Hello, Welcome to another Review! (Compared at the price of 69$)



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PREAMBLE

TRIPOWIN? Never heard of it, did you?

It seems like we are going to get to known this new brand then. They establish themselves as “a brand born with creativeness, that has never stopped his journey in pursing ultimate high quality earbuds for audiophiles” Well, it sounds like a good aim. Fact is, anyone that takes a good glance at their design, promotional material or box, are immediately able to tell that these guys are some kind of a KZ affiliated brand. Our TP10 is especially close to the CCA A10, or KZ ASseries. The internal design also looks similar, as it is the cables. The tuning however, have a very particular character, making the TP10 a unique offer, if compared to KZ as10 and previous models. Let’s check it out.


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DISCLAIMER

This earphone is a review unit kindly given by Linsoul in exchange of a honest review of the earphone they sell. Linsoul is a Chinese seller and distributor of IEMs, there aren't any financial incentive on this review besides the product itself that can and will be kept with me. I personally guarantee to the reader my honest and objective review, where I will try to pass my objective impressions as clear as possible, giving the reader the chance to evaluate the product by itself. I particularly INVITE the reader to be as critical as possible on my writing.


Links:

- TP10 AMAZON
- LINSOUL SITE

CONFIG



The Tripowin is a full BA earphone equipped with 5 - probably bellsing, balanced armatures.

-22955 Low Frequency*1

-29689 Mid Frequency*2

-30095 High Frequency*2



The sound travels through a three channel sound guide that’s printed in 3d and the frequencies are divided on a crossover PCB board.

The IEM has a very solid resin shell, with a deep insertion and above average isolation from outside noise. Its design is focused on a good isolation from outside world, which is fundamental for a good result in bass response. The feeling in the ear is exactly the same as you got on a KZ AS06, for example. I like it, as the pure BA configuration guarantee the passive noise attenuation very well, in this particular model, the great isolation offers a decent amount of bass response and impact.



The resin made shell is equipped with a glossy aluminum faceplate that gives a nice visual feeling. Right and left is written on the piece, indicating the side of which one. The shell is slight big and very light, it pressures my ear a little bit and can starts to hurt after a while. Not much more than any other deep insertion IEM though.

The over ear design couples very nicely with the pre-molded ear hooks inserted on the cable, it “hugs” the ear in a very comfortable manner, being very superior to the moldable ones. The 2pin design is customized, it’s safer but more of a proprietary design, leaving the consumer with less third party options. Luckily the stock cable is good enough. It isn’t as good as I would expect from a 69$ price tag, having something like a tin audio t3 in mind. The cable feels durable but has a strong tendency of tangling, it tangles on the pocket, in the hand, anywhere. This is something forgettable on a KZ AS06 or ZS7, which has virtually the same cable, as the wires are the same.

SOUND

Bass has a good impact and level of dynamics for a budget BA. Of course it's not a dynamic, and it shouldn’t be. Compared to my KZ AS06 - which is already very good, the tripowin has considerably better low end neutrality, and agility, what particularly impressed me, it has better extension and less mid bass colouring. It has a good level of details and cleanliness, being able to get through complex sounds very well. It's fairly flat, with a sub-bass roll off, the mid bass isn't very dominant like you would expect from a warm IEM. Attack and decay is fast. Bass is there just to build a foundation for the song, it never gets to be the star of the show nor impresses, it does a good job being as fast as the rest of the sound, maintaining the cleanliness of the overall picture.



Mids are recessed, not because of the bass, as this signature doesn't fell anyway like a V, but because of the upper treble. This is a IEM that favors female voices and guitars - if i would say such thing. Voices lack body and the emotions aren't quite well rendered because of the lack of bassier regions. It lacks a little bit of warmth and body. Mids seems flat until it gets to the mid-treble region, where the TP10 starts building up until upper treble. The higher notes get razorblade sharp - the majority of the time, in a good manner, details are in your face. I don't feel any sibilance with this IEM, however, one just can't say that the mid treble isn’t pronounced. The good side is that this results in a very airy presentation, it's super clean and open. You are trading warmth and musicality to clinical details and airyness. The soundstage lacks depth and dynamics overall, everything sounds to ethereal and unrealistic compared to a good soundstage.

COMPARISIONS

vs TENHZ P4 pro (120$)

The p4 it's considerably pricier, but at 120$ it's about the best bang for the buck when referring to full BA chi-fi in my humble opinion. Compared to the TP10, the p4 pro has more body throughout the whole sound, being considerably warmer, the soundstage has superior definition, layering and depth. Bass has more impact and decay is longer, the mid-range is more intimate and voices have more drama, emotions are conveyed in a more natural way. All in all, it's clearly another league of earphone, meaning that the TP10 is nowhere near a giant killer. Treble extension goes further on TP10 as well and microdetais have more attention, the sound is airier as well, almost feeling like a earbud in openess when compared to the p4 pro.

vs TIN AUDIO T3 (69$)

The DD driver on the T3 has more impact and decay is considerably longer, the bass sounds boomier, but not in a negative way, it is still technically capable. The tin audio has more energy and gets to the sub bass with more agility, the TP10 feels more strained and lean overall. Speed on the BA is obviously better, the TP10 makes up in speed while T3 makes up in impact and naturalness. The soundstage on the T3 better defined, with superior stereo imaging because the TP10, while open, sounds too ethereal and without any depth. Mid range is clearer and sparkler on the TP10, having more warmth, intimacy and emotions on T3. Treble is more emphasized on the TP10, being overemphasized, however, it manages to get some naturalness and detail, on the T3 the only balanced armadure sound more strained and has some strange peaks. The TP10 also has less tendency to sibilance than T3 on my ears. Build and cables are clearly superior on the Tin Audio. The T3 are a better all arounder, the only caveat being the treble, macrodynamics, timbre, stage capabilities and bass goes to the Tin Audio.



OPINION

I was reading some of the reviews and opinions on the tripowin, and they were mainly negative, people have been wondering wich place in the market this IEM can occupy, as at the first glance, it looks pretty much generic.

I am not the most treble sensitive person, being used to a good amount of energy on the brighter notes, and that’s a huge part of me not thinking that this is isn’t exactly just a terrible IEM. So take that in mind.

