Oriveti Primacy: Making music sound like music
 
Introduction
 
Oriveti seems to be a rather obscure company, without any big breaks or long-running hype trains. They offer a single model that seems to be highly regarded, but hasn't really seem to caught on and taken off. The Primacy is a hybrid IEM, with a single dual-driver accompanied by two balanced-armature drivers. It retails at $299. The Primacy is seemingly well regarded, but its pricing falls in the gray zone between entry-level IEMs and higher-end IEMs; I purchased it in hopes of adding it to my recommendation lineup for those who look for suggestions around this range. Let's see if Oriveti is able to provide a good value and find a place on my list.  
 
My general structure for the review will consist of:
 

1. Introduction 
2. Packaging / Accessories
3. Build Quality / Design
4. Sound
5. Comparisons

 
 

 
 
 

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Packaging / Accessories

Unpacking a well-presented IEM is always a great experience, that can really affect someone's overall thoughts on the product. The Primacy's packaging is organized, premium, and clean. It comes with an unexpected amount of tips in various sizes, both foam and silicone. The accessories are packed in snugly and the presentation is impressive.
 
The Primacy comes with:

1. Metal storage cylinder
2. Ear guides
3. Cleaning tool
4. 1/4'' adapter
5. Plane adapter
6. Tons of tips

 
 

 
 
 
The carrying case is really nice -- cold to the touch, precision-machined, and just badass. Aggressive edges on the metal feel premium and every thing is cut to the millimeter. It looks amazing. However, it's not very practical in terms of use as a carrying case. The lid is replaced and removed by a direct pulling motion ... there is no actual mechanism to keep the lid sealed other than the gradual vacuum pressure. If you hold the case by the lid, the bottom will slide out in a few seconds. It's more of a storage case to keep on your desk or something. The inside is lined with a soft velvet surface, but it's not plush. 
 

 

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Build / Design
 
The build of the Primacy feels very solid, but there are some questionable aspects to its design. I don't see any major downfalls to its design, except for the cable's connection point. The MMCX connector seems to be angled a little too high, compared to other IEMs with a similar fit. The connector might be more comfortable if it were angled lower. Also, I found the MMCX cables to be extremely difficult to remove from the Primacy -- but that's more a downfall of MMCX in general than the IEM itself.
 

 
 
 
 

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Sound Signature
 
My preferred signature is usually a balanced sound with a slight emphasis in the bass, gentle slope into the midrange, and good treble extension. I would say that I listen to the music more than the equipment -- I don't want to pay too close attention, I want to get lost in the music. In other words, I am not a critical listener. I found the Primacy to suit my tastes best when paired with the included silicone tips, so I will describe the sound as I hear it with those specific tips.
 

 
 
 
Bass
 
The bass on these feels to be feel plenty in quantity, but probably not enough to satisfy bassheads. I've seen some other reviewers state that the Primacy's bass is 'neutral', but I'd classify it as slightly north of neutral. The impact is average while the rumble is a little greater. It's a little faster than what I would typically expect from dynamic drivers, which is a good thing -- I don't like sloppy bass. Considering the Primacy is a hybrid, the bass from the dynamic driver feels a little less detailed than full balanced-armature IEMs; texture is a little smoothed down as a cost of the greater impact. Thankfully it's clean and extended, but the bass doesn't necessarily provide anything to write home about. 
 
Midrange
 
The most distinctive aspect to the Primacy's sound is its mids: they are slightly pushed forward ahead of the treble, and have a slight emphasis on the lower end of it. In other words, vocals are full and with plenty of body -- these excel on male vocals, and perform quite admirably with female vocals. Most IEMs actually have an upper mid emphasis, these switch it up and put the emphasis on the lower mids. Vocals can sometimes be seen as a bit 'rounded-off', i.e. it doesn't sound incredibly sharp at the end of female vocals. However, there's this characteristic texture to the mids that makes them sound really appealing; I'd go as far as to say that the Primacy's mids are the most alluring aspect to its overall sound. I don't feel it sounds overly lush or congested with its lower-mid emphasis, while it doesn't come off as completely dry either.
 
Treble
 
The treble is characterized by its relaxed nature; it sits behind the vocals and provides enough detail and air to keep the sound from becoming too stuffy / suffocating. There are some times where I wish there were more treble quantity (extension is fine) to make the sound more detailed. The upside to the laid-back treble is that Primacy doesn't get fatiguing after long periods of listening, something that high quantities of treble can definitely do. This contributes a lot to my overall impression on its sound.
 
Other
 
I don't like to comment too much on psychoacoustics much, but I don't think Primacy does too well in the soundstage department. It sounds slightly closed-in in terms of size, but imaging is pretty decent in terms of directional placement. 
 
 
Sound Summary
 
The best way for me to describe the overall sound of the Primacy is slightly relaxed, and plenty musical. When I listen to the Primacy, I find it harder and harder for me to focus my attention on the actual lyrics of a song. Music tends to stray into the back of my head, playing like soft background music. It seems to perform well overall: a warm, slightly laid-back sound without being too boring -- as a positive of this, it's also never really fatiguing. It's the ideal sound sig I think of when someone mentions 'natural'. Though the sound is not the most technically capable, nor is it without imperfections, something about the sound is so enchanting and musical. it's an addicting sound that works. However, Primacy probably is likely not a prime choice for you if you want your IEMs to sound spacious and huge, or you are looking for a treble / detail focused sound.
 
 

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Brief Comparisons
 
 
When it comes to my style of comparisons, I tend to make a list of obvious bullet points that characterize the sound of the IEM. I feel that this is helpful to those who are looking for a reference point of the IEM’s sound, compared to something that they may have already heard. However, I don't own all these IEMs at the moment/have them on hand so I won't go into detail about the small differences.
 
