With the many brands in the Chinese audiophile market, KBEAR is one that I would pay special attention to. You may be more familiar with their single dynamic in-ear monitor - Diamond, or perhaps their F1 balanced armature model. One model which you should pay closer attention to is the TRI i3 - a hybrid setup that features three drivers; hence the name TRI i3. I found the combination of the three drivers to have quite a performance. Let’s clarify what type and size of drivers it is using:
A single 10mm planar magnetic driver + an 8mm Composite Dynamic driver + a Balanced Armature driver.

Let’s dive deeper into the TRI i3

Unboxing experience - Minimalist and simple

“Less is more” is how I felt with the TRI i3. A very simple black box (with some glitter/shimmer effect), one logo on the front, one label with the specifications on the back. That’s all it takes. No marketing labels/visual material. It almost felt like a luxury car unboxing, like the one of a key to an expensive car. There are no flashy and unnecessary graphics, just a stealthy black box.



What’s in the box?

The presentation was very straight forward. I like how KBEAR chose not to use gigantic boxes (which waste both materials, and space). KBEAR TRI i3 came with a pre-attached cable and a carrying pouch which holds the extra ear-tips. The carrying pouch is made out of a soft, velvet-like material, and it’s in a brown color.
I already spoke with Mr. Bairon (the owner of KBEAR) about some suggestions - I personally preferred the hard carrying case with the KBEAR Diamond, and also the presentation was better with the Diamond.. although it was a larger packaging which did take more space than needed. I’ll speak about my (non-biased) experience and some information about Mr. Bairon in the following section.

What you get in terms of the ear-tips are two sets (S/M/L) of silicone ear-tips - one white, one grey. The white ones have a more straight and short shape, while the grey ones implement a more circular (breast-like) shape. This being said, the grey ones are taller, and they were the ones I preferred. You also get a pair of foam tips in a light-grey color. And to finish it on a positive note - no bad smells were present during the unboxing.

As always, here is everything you get in the box in a formal format:

1x carrying pouch
1x TRI i3
1x MMCX cable
1x S/M/L set of white silicone ear-tips
1x S/M/L set of grey silicone ear-tips
1x pair of foam ear-tips

Click to expand...

Mr. Bairon and how he deals with business -

I had a chance to communicate directly over email with Mr. Bairon, and I have some respect for the man. Before I go on, I want to state loud and clear: this opinion doesn’t put any bias or alter my experience with the TRI i3, it’s just to show some respect for someone who deserves it.

He is somebody who is very humble, and the part which I respect the most: he accepts criticism and feedback. In the business world, this is something that is almost completely absent. When you are a business, especially an owner of an earphone/headphone/speaker company, the most important thing is that you listen to the users. There are a lot of owners who believe their product is the best and will either get offended or attack you if you give them criticism and feedback. Unfortunately, it’s a common issue. I am very happy to see somebody go the right way about their business. I personally gave some feedback and suggestions to Mr. Bairon - he listened and said he would be implementing it in his next product.

Mr. Bairon is somebody who works with the community. However, I don’t think anybody actually did enough to bring this to attention. Some people did and they are: @B9Scrambler (thecontraptionist.blog), @NymPHONOmaniac (nobsaudiophile.wordpress.com and also owner NBBA group on Facebook), and @Otto Motor (one of the tuners, author at audioreviews.org) himself. For KBEAR’s Diamond model, @Otto Motor and KopiOkaya (author at audioreviews.org) helped with the tuning, while @Slater (author at audioreviews.org and active Head-Fier) suggested the name. It’s nice to see that Mr. Bairon is able to be in touch with the community.. taking it a step further by involving some community members to bring his product to life.

It is clear that Mr. Bairon listens to feedback, and I can only see his company becoming bigger and better. KBEAR and TRI haven’t disappointed yet.



Build quality -

One of the first impressions I got with the TRI i3 was how well built it is. “Life in plastic, it’s fantastic” is the complete opposite of what the TRI i3 has to offer - not a single plastic piece was used in its construction. The only plastic used was on the chin slider (c'mon you cannot take this into consideration), all other parts were made out of metal.

I tried to find something which I didn’t like regarding the build quality. Something like a flaw, but I simply couldn’t find it. I was very pleased with the CNC aluminum alloy construction of the shells, the thicker metal grill, the metal housing for the MMCX, the metal housing of the Y-splitter, the metal housing of the 3.5mm jack.

The only thing which could be improved would be to have a metal chin slider (the same design of the chin slider on the Diamond). Another suggestion (based on my personal preference) would be to have a smaller housing for the 3.5mm (or 2.5mm) jack. I think that it’s more functional to have a smaller housing, it is also sleeker. It’s not as though the housing is too big, it’s more about the length of it, I think that shorter + sleeker ones are not only sexier but more functional - you never want a large “thing” sticking out of your source. At least I don’t, I don’t know about you.



Design - Silver Surfer?

I was thinking to myself: T-1000 (from Terminator 2) or the Silver Surfer? I made the conclusion that it was more like the Silver Surfer. Why? I guess that the Silver Surfer was more silver and shiny.. but also more organic.

On a serious note, KBEAR did an excellent job regarding the design. The shells are gorgeous. They have a very organic shape with nice curves. I can say the same about the cable, highly flexible, and of great quality. The cable follows the standards in the industry (in terms of labeling) - red is right, blue is left.. oh wait. In this case, it’s clear, but as long as you have one Red/Blue, you will know which one is which. Let's not forget that the cable is a MCMX 4-core single crystal-copper silver-plated cable. Phew.. that was almost like a chemistry element. On a good note, I like how the MCMX connector stays in place and doesn't rotate too easily. I wish this was a standard with MCMX connectors (usually they are flimsy and spin all over the place)

I appreciate the subtle branding. There isn’t one place where you have KBEAR or TRI logo screaming at you. There is only “TRI” engraved on the Y-splitter, and it reminds me of Final Audio’s branding (in a positive way).

