problem. It is reducing atleast ~15 - 25db.

Form Factor + Semantics
one of the best truely wireless options
battery life on these things is incredible, i can do 2hr sessions 5 times a week and not need to recharge the case.
Only bad thing is the shallow fit, they bleed noise and don't isolate well
The buttons work very well, volume rockers on both sides is very convinent
The play, pause, skip, rewind and siri buttom works well (sometimes can lag, but nothing major)
An annoying caveat, music pauses automatically when you remove them which is a bit annoying.

Sound

Take this section with a grain of salt. As after all, they are not intended to be audiophile eargasm inducing headphones.

These are tuned to be fun and energetic sounding, which is ideal for working out, not for critical listening. If someone does a FR it'll be U shaped, with boosted bass and slightly boosted treble.

• Bass: With the stigma surrounding beats, i was really expecting the bass to be bloated and over bearing. But boy was i wrong. The bass is tight and well controlled. Fast decay with good amount of punch. Perfect for a work out. Only caveat is, having the turn up the volume very loud to acheive a good bass slam. Comparing against the X3, the powerbeats (suprisingly) has a cleaner and tighter bass. The X3 sounds bloated and muddy by compaison. I need to reiterate, the bass on these is really well done.
• Mids: Decent, vocals sound nice, albeit sounding a bit distant.
• Treble: Nicely done, has a good amount of detail. No harshness or silibance at all.
• Stage: For a bluetooth work out set, decent.
• Instrument seperation: I think the Z7m2 does really well here. It is able to seperate instruments very very well.
• Isolation: Bad, they do not isolate well at all. This is due to the shallow fit and as such i would recommend going up a tip size to achieve the best seal.
• To really bring out the sound, it needs to cranked up, which when workign out is fine, but i wouldn't recommend listening to these on high volumes while stationary (hearing damage), i think the movement generated whilst working out offsets the amplitude of the sound.

Summary
They are easily an upgrade from my previous jaybird X3. i think they are one of best options of working out. Interestingly, the issue with low volume can be sorted by using tidal. But only bad thing due to Apple being assholes, tidal can't be used on the apple watch, only apple music can be. The ease of syncing and ease of use (for apple users) packaged with the decent sound signature, make these a very compellnig contender.

Preamble:
Bought these brand new direcly from Sony Australia with my own money. Though are a ridiculous discount ($440 AUD - they are $1300 New). As Such, i will be rating these in terms of a <$500 AUD (<$350 USD) set of cans. As if they were to be rated at the RRP, i would give them a 2.5 - 3/5

Comparators
Campfire Audio Cascade

Source
Hiby R5
Macbook Pro

Tracks
Bass response: Drake MIA, Ed Sheeran South of Boarder
Mid response: Ed Sheeran South of the boarder, Toto Africa, Sam smith How do you sleep
Treble response: sam smith How do you sleep, Dj snake You know you like it

Packaging
Not bad.
The cables are really good. And cool of sony to include a balanced 4.4mm out of the box.
Only caveat, the 3.5mm SE cable is retardedly long. Like 2m long.

Build
Very nice build quality.
Aluminum finishings everywhere

Fit
Head band and pads are supple and comfortable to wear for extended periods of time
The sony is more comfortable than the Cascades, as the cascade i noticed kept having point tenderness on the top of my head.

Sound

• Bass: Lackluster at best. But... Responds really well to EQ. It's really biazzare, as the older borther to the Z7m2 the Z1R has very good, overly emphasized bass. It has a slow decay and isn't visceral without EQ. With EQ it sounds really nice. A boomy, yet controlled sound. The Cascades easily win here. Boom BOOM BOOM.
• Mids: Decent, though at times it feels very ?distant. I know that's a weird way to describe a sound signature but it's what it sounded like. Even still, the Sony manages to beat out the Casade, in which the mids are recessed.
• Treble: Nicely done, has an airiness to it. Isn't silibant at all (the cascade had harsher sound treble). Not much else to remark here.
• Stage: The stage is wide. It is better than the cascade (which has a congested characteristic). Of course not as wide as an open back set of cans, but decent.
• Instrument seperation: I think the Z7m2 does really well here. It is able to seperate instruments very very well.
• Reproduction accuracy: In comparsion to the Cascades, the Z7m2 wins here. However, neither are awefullly good at accuracy. particularly the m2 which the FR is hard to gauge when listneing to them.