Mee M6 Pro ($50): M6 Pro has very slightly greater bass quantity, but has some sort of 'gap' between the bass and midrange. The mids are a lot colder and thinner on the M6 Pro when compared against the Primacy. Treble on M6 seems peakier and much harsher in comparison, exhibits sibilance much more often. Build quality seems to be very good on both, but Primacy feels more premium
 
TFZ Series 5 ($80): The TFZ 5 is a very hard value to beat, its sound is IMO worth more than its asking price. The TFZ 5 has more bass quantity and quality, the bass is tighter while sounding more detailed and textured. However, mids are thinner on the TFZ 5 compared to the Primacy, with more apparent bleeding from the midbass into the lower mids. TFZ 5 has less treble extension and a harsher treble peak than Primacy. Overall the Primacy sounds similar, but with superior mids + filling all the missing gaps of the TFZ 5.
 
Audio Technica ATH-IM02 ($150): The IM02 is leaner sounding than the Primacy. With much less bass quantity, the IM02 pulls ahead in terms of vocal isolation and mid presentation. However, the Primacy outdoes the IM02 in terms of male vocals, as there's an authoritative heft to the mids. IM02 sounds cleaner overall, switching between them will probably leave the Primacy feeling slightly veiled. In terms of musicality I think the Primacy is more emotional and much less fatiguing. IM02 is a lot pickier about its source though.
 
Mee Pinnacle P1 ($199): The Primacy has greater bass quantity, more forward mids, and more relaxed treble. I would say that the P1 is more versatile in genres, as it's not nearly as warm. P1 has a much larger soundstage, which sounds great -- but sometimes, instruments can sound a little distant (maybe a little unengaging). The P1 shows a better sense of balance, but subbass is lacking in comparison to Primacy. Build quality on both is exceptional, but the P1 offers a better value IMO.
 
Alclair RSM ($649): Kind of similar signatures here -- the RSM had emphasized bass, followed by mids, which was on the same level of treble. Personally, I felt the Primacy sounds cleaner and less coloured by the bass emphasis. The bass also feels faster; the RSM's bass was surprisingly slow in decay for a balanced-armature CIEM. Mids are similar in which lower-mids are emphasized over upper-mids, but RSM has more bass-bleed than Primacy. Primacy's vocals are more forward/isolated than RSM for this reason. Treble is about the same in that they tend not to highlight sibilance. 
 
Vibro Labs ARIA ($599): The Primacy is what the Aria should have been, if not better. Slightly north-of-neutral bass, forward mids, and extended treble. The Aria does a better job creating pleasing texture in the bass, as well as subbass extenstion. The punch : rumble ratio seems more accurate on Aria as well. However, that seems to be Aria's only upper hand in this comparison. Primacy's mids leave Aria in the dust -- Aria has a large dip in the lower mids while Primacy emphasizes it. Aria might have a very slight advantage in treble extension, but Primacy remains competitive and superior in terms of overall coherence.
 
Shure SE846 ($999): Had a brief listening from this one but was straight out of my phone output, as usual. Much more bass than the Primacy, similar quantity mids. But I felt that the SE846's transition between bass and mids was hard to detect. Treble is superior on the Primacy as it's extended much further. Take it with a grain of salt as I don't have a top-notch source to run the SE846 from, which people keep telling me I need.
 
Unique Melody Miracle ($1049): Layering on the Miracle is better as well as spacial imaging. Miracle tends to highlight sibilance more than the Primacy. Bass quantity is about the same, but Miracle hits with better impact and detail/texture. Primacy's mids are more forward and fuller, they have better body but can sometimes sound unnaturally emphasized when compared to Miracle. Extension on Miracle's treble goes further, but tends to be more fatiguing than the Primacy.
 

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Conclusion
 
The Primacy sounds good, though not entirely versatile as it doesn't excel in detail. I found myself reaching for it over my customs at times, and I'm not 100% sure why. I'm going to blame it on the simple fact that it makes my music sound like music -- it's a relaxing, enjoyable IEM that doesn't fatigue. It doesn't feel too boring nor does it feel too exciting, which proves to be a good thing at times. They're very easy to listen to, as it stops me from trying to analyze the sound or whatever else audiophiles tend to do. Sound is mid-forward, with sufficient bass and slightly relaxed highs. Soundstage is not too big, but imaging seems natural. At $299 it feels like a pretty safe purchase, I don't think anyone would feel disappointed or upset with the Primacy. Is it an 'excellent value'? Not really, but it sounds really good and I am definitely going to be recommending these.
 
Packaging & Accessories: 5/5 (full array of accessories, luxurious packaging)
Build & Design: 4.5/5 (solid build, slightly misangled MMCX connection imo)
Sound: 4.6/5 (relaxed, musical, addicting)
 
Overall: 4.7/5

Advanced AcousticWerkes Q: Deceptively Small
 
The AAW Q is an upcoming IEM from Singaporean company Advanced AcousticWerkes, scheduled for release in the first week of September. It boasts a new "in-canal monitor" type housing, where the entire housing is designed to be mostly within your ear canal. I'm honored to have the opportunity to review the Q, and hope that this review can give some insight on whether the Q is the right IEM for you. 
 

1. Introduction / Disclaimer
2. Build Quality 
3. Sound Aspects
4. Comparisons to various other IEMs

 
 
Disclaimer / Introduction
 
AAW, a company I’ve had interest in for quite a long time now, has graciously provided a sample for the purposes of this review. I am not affiliated with Advanced AcousticWerkes in any other way; I just love to listen to a variety of sound signatures and report my findings.
 
What most obviously sets the Q apart from other IEMs is its design. The Q was clearly created with the goal of an extremely compact and tiny form factor, and it is very apparent in the final product. Measuring at a mere 8mm by mm, the housing is by far the smallest I’ve ever seen in any IEM. It utilizes a 6mm dynamic microdriver -- the general belief is that smaller drivers aren’t as technically and sonically capable as their larger counterparts. Let's see if AAW is able to disprove this general belief!
 