To my ears, besides the peaky graphs that this IEM make, the treble can even sound coherent, however, it’s aggressiveness aren’t for everyone and demands a not so sensitive ear, as it also prohibits longer listening sessions with louder volumes. This is defnitely a bright IEM, fact is, If a was a newcomer on the market, I would not think it a good idea to start with a generic design and a tuning so focused on a niche.

Of course it would be easier to recommend the IEM and find a space in the market for them if he’d given us a faultless sound signature, and frankly, it’s not the case. It didn’t mean that these earphones are objectively bad. To my ears, once you adapt to them, the tripowin TP10 can even manage to sing nicely, it has a flat yet well extended and detailed bass response, present mids although on the thin side, and lots of clarity upper end.

Considering the whole package thought, what strikes me negatively is that the music can often sound one dimensional, with the help of shouty vocals, the music lacks a lot of macro dynamics as all the focus that your brain get’s is beetwen the mids and the highs; the soundstage although open, feels weird and inexistent, you get the feeling of hearing in a vacuum, too much airiness. In that case, you start to understand that the incredible detail and instrument separation starts to be not a plus, but a part of the problem.



All in All, my experience with the TP10 is a rollercoaster, at first I thought, wow, this sounds vivid and can pack a punch, even if a bit too shouty, then I read the reviews, then I took a critical listen, then I reconsidered, and then, and then, and then.

My conclusion is that The TP10 is more of a miss then it’s a hit, with some filtering on the nozzle maybe they can get to the point – and I am probably going to do it, but with this tuning, all you got is some wow factor, that then turns out in a wut factor, then to realize that your music is probably sounding off. It’s not a specific peak, it’s not sibilance, to my ears the tonal balance is just too much on the bright side. It’s off and hard to recommend, given that they manage to deprive the music, with its lack of macro dynamics as a result of the low treble dominance. If you are really, really into bright earphones, I can safely recommend the tp10, but I don’t think that this public it’s really a thing.

To conclude, I think that the tp10 has one of the best 20hz-1khz I’ve heard at any KZ’s related earphone’s, these iem’s could have gone really good, but at that way, they are only mediocre. The incredible detail and air gets overly dominant on the presentation, harming the dynamics, feeling, and drama of the musicality. In the end, the final picture is so vibrant that you miss the original intention of the artist. Let's keep an eye open and see what the future of tripowin can give us. See you there.

Special thanks to Linsoul Audio Store, for the opportunity to give this unbiased review.

Hello and welcome to another review!




PREAMBLE

The moondrop kanas pro is one of the latest hypes in the world of chi-fi.

When I became interested for the first time there was not much talk about them, so I approached some members to get information, the conclusion was that they sounded like solid headphones that needed to be better known by the community

After a few weeks the headphones became one of the most well-known in the community.

But what about the regular Moondrop Kanas?

The non-pro version, how do they sound like?

To answer this question, I decided to buy one. At the same time I sold my BGVP DMG and was looking for a fun IEM to replace it, the kanas was the answer.

Let's reach out to discover what do i find about this IEM.

According to moondrop, the regular kanas is the same earphone as KPE, but with a stronger low-end.

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DISCLAIMER

I bought this Earphone at AK Audio Store with a discount in exchange of a honest review of the earphone. There aren't any financial incentive on this review besides the discount in the product itself. I personally guarantee to the reader my honest and objective review, where ‘I’ll try to pass my objective impressions as clear as possible giving the reader the chance to evaluate the product by itself. I particularly INVITE the reader to be as critical as possible on my writing.

Links:

Moondrop Kanas at AK audio store – https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/Kanas-Moondrop-Diamond-Like-Carbon-E-Din-mica-de-Polieter-Earbud-Fones-De-Ouvido-de-ALTA/32868984501.html

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SPECs

• Driver: 10mm dynamic
• Magnet: N48
• Diaphragm material: DLC diamond carbon nanotube
• Coil: 0.035mm CCAW
• Cavity material: Zinc-magnesium alloy
• Impedance: 32 ohms at 1 kHz
• Quality control range: < 1.5 dB
• Connector: 2-pin 0.78mm
• Cable: Detachable
• THD: < 0.5%

Unboxing and Content



Unoxing experience is just basic and was not made to wow you, that's for sure. The earphone arrives in this black package who carries the earphone piece, the cable, a soft bag and 4 Pairs of Eartips. There is also the paperwork, who advise the owner to do a proper burn in of 100hours for optimal performance in it's driver.

The package is efficient and does the job...

Cable, Fit and Build.



The moondrop kanas comes with a cheaper cable than it's pricier cousin, the essential differences in the presentation of the two earphones are the different finish in the shells and the cable. While the KPE arrives in a nice looking lyre cable, the regular version have a black, thin and braided cable that looks a lot like the cables that the budget maker "TRN" uses. This is not a bash, the cable is acually good, it has good connectors and it is flexible, having also a very fine preformed earhook. No one needs to upgrade cables on them, like it happens in IEM's that have bad functioning cables, the stock ones works well.



Construction wise the earphones deserves a 10 out of 10. They feel heavy and sturdy in the hand, giving the costumer a feeling that these sheels could even live to some abuse. They are considerably heavy but nothing that bothers or could feel like a negative aspect, the earphones have a deep insertion and a very ergonomic design, even if the looks doesn't make it too apparent. They are very confortable to wear. The brush finish in the design is actually a plus to me as i find it more elegant than the shiny KPE.

The earphones has two vents that works relieving pressure for the dynamic driver and i coudn't notice any driver flex. I haven't any negative toughts about the built, design and ergonomics of these earphones.

Isolation is average if you find a good fit, but with this level of ergonomics you shoudn't have any problem. The stock tips was too small for my ears and i ended up using another that was lying in my home.

Sound



My preferences: My perfect signature would be a neutral leaning to a slight U signature. I like correct and upfront mids. A good extension at highs without a great roll-off is wished to. Bass needs to be present but not too emphasized. I prefer sub-bass presence with agility more than exactly a mass hiting my ears. I do not enjoy cold sounding signatures nor a darker presentation. Neutral to warm with a hint of airiness and sparkle at the mid treble would be my thing.