Summary
Again, at 1300 AUD RRP, these are, in no way, worth it. At $440 AUD, the case for these becomes more convincing. I wasn't able to pin down a genre these shone at, but it seemed to me, it was very good at instrumental stuff (although i, myself, don't listen to too much instrumental stuff). Further, if these are bought at the RRP i would rate these a 2.5/5. But, at $450, i think they are definetly a 4/5, down to the laid back easy to listne to sound signature and good response to EQ.

Premable:
Bought these with my own money, this review is not sponsored or indorsed in anyway

Comparetors:
Sony IER Z1R
Empire Ears Legend X

Source:
HIby R5
Ipad Pro
Macbook pro
Iphone X w/dongle

Test Tracks:
Bass response: Drake MIA, Ed Sheeran South of Boarder
Mid response: Ed Sheeran South of the boarder, Toto Africa, Sam smith How do you sleep
Treble response: sam smith How do you sleep, Dj snake You know you like it

Packaging
Decent, nothing spectacular but the inclusions are nice.
Good selection of tips (this is important for the Andro's sound)
It would've been good if in the V2, a mesh pouch was included as the paint on the andro chips easily
Sony's easily beat here, but at 1.5x the price

Build
Really like the build.
Lean Green Great sounding machines
I have always been fond of the CA house design on their BA IEMs
I would say the IER is a side grade in terms fo build (as they scrach even easier)

Fit
Good, as long as you find the right *Silicone* tips you will be fine
Not as good as the legend X, but substantially better than the Z1R

Tip selection
Campfire in house marshmellow tips and Final Audio E tips are included
Don't use the foam. They dampen the sound and the airy sound sig vanishes

Sound

• Bass: Given it is a BA, it's not bad. Interestingly, the lower the impedence of the output device, the better the sub bass response. However, it isn't the star of the show for the Andros. Far from it. The Z1R comes in next - with the best sub bass. But the Legend X beats both out.
• Mids: Incredible. I really liked the mids on the Andros. Substantially better than the LX and Z1R. There is a good fullness to the texture and vocals sound great.
• Treble: Very clear and detailed. I found at times (very rarely) it could sound harsh (but i think, in retrospect, this was down the genre choice). Not silibant. On par with the LX and both beat the Z1R.
• Stage: Very very very very good. Once you get the right tips on these sound very airy and detailed. As if each instrument has a corner of your head. Well done. Beats out both the Z1R and LX inthis aspect.
• Instrument seperation: Very close between the Z1R and Andros here. The seperation on both is excellent, and the best i've heard so far. Both easily beat out the LX.
• Reproduction accuracy: Good. But, the Z1R easily wins here.

Summary
This is my first set of IEM's which didn't have a focus on bass and sub bass. And to be honest, i really enjoyed them. Sure, the visceral, palpatation inducing bass was missing, but i cannot complain about that as i don't think that's the intended purpose of these. THe sound signature is a fun take on a reference FR. I think these are suited to someone who enjoys music which is mid and treble centric, as to date, i am yet to listen to a pair of IEMs which beat them in terms of their mids. Another highlight is the clarity and sounstage. It has a palpable airiness to it, which neither the LX or Z1R has (Z1R does kind of have it, but it's silibant).

Overall, a great set of IEM's. given the lackluster bass, i think it's fair to give these a 4.5.

Thanks for reading

EDIT: Just listened to the Sony IER M9 which is substantially better in every aspect. The only pitfall being the Highs aren't as airy.