 

 

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Accessories
 
I might not be 100% qualified to speak on packaging an accessories as I'm sure the official retail packaging will be different. The Q comes with:
 

1. Carrying case
2. Tray of tips (3 foam sizes, 3 silicone sizes)
3. Airplane adapter
4. 1/4'' adapter
5. Cable clip

 
Most of these accessories won't need further explanation, but note that the tips are special in the regards that the bore of the Q is very large. Because of that, silicone tips that come with Q have big nozzles and probably won't play well with other IEMs (nor will tips from other IEMs play well with Q). 
 
Another noteworthy thing was that the tips came on a nice metal tray. The tray is cold-to-the-touch and makes the presentation look great. However, tips aren't very secure on the tray so that's that.
 

 

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Build Quality
 

 
 
 
The Q was a bit controversial for me at one point. The finely-machined and seemingly unibody IEMs screamed sturdiness, and didn't see to have any downfalls. But at the $199 asking price, I would expect something like detachable cables simply for the user's peace of mind. Turns out that this would be very difficult/impossible to implement in a housing of this size, so I was able to forgive that.
 
However, I still felt that the cable's connection point to the housing would lead to the eventual death of the Q. It didn't seem to have any significant strain relief on the connector, which worried me quite a bit (especially at the $199 price point). I contacted AAW expressing my concerns and thankfully it seems they've thought out the options for cable protection.
 
This is their response:
 

You are right that in order to achieve the smallest footprint possible, we had to let go the idea of detachable cable mechanism. We had many internal debate on such subject and mockups with detachable cables were actually made. However, stable connectors occupies too much space. Micro designs with delicate parts lack the durability for long term usage which actually defeats the purpose of detachable system.
 
Therefore we came up with an embedded SR system, if you look at the back end of the Q enclosure, the arch shaped black rubber part is actually made entirely with flexible TPE material. It is the same material as the cable insulation material therefore wrapped around and melted into one piece with the cable. It is thoroughly tested for swing and pull force tests and passed with flying colors. The reason why we embedded it so deep and did not use a longer SR along the cable is because of the deep canal fitting. A long SR for user with larger canal will actually interfere with the fitting as the SR will be pushing against the skin near the canal opening area.

Click to expand...

 
 
So instead of the standard strain-reliefs you might see on IEMs, the Q seemingly has en embedded strain-relief that's inside the housing. It's innovative thinking on their part, and I hope that it is able to withstand daily use. Only time will tell in this case!
 
Here's an image of the embedded strain-relief -- note the L and R indicators are actually made of soft rubber-TPU as well, with density similar to a car-tire. It should go pretty deep inside the housing and protect the cable from excessive strain:
 
 

 
It seems very solid as a whole, but I tend to treat it delicately either way. For now, I can't say much -- I will update this review with time and see what happens.
 
Update: One issue I also noted was that there's a bit of driver flex that you'll notice when trying to push it deeper into your ear canal. As long as this doesn't damage the IEM it doesn't bother me, but know that you may hear some crackling / deforming of the driver when pushing it in your ear.
 
 

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Sound Signature
 
My preferred signature is usually a balanced sound with a slight emphasis in the bass and good treble extension. I would say that I listen to the music more than the equipment -- I don't want to pay too close attention, I want to get lost in the music. In other words, I am not a critical listener. Since I found that the Q sounded best to my ears with the included foam tips, I'll be describing the sound as I hear it with these specific tips: more on that later.
 
Bass
 
Bass extends low and is audible down below 20 hz, but I feel a very slight roll-off beginning at the lower midbass. In other words, the subbass is not too strong but still clearly detectable -- it simply sounds ‘ordinary’. The overall bass response actually feels impressively fast for a dynamic driver, almost bordering the speed of balanced armature IEMs! -- this may be attributed to the size of the driver. The result is a pretty tight and controlled bass, with a little more impact than rumble; decay is exceptionally quick. Impact is just slightly above neutral, and is actually adequate for my tastes. It will definitely not satisfy bassheads, but sometimes the sense of control the Q gives is greatly appreciated.
 
Mids
 
For the most part, the mids are only slightly behind the bass and treble in terms of quantity. Vocals are neither too thick, nor too thin with foam tips -- it strikes a balance that feels just right. The Q impressed me with vocal isolation; there’s rarely any confusion with the upper bass. Male vocals are very clean, surprisingly free of bass bleeding into the lower-mids. This was something I really liked! However, there is slight forwardness to the upper mids that can make some female vocals and instruments sound piercing/harsh. When it's not sibilant, it sounds great with female vocals. This sibilance only really rears its ugly head at very high volumes though.
 
I found that the upper mids/lower treble was indeed harsher with silicone tips. Foam tips audibly lowered the harshness of that frequency, and also gave the mids a little more body to make male vocals feel fuller. I wholeheartedly prefer the foam tips to the silicone tips, though they are kind of a tire to put on the Q.
 
Highs
 
Treble is impressive. I was not expecting this level of extension from the Q! Apart from that slight sibilance between the upper mids and lower treble, the rest of it seems pretty tame and surprisingly well extended. Unlike some IEMs I've heard, the treble does a good job at creating a sense of air to the sound. It doesn't sound too closed in or suffocating. I would not be surprised if some felt that the treble was too forward for their preferences, as it seems only slightly greater in quantity than the midrange. As a result, it's very detailed and can sometimes give a sense of being too sterile for some tracks.
 
Again, foam tips seemed to help reduce the quantity by a slight amount -- perfect for my musical tastes.
 
Other
 
I don't feel too qualified to talk about the psychoacoustics like soundstage and stuff, but the Q doesn't seem to excel in terms of spacial imaging. This might be an attribute to the housing size. Instruments can sometimes feel compressed into your head, but separation remains good in terms of cleanliness and order. In other words, soundstage is relatively small (even for an IEM). This doesn't bother me so much however.
 
