The MUSILAND MU1;
Good Value for the Money…


About Musiland:

Musiland Electrical Co. Ltd is a well-known manufacturer of computer audio equipments like USB sound cards, PCI sound cards, external stereo decoders, etc. and is located in Beijing, China.




Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Musiland for providing me this sample via Penon Audio for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Musiland beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.

Price:

The Musiland MU1 USB Type-C to 3.5mm DAC/AMP adapter is available on Penon Audio for 35,00 USD.

Purchase Link: https://penonaudio.com/musiland-mu1-type-c-to-3.5mm.html


Introduction:

The Musiland MU1 is a vey small sized USB Type-C (digital) to 3.5mm (analog) adapter with built in Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) and Amplifier which is specially designed for Android interface devices. It uses the highly integrated, low-power digital processor SUPERDSP230, with standard 3.5MM headphone interface.



Package and Accessories:

The device comes in small zipper case which contains the following items;

• 1 pcs of Musiland MU1 USB Type-C to 3.5mm DAC/AMP adapter
• 1 pcs of USB Type-C to USB adapter
• 1 pcs Zipper Case

Design and Build Quality:

The Musiland MU1 is a small, digital to analog converter and adapter with a low profile cable, which is according to Musiland, a HI-FI grade 6N single-crystal copper cable with a 4-core multi-strand braid structure, which is coated with a transparent high elasticity organic fiber material for extra durability. In fact, the quality of workmanship is at a high level.





On one side of this adapter is the 3.5mm single ended headphone out and on the other side is the heart of the MU1 where you can find the DAC and AMP which is placed inside the USB Type-C connector housing.





Specifications:

• Digital Input Interface : USB Type-C
• Analog Output : 3.5mm Single Ended
• Dynamic Range : 114dB
• THD+N : -90dB
• Sample Rate : 8 – 192kHz
• Static Power Consumption : about 50 mA
• Cable Material & Core : 6N single-crystal copper, 4-core multi-strand braided

Hardware/Software:

The Musiland MU1 is a small DAC, which has some nice hardware specs. The MU1 has no battery and any physical volume control button/wheel and needs the power of the source.

The MU1 supports mainstream media software’s and is compatible with KuGou Music, Netease Cloud Music, QQ Music, HiBy Music, USB Audio Player Pro and many other music Applications on the market and support sampling rates up to 192 KHz.



a) DSP230 processor:

Inside the Musiland MU1 is the DSP230 processor of the company Cirrus Logic which supports sampling rates at 16bit and 24Bit form 44.1kHz up to 192kHz.


b) Low Power Audio Codec:

Musiland MU1 is using the CS42L42 Low Power Audio Codec of the company Cirrus Logic with integrated MIPI SoundWire® that is designed for portable applications, which provides a dynamic range of 114dB. The CS42L42 features sample rates up to 24-bit and has 2 DAC’s and

The CS42L42 architecture includes bypassable SRCs and a bypassable, three-band, 32-bit parametric equalizer, which allows processing of digital audio data.


c) Connectivity:

The Musiland MU1 supports a plug-and-play feature, which is compatible with Android Devices with USB Type-C port. Apple Computers and PC’s with Windows 10 1703 and above are also supported but you must use the USB Type-C to USB 2.0 converter to plug the MU1 adapter.


d) Driving power & Hissing:

According to Musiland, the MU1’s headphone output power is 2x60mw for 32ohms and can drive up to 120 ohm headphones with a transient current of up to 300mA.

The Musiland MU1 has a surprisingly clean output for a price of 35,00 USD and sounds quite clean with my relative sensitive DUNU Falcon-C. The MU1 has also enough juice to power my full sized headphone, the ATH M50 to relative loud volume levels.





Equipments used for this review:

• DAC’s : Musiland MU1
• USB Source : Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Dell 5521 Laptop
• IEM’s : Campfire Audio Polaris, Audeze iSine20, Lear LUF Kaleido, Dunu Flacon-C
• Earbuds : Astrotec Lyra Collection, Penon BS1 Official, Simphonio Dragon2+
• Headphones : Audio-Technica ATH-M50

Albums & Tracks used for this review:

• Jehan Barbur – Yollar (Spotify)
• Minor Empire – Bulbulum Altin Kafeste (Spotify)
• London Grammar – Interlud (Live) (Flac 24bit/44kHz)
• Laura Pergolizzi – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Steve Srauss – Mr. Bones (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Dire Straits – Money for Nothing (DSD 64)
• Gothart – Jovano, Jovanke (Spotify)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• GoGo Penguin – Fanfares (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Metallica – Sad bu True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)
• Future Heroes – Another World (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Lorde – Team (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Tom Player – Resonace Theory “Album” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Deeperise feat. Jabbar – Move On (Spotify)

The Sound:

Please note that this is a low budget DAC/AMP that means, all my comments about the sound quality are in consideration of this price range. The burn-in period for the Musiland MU1 was for about 80 hours.

The Musiland MU1 sounds balanced and has a fairly neutral tonality with a hint of warmth which avoids a too dry sound presentation.

The lower frequencies region of the Musiland MU1 sounds fairly uncolored and has a moderate sub-bass rumble, which sounds controlled, but does not reaches to the lowest register. The sub-bass is tight and has good authority.

The bass speed is above average and is enough to make a pleasant presentation of instruments like bass guitars and drums.

The mid-bass of area of the MU1 has moderate presence and fullness, which is good enough for pop or rock music, but its missing of some punch for genres like electronic and trance.

The midrange of the Musiland MU1 is slightly laid-back and there is only a small amount of coloration. The midrange sounds pretty smooth and clear, which is really impressive at this price point. Both male and female vocals sounding smooth and natural with a slightly hint of warmness.

The definition of instruments is above average and there is pretty good amount of detail retrieval, especially for 35,00 USD. Some instruments like guitars, violins and pianos are sounding detailed and are quite enjoyable to listen for.

There is only a very low amount off upper midrange harshness in higher volumes, which is noticeable in some bad recorded or remastered metal and trash metal songs like Metallica’s “Sad but True” or Megadeth’s “Sweating Bullets” which is quite acceptable in this price category.

The treble range has a moderate level of extension and doesn’t sound harsh or sibilant, which is again a big plus at this price point. Instrument like flutes, cymbals and guitar strings sounding fairly detailed and having a nice crispiness.

The upper treble sounds energetic, with good amount of air and nice level of sparkle and is presented in a clear way without being dry or harsh. There is also a moderate amount of body, which makes the overall presentation more enjoyable.


Soundstage and Separation:

The soundstage of the Musiland MU1 has a quite natural expansion which has moderate wide and above average depth. The positioning of instruments and vocals is fairly precise and there is a good level of separation at this price point.



Comparisons:

Dell 5521 Laptop:

There is a noticeable improvement in sound quality when I hook the Musiland MU1 to my Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Dell 5521 Laptop.

The MU1 is a much cleaner source, which sounds more natural and detailed compared to the stock sound of the Dell 5521. The bass of the Dell 5521 has more quantity, but less detail, extension and control.

The midrange of the Dell 5521 sounds veiled and dry compared to the cleaner and more transparent presentation of the Musiland MU1. The instrument separation sounds much more improved and vocals a represented in a more natural way.

The upper midrange of the stock Dell 5511 headphone out has some control issues especially in fast passages like in GoGo Penguin – Fanfares, where the Musiland MU1 sounds fairly controlled.

The Treble range of the Dell 5521 is missing clarity and sparkle, which the Musiland MU1 has. The treble of the MU1 extends better and the Dell 5521 is also missing some detail, which the MU1 has.

The difference for soundstage depth is minimal; while the MU1 has the wider stage and a more precise instrument placement.



Samsung Galaxy S8+:

The Musiland MU1 is a slightly warmer source then the Galaxy S8+, has more bass quantity and sounds also fuller. The bass speed is nearly identical, but the extension and control of the Musiland MU1 is superior.

The midrange of the Galaxy S8+ sounds slightly thinner and in a dryer way. Both sources are sounding fairly clean, but the MU1 has additional transparency in the midrange. Both, vocals and instruments sounding more realistic and intimate with the Musiland MU1, which is one of the strong abilities of this device, especially at this price range. The difference for definition and micro detail is not as high like with my Dell 5511, but the MU1 has again the upper hand in this regarding.

The treble range of the Musiland MU1 has the better control and doesn’t sound harsh like the Galaxy S8+, which has also some sibilance problems in this area. Musiland MU1 has also more detail and better extension at the upper treble range.

The difference for soundstage depth and wideness is surprisingly minimal, but the Musiland MU1 has again the more precise instrument placement and better imaging.







Conclusion:

The Musiland MU1 is a surprisingly good sounding DAC/AMP for the price and its size. It sounds clean, transparent and fairly detailed, which makes it to a good option; especially for Smartpones and Tablets with USB Type-C connections, which have mediocre sound quality.


Summary (pros and cons):

• + Great Sound for the Price
• + Clean Background
• + Small & Lightweight
• + Plug and Play capability for Android, PC (Windows 10) and MAC

• – No dedicated volume control
• – Need driver installation for Windows 8 and below

This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net


...

The Brainwavz S0; A Solid Performer


Introduction:

The company Brainwavz is a well-known Asian Hi-Fi Audio Company, which is known for their affordable audio products. The Brainwavz S0 is one of there entry level products which futures a Clearwavz Remote control.







Disclaimer:

The Brainwavz S0 was provided to me by the Brainwavz for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with Brainwavz beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.


Price & Warranty:

The MSRP price for the Brainwavz S0 is 49.50 USD and has a 24 Month Warranty.

Purchase Link: Brainwavz Store



Package and Accessories:

The Brainwavz S0 comes in small rectangular box which is wrapped with a white colored card board and sports an illustration of the S0 earphone. The box itself is in grey and has a soft coated surface with a nice appearance.





What’s inside the box?

• 1 x Brainwavz S0
• 1 x Earphone hard-case
• 6 x sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
• 1 x set of Comply™ Foam Tips T-400
• 1 x Shirt Clip
• 1 x set of Silicone Bi-Flange Eartips
• 1 x set of Silicone Tri-Flange Eartips
• 1 x Velcro Cable Tie
• 1 x Instruction Manual
• 1 x Warranty Card (24-month warranty)

The Brainwavz S0 IEM comes with lots of accessories like a shirt clip, hard-case, various silicone ear tips, etc. There is also one pair of Comply T-400 foam tips which is a nice addition.



The hard-case which is included to the box looks stylish and is also quite useful.




Specifications:

• Driver Type : Dynamic, 9 mm
• Impedance : 16 Ω
• Frequency Range : 18 Hz ~ 18 kHz
• Sensitivity : 100 dB at 1 mW
• Rated Input Power : 10 mW
• Cable : 1.2 m Y-Cord, Copper
• Headphone Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold Plated

Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The Brainwavz S0 has is quite comfortable and sits nice in my ears. The noise isolation is average due the bass vent on the backside of the monitor.

The Brainwavz S0 has a relative small and compact form factor. The monitor is made of a solid all metal housing and has a flat, tangle free cable which looks & feels also very durable.

There is also a red plastic part on the shell which serves as strain relief.



On the back of the monitor sports a bass vent and the Brainwavz logo and on the sides are the Left & Right markings.



The Brainwavz S0 has a built in remote which is promoted as “Clearwavz Remote” and features a build in microphone (on the backside of the remote control) with a quite good voice transmission performance. The remote control sports 3 buttons which supports Apple iOS and Android products and works for phone call controls, audio player controls and volume controls with a Micro-Electrical-Mechanical System (in short MEMS).



The cable sports a plastic Y splitter and a chin/neck slider.



The straight headphone jack is made of plastic and has a 3.5mm gold plated plug.




Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Metallica – Sad But True (Flac 24bit/96Hz)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• London Grammar – Hey Now (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (DSF)
• Future Heroes – Archangel (Spotify)
• Deeperise feat Jabbar – Move On (Spotify)

Sources used for this review:

• IEM : Brainwvz S0, Shzoy Hibiki, VE Monk Smalls IE
• DAP/DAC : Chord Mojo, Hifiman HM603s, Nexum AQUA+

The Sound:

I believe in burn-in and this review is written after a burn-in process of approx. 80 hours. I have used the stock black colored silicone ear tips (which are softer but have a smaller sound channel) that are included to the package.

Tonality:

The Brainwavz S0 has a slightly warm tonality with a bright top end, strong bass response and a very clean overall sound and I was very surprised how clear and powerful this little IEM form sounded.

Frequencies:

Bass:

You can immediately notice that the Brainwavz S0 has some strong and powerful bass presentation, but don’t get me wrong, this is not the sort of bass presentation which sounds overpowered or overwhelming. This is not an IEM which will satisfy bass heads, but most people who want some strong bass, without to lose clarity will enjoy this IEM with no doubt.

The sub-bass area between 20 – 50 Hz has good weight and depth and this will satisfy many users who are looking for an IEM for a reasonable price.

The bass sounds controlled and is sounds tight but is missing a little bit of extension, which is quite acceptable for this price level. One big plus point for the Brainwavz S0 is the mid-bass performance, which sounds well controlled, punchy and pretty fast without to overshadowing the midrange.

For example; the bass presentations in some bass heavy songs like Future Heroes – Archangel and Lorde’s – Royal are sounding very exiting.


Mids:

The most important part of the Brainwavz S0 is the midrange clarity, which is in a level that is rare to find in this price class. It sounds slightly colored (warm) but has a good amount of detail.

The definition of instruments and the level of it’s clearness above average.

I have tested the S0 with some instrument intensive tracks like Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti and the result was pretty good.

Both male and female vocals are presented in a quite natural and transparent way. Some Female voices like Diana Krall and Hannah Reid (vocalist of London Grammar) are represented in a quite emotional and exiting way. The overall vocal distance of the Brainwavz S0 is pretty balanced, which doesn’t sound very upfront or too recessed.

The upper treble range of the S0 is another highlight, because it sounds controlled and transparent, with only a low amount of sibilance that is most noticeable in bad recorded or remastered tracks.



Treble:

The first noticeable thing about the treble range is the good transition between the upper midrange and the treble range, where exists a good balance between neutrality and musicality.

The treble extension and overall speed of the Brainwavz S0 is above average and the good thing is that there is no remarkable harshness between the 4 – 6 kHz range.

The upper treble range of the Brainwavz S0 sounds relative controlled with some instruments like violins, cymbals or bells. Megadeth’s epic song “Sweating Bullets” is a good example, where the cymbals have a pretty good attack and decay.



Soundstage and Imaging:

The soundstage of the Brainwavz S0 is fairly wide and is above average in depth, which should not be a drawback at this price point. The S0 represents a nice sense of space with a good amount of air between instruments and there is also a nice, 3D like imaging.



Comparison:

Vs. Shozy Hibiki:

The Shozy Hibiki has less sub-bass quantity and depth than compared to the Brainwavz S0. Both IEM’s are equal good regarding to the overall bass speed. The S0 has better the better bass extension, while the Shozy Hibiki sounds more controlled.

.The Brainwavz S0 sounds surprisingly clinical and transparent compared to the flat but grainy midrange presentation of the Shozy Hibiki. The Hibiki sounds slightly warmer and emotional compared to the S0.

The upper midrange of the Shozy Hibiki sounds slightly harsher, compared to the more controlled and softer presentation of the Brainwavz S0. Both IEM’s are surprisingly good for its price regarding to vocal and instrument presentation. When it comes to vocal presentation I must say that the Barinwavz S0 sounds better with male vocals, while I like the Shozy Hibiki more with female voices due the more emotional presentation.

Both the Shozy Hibiki and Brainwavz S0 have a pretty controlled treble presentation while the Hibiki IEM sounds slightly harsher with bad recorded/remastered tracks, where the S0 excels better. The detail level of the Shozy Hibiki is slightly better.

The soundstage of the Shozy Hibiki expands in a more natural way, while the difference for depth is minimal.





Vs. VE Monk IE Smalls

The Monk IE Smalls sounds quite warm in its presentation compared to the more natural sounding Brainwavz S0, which has also more sparkle on the top end.

Both IEM’s sharing some nice sub-bass rumble, which will excite bass lovers. But the Brainwavz S0 has more depth, extension and control compared to the slower and hotter sounding bass response of the Monk’s. The Monk IE Smalls sounds a bit too warm in the bass department, where the Brainwavz S0 sounds more balanced and natural.

Both IEM’s have a quite different midrange presentation. The Monk IE Smalls sounds fuller and warmer with a veiled presentation, while the Brainwavz S0 has a more transparent and natural midrange tuning. The Brainwavz S0 sounds more realistic with both male and female vocals, while the Monk IE Smalls has an emotional presentation.

The instrument clarity, separation and detail level of the Brainwavz S0 is superior compared to those of the Monk IE Smalls, which has some clarity problems.

The treble range of the Monk IE Smalls sounds darker and is missing some sparkle. The treble extension and detail level of the Brainwavz S0 is one of the best in this price class and is superior to those of the Monk IE Smalls. The upper treble range of the Monk IE Smalls sounds softer and more controlled, but is missing some sparkle.

The Brainwavz S0 has an airier and wider soundstage presentation in both directions.



Conclusion:

The Brainwavz S0 is a very well made IEM, which has a very nice accessory package and pretty good sound quality. The powerful bass, overall balance and clarity level makes it to a good performer in this price range.



Summary (plus and minus):

• + Build like a Tank
• + Strong but clean bass
• + Balanced sound and clarity
• + Build-in microphone with volume control

• – No detachable cable & Flat cable profile
• – Not the best isolation

This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net



...

The Wooden Classics


Introduction:

Meze Audio was founded by Antonio Meze in 2009 in Baia Mare, Romania, who was looking for a pair of headphones that he could connect to in the same way that he felt connected to his Fender Stratocaster guitar. The real breakthrough year for Meze was 2015 with the release of the Meze 99 Classics. The Meze 12 Classics is their latest product in the Classics series.





Disclaimer:

The Meze 12 Classics was provided to me by the Meze for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with Meze beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.

Price:

The MSRP price for the Meze 12 Classics is 79,00 USD.

• Product Page : https://www.mezeaudio.com/
• Purchase Link : Meze Shop

Package and Accessories:

The Meze 12 Classics comes in a relative small white card box that consists from two pieces, the upper cover and bottom box.



This box includes the following contents;

• 1 x Meze 12 Classics
• 1 x Cable clip
• 1 x Carrying Case
• 1 x 4 sets of silicone ear-tips (S, M, L & Double flange)
• 1 x Extra set of Comply foam ear-tips

The Meze 12 Classics comes with 4 sets of silicone ear-tips which are soft and comfy. The package is including an extra pair of comply foam tips which is a nice addition.

The zipper case is a bit small but doses it job. There is also a cable clip which is also a nice extra.





Specifications:

• Driver Type : Titanium coated 8mm Mylar driver
• Coil Type : Copper-clad aluminum voice coil
• Frequency response : 16 Hz – 24 KHz
• Impedance : 16 Ohm
• Sensitivity : 101dB (+/- 3db)
• Total Harmonic Distortion : < 0.5%
• Noise attenuation : up to 26dB
• Headphone Jack : 3.5mm gold-plated jack plug
• Cable Material : 7N OFC cable,
• Cable Length : 1.2m

About the Mylar driver:

The Meze 12 Classics features an 8mm diameter single driver with a titanium coated driver membrane which has a copper-clad aluminum voice coil.





Design, Fit/Comfort and Build Quality:

The Meze 12 Classics has a small form factor is light weight and very well made. They are two color options which are Iridium and Gun Metal. My unit came in Gun Metal color which has a nice appearance.

The housing of the Meze 12 Classics is a combination of aluminum and wood. The wooden chamber is made of walnut wood and looks beautiful.



The back of the housing sports the Meze logo and on the front is the straight nozzle, where you can find also a small bass vent.



The Meze 12 Classics has a fixed cable, which means you have not the option to chance/upgrade the cable if needed, but looks solid anyway.

The cable wire is made of 7N purity OFC (Oxygen Free Cooper) and has a grey TPU coating which looks like a high quality plastic, but that is prone for microphonic effects.





This cable sports a microphone and a straight 3.5mm gold plated headphone jack.



The Meze 12 Classics is a quite comfortable IEM which is ideal to wear cable down.

The noise isolation of this In Ear Monitor is above average.



Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why (DSD)
• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• Celine Dion – The Power of Love (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (Spotify)
• George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
• Dire Straits – Money for Nothing (DSD)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Spotify)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River (Flac 24bit/96 KHz Binaural Recording)
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Metallica – Sad but True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)

Sources used for this review:

• IEM : Meze 12 Classics, Shozy Hibiki, MEE audio Pinnacle P2
• DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Hifiman HM603s

The Sound:

This review is written after a burn-in process of approx. 90 – 100 hours and I have used the stock medium silicone ear tips which came in the box.

Please note that this is an entry level Mid-Fi IEM and all my comments about the sound quality are in consideration of this price range.

Tonality:

The Meze 12 Classics is a musical sounding IEM with a warmer then neutral tonality which is a result of the mildly boosted mid-bass area.


Frequencies:

The bass presentation of the Meze 12 Classics is mainly focused on the mid-bass area. The sub-bass between 20 – 50 Hz are missing some depth, but sounds otherwise controlled and have also some nice texture.

The bass response of the Meze 12 Classics is accurate and fast for a single dynamic driver and sounds also pretty natural, which is a good ability for genres with real instrumental like acoustic or jazz music. The guitar performance in Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River sounds quite natural and exiting.

The mid-bass of the Meze 12 Classics gives the overall presentation a nice touch of warmth. It is nicely textured and is not overwhelming. The transition between mid-bass to the mids is nicely done.

The midrange of the Meze 12 Classics doesn't sound thin or very full and has a nice balanced presentation. The midrange of Meze 12 Classics sounds also relative transparent and has a clean presentation, which is rarely found in this price category.

Male artists like George Michael or Freddy Mercury sounding relative organic, but the vocal presentation of female artists like Laura Pergolizzi or Saskia Bruin sounds in general more organic. I didn’t observe any overshadowing of the midrange which sounds in most situations clean.

The midrange of the 12 Classics has a nice sense of space and there is enough air between instruments. Some instruments like pianos and drums are missing some weight, but the overall realism it’s quite acceptable for this price range. The detail level and overall resolution is better than I have exempted for his price category.

The upper midrange of the Meze 12 Classics is pretty controlled and has only some minor problems with some female vocals like Laura Pergolizzi, Celine Dion and with some bad recorded/mastered tracks.

The Meze 12 Classics has a treble texture which extends pretty well. The detail retrieval is in a moderate level and instruments like cymbals, bells, violas etc. doesn’t sounding in a metallic or unnatural way. The Meze 12 classics, displays also some nice clarity which is a big plus for an IEM in this price range.

The upper treble range is bright but is not of the sort which could fatigue your ears after some long listening periods. The side flute (transverse flute) performance in Emmanuel Pahud’s track “Syrinx” has some nice sparkle and sound also quite realistic.


Soundstage:

The Meze 12 Classics has a decent soundstage presentation for an IEM at a price of 79.00 USD. The soundstage is pretty wide and the depth is above average. The instrument separation is quite good and the positioning of instruments and vocals quite accurate.





Comparison:

Vs. Shozy Hibiki:

Both IEM’s have a slightly warm tonality with a pretty good level of clarity.

When it comes to bass presentation, the Meze 12 Classics has slightly better dynamics and bass rendering, but both sounding fairly controlled in the bass department. The difference starts in the sub-bass and mid-bass area. The Shozy Hibiki IEM has more sub-bas quantity, while the Meze 12 classics have a more bass and mid-bass focused presentation.