Preamble:
Bought these with my own money. Not sponsored in anyway and no vested interests.
As with all my reviews short and to the point

Comparators
Campfire Audio Andromeda
Sony IER Z1R

Source
Hiby R5

Tracks
Bass response: Drake MIA, Ed Sheeran South of Boarder
Mid response: Ed Sheeran South of the boarder, Toto Africa, Sam smith How do you sleep
Treble response: sam smith How do you sleep, Dj snake You know you like it

Packaging
Decent, on par with Campfire.
Sony beats it with ease. And to be honest dissapointing given the $3500 AUD price point for a new pair

Build
Good build quality, metal would've been even better, but i understand why acrylic needs to be used.
The customization options are really cool.

Fit
Very good. Better than the Z1R and andromeda

Tip selection
Only included are final E tips, which are fine, but not the best for bringing out the sound
I found comply foams work the best for the LX

Sound

• Bass: This is the easiest one, very very very good. Too good at times. It causes the stage on the LX to be smaller.
• Mids: recessed. Quite markedly so, most out of the Andro and Z1R. Andro's have the best Mids in terms of details are accuracy.
• Treble: Very well done. In terms of clarity and detail behind the Andros and Z1R, however it was never silibant or harsh like the other 2. I preferred the LX treble out of the 3.
• Stage: Hmm... All the instruments are there, all the frequencies are there, it's congested though. The bass definitely bleeds into the mids, but that was expected, this is a basshead IEM without a doubt.
• Instrument seperation: I think it's a very close tie up between the Andro and Z1R here. I don't find the seperation on the LX overly impressive and as i stated above it is almost 'restricted'.
• Reproduction accuracy: Z1R easily wins here, most natural sounding (however the highs are harsh). Next would be Andros and then LX.

Summary
A very capable set of IEMs. My only gripe is the mids, even though they are well represented, the stage is crowded and they do not have a chance to shine. It competes very well against the Z1R and wins out in certain aspects, overall i would say the Z1R is a side-grade if anything (as i don't like the fit and the harshness in treble).

I am rating as 3.5, as had the bass and mid seperation been a bit better, it would easily be 5/5.

Preamble
Bought these with my own money. Not biased nor sponsored in anyway. I keep my reviews short and to the point. Hope this helps you make a decision on whether to purchase or not.

Packaging
Very nicely laid out packaging. Has everything you could want. The case is a bit odd, but once you get the hang of using it works well to keep the IEMs safe. The double box design makes it look and feel sophisticated, which i think is what they are going for with the whole $1k ear jewlery thing.

Build
Very solid build. The shell size will likely fit a majority of ears. the included cables are good, and although the MMCX connector swivles quite a bit, it isn't too bothersome. The cables don't have any microphonics and are of good quality and sturdy.

Fit
Good. You need to find the right tips. I would NOT rec foam tips (they make the sound really crap). Symbio W bores wored really well for me.

Test Gear

• Hiby R5
• Macbook Pro
• Iphone X with Lightning dongle

Test Tracks

• Toto - Africa (Instrument seperation, staging, vocals and bass)
• Drizzy - MIA (indicator of bass response, good for delineating mids vs. bass bleed)
• Post malone - WOW (bass and mid seperation)
• Teitso and co. - Ritual (Vocals)

Comparators

• Sony IER Z1R
• Empire Ears Legend X

Sound

• Bass: Very nice meaty bass slam. The bass is well defined, with good extension. There is a greater prominence in the sub and mid bass. Very well done. tight with fast decay.
• Mids: Even though on paper the sound signature appears to be very V shaped. The mids actually sound reallly nice. Vocals are prominent and don't sound holo. The low mids and high bass does mix.
• Highs: Smooth. Not silibant. I can't say much else. Other than that.
• Overall: Good amount of detail and clarity. The bass doesn't get muddy and doesn't bleed too much into the mids. These appear very good for vocal centric music which again is suprising given the FR graphs. They sound lively and fun.