The Moondrop Kanas, being the same driver and technology as it's cousin, it's equaly hard to drive.

The headphones are a little more difficult to drive than IEM's usually are, in my phone, which is the device I use to listen to music on the go. I have to increase the volume about 20% or 30% more than usual. I use a galaxy s8, which has a clean output, but without much power. With this phone I get satisfactory volumes in noisy environments and at home but the earphones never get's realy loud, at maximum volume i still have a confortable listening.

Using the earphone in my desktop rig resulted in a very slightly more rounded and full bodyed sound, i have a feeling that the mids and treble sound a little more upfront, but it could be really well a confirmation BIAS with the help of a little higher SPL.

My advice is to make sure you have a clean, transparent dac matched with a powerful source. A warm source could lead the moondrop to some imbalance and cover the very high resolution of the earphone. You probably don't want that as the moondrop kanas is already a warm transducer.

These drivers are very coherent, with almost no distortion, clean and revealing sources are a treat to them while a warmish colouration could turn the sound overwhelming, covering the resolving capabillitie.

In my both sources the sound is crisp and precise, the earphones has a little too much bass for my taste, but i can't confuse the reader with my personal taste if we are talking about the properties of the drivers. Nothing sounds distorted and the sound is fully coherent.

The sound of Kanas is lush, rich, and smooth. These are the adjectives that describes the general approach of them. The tonality is on the warmer side with a precise mids to treble transition.

Just as i was talking about the IKKO OH1, this isn't a earphone of peaks also, every transition is done in a smooth manner. The highlights are on the sub bass and in the treble area, where it starts to fall in a natural and smooth roll off.

As a result of the single driver design, imagind and phase is spot on, the soundstage isn't particularly big but everything in rendered in a precise and full bodyed way. The separation beetwen elements of the music has a marvelous resolution. I.E: In some complex and busy parts of some musics, i find the hybrid IKKO OH1 loosing definition and coherence. Some elements was indistinguishable, switching to the Moondrop revealed a better technical capability in mantaining the texture, separation, and actual form to the sounds in the later.

While the other headphone(IKKO) has a more upfront sound, giving the listener the feeling of more resolution, the moondrop kanas has a different approach, it presents the music in a more relaxed way, a warmer and lusher tone at the mid range and a more forgiving bite at treble. But the practice is the only actual prove of the truth, and the moondrop end up having the edge in resolution and overall coherence.

The KANAS is a relaxed earphone, i feel this when i switch from my TEHNZ p4 pro, and i feel this when i switch from IKKO OH1, but it's very resolving at the same time. The tune of them aim at a very natural timbre, instruments sounds organic as the tonality overall doesn't have any trick to it besides the elevated bass that brings lot's of activity in mass in the very low notes. When i listen to Jazz, where the bass notes are very different than modern musics, for example, i feel one a very organic timbre at the instruments, with a precisely natural felling, besides the hi-hats, that feels a litle bit tamed.

Vocals sound considerably recessed compared to the p4 pro, the tone of the moondrop have the edge in sparkle at both male and female voices, but the p4 pro still has depper detail retrieval and texture. Compared to the ikko they are similarly recessed with the ikko sounding just a little bit ahead, but at the expense of sounding thinner and a little less natural.

Treble on Kanas are a little bit on the softer side, it is not almost dark like the very low extended p4 pro, but it's not snappy as the BA driver of the ikko, that renders hi hats and cymbals with a more attention.

What i do love about this IEM is how lush and non fatiguind they are. You can raise the volume and get the vocals to very close of your ear, and the sound will still be inofensive. The rendering is on a class leading level and distortion is unoticed, this i a quality that the p4 pro don't have, because of an odd peak at 8k and some stress at bass drivers, and is also a quality that you don't find at the OH1, that can show some glaring in upper treble at some points. What could prevent you from enjoying of this in the KANAS is the strong bass presence, that can bother depending on the genre.

As i just said, the negative part is the sometimes overdone bass, now i have to be carefull because this is the only part that distinguish the regular Kanas from the KPE and it's also a matter of taste.



The interesting point: BASS

I particularly find that sometimes the Bass feels too much, and other times they aren't bothering at all. The extension is so great, and the energy at the very first notes are so strong, that they feel overwhelming when the music file has a great activity at the area. My personal taste is leaning to a neutral-is signature and i find myself wanting to tone down the sub bass a little.

That being said the bass is incredibly controlled and don't affect the rest of the sound in a real negative way in terhms of time, it never runs out of pace and has a very natural speed It sounds like a very well powered and designed subwoofer. Also, the bass feels big and sorrounds you in a very particular way.

I known it is a clichê, but the bass comes up when they are called, and stays controlled when they aren't needed. The thing is, when they are called, they can get hot, making some people love it.

In some moder songs the bass prevents you of raising the SPL as the bass can get too upfront in louder volumes, what causes you from hearing a somekind softned sound, with voices a step back, and a lack of bite in the details. This is pretty much the critical point of my story with kanas. But mind that this is coming from a comparison with a dead neutral presentation.

This is a point of view of one that continues to enjoy natural sound and it's used to more agressive styles of tunings, i like bite, strenght, attack, intimacy. The moondrop kanas is on the other side of the spetrum. It is kinda of a L shaped earphone with a very natural trimbre and soft presentation, without any huge recesseion nor spikes. And this... Is done in a perfect way.

So, why the regular moondrop kanas after all? Let's head to the conclusion.

CONCLUSION



The qualities of kpe are more than well-known and if you are here, you are probably convinced of them. However one question arises, what is and how should I view the regular version of moondrop kanas if i am still making my choice.

According to some reports, they are fundamentally the same headset with a different low-end. Some users are afraid of KPE endind up thin sounding or lacking some bass response. There where some of these people in the moondrop thread, and also some people that actually bought the KPE and found them agressive in vocals or lacking impact. These are people that should go witht the regular Kanas. Well, there's tastes and there's tastes. While i would probaly go a little better with the pro version, there are lot's of people out there that may end up likind the regular version more, as some people are already moding the KPE in the vent hole to get more sub-bass.

My aim here is to present the stock, finished, and cheaper version of this mod. The regular moondrop kanas that carries the same nature and advantages of the organic moondrop sound. They may be exactly what you look for.