The sub-bass of the Hibiki reaches deeper and has slightly more rumble, while the Meze 12 Classic sounds more controlled and fuller in the bass and mid-bass area.

Meze 12 Classics has a slightly more forward midrange presentation and sound also more natural in its presentation. I don’t know if this is a result of the wooden chamber but the 12 Classic sounds more organic compared to the Shozy Hibiki. The Meze 12 Classics sounds also more transparent and smooth, compared to the grainier presentation of the Shozy Hibiki.

The Shozy Hibiki suits better for male vocals, while the Meze 12 Classics sound more romantic with female vocals. Both IEM’s have good instrument rendering, while the Meze 12 Classics performs better with instrument like guitars, pianos or drums due its more organic presentation. The instrument separation of both IEM’s is nearly identical and pretty good for this price range.

The upper midrange of the Shozy Hibiki sounds a bit harsher compared to those of the Meze 12 Classics. The Meze sounds relative bright but has more control in the upper register.

The Shozy Hibiki sounds a bit too dry in the treble, but the detail level is on par with those of the Meze 12 Classics. The treble speed of the Meze 12 Classics is better, which is most noticeable with instruments like cymbals, bells etc. The Shozy Hibiki sounds a bit harsh especially in higher volume levels, where the Meze 12 Classics sounds more controlled.

The difference for soundstage performance is not too much, but the soundstage of the Meze 12 Classics sounds slightly deeper and wider to my ears. The Meze 12 Classics has also more air and space between instruments compared to the Shozy Hibiki.


Vs. MEE audio Pinnacle P2

The first noticeable difference is the lower frequency region of this IEM’s, where the Pinnacle P2 has more sub-bass and bass quantity then the Meze 12 Classics which sounds more balanced.

The sub-bass of the Pinnacle P2 sounds deeper and has also more rumble. The Meze 12 classics on the other hand sound a bit more controlled and faster in this region.

The bass especially the mid-bass region of the Pinnacle P2 has better weight and extension then those of the Meze 12 Classics which sounds otherwise more natural.

The Midrange of the Pinnacle P2 sounds warmer and fuller then those of the Meze 12 Classics. But there is a difference in clarity, where the Meze 12 Classics sounds cleaner and more transparent then Pinnacle P2, which sounds veiled due some mid-bass bleed.

The Pinnacle P2 sounds great with Male vocals but a bit too thick with female voices where the Meze 12 Classics sound more natural. The instrument presentation of the MEE audio Pinnacle P2 is pretty good for this price range, but the Meze 12 Classics has additional micro detail, which is really great for the price.

The upper midrange of the Pinnacle P2 sounds a bit more controlled, while the resolution of both IEM’s is quite good. There is no remarkable harshness for both IEM’s, which is a good thing in this price range.

The Pinnacle P2 sounds a bit hot in the treble range where the Meze 12 Classics has also additional brightness and clarity. The Meze 12 Classics has the better speed and control compared to the Pinnacle P2.

The Pinnacle P2 has more consumer friendly upper treble tuning which sounds slightly rolled off, while the Meze 12 Classics has some additional sparkle and detail in this area.

Both IEMs have nearly the same soundstage performance, but the Meze 12 Classics has slightly more depth, while both IEM’s have nearly identical soundstage wideness.





Conclusion:

The Meze 12 Classics is a very well made IEM with a wonderful wooden housing, which has a quite detailed sound with a balanced sound signature that will satisfy its owner for a price of 79,00 USD.

Summary (Pros and Cons):

• + Great build quality and wonderful wooden housing
• + Good detail level for the price
• + Nice balanced sound signature
• + Comfortable fit

• - No detachable cable
• - Missing of some micro detail

This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net



...

Fiio F9 Pro;
A Rich Sound in an Organic Design…


Introduction:

Many of us are familiar with Fiio Products; especially the Portable Audio Players of the X line up like X3, X5, X7 etc. Fiio joined later in to the earphone business with there first IEM that was called Fiio EX1. After the success of Fiio F9, they announced in November 2017 a new upgrade model called F9 Pro, which is the company's second hybrid in-ear monitor (IEM) model, which i will now review for you.



About Fiio:

FiiO is a Chinese HiFi brand that was established in 2007 and has experience in researching and developing countless portable music products of different types, and sell FiiO-branded products through sales agents worldwide. The brand name FiiO is composed of Fi (fidelity from HiFi) and iO (number 1&0), representing the real feeling and convenient life that digital brings to life. Meanwhile, the Chinese “飞傲” is the transliteration of FiiO, indicating the positive and innovative spirit as thriving as spring.

Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Fiio for providing me the Fiio F9 Pro as free review sample. I am not affiliated with Fiio beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered, opinions about the product.

Price:

The MSRP price for the Fiio F9 Pro is 139,99 USD.

Package and Accessories:

The Fiio F9 Pro comes in a small rectangle cardboard box, which is wrapped with a glossy paper sleeve which has some illustrations and specification on about the F9 Pro on it.



This box contains the following contents;

• 1 pair x F9 Pro In-Ear Monitor
• 1 x carrying case
• 12 pairs x Ear tips (3 pairs of foam + 9 pairs of silicone)
• 1 x 3.5mm single-ended cable with in-line controls
• 1 x 2.5mm balanced cable
• 1 x Water-resistant neoprene carrying pouch

The F9 PRO comes with three different types of silicone ear tips ((9 in totals) and one type of foam ear tips in small, medium, and large size, which are very comfortable.



The box contains one waterproof hard case/carry case, as well as a water-resistant neoprene carrying pouch. The hard case is made of a black glossy plastic material that has a very stylish design and a good form factor.



The neoprene zipper pouch is in gray and is quite useful with its small design.




Cables:

Fiio F9 Pro comes with two types of MMCX (micro-miniature coaxial) connector cables;

The first cable is has an 3.5mm SE (Single Ended) headphone jack with a L-shaped plug that is made of a tin plated cooper material with TPU coating. This cable has a microphone with line-in control.




The second cable has a 2.5mm balanced headphone jack, which comes also with an L-shaped plug. The 4 core cable is made of 5N purity OFC (Oxygen Free Cooper) wire which is has also a black TPU coating.




Cables have nice stylish left and right markings. The left channel is adorned with a splash of blue, while the end of the right channel is trimmed with a red marking for an easy identification of the audio channels. These channel ends also have a spiral texture engraved into them.





Design, Build Quality and Fit:

The shell of the Fiio F9 Pro is made of aluminum and has a very ergonomic design. The outer surface sports a water wave like design which Fiio describes as “Organic Design”. The inside layer of the F9 PRO’s shell is according to Fiio lined with plastic to both better secure the drivers and eliminate internal resonances.



You can find on the inner face of each monitor two bass vents, the L (Left) & R (Right) markings and the model description PRO. The angled nozzle of the Fiio F9 Pro is lipped and sports a fine metal filter on the top. The MMCX connectors have a solid appearance and should last for years.



The noise isolation of the Fiio F9 Pro is above average due the bass vents on the monitor, which are causing to a small amount of noise leakage.



The Fiio F9 Pro is quite comfortable due the relative small size and design shape. I was able to wear it for more than (approx) 2.5 - 3 hours without any discomfort.


Specifications:

• Driver Type : Hybrid (1 x 9.2mm DD + 2 BA Drivers (Knowles TWFK-30017-000)
• Frequency response : 15Hz ~ 40kHz
• Sensitivity : 106 dB/mW
• Impedance : 28 Ω
• Cord length : 1.2 m
• Weight : About 3.76 g/per unit
• Color : Titanium （with "PRO" mark on the Y-splitter and the earbuds）
• Detachable Cables : 1 x 2.5mm Balanced and 1x 3.5mm SE Cable with MMCX connectors

More about the Hybrid Driver Configuration:

The Fiio F9 Pro has 2 Knowles balanced armature of the model TWFK-30017-000 + 1 PEK polymer nanocomposite dynamic driver with 9.2mm diameter under the hood.

The Knowles dual balanced armature TWFK-30017-000:

The Knowles dual balanced armature TWFK-30017-000 gives the F9 Pro immense capabilities in resolving every last detail, all in a truly powerful and overwhelming presentation of your music – the way it was meant to be heard.

The PEK Polymer Nanocomposite Dynamic Driver:

The F9 PRO utilizes a dynamic driver made of PEK (Polyether Ketone) polymer nanocomposite, known for not only being tough but also being light. This allows the F9 PRO’s dynamic driver to be lightly capable of producing quick, detailed and extended bass.





Drivability (Impedance):

The Fiio F9 Pro has an impedance of 28 ohm and is easy to drive. This makes it ideal for all type of portable Digital Audio Players (DAP’s). Even my Samsung Galaxy S8 could push the Fiio F9 Pro to very loud volume levels.



Albums & Tracks used for this review:

• Martin Garix – Animal (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Lorde – Team (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
• Future Heroes – Another World (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
• Jeah Barbur – Seni Seviyorum (Spotify)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• George Micahel – Older (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio – Autumn Mist (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• GoGo Penguin – Fanfares (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)

Sources used for this review:

• IEM : Fiio F9 Pro, iBasso IT01, TFZ TEQUILA1, Dunu Falcon-C
• DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Hifiman HM603s, Nexum Aqua+

The Sound:

Please Note: This review is written after a bun-in process of 120 hours. I have used the stock black silicone ear tips during this review that are included to the package.

a. Tonality and Presentation:

The Fiio F9 Pro has well balanced sound signature with a mildly recessed midrange, which sounds warmer then neutral. It is a quite dynamic sounding IEM with one of best resolution levels in this price range.

b. Frequencies:

The bass of the Fiio F9 Pro sounds quite natural in its presentation with a good amount of impact and rumble when it called for.

The sub-bass area between 20 – 50 Hz is well presented and has good body and weight, but doesn’t reach to the lowest register. The overall bass speed is pretty good and the sub-bass presentation in Martin Garrix – Animal sounds pretty fast and controlled, which makes it suitable for genres like electronic, rap etc. but not on a bass-head level.

Bass notes have more presence than sub-bass notes and this tuning gives the Fiio F9 Pro some nice dynamics without to make the sound too boomy in this frequency region. The transition between bass and midrange is also pretty well done, which is avoiding any muffled and veiled presentation of instrument and vocals.

The Fiio F9 Pro has a quite balanced (maybe mildly v shaped) sound signature as I mentioned before, where the midrange is slightly recessed. There is a good amount of air, where instruments have a nice sense of space without to sound too distance. This tuning allows Instruments to sound quite natural and gives it a clean and detailed presentation. The midrange of the Fiio F9 Pro has also some good texture and definition with some nice a level op transparency.

Both male and female vocals sounding quite natural and have a nice emotional presentation. But female vocals like Saskia Bruin, Jehan Barbur. etc. sounded in general a tad more delicious.

The upper midrange of the Fiio F9 is nicely presented, which sounded quite controlled in almost any track I have listened. I have heard only some stress, which was only noticeable in some instrument intensive passages with instruments like violin, cymbals, etc.

The treble range of the Fiio F9 Pro sounds a bit hot, but has a good level of clarity and detail retrieval. Also the treble speed and extension of the Fiio F9 Pro does a good job in some complex tracks like GoGo Penguin’s – Muration. The treble range of the Fiio F9 Pro is providing the overall sound a spacious presentation, which is a big welcome in this price range.

The treble range of the Fiio F9 Pro sounds quite detailed and has a nice level of resolution. The upper treble range doesn’t sound too bright and there is also no unnecessary boast that could cause otherwise to harshness and sibilance.

c. Soundstage and Imaging:

The Fiio F9 Pro is an airy sounding IEM with a relative wide soundstage. The stage has a good wideness but is missing of some depth. The overall performance for imaging and instrument placement is pretty good and is represented in a quite natural way.





Comparison:

Vs. Dunu Falcon-C:
The Dunu Flacon-C sounds more aggressively V shaped compared to Fiio F9 Pro, which has a more balanced tuning.

The Dunu Falcon-C has more mid-bass impact than Fiio F9 Pro, which sounds more balanced at the bass department. The overall speed and extension of the bass is nearly identical, but the Dunu Falcon-C’s bass performance is very fit depending and can vary from people to people. With a deeper insertion and the right ear tips, you can archive some nice rumble. The bass of the Fiio F9 Pro is tighter and has additional control.

The midrange of the Dunu Falcon-C sounds a bit thinner and more distant, but has good transparency and definition. The Fiio F9 Pro sounds slightly warmer and fuller at the midrange, which makes its vocal presentation more intimate. Dunu Falcon-C sounds a bit more airy than Fiio F9 Pro.

The Fiio F9 Pro has additional transparency and clarity in its midrange, but the overall resolution of the Flacon-C is nearly the same. The Dunu Falcon-C is missing some micro detail, due the more distant instrument presentation.

The upper midrange of Fiio F9 Pro sounds slightly more detailed and more controlled then those of the Dunu Falcon-C, which has otherwise a great performance.

The vocal performance of the Dunu Falcon-C is pretty good with male vocals, but some female voices like Laura Pergolizzi sounding a bit thin too for my taste where the Fiio F9 Pro performs more organic with its presentation. The Fiio F9 Pro has also a fuller and more emotional vocal presentation.

The treble range of the Dunu Falcon-C sounds detailed and airy same as the Fiio F9 Pro. The Dunu Flacon-C has the upper hand for treble extension, while the F9 Pro sounds smoother and has better control, especially in the upper treble range where the Falcon-C has some problems with instrument like cymbals and violins. The Fiio F9 Pro sounds also a bit hot compared to the Dunu Falcon-C.

The Dunu Falcon-C has a very expansive soundstage which is wider and deeper than those of the Fiio F9 Pro. But the problem is that this presentation sounds a bit unnatural especially with live recordings like acoustic, jazz, blues etc. genres, where the F9 Pro has a more organic and natural presentation.





Vs. iBasso IT01:

The Fiio F9 Pro and the iBasso IT01 are pretty good in the bass department. But there is some difference; the Fiio F9 Pro sounds more energetic, while the iBasso IT01 has a more dynamic bass presentation. The iBasso IT01 is a bit faster and has, while the F9 Pro has the upper hand for control. The bass texture on both devices is good but the IT01 has slightly more bass body. Both IEM’s sharing nearly the same level of bass resolution and there is no clear winner.

The Fiio F9 Pro sounds bit warmer than iBasso IT01, with the same V shaped tuning, which results to a distant midrange presentation. The midrange characteristic of the F9 Pro gives it additional air, while the IT01 sounds more intimate. The iBasso IT01 sounds also more transparent in the midrange department with good dynamics, while the F9 Pro has a more energetic presentation.

The vocal presentation of the IT01 tastes better with male vocals, while the Fiio F9 Pro sounded great with female vocals. The upper midrange of the IT01 has slightly more presence and sounds crisp, while the F9 Pro sounds more balanced and controlled.

Both have a well defined treble range with a nice amount of sparkle. The treble range of the Fiio F9 Pro sounds a bit hot, compared to the IT01 which feels more vivid and energetic. The iBasso IT01 has a good amount of detail retrieval, which can be compared with those of the F9 Pro.

When it comes to the soundstage both are performing well. But there is a difference in orientation; the IT01 has the wider soundstage, while the Fiio F9 Pro has more depth in presentation.


Vs. TFZ TEQUILA1:

Both the TFZ Tequila1 and the Fiio F9 Pro have a V-shaped sound signature, while the F9 Pro has more balanced tuning.

The TFZ Tequila1 has more sub-bass impact which reaches also to a lower register, while the F9 pro sound more controlled in this department. The Fiio F9 Pro has the upper hand for bass quality and speed, which sounds more mature and with additional extension, compared to the energetic presentation of the Tequila1. The Fiio F9 Pro has also the smoother bass texture then Tequila1.

The midrange of the TFZ Tequila1 sounds crisp and nice textured, while the Fiio F9 Pro sounds more natural and engaging. The detail level is of the Fiio F9 Pro is slightly higher, which has also additional transparency. The vocal presentation of the TFZ Tequila1 is a bit more forward especially with female vocals, while the Fiio F9 Pro sounds more distant and natural.

The upper midrange of the TFZ Tequila1 is more prominent then those of the F9 Pro which gives the sound a vivid presentation. But the Tequila1 has some control issues with instruments like violins, pianos etc. where the Fiio F9 Pro does a better job.

The treble range of the TFZ Tequila1 is brighter, than those of the F9 Pro. The Fiio F9 sound more balanced and has the more controlled presentation. After all, the TFZ Tequila1 performs very well for a dynamic driver IEM and the treble speed of both IEM’s is nearly identical and there is no clearly winner. Both the TFZ Tequila1 and the Fiio F9 Pro have a nicely textured top end, with good clarity.

The upper treble range of the TFZ Tequila1 sounds a bit aggressive compared to the softer presentation of the F9 Pro, but there is no unnecessary harshness. The upper treble extension of the TFZ Tequial1 is better, while the F9 Pro has the better resolution.

The difference for soundstage performance is very low, but the Fiio F9 Pro has the overall wider and deeper soundstage presentation. The placement and imaging of instruments and vocals is slightly better with the Fiio F9 Pro.


Conclusion:

Fiio did a great job by making such a good product for an affordable price. The Fiio F9 Pro sounds great out of the box with its quite detailed and balanced sound signature, has great ergonomic and a stylish appearance packed in a box with lots of accessories. Well done!


Summary (plus and minus):

• + Nice balanced sound signature
• + Good amount of detail
• + Great build quality and ergonomics
• + Lots of accessories (2 x cable, 2x case, etc.)

• - The treble sounds a bit hot

This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The Magaosi K3 HD is something delicious…


Introduction:

Magaosi is a brand of HiLisening Co. that is located in Guangdong - China. The Magaosi product line is covering products series marked with M, BK, K, DT and B. The M series have mainly a metallic housing with Balance Armature and /or Hybrid Drivers. The BK series have wood housing with Balance Armature and/or Dynamic Hybrid drivers.

The K3 HD belongs to the K series, which is the top of the line for Magaosi products with multi driver configuration like Balance Armature and Hybrid technology.





Disclaimer:

Magaosi K3 HD was provided to me by Magaosi via Penon Audio for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with Magaosi or Penon Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.

The Price:

The Magaosi K3 HD is available on Penon Audio for 110,00 USD.

Purchase link: https://penonaudio.com/Magaosi-K3-HD


Package and Accessories:

The Magaosi K3 HD comes in a black box that is wrapped with a glossy white card box sleeve that shows the product, brand and informations about the produt itself.

This box contians the following items;

• 1 pair x Magaosi K3 HD
• 1 x Carry Bag
• 1 x MMCX cable(L-shaped plug)
• 1 x MMCX silver-plated upgrade cable (straight plug)
• 1 x Tuning filter (silver & gray）
• 2 pair x Silicone eartips (L & S size）
• 3 pair x Foam eartips (S/M/L size)

The carry bag that comes with the Magaosi K3 HD is made of a faux leather coating. It is quite useful with its size and is also well made.

The foam and silicone ear tips are very comfy, especially the silicone ones that have a nice soft coating that has an olive tips like appearance.

There are also 2 sound filters which one of them comes preinstalled. The silver filter gives a balanced tuning, while the black filter boasts the treble range. I would be advice you to be carefully while replacing the filter, because they are very small and there is no backup/second pair.



They are also 2 cables in the box. The braided one is made of OFC (Oxygen Free Cooper) and has a MMCX interface with L - angled 3.5mm Single Ended headphone jack. This cable has a black plastic coating and has only some low microphonic effects.





The second cable is a non braided SPC (Silver Plated Cooper) cable that was advertised as upgrade cable. This cable has also MMCX connectors that sit good to the female connectors on the K3 HD monitor. This cable is a bit stiff and has a straight 3.5mm gold plated headphone jack.

The microphonic effect of this cable is a bit higher than the first I mentioned above.




Design and Build Quality:

The Magaosi K3 HD has a relative small and ergonomic design. The housing is made of metal that looks like an aluminum alloy and has a good build quality.



The K3 HD is available in 3 different color options; those are Gray, Blue and Orange. My unit has the orange color that looks fashion look.

The MMCX connector is solid and doesn’t look like to get damage easy with time. On the front of the monitor is the Magasoi Logo, the left / right markings and two bass vents. The inner side of the monitor sports the K3 HD model name that is printed in white a color.



The nozzle is 45 degrees angled and has a detachable sound filter on the top. If you remove this filter you can easily see the balanced armature driver that is placed inside the nozzle.




Fit, Comfort and Isolation:

The Magaosi K3 HD has an ergonomic design and is comfortable to wear. The fit of the K3 HD is good with average noise isolation.


Some Technical Specifications:

• Driver Configuration : 1x Balanced Armature + 1x Dynamic Driver
• Impedance : 32 Ω
• Frequency Response : 20Hz - 22 KHz
• Sensitivity : 99db
• Max Input Power : 10mW
• Connector Type : MMCX
• Wire Material : TPU
• Plug material : 3.5mm gold-plated
• Length : 120cm±5cm

Drivability (Impedance):

The Magaosi K3 HD has an impedance of 32 ohm and is a quite sensitive and easy to drive IEM with almost any portable source. My Samsung Galaxy S8 was able to push the Magaosi K3 HD to very uncomfortable and loud volume levels.

Sources:

a) Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Future Heroes – Another World (Spotify)
• Daft Punk – Contact (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• GoGo Penguin’s – Muration (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You (Tidal HiFi)
• Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
• Bryan Adams – MTV Unplugged Version Album (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• George Michael – Older (Apple Music)
• Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught (Spotify)
• Metallica - Sad but True (Spotify)
• Megadeth - Sweating Bullets (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Flac 16bit/44kHz)

b) In Ear Monitor : Magaosi K3 HD, MEE audio Pinnacle P2, TFZ Series 4

c) DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Hifiman HM603s, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus





Sound Analysis and Comparisons:

This review was written after a burn-in process of approx 100 hours. I have used the black olive silicone ear tips and silver sound filters with the silver upgrade cable for this review, which all came inside the box.

a) Sound Signature and Tonality:

Magaosi K3 HD has a V-shaped sound signature with a tonality that is on the warmer side of natural due the bass presence.

b) Bass:

The Magaosi K3 HD comes with two different tuning filters. The one is in silver which sounds cleaner and more transparent compared to the black filter that is adding additional brightness and sparkle to the sound.

Magaosi K3 HD has a V shaped sound signature with emphasis to the lower and upper register. The Midrange sound a bit thin and recessed and reminds me to the tuning of the Dunu Falcon-C that has similarities in this area.

The K3 HD has some good bass response, with nice extensions and definition. There is missing some weight in the sub-bass area between 20 – 50 Hz, which is otherwise pretty controlled. The bass of the Magaosi K3 HD is mainly focuses between 200 - 400 Hz, which has good texture and attack, but with an above-average resolution.

The Magaosi K3 HD has enough bass for instruments like bass guitars or drums, but it lacks a bit of fullness. The best thing about the bass of the K3 HD is its clearness, which avoid any muffled presentation, especially in the midrange.

c) Mids:

As I mentioned before; the Magaosi K3 HD has a recessed midrange that sounds otherwise very transparent and clean. The detail retrieval is in a very good level for this price range, but is missing a bit of fullness. The midrange has enough space for instruments and vocals and there is no stress while presenting some complex passages like in Alboran Trios – Fanfares.

The midrange warmth for female vocals is ok, but is missing a touch more for male voices. The clarity and definition of instruments is pretty darn good and wouldn’t expect more at this price point. Bu I must say that the Magaosi K3 HD is not for people who want a warm and intimate presentation, but is quite suitable for those who prefer transparency and clearness.