Comparisons

• IER Z1R: The Xelento has more bass impact, but the Z1R has greater sub bass and much further extension. The Z1R has a wider sound stage and better instrument seperation, which was expected, due to the dedicated mid and treble drivers. However, given the Z1R costs double the price, i wouldn't say you are getting double the performance, albeit far from it.
• Legend X: X has greater bass impact and a tighter response. Xelento has better mids and vocals. I would say the Xelento also has a wider stage than the Legend X, but the Legend X has better instrument seperation even though at times it sounds ' congested ' (what i mean by that is, even though all the sounds are there, it's hard to percieve due to the sheer amplitude of each frequency - if that makes any sense). Again, at double the price you are not getting double the performance.

Summary
I really liked the Xelento. Even though i eventually sold it, as the upgraditis bug took over, i think it is a very solid dynamic driver IEM. Beyerdynamic has refined their house sound to a great level with the xelento. At it's price point i think it competes very well against similarly priced IEMs which i've had a chance to audition (Campfire atlas, andromeda, Empire ears bravado etc).

Thanks for reading

Preamble
Bought with my money and RRP

Packaging
Good, great inclusions in the box.

Build
Very good build.
No complaints here

Sound
:/.
A/B between the nano and my apple usb dongle both running through my ipad pro. I could not tell any difference between the tracks i was playing (Tidal Master/Hifi). The Amp in the nano is of course better and as such was able to provide more power on tap, but other than that, it was not a large enough improvement to warrant the $285 difference in price.

Sumamry
I'll keep this very short and to the point. I do not think the nano is worth the price. I think if one were to sit down and A/B between this and a lightning dongle, the sound difference would not be dicernable. Heck, i would even go as far as to say the Apple dongle at times sounded better.

Preamble:
I bought this with my money at full RRP. This review is no way influenced by HIby or any other party.
Even though i am happy with my purchase, i need to highlight that Hiby has chosen to be deceptive in their marketing tactics (Screen size in renders and lack of native EQ) - they really didn't need to be, as i personally would've bought either way.

I keep my reviews short, becasue i don't like reading, i like conciseness and to the pointness.

Equipment used to test:

• Empire Ears Legend X
• Sony MDR Z7M2

Comparitors

• A&K SR15
• Macbook Pro 15 2018
• Iphone lightning dongle + USB C dongle
• IFI IDSD black label nano

Packaging

• Basic with decent freebies
• The silicone case has an odd smell
• The screen protector included is not tempered glass and is a mushy cheap silicone one
• USB C cable appears to be decent
• I had preordered mine, and didn't recieve the laughable 'premium pack' becasue of delay in shipment from Hiby HQ

Build

• Like a small brick
• Great size and i really like the design
• Hiby had been deceptive in their intial renders (images showing there was no chin, when there is one), but the screen is still great
• Within the silicone case, the device feels secure and unlikely to slip and break

UI

• Android 8.1 works well, albeit at times laggy
• No native EQ as again deceptively advertised by Hiby, there is however EQ in the Hiby music App
• Lags on tidal often, but after a while, it settles and becomes smooth
• UPDATE: Heat Issues completely resolved with firmware update! Only warms up ever so sightly.
• Playstore crashes from time to time
• Youtube app UPDATE runs smoothly
• keyboard is finicky and can be difficult to type on due to lag
• 3rd party EQ apps work well, but again... come on Hiby you should state on the specs it isn't a native EQ it's very misleading to customers
• Occasional Wifi Dropouts

Battery Life

• So far i've been getting around 6 hrs of continuous use from the BAL output powering my LX, which is less than what's advertised, however i won't criticise based on this, as i'll give Hiby the benefit of the doubt that it may improve after a few more charge cycles.
• UPDATE: After installing the latest firmware, battery life has improved significantly! i got 8 hrs out fo the last cycle. Very good.
• Fast charging... Not even sure this works on the R5, doesn't bother me too much but i have tried my 87W macbook charger, 30W ipad charger, 45W Baseus charger and 60W macbook charger none of which trigger the fast charging...