 
Overall Sound
 
The overall sound of the Q is really great for an IEM, let alone a 6mm driver -- I would not have any qualms with the sound even from a larger IEM. It's true that the lowest lows of bass might not be the best on the Q, but the midbass is good in quantity and mids are of excellent quality. The treble has some slight quirks such as occasional sibilance, but this comes as the price of extension. Though bass and treble can feel a little emphasized at times, I don't want to go as far as to say that the Q is v-shaped -- it isn't. It's surprisingly balanced and sounds very clean overall. 
 
 

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Brief Comparisons
 
When it comes to my style of comparisons, I tend to make a list of obvious bullet points that characterize the sound of the IEM. I feel that this is helpful to those who are looking for a reference point of the IEM’s sound, compared to something that they may have already heard. However, I don't own all these IEMs at the moment/have them on hand so I won't go into detail about the small differences.
 
Mee M6 Pro ($50): The M6 Pro has more bass quantity, similar mids, and also suffers from sibilance at higher volumes. However, treble overall is peakier than the Q. Bass quantity is greater but seemingly slower. M6 Pro has detachable cables and very sturdy build quality, but is also very affordable at $50. Q should have good build quality as well, but only time will tell as cables are fixed.
 
TFZ Series 5 ($80): One of my all-time favorite IEMs for the price. The TFZ Series 5 has a lot more bass and subbass, lusher mids, and a rolled off treble. Q excels in a cleaner sound, it's not warm like the TFZ. The Q also has much better treble and overall detail, but less subbass presence. Both unfortunately have fixed cables, but they seem similar in terms of build quality. TFZ has a more 'musical' quality to it, while Q has a more 'clinical' quality.
 
Audio Technica ATH-IM02 ($150): The IM02 is very picky with its source, the Q is not so picky. The IM02 hisses much more out of a phone output, the Q is barely audible. However, the IM02 has a better, more natural mid-presentation IMO but a little less bass quantity. Both are detail monsters but the IM02 edges the Q out in this category by just a bit. IM02 is much more revealing of poor recording.
 
Mee Pinnacle P1 ($199): Kind of opposite sounds -- I felt the P1 was on the warmer more laid-back side, with similar bass quantity, coherent mids, but less treble energy. The Q seems to be more aggressive and bright, though it brings a bit of sibilance with it. P1 build quality is world-class and comes with detachable cables, I think probably better construction than Q overall. But Q's purpose is to be extremely small at these costs.
 
Oriveti Primacy ($299): Also, like the P1, opposite sound from the Q. More bass and subbass quantity, fuller/lusher mids, but relaxed treble. Q feels more in your face and heavier in the treble, but also feels a little more detailed. Unlike the P1, Primacy's highs don't really lack that energy that makes music exciting. Build is great as well. 
 
Alclair RSM ($649): Custom IEM. Surprisingly slow bass for a balanced-armature model, warmer mids, and less treble extension compared to Q. AAW Q feels cleaner overall but someone who is looking for a warmer sound might like RSM better. Of course, price is quite a bit higher as it is a custom but it's not fair to compare value in this case. Q feels more detailed in the high end, but more prone to sibilance and harshness.
 
Vibro Labs ARIA ($599): Aria has a warmer overall tone, but is not very coherent when compared to the Q. Aria, in comparison, has more bass quantity/detail, and superior subbass. Aria has a deep trench in the lower mids that rises back up into the upper mids, very strange kind of tuning IMO. The Q outperforms Aria in most sound respects other than bass.
 
Shure SE846 ($999): Had a brief listening from this one but was straight out of my phone output, as usual. Much, much more bass quantity than the Q, much thicker/fuller mids than Q, more neutral treble presentation but rolls off earlier. Experience with 846 is too brief to say much more.
 
Unique Melody Miracle ($1049): [pending]
 
 

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Conclusion
 
The AAW Q is impressive in the innovative design, and it's very interesting to see this attempt at creating an extremely small IEM. Design is a great conversation starter as well ("Dude, look how tiny my earphones are!"). Surprisingly, the Q's 6mm microdriver sounds great for its size and probably outperforms many larger drivers as well. The Q's overall signature is close to neutral / balanced, apart from the bump in the upper mids / low treble. If you don't mind a bit of treble emphasis to your music, you will find the Q to be a great addition to your IEM collection. It seems that tip selection does create a large impact on the overall experience of the Q's treble as well as midrange. However, if you prefer a more relaxed treble and you're sensitive to high frequencies you may have to pass on this one. The fitment is fantastic as it seems to disappear within your ear, practically invisible from the front and side. Isolation is a resounding 'meh'. Build quality seems passable as well, but only time will tell when it comes to that.
 
I do like the slightly emphasized midbass tuning, but highs were a little too piercing for my ears -- using the foam tips helped considerably, and also added some thickness to the lower mids. 
 
 
Accessories: 4.8/5 - Seems complete, but official retail packaging may be different
Build Quality: 4.5/5 - If AAW's strain-relief system works well, it'll be great.
Sound Quality: 4.0/5 - Treble is a little hot.
 
Overall: 4.3/5
 

The TFZ Series 5: Finally Hype that I can BACK.
 
I first heard about the TFZ Series 5 through another audio based forum. A well-experienced user (not sure if I can state name) who's owned nearly every single top-of-the-line IEM and many flagship headphones was making a very very bold statement. In summary, he stated that the TFZ Series 3 was one of the best IEM's he's ever heard, and easily competes with most of the high-end earphones that he's heard. In specific, he dared to even say that the Series 3 "pets the head of the Jupiter and K10s", and "stomped" various other $800+ IEMs. And the craziest part? The TFZ Series 3 sells for $59. 
 