The upper midrange is dynamic and well presented. There is no upper midrange harshness and the stress level in some tracks of my test tracks like Metallica’s – Sad but True or Megadeth’s - Sweating Bullets are in a tolerable level.

d) Treble:

There is a nice transition between upper midrange and treble range with a bright but relative controlled presentation. The treble range gives the overall presentation an airy feel, has an above average extension and is adding a nice touch of clarity.

I wouldn’t prefer to use the black filter, because it sounds a bit unnatural at the higher frequencies and is causing to sibilance in some bad recorded tracks like Metallica’s - Sad But True, which sounded much better with the silver ones.

e) Soundstage:

When it comes to soundstage, the Magaosi K3 HD has average depth, but with a relative wide stage, where instruments have a nice sense of space and quite realistic placement.




IEM Comparisons:


Vs. Pinnacle P2

Both IEM’s have a V-shaped sound signature, but the Pinnacle P2 has a warmer sound than those of the Magaosi K3 HD due the diffrent of bass tuning.

One of the first noticeable differences of this two IEM’s is the bass tuning. The Pinnacle P2 has more sub-bass quantity and slightly better extension compared to those of the Magaosi K3 HD. The Magaosi K3 HD has the upper hand for the bass response between 200 - 400 Hz that sounds cleaner and tighter than those of the Pinnacle P2. Magaosi K3 HD has also some extra definition and better decay than Pinnacle P2.

The midrange of the Pinnacle P2 sounds also a bit different then those of the Magaosi K3 HD. It sounds warmer and has a more forward vocal presentation. The midrange of the K3 HD sounds airier and also more clinical but a bit recessed compared to the Pinnacle P2. The Pinnacle P2 has better weight with some instrument like guitars and piano notes, but is missing of some definition and micro detail. The overall detail level and instrument separation is slightly better with the Magaosi K3 HD.

Some female vocals like Aretha Franklin or Melody Gardot sounding more emotional, but a bit too veiled with the Pinnacle P2, while the Magaosi K3 HD sounds distant, but in a more transparent and clean way.

The Pinnacle P2 has relative good control at the treble range and has good definition, but doesn’t sound as lifelike the Magasoi K3 HD which has a more vivid presentation,The Magasoi K3 HD sounds also more transparent and has some additional sparkle at the upper treble range.

The Magaosi K3 HD has the wider soundstage, while the depth is nearly on par with the presentation with better



Vs. TFZ Series 4

The TFZ Series 4 has more sub-bass quantity than Magaosi K3 HD, while the K3 HD has the better extension. The sub bass of the TFZ Series 4 goes lower and hits also harder. The bass of the Magaosi K3 HD sounds smoother compared to the bass that TFZ Series 4 has.

Both the TFZ Series 4 and Magaosi K3 HD have a v- shaped sound signature; the main difference is the presentation. The TFZ Series 4 has a more forward vocal presentation than those the Magaosi has. The K3 HD has more midrange clarity then the Series 4 and sound in a more transparent way. This ability gives the K3 HD the upper hand for micro detail retrieval.

The upper midrange of the TFZ series 4 sounds softer and has some roll off between the 3 – 4 kHz ranges. This tuning gives the TFZ Series 4 a more engaging sound presentation, but is missing some detail that the K3 HD has.

The overall vocal performance of the K3 HD is slightly better due the more realistic presentation. The TFZ series sound emotional due the warmer tuning and upfront vocal reproduction, but sound a bit veiled compared to the Magasoi K3 HD, which has additional clarity. The TFZ Series 4 sounds quite good with male vocals, while the K3 HD has the more realistic presentation with female voices. The detail retrieval for instruments and the precision is slightly better with the K3 HD, which has more space and air between instruments.

The Magaosi K3 HD has more treble presence and upper treble sparkle. This tuning makes the sound of the K3 HD extra definition. The TFZ Series 4 is missing some treble extension, which makes Magasoi K3 HD more detailed sounding. The Good thing about the treble tuning of the TFZ Series 4 is that it has a relaxing presentation.

The Magaosi K3 HD has the wider soundstage presentation, while the depth difference is not that great, but again has a better performance on the Magaosi K3 HD. The K3 HD also offers better imaging and instrument placement.


Conclusion:

The Magaosi K3 HD is pretty nice sounding product with good build quality, which is suitable with almost any music with the exception of genres like metal or hard rock. The price to performance ratio is quite good and I can only recommend it at this price point.


Pros and Cons:

• + Good sound for the price
• + Nice metal housing with good build quality
• + Lots of accessories (two cables & nice case)

• - It’s missing some refinement
• - The silver upgrade cable is too stiff

This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The iBasso IT01; Good Sound - Small Price


Introduction:

Many of us are familiar with iBasso products, especially with there portable audio players like the DX100, DX50, DX90, DX200 etc. and In-Ear monitor like the IT03. After the success of the IT03, iBasso released a new In-Ear Monitor called IT01 with an in-house designed dynamic driver that is combining three different technologies that I will explain later.





Disclaimer:

I would like to thank iBasso for providing me the iBasso IT01 as free review sample. I am not affiliated with iBasso beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.


Price & Warranty:

The MSRP price for the iBasso IT01 is 99.99 USD.


Package and Accessories:

The iBasso IT01 comes in a small box that is wrapped with a glossy white card box sleeve. The box itself is in blue and has a nice surface texture that gives you a good first impression.

This box includes the following contents;

• 1 x pair of IT01 IEM
• 10 x pairs of silicone ear tips
• 2 x pairs of foam ear tips
• 1 x MMCX cable
• 1 x metal carry case

There are 3 types of silicone ear tips. One is in black that is the softest with medium sized hole and the two other set are in transparent gray color, which one of them has a medium and the other big holes. There are also 2 pairs of olive foams that are very comfy and in my opinion a nice addition.




There is also a metal IEM carry case that has an iBasso Audio printed on the top cover. This case is looks and feels solid in your hand and is big enough to put in all accessories and the IEM itself.



Cable:

The iBasso IT01 has a 4 wire hand braided OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) detachable cable that has MMCX (Micro-miniature coaxial) connectors for the right and left monitor.



It has a straight profile 3.5mm SE (Single Ended) headphone jack that is made of metal.



The cable is lightweight and has a very soft and transparent TPU coating that is not prone to microphonics. The Y splitter and chin slider are also made of a silver colored metal material that has a nice appearance.






Design, Build Quality and Fit:

The Ibasso IT01 has a simple and very ergonomic design language. It is available in two different color combinations; red & blue and in black. The housing is made of plastic and feels lightweight on your ears.



The build quality of this monitor is top notch. The nozzles on the monitor are made of metal and there are no imperfections. The MMCX connectors are not loose and look like they can last for years. There are also L (left) and R (right) markings near the nozzle and if you buy the red & blue version the color also serves as right and left indicator. There are also two visible bass vents at the inner side of the monitor housing.



The IT01 has a very comfortable fit and it was possible to wear it for hours without to hurt my ears. The isolation of the iBasso IT01 is above average and good enough to isolate you in noisy environments like bus or trains.



Specifications:

• Driver : 10.0mm Dynamic driver
• Frequency response : 10Hz-42kHz
• Sensitivity : 108+/-2dB
• Impedance : 16 Ohm
• Noise Attenuation : -26dB
• Rated power : 10mW
• THD : <1% (at 1kHz/1mW)
• Plug size : 3.5 TRS gold plated
• Cable length : 1.2m
• Connection : MMCX
• Weight : 8.0g without cable

About the 10mm Dynamic Driver:

The iBasso IT01 has a unique dynamic driver that combine’s three different technologies.

The first of them is the 5µm multilayer graphene diaphragm that is an ultra thin diaphragm material, which has 100 time’s higher breaking strength then steel. This material is able to reach high speeds with low distortion. I know that this is not the first driver that is using this material, but the combination with other components makes it unique. The custom made Tesla magnetic flux is able to drive this graphene diaphragm with higher efficient than regular magnets. The result is an improvement in resolution, bass and dynamics. The dual Helmholtz resonators on the other hand are providing a strong and deep bass response.

Albums & Tracks used for this review:

• Future Heroes – Another World (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Lorde – Team (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
• Bryan Adams – MTV Unplugged Performance (Spotify)
• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio – Autumn Mist (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• GoGo Penguin – Fanfares (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)

Sources used for this review:

• IEM : iBasso IT01, Fiio F9 Pro, TFZ TEQUILA1, Dunu Falcon-C
• DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Hifiman HM603s, Audirect Whistle, Nexum Aqua+

The Sound:

Please Note: This review is written after a bun-in process of 100 hours. I have used the stock soft (black) silicone ear tips during this review that are included to the package.

a. Tonality and Presentation:

The iBasso IT01 sounds clear, crisp and powerful. It is an IEM with a warmer than neutral tonality that has a V shaped sound signature. It has great dynamics and good resolution, especially for this price range.

b. Frequencies:

The iBasso IT01 has some nice bass response. The sub-bass between 20 – 50 Hz are well presented and providing a nice sense of power, which is quite noticeable and exiting in “Future Heroes” epic song “Another World”. Also Instruments like bass guitars are sounding pretty natural and realistic.

The bass of the IT01 sound pretty fast and controlled, which gives the overall sound presentation nice dynamics. It has nice texture and good resolution which is quite impressive for a single dynamic driver In Ear Monitor for 100 USD. The bass of the IT01 is also punchy and has a good amount of rumble, without to sound too boomy and causing to muddiness.

As mentioned before; the iBasso IT01 has a V shaped sound signature where the midrange sounds more laid back compared to the rest of the frequencies. But this doesn’t mean that it has a too recessed midrange; instruments still sounding clean and detailed in its presentation with good texture and definition.

I am enjoying both male and female vocals, but male vocals are sounding a bit more intimate to me. Male voices like George Michael and Bryan Adams have sounded a bit more emotional to my ears and I really enjoyed the MTV Unplugged performance of Bryan Adams.

The upper midrange is bright and transparent and has good detail retrieval. Instruments and vocals sounding very vivid and the overall control of the upper register are pretty good for this price level.

The treble range of the iBasso IT01 sounds airy and crisp with nice amount of sparkle. It doesn’t sound too bright or harsh and the overall control is in a good level. There is a good transition between upper midrange and treble with good separation of instruments.

Female voices like Laura Pergolizzi have nice brilliance on the top end and complex passages with high density of instruments, like cymbals in Megadeth – Sweating Bullets sounding pretty nice and controlled at this price level.

c. Soundstage and Imaging:

The iBasso IT01 sounds airy and has a relative wide soundstage. It has not the deepest soundstage presentation but does its job for the asked price. The imaging and placement of instrument & vocals is quite natural and realistic in its presentation.

Comparison:

Vs. Fiio F9 Pro:

Both Fiio F9 Pro and iBasso IT01 sounding punchy and dynamic in the bass department. The iBasso IT01 is a bit faster and has the better bass extension. The bass texture on both devices is good but the IT01 has slightly more bass body. Both IEM’s sharing nearly the same level of bass resolution and there is no clear winner.

The Fiio F9 Pro has the warmer sound and is even more V shaped than IT01, which results to a more distant midrange presentation. This midrange characteristic gives F9 Pro an airier presentation, while the IT01 sounds more intimate. The iBasso IT01 sounds more transparent in the midrange department.

The vocal presentation of the IT01 tastes better with male vocals, while the Fiio F9 Pro sounded good with female vocals. The upper midrange of the IT01 has more forwardness and sounds overall cleaner and crisp.

Both have a well defined treble range with nice a nice sparkle, while the IT01 has additional control and brilliance on the top. The Fiio F9 Pro has some good treble quality for the price and there is a nice level of micro detail with pretty good texture. The iBasso IT01 on the other hand has some good detail retrieval that is on par with the F9 Pro. The main difference is the presentation that sounds more organic with the IT01 that makes the overall sound more natural.

The IT01 has the wider soundstage, while the Fiio F9 Pro has more depth in presentation. The overall imaging of instruments and vocals sounds better with the IT01.





Vs. TFZ TEQUILA1:

The TFZ Tequila1 has nearly the same V shaped sound tuning like the iBasso IT01. The bass on both has a nice presence with good impact. But the IT01 has more sub-bass quantity, while the Teqila1 has more mid-bass impact. Both IEM’s have a well controlled low end, with nearly the same extension, which is slightly better on the IT01.

The midrange on both IEM’s sounds very similar with its crispy and vivid presentation. The detail level is on par, but the IT01 has slightly higher definition. The vocal presentation of the TFZ Tequila1 is a bit more forward especially with female vocals, while the IT01 sound a bit more natural. The midrange detail level of the IT01 is very good for the price, but the TFZ Tequila1 has slightly more micro detail.

Instruments like pianos or guitars, etc. are sounding a bit more natural with the Tequila1, while the IT01 has the upper with its upper midrange control. The TFZ Tequila1 is brighter at the upper midrange register, where the iBasso IT01 sounds softer and more engaging.

The treble range of the TFZ Tequila1 is a touch more present, which results to a slightly brighter presentation. Both IEM’s are nicely textured at the top end, with a good level of detail and clarity. The iBasso IT01 has slightly better control with instruments like piano, violin and cymbals. The iBasso IT01 sounds a bit softer at the upper treble range where the TFZ Tequila1 is a bit more aggressive, which is most noticeable in genres like Metal and Rock music.

The iBasso IT01 has a wider soundstage, while the depth of both IEM’s is nearly the same or identical. The imaging of instruments and vocals is slightly better with the IT01.





Vs. Dunu Falcon-C:

The Dunu Flacon-C is also an IEM with a V shaped sound signature, but has a different sound characteristic in the bass and midrange department than iBasso IT01.

The bass of the Falcon-C is more midbass focused and the quantity is very fit depending. With a deeper insertion and the right ear tips it can archive some nice rumble that is again, not in the same level/amount of the IT01. The bass extension and speed is good but is missing some organic texture, which is iBasso IT01 able to produce.

The midrange of the Dunu Falcon-C is not as thick or full sounding like the iBasso IT01 or TFZ Tequila1. The IT01 sounds warmer and more intimate compared to the very airy but recessed midrange presentation of the Falcon-C.

The Dunu Falcon-C has some nice clarity and transparency which can compete of those of the IT01. The overall resolution and definition of the Flacon-C is in the same level with the IT01 but is missing some micro detail due the distance of instruments. The upper midrange of Falcon-C is well presented but sounds a bit too over boasted in some situation where the iBasso IT01 sounds more controlled. The Falcon-C has a nice transparent female vocal presentation with nice some good clarity, but sounds a bit too thin with male vocals, where the IT01 performs more organic and emotional with its fuller vocal presentation.

The treble range of the Falcon-C sounds bright, clear and has some nice brilliance. There is great amount of detail, but sounds a bit harsh in some bad recorded tracks and treble sensitive genres like Metal Music, where the IT01 excels better with its softer and more controlled presentation.

The iBasso IT01 has also a more natural treble presentation then Falcon-C that sounds a bit more digital.

Conclusion:

What iBasso packed in to the IT01 for this price is really fantastic! The It01 has some great sound abilities like good dynamics and a really nice level of resolution. The transparency and clarity of this IEM makes is to a no brainer in this price range Ah, and do not forget to mention that there is also this beautifully built cable, which is also a big plus for the IT01.

Summary (plus and minus):

+ Great Clarity and Tonality
+ Good Comfort
+ Build quality
+ Cable


- Nothing really noteworthy for this price





This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

Alpha & Delta D6; Jazz sounds now better than before...


1. Introduction:

Alpha & Delta is a Singapore based brand that was founded of audiophiles with experience in the earphones retail industry. The D6 is the latest model of this company and there are also some few other models like AD01, D3, JAAP (wireless model) etc. that targets different users.




2. Disclaimer:

I would like to thank Alpha & Delta for providing me the Alpha & Delta D6 as a free of charge review sample. I am not affiliated with Alpha & Delta beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.


3. Price & Warranty:

The MSRP price for the Alpha & Delta D6 is 95.00 USD and has a 3 Years Warranty.

Purchase Link: https://www.alphandelta.com/shop


4. Package and Accessories:

The Alpha & Delta D6 comes in a black card box with a transparent plastic front cover.

This box includes the following contents;

• 1 x pair of ear guides
• 1 x shirt clip
• 1 x pair of foam tips
• 9 x pairs of silicon ear tips
• 1 x leather case
• 1 x leather cable wrap

The silicone ear tips included in the box are comfortable and the foam tips are a nice addition.





The box includes a leather wrap and leather case that are looking very nice and are quite useful. There is also 1 pair of Ear-Guide and a shirt clip that is also a nice addition.




5. Design, Build Quality and Fit:

The Alpha & Delta D6 is a very well made IEM with a bullet-style metal shell, which has a glossy gunmetal painting. At the back of the monitor are the AD (Alpha & Delta) logo and the HDSS (High Definition Sound Technology) printing. On the top and on the nozzle are two holes that serve as bass vent. The nozzle of the monitor is not angled and has a fine black filter.





The D6 is lightweight, fits comfortably in my ear and has an above average isolation.

The Alpha & Delta D6 has a non-detachable cable, which in my opinion one of the best in the market, especially for a IEM with a price of 95 USD. Alpha & Delta decided to use a wonderful looking 8 core Silver Plated Copper (SPC) cable, instead of a regular 4 core design. This ensures, according to Alpha & Delta, that the earphone continues to work, even if one of the cables breaks.



The D6 is reinforced at the y-split and at the earphone's housing. Moreover, the vulnerable 3.5mm jack is protected by a spring to ensure it can withstand any impact.






6. Specifications:

• Driver Unit : 10mm dynamic driver
• Impedance : 16 ohm
• Rated power : 1mW
• Frequency Response : 10 Hz- 40 Khz
• Sensitivity : 105 +/- db/ mW
• Cable : 1.2m silver plated copper cable (each core contains 22X 0.05 silver plated copper wires)
• Plug : 3.5mm Gold Plated Plug

a. About HDSS High Definition Sound Technology:

Speakers create sound through vibration. Due to the small enclosure, the reflected sound waves can distort our music by interfering with the sound waves entering our ears. HDSS technology removes these reflected waves to ensure crystal clear sound. The removal of reflected waves also allows speakers to disperse sound coherently, allowing for a naturally projected sound stage.

b. About Dual Chamber Acoustic Design:

The dual chamber acoustic design redirects reflected sound waves into a uniquely designed second chamber which absorbs these sound waves. This reduces distortion and improves the clarity and soundstage of the earphones.





7. Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio – Autumn Mist (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• GoGo Penguin – Fanfares (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Future Heroes – Another World (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)

8. Sources used for this review:

• IEM : Alpha&Delta D6, Pinnacle P2, TFZ Series 4
• DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, HiBy R6, Chord Mojo, Audirect Whistle

9. The Sound:

I am of the sort of people that believes in burn-in and this review is written after 100 hours. I have used the stock silicone ear tips (soft ones) that are included to the package.

Tonality:

I was very surprised when I heard the Alpha & Delta D6 for the first time, because it was not a typical fun sounding IEM like many others in this price range. The D6 has a fairly neutral tuning with a tonality that is slightly on the thinner and colder side.

Frequencies:

The Alpha & Delta D6 sound very controlled at the sub-bass department. It doesn’t reach to the lowest register but has otherwise a pretty good clarity and extension.

There is missing some body in the bass department between 50 – 120 kHz that gives normally warmth and fullness to the sound. Especial electronic music types such as trance, edm, etc. which are mostly based on artificially generated sounds are particularly affected by this tuning. But luckily, the D6 responds very well to equalizing and you can boost it anytime.

The bass characteristic is suitable for classic, jazz, acoustic songs with live recorded instruments.

The midrange of the D6 is impressive with its high level of clarity. I didn't expect such a detail level and crispness form an IEM in this price league. It sounds smooth, detailed and well placed and the separation of instruments is in a very good level.

I have tested some songs with complex instrument passages like GoGo Penguin’s – Fanfares where are many instrument playing at the background at the same time and the Alpha & Delta D6 sounded pretty controlled.

Both male vocals sounding quite realistic, but what really shines are female vocals like Melody Gardot and Laura Pergolizzi that are sounding clean and crisp with the D6.

There was a bit stress in the upper midrange at the very beginning, but after some burn-in and right tips selection, it was almost gone.

The treble range of the Alpha &Delta D6 sounds clear, crisp and well extended, without to be affected by sibilance. This was not the case at the very beginning; there was some sibilance for the first 10-15 hours that has gone after the next 50 hours.

Notes are precise and accurate and the overall tonal balance is well done. Genres like classic, jazz, acoustic are sounding very life like and precise. The D6 did a good job while presenting Alboran Trio’s - Autumn Mist that sounded very accurate and lifelike.




Soundstage and Imaging:

One of the strengths of the Alpha&Delta D6 is the soundstage presentation, which sounds wide and fairly deep, that has also an excellent imaging and instrument placement for this price category.





10. Comparison:

Vs. Mee Audio Pinnacle P2:

The Pinnacle P2 has a V-shaped sound signature with a consumer friendly tuning. The Alpha&Delta D6 on the other hand has a quite analytic sound tuning, which is suitable for critical listening.

The Pinnacle P2 has more sub-bass; especially bass quantity between 50 – 120 kHz, but is missing some definition. The Pinnacle P2 has the same amount of mid-bass impact with nearly the same resolution that the D6 has.

The midrange on the D6 sounds clearer and airier compared to the warmer and fuller tuning of the Pinnacle P2. Both IEM’s have a nice instrument presentation while the Pinnacle P2 is missing some speed in passages with high instrument density. Male and female vocals sounding a bit more natural and crisp due the brighter tuning of the Alpha&Delta D6.

The Alpha&Delta D6 is a treble centric IEM, which sounds overall brighter with more sparkle and air on the top end. The treble and upper treble area of the Pinnacle P2 has a more even tuning, which results to a more balanced presentation. The Alpha&Delta D6 has slightly more detail retrieval and sounds also more refined.

The Pinnacle P2 does its job in terms of soundstage, but the Alpha&Delta D6 is a step forward and has a wider and deeper soundstage presentation, where instruments have more space in complex passages. The Alpha&Delta D6 sounds also more precise in imaging and instrument placement.



Vs. TFZ Series 4:

The TFZ Series 4 has the same V shaped sound tuning like the Pinnacle P2 with a overall warmer sound tuning with higher bass presence. The D6 in the other hand is a treble centric IEM with an analytical tuning.

The TFZ Series 4 has a nice bass presentation in the subbass and bass department with a pretty nice impact that makes it too a better option for electronic music genres like techno, trance and edm. The D6 on the other hand has the better bass extension, speed and definition that make it very suitable for live recorded songs like jazz, blues, acoustic genres.

Both male and female vocals sounding fuller with the TFZ Series 4, but Alpha&Delta D6 has additional sparkle and transparency in the midrange department, which makes the listening of female vocals like Laura Pergolizzi and Saskia Bruin more exiting. The instrument reproduction of both IEM’s is quite good, but some string instruments like guitars have a more lifelike presentation with the D6.

TFZ Series 4 sounds pretty good in the treble range with its soft and non aggressive tuning. The Alpha & Delta D6 has additional sparkle and extension in the treble department with overall extra resolution. The upper treble range of the TFZ Series 4 is well controlled but is missing some fine definition compared to the D6.

TFZ and Alpha&Delta are nearly similar in soundstage performance but the D6 has additional wideness with better overall imaging and instrument separation.



11. Conclusion:

The Alpha & Delta D6 is an IEM that is focusing on clarity and soundstage with its treble centric presentation that is wonderful done. It has also a solid build quality with a great accessories package that makes the Alpha & Delta D6 worth’s every penny.