Sound

• The most important thing. The sound signature is very neutral. Which would have been awesome had their been a native EQ so one could adapt the signature to their liking. The bass is well controlled and the highs are not silibant. The mids are present and sound full. At times on the LX i did find the sound to be 'congested' and i'm guessing that's due to a combination of limited stage of both the R5 and the LX.
• With the use of 3rd party EQing, the sound can be changed to whatever you like. This calibration is handled very well and their is no muddiness or artifact noises from altering the sound.
• The Amp in this thing is very very good. There is a 'crackle' when turning on and off due to the amp circuit but other than that it can power my gear to ridiculous levels. There is no audible hiss either with LX. Well done on this Hiby.

Comparisons

• SR15: The SR15 had a warmer signature. However, the stage is even smaller than that of the R5. It is not as clear and does not have as powerful of an Amp. They both use the same DAC chip but with slightly different, yet audible tunings. Given a choice between the 2, i would pick the R5, due to it's better UI, substantially better Amp and open Android.
• Ifi nano BL: Not really a fair comparison. R5 blows it out of the water on every front.

Summary

• I think Hiby has done a decent job with the R5. Good sound quality, exceptional Amp at a very reasonable price point. Had it not been for the minor flaws i would have rated this a 5/5.

Preamble:
Bought at RRP, not sponsored or indorsed.

Summary:

• Great Hybrid. Cannot beat the DD sound, which i am very fond of. Manages to have the best of both worlds.
• I found myself turning up the volume higher and higher, and not being limited by high shrieking treble but rather actual decibels the first time i have experienced a pair of IEMs which are able to do this. increasing volume increases the 'thickness'
• It should be noted that Tip selection, insertion depth are pivotal as if subpar they will not sound like 2k+ earphones.
• Comfort was an issue intialy, as my ears adapted to being coloquially put raped. But after finding the right sized tips. I have begun to forget i have them on.
• Sony have pulled of an amazing feat with these IEMs.

Comparators:

• Beyerdynamic Xelento (BX)
• Campfire Cascade
• Empire Ears Legend X

Build:
Incredible, the zirconium shell appears very robust, you are getting a high level of build quality as one would expect paying 2k+

Packaging:
The best. Have never had an IEM with this much attention to the unpackaging.

Source:

• Iphone x via dongle / ifi micro BL
• Tidal Hifi / master

Songs:

• Toto -Africa (have listened to this song about 20 times in the last 2 days, it sound incredible through the Z1R's)
• Ed Sheeran -South of the Boarder
• Avicii -Heaven
• Bon Jovi -Livin' on a prayer

Impressions:
- Bass:
> Realistic, has a sub bass focus. Not muddy. Well controlled and fast.
> Compared to BX: BX has more bass quantity, however is more muddy and upper bass bleeds into the low ids, Compared to the cascades. Lol. Cascades are nuts - Overpowered bass with little control
- Mids:
> Recessed. Especially Mid and high mids. However with EQ can be corrected. This is particularly noticeable in male predominent songs (i.e. Bon Jovi)
> Compared to BX: BX has more forward mids, greater low mid impact and quantity. However again, doesn't nail
the control or speed. Cacades also have recessed mids, to a greater degree than both.
- Highs:
> Tip selection is vital here. As is insertion depth. I have very sensitive ears and with the wrong seal and or wrong insertion depth it was harsh and silibant however, after experimenting for a day i found the perfect tips and Wow. Crystal clear and shimmering. Much more extension and quantity that the BX and easily outclasses the cascades.