The TFZ Series 5 is supposedly a step up from the Series 3, with a slightly more neutral "mature" tuning. The price jump is pretty negligible, it'll run you $79. I've been reading incredible praise that these are really good, coming too close to owners' UERMs, FitEars, JH13FP, and Andromeda. I decided to jump the gun and go for the 5 rather than the 3. Personally, I did not know what to expect -- some users said they auditioned it and it was muddy garbage, while others continued to praise it. Now that I've had it for a week, I think I can formulate a pretty good opinion on the Series 5s (now on referred to as the TFZ 5). 

 
Arrival
 

 
 
Surprisingly, packaging was pretty pleasurable for the price. It came in one of those super sleek, flush boxes that open ever so slowly as you hold it, waiting for the bottom to slide out. Everything was neatly organized and documented, but I didn't really care much for the rest of it. Tips came in 5 different varieties (S/M/L/Biflange/Foam), but as usual I immediately went for the medium sized silicone tip. The foam tip is a horrible tip that is quite unusable, as it doesn't retain any memory like Comply foam. The earhooks are pretty useless and shirt clip was not used.
 

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Sound
 
A Horrible First Impression
 
The very second I started playing a track through these, I thought to myself, "The vocals sound like ****."  Vocals sounded veiled and rounded-off, without any sense of upper midrange bite. Snares and cymbals were dull and lifeless... Of course, it wasn't all that bad on first listen. I listened to all the different qualities of what I was hearing -- bass was very impactful and smooth with a pleasurable texture. I decided to continue running through my tracklist, and found myself nodding to the music after a few songs.
 
And then, this is when the magic happened. I turned up the volume. Once my volume rocker hit 60%, the sound just came to life. 
 
- The TFZ 5 is a very poor low-volume IEM, they perform at their best in moderate to high volumes. Also, I don't believe in burn-in very much .. but many who own the TFZ 3/5 say that burn-in really makes a difference with them. 
 
 
Organic, Natural, and Enveloping
 
Once the volume was at head-bobbing level (moderate to high), I couldn't help but smile. The bass didn't change much with the volume increase -- it retained its tightness and impact, while only slightly creeping into the midrange. I found the levels of bass quite a bit above neutral -- luckily there are mods to change the bass amount. The low end is very fun and really gets you going with the music. 
 
When reaching higher volumes, the big changes occur in the midrange and treble. Those veiled vocals jump forward to stand beside the bass. Vocals were smooth and euphoric -- that is the best way for me to describe it. At some rare times, I feel like the vocals are a tad thin ... but that might just be my mind playing tricks on me. But oh, they are so enjoyable. Female vocals are really just so smooth. I would say that other vocal-based IEMs might pull it off better, but the VALUE!
 
edit 10/8/16: noticed more reviews popped up and forgot to add further thoughts as time went on. I've come to the conclusion that subbass and bass are the prominent features of this IEM, lower mids sit behind, upper mids are emphasized over lower mids (this explains the 'hollowness' i detected), and treble rolls off quickly. Still highly recommended IEM, if you listen to mainly EDM, rap/hip-hop, electronic, etc. this can't be beat at its price range (and maybe even higher).
 
The treble is sort of a controversial point for me. There is a slight peak which gives the sound energy and makes it more exciting, but some might detect sibilance. I personally don't really mind the treble peak and feel that it is necessary to the sound of the headphone -- I don't feel any sort of sibilance from the TFZ 5. However, there is significant rolloff in the treble that makes the sound seemingly lack air. The little details and reverb of instruments might be lost within the upper treble, which some may feel creates a congested sound. 
 
- The TFZ 5's signature is quite warm -- the bass is quite elevated, and the FR gently slopes downwards through the midrange towards the treble, then rises and falls off a cliff. The TFZ 5 compromises its ability to reproduce detail in order to have an exciting, musical sound. They are NOT super detailed!
 
 
UPDATE: New Version (upgraded cable)
 

 
I picked up the newer version of the TFZ Series 5. It has a massively upgraded cable (feels great!), but retains its shoddy strain reliefs. The 3.5mm jack has a proper strain relief and is now seated at an angle -- the overall build quality and solidity of the new TFZ 5 is a great improvement. However, they've also made some changes to the sound. This is important!  I detected a decrease in bass quantity, though still having a solid punch (like the old tuning, but with less in-your-face rumble). It's much more tolerable to non-bassheads now. Mids seem to remain untouched. The treble has been increased. I felt that the treble peak was sharper, more piercing, more prominent. It's sibilant at higher volumes and can make you wince. I was a little bit disappointed, as the bass decrease and cable change was greatly appreciated -- but the treble amplitude increase is reminiscent of the Beyerdynamic DT990s. It's sometimes harsh. 
 
 
I took apart the new TFZ S5, to find that they had removed the thin filter behind the nozzle grill. I realized that TFZ had released this new version with the mods that people were recommending -- harakiri mod with decreased bass, and removing the filter for more prominent treble. Unfortunately removing the filter doesn't increase the extension of the treble, but just makes the peak more piercing. I was able to mod this down by placing foam blocks within the nozzle. I really wish they had just decreased the bass a tad bit, and left the treble untouched. Right now the new version feels like an obvious v-shape; if they had left the filter in the nozzle the new TFZ 5 would truly be a budget king. The cable is supple and feels great to the touch (think Pinnacle P1 cable), the bass is more controlled, but the treble is harsher. Guess you can't get it perfect at this price range.
 
 
 
 
Other IEM things
 
The isolation isn't the greatest and the stock tips aren't very grippy. They might fall out of your ears sometimes if you don't cinch the cable up to your chin. This could be fixed if you recable them with memory cable. 
 
 
Some very brief comparisons
 
Mee M6 Pro: Well, this isn't really a comparison IMO. The TFZ pretty much dominates the M6 Pro in nearly every department, except for treble extension. The M6 pro has a more comfortable profile as well as build quality though. But the strange, peaky treble of the M6 Pro is really weird and noticeable once you listen to other things.
 