12. Summary (plus and minus):

+ Crystal Clear Sound
+ Airy Presentation
+ Build quality
+ Great Cable


- No detachable cable
- Missing some bass between 50-120 kHz






This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

PENON BS1 Official Version
Rich Sound in a Luxurious Package…


About Penon Audio:

Penon Audio is a well known Hong Kong based online store that is selling portable Hi-Fi equipments, desktop type Dac’s and Amplifiers.






Disclaimer:

This free sample was provided to me for the purpose of an honest review. I’m not affiliated with the company and all observations and opinions here are my own that are based on my experience with the product.

The Price:

The Penon BS1 Official is available on penon-official.com. There are 2 (two) different variants, one with 3.5mm audio plug that is sold for 99 USD and one with 2.5mm balanced plug that costs 109 USD.

Introduction:

The Penon BS1 Official earbud is the upgraded successor of the previous Experience version.

Package and Accessories:

The Penon BS1 comes in a blue and burgundy colored premium looking card box with a Golden Penon Logo on the top, which includes the following items;

• Penon BS1 Official earbud
• Wood case
• 1 pair of Hiegi foam donut eartips
• 1 pair of Hiegi foam solid eatrips
• 4 pairs of donut foam eatips
• 4 pairs of solid foam eartips
• Soft Velvet Pouch
• Shirt Clip

The Penon BS1 Official is a premium earbud and you can feel that in every detail. The wooden case and the soft velvet pouch, looks & feels very expensive and luxurious.





Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The BS1 Official is a very well made earbud with a rounded black metal shell, which has a PENON written engraving on the top. On the front is a fine metal grill that looks also of high quality.

There is a metal piece on each monitor that protects the cable like a strain relief and works also as left / right marking. This metal piece is in red for the right monitor and in blue for the left monitor.

The Penon BS1 Official sits well on my ears and the isolation is one of the best right after some earbuds with mx500 housing. You can wear it over ear and straight down and I think that the over ear method will give you the most comfortable result. There is also a bass vent on the side.





Cable:

The cable of the BS1 Official is the most premium looking cable model I have ever seen on an earbud. I remember that I was very surprised when I first saw the cable that came with the NiceHCK EBX, but this one is even superior with its wonderful looking, 8 core braided design.

This has a hybrid material construction that is made of 19 strands per core in combination of SPC (Silver Plated Copper) and Copper. It has a transparent TPU coating that feels soft but sturdy.



The chin slider is made of a circular shaped metal material that has a black painted smooth surface. The Y splitter is also made of the same material and has a carbon fiber design that has a white BS1 printing.



The 3.5mm gold plated headphone jack has a straight profile and is made of metal that shares the same carbon fiber design, which looks and feels premium. There is also a 2.5mm Balanced (TRRS) plug version of the Penon BS1 Official available that is compatible for devices like AK100II, AK120II, AK240, AK300, AK320, AK380, Cayin N5II, Lotoo PAW5000 and other sources with 2.5mm balanced output.





Specifications:

The Penon BS1 Official is a single dynamic driver earbud, that is relative efficient with it's relative low impedance of 32 ohm, which makes this earbud ideal for the usage with portable audio players or smartphones.



Technical Details:

• Driver : 15mm Single Dynamic Driver
• Impedance : 32ohm
• Frequency response : 14Hz – 28 kHz
• Sensitivity : 120dB
• Cable : 8 shares 19-core copper & silver-plated mixed cable
• Plug : 2.5mm or 3.5mm copper gold-plated plug
• Cable length : 1.2m

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Geroge Michael – Older “Album” (Appel Music)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught (ALAC)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
• Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Flac 16bit/44kHz)

Sources used for this review:

• Erabud : Penon BS1 Official, NiceHCK EBX, K’S 300 Samsara Version,
• DAP/DAC : HiBy R6, Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Aune M2, Hifiman HM602s

The Sound:

I am the sort of people who believes in burn-in and the Penon BS1 Official review is written after a burn-in process of 140 - 150 hours. I have used the stock full foams due this review.

PS: The sound performance of earbuds is very fit dependent; even more than with In-Ear Monitors (IME’s). This can be result to different experiences with the same product.







Sound Signature:

The Penon BS1 Official has a quite balanced sound signature with nice impactful bass response clear and transparent vocal presentation and nicely extended top end.

Frequencies:

The BS1 Offical has a quick and controlled sub-bass presentation, which is good in quantity and rumble. It reaches also surprisingly low for an earbud. The sub-bass of the BS1 Official extends very well and is providing a good sense of power that is rarely found on earbuds.

The bass doesn’t sound overpowered or too thin and it has the right amount at 100Hz region that gives the BS1 Official a nice hint of warmth without any loss of definition. Guitar strings in Otto Liebert’s - Up Close Album sounding quite realistic and have a nice fullness.

The midrange sounds clear and clean and there is small amount of warmness that gives instruments and vocals a nice touch of fullness, which adds additional emotion to the sound.

The level of resolution is very good for this price range and one of the best in my earbud collection.

Female vocals like Norah Johns or Saskia Bruin sounding quite natural, only some male voices like George Michael or Brian Adams sounding a hint more bold then normal.

The upper midrange has a slightly boast, but without any considerable result of harshness. Instruments sounding crisp and quite controlled and have a pretty natural presentation. The overall definition is in a high level.

The treble range sounds smooth and balanced without any loose of control. Instruments like cymbal’s in Lazarus A.D. - The Onslaught performance sounding controlled and fatigue free with all of my sources. There is a nice rendering of air that makes space for instruments.

The treble extension is in a pretty good level and the upper treble range between 10 – 12 kHz gives the overall sound a nice amount sparkle and an airy presentation.

The Soundstage and Imaging:

The Penon BS1 Official has a nice expansive soundstage presentation with a pretty good sense of space, which is especially good for songs with lots of instrument. The placement and the air between instruments are well done and the overall imaging is quite accurate in presentation. The instrument separation is great and Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti shows how well this erabud can perform.



Comparison with other Earbuds:





Vs. NiceHCK EBX :

The NiceHCK EBX is a very easy to drive (32 Ohm) earbud, same as BS1 Official with a nice build quality. The NiceHCK EBX earbud has a quite different tonality, which sounds brighter and less warm than BS1 Official.

The Penon BS1 Official sound fuller due the more present bass department. The sub-bass quantity is nearly the same but the BS1 Official goes lover in this register. The speed and control is quite identical on both, but the NiceHCK EBX has less extension in a small margin.

The main difference starts in the bass quantity, especially in the mid-bass department that makes the BS1 Official sounds fuller with more body. The EBX is missing some midbass that make the presentation a bit dry. The overall texture and resolution in this bass department is quite similar and there is no clear winner.

The Penon BS1 Official sounds warmer and fuller in the midrange, which makes female vocals and string instruments like guitars or violins sounding more emotional and intimate compared to the dryer and a bit colder sounding NiceHCK EBX. Both earbuds have a nice clarity and definition level, but I have notice that the BS1 Official has a touch more micro detail.

The Penon BS1 Official has better control in the upper midrange department, because it is handling female vocals and instrument that are prone to sibilance and harshness without any problem. The NiceHCK EBX has some sibilance especially with some instrument like violin, piano, etc.

The NiceHCK EBX and the Penon BS1 Official have the same level of treble clarity, but again the BS1 Official has the upper hand with additional micro detail and overall control in the upper treble range.

The NiceHCK EBX sounds quite spacious, but Penon BS1 Official is more natural and realistic in soundstage presentation. Bothe share the nearly the same level of imaging but the Penon BS1 Official is slightly more accurate.







Vs. K’S 300 Samsara Version:

The K’S 300 Samsara Version is one of my favorite earbuds together with the NiceHCK EBX and its the warmest sounding of these three erabuds.

The K'S Samsra sounds warmer then BS1 Official and needs a lot of power two show its potential due the high impedance of 300ohm.

The K’S Samsara has more sub-bass quantity, compared to the more balanced sounding presentation of the BS1 Official. The BS1 official has the better texture and control in the sub-bass department. The mid-bass of the K’S Samsara have more slam and presence compared to the more natural sounding BS1 Official.

The Penon BS1 Official sounds more transparent and clean in the midrange compared to the K’S Samsara that has an overall darker and warmer midrange presentation. The male and female vocal presentation of the Penon BS1 Official sounds more life like and has a better detail retrieval.

The Penon BS1 Official sounds more realistic with string instruments. It also performs slightly better in instrument placement and separation. The midrange resolution of this earbuds is on par, maybe little bit better wit BS1 Official that has additional clearness and transparency.



The K’S Samsara sounds softer and more controlled in the upper midrange, while the Penon BS1 Official has the better definition.

The treble presentation of the Penon BS1 Official is on the transparent and vivid side, while the K’S Samsara sounds a bit softer and darker in this department. Both earbuds sharing great control and doesn’t sound harsh.

The upper treble range of the Penon BS1 Official has more presence and sounds crisper and with slightly more definition. The BS1 Official has more resolution in the upper treble range. The differences are very small and in a micro detail level, but noticeable anyway.

Both earbuds share a decent soundstage, but there is a small difference. The Peonon BS1 Official has more width and the K’S Samsara more depth. The instrument placement and imaging on both earbuds performs wide above this price range and i think there is no clear winner.





Conclusion:

The Penon BS1 Official is one of the best or maybe the best earbud available in this price range. It has a wonderful balanced sound signature, great luxurious packaging and a decent build quality that is quite impressive for this price.



Summary (plus and minus):

+ Nice balanced sound with good detail level,
+ Decent build quality,
+ Wonderful packaging and accessories,
+ Great Price to Performance Ratio,
+ Easy to drive

- None for this price





This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The HYPERSENSE HEX02;
Good Bass and Solid Build Quality








1. Introduction:

Hypersense is a brand of the company LinDo Technology Co. Ltd. that is located in Dongguan, a Industrial City in mainland China. The Hypersense HEX02 is the first In-Ear Monitor (IEM) of this Company in the audio market.

Hypersense HEX02 is an IEM with a 9mm composite (PET + Ti) diver.



2. Disclaimer:

The Hypersense HEX02 was provided to me by the Hypersense via Penon Audio for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with Hypersense or Penon Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.



3. Price:

The MSRP price for the Hypersense HEX02 is 25.00 USD.

Purchase Link: https://penonaudio.com/hypersense-hex02.html



4.Package and Accessories:

The Hypersense HEX02 comes in a blue/black colored small card box.

This box includes the following contents;

• 1 x Hypersense HEX02
• 1 x Storage Bag
• 1 pair of Earhook
• 1 pair per size S, M, L Silicone Tips

Storage bag that comes in the box is made of fabric material and the silicone eartips are soft and comfortable. There is also 1 pair of Ear-hook / Ear-Guide.





5. Specifications:

• Impendence : 16Ω
• Driver diameter : 9mm
• Diaphragm material : PET / Ti composite material
• Rated power : 10mW
• Sensitivity : ≥95dB (@ 1kHz)
• Frequency Response : 20 ~ 40kHZ
• Wire material : 1.35m environmental TPE
• Receiver : condenser microphone
• Remote control : three buttons (volume and pause)
• System compatibility : Android and iOS compatible
• Plug : 3,5mm 4 Pole Gold Plated Plug

6. Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The HEX02 has a bell like design and is made of stainless steel that is according to Hypersense made with a special “super-hard alloy knife processing” technology. There is also a black plastic part on the shell that serves as strain relief and on the back side of is the nice looking Hypersense Logo.



There are also two holes on the bottom of which one should serve as a bass vent.



The HEX02 is a quite small IEM that is pretty comfortable in my ears and should be ideal for those who are looking for a comfortable earphone. The Isolation of this In-Ear Monitor is above average and should be quite suitable for outdoor usage.



The cable of the HEX02 is not removable and has a built in microphone. The cable has a black TPU coating that is soft and a little bit prone to microphonic effects.

There is a small metal Y splitter but no chin slider.



The built in microphone has a quite good voice transmission performance and is compatible with Android and iOS devices. The straight headphone plug is made of stainless steel material in a conical form that is quite easy to plug and remove.







7. Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)

8. Sources used for this review:

• IEM : Hypersense HEX02, Sennheiser CX 3.00, Dunu DN12
• DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Aune M2Pro, Chord Mojo, Zishan Z2

9. The Sound:

I believe in burn-in and this review is written after a burn-in process of approx. 100 hours. I have used the stock silicone ear tips that are included to the package.

Tonality:

The HEX02 is an IEM with a warm tonality, bright top end, strong bass response and a clean overall sound.

Frequencies:

The sub-bass performance for depth, clarity and extension is considering the price of $ 25 pretty good. This means that the sub-bass performances will satisfy most users who are looking for an entry level Hi-Fi IEM.

The Hypersense HEX02 is able to produce strong mid-bass and punchy sub-bass tones. One big plus for the HEX02 is the mid-bass performance, which is well controlled and not overshadowing the midrange.

Although the HEX02 is a bass-focused IEM, a slight extension of the bass pulls it to a stable point and that’s why the bass sounds sound very controlled even in bass intensive music genres.

The bass performance of the Hypersense HEX02 will satisfy users who are listening to genres like trance, edm, etc. and who want bass pressure, extension, amount and vibration.

The Hypersense HEX02 has a warm and slightly colored sounding midrange.

Male vocals sounding stronger and reaching better to the upper midrange register. This means that male vocals sounding in general better than female vocals. There is missing only a bit of transparency for female vocals, which is otherwise quite good in performance for this price range.

The HEX02 has a good instrument separation in songs with low instrument density and performs better with bold sounding instruments than thinner ones, because of the missing of some naturalness.

The HEX02 sounds a bit harsh and bright in the upper register, compared to the warmer lower end and midrange. The treble presentation is in general more suitable for music types like edm or trance, than for metal music.



10. Comparison:

Vs. Sennheiser CX 3.00 :

The Sennheiser CX 3.00 is an IEM with V shaped sound signature. The Hypersense HEX02 on the other hand has a warmer sound signature with a relative brighter top end.

The CX 3.00 has more depth and quantity in the lower frequency area, with more bass presence and rumble. The HEX02 on the other hand, is better in speed with a tighter and more natural bass response. As result, the HEX02 sounds more balanced and mature in the lower register.

Both IEM’s have a different vocal presentation. The HEX02 sounds better with male vocals, while the Sennheiser CX 3.00 is superior in female vocal presentation.

The midrange of the HEX02 has a more forward oriented presentation. The HEX02 has also a brighter and more detailed midrange presentation, compared to the darker and overshadowed tuning of the CX 3.00.

The instrument clarity, separation and detail level of the HEX02 is superior compared to those of the CX 3.00.

The treble presentation Sennheiser CX 3.00 sounds more recessed and darker then those of the Hypersense HEX02. The treble of the HEX02 is brighter and more upfront compared to those of CX 3.00. The treble overall detail level and extension of the HEX02 is superior. The good thing about the treble range of the CX 3.00 is that it’s not tiring your ears and makes it suitable for listening to long periods.

The Hypersense HEX02 has an airier and wider soundstage presentation in both directions.

Vs. Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD
Both IEM’s sharing nearly identical sub-bass and bass performances. The Hypersense HEX02 has a bit more bass quantity then than Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD, which has the better overall control in this frequency region.

The midrange of the HEX02 soundS warmer and more emotional compared to the brighter and a bit too harsh sounding Hybrid Pro HD. The upper midrange of the Hybrid Pro HD sounds a bit too over boasted and somewhat unnatural compared to the warmer and more realistic tuning of the HEX02.

The Hybrid Pro HD sounds smoother and brighter in the treble range, while the Hypersense HEX02 has more the upper hand for treble definition. Both IEM’s have a bright top end and some sibilance problems.

Both IEMs are quite good in soundstage realism and wideness for both directions. The Hybrid Pro HD has a little more depth, while the HEX02 has the upper hand for separation, which is in complex passages noticeable.



11. Conclusion:

The Hypersense HEX02 is a good looking IEM with nice build quality, that has a nice warm sound with strong bass response and a clean overall sound that are nice features for a entry level product.



12. Summary (plus and minus):

+ Build quality
+ Nice warm sound with strong bass response
+ Comfortable fit
+ Build-in microphone


- Missing of some transparency
- No detachable cable

The NiceHCK HC5;
Great Look, Good Sound for a Reasonable Price


Introduction:

The NiceHCK HC5 is a Multi Driver IEM with 5 Balanced Armature Drivers and a custom (CIEM) like acrilik shell.




About NiceHCK Audio:

The company NICEHCK Audio was founded in 2015 in Shenzhen and is a professional dealer and trader of Chinese Hi-Fi Audio products, such as: Hi-Fi Earphone, Portable Player, Amplifier, Cable, Accessories. The main goal of NiceHCK is to provide Global Audiophiles with the best Chinese Hi-Fi Audio products through online stores like Aliexpress and Amazon.

Price:

The NiceHCK HC5 can be purchased on HCK Audio Store for 167 USD.


Disclaimer:

The NiceHCK HC5 was provided to me for free of charge by HCK Store as a review sample. I am not affiliated with HCK Store beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, but subjective (I am a Human) opinions about the product.


Package and Accessories:

The NiceHCK HC5 comes in a small brown chard box that has a silver NiceHCK logo printed at the top.

This box contains the following items;

• 1 x NiceHCK HC5
• 6 x (pairs) Silicone Ear Tips
• 1 x 3.5mm Gold Plated SPC (Silver Plated Copper) Cable with MMCX Connectors
• 1 x Leather Cable Strap
• 1 x Carrying case

The stock silicone eartips are surprisingly soft and comfortable. The only downside about it is the white colour, which makes it prone to yellowing.

The carrying case with the NiceHCK is well made and there is enough space to put all the accessories in to this package.




The Leather strap that is included in this box looks pretty nice and is a useful addition.





Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The NiceHCK HC5 is a nice looking IEM with a CIEM like design and finish. The transparent acrylic shell is very well made and you can see all the divers and cables, etc. inside it, which is a nice experience. The HC5 is available in 3 different faceplate color options and those are Blue, Red and Black. There is also a HCK logo on the top that is in gold color.




The HC5 has MMCX connectors that are cold plated and feel sturdy. The nozzle is made of metal and has a relative small and short profile. On the top of the nozzle is a small build in filter. What has me surprised is that most of my silicone eartips that I have collected are compatible except my old Dunu double flange eatips that have a relative large profile.





As I motioned before, the HC5 has a CIEM like design and the fit and comfort of this IEM is pretty good and reminds me to this of the HiFi BOY OS V3 that are also very good regarding to fit and comfort.



The isolation of the NiceHCK HC5 is quite good and ideal for relative loud environments.



Cable:

The stock cable of the NiceHCK HC5 is 4 (four) braided and is made of Silver Plated Cooper Material (in short SPC) with a very soft and transparent TPU coating that avoids microphonic effects.





The cable comes with MMCX connectors and 3.5mm single ended jack. The headphone jack has a straight profile and silver aluminium housing that has a premium feel.






Technical Specifications:

• Drive unit : 5BA drive unit (1 x 22955 BA + 4 x Chinese-made BA)
• Sensitivity : 118 db/mW
• Impedance : 22 Ohm
• Frequency range : 20-40000Hz
• Cable Interface : SPC Cable with MMCX interface and 3.5mm TRS headphone jack
• Cable Length : 1.2m±5cm
• Available Colours : Blue, Red, Black
• Weight : 18g

The NiceHCK HC5 is a Universal In-Ear Monitor (in short UIEM) with 5 balanced armature drivers. 1 of these drivers is a Knowles 22955 model BA. There are no details about the other 4 BA’s that are identified as Chinese-made Balanced Armature drivers.



Drivability (Impedance):

The NiceHCK HC5 is an easy to drive, quite sensitive and efficient Universal IEM with an impedance of 22 Ohm. The HC5 is an ideal In Ear Monitor for all type portable sources. My Samsung Galaxy S8+ and the IPad Air 2 could push the HC5 to very high volumes without any noticeable struggling.




Sources:

Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (Apple Music)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
• George Michal – Older “Album” (Apple Music)
• Bryan Adams – MTV Unplugged Version Album (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught (ALAC)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Metallica - The Black Album (Flac 24bit/96Hz)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Twenty One Pilots – Fairly Local (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
• Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Flac 16bit/44kHz)

• In Ear Monitor : NiceHCK HC5, Mee Audio Pinnacle P1, Whizzer A15 Pro
• DAP/DAC : Aune M2 Pro, Chord Mojo, Zishan Z2, Ipad Air2, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

Sound Analysis and Comparisons:

I am one of the sort of people who believes in burn-in and this review is written after an intensive burn-in process of 150 hours. I have used the stock provided silicone ear tips due this review.

Sound Signature and Tonality:

The NiceHCK HC5 is a quite balanced sounding IEM with a smooth and relaxed sound signature that has a tonality that tends slightly to the warmer side than neutral that is a very popular tuning these days.



Frequencies:

The sub-bass of the NiceHCK HC5 have good extension with a nice textured rumble. It sounds a bit rolled off, but there is a nicely balanced presentation. The sub-bass region is tonally accurate and doesn’t cause to any remarkable distortion.

The bass on the other hand is tight, well controlled and has nice definition that performs above its price point. The best thing about it is, that is doesn't overshadowing the midrange. I can easily say that the bass extension is one of the best I have listened at this price range.

The Mid-bass of the NiceHCK HC5 is quite fast and doesn’t overpowering the other frequencies that could result to a muffled midrange presentation. The mid-bass of the HC5 are only there when it’s needed and adds a hint of warmness that is noticeable in the midrange.

The midrange of the NiceHCK HC5 sounds quite balanced. The presentation of vocals and instruments doesn’t sound recessed or too upfront. Maybe some of us will prefer a more V shaped presentation with more bass and treble presence, but this sort of midrange tuning is very rare to find for multi BA IEM's in this price range.

The female vocal performance of the NiceHCK HC5 while listening to Aretha Franklin, Diana Krall or Saskia Bruin etc. is quite impressive with its intimate and emotional presentation. The male vocal presentation is pretty good but not as impressive as the female performance that I heared with the HC5.

For example; Male vocals like George Michael or Bryan Adams sounding a touch warmer than in natural. The overall midrange resolution is pretty good for a IEM with a multi BA configuration at this price range.

The upper midrange is where the HC5 really shines. There is a small roll off, but it sounds quite controlled in almost any track I have listened with it. There is only a low amount of stress that is noticeable in some instrument intensive passages where instruments like cymbals, bells, etc. are used.

The treble range of the NiceHCK HC5 sounds coherent and balanced. The clarity level and overall definition around 4.5 - 5 kHz range is quite good. There is only a little stress with some instruments that share higher notes like piano, cymbal or violin etc. There is a slightly roll of that avoids harshness without to lose much of detail.

There is a small amount of roll-off around the 15 kHz region that avoids an upper treble harshness, without to lose much of detail and sparkle.



Soundstage and Imaging:

The soundstage of the NiceHCK HC5 is not the widest, tallest or deepest I have heard in this price range. But it sounds in a quite realistic way without to be claustrophobic. The stage is quite close to the listener that makes vocals presentations intimate.

There is enough space and air between instruments. The overall imaging, instument placement and separation is pretty good and It is possible to locate each ones position without any problem, even in some complex passages like in Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti performance.






Some Comparisons:

Vs. Whizzer A15 Pro (125 USD):

The Whizzer has a very good price to performance ratio. The build quality, accessories and detail level that is provided for this price makes it to a very good value.

The first noticeable difference in sound is the tonality. The Whizzer A15 Pro and the NiceHCK HC5 sounding totally different. The A15 Pro sounds more analytical and has a brighter and colder sound signature compared to the warmer and more musical presentation of the HC5.