Comparisons:

• Xeleto: More upper highs and more sub bass rumble on the Z1R, i think their was more bass impact with the xelento. Z1R has a much larger stage and greater clarity.
• Legend X: Hmm... LX has boom boom boom bass, Z1R has BANG bass... if that makes any sense at all. The stage is better on the Z1R. The LX is less silibant and has better control of the treble. Mids are recessed in both. I found the LX to have a comparitively more 'congested' sound signature.

Summary:

• The Z1R is a true TOTL IEM, even though i eventually decided to let mine go due to the treble, i still think they are absolutely one of the best IEM's i have ever heard.

EDIT: After hearing the IER M9, sony could've handled the treble and mids better on the Z1R like they did on the M9, -1 stars.

Preface:
Unlike 5 or 6 of the other reviews about this product and extensively in the Campfire Audio range in general, this review was not sponsored in anyway nor was this a review product or an item given for review. I purchased this with my own money.

This is a very honest review. I understand that some will disagree with my statements but so be it.

I honestly believe, psychologically, if you are given a product free you will inherently more likely to provide a more positive review. It is human nature, i may not know headphones very well, but i do ample medical knowledge to make this claim with confidence.

With that said, i urge you to take the; whether directly or indirectly biased reviews with a grain of salt. Moreover, since i own these now and am $1700 + lesser i have no reason to fabricate the truth.

As with my other review i will keep this succinct and to the point, instead of the plethora of synonyms.

Packaging:
Great, as one would expect at this price point, simple yet full of accessories. Wide selection of ear tips (silicone, final audio and in house foam) & the usual CA inclusions. The box is nice, no corners where cut in the packaging which is always a good sign.

The carrying case provided is very nice, i have grown a liking to the interior faux wool feel of CA cases.
Cable is also very nice, Silver litz cable which is well made.

Build:
One word. Exceptional.
The stainless steel housing is very aesthetically pleasing, albeit easy to scratch.
The build quality conveys the price of these IEM's, you're definitely getting a hefty package for the price.

Fit:
This is where the problems begin.
It is incredibly difficult to get a good seal, and the driver flex is ridiculous.
There needs to be a way to balance the pneumatic imbalance as otherwise you will not hear any sound emitting from the IEM, this is exacerbated by using silicone tips as it increases the friction between the internal auditory meatus and the exterior of the silicone tip which in theory does create a very good seal, however without removal of the negative pressure generated the only place the pressure goes is into the headphones and the driver = driver flex. The fix is a one way valve like some competitors have implemented (64 Audio ADEL / APEX ). Or using Foam tips (i will get into later why this is not ideal).
Next the headphones are very heavy. It's a double-edged sword, in one hand you have a very nicely finished metal IEM but then there is it's inherent weight which makes it very difficult to keep inside your external auditory meatus.

It is evident more thought was given to the design rather than it's ergonomics. A good fix is to wear them over ear but this also doesn't work most of the time. Symbio Wide bore are by far the best tips to use for these IEM's - the hybrid design allows for a good seal and reduced driver flex.

Don't expect to perform any locomotion wearing these as the IEMs will fall out unless you keep reinserting, which if you do. Driver flex.

Sound:
Bass: Incredible. Visceral. Sub-bass is expansive a step above the Vegas and the 64 A U8's. Mid bass is responsive and fast. In general the bass is tight and punchy. Only in inherently bass heavy music will be bass overtake the other signals otherwise it is still very well controlled which makes for a very pleasant listening experience.

Mids: Can be represented as regressed at times. However it is closer to reference compared to other V shaped IEMs. Not as good as the Vegas or SE846.

Treble: Female vocals sound very pleasing, males as with a lot of IEMs is lacking. There is sibilancy at times (however i do have very sensitive ears and accordingly to audiology results i can hear well at 20,000 - 21,000 Hz, so compared to a majority of the populous who have reviewed these, this is unlikely to be a problem for them due to age related cochlear degeneration = reduced high frequency hair cells in the cochlear). Otherwise the highs are very nice. No complaints.