SE215: Never heard these, but everyone says they're not worth buying anymore... so 
 
Mee Pinnacle P1: The TFZ Series 5 is what I wanted to hear from the Pinnacle P1. As far as aesthetics and design, the P1 wins hands down. But in terms of sound, the TFZ Series 5 takes the cake, at an even lower asking price. The Pinnacle felt a little boring and lifeless to me, as it seemed there was a big dip in the upper mids that made it lack energy. The TFZ 5 has more bass / sub bass punch, as well as a nice touch of sparkle on the treble that really makes music fun to listen to. However, the P1 has better treble extension as well as cleaner, less liquidy mids. I would give the upper hand to the TFZ S5 here. 
 
Vibro Labs Aria: Well, that's a price jump... The Vibro Labs Aria sounds slightly cleaner in most the frequency ranges. When switching to the Aria from the TFZ, you'll definitely notice a lot more detail and upper-end extensionThe Aria is a lot more airier and spacious, with more controlled and cleaner bass. However, the TFZ (in my opinion), has more natural mids as the Aria has a hollow-ish timbre to vocals. I think both of them have a slight v-shaped signature, but Aria is more recessed in mids. I wouldn't say one is superior to the other ... I could find myself reaching for both of them -- but TFZ 5 makes the Aria look like a very bad value.
 
UM Miracle: Have yet to really A/B these.
 
Alclair RSM: Receiving these in a couple days.
 
 

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It's not perfect.
 
The TFZ 5 suffers from a few quirks. Some might call it overly bassy, congested, or peaky. I personally think it is none of those, but all ears are different. But what I do see wrong with the TFZ 5 is pretty universal. 
 
- Again, they sound really veiled at lower volumes. Also, the treble rolloff is pretty noticeable and you might feel a lack of air and spaciousness. 
I'm not sure if anything can fix that issue, as it's innate to the housing shape and driver tuning (i think). 
 
- The cable is horrible. It's grippy, it's tangly, and its connection point is flimsy. 
A friend opened the housing and it looks like it has notches that would perfectly fit 2-pin connectors -- I'm sure with experience and some DIY, you could make them detachable and use any cable you want.
 
UPDATE! The new cable is a lot better -- the TFZ 5 has been updated with a braided cable.
 
- The matte finish of the housing is not durable. 
For some reason, the matte finish on the housing started peeling after 3 days of ownership. I usually baby my stuff and I was surprised this happened. It left a shiny spot on the IEM and it's kind of ugly -- but it would be pretty cool if only I could peel all the matte layer off. However, no one else has had this problem.
 
- The strain reliefs kind of suck. 
They don't do their job well. That's all.
 
- Too much bass?
You can mod that away:
 
The only mod that I performed on my TFZ 5s was the "harakiri mod" (credit: Stratocaster). This is done by poking a small needle into the bass vent (small hole) on the posterior of each IEM (nozzle side). You should feel the pop of you puncturing a thin layer (some sort of paper film) -- once you feel this, you should stop. Any further and you can punch a hole in the driver! It sounds intimidating but it's pretty easy. This mod essentially opens up the housing a bit and decreases the bass quantity. After this, the balance between the bass and midrange is more flat and neutral to my ears. 
 

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Summary
 
I've never really been early in hype trains. I have always been eager to join them in hopes of finding a real giant-killer (cough SHP9500), but have always been disappointed. However, the TFZ Series 5 is really something to marvel at, in terms of priceerformance ratio -- I think it performs incredibly well at its asking price, and maybe even higher. While I won't sell the Miracle for it, I might actually sell just about everything else I own ... because the TFZ Series 5 just comes that damn close. Even then, I won't say the Miracle is that much better than the TFZ -- they're different sounds for a different taste.
 
If you decide to try the Series 5 out, keep in mind that my initial thoughts (and many other owners) had generally negative first impressions. These might take a little bit of time to grow on you and for your ears to adapt, but it is such a great performer after that. I don't think anyone should make quick impressions on these unless they've listened for at least 30 minutes. But remember, the TFZ 5 is not a very good low-volume performer. But when you're listening at the right volume, the Series 5 is so much fun, and shares so many characteristics with a lot of higher-end headphones. 
 
It really makes you question what sounds good, what sounds mediocre, what's a good value, and what isn't. Highly, highly, very highly recommended. This has become my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for good sound on a budget.
 
If you'd like more information/discussion about the TFZ 5 you can go ahead and google "tfz endgame" (can't link here). 

Vibro Labs: Aria (custom & universal)
 
This review is probably going be a little bit different from usual, as I have been given the amazing opportunity to hear and use both the custom and universal version of the Vibro Labs Aria. The review will be honest and holistic -- I'll factor in the sound of the Aria, as well as everything else about it (build, design, whatnot). 
 
- Vibro Labs
- ARIA
        - Packaging
        - Sound
        - Design, Fit & Finish
                - Custom
                - Universal
- Conclusions & Value
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]Vibro Labs[/color]
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]Vibro Labs is a relatively young company, presenting us with the Aria as their debut product. I found the Aria through a post on Reddit. Luke, the man behind Vibro, has been a pleasure to deal with. Realistically, service has been rather positive. Luke will almost always reply to your emails within a day, and is easy to talk to while answering all the questions you might have.[/color]
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]In summary, Vibro Labs has been fantastic in terms of trying their best to satisfy their customers. I've had a long trip with the Arias resolving my issues, and each individual concern was taken care of by Luke. He has been fantastic in solving my multiple fit issues, eventually leading to a full-on reshell that Luke generously did at no extra charge. If service and communication are factors in your decision to do business with Vibro Labs, you don't have anything to be concerned about. [/color]
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)] [/color]
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]The Product: ARIA[/color]
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]For reference, the site description and frequency response of the Aria's sound is as follows:[/color]
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 [color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]ARIA's dynamic and engaging sound signature provides deep bass extension while maintaining clear, detailed and extended highs. It is warm but with sub-bass that is rarely achieved with pure balanced armature designs. We take tuning very seriously. ARIA was designed to not only sound good, but to create an emotional experience.[/color] [color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)] [/color]
[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]ARIA presents its performance with a smooth bass region and sloping mid-range, extending far into the highs without harshness or sibilance. Low harmonic distortion presents clarity throughout the entire range.[/color]
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)][...][/color]
[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)] [/color]
[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]Aria is a true flagship at entry level prices.[/color]
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Click to expand...