The A15 Pro sounds a bit bass shy in direct comparison to the NiceHCK HC5. The HC5 has more sub-bass and bass quantity with better extension and definition compared to the A15 Pro, which performs better in the speed department. The HC5 has a little more micro detail then the A15 Pro that is otherwise quite good in presentation.

The midrange of both sounds quite different. The HC5 sounds warmer and more intimate than Whizzer A15 Pro, which has a midrange tuning that has a more forward in presentation. The vocal and instrument presentation of the HC5 sounds fuller, while the sound of the A15 Pro has a more analytical and transparent tuning.

The Treble range of the Whizzer A15 sounds dry and transparent, while the Nice HCK HC5 sounds softer and warmer. The treble control of both IEM’s is very good for this price range. Both IEM’s sharing similar level of detail with good separation. The upper treble range of the A15 Pro sounds a bit harsh compared to the softer tuning of the HC5.

When it comes to soundstage and imagine, both are quite capable in its own way. The A15 Pro has a wider soundstage, while the HC5 wins in depth. Imagine of the A15 Pro with its single dynamic driver is quite good and on par with the NiceHCK HC5.




Vs. MEE audio Pinnacle P1 (200 USD)

The MEE audio Pinnacle P1 is a very capable IEM for the price. It has a very good accessory package, great build quality and a great looking stock cable.

The Pinnacle P1 is a very capable IEM with its single dynamic driver but needs a lot of juice to show it real performance due its the relative high impedance. The Pinnacle P1 is the brighter and more analytical sounding IEM of this two.

The sub-bass of the P1 are not as present as those of the HC5, but have good definition. The HC5 goes deeper and has also the better sub-bass extension. The sub-bass speed and control of the HC5 and the P1 are on par.

The bass quantity, speed and resolution of the HC5 are superior, compared to those of the Pinnacle P1, which has also the better weight and extension. The bass of both IEM’s doesn’t bleed in to the midrange that could cause to a muddy presentation.

The midrange of the NiceHCK HC5 is more forward in its presentation and the vocal presentation of the HC5 sounds more emotional due the slightly warmer tuning. This difference is not as high like the A15 Pro, but it is pretty noticeable. The Pinnacle P1 sounds airier in the midrange that gives a better sense of space, especially for instrument. The upper midrange of the P1 has some additional stress compared to the HC5.

The treble range of the P1 sounds a touch brighter and has some additional definition. Both IEM’s doesn’t sound harsh or ear piercing, but the NiceHCK HC5 sounds more relaxing due the overall warmer tuning. The upper treble range of the HC5 sounds more controlled. This is noticeable in instruments with high notes like pianos, violin or cymbals.

I can easily say that the treble extension, micro detail level and overall sped at the treble range is pretty good for both IEM’s in this price range.

The soundstage of both IEM’s is not monstrous or in a claustrophobic level. They do there job quite good for this price range. The Pinnacle P1 has a slightly wider and deeper presentation than HC5.



Conclusion:

The NiceHCK HC5 is a very nice looking IEM with its custom like design and finish, which has also a pretty good overall sound presentation with nice detail level and relaxing sound signature.





Pros and Cons:

+ Beautiful CIEM like Design
+ Great Fit and Comfort
+ Good Amount of Detail
+ Nice / Emotional Vocal Presentation


- Not the biggest soundstage
- Missing of some detail at the treble range






This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

Lypertek MEVI; Good Sound for Small Price






1. Disclaimer:

The Lypertek Mevi was provided to me by the Lypertek via Penon Audio for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with Lypertek or Penon Audiobeyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.


2. Introduction:

Lypertek is a relative new audio gear company located in China. The Lypertek Mevi is the first In-Ear Monitor (IEM) of the company in the Hi-Fi audio market. Lypertek decided to join in to the market with a 7mm single dynamic driver IEM.


3. Price:

The MSRP price for the Lypertek Mevi is 29.90 USD.

Product Page : https://www.lypertek.com/mevi
Purchase Link : https://penonaudio.com/lypertek-mevi.html



4. Package and Accessories:

The Lypertek Mevi comes in a very small white card box.

This box includes the following contents;



1 x Lypertek Mevi
1 x Cable clip
1 x Hard Carrying Case
1 pair per size S, M, L Silicone Tips



The hard case that is included in the box is small but well made. They are 3 pairs of silicone ear tips that are quite soft and comfortable. There is also a shirt clip that is a nice addition.

5. Specifications:

• Driver : 7.0mm Dynamic
• Impedance : 32 Ohm
• Frequency Response : 20~20KHz
• Sensitivity : 95dB
• Plug : 3.5mm Stereo
• Cable : 1.2m

6. Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The Lypertek Mevi has very small and well crafted aluminum housing available in black & red colors. The housing of the Mevi has a compact design, is lightweight and comfortable to wear. There is a Lypertek logo on the back of the monitor housing and two vents on the bottom. The strain relief is red color for the right and blue for the left monitor.



The isolation in loud environments is mediocre, but in an acceptable level for such a small In-Ear Monitor.

The TPU-coated cable is not changeable but looks sturdy. It has a straight 3.5mm headphone jack with built-in microphone that has several functions, which are shown below.



The clarity of the voice transmission is above average. The Y Splitter is made of metal but there is no chin slider.

–


7. Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (DSF)

8. Sources used for this review:

• IEM : Lypertek Mevi, Dunu DN12, Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD
• DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Aune M2Pro, Chord Mojo, Zishan Z2

9. The Sound:

This review is written after a burn-in process of apprx. 100-110 hours and I have used the stock silicone ear tips.

Please note that this is a entry level IEM and all my comments about the sound quality are in consideration of this price range.


a. Tonality:

The Lypertek Mevi is an IEM with a quite neutral tonality, a linear / flat bass response and a treble structure that expands well and doesn’t bother.

b. Frequencies:

Lypertek Mevi has a well balanced and tight bass reproduction with a relative fast response.

The Lypertek Mevi’s sub-bass depth is at average levels and can’t reach very deep. It doesn’t have the bass rumble type that a basshead would love.

But some good things happening; the sub-bass control of the Mevi is in a very good level for such a budget IEM. The bass response is accurate, fast and natural, which is a good benefit for genres with real instrumental like classic or acoustic tracks.

The mid-bass of the Lypertek Mevi are very controlled and don’t mess into the mids. This makes the Lypertek Mevi to a good choice for metal music that need speed and control for drum performances.

The midrange of the Lypertek Mevi has a flat / smooth character and neutral tonality. The midrange has the same positioning as the other frequencies.

The Lypertek Mevi has also a clean, crisp and energetic midrange, which is a rarely found feature, is this price category.

Both female and male vocals have the same success with a clean and transparent presentation. I did not observe any overshadowing of the midrange, that is quite spacious, airy and very pleasant to listen to.

The midrange doesn’t sound thin or very full, there is a nice balance with a pretty musical presentation.

The Lypertek Mevi doesn’t sound dry or cold; On the contrary, it has an alive, dynamic and energetic presentation.

The Lypertek Mevi performs very well with instruments such as acoustic guitar, percussion instruments and viola. The instrument representation is pretty good in terms of the nature, clarity and separation of each note.

The Lypertek Mevi has a treble texture that extends well for its price, without to be sibilant or harsh. Instruments like cymbals, bells, etc. don’t sounding metallic or unnatural and the overall treble presentation is well controlled.

The upper treble range is missing some definition, but we should note that this is an IEM under 30 USD.

c. Soundstage:

The Lypertek Mevi has an average soundstage presentation that is not very wide, but vocal positioning and instrument placements sounding quite natural. There is nothing special about the soundstage depth, but we should remember that this is a entry level IEM.




10. Comparison:

Vs. Dunu DN12:

Dn12 has more bass quantities and sub-bass depth than the Lypertek Mevi. But bass performance of the Dunu DN12 is behind the Mevi in terms of speed, tightness and balance

Dunu DN12 has a more forward midrange presentation. The midrange of the Lypertek Mevi on the other hand, sounds more natural and has relative flat presentation.

The Lypertek Mavi sound transparent and smooth compared to the grainier and overshadowed sounding Dunu DN12.

The Lypertek Mevi has also the better performance for instrument representation.

The midrange of the Dunu DN12 is loosing the control very faster in higher volume levels and starts to shine, that makes the sound uncomfortable, while the Lypertek Mevi has the better control in same volume levels.

The Lypertek Mevi has a more forward treble presentation with a better extension and overall resolution. The treble presentation of the DN12 is not fast enough for genres that need a fast treble response, such as metal music etc.

The Lypertek Mevi has the wider and deeper soundstage presentation. The difference is not marginal but noticeable. There is also more air and space between instruments compared to the presentation of the DN12.

Vs. Xiaomi Hybrid Pro HD
The first noticeable difference is the lower frequency region. The Hybrid Pro HD has more sub-bass and bass quantity then the Mevi. But the bass of the Mevi is tighter and has the better overall control. The bass speed of both IEM’s is nearly the same but the Mevi has a touch more micro detail.

The midrange of the Hybrid Pro HD sounds more recessed compared to the more balanced tuned Lypertek Mevi. The Hybrid Pro HD sounds smoother and brighter in the midrange, but the Lypertek Mevi has more the upper hand for definition.

The Hybrid Pro HD sounds a bit brighter in the treble range and is more prone to sibilance then Lypertek Mevi, especially with instrument like cymbals or bells.

The Lypertek Mevi sounds more balanced at the upper treble register and has additional control, but less micro detail in comparison to the Hybrid Pro HD.

Both IEMs have nearly the same soundstage performance but the Hybrid Pro HD has a little more depth, while both have nearly identical soundstage wideness.

11. Conclusion:

The Lypertek Mevi is a nice sounding entry level IEM with a quite balanced sound signature, a pretty good fit that is packed in small but solid housing.



12. Summary (plus and minus):

+ Nice balanced sound signature
+ Good detail level for the price
+ Comfortable fit
+ Build quality


– No detectable cable



This review was originally posted on my Review Blog "Moonstar Reviews" :
www.moonstarreviews.net

The Tin Audio T1; good price for a nice package...




1. Disclaimer:

The Tin Audio T1 IEM was provided to me by the Tin Audio via Penon Audio for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with Tin Audio or Penon Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.

2. Introduction:

Tin Audio is China based Audio Brand that is know is known for its IEM’s like Tin Audio T2 and T515 that are sold for a reasonable price.

3. Price:

The MSRP price for the Tin Audio T1 is 36.,90 USD.

Purchase Link: https://penonaudio.com/tin-audio-t1.html

4. Package and Accessories:

The Tin Audio T1 comes in a small white card box with a Tin Audio Branding.



Inside it is another box that looks like a jewelry case with a blue pleather (faux leather) surface that looks and feels very nice.





This box includes the following contents;

• 1 pcs. of Tin Audio T1
• 6 pairs of silicone eartips

5. Specifications:

• Driver : 12.5mm
• Impedance : 16Ω
• Frequency Response : 18-25000Hz
• Sensitivity : 102Db
• Plug : 3.5mm
• Cable : 130cm TPU Coated Copper Cable

6. Drivability:

The Tin Audio T1 has an impedance of 16 Ohms and is a very easy to drive IEM. Even Smartphones and Tablets should be able to give this IEM enough juice.


7. Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The T1 has a modern, round shaped design. The all-metal aluminum CNC processed monitor housing is very nicely crafted and doesn’t look cheap. There is a bass vent on the sides and a small grill right under the left / right markings on the inner surface of the T1.



The monitor is neither small nor big and sits quite comfortable in my ears. The noise isolation of the T1 is above average.



There is no cable upgrade option like on the more expensive T2 model, but the TPU coated copper cable is stiff but well made.

The cable has a nice looking built in microphone that has a good voice transmission.





The Y Splitter of the T1 cable has the same design philosophy like the monitor and has also a round shape.



8.Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
• George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
• LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
• Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (DSF)

9. Sources used for this review:

• IEM : Tin Audio T1, Dunu DN12, KZ ZS6
• DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Aune M2Pro, Chord Mojo, iPad Air 2

10. The Sound:

This review is written after a burn-in process of apprx. 100 hours. I have used the stock silicone ear tips.

Tonality:

The Tin Audio T1 has an engaging ound signature with a warm sound tonality.

Frequencies:

The Tin Audio T1 has a warm and strong bass response that reaches quite low. The bass reproduction and quantity is quite balanced. The bass amount is not on a basshead level, but, it should be quite enough for most listeners.

There is only a small lack of sub-bass quantity that has otherwise a good depth, softness and emphasis.

The T1’s bass performance in some Megadeth or Opeth drums performances is pretty good. The speed, accent and tightness are quite impressive for this price point.

The bass quantity for genres like EDM, Pop and Trance music is quite good. There is only missing a small amount of depth.

The good thing about the bass of the T1 is, that there is no midbass hump that would otherwise make the midrange sound muffled.

The Tin Audio T1 has a nice warm sounding midrange, which gives male vocals strong presentation. Female vocals sounding warmer than normal but there is a nice sense of emotion. That means that the T1 performs better with male vocals than female. There is a small lack of clearness & transparency for female voices that is tolerable for this price range.

The instrument performance of the Tin Audio T1 is pretty good on non instrument intensive genres like rock, metal, pop and acoustic songs. The instrument separation is quite good, especially in acoustic recording.

People who prefer a warm and full sounding midrange will like the Tin Audio T1 very much.

The Tin Audio T1 has a well controlled upper mid- / treble range, which has good extension. It is not too bright and doesn’t sound ear piercing and this makes it ideal for long listening periods.

The treble speed, extensions and emphasis of instruments like crash cymbals or hi-hat etc. is quite successful.

Brass & wind instruments or violins are also very satisfying. Even high-pitched string notes don’t sounding too harsh or bright.

Soundstage:

The soundstage presentation is above average that is quite normal for this price range. There is a nice sense of space and enough air between instruments.







11. Comparison:

Vs. Dunu DN12:

The Dunu DN12 has more bass presence and depth compared to the T1. But the bass of the Tin Audio T1 sounds tighter and has also more speed, balance and control compared to the Dunu DN12.

The Midrange of the Dunu DN12 has a more forward presentation than the Tin Audio T1. Both IEM’s have a relative warm sounding midrange that sounds great with female vocals, but both IEM’s is missing some additional clarity and transparency, that I think is quite normal for this price range.

The midrange of the Dunu DN12 is loosing the control faster and starts to shine in higher volumes, while the Tin Audio T1 has the better overall control.

The treble range of the Tin Audio T1 sounds more forward and has also the better extension with more definition than those of the Dunu DN12. The Dunu DN12 has not enough treble speed for some complex passages.


Vs. KZ ZS6:

The KZ ZS6 is a V shaped IEM that has a relative bright tonality that is quite the opposite of the Tin Audio T1.

The T1 has more bass quantity, while the KZ ZS6 has a more sub-bass oriented presentation. The Bass speed of both IEM’s is quite good for this price range, but the T1 has the better overall control.

The midrange of the Tin Audio T1 sounds fuller without to be muffled. Male vocals sounding better with the T1, while the ZS6 has more sparkle that is needed for female vocals. But there is a problem with the KZ6, the upper treble range is too present, that makes it to a very bright sounding IEM. This makes the vocal presentation of the KZ ZS6 a bit unnatural, while the T1 sounds more natural and emotional.

The treble range of the ZS6 sounds a bit too boosted, compared to the more balanced sounding Tin Audio T1. This makes the ZS6 sometimes uncomfortable and not to a ideal source for long listening periods. The Tin Audio T1 has the better control and tonality.

The KZ ZS6 sounds airier due its sound tuning. The ZS6 has more soundstage width while the Tin Audio T1 has more soundstage depth. The instrument separation and placement is almost the same.




12. Conclusion:

The Tin Audio T1 is a well made IEM with a warm and full sounding tuning that is ideal for male vocals and acoustic song, that makes it to one of the best IEM’s in this price rabge.


13. Summary (plus and minus):

+ Great built quality (all-metal shell) and presentation
+ Good detail level for the price
+ Warm and emotional sound tuning
+ Build in Microphone


– No detectable cable
– Carry case is missing


This review was originally posted on my Review Blog "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.wordpress.com

Nexum AQUA+ The 32 bit Wireless Headphone DAC & Amplifier




1. Disclaimer:

First of all, a big thanks to NEXUM for providing me a free sample of the AQUA+for review purposes. I am not affiliated with NEXUM beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.

2. About NEXUM:

NEXUM comes from Taiwan and is established in 2013 with focusing on wireless audio technology design. Over the years, NEXUM launched several products into the market like the MEMO, AQUA, TuneBox2 and LINKA. They are care about design to bring more value to our lives.

NEXUM Official Web Page: https://www.nexum-design.com/

Price: $139.00

3. What is the AQUA+:

The AQUA+ is Wireless operating DAC with a built in amplifier that supports Hi-Res music files with sampling rates up to 32bit 384K and is compatible with multiple operating systems like Windows, Mac, Android or IOS etc.



4. Package and Accessories:

The device comes in small card-box and contains the following items;

• 1 x AQUA+
• 1 x Charging Pad
• 1 x Leather Clip
• 1 x microUSB cable
• 1 x User Manual

5. Design and Build Quality:

The NEXUM AQUA + is a small (4.5*4.5*1.2cm), lightweight (25g) and well made device that has a square shape with rounded corners. The AQUA+ has a frame that is made of aluminum, while the top and back covers/caps are made of plastic for a better wireless transmission.



On the sides you can find the power button with a 32 bit marking, the volume wheel that has multiple functions, a led light and the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The NEXUM AQUA+ has three different options for the cover caps; these are midnight black, Sublime Gold and Radiant white. My device is Sublime Gold model.



6. Technical Specifications:

• Audio Codec : aptX/aptX LL/AAC/SBC
• Support Impedance : 8ohm-300ohm
• Output Power : 7.5mW@300ohm per channel (1.5Vrms output)
• Bluetooth Range : 10M
• Noise Level : -93dB
• Dynamic Range : 92.7dB
• THD+N @1KHz : 0.0067%
• Stereo Crosstalk : -92.5dB
• Microphone : MEMS type with high sensitivity
• Charging time : 2hours
• Certifications : BQB/FCC/CE/NCC
• Size : 4.5*4.5*1.2cm
• Weight : 25g

7. Hardware and Operation:

The NEXUM AQUA + has some nice hardware specs like a high quality DAC, Wireless charging etc. that I will now explain for you.

a) DAC Section:

The DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) used in the NEXUM AQUA+ is the CS43130 of the Company Cirrus Logic Inc. that supports sampling rates up to 32bit – 384kHz. According to Cirrus Logic, the CS43130 features a high impedance of 600 Ω and inter channel isolation of >110 dB to minimize pre-echos and ringing artifacts.

The CS43130 is designed with proprietary digital-interpolation filters that support five selectable digital filter responses. Filtering options include low group delay with pseudo-linear phase and a fast or slow roll-off. Volume matching of the analog output levels and channel mixing enable a seamless transition between the DSD and PCM playback paths.



The onboard low noise, ground-centered headphone amplifier provides proprietary AC impedance detection to support headphone fingerprinting to provide a consistent and transparent audio experience for the end user regardless of transducer impedances or frequency responses.



b) AMP Section and Drivability:

The NEXUM AQUA + has an onboard amplifier that is integrated in to the CS43130 SOC (System on a Chip). The amplifier supports earphones & headphones with impedance between 8ohm-300ohm and has an output power rating of 7.5mW@300ohm per channel (1.5Vrms output).

The AQUA+ was able to drive my Audio-Technica ATH M50 to pretty loud volume levels.

According to Cirrus Logic, the onboard headphone amplifier provides proprietary AC impedance detection to support headphone fingerprinting to provide a consistent and transparent audio experience for the end user regardless of transducer impedances or frequency responses.



c) Bluetooth and supported Audio Codecs:

The AQUA+ supports the Bluetooth 4.2 protocol and different types of codecs. This means whenever you pair the AQUA+ with a Bluetooth device it selects the best possible codec that your audio source (DAP, Tablet, Smartphone) supports.

Supported codecs are aptX / aptXLL / AAC and SBC. That means that you no longer hear an FLAC, WAV, MP3, DSD, etc. music file. All audio formats will be decoded by the output device to PCM and then transcoded to aptX, AAC or SBC via Bluetooth audio (in 16bit) to AQUA+. Then AQUA+ leverages its 2 embedded chipsets, high-quality SRC & Hi-Res DAC, to convert it to 32bit.





What do these codes actually mean?

aptX:

In digital audio data reduction technology, aptX (formerly apt-X) is a family of proprietary audio codec compression algorithms currently owned by Qualcomm.

The aptX audio codec is used for wireless audio applications, notably the real-time streaming of lossy stereo audio over the Bluetooth A2DP connection/pairing between a “source” device such as a Smartphone, Tablet Laptop or a DAP. Products bearing the CSR aptX logo are certified for interoperability with each other. (Ref: Wikipedia)

aptX LL:

aptX LL = Low Latency is intended for video and gaming applications requiring comfortable audio-video synchronization whenever the stereo audio is transmitted over short-range radio to the listener(s) using the Bluetooth A2DP audio profile standard. The technology offers an end-to-end latency of 32 ms over Bluetooth. By comparison, the latency of standard Bluetooth stereo varies greatly depending on the system implementation and buffering. Solutions are available that use standard SBC encoding/decoding that achieve end-to-end latency of less than 40 ms. (Ref: Wikipedia)

AAC:

Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is a proprietary audio coding standard for lossy digital audio compression. (Ref: Wikipedia)

SBC:

SBC, or low-complexity sub-band codec, is an audio sub-band codec specified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) for the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). SBC is a digital audio encoder and decoder used to transfer data to Bluetooth audio output devices like headphones or loudspeakers. It can also be used on the Internet.

It was designed to obtain a reasonably good audio quality at medium bit rates while keeping low computational complexity, having Bluetooth bandwidth limitations and processing power in mind. (Ref: Wikipedia)



How the Bluetooth pairing works:

The Bluetooth pairing of NEXUM AQUA + is quite simple and has an operating range of about 10 meters. You need to press to the 32 bit key until the led flashes in red and blue colors. This operation is needed only for the first time. For the next time you need only to power on the device and enable Bluetooth connection of your source (Smartphone, Tablet, etc.) and a female voice of the NEXUM AQUA + will say “device is connected”.

Please note, that the AQUA+ is designed for headphones with 3.5mm jacks and is unable to support wireless headphones.



d) Wireless Charging:

The Nexum AQUA+ supports the Qi Wireless charging that is an open interface standard that defines wireless power transfer using an inductive charging over distances of up to 4 cm (1.6 inches). Thanks to this feature, the only thing you should do is to but the AQUA+ on the charging pad that is included in the package AQUA+. The charging time takes about 2 hours and has even charge my Samsung Galaxy S8+ that also supports this feature.





e) Battery life:

According to NEXUM, the AQUA+ should be able to play for 8 hours @ 16bits and 5.5 hours @ 32bits on a full charge.

My test have show that the AQUA+ is able top ley for 7.5 – 8 Hours in 16 Bit mode and approx. 5 hours in 32 Bit mode. These values are pretty good for such a small and constantly wireless working device.

f) Background Noise / Hissing:

The NEXUM AQUA + is a very silent working device. There was small to non hissing with some of my sensitive IEM’s like the HiFi BOY OS V3 and Dunu Falcon-C. This is a great capability for a wireless working device.

g) Operation:

The Nexum AQUA+ is easy to handle and has two physical keys/buttons. The first key is the digital volume control wheel of the AQUA+ that supports 64 different volume points and that has also some multiple functions. These functions are Play/Pause (Short Press) /Next Song (Double Short) /Prev. Song (Triple Short).