Thank for you reading, i see you there.

I am particularly happy with the IEM, and reaching for it every time.
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You can grab a regular Kanas at AK audio Store, there aren't too much vendors with that earphone available and i got mine there with a discount for this review.

Cheers!

Hello, Welcome to another Review!



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PREAMBLE

When I first saw this earphone, i was skeptical, a simple hybrid configuration from an unknown brand… I mean, 10mm titanium DD + Knowles BA 33518, same configuration of FiiO OH1, which is an overly warm earphone going for a little bit cheaper. Not something that hyped me too much.

Well, I can tell you for sure, I was dead wrong. These earphones are solid contenders and huge value for the recommended price of 139$

After hearing a positive thought from the very known and respected reviewer Crinacle. I started to pay attention to them. They didn’t received a lot of talk here in head-fi so I decided to approach IKKO for a review.

And here I am.

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About the mysterious and interesting brand: IKKO



Apart from being completely new to scene, they started by having an Amazon distribution, a proper brand image and a website with a brand concept. Interesting, huh?

They refer to themselves as:

“IKKO aims to promote a new concept of “FREE” and high fidelity for music lovers in the context of the rapid development of contemporary digital music. As a new brand, IKKO is committed to bringing the new era of digital life design, concepts into a combination of tireless innovation to bring outstanding audio-visual Experience.”

They seem to aim at a concept, a value. Interesting: Design, internet, digital era. Very occidental approach, what leads me to the conclusion that IKKO have biger plans as a brand with newer launches and products. Let’s keep an eye open.

But what’s important for us is in here: “What I insist on doing is to make IKKO bring you the sensory world to touch the soul of the music experience to become more quality and simple.”

My personal opinion is that with the OH1 they got it. So let’s reach out for the real review.

DISCLAIMER

This earphone is a review unit kindly sented by IKKO themselves in exchange of a honest review of the earphone they sell. There aren't any financial incentive on this review besides the product itself that can and will be kept with me. I personally guarantee to the reader my honest and objective review, where I ‘I’ll try to pass my objective impressions as clear as possible giving the reader the chance to evaluate the product by itself. I particularly INVITE the reader to be as critical as possible on my writing



Links:

IKKO WEBSITE: http://www.ikkoaudio.com/

IKKO AMAZON STORE – https://amzn.to/2T42Wzj
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SPECs

Drive Configuration: 1 Balanced Armature (Knowles 33518) + Polymer Composite Titanium-Plated diaphragm Dynamic Driver

Sensitivity: 106db

Impedance: 18ohm

Frequency Response: 20-40khz

Cable length:1.2m

Connector；2-pin 0.78mm

Cable type:4 strands of 8 high-purity oxygen-free copper-plated 5n silver plated

UNBOXING EXPERIENCE AND CONTENT.

OH1 arrives is a very direct and efficient presentation, it doesn’t wow you, but it doesn’t let you down also.

It comes in a solid black package involved in a slip cover with the logo, model name, and an illustration of the IEM. You are also able to see technical specs, the website and some western certifications, which should de good right?

When you first open you see a nice envelope that carries the warranty card together with wear instructions.

Inside of it you are presented with both IEMs and the two sets of eartips, one of them has a larger opening and it’s suited for vocals, the other has a larger opening and it’s made for be “balanced”. I personally haven’t noticed a big difference in sound with the two and think you should go mainly for the better fit. The tips are ok and definitely not disposable, as it may occur in some IEM’s. I am using stock tips at the moment.

The IKKO comes with a bonus of a very nice velour pouch where the cables are stored and you can store and carry your IEM.

All in all, for the price of 139$ the IKKO has a realistic and good packaging and content.




Package:

- Ikko OH1 earphone

- Cable

- 6 pairs of Eartips, 3x Vocals, 3x Balanced

- Storage Bag


CABLE, FIT AND BUILD

Let’s do it in a simple way...

The build? 10 out of 10

The cable? Could be better… 6 out of 10

The fit? Universal, good isolation, but nozzle is too short for the average Ear.

I find the IKKO OH1 one of the nicer looking IEM’s I have ever glanced for. The blue color is glossy, vivid, discrete and well textured. They are very lightweight and have a premium fell with an incredible finish and yet solid build. The metal piece have a professional look and a fine boutique feel at the hand.

There is a small and seamless looking brand name in the shells that give a special touch. The surface is what IKKO calls “meteorite curved metal shell”. In the words of another reviewer, it looks more with a diamond surface finish. Very nice indeed.



They have average isolation, not bad, and not like a semi-custom IEM. I never noticed any driver flex and the IEM have two vents to relieve the pressure of the driver.

Fit is not troublesome but it’s not perfect for me also. I found the nozzle too short, a different angle and deeper insertion would give a more secure fit and less shallow fit for me. Fortunaly i found no real problems with that as the IEM feels safe and clean in my ears, as even with the stock tips the fit is good. The lightness of the shell is specially confortable.



The cable is in the middle of the road. While is not almost perfect like the cable of BGVP DMG, is not the worst like the cable of tehnz p4 pro. Ikko seems be hearing the feedback of us and now the earphone carries a 4 core, grey and braided cable, a lot better than what i saw in the first units. It's flexible, has a good preformed earhook and a nice look. It is a little prone to tangling and a chin slider would be of a good help. It's light too.
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SOUND

My preferences: My perfect signature would be a neutral leaning to a slight U signature. I like correct and upfront mids. A good extension at highs without a great roll-off is wished to. Bass needs to be present but not too emphasized. I prefer sub-bass presence with agility more than exactly a mass hiting my ears. I do not enjoy cold sounding signatures nor a darker presentation. Neutral to warm with a hint of airiness and sparkle at the mid treble would be my thing.

The Good: Honeymoon…

Ikko is a fairly balanced and yet energetic earphone, it is what some people call “the typical asian signature”, done in a perfectly way! The word that catches me up when I am listening to them is “snappy”.

The “meteors” earphone gives a full and agile presentation with the right amounts of energy on every area of the music. Bass notes have some emphasis in the sub bass area, from which it starts to get calmer when it reaches the mid-bass, still above neutral but only the needed amount to drive the body of instruments and give a gentle warm feeling to the acousticts.