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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]The aspects that drove me to pursue the Aria as my first CIEM* were its advertised appearance, sound description, and value. The idea of owning a flagship was exciting, new, and so tempting. At last, I could escape my mid-fi purgatory and enter true hi-fi! I decided to jump the gun and purchase the Aria at its initial launch. The price paid was $599 -- the most I've ever spent on an audio product. This was my first premium experience. [/color]
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Aria: Packaging
 
The Aria arrived three months after payment, due to some delays I had getting proper impressions done. They came in their transparent pelican case, which was wrapped inside a bubble-wrapped envelope. To be quite honest, the packaging could have been a bit better for the premium experience that I was expecting. It would be nice if they at least came in a Vibro labeled cardboard box (or at least a sleeve), for those who want to ensure the pristine condition of the shiny, clear pelican case. This didn't bother me so much as it did my friend, who also happened to grab an Aria. 
 
The Pelican case is filled with a laser-cut foam cutout, with a slot for the cleaning tool, cable, and Arias themselves. I assume the cutout is mainly for display, as the foam seems to be a bit of a hassle to put the Arias back into. The cleaning tool fits perfectly, the Arias fit fine, but the slot for the cable is very tight and takes a while to stuff it all in there. Apart from that, the Pelican case is very nice and rugged. I have since then purchased another Pelican case, as they are super awesome. 
 
 

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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]Aria: Sound[/color]
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From the site description, I had a very specific sound in mind for the Aria. I was expecting a deep, detailed bass; full and lush mids; topped off with relaxed yet detailed highs. The frequency response further cemented this expectation -- a gradually sloping sound, smooth and mostly void of peaks.
 
At first, I had various issues with the fitment of the Arias (custom). Luke was by my side in helping me resolve the issues, and diligently took care of every detail. Kudos to Vibro Labs for the service, again. I won't go into detail about how the initial, unfitted sound was; but only focus on the final product that I have heard.
 
I found that the sound of the universal Aria and the custom Aria were very similar ... but: 
 
Lows
 
The bass, in my opinion, is one of the primary highlights of the Aria. I would like to say that the low frequencies are just slightly above neutral -- it is by no means a basshead IEM, but it will definitely satisfy the desires of most listeners. The bass is incredibly full and comes with fantastic impact. Just as described, it extends incredibly deep and just feels like it goes on forever. To my ears, it seems to be flat throughout the bass -- the subbass is only a tad bit less pronounced than the midbass, unlike most other IEMs I've heard. 
 
Unlike the dynamic drivers I've heard, the Aria pulls off the low end with great speed and detail at the cost of heavy impact. Don't take that the wrong way -- it's still full and hits with a lot of body, but just not at the eardrum vibrating levels you'd feel with a bass-heavy dynamic driver.
 
 
 
[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]Mids[/color]
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[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]Oh, how amazing the Aria would be if it were not for its biggest shortcoming: the midrange. The Aria seems to be a downward slope for the most parts except for some sort of elusive issue with the mids. Even without any other IEMs for comparison, I couldn't help but feel that many male vocals, as well as some deep female vocals, were a little bit off. Switching between tracks brought me to the conclusion that the Aria had a quick and dramatic dip in the lower midrange. In other words, vocals had an obvious sense of hollowness and thinness. However, in some tracks I've listened to, the Aria simply can't be beat regardless of its quirky midrange. If you are a fan of electronic or EDM, you will find the Aria to be acceptable -- many modern tracks feature female vocals, and the Aria's tilted upper midrange should work just fine with those (paired with good bass and highs).[/color]
[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)] [/color]
[color=rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.701961)]The custom ARIA's mids were a little less recessed than the universal.[/color]
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Highs
 
Back to the good part. The Aria has very well-done highs. They're very well extended on both the low and high end. An attribute that I noticed is that the treble is very rarely fatiguing. I've read that some other reviewers felt some "hotness" on the treble and upper mids. The only times that I could detect sibilance was when I was turning the volume up to make up for the pushed back mids -- other than that, it strikes a nice balance between being politely sharp and overly sizzly. As a result, the sound is wonderfully airy and spacious.
 
It naturally follows that the Aria's ability to reproduce details is superb at its asking price. Being my first venture into balanced armatures, the Aria really puts into perspective what kind of sound I had been missing out on. If you've always been listening to dynamic drivers, the Aria will definitely be a treat for your ears. In sum, the Aria's highs are well-extended while never being sibilant or fatiguing. It oozes microdetail and is the other highlight of the Aria's sound. 
 
 
Overall Sound Signature
 
I have very mixed feelings about the Aria's sound. Though it wasn't the relaxed-highs-liquidy-sound I was expecting, it did show me that I didn't want those laid back highs, and could do without spewing gobs of thick bass. Bass is tastefully executed at an amount that just sounds so right to my ears. Details are well done as it has completely changed my tonal preference. However, the hollow vocal timbre is very noticeable and makes the singer sound recessed, breaking any sense of coherency. If anything, the Aria is a natural-neutral sounding tone apart from the drastically scooped-out mids. Bass is only slightly elevated and highs are never too artificial or tinny. The lower-mid dip sort of detracts from the overall cohesiveness of the sound.
 