The second is the 32 Bit key. The 32 Bit key operates as power on/off button and it also activates or deactivates the 32bit/384kHz up-sampling function of the device. The led light changes to a turquoise color when you activate this feature.

h) Microphone:

The headphone mic and wire control will not work while connected, but AQUA+ has a built-in mic and can perform wire control functions with the keys on the device.



8) Equipments used for this review:

• DAC’s : Nexum AQUA +, Astell&Kern XB10
• Digital Sources : Ipad Air 2, Samsung Galaxy S8+
  IEM’s : Audeze iSine20, Dunu Flacon-C, TFZ TEQUILA1,
  Earbuds : Penon BS1 Official Version, NiceHCK EBX, HiFi BOY Dream
• Headphones : Audio-Technica ATH50M

9) Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Sebastian Ingrosso, Thommy Trash &John M. – Reload (Apple Music)
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (DSD)
• Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (DSF)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSD) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Metallica – The Black Album (Flac 24bit/96Hz)
• Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)

10. Sound:

I believe in burn-in and have done that for approx. 100 hours before I wrote this review.

Please note that this is a low budget Bluetooth DAC and all my comments about the sound quality are in consideration of this price range.

Tonality / Bass / Mid / Treble / Soundstage & Imagine:

The AQUA+ is a balanced sounding source with a relative flat frequency response and quite neutral tonality.

The AQUA+ is an energetic sounding device with a well extended and tight bass response. The bass is textured and it sounds pretty transparent. The most impressive part about the bass is the speed; it is pretty fast and accurate for a DAC (especially a Bluetooth one) in this price range.

As mentioned before the AQUA+ is a relative neutral sounding device around the whole sound spectrum. The midrange of this device sounds clear and transparent and has also a good amount of detail retrieval.

After some intensive vocal comparisons I have come to the conclusion that Female vocals like Lorde, Diana Krall or Melody Gardot sounded more natural and emotional then most of the male vocals I have listened during this review.

The instrument presentation sounded pretty natural with some of my IEMs like the HiFi BOY OS V3 and the TFZ TEQUILA1, but the especially the synergy with the AUDEZE iSine20 was very satisfying. The separation and definition of instruments is also pretty good.

The upper midrange of the AQUA+ sounds soft and quite controlled. There is no over sharpness that would be uncomfortable after long listening periods.

The treble range of the NEXUM AQUA + sounds fast, clear and vivid. It is not too bright or too smooth. The detail level is above average and presents a nice amount of shimmer/glimmer.

The soundstage of the AQUA+ is well extended and has a nice sense of space. The soundstage depth is above average but it is pretty wide in staging.



11. Comparison:

Nexum AQUA+ vs Astell&Kern XB10:



The Astell&Kern AK XB10 and the Nexum AQUA+ are one of the best choices if you are looking for a wireless DAC/AMP solution. They are sharing also the same retrial price.

a) Design & Build Quality:

Both devices are well made and very lightweight. The AK XB10 weights only 23g and the AQUA+ 25g.

The Astell&Kern XB10 has an all plastic shell while the AQUA+ has an aluminum frame with plastic caps. Both devices are very small and share the same form factor. The size of the XB10 is 5*5*12.3cm vs 4.5*4.5*1.2cm for the AQUA+.

b) Technical Specifications:

The AK XB10 has to headphone outputs, one for 2.5mm balanced wit a power output of 1.8Vrms and one 3.5mm single ended headphone out with a output power of 0.9Vrms. The AQUA+ has only one 3.5mm single ended output but with a higher output power of 1.5Vrms.

The AQUA+ supports the aptX/aptX LL/AAC/SBC Bluetooth Audio Codec’s, while the SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX HD. The main difference is that the AQUA+ supports aptX LL vs aptX HD for the XB10.

Both devices have a built in microphone that is needed for phone calls.

The AK XB10 has a battery life is around 5 hours while the AQUA+ is able to play up to 7.5 Hours. The AQUA+ has also the Qi Wireless charging option that is a nice extra.

Hi-Fi DAC of both devices is capable of reproducing high-quality sound. The AK XB10 supports sampling rates up to 24-bit/192 kHz, while the AQUA+ is capable to support sampling rates up to 32bit – 384kHz.

c) Sound Comparison:

The AQUA+ has a quite neutral tonality and a relative flat frequency response, while the Astell&Kern XB10 sounds warmer and has a V shaped frequency allocation.

The bass of the AQUA+ sounds faster, tighter and is more natural in presentation, while the AK XB10 has more quantity and depth.

The bass of the AQUA+ sounds cleaner, clearer and has more detail rendering compared to the XB10. The bass of the XB10 is not as tight as the AQUA+ and sounds a little bit loose.

The midrange presentation of the Astell&Kern XB10’s sounds a bit muffled compared the clearer midrange of the AQUA+. The Astell&Kern XB10 sounds better with Male vocals, while the AQUA+ performs better with female vocals.

I think that the AQUA+ has the upper hand in terms of instrument clarity, separation and naturalness.

The upper midrange of XB10 sounds a bit too stiff compared to the softer and more controlled sounding AQUA+.

The treble range of the Astell&Kern XB10 sounds pretty good, but it can not commentate with the performance of the Aqua+, which has the sharper, more extended and faster treble response. Because of these characteristics, the AQUA+ sounds like the better choice if you listen to tracks that need additional speed and control.

Both devices have a good soundstage performance, but the Astell&Kern XB10 has the better depth while the AQUA+ has the better send for soundstage wideness.



12. Conclusion:

The NEXUM AQUA+ is a good performer with its great features, nice build quality and quite detailed sound performance. People who are looking for a wireless DAC/Amp solution should definitely give the AQUA + a try.


13) Pros and Cons:

+ Small form factor
+ Nice Accessory Package
+ Great sound Quality
+ Good Battery Life
+ Low to none hissing


– None for this price

[last edit 08.03.2018]





This review was originally posted on my Review Blog "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The Audirect Whistle, small in size but Big in Sound…





1. Disclaimer:

First of all, a big thanks to Audirect for providing me this free sample of the Audirect Whistle for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Audirect beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.

The review was originally posted on my blog, and now I would like to share it to the Head-fi community.

2. About Audirect:

Audirect is part of Shenzen Micronetwork Technology Co., Ltd. located in Shenzen – China and is engaged since more than 5 years in the development, production and sales of portable DAC’s. The Whistle is the second generation there audio line.

Official website of the Company

3. Price:

The Audirect Whistle DAC/AMP is sold for 99,00 USD

Purchase Link: http://www.audirect.cc/product/whistle-dsd-dac-with-red-color/




4. Introduction:

The Audirect Whistle is a small Hi-Fi DAC and Headphone Amplifier created for people who are not satisfied with there onboard PC soundcard or the sound and output power of there Smartphone’s or Tablets.

5. Package and Accessories:

The device comes in small white card-box and contains the following items;

• 1 pcs of Whistle PCM/DSD DAC/AMP
• 1 pcs of Micro USB cable
• 1 pcs of USB Type-C cable
• 1 pcs of Lightning cable
• 1 pcs of long profile 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable

Audirect has put some nice accessories in to the package. Those are 3 digital OTG and 1 analog connection cables. The Lightning and USB Type-C OTG cable is a free bonus. When you plan to buy it separately you must spend normally 13.90 USD for the Lightning and 9.90 USD for the USB Type-C cable.













6. Design and Build Quality:

The Audirect Whistle is a very compact and small (better say tiny) device that has almost the same size of an AA type battery. It is very lightweight and is only weights only 12g.



It has a triangle shaped design with rounded corners and has an all metal housing. The all metal housing is made of aluminum material and is very well made.

The device has a smooth surface and is painted in one color; only the top and bottom corners are not painted and are appearing in silver metal color. The device is available in 2 different color options and those are gray and red. My review sample came is in red color.



On the top of the device is the 3.5mm headphone/analog out that is compatible with 4 and 3 poled jacks.



At the bottom is Micro USB digital out that allows you to connect it to devices with USB 2.0, Micro USB, USB Type-C and Lightning connection like Tablets, Smartphone’s, PC and MAC that supports external USB DAC’s.



On one of the front surfaces are the Audirect Logo and two LED lights. The PCM marked LED lights up when a PCM conversation is in process and the DSD marked LED lights up when you play a DSD (Direct Stream Digital) file.







7. Technical Specifications:

• DAC : ES9018Q2C
• AMP : ES9016
• Frequency response : 20 – 30000Hz ( -0.15dB)
• Distortion : 0.0004 %
• SNR : – 128dB
• DNR : +121dB
  Output Power Rating : – 115dB THD+N, 2Vrms into 600Ω
• Output Power Rating : – 100dB THD+N, 49mW into 32Ω
• Output : 3.5mm (supports 3 and 4 pole headphone jacks)
• Input : Micro USB (from Micro USB, USB Type-C and Lightning)
• Resolution : PCM 16 up to 32bit/384kHz sampling and Native DSD 1bit/2.8MHz/5.6MHz DSD
• Demission’s : Length: 51.0mm Wide: 14mm Height: 14mm
• Weight : 12g

8. Hardware and Software:

The Audirect Whistle is a small DAC but has some nice hardware specs. The Whistle has no battery and any physical volume control button/wheel.

a) DAC Section:

Inside the Audirect Whistle is the ES9018Q2C DAC of the company ESS Technology Inc.

The ES9018Q2C is a 32-bit Stereo D/A Converter with Integrated Headphone Amplifier and Output Switch. The SABRE9018Q2C SOC (in short System-On-a Chip) is capable to deliver an SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) of 121dB, THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion) of -115dB.

The ES9018Q2C SOC operates from a single +3.3V supply.

The ES9018Q2C features ESS’s 32-Bit HyperStream® architecture that handles up to 32-Bit 384kHz PCM data via SLIMBus, I2S, or DSD-11.2MHz data.





b) AMP Section and Drivability:

The Audirect Whistle has an ES9016 amplifier of the company ESS Technology Inc.

The ES9016 is an on board amplifier that is integrated in to SOC of the ES9018Q2C. The output rated of 49mW into 32Ω and 2Vrms into 600Ω. It was capable to driver my Audeze iSine20 and Audio-Technica ATH M50 to very loud sound volume levels.

c) Battery Draining:

The Whistle has less battery drain than the first generation of Audioquest Dragonfly and other devices like the Fiio E10K.

d) Hissing:

I was very surprised to hear such a clean sound output form such a priced device. I don’t know the performance of the first batch, but the Whistle is a great performer if you have a sensitive to hissing.

The Audirect Whistle sounds very clean with some of my sensitive IEM’s like the HiFi BOY OS V3 and the DUNU Falcon-C, even in very high volume levels. I think that the Audirect team did a good job by making such silent device for this price.

e) Compatibility:

The Audirect Whistle works flawless with Windows PC, MAC, iOS and Android devices.

The Whistle installs the required drivers at the first connection and everything runs automatically. A MAC device doesn’t need any driver installation.



My Ipad Air 2 did automatically recognize the Whistle as a plug and play device.



My Samsung Galaxy S8+ Android Smartphone is working flawlessly and doesn’t need any additional third party software.



9. Equipments used for this review:

DAC’s : Audirect Whistle, Audioquest Dragonfly Black

Digital Source : Ipad Air 2, Samsung Galaxy S8+ and Dell 5521 Laptop
IEM’s : Audeze iSine20, Dunu Flacon-C, HiFi BOY OS V3, TFZ TEQUILA1,
Earbuds : NiceHCK EBX, HiFi BOY Dream

Headphones : Audio-Technica ATH50M



10. Albums & tracks used for this review:

• Sebastian Ingrosso, Thommy Trash &John M. – Reload (Apple Music)
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (DSF)
• Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (DSF)
• Diana Krall – So Wonderful (DSF)
• Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
• Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
• Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
• Metallica – The Black Album (Flac 24bit/96Hz)
• Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)

11. Supported Audio Formats:

The Audirect Whistle supports the following formats that I have tested out during this review;

Native DSD (64/128), FLAC, ALAC, APE, WAV, AAC, OGG, MP3, WMA

12. The Sound:

I have burn-in the device for approx. 100 hours before I wrote this review.

Please note that this is a low budget DAC and all my comments about the sound quality are in consideration of this price range.

Tonality / Bass / Mid / Treble / Soundstage & Imagine:

The Audirect Whistle is a quite balanced sounding source with a hint of warmth that avoids making it sound too dry.

I have use the Audirect Whistle with my Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Smartphone), Ipad Air 2 (Tablet) and Dell 5521 (Laptop).

The improvements on any source I have plugged the Whistle was clearly noticeable. The first noticeable thing was a better authority in the bass department. The improvement of the sub-bass extension on my The Galaxy S8+ was immediately noticeable. It was able to provide a better sense of sub-bass power in the 20-50 Hz range.

The Whistle has also the better mid-bass presentation and control. The quantity and quality is good enough to avoid any lose of definition. My Dell 5521 (Laptop) and the Galaxy S8+ have some problems to handle the speed of the mid-bass range, especially in bass heavy songs that need additional speed and control. The mid-bass improvement was best noticeable on my Dell 5521 that has an onboard soundcard. The Ipad Air 2 the best bass department right after the Whistle.

The midrange of the Whistle sounds slightly more forward than the above mentioned sources. The midrange clarity is quite good and benefits form the clean background of the device. The biggest improvement was the detail retrieval on all plugged devices. The midrange improvement on my Dell 5521 was dramatically especially in the upper midrange; while the change in quality was less noticeable with the Galaxy S8+ and the lowest on the Ipad Air 2.

The Audirect Whistle has some pretty good clarity in the treble area. It has the smoother upper treble register and it sounds also more transparent than all the three sources that I have mentioned above. The improvement is best noticeable on the Dell 5521 and less on the Ipad Air2.

The increasing of soundstage is noticeable but not in a marginal way. There is some improvement for the depth on my Galaxy S8+ especially on the Dell 5521. The wide of the soundstage on the Ipad Air 2 is already for a tablet, but gets quite step further with the Audirect Whistle.

13. Comparison:

Audirect Whistle vs. Audioquest Dragonfly Black (v1.5):

The Audioquest Dragonfly Black is USB Stick-Sized Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) that is also compatible with Apple and Windows PCs, as well as iOS and most Android mobile devices (requires Apple Camera Adapter or OTG adaptor for Android).

Accessories, Design and Build Quality:

The Dragonfly Black is a small device but is bigger in size compared next to the Whistle. The outer shell of the Dragonfly Black is made of plastic that has a rubber like coating that gives a nice touch feeling, while the Whistle has an all metal shell with a smoother surface. One thing that I don’t like about the Dragonfly series is the use of a plastic cap that maybe protects the USB male connector of the device but can be easily lost.

The package of the Dragonfly Black includes only the leather case, no low profile cables for mobile devices that Audirect Whistle has already in the package.



Hardware Comparison and Compatibility:

The Dragonfly Black has the 32-bit ESS 9010 DAC with minimum-phase filter under the hood. The Audirect Whistle on the other hand uses the newer DAC chip of the ESS family the ESS9018Q2C.

The Dragonfly Black has the advantage that there is no need for any cable if you use the device with a PC or MAC but makes is more bulky that the Whistle. The Dragonfly Black has also this nice colorful LED indicator with the look of a Dragonfly that shows which bit-rat is actually active. The Whistle has also two LED indicators one for PCM that is active for all bitrates (except of DSD) and one for DSD.

The Dragonfly Black supports sampling rates up to 24-bit/96 kHz but doesn’t support DSD files. The Whistle in the other hand supports sampling rates up to 32bit/384kHz and has Native DSD capabilities for sampling rates up to DSD64 -1bit/2.8MHz / DSD128 – 1bit/5.6MHz.

The Dragonfly Black doesn’t need any drivers for PC and MAC devices but needs and CCK (Camera Connection Kit) for IOS devices (that you must buy separately) but without the need to install any software, but doesn’t works great with Android devices. To pair the Dragonfly Black with Android device, you need an USB OTG (On the Go) cable (must be bought separately) and you should install third party applications like USB Audio Pro that costs additional money to active the hardware volume control. The Whistle automatically installs the drivers to your PC and doesn’t need any software for MAC, IOS and Android devices. The cables to connect to these devices are also included to the package that is a big plus.

Both devices have nearly the same battery drain effect to the device they are connected.

The Dragonfly Black has an output voltage of 1.2 Volts and has more output power than the Whistle that performs very well with IEMs.



Sound:

The Dragonfly Black’s sound signature reminds to this of the Chord Mojo, especially the warmth and musical sound presentation. The Whistle has the more balanced sound tuning compared to the Dragonfly Black.

The bass on the DF Black has more punch and gives a nice hint of warmth. The Whistle on the other side has less bass impact but with better speed layering and control. The bass definition is nearly equal.

The mids on both devices is sounding quite detailed and but after an intensive listening period with both devices, I have come to the decision that the Audirect Whistle has the better detail level for instrument and vocal presentation. The Whistles layering of mids is also superior compared to the DF Black.

The treble range of both devices sounds quite controlled and with nice detail retrieval, that has a performance above this price point. The Whistle has more treble focus and sounds more lifelike, but the DF Black has the advantage with its better control in the upper treble register.

The soundstage of both devices is above average not ultra wide or claustrophobic. Both devices have a nice sense of depth and above average performance for soundstage wideness.

Hissing:

No doubt, the Audirect Whistle sounds much cleaner that the DF Black. The DF Black has a small amount of hissing with sensitive IEM’s, while the Whistle is the cleanest sounding DAC I have tested in this price range to date.



14. Conclusion:

The Audirect Whistle is a small DAC with a good build and sound quality that has lots of accessories (low profile cables) and almost no hissing that is a big welcome, especially in this price range.

15. Pos and Cons:

+ Tiny form factor
+ Lots of low profile cables/accessories
+ Plug and Play capability for Android and IOS
+ Pretty good sound presentation
+ Low to none hissing

- No independent volume control
- No battery means additional battery drain for the source

This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

TFZ TEQUILA1, the Eye-Catching IEM with Hi-Fi sound



The TFZ TEQUILA1 IEM was provided to me by the company TFZ via Penon Audio for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with TFZ or Penon Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.





2. Introduction:

The company TFZ (The Fragrant Zither) is located in mainland China in the province Shenzhen and is a manufacturer for high-end audio and video products that we know since a few years with it’s popular IEM (in-ear monitor) line, the TFZ Series 1/3/5 and the Balance 2/2M and models like the Exclusive King.

The TFZ TEQUILA1 series is the new fashion style IEM group with double dynamic (DD) Graphene drivers.


3. Price:

The MSRP price for the TFZ TEQUILA1 is around 139,00 USD.

Purchase Link: https://penonaudio.com/tfz-tequila-1.html
Manufacturer website: http://www.tfzither.com/


4. Package and Accessories:

The TFZ TEQUILA1 comes in a small, black card box and includes the following contents;

• 1 pair TFZ TEQUILA1 IEM
• 1 pcs. of cable with 0,78mm 2 pin connection
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips with wide-bore
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips with small-bore
• 1 pair of foam ear tips
• 1 pcs. of Pelican Style Carry Case

Inside the box is a white hard case with a Pelican style look. The case is big enough to store the earphone it self and some silicone ear tips for on the go.



They are 3 pairs of silicone ear tips with a small and 3 pairs with a wide bore. TFZ also included 1 pair of soft foam ear tips. The tips are comfy and don’t fatigue after long listening periods. The only con could be the transparent-white color of the material that could get yellowish after sometime.

The IEM comes with a cable that has 2 pin connectors.



5. Specifications:

a) Driver:

Inside the TFZ TEQUILA1 is a Dual-magnetic two-way Graphene driver with a relative small outer diameter of 8.9mm. The magnet of the driver is made of NdFeB N50, the voice coil of copper clad aluminum wire and the diaphragm of Graphene material.


b) Cable:

The TFZ TEQUILA1 comes with a nice looking 4 braided 5N OFC (Oxygen free Copper) cable that has 0,78mm 2pin connectors. The cable is sturdy and has low to non microphonics.




The stylish looking y-splitter and the chin slider are made of a relative heavy metal material that has a silver color.



The straight plug is also made of this silver colored metal and has 3.5mm gold plated TRS connector.




c) Drivability:

The TEQUILA1 is an efficient IEM with its relative low impedance of 20 ohms and a high sensitivity of 105dB. This technical feature makes the TEQUILA1 to a good IEM option for devices with low power like mobile phones, tablets etc.


6. Technical Specs:

Driver: Dual-magnetic two-way graphene driver
Magnet material: NdFeB N50
Diaphragm material: graphene
Diaphragm diameter: 8.9MM
Frequency response range: 5HZ ~ 40000HZ
Harmonic distortion: 0.5%
Impedance: 20 ohm
Sensitivity: 105dB
Magnetic flux: 9000KGS
Wire: core count 4 * 18 * 0.05 5N oxygen-free copper
Outer sheathe: high flexibility transparent PVC


7. Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The monitor of the TFZ TEQUILA1 has a different look than traditional Hi-Fi level IEM’s. The housing is an all-metal aluminum CNC process shell and that has a quite small shell.



The TEQUILA1 has two different front cover (looks like a grill) designs; one has the look of a spider web and the other reminds me to the radioactive symbol and to the umbrella logo of of the umbrella company in the movies of Resident Evil, LOL. They are also many color options like red, blue, green etc. for each style.



The housing and the 0,78mm 2pin female connectors are very well made and it sits quite comfortable in my ears due the relative small size.



The noise isolation of the TFZ TEQUILA1 is above average.


8. Albums & tracks used for this review:

George Michael – Older Album (Apple Music)
LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught (ALAC)
Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)


9. Sources used for this review:

IEM : TFZ TEQUILA1, Pinnacle P1, Whizzer A15Pro
DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Aune M2Pro, Chord Mojo, Hidizs AP60II, Ipaid Air 2


10. The Sound:

This review is written after a burn-in process of apprx.160 hours. After some experience with some other monitors with Graphene driver, I have come to the conclusion that it needs more burn –in den regular PET drivers. I have used the stock silicone ear tips with the wider bore.

The TFZ TEQUILA1 is an IEM with a slightly V shaped sound signature with emphasis on the top and low end.



Frequencies:

The sub bass of the TFZ TEQUILA1 between the 30 – 50Hz frequencies has the right amount of weight without to be exaggerated. The extension of sub bass notes is great an there is plenty of depth with quite good accuracy.

The speed of the double dynamic graphene driver inside the TEQUILA1 is quite fast, so that it is possible and able to produce fast bass notes. Bass notes between 60 – 250 Hz have fast attacks and decays so that it is possible so hear some nice kick drum and bass notes.

The sound signature of the TEQUILA1 is V shaped, but the midrange is only slightly recessed so that there is a nice sense of space and some airiness without to be sounding too distant.

Vocals and Instruments benefits from this tuning and the overall vocal and instrument presentation sounds in many situations quite natural, moreover male and female vocals sounding pretty emotional.

For example; Laura Pergolizzi’s voice sounds quite intimate, just like the voice of George Michael in its epic album “Older”.

Thanks to the good bass tuning, the TEQUILA1 sounds by no way muddy and it doesn’t exist any bass bleed that could be caused by the mid-bass area.

The treble range of the TFZ TEQUILA1 is prominent due the V shaped sound signature, but there is no treble harshness or sibilance unless a track was recorded in that bad way.

The upper treble range sounds crisp and tight and the clarity and detail retrieval is quite good for an in-ear monitor with dynamic drivers in this price range.