Overall sound: V shaped. With a nice bass emphasis.

Comparisons:
CA Vega: The Vegas have a more refined sound, closer to neutral, although still V shaped. The atlas is superior in the Bass. But i would say the Vega is superior in every other aspect, although i didn't have problems with sibilancy with the Vega's so subjectively i would say the Atlas has a wider sound stage. The fit of the Vega's is much easier and there is far less driver flex (if any). However, for the basshead the Atlas is the better choice. If refinement but still energetic is your thing, the vegas.

I should note i was using a FiiO Q5 & Chord mojo to listen and using Tidal Hi-Fi for tracks. I listened to mainly pop, R & B and Hip hop.

I think they match nicely with the Q5 and the Mojo, i like that the Q5 has the option to add even more bass.

Closing statement:
I would advise those looking at purchasing these to go in store and listen to them first. Ensure you are able to get a good fit to avoid being in the same position i am (i don't live near anywhere which has the CA range to try out).

These are great sounding IEM's don't get me wrong, however, not very practical, as unless you plan to sit still and listen to music they will not be useful and i would urge you to look else where.

Preface:
I'm not affiliated with FiiO nor was this review paid for or biased in anyway. I purchased this for full MSRP.
I've summarised below the key points, as i prefer to keep things succinct and to the point rather than a plethora synonyms.

Packaging:
FiiO have always been good with their packaging, a simple cardboard box with a more stylish black box containing the gear inside the outer box. As usual there is the authenticity scratch off.

One of the strengths is the amount of cables and accessories already provided, which is simply exceptional other manufacturers usually sell required cables aftermarket which can make enjoying your equipment out of the box troublesome and in some cases, not feasible.

Build:
Very good build quality. Made with a complete metal exterior as expected at this price point. The back is adorned by a nice soft black faux leather protection pad to stack with. The silver bluish hue of the device is very aesthetically pleasing.

The modularity of the AMP module is a nice idea for those looking for extra power for harder to drive earphones.

Volume knob and buttons are well made and not flimsy.

Connectivity:
A key reason to get this device being AptX and Hi-Res audio certified. The bluetooth connection is very stable and has a good range, i found it to be about 15 - 20 meters with direct visualisation of the device. I found the bluetooth connectivity extremely useful, running flawlessly from an Iphone and even of my mac. The play pause fwd rwd work very well, pity it is only in bluetooth mode.

I should note, that the discrepancy in sonic quality bluetooth vs. wired is very minimal. 3 - 5 % at the most, and that's being very picky.

There is the usual slew of micro usb, co-axial inputs.

Output @ 3.5mm & 2.5mm balanced.

There is also the option for line out which is nice, but i don't know who would use this as purely an AMP.

A fun side note, it works from an apple watch as well!! I was messing around and realised it could stream direct via the apple watch (LTE) - albeit only apple music but still nonetheless extremely impressive.

Sound:
In one word. Reference. The sound signature is very flat. Which is very nice. The additional bass boost increases the sub and slightly the mid bass - but nothing extreme. It sounds uninteresting. The highs are crisp, not sibilant.

Update: After a while of listening, i've come to summize that the sound is a bit sterile for my liking. Plain and un exciting at times. I've noticed i am keeping the bass boost on 24/7, as without it the sound signature can lack a bit of fun.

Comparisons:
Chord mojo
- I found the mojo to be a troublesome device. Cables were hard to find, especially when using OTG.
- the mojo sound signature was more energetic to a point almost V shaped
- Build is similar of the 2 devices. Battery life from the Q5 easily gets to 10 hrs as advertised running 32 ohm IEMs.
- $999 for blue tooth connectivity is a joke.

Final words:
I think this is definitely worth it's price. FiiO have done an exceptional job and perfecting this device. Improvements would be to include a USB C to micro out of the box. And to switch to USB C output. Better tuning would have served it well.

Thanks for reading!