By the time we get to the mids it feels like a plateau, stable, till it starts to get closer to upper treble, where the earphone has another emphasized region. This part is what gives the unique feel of OH1: the energy and vibrance of the sound, the airy feeling.

I only reserves compliments because the upper region never leads the earphone to something like a tendency of sibilance or whatsoever. The region is perfectly balanced with the rest of the sound.

Treble is good, giving presence to the lastest harmonics and making the sound feel full and not overall relaxed nor dark. They feel more than adequate even having a natural roll-off that may disappoint the treble heads.

The earphone have it’s fun, resolution and pace done in a responsible and technical way. “fast”, “snappy”, “agile”, is what keeps ringing in my ear when I listen to them.

Major positive points for me are its impressive performance in bass and the airy and snappy feeling of the midrange and upper treble region.

Some may find it sounding thin because of the character of the upper treble transition, it is what gives the detailed feeling, and it is what makes the tonal balance a little thin to some people. It’s a taste i personally like and may suit you, or not.



The negative

Even then, nothing is perfect, the only real drawback I found with them is on some complex tracks, the ones with lots of information and some compression happening in the upper treble area, at the same time. In this situation the only BA present in the earphone seems to deal with a little stress and some glariness can be heard, what happens is that the elements in the area lose some separation and definition. My moondrop Kanas dealt a little better in the same songs: That’s where you’re wrong by The Arctic Monkeys From 2:37 to 2:55 and Tame impala’s “apocalypse dreams from 4:08 to 4:24.

In this scenarios the Knowles driver suffers to maintain the technical level and the earphone suffers a little bit to maintain the three dimensionality and texture in the area. Definitely not a dealbraker, every earphone has a flaw. Especially at 139$. This one have those.



Frequency response measure by @Crinacle, Link to the graph and his impressions: https://bit.ly/2SggUJY

All credit is his.



I am using this graph beacause it is exactly how i feel about this earphone and matches the Official Graph by IKKO here:



Bass

Bass performance is what impressed me the most at first sight, it is what stands out the most, just after the clarity and airy feeling of the sound.
The decay is a little bit on the faster side while mantaining the dynamic driver feeling. Exactly what guarantee the details and agility in the dynamics. The sub bass go down low at the same time it isn't overdone and mid bass is perfectly balanced without covering details nor giving too much warmth to the sound. I wonder what it's nicer, the technical aspect of attack and decay, or the tonality. Hard to find...

Mids

Mids are a little behind the bass and upper region, The overall sound is upfront, with guitars and other elements popping upon your face. But vocals and the same upfront elements lose some body while having the edge in sparkle and clarity. In the terrible analogy to mid's, i would call this "female vocals focused". There is absolutely no mid bass bleed that i can notice. There is some "thin" feeling to the sound when you compare the mids to a warmer IEM like a Moondrop Kanas, but this is a matter of taste.

Treble

This is not a earphone of spikes, the treble is perfectly balanced to the overall sound. It completes the transition from the mids is a smooth and easy way increasing the clarity and airy feeling to the sound. Hi hats are very well audible, much more present than my tehnz p4 pro, that feels almost dark in comparision. The treble doesn't tire me and it has a good "splash". The downside is in complex and busy tracks, where the only BA can't keep up the fast pace of the presentation and lose some definition.

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Comparisions:



Moondrop Kanas (~150$)

The moondrop Kanas loses in bass performance for me, they seem to be a little slower, even being excellent. Also the overdone Sub Bass makes the bass darker than the better tuned IKKO. Mids are more full-bodied on the Kanas but are a little more recessed in the mix. Upper treble is a little more upfront in the ikko, what gives more sparkle and upfront presentation but with the expense of less definition, three dimensionaloty and poorer imaging in complex tracks. Overall the Ikko sound more livier and technical in the bass while the kanas has an edge in sounding more organic and superior in the upper end, even being less upfront. Construction wise they are both a treat to look at with similar quality cables. Ikko is a lot lighter while Kanas has a better and deeper insertion.

Tehnz p4 pro (~120$)

Bass on p4 pro is very even, they are above neutral with more focus on mid bass but the BA speed makes up for it, overall the p4 pro sounds warmer and darker than IKKO. The ikko feels more agile and clearer because of the lot better treble extension and upper treble response. P4 pro has a spike at around 8K that particularly bothers me. I said Ikko "feels" snappier than p4 pro because in fact the BA drivers on p4 pro are unmatched in terms of detail retrieval, what reveals the faster pace to them. The lack of treble extension makes the p4 pro sounding boxy when you switch, with one more trouble being the 8k peak. Bass and treble are better on Ikko while mids resolution goes without a doubt for p4 pro, being very lush, rich and upfront as no other IEM in my hands.

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Conclusion

This is it, looking for a earphone around the price of 130$ dolars? You simply cannot discart the Ikko OH1...
It has a class leading Bass performance, coherent, vivid and upfront mids, and a awesome mid-treble transition with great extension. I personaly think it's a lot for the price.

As a bonus you carry a stellar design that would turn heads of anyone with a good taste, a nice carrying case and a cable that does the job. Ikko is defnitely a player that needs to receive attention from now on.

See you there!

Hello, Welcome to another Review
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PREAMBLE

Ever heard of KZ? No?

For the unsuspecting, let's start with the fact that perhaps this the largest and best-known brand of low-cost Chinese headphones. Nowadays the brand has many models under its name. The Chinese brand began with low-cost dynamic models, and rapidly grew its portfolio. From the dynamic drivers, the brand started to incorporate hybrid models, with the pioneer KZ ZST, since then new models have been increased, the ZS5, ZS6, ZS10 ...

KZ surprised the market when it decided to launch a model made exclusively with balanced armature in 2017, the AS10, composed of 5 Bas. It was an unprecedented offer in the budget market.

Today we will check the next step of KZ after the AS10 - and BA10. The KZ AS06 is the smaller brother, sold for about $20 less than the big brothers, consisting of 3 balanced armatures on each side.