The treble speed of the TFZ TEQUILA1 excels very well in some complex tracks like GoGo Penguin’s – Muration that makes a good impression for an sub 200 USD IEM.



Soundstage:

The TFZ TEQUILA1 sounds pretty specious and has an above average soundstage performance. There is a nice out of the head presentation in Yosi Horikawa’s track “Bubbles”. The staging is pretty wide with a sufficient presentation of depth and the positioning of vocals and instruments is quite accurate.


11. Comparison:

Vs. Whizzer A15 Pro (125 USD):

The Whizzer A15 Pro is one of my favorite IEM’s in the sub 150 USD price category.

Design, Fit & Build Quality:
It has a nice packaging and is well made. Both IEM’s are relative small IEM’s and have an above average isolation. The A15Pro is a small IEM but is not as comfy due the weight and the design choice. The TEQUILA1 is de better choice if you want listen to music for longer than 2-3 hours.

Both IEM’s have cable upgrade ability’s. The TEQUILA1 has 2 pin (0.78mm) connectors, while Whizzer decided to use MMCX ones. This is my personal choice, but I think IEM’s and cables with 2 pin connectors are more durable and safe to use and to upgrade/change.

Sound:
The sound of this IEM’s is quite different. The Whizzer A15Pro has a colder and brighter sound presentation with more linear frequency response. The TEQUILA1 in the other hand sounds more musical and with its V shaped sound signature.

The Whizzer A15 Pro is missing some bass weight that makes it not as conventional as the TEQUILA1. TFZ TEQUILA1 has the better tuning for a wide variety of music genres. The bass of the TEQUILA1 has better weight and response than the A15 Pro.

The midrange performance of both is quite good, but the A15 PRO sounds a little bit too dry vs. the more emotional and intimate vocal presentation, especially for female vocals. The Instrument separation on both is quite good in the price range of between 120 – 140 USD.

The treble definition and resolution for both IEM’s is good but the TEQUILA1 has the upper hand for the control and overall accuracy. The A15 Pro has also some minor problems like upper treble harshness in some genres like metal music. Some instruments like cymbals and bells do sound a little bit ear-piercing in some of my test tracks like Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught. The TEQUILA1 sounds more controlled and softened at the upper treble register.

The TEQUILA1 has the better depth, while the soundstage wideness of both IEM's is nearly equal.


Vs. MEE audio Pinnacle P1 (199 USD):

The MEE audio Pinnacle P1 is one of my favorite IEM’s in the 200USD price range.

Design, Fit & Build Quality:
The Pinnacle P1 is a very capable IEM with its single dynamic driver. It has a die-cast zinc alloy housings and replaceable cables with MMCX (micro-coaxial) connectors and fits nice in my ears. The downside of the shell is that it is relative heavy that makes it uncomfortable after some hours.

The TEQUILA1 has a double dynamic driver configuration with 2pin (0,78mm) detachable cables and a full metal housing that is very comfy even after 2-3 hours.

The Pinnacle P1 has a impedance of 50ohm versus 20ohm for TEQUILA1; this means that the P1 needs more juice to show its true potential. The TEQUILA1 in the other hand is very easy to driver and sounds also good with mobile phones and tablets.

Sound:
The TFZ TEQUILA1 has more sub-bass extension, depth and quantity than the Pinnacle P1 that you can hear and feel. The bass on both IEM’s is fast and shares similarities in body, pressure and weight. The Pinnacle P1 has only a hint more mid-bass extension.

The midrange of both IEM’s sounds airy and has enough space for vocal and Instruments. The overall resolution goes to the TFZ TEQUILA1 that has little bit better micro detail reproduction and sounds more dynamic than the Pinnacle P1. The upper midrange on the Pinnacle P1 sounds a bit too dry and also thin compared to the more energetic and fairly controlled sounding TEQUILA1.

The treble range on both IEM's sounds crisp and transparent with a nice amount of detail. The Pinnacle P1 has little bit more treble emphasis on the top end that makes it prone for treble harshness.

The soundstage on both IEM’s is above average and there is better depth for the TEQUILA1, while the Pinnacle P1 has the wider staging.



12. Conclusion:

The TFZ TEQUILA1 is an eye-catching IEM with its fashionable style. The build quality and fit is one of the best in this price category and the overall sound performance is pretty good for the price with its V shaped sound signature that gives it a musical presentation.

13. Summary (plus and minus):

+ Eye-catching fashion styling
+ Good sound performance for the price
+ Replaceable cable option
+ Good build quality
+ Great Price to Performance Ratio

- Not for people who prefer a neutral tuning

UPDATED



This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The Hidizs AP60II, tiny but talented...


Disclaimer:

First of all, a big thanks to Hidizs for providing me a free sample of the Hidizs AP60II for this review. I am not affiliated with Hidizs beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.



1. About Hidizs:

Hidizs was founded early in 2009 In order to produce some portable HiFi audio devices. In January 2014, Hidizs first portable HiFi audio player the AP100 was officially launch at CES, Les Vegas.

Official website of the Company


2. Price:

Hidizs AP60II + EP3 IEM bundle is sold around 110,00 USD

3. Introduction:

After the success of AP60 first generation, Hidizs decided to launch the newest HiFi music player of the Hidizs family, the new AP60 II.


4. Major Advantages over the first generation AP60:

The Hidizs AP60II has some major advantages over the first model and here is a list of these new features.

1. New aluminum alloy body and 2.5D glass panel
2. New Hiby Link Smartphone intelligent control
3. New easy-to-use hidden-type mechanical buttons
4. New UI and hardware design
5. New 2.0" IPS HD screen
6. New clock function
7. New production technique, better sound quality and more details.

5. Package and Accessories:

The device comes in a nice black card-box that gives you a nice first impression.

The box contains the following contents;

• Hidizs AP60II
• Matt transparent plastic protective case/cover
• Screen protectors
• Back glass protectors
• Micro USB cable
• Warranty card & quick start guide

6. Design, Buttons and Build Quality:

The first thing that I have notice about the Hidizs AP60II is the very small (almost tiny) and compact size. The main body (chassis) of the AP60II is made of aluminum and has a 2.5D glass back panel that looks and feels very nice.



On the front of the device are the 2.0’’ TFT screen and the navigation buttons.



2.0” TFT screen has a native resolution of 320x240pixel and is good enough for a device in this price category. The screen has enough brightness to be visible outdoors. The color reproduction is also above average.

O the front of the device is the so called hidden-type mechanical navigation button with four way navigation ability.



The usability of the mechanical navigation buttons is easy and without any problems. I also have no problems in blind operation.

The operations are done with the up/down and back/enter buttons. The left button is operating as back button in the menu section and for rewinding in the music menu.

The right navigation button is operating as enter button in the menu section and as play/pause and fast-forward command in the music menu. The up/down buttons are operating to move up and down in the main and submenus. These are also operating as next (down) and previous (up) buttons.

On the left side of the device are the power and volume up/down button. This volume button can be assigned as track changer when the screen is turned off. This feature is very useful when the device is in your pocket.



On the right side is the Micro SD card slot that supports up to 256 GB of storage files.



At the bottom are the 3.5mm headphone out and the Micro USB port that can be used for charging, storage expansion and digital out via OTG cable.





7. Specifications:

Model : AP60II
Screen : 2.0’’ TFT HD (320x240pixel)
CPU : X1000
Bluetooth : Bluetooth 4.0 and aptX lossless with support of Two-way transmission
DAC : Asahi Kasei AK4452VN
AMP : MAX97220A
Frequency Response : 20Hz – 20.000Hz (-0.5dB)
THD+N : 0.005%
SNR : > 109dB
DNR : > 105dB
Channel Separation : 106dB
Output : 3.5mm Single Ended
Output Power : 35mW@32 Ohm
Output Impedance : 0.1 Ohm
Gain Settings : Low & Gain
Expanded Memory : up to 256GB
Battery : 1000mAH
Battery Life : about 10-12 working hours
USB Port : Micro USB 2.0
Size : 75x42x14mm


8. Hardware:

The Hidizs AP60II shares some nice hardware specs for a budget friendly device. It has low output impedance of 0.1Ω and a good DAC chip under the hood with a quite powerful amplifier for such a tiny player. The mechanical buttons are also a nice upgrade over the first generation.

The device has no on board storage but supports both Micro SD and OTG storage options.

a) DAC Section:

Inside the Hidizs AP60II is an AK4452VN DAC chip of the company Asahi Kasei Microdevices (in short AKM).

The AK4452VN is a new generation of 32-bit DAC, with 8-channels that uses AKM’s Velvet Sound architecture that has been widely adopted by high-end audio companies. This technology realizes fine sound details with its low-distortion architecture in addition to 32-bit resolution digital filter processing.

The digital input supports up to 768 kHz PCM and 11.2 MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital), suitable for high-resolution audio source playback.



b) AMP Section and Drivability:

The Hidizs AP60II has a MAX97220 amplifier of the company Maxim Integrated under the hood. The MAX97220 is a differential input DirectDrive® headphone amplifier. The power output of the AP60II is 35mW@32 Ohm according to official Hidizs specs. The max setting for the volume is 80.



You have to gain options these are Low and High. Low gain is loud enough for most IEM’s with an impedance of 32 Ohm. If you want a bit more juice, I would recommend using the device in High gain that drains additional battery. The high gain setting was able to drive my Audio-Technica ATH M50 to very loud levels at volume set to 60-65 (max volume is 80).



c) Connection:

The Hidizs AP60II has no analog line out, but the USB port of the device has digital out capabilities. You can use the AP60II as USB DAC (up to 32bits/384KHz is supported), by connecting it to your PC via USB cable or you can use it as digital transport device by connecting it via OTG cable with a DAC, Smartphone or Tablet. The good thing is you don’t need to install any driver.

The connection to my Chord Mojo and my Smartphone works flawlessly and makes the Hidizs AP60II to a small and inexpensive USB transport device.

The OTG support gives the AP60II the extra ability to connect a USB mass storage like a USB Memory Stick to it and play the songs located in the storage device. The only thing you need to do is to select the Music browse menu and choose OTG.

The Hidizs AP60II supports Bluetooth 4.0 and aptX lossless and has a Two-way transmission functionality. That means, I can connect my Smartphone, Tablet etc. with the AP60II via Bluetooth over the air and play my favorite song on online platforms like Tidal, Apple Music, Spotify etc. with it without the need of any third party application.

The two way transmission gives also the ability to pair a wireless Bluetooth Headphone/IEM etc. with the AP60II that is a missing feature that is missing on many higher priced devices.


d) Battery Life:

The Hidizs AP60II has a 1000mAH Li-ion battery should last according to Hidizs specifications approx 10-12 Hours. I have tested the device in high gain (volume level 45) and low gain (volume level 60) with Bluetooth off and 16bit/44kHz Flac files and the result was a playback time of approx. 10-10.5 Hours. This is a quite good result for such small player.

e) Hissing:

The AP60II is not a dead silent device, but I found the hissing level quite tolerable for a device in this price level.

9) Software and UI (User Interface):

The Hidizs AP60II has quite simple but fast and useful software under the hood. The device powers up in only 10-11 seconds and the first music library update of my 128 GB PNY micro SD card (approx 100 GB is full) took about 35-40 seconds.

The Hidizs AP60II supports also the Hiby Link Smartphone intelligent control, so that you can control the device over the smooth interface of your smartphone.

The Firmware upgrade is an easy process. But before you start any update please be sure that that the device has at least %50 of juice. Download the update file with the “file extension .upt” to your PC and put it on your microSD card. The next step is to go to System Settings and Press OK with the Enter button and wait until the update process is done.

The AP60II has a clock screen that shows us some quick information about the device like time, volume, battery state and the current playing song ID. The clock screen appears after every screen on action.

The device has 4 main and lots of submenus.

The Main Menus are Music Browse, Music Category, Music Setting and System Setting.
The Music Browse menu allows you to access the available (external) storage options like TF card and OTG.

Here you can choose any folder that stores music files and play the listed songs directly form this folder.



The Music Category is the menu where you can browse music through categories like Album, Artist, Genre, etc. or Recent played songs.

Under the Menu Music setting you can find user definable options like Gain, EQ, Play mode, Gapless, Max Volume etc.



The Settings menu is where you can find options like language, Bluetooth, USB Mode (DAC or Mass Storage) Brightness settings and Key functions.



The Playing Now window is where you can find player skin. The Player menu shows the Album Art and information’s like the time bar, file name, song duration, battery etc.



10) Equipments used for this review:

DAP&DAC’s : Hidizs AP60II, Chord Mojo, Shanling M1, Zishan Z2
IEM’s : Audeze iSine20, Dunu Flacon-C, HiFi BOY OS V3, TFZ TEQUILA1,
Earbuds : NiceHCK EBX, HiFi BOY Dream

Headphones : Audio-Technica ATH50M



11) Albums & tracks used for this review:

Casey Abrams – Robot Lovers (Tidal Hi-Fi via Bluetooth transmission)
Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (DSF)
Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi via Bluetooth transmission)
Metallica - The Black Album (Flac 24bit/96Hz)
Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
Sebastian Ingrosso, Thommy Trash &John M. – Reload (Apple Musicl Hi-Fi via Bluetooth)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)



12. Supported Audio Formats:

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The Hidizs AP60II supports most of the lossless audio formats including DSD (64 & 128)

Here is a full list of the supported formats:

DSD (DSF and DIFF - 64/128), FLAC, ALAC, APE, WAV, AAC, OGG, MP3, WMA



13. The Sound:

I have burn-in the device for approx. 100 hours before I wrote this review. The gain setting was on high and volume level was 40-45.

Please note that this is a low budget DAP and all my comments about the sound quality is in consideration of this price range.

Tonality / Bass / Mid / Treble / Soundstage & Imagine:

The Hidizs AP60II has a fairly balanced sound tuning, compared to many players in the same price range. The sound reproduction and tonality of the AP60II is warmer then in nature, with a small emphasis to the low and top end, towards the V Shaped sound signature.

The bass response of the AP60II is quite good and it has relative nice texture for this price range. They are only some speed problems in some bass heavy tracks. The bass, especially the midbass has more weight then the sub bass area.

The midrange is quite resolving and has nice texture and smoothness. Both male and female vocals sounding quite good.

The upper midrange sounds a little bit flat but this tuning is avoiding some common problems like upper midrange harshness.

The definition of the treble range is above average and there is a nice amount of refinement.

The upper treble area is well presented and has better control then many other players with a relative higher price tag (for example the Ibasso DX50 or the Sony A15).

The soundstage of the AP60II has a good sense of space and the separation is good for such a tiny player.



Comparison vs. Shanling M1:

The Shanling M1 is a nice small device same as the Hidizs AP60II. The built quality of both devices is great. The Shanling M1 is a bit shorter in size, but is wider than the AP60II; the thickness is almost the same.

The main difference is the navigation style. The M1 has a navigation wheel while the AP60II has this mechanical 4 way navigation button that is a bit easier to command than those of the Shanling.

Both devices have a simple and fast UI and lots of connection option like a two way Bluetooth transmission with Hiby Link support and USB DAC functionality.

The low end of the AP60II has the better presentation, with more response and better overall control. The M1’s low end is not as fast as those of the AP60II. There is also a control problem in bass heavy tracks that can cause sometimes to a muddy presentation.

The midrange of the M1 is more upfront, while the AP60II sounds a bit more recessed but with more sense of space. The Vocal presentation of both devices is quite good but the Hidizs AP60II has the upper hand for instrument separation and upper mid definition. The overall resolution is nearly identical, maybe a tad better with the AP60II.

The AP60II is the winner for the treble presentation (upper treble extension and brilliance). The M1’s treble range sound a bit rolled off and has some control and harshness problems especially with instrument like Cymbal, Piano or Violin.

The soundstage of the both is above average, but the AP60II has more depth and better the better imaging.


14. Conclusion:

The Hidizs AP60II is a small player with great build and good sound quality that has lots of feature. This will make the AP60II to a nightmare for all competitors in the Budget-Fi market.


15. Pos and Cons:

+ Small and compact Design
+ Good sound quality
+ Two Way Bluetooth Sound Transmission
+ Simple and nice UI

- Small amount of hiss



This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The Earbud with a Kind of Magic…


The NiceHCK EBX earbud was provided to me by NiceHCK Audio Store for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with NiceHCK Audio Store beyond this review and all these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.






About NiceHCK Audio Store:

The company NICEHCK Audio was founded in 2015 in Shenzhen and is a professional dealer and trader of Chinese Hi-Fi Audio products, such as: Hi-Fi Earphone, Portable Player, Amplifier, Cable, Accessories. The main goal of NİceHCK is to provide Global Audiophiles with the best Chinese Hi-Fi Audio products through online stores like Aliexpress and Amazon.


The Price:
The NiceHCK EBX can be purchased on NiceHCK Audio Store for 138,00 USD.

Purchase Link for AliExpress (click)
Purchase Link for Amazon (click)


Introduction:

The NiceHCK EBX is the first Non-DIY flagship grade earbud of the company.


Package and Accessories:

The NiceHCK EBX comes in a small brown chard box that has the silver NiceHCK logo printed at the top of this box.

The box contains the following items;

• 1 pair of NiceHCK EBX Earbud
• 10 pairs of foams ear pads
• 1 pcs. 3.5mm Gold Plated Cable with MMCX Connectors
• 1 pcs. Shirt Clip
• 1 pcs. NiceHCK carrying case

Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The EBX main body is made of silver and black painted metal, while the speaker grill is made of a plastic material with a black color.

The earbud is available in 2 different color options, the so called Elegant Gold and the Classic Black model. My unit is the Classic Black model that is very well made and has no visible quality issues like burrs, gaps, etc..



One of the best things about this earbud is its cable upgrade capability. The EBX has a MMCX (Micro-Miniature Coaxial) connector that worked with all my tested cable with MMCX interface.

On top of the housing is a small bass vent right over the NickeHCK EBX marking.



The cable of the NiceHCK EBX is one of the sexiest looking stock cables that I have ever seen on an IEM or Earbud in this price range.

The 8 core copper and silver plated cooper mixed MMCX cable has a very nice touch feeling without any noticeable microphonic effects.



This cable has no chin slider, but there is a y-splitter that is made of a silver colored metal material that has a nice fashion look. The cable has a straight plug with a 3.5mm gold plated headphone jack and a nice looking carbon fiber texture.






Specifications:

The NiceHCK EBX is a single dynamic driver earbud and has a relative low impedance of 32 ohm. The driver is made of PET diaphragm and has a N48 type high magnetic magnet. The sound pressure level is according to NiceHCK specs around 200mV.

Some Technical Details:

Driver Type : 14.8 mm Single Dynamic PET Driver
Impedance : 32 ohm
Sound Pressure : 200mV
Sensitivity : 120dB ± 3dB (1kHz)
Freq. response : 20-20000Hz
Plug/Plating : 3.5mm Gold Plated straight plug
Wire Material : 8-core copper and silver plating mixed MMCX Cable
Cable length : 1.2m


Albums & tracks used for this review:

LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Saskia Bruin – The Look of Love (DSF)
Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught (ALAC)
Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Flac 16bit/44kHz)


Sources used for this review:

Erabud : NiceHCK EBX, K’S 300 Samsara Version, VE Zen 2.0
DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Aune M2, Hidizs AP60II



Drivability:

The NiceHCK EBX has a relative low impedance of 32 ohm. This low value makes the EBX to an easy to drive earbud that will work great with most smartphones, media and audio players.



The Sound:

This NiceHCK EBX review is written after a burn-in process of 120 hours. I have used the stock donut foams due this review.

Tonality:

The NiceHCK EBX has a V shaped sound signature with a hint of bass warmth and a small emphasis to the top end. The first thing you will notice about the sound of the EBX is the extreme clarity of its overall presentation with almost any source.


Frequencies:

You can immediately notice that the lows of the NiceHCK are very accurate and controlled, without sounding overpowered or too shy. I must say that the bass quality and quantity of this earbud is really good and has the most convincing bass responses I have heard from any earbud in this price range.

The Bass presentation, especially in the sub bass area reminds me to this of the Rose Masya, that have the same wow effect with its headphone like presentation. The bass texture is really good with a decent definition and body.

The right definition for the midrange of the NiceHCK EBX is in one word “Crystal Clear”. This is the most impressive part of this earbud, because the vocal presentation of both male and female artists sounds amazing!

The midrange of the NiceHCK EBX is slightly laid-back and there is only a small amount of coloration that comes from the mid bass, which adds vocals a hint of warmth and fullness without to affect the transparency and clearness of the presentation.

The vocal performance of the NiceHCK EBX in “Saskia Bruin’s – The Look of Love “ is a good example how well this earbud performs. There is also good attention to micro details that makes the EBX to one of the best earbud choices for critical listening.

There is only a very low amount off upper midrange harshness around 3 kHz that is noticeable in some bad recorded studio albums like those of Metallica, LoL.

The treble range around 4-6 kHz is well presented and gives the EBX this effortless clarity and definition. This range is not over-boosted, so that there is no harshness that would otherwise irritated your ears after long listening periods.

Instrument like flutes, cymbals and guitar strings sounding detailed and having this very nice crispiness. The Instrument presentation in C.P.E Bach Emmanuel Pahud’s - Fluet Concerto sounds lifelike.

The upper treble tuning around 8-10 kHz gives the NiceHCK EBX a nice energy with lots of air and a beautiful sparkle. The treble extension is quite good and the overall resolution improves the separation and gives a nice detailed presentation.




The Soundstage and Imaging:

The NiceHCK EBX is not a open back earbud but is has a quit good soundstage presentation, better that many closed back competitors.

The depth is impressive, but what the EBX makes special is the wide stage, that is even better than my beloved Rose Masya, LoL. The placement and the air between instruments are great.

The overall imaging is accurate and the instrument separation, even in some complex tracks like Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti is stunning.




Comparison with other Earbuds:

I have compared the NiceHCK EBX with some of my High Level Earbuds and here are some examples.

EBX vs. Rose Masya:

The Rose Masya is one of the favorite earbuds in my collection due its special out of the head sound.

Build quality and Fit:

The NiceHCK EBX has the upper hand for build quality due the well made metal housing versus the 3D printed plastic shell of the Rose Masya. Both earbuds have cable upgrade options but they are using different connectors. The Masya has 0.75mm 2 pin connectors, while the EBX has an MMCX interface. The cable of the EBX is the best I have ever seen in this price category and those of the Masya has no change against it.

The fit of the Rose Masya is little bit problematic due the large housing. The NiceHCK EBX is more comfortable and has the better fit and feel.

The Sound:

The Rose Masya and the NiceHCK EBX have similarities in the subbass department. The quantity on both is nearly identical with a share a good speed and control. They the main difference starts with the bass quantity, especially the midbass quantity.

The Rose Masya has more midbass that make it sound a bit fuller and warmer then NiceHCK EBX. The bass and mid bass of the EBX is more balanced and has also additional texture and resolution.

The midrange of the Masya is more forward that makes the vocals sounding more intimate and emotional, but the EBX has the upper hand with its great definition and clarity.

There is no noticeable stress and remarkable harshness in the upper midrange. High octave female vocals or instruments like cymbal, piano etc. sounding quite controlled.

The NiceHCK EBX wins in treble clarity and micro-details and sound a litte more controlled than Rose Masya.

Both, Rose Masya and the NiceHCK have a nice sense of space, with a great extended soundstage. There is not a high difference but the NiceHCK EBX has additional depth and a better imaging that Rose Masya.


EBX vs. K’S 300 Samsara Version:

The K’S 300 Samsara Version is one of my favorite Earbuds together with the Rose Masya. It sound very mature and the sound signature well balanced with a hint of bass warmth.