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Aria: Design, Fit & Finish (there's gonna be a lot of pics!)
 
CUSTOM ARIA 
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I initially had the Aria in custom form. As you can see, the faceplates that Luke selected for my customs are absolutely GORGEOUS. The grain is beautiful in its multifaceted colors, and I could actually spend quite a bit of time just marveling at the left monitor. The right one was pretty cool too, but something about the left just drew me in. Note that pictures don't tell the entire story -- though they are beautiful, the Arias actually aren't that glossy in person. The custom Aria's faceplate quality is exceptional, in my opinion. I couldn't imagine that it gets any better than these woods. 

 

However, one downside to the fit and finish is the 3D printed shells. Though 3D printing shells probably can make the process a lot simpler in terms of fitment and such, there seems to be some artifacts of the 3D printing process. Taking a look at the picture below, you can see that there is an unpleasant mucus-looking texture on the inside of the custom Arias. However, it seems as if this texture varies from unit to unit, as other Arias I've looked at pictures of have different amounts (some even being mostly clear). I was not particularly a huge fan of the shell appearance, though the faceplates were really enticing. 

 

 

 

 

Here's another photo of that gorgeous, beautiful, amazing faceplate.

 

 

 

...

 
UNIVERSAL ARIA
 
Luke has been a very big help with resolving some minor fit issues I had with the custom Aria. In the end, I have spent approximately $750+ trying to get the fit perfect, but there was always something small that bothered me. Luke was willing to resolve all issues by converting the Aria to a universal fit -- essentially, this would also resolve the appearance issues that I had with the custom. The universal shells are a lot cleaner looking and have very few markings.
 
FIXED: Aesthetics
The shells look a lot better now. They're mostly clear and I can actually see the internals! The faceplates, though it wasn't an issue in the first place, are STILL FREAKIN' GORGEOUS. Luke has done an outstanding job on the shell finish for the universals. 
 
 
FIXED: Fit and Comfort
Being universal, the fit is a lot easier on my sensitive ears and I don't really have any gripes about it. The shells are actually smaller than the custom version, but protrude the same amount. The tips that Luke included were a little bit too large for my canals, so I stretched on some standard Comply T-500s on there, which are a lot more comfortable. I don't detect any significant difference in sound. The nozzles are really big, actually bigger than the custom canals. You'll have to do some stretching to get the T-500s on there, I believe Luke is now using the Comply 600s (bigger). They might irritate you if you have small canals.
 
Here are some more pictures of the universal IEMs. 
 
 

 
 
 
ARIA: Conclusion & Value
 
To be honest, I'm still conflicted with this part. The Arias are just shy of being a wonderful sounding earphone, as well as being well-built and designed. The mids are a real killjoy though. I would have no problem recommending them to anyone who wants a do-it-all IEM ... if only the dip in the mids were fixed. Spending more and more time with them just makes the dip more apparent to my ears, pulling vocalists further back into the abyss. It's kind of heartbreaking to see such a near-perfect creation being taken down by one single aspect the sound. Luckily there is hope, as I have heard that Luke is working diligently on figuring out the source of the scoop. If Luke is able to pull it off (which he always does), we may find ourselves with a fantastic value IEM that is hard to beat at the $500-$600 asking point. 
 
I did note that I got hands on a couple of other IEMs in the past month -- this has changed my entire frame of reference on the Aria and called for a rewrite of the review. These IEMs would be the ATH-IM02, Alclair RSM, TFZ Series 5, and Unique Melody Miracle. If anyone wants comparisons, shoot me a message and I can do a quick writeup.
 
But in terms of context, I am hesitant to recommend the Aria at it's current $699/$599 asking price. The universal Aria is a different story, as the design, fit, and finish are superb... but the dip in the mids seem somewhat unrefined and incoherent (it's a very sudden scoop out, unlike other v-shaped headphones), while there could be better technical performers in the same price range. Though the Aria is lacking in its mid refinement, the bass and treble is very well done. The Aria still manages to prove itself as an enjoyable, fun IEM -- but could be so much better without the mids issue.
 
SUMMARY
 
Service: 5/5 (great satisfaction)
Sound: 3.5/5 (good lows, decent highs, poor mids)
Build Quality: 4.5/5 (cable is seriously tight)
Fit & Finish: 4.0/5 (universals are beautiful, custom has minor quirks)
Value: 3.0/5 (sound is a huge factor, especially for $600+)
 
Overall: 3.7/5 (conditional recommendation)
 

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UPDATE: I just wanted to address readers who may think argue the sound signature is 'meant' to be v-shaped, and that it is unfair for me to lower the score because of my sound preferences. This is an honest review and no bias factors have brought the score down. The main issue that lowered the sound score was the scooped-out nature of the mids. 
 
1. My primary issue is that the description / sale that pushed me to buy Aria was a little bit misleading. The original, intended sound was not supposed to have laid-back mids (the current description set out by Vibro). Regardless of how you look at it, the Aria has been advertised multiple times as having 'forward, and clear mids'. The point of review is to factor in the differences between the advertised product, and the received product. I also contacted Vibro Labs prior to purchasing to ask if it was v-shaped due to having 2 woofers and 2 tweeters, they responded saying it was not v-shaped but flat/balanced.
 
2. I do not feel as if my sound preferences were the reason I nitpicked the mids of the sound signature. If mids were just laid-back and the Aria was a v-shaped signature, I wouldn't have given the Aria 3.5/5 in sound. I don't mind a v-shaped signature -- 3 of my headphones that I've spent the longest time with in my life have been v-shaped signatures. But the mids are scooped-out. The dip is sudden and short, in a small region of the mids -- it just isn't very coherent.
 
3. The Aria is very good at low and high end extension. If you can work with  recessed lower vocals, the Aria is a very good IEM. It is just not an accurate representation of what was described (forward, clear mids / balanced signature / flawless SLA shells).