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DISCLAIMER

This earphone is a review unit kindly sented by Linsoul, in exchange of a honest review of the earphone they sell, Linsoul is a chinese seller and distribuitor of IEMs, there aren't any financial incentive on this review besides the product itself that can and will be keeped with me. I personally garantee to the reader my honest and objective review, where i will try to pass my objective impressions as clear as possible, giving the reader the chance to evaluate the product by itself. I particularly INVITE the reader to be as critical as possible on my writing.


Links:
- AS06 AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2D3nQV6
- AS06 ALI: https://bit.ly/2UASBaZ
- Linsoul Site: https://www.linsoul.com/

SPECs and SOUND DESIGN

Balanced armatures are a different technology of drivers for earphones, certainly it is not a new technology, but it is also certainly, a novelty for the market of low-cost headphones, where the implementation of these drivers was not common until recently. The AS06 has a bold design, is composed of a crossover to divide the frequencies over the three balanced armatures. The BAs Instead of being added to a dynamic driver, take care of all frequencies. Armed with this information you can now look for the specifics and advantages of full balanced armatures IEMs.

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Model: KZ AS06

Sensitivity: 105dB

Impedance: 15Ω

Colors: Black or Green

Frequency Response: 20-40000Hz

Plug Type: 3.5 mm

2pin connection: 0.75mm

Weight: 25 ± 3 g

Control button: With or without microphone

Usability: Earhook / Over Ear
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Unboxing Experience and Content

The KZ AS06 offers a slightly richer unboxing experience than you originally found in KZ. In place of the small and poor white packaging you have a black cardboard, well presented, with the opening at the top. Inside of it the earphones are secured placed on a surface of foam, accompanied in the box a small piece of metal with the name of the Phone. It's an interesting touch. The handset has a package with a slightly above-average refinement according to my previous experiences.

The box contains 3 pairs of silicone eartips and the (good)cable.


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Cables, Fit and build.

We have now come to the objective part of the Review, where I begin to critically appraise the product. Here I will not reserve compliments for KZ on the quality of built on the headphones and the cable. The handset is built in acrylic, with a design that is overall identical to the more expensive KZ AS010, I could not observe sharp edges or any construction problem in my two units. The 1.2m cable has solid appearance, next to the cable of the KZ ZSN is the best cable I have ever seen KZ put in a handset. The only critical point here is the ease of the cable tangle, a chin slider on the top of the cable could help. Preformed earhooks are a great leap in usability and are my favorite type. Positive point for construction and cables

The handset is remarkably over-ear and is considerably large, most likely to have a piece out of your ear. The nozzle is for deep insertion. The AS06 design seems to be in doubt whether it wants to be an over-ear custom lookalike or a universal design. It definitely feels like a universal design, altought the largeness and deep insertion. For me, I used big eartips to make the shell comfortable. Small eartips with deep insertion made my ear hurt because of the protrusion at the base of the tip.

I do not see anyone having trouble with this design, however, it's not my favorite one, being quite bulky, but this is subjective, construction wise, objectively, the buit is on par with the best that the price point has offer. The above average Isolation is also a very important factor and benefit if you are going to use the earphone at commute or in busy environments

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Sound

My preferences: My perfect signature would be a neutral to a slight U signature. I like correct, thick mids. A good extension at highs with. Bass needs to be present but not too emphasized. I prefer sub-bass presence with agility than exactly a mass hiting my ears. I do not enjoy the cold sound signature nor a darker presentation. Neutral to warm with a hint of airiness would be my thing.

Overall:

The KZ AS06 is a V shaped-phone, not exactly typical. When we think of earphones from KZ we think of the signature first introduced in the KZ ZST and followed since: Sub bass very pronounced, mid-bass discrete, recessed mids with a peak in the transition from the mid to the mid-treble and a decent extension from so on.

The KZ AS06 is also a V-shaped earphone, but with a slightly warmer presentation than usual. The balanced armature of the bass is the surprise of the show, as soon as I started the hearing, it was what caught my attention, the bass is strong and defined, with details and texturing being a little superior to the dynamic drivers of KZ. The speed of the driver in general is better, but it soon meet the mid-bass more pronounced than normal in the KZ, which ends up taking off a refinement that could be even more above average, leaded the very interesting driver speed in the bass and sub bass regions, in general the mid bass leaves the presentation of the AS06 warmer than usual on other models. The mids are still recessed and with emphasis on the transition of mid-treble and on with a strong bite. I do not consider AS06 a sibilant earphone, but it has a considerable amount of energy in that area and in the subsequent octave, drums are hitting with a strong energy. The KZ AS06 is not quite a clear headphone, but they contain enough treble presence to cope with the full force of the bass and mark its presence in the upper range. Overall the signature is of a typical KZ in V with emphasis on the mid-bass rather than on the sub-bass, note that the bass do have a excellent extension. Even with pronounced mid bass the AS06 reserves an above normal ability to present nuances and details in the bass because of the balanced armature and its technical advantages.

Stage and Imaging

Continuing something characteristic since the KZ ZS10, the AS06 have a good imaging and layering of the instruments, highlighting each other well, nothing sounds stunned, although the sound stage is deeper than wider, different from the KZ ZSN, more open and holographic in general. The precision of the stage, while promoting a great engagement seems a bit artificial, especially with regard to depth, to enjoy your songs you will have no problem at all, I would not recommend the AS06 to use in competitive games, however. Listening to music strictly, the instruments sound thick and well separated from each other, the depth of the stage added to the privileged bass causes excellent dynamics in the sound, with a great capacity to engage the listener.

Bass

The bass is the prominent area of the KZ AS06, in no way the Bass response is hampered by the BA. So much so that the AS06 has an above normal technical capacity because of these balanced armature drivers. The extension is good enough, and easily reaches ~ 30hz, ~20hz is already very well audible. The bass is in front of the mids, with a mid-bass that is still balanced, but it’s definitely the highlight of the bass presentation. Which brings a very characteristic warmth to the sound, coloring it. The bass has excellent impact and dynamics and are not jammed, the drivers do not seem to be stressed. Hearing "puff daddy" a industrial trap track, the KZ AS06 bass showed a much higher attack and decay capacity than the Tin Audio T2 with the "ventmod". Giving more impact and detail to the real beating that this track gives in your ears. Fans of hip hop, EDM and the likes will be the ones that will benefit the most from the bass of this handset, as the coloration in acoustic songs must somehow negate the advantage of the better speed of this driver.