Build quality and Fit:

The NiceHCK EBX has the better build quality with its more robust metal housing. The Samsara on the other hand has this classical plastic MX500 like housing with a glossy finish that is very common for DIY earbuds. The EBX is more flexible due its advantage for a cable upgrade option, but both have a nice and sturdy cable while the EBX cable looks sexier to my eyes.

Both erabuds have a relative good fit without being uncomfortable after some hours.

The Sound:

The EBX and the Samsara have a relative balanced sound signature, while the Samsara sounds a bit darker and a touch warmer then the EBX.

The Samara has more bass presence, while the EBX has a bit more sub bass. They are very capable earbuds in the bass department, with nice controlled and well textured presentation.

The Samsara needs a lot of juice (it’s a 300 ohm earbud) to show its real potential, while the EBX is easy to drive and relative efficient.

The main difference begins with the midrange. The Samsra has a darker, warmer and a bit grainier vocal and instrument presentation, while the Nice HCK EBX sounds more lifelike, vivid and transparent.

I like the Samsara more with male vocals, while the EBX sounds to me better with female vocals, but this is a bit subjective and a matter of personal preference, but it doesn’t change the fact that both earbuds are very good in micro detail and overall resolution.

The treble response of these two earbuds is a bit different. The Samsara sound more controlled and balanced, while the EBX has more treble presence that gives it additional sparkle and a sense of airiness. The Samsara is very controlled, even in very loud volume level with is high ohm advantage (300 ohm), while the EBX can loose this control sometimes in high volume levels.

Both earbuds share a decent soundstage, but there is a small difference. The EBX has more width and the Samsara more depth.





Conclusion:

The NiceHCK EBX is a masterpiece for “Sound Clarity”. It is a great example to show us, that earbuds have a great potential for real HiFi sound. The great build quality and sexy cable that can be upgraded is a nice additional feature that is highly regarded these times.


Summary (plus and minus):

+ Lifelike sound with great resolution
+ Easy to drive
+ Wonderful build quality (both monitor and cable)
+ MMCX connection means cable upgrade option
+ Awesome Price to Performance Ratio

- Maybe a touch bright for some people



This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The HiFi BOY Dream, a dream for earbud lovers...


Disclaimer:

The HiFi BOY Dream Earbud was provided to me by HiFi BOY via Penon Audio for free of charge as a review sample. I am not affiliated with HiFi BOY or Penon Audio beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered, opinions about the product.





About HiFi BOY:

HiFi boy is a high-end Hi-Fi audio brand launched by China Chengdu Fallante Technology Co., Ltd. The company is an integrated research and development, production and sales technology. The company is mainly engaged in manufacturing, sales and development of hi-fi headphones, multimedia speakers and Bluetooth audio equipments.

Brand CEO, Mr.Chen combined with a number of acoustic engineers a team to make HiFi BOY to a cost-effective HiFi brand.

Link for the official website of HiFi BOY (click)

The Price:

The HiFi BOY Dream can be purchased on Penon Audio for 95,00 USD.

Penon Audio Purchase Link (click)


Introduction:

The Dream is the second Hi-Fi earphone and the first earbud of company HiFi BOY in a market with many competitors.


Package and Accessories:

The HiFi BOY Dream comes in a black chard box that has the silver HiFi BOY logo printed at the top of this box.

The card box includes the following contents;

• 1 pair of HiFi BOY Dream Earbud
• 4 pairs of foams ear pads
• 1 pcs.3.5mm Female to 6.5mm Male Adapter
• 1 pcs Flight adapter
• 1 pcs HiFi BOY branded carrying case

Design, Fit and Build Quality:

The HiFi BOY Dream’s main body is made of metal while the trim is made of plastic. The housing is available in 4 different color options, these are Gold, Silver, Rose-Gold and Brown. My unit is brown this looks very stylish to my eyes.



The biggest handicap for any earbud is to get a good/comfortable fit. The metal shell of the Dream is light weight and sits surprisingly comfortably in my ears. They are Left and Right markings that are visibly on both sides. They are also three bass vent holes on each monitor.



The Dream has a 5N OFC Copper cable that is 4 cores braided and coated with a brown plastic material that has a nice touch feeling.



There chin slider and y-splitter is made of a transparent plastic material. The 3.5mm gold plated headphone jack has a 45 degree metal housing with a Dream written printing. I did notice only a very low amount of microphonics due this review and think that this will not be a big issue.






Specifications:

The HiFi BOY OS V3 is a single dynamic driver earbud with a relative low impedance of 32 ohm.


Technical Details:

Driver Type : 16mm Single Dynamic Driver
Impedance : 32 ohm
Sensitivity : 100dB / mW
Freq. response : 15-23000Hz
Plug/Plating : 3.5mm / Flat / Aluminum Alloy
Cable length : 1.2m
Wire Material : 5N OFC


Albums & tracks used for this review:

Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (DSF)
Mile Davis – Kind of Blue Album (Tidal Hi-fi)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
Diana Krall - So Wonderful (DSF)
Queen – Greatest Hits Vol. II (Apple Music)
Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught (ALAC)
Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Metallica - The Black Album (Flac 24bit/96Hz)
Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Flac 16bit/44kHz)


Sources used for this review:

Erabud : HiFi BOY Dream, K’S 300 Samsara, VE ZEN V2.0
DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Aune M2, Hidizs AP60II



Drivability:

The HiFi BOY Dream is a relatively easy to drive earbud that will work great with most media or audio players. The HiFi BOY Dream is with a impedance of 32 ohm not very sensitive to noise, but using a small headphone amplifier makes indeed a bit difference over the direct out from a DAP or Smartphone.


The Sound:

This review is written by me after an intensive burn-in process of 150 hours. I have use the stock full foams due this review.


Tonality:

The HiFi BOY Dream has an overall well-balanced sound signature with excellent clarity. A hint of bass warmth and a relaxed top end makes the Dream to an ideal erabud for long listening periods.

Frequencies:

One of the first characteristics about the sound of the Dream, which I have noticed at the very beginning, is the smoothness and accuracy of its lows. They sub bass around 20-60Hz is slightly boosted but have clean characteristics. Texture is good with decent definition and body. There is no significant roll-off before the 60Hz barrier.

The bass around the 200 - 250Hz region is adding nice warmth without losing definition or making the sounding too muffled. The Guitar strings in Dire Straits – Money For Nothing sounds a bit bolder then in natural, but this side effect gives an additional emotion to the sound.

The lower midrange around 300 – 500Hz is well presented and is adding additional warmth to the midrange without making the sound too hot.

The midrange around 500 Hz -2kHz sounds dynamic and has a nice fullness that makes both male and female vocals sounding quite emotional and intimate. The transparency and clarity is in a good level for a sub 100 USD earbud. The detail reproduction, especially with string instruments is impressive.

The upper midrange between 2 – 4 kHz has a nice timber, with a slightly forward and well controlled vocal presentation. There is a very low level of sibilance for instance with Diana Krall’s beautiful performed song “So Wonderful”. All these features making the sound of the Hi-Fi BOY Dreams to a very engaging and relaxing experience.



The treble range around 4 kHz – 6 kHz have sufficient sparkle and detail to them without being too harsh. It sounds in general relaxed with a well placed spike that is avoiding a too hot sound presentation.

The upper treble tuning between 6 kHz - 20 kHz makes the HiFi BOY Dream to a quite airy sounding earbud. The upper treble range has just the right amount of brilliance without being sibilant or to have any harshness. For example upper treble extension and the cymbal strike in Lazarus A.D. “The Onslaught” is quite impressive for an earbud in this price category.

The Soundstage and Imagine:

The HiFi BOY Dream has a quite natural soundstage presentation that is good in width and depth. The positioning of instruments is impressive and the imaging is excellent with clear layers and accurate instrument placements.



Comparison with other Earbuds:

I have test out some of my TOTL level Earbuds and here are some comparisons.


HiFi BOY Dream vs. K’s 300 Samsara Version:

The K’S 300 Samsara Version is one of my favorite Earbuds to date. It sound very mature and the sound signature well balanced with a hint of bass warmth.

Build quality and Fit:

The housing of the HiFi BOY Dream is made of a nice looking and well made metal material (I think aluminum), while the Samsara is made of plastic with a glossy surface that feels less solid and attractive, when we compare it to the Dream. Both have nice finished cables and a stylish 3.5mm Single Ended headphone jack.

Both earbuds are comfortable to wear, but the Dream has the upper hand if you want this comfort for longer listening periods. The issue with the Samsara is, that it starts to hurt my ears after 1 hour, while the Dream is comfy after hours and hours.

The Sound:

Both earbuds have a relative balanced sound signature while the Samsara sounds a little bit darker and a touch warmer then the Dream. Both have a nice a nice controlled bass presence. The difference is the quantity and range. The Samsara has more mid bass presence, while the Dream goes lover in the sub bass department. Both have a nice bass response and the detail level is fantastic.

The Dream has a more upfront vocal presentation than Samsara, but the detail and clarity level is on par. The Samsara has warmer vocals and the Dream sound more natural to my ears. Both erbuds have a great performance in the upper midrange, while the Dream has additional clarity.

The treble response of these two earbuds is quite different; yes these are relative balanced sounding earbuds, but the Dream has more upper treble presence that gives additional sparkle and air to the sound, while the Samsara sounds warmer.

Both earbuds share a decent soundstage while the Dream has the upper hand in width.


HiFi BOY Dream vs. VE ZEN 2.0 (Red):

The VE Zen 2.0 is a special earbud with its powerful bass (for an erabud) and the full sounding midrange, which makes a smile on your face. But right after you change to a more neutral source you will notice that this tuning is quite unnatural.

Build quality and Fit:

The housing of the Zen 2.0 is made of a transparent plastic housing that looks relative weak compared to theses of Dream with its solid metal shell. Also of both HiFi BOY Dream and Zen V2.0 looks solid and well made.

The fit of both earbuds is quite comfortable and they are ideal to wear for long listening periods.

The Sound:

The ZEN V2.0 has this powerful and full sounding presentation that gives you a nice first impression. But after an intensive comparison with a relative neutral source like the Dream, you will immediately notice that the quantity of the bass and especially the mid bass is way too unnatural and overdone. The next thing you will notice is that the HiFi BOY Dream’s sub bass goes lover then these of the ZEN V2.0.

The strong bass and mid bass presence of the ZEN V2.0 makes the midrange sounding muffled and hollow in some situations. This makes the Dream to the better choice for critical listening with its quite natural vocal and instrument separation. Maybe some of us will prefer the bold and warm sounding Vocal presentation of the ZEN vs. the more lifelike reproduction of the Dream, but this is a matter of personal preference.

The treble range of the ZEN V2.0 sounds a little bit muddy, but is free of sibilance and harshness. They don't sound as smooth as the HiFi BOY Dream, which has more detail and sparkle at the upper register.

The HiFi BOY Dream sounds more airy and the soundstage width is noticeable larger compared to those of the ZEN V2.0. The depth of both is quite good maybe a touch better on the Dream earbud.

In short, the Dream sounds overall more balanced and well tuned then the ZEN V2.0.


Conclusion:

If you don’t have a powerful source or won’t to carry an amp with you, the HiFi BOY Dream is one of the best choices in the earbud market with its quite detailed sound, well balanced tuning and great build quality.


Summary (plus and minus):

+ Balanced sound signature with lots of detail
+ Easy to drive
+ Good build quality and fit

- None for this price



This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net

The DUNU Falcon-C and the new Carbon Nano-Tube Driver



Disclaimer:

First of all, a big thanks to Vivian from DUNU for providing me a free sample of the Falcon-C for this review. I am not affiliated with DUNU beyond this review and these words reflect my true, unaltered opinions about the product.

About DUNU:

DUNU was originally an OEM/ODM manufacturer established in 1994 and focuses on development, manufacture and marketing of professional earphone and ear bud products. DUNU’s manufacturing plant is located in Dong Guan City, Guangdong, China.

Official Website of DUNU (click here)

The Price:
The MSRP price for the DUNU Falcon-C can is around 219,00 USD.

Purchase Link


Package and Accessories:

The DUNU Falcon-C comes in a nice packed black paper box with a silver colored protective cover that shows the illustration of the IEM itself. This box contains the IEM itself and the following accessories;

• DUNU Falcon-C IEM
• 10 sets of Eartips
• 3.5mm Female to 6.5mm Male Adapter
• 3.5mm Female to 2-pin Flight Adapter
• Carry Box
• Shirt Clip
• Warrant Card & Manual

The DUNU branded black carrying box is made of metal (I think aluminum) and has a nice looking elegant design. Inside the box is a velvet coating that is a nice detail, because this coating will avoid any possible scratched to your IEM.



Cable:

The 4 braided and handcrafted stock cable of the DUNU Falcon-C is made of high purity Silver Plated Copper (SPC) and has MMCX connectors. The cable itself is very well made and the plastic coating is avoiding any microphonic effects.



The male and female MMCX connectors of the Falcon-C are the best MMCX connectors I've seen so far. It sits perfect like a 2pin connector and is not loose like on other IEM’s I have tested before. The right connector has a red marking while the left connector is completely black.




The cable has a gold plated, right angled 3.5mm TRS headphone plug that looks and feels very resistant. The memory wire is made of a shrink tube coating that is comfy.



There is also a Y-Splitter (made of metal) and Chin Slider (made of plastic), that are both in black color. The Y-splitter has the classic DUNU brand logo printed on them.



Design and Build Quality:

The Falcon-C is relative small and has a very ergonomic design. The housing is according to DUNU made of liquid metal. This liquid metal material and its non-grain boundary would 3 times stronger than stainless steel, which should give an excellent acoustic character that would retrains harmonic resonance to archive a firm and more coherent sound.

Indeed, the Falcon-C looks and feels rock solid and the black colored shell has a nice appearance.

There is a grill at the inner surface that has no effect to the sound and according to my experience it looks like only an aesthetic choice. There is also small bass vent near the nozzle of the monitor.



Fit, Comfort and Isolation:

The DUNU Falcon-C has an ergonomic design and is comfortable to wear. The fit and seal is relative good but not the best when I compare it to IEM’s with a semicustom design language like the HiFi Boy OS V3 or Ibasso IT03. The isolation of the Falcon-C is above average.



Technical Specifications:

Driver Type: 9mm Carbon Nano-tube Driver
Frequency Response: 10 – 40 KHz
Sound Pressure Level: 108+/-3dB
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Connector Type: MMCX Connectors
Cable Material: 6N Silver Plated Cooper Wire
Plug Size: 3.5mm Gold Plated
Chord Length: 1.2m
Weight: 28g


Drivability (Impedance):

The DUNU Falcon-C has an impedance of 16 ohm and is easy to drive. This makes it ideal for all type of portable Digital Audio Players (DAP’s). Even my Samsung Galaxy S8 could push the Falcon-C to very loud volume levels.



Sources:

Albums & tracks used for this review:

Alboran Trio’s – Cinque Lunghissimi Minuti (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – Up Close “Album” (DSF) – Binaural Recording
LP (Laura Pergolizzi) – Lost On You (Tidal HiFi)
Emmanuel Pahud (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx (Apple Music)
Melody Gardot – Who Will Comfort Me (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Aretha Franklin – I Say a Little Prayer (Apple Music)
Bryan Adams – MTV Unplugged Version Album (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Queen – Greatest Hits Vol. II (Apple Music)
GoGo Penguin’s – Muration (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
Lazarus A.D. – The Onslaught (ALAC)
Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Flac 24bit/192kHz)
Bro Safari, UFO! – Animal (Tidal Hi-Fi)
Lorde – Royals (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (DSF)
Yosi Horikawa – Bubbles (Flac 16bit/44kHz)


In Ear Monitor : DUNU Falcon-C, HiFi BOY OS V3, Whizzer A15
DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Aune M2 Pro, Chord Mojo, Zishan Z2, Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus



Sound Analysis and Comparisons:

This DUNU Falcon-C review is written by me after an intensive burn-in process of 180 hours. The sound characteristic of the Falcon-C changes drastically with every tips selection that I will mention in this review. I have used the Spinfit silicone tips due this review that is a nice Bonus from DUNU to its consumers.

Sound Signature and Tonality:

DUNU Falcon-C is an IEM with a V-shaped sound signature. The tonality of the Falcon-C is on the warmer side due a slightly bass presence.



The frequencies:

One of the first things I have noticed about the frequency region of the DUNU Falcon-C, was the very well controlled bass that hits quite hard when called upon.

I hate IEM’s with to much boomy bass and a muffled presentation, luckily the Falcon-C is not one of this IEM’s. DUNU did a good job by tuning the lows of the Falcon-C relative balanced and not too dominant.

The sub-bass region around 20-50 kHz goes deep and rumbles with a nice and natural decay. The EDM song “Animal” of the group “Bro Safari, UFO! shows me, how deep the sub bass of an IEM can reach in to my ears and the Falcon-C does this job very well. Maybe bass heads won’t be satisfied with the bass amount, but this is a matter of personal preference.

The bass, especially around 60 – 220 kHz is capable of being very articulate and full sounding at the same time and it has also great texture without overpowering the whole sound spectrum.

The legendary performance of Bryan Adams – MTV Unplugged Album Version is a good reference Album for testing the bass guitar presentation of any IEM. The DUNU Falcon-C excels very well in this area with its overall smooth presentation.

Due the V-shaped sound signature, the Falcon-C has a little bit recessed midrange presentation. Don’t get me wrong, the vocal and instrument presentation of this IEM is quite detailed. Vocals, especially female vocals like Laura Pergolizzi (LP), Melody Gardot, Diana Krall etc. have a nice sense of emotion. I must admit, that the detail retrieval is really good for an IEM with a single dynamic driver.

Laura Pergolizzi’s life performance in the song “Lost On You” is a good example to shows us, that the DUNU Falcon-C performs very well with some Female Vocals and even with a soprano level voice.

Maybe some people will prefer an even more emotional vocal presentation, but this is also a matter of personal preference.

The upper midrange area of the Falcon-C had some sibilance and harshness problems at the very beginning (the first 20-30 hours), which almost completely disappeared after a burn-in period of 100-120 hours.

The Dunu Falcon-C has a relative bright sounding top end with some nice crispy treble and a quite good extension. My ears are quite sensitive to overpowered treble levels. The Falcon-C is bright but has not the sort of upper treble response that could fatigue your ears after some long listening periods.

For example: Emmanuel Pahud’s (Claude Debussy) – Syrinx side flute (transverse flute) performance has some nice sparkle and sounds quite realistic. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to say that the Falcon-C has the detail level of a Oriolus Forsteni (that nearly costs twice the price), but it performs very well, even better than some higher priced IEM's I have listened before.

Regarding to speed, the Falcon-C is not the fastest IEM with its 9mm single dynamic driver, but has enough speed to excel in some complex tracks like GoGo Penguin’s – Muration (an epic contrabass performance) or even Lazarus A.D.’s epic song “The Onslaught”.



Soundstage and Imaging:

The soundstage of the Falcon-C is relative wide and airy and the depth is above average. There is a nice sense of space in some instrument intensive tracks like GoGo Pengin’s – Fanfares or Lazarus A.D’s – The Onslaught that gives you a nice imaging of the performance itself.

Choosing the right tips:

The bass character of the Falcon-C is tips dependent. When I use the transparent gray tips the sub bass, especially the mid bass amount is more noticeable than these of blue tube tips. That means that the gray tip is adding an additional mid-bass hump.

But when I select the Spinfit tips, the bass rumble is strong like on the gray tips, but it adds additional clarity to the midrange that I have lost with the gray tips.

When I chose the blue tube tips, the sub- and mid-bass amount goes down, but the upper midrange and the top end is more present than before.




Some Comparisons:

Vs. Whizzer A15 Pro (125 USD):

As I mentioned in some of my previous reviews, the Whizzer A15 Pro is a fantastic IEM regarding to its price to performance in the categories build quality, accessory package and sound quality.

Design, Fit & Build Quality:
Both IEM’s have a great build quality and share a black metal housing. The main difference is the material they use; the A15 Pro has an aluminum housing while the Falcon-C is made of liquid metal that is according to DUNU 3 times stronger than steel.

The Falcon-C has the upper hand when it comes to fit and ergonomics. The shell of the A15Pro is small but not as comfy as the DUNU, that makes the Falcon-C to the better choice if you listen to music for long hours.

The sound:
When we compare both for the sound I can say that Falcon-C has a relative warmer tuning compared to the A15 Pro. The DUNU Falcon-C has also the better bass response; speed and decay than the relative neutral or better say, bass-shy A15 Pro.

The A15 Pro sounds more clinical at the midrange but is missing the emotion that the Falcon-C is presenting with male and especially female vocals. The Instrument separation is on par, or even slightly better on the A15 Pro. The Falcon-C and the A15 Pro have bright sounding top end and both are well controlled in this area. The DUNU Falcon-C has more upper treble sparkle.

The detail level of both IEM’s is good, but I like the DUNU’s presentation more because it sounds not as cold as the A15 Pro, that is otherwise a great performer.

The A15 Pro has a wider soundstage while the difference is not too much. But there is no doubt that the DUNU has the better depth and imaging.


Vs. HiFi BOY OS V3 (199 USD)

HiFi BOY is a relative new company in the Hi-Fi arena that has released its first IEM at the market these days, the OS V3.

Design, Fit & Build Quality:
The HiFi BOY OS V3 and the DUNU Falcon-C sharing different design languages. The OS V3 has a semicustom housing made of medical grade resin, while the Falcon-C has metal shell with a more industrial look.

Both are comfortable to wear but the overall isolation of the OS V3 is a step above of the Falcon-C. Both are well made, but the DUNU Falcon-C look more solid to my eyes due the metal construction. The DUNU has also the upper hand in accessory quality and quantity.

The sound:
The first noticeable difference about the Falcon-C is that it has more sub-bass quantity and extension than the OS V3. The sub bass goes lower and the bass of the Flacon-C hits harder when it called for. The bass the OS V3 is smoother and more linear than those of the Falcon-C.

The OS V3 and the Falcon-C have a V shaped sound signature, but the OS V3 has more forward vocals than the Falcon-C. The main difference between this two IEM’s is the midrange clarity. The Falcon-C sounds cleaner because of the upper midrange presence. The OS V3 sound a bit grainy, and not as live like as the Falcon-C.

When it comes to vocal presentation, I think that male vocals sounding more realistic with the OS V3, while female vocals soundings delicious with the Falcon-C. The detail level of both IEM’s is nearly identical and above there price league.

The DUNU Falcon-C has more treble presence and upper treble sparkle, which gives as result a brighter sound presentation then those of the OS V3. I think that the HiFi BOY OS V3 sounds more engaging on this frequency range, while the Falcon-C is more energetic and has additional micro detail.

The soundstage of both IEM’s is not monstrous, but they are performing very well for there price category. The HiFi BOY OS V3 has a slightly wider presentation, while the Falcon-C wins in depth and imaging. Both IEM’s have an airy and engaging presentation.


Conclusion:

The DUNU Falcon-C is a well build IEM with lots of accessories, which has a nice sound tuning that is suitable for many genres, from Pop to Jazz or even Metal music. But you should note that the single dynamic (Carbon Nano-Tube) driver needs time to show its true potential, so a burn-in of at least 150 Hours is a must have.

All-in all great job done DUNU!




Pros and Cons:

+ Genre friendly tuning & detailed sound
+ Solid build quality
+ Lot’s of accessories
+ Nice Stock Cable

- Needs lot of burn-in
- The upper midrange needs more presence

This review was originally posted on "Moonstar Reviews" :
https://moonstarreviews.net