Mids

Basing my expectation on graphics, the midfield should be the most critical point of KZ AS06, in theory. In fact vocals do end up sounding compressed when compared to IEMS with a neutral response in that region, but this is relativizable. Indeed, the area reported as "male voices" suffers a little from the bass bleed, and the female voices range is more recessed. Overall you get a smooth and relaxed presentation in the mids, set back from the treble and bass. Especially in a busy track as “higher ground” of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, you would notice this clearly. Comparing The AS06 with headphones in its price range, however, surprised me, as the mids did not sounded more harmed than the average, which I was led to believe by graphs. In the tracks in which I tested the mids of the AS06 transited in being equal or superior to the likes of KZ ZSN, TIN AUDIO t2 and BQEYZ KB1, varying case by case, and losing in some cases for KB1. This truly impressed me and i must believe it's because of the BAs detail retrieval.

Treble

Here I do not notice any problems, the lower treble does not strike the ear causing any kind of sibilance or harshness, although they have a good amount of energy in the mid-treble/low treble, the treble has sufficient energy and does not sound too roled off. In general the treble are correct and contain no form of uneveness with the original balance of the earphone. They contribute to the warm color and consistency of the AS06 by not being very prominent, nor letting the earphone sound dark. Finding a balance between avoiding excessive warmth or darkness. Offering the right amount of presence to leave the sound open and detailed in the highest registers.

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Comparisions:

BQEYZ KB1 (40~50$)

Fit on the KB1 is soso, the shell is big as well as the AS06 but i fell the AS06 a lot more confortable to wear and with much better isolation. Kb1 is a little bit harder to drive and from the first minute notice a more natural yet less engaging sound. Bass is more controled and clearer, mids sound less compressed and more upfront and mid treble has less energy. There is more sense of air and sparkle. Switching to the As06 you fell the bass more pronouced, with less definition but with a bigger impact, bass notes still clear and overall more pleasant to listen to if you are a bass lover. Vocals sounds more relaxed and distant, compressed, but i don't see a big timbre difference beetwen the two. Mid treble has a little bit more impact and energy, matching with the bass. Stage on the As06 are good but offer a little less sense of air than the KB1, the as06 having more depth and sometimes better intimacy with the instruments tho.

Tin Audio t2 with vent mod - Hugely different than original (40$)

Now, this is interesting. The tin audio t2 is a lovely IEM in its original form, it has been kind of a benchmark for naturalness for some time, but the vent mod is highly used in the community for those who are looking for a good bassy earphone. You can find the Graphs of T2 modded agains KZ as10 made by the highly respected user @antdroid here:https://bit.ly/2TrnDSz.

As you can see the graphs are similar, well, hearing the as06 vesus the T2, i was left by the surprise that the As06 sounds overall better for its purpose. The original t2 has a naturalness that is simply untouched by the As06, but for a bassy earphone, the AS06 simply sound superior than the modded t2 with a more controlled bass, little bit less compressed mids with considerably less bass bleed, more dynamics and better clarity over mid-treble. The modded t2 sounds veiled and less dynamic in comparision,

Conclusion

Well, i was skeptical about this one after reading impressions, but i faced surprise. I do think that the AS06 has a place in the market. For the ones looking for a fun IEM, you will find in the AS06 a wonderfully built, balanced sounding and study device. I think i managed to talk about the good and the bad about this earphone, only not talking about the "sibilance" problem, but for a simple reason, i don't hear it and found the mid treble balanced. In the same topic, the other problem should be the mid bass, also found it uncompromising. So, As06 gets a recommendation of me, people looking only for acoustic, clarity, could have look at other options, however, the KZ still gets a highlight when we are talking about a all arounder fun tuned IEM, with good portability and ease to be driven.
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Thank you very much for you attention, see you there!
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Playlist used in the review:

Disclaimer 1 - From which place do i talk ?

Hi! First of all, let me introduce to you, so you can evaluate my opinion better.
I am a young hobbyist who got into this world with one aim, hear music better. With time, of course the hobbie takes body and becomes a equaly fun part. I have been having experience with plenty of sub 50$ earphones untill i got myself a Tehnz p4 pro and Bgvp dmg, 100~150 Usd. So i am here to share my view at this new segment to you guys tracing the same path.

Disclaimer 2 -

This IEM was bought with my own money with a discount in exchange for a honest review, at AK AUDIO STORE in aliexpress. There wasn't any attempt to manipulate my opinion and all of the words are by my responsibility.

You can found ak store and p4 pro here: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pr...ml?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.5.3cc521611fpauj


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Myself and tre aim of this review

A lot of the consumers of chi-fi live at the so-called third world countrys, living by the punishment of the currency, we often pay a much bigger fraction of our paid work at the same iem, it's like people in the US was paying 400$ for a shure se215 for example.

With that being said, we always look for the best cost benefit, also at free shipping oportunities, on this context, the chinese market of IEMs becomes perfect.

I have about 3 years since i started at this world of audio. In that time i have had KZ ATE, KZ ZST, ZSR, ED12, UiiSi CM5 and buch of other cheapos...

After that i jumped on a little bit higher bracket and had in my hands, Revonext qt2, TRN v80, Tin audio t2, Hifiman re-400s...

But i had a feeling of more of the same, so i sold many of them and jumped on the +100$ range....

With bgvp dmg and p4 pro I looked for a real upgrade, at all areas, did i got it ? Yes i got it.


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With the Tehnz p4 pro i looked for a reference sound, having the tin audio t2 in mind, and i can say that i got way more than i expected. The sound is neutral, but with weight and body throughout the whole sound, what is missiig at the tin audio t2. I have been listening to the IEM for about a month and all the "burn in" period is gone.

Specs

• Tenhz
• Color: Black
• Driver unit: 4 balanced armatures ( 1 Bass Knowles 22955)
• Frequency response range: 10 Hz–40 kHz
• Sensitivity: 110 dB +/- 2 dB
• Impedance: 26 ohms
• Connectors: ⅛ in (3.5 mm)
• Cable length: 4 ft (1.2 m)

Included

• Microphone cable
• Silicone ear tips
• Foam ear tips
• Storage case

Tehnz is a split company from the well known Magaosi, it was previously named as Audbos, this IEM is a update of the well reviewed Audbos p4. The p4 pro should have a less "cavernous" sound when compared to the audbos, having less mid bass.

The Fit: This IEM have a similat fit to "custom iems", it fits like a glove on mt ears, after some time it can bother me as they are 100% sealed, so keep that in mind, they provide the most isolation i have ever had with any iem. At noisy envirements it's awesome. These is the kind of earphone you can listen at the bus without losing quality while not necesseraly being a basshead iem. I dig the fit of this earphone. Love it. I use a small tip, usually i use medium or big, but these earphones fit so well that i can use the small one.





Accesories: The carry bag is pure luxury, i don't use that kind of thing but i can tell you, this is from a very good quality and about the best you can get at this or even bigger prices. The original cable is bealtiful, but bad... it tangles easily and can bother some people. I use them on my dmg and the Dmg cables here on the p4 pro.

The iem comes with 3 pairs of generic silicone tips and 3 pairs of foam. Decent quality. Overall with the fancy box and carriyng box, the sturdy and bealtiful IEM's, we have a very nice presentation here.

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Let's talk about what matters. SOUND.

My preferences: My perfect signature would be a neutral to a slight U signature. I like correct, thick mids. A good extension at highs. Bass needs to be present but not overly. I prefer sub-bass presence with agility than exactly a mass hiting my ears.

With that being said, the tehnz p4 pro becomes close to check all of the boxes, but at the same time it don't... lol. let me try to explain it.

Tonality: Tonaly, for me, these earphones are close to perfect, they missed the extension at the highs, altought it can be easily achieved with EQ and is the only frequency that responds easily to eq, maybe the only drivers that aren't super stressed. They are neutral with a small bump in mids wich i like very much. Bass isn't really recessed, they don't roll of like a tin audio t2 for example. Mind a Neutral to very slight inversed U signature. Warmish.

BASS: At the good enviroment, these are both tonaly and technicaly correct. I have a hifiman he4xx planar magnetic earphone, i think you should imagine that bass closer to a planar than a dynamic. First, they don't respond to eq, the drivers are stressed and with eq they distort and muddies other frequencies, just like my he4xx. But you really don't need to do that beacause the bass is present enought to drive the music. If yoi have a reference perspective. This is not a basshead earphone, at all. The bass has a pretty fast decay, doesn't color other frequencies but the earphone muddies in a whole if you source try to colour the sound aplying any gain to the bass.

The bass is technicaly and tonaly correct, full and fast. But at the same time it is the Engineering aquiles hell of the earphone. The driver is so stressed that any gain will give you a muddie and distorted low end. Actually as the earphone offer a very good amount of bass - from a reference perspective - you can even cut a little on tracks that can stress the driver and clear the room for the sound. It works

MIDS. this is where all the magic happens, the best mids implementation i have seen in any earphone. Period. The timbre is correct altought its a overall warm tonality. The mid-highs transition in perfect, far from sibilance at the same time that the voices are very close to the ear. You can hear every nuance of the vocals, sometimes you can miss yourself as you get so much information with enough body and a thickness that i like and yet sound natural. Fantastic for intimate music genres. Here, i don't have any reservations.

Highs: As the transition from mids to highs are absolutely perfect for me. The highs limits itself to be great, but not perfect. I am sensitive troughout the whole sibilance area, but i can enjoy a good extension at 12-16 khz, it gives a sparkle that i personaly like. As the overall tonality of the earphone is warm, and its unique technical flaw is the less than ideal dynamics in low end, the tuning of the earphone was aimed at the sweet spot and confort zone of the drivers. The tonal balance it neutral to warm presentation. Bass driving fast, present and in a average size, with thick mids taking the whole show. All of the "presence" - above the mids - area sounds even. The highs gives the details, with a good postioning and almost no glaring. They are precise and don't splash everywhere. They are rolled off, i never saw anyone complaining about that and this would appeal to the majority of the public, but i would like a little more extension at the +12khz area. This would make them perfect for me. You can eq that and should try

Technicalities: Soundstage is average, definitely its a "in you head" sound. This is a effect of the rolled off treble, when you eq them that effect becomes way smaller and the stage gets more tridimentional. Imaging is very good, as there aren't any thin sound, you can fell the details better and as a consequence the imaging capabilities benefit from that. Decay is fast, a BA bass that remeber a little of a planar structured sound.



VS BGVP DMG:

Dmg's have better sub bass and recessed mids compared to p4. Less atack and energy in the low mids and slighly softer and yet bigger mid bass(dinamic driver...) making a more confortable experience but losing some presence at the low-mids. The DMG's are warm, but not bassy, It stay in the middle of the road because the bass on DMG'S are actually soft, the sub bass are only the needed and the emphasised mid bass are very controlled, no coloration in sound or leak to the mids. Compared to p4 the mids are thinner with emphasis in the high mids-treble transition. The p4 on the other side have very thick mids. On the DMG's the overall sound seem more rounded and easy to a V shaped used ear. The p4 feels heavier. Everything on DMG'S sounds somekind of thinner in comparison. But they aren't thin, do you get it ? The p4 can sound better sometimes, less musical other times where the dynamics of dmg's do better. Transition from high mids to treble on p4 are perfect for me, as they aren't after any valley, no information is missed and treble is easy on the ear. Very energetic and natural, some people are finding the treble pronounced, not my case.


Bottom line. This is the closest that i got from a gold signature. The earphone got a very good atack at the bass departament, it never fails to deliver the drive of the music. The mids in a word: perfect. The highs are great, perfect IF you are sensitive as they deliver great dynamics and can be even eqed to achieve a gold standard. Overall this a high fidelity earphone that don't hurt anyone but fails to be perfect. A jack of all trades. But at that price, everywhere that i read more experienced people tell me that they are doing way more than they should.
As i have little experience i tried to be very critical in this review so take that filter.

At 150$ these are a good value - having the well regarded dmg in mind -, i saw them at 118$ at aliexpress at sales, wich is great. Massdrop dropped them at 79$ wich is a screw steal. So, keep you eyes on this iem.

Thank you for reading and see you later!