I already mentioned this, but the only thing that I would change would be the included carrying pouch, the one with the Diamond is more functional and convenient.

Comfort -

Those who heard my opinion about my first impressions (only based on 20 minutes with the TRI i3 that I spend when I received them) will know how I feel about the comfort aspect. These are among the most comfortable IEM’s despite their large size. They definitely have a nice weight to them, and you can feel them in your ears.

Ergonomics are 10/10 for me, the fit is perfect and the seal is tight like it should be. The angle of the nozzle and size of the nozzle also suit my ear, it’s very rare to find an IEM which has perfect fit out of the box. It only took me once to change the ear-tips (to the grey ones), and I knew they were the ones.

I don’t remember seeing this is any other IEM, but with the TRI i3’s nozzle (which has a lip), I discovered that you could get two different placements of the ear-tips: one which goes to the bottom of the nozzle (this should be the intended way, since the ear-tips goes below the lip which holds them). In this placement, the nozzle is closer to your ear canal. The second way to place the ear-tips is where they go the bottom of the lip (up to the lip). Mr. Bairon said that he intends people to wear them in the 2nd type of placement (where ear-tips go up to the lip), he said “Sound is more smooth and natural”.

I find this very interesting and pleasing, although I believe that KBEAR didn’t do this intentionally. Usually, the lip is located at the very top of the nozzle, but in TRI i3’s case, it’s placed in the middle of the nozzle. Either way, I like it and would suggest KBEAR to implement this “feature” in their future products.

I do have to say that this is one of the most comfortable IEM’s which I had in my ears.

Driver Flex -

None. Always appreciate no driver flex

Sound -



Lows

The bottom end is well defined, although not quite balanced. The sub-bass is more dominant than the mid-bass, hence why the mid-bass can be lacking the definition and punch at times. It isn’t as tight and present (mid-bass) as you would expect from an IEM of this size.

You have to keep in mind that the TRI i3 features a planar magnetic driver, this means that a good source is a must. I found myself using the Tempotec Serenade iDSD for the majority of the time.

I find it (bass response) heavily depending on the genre, and it varied from song to song - In “Exhale (feat. Sia)” by kenzie, the bass is quite “aggressive” and has a very nice weight, while in some hip-hop (or trap) songs you can feel the lack of the punch.

On a positive note, the TRI i3 is the only IEM that was able to produce the thump in the introduction of “Do I Wanna Know?” by Arctic Monkeys. This is where I initially fell in love with it.

I loved how the TRI i3 kept up with the bassline in Kendrick Lamar’s “LOYALTY. FEAT. RIHANNA.”, it could reproduce the weight and body of the bassline. Overall the bottom end has very good weight, however lacks definition and punch, this is definitely something KBEAR can perfect. And I know that KBEAR is capable of getting it right.

“Lux Aeterna” by Clint Mansell is also a gorgeous composition to listen to for the lows (even though they are very subtle). I think that TRI i3 would benefit from a sub-bass extension (and also perfecting that mid-bass response) Interestingly enough I found that Jade Audio EA3 (my daily driver for the past 6 months) was able to hit lower notes - even in Lux Aeterna, you can notice it. While not a valid comparison, I would still love to see a KBEAR product that is able to reproduce the low region better.



Mids

I have to say that this might be the best region (besides the soundstage) of the TRI i3. I really enjoyed its vocal performance and representation, I would say that they have very present mids. The timbre and overall tonality of the TRI i3 are done very well, it’s able to produce a very accurate sound of the instruments (although it lacks the lower and top-end extension to make the whole mid-range perfect). I do have to say that the mids are leaning towards the warm sound signature. The edge or sparkle is what has been softened.

While I did find them enjoyable for long-listening sessions, I did find the mid-range to be lacking dynamics - I’ll go over this in my conclusion. Mids are slightly forward and more present. This creates a fuller sound characteristic, more “crowded” if you will.

I strongly believe that the sound performance as a whole could be more lively if I found the correct source. I do have to say that the sound performance is a bit lifeless and “flat” (not referring to the frequency response) without the bottom end and top end of the mids.

I came to this conclusion after spending time with the TRI i3 - there isn’t one particular track where this is prominent. I could reference the same tracks as in my previous reviews; In “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen - a highly energetic track. Specifically, at mark 2:17 there should be more of the top end present, this is something I noticed through other songs where vocals are also energetic and “intense”. The same goes for "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA or several tracks from Lana Del Rey.

This is something exclusive to my personal preference. Take a very clear note of this, because TRI i3 has a very good mid-range performance. I myself like to feel some parts of music. What can happen if you feel (a trait of lower bottom end, and higher top-end) is fatigue. KBEAR went the safe way and didn’t do that. I think the majority of people prefer this sound signature, and this is something you should be aware of. Even though it didn’t meet up to my personal preference, it definitely wasn’t bad. I actually did enjoy using the TRI i3 a lot, especially for vocal tracks. It’s just being nit-picky, that tiny piece which is missing to the puzzle - the piece which puts it all together. What am I trying to say here? The mid-range performance is good!



Highs

While the TRI i3 doesn’t provide the sparkle and energy of the top-end, it is definitely not warm. It has a very clean treble performance, very pleasing to the ear. The top-end is rolled off, and thus some of us will find that it lacks sparkle and delivery of some higher notes.

Getting the treble tuned correctly is much harder than some think, you must know where the fine line is - the line where the treble isn’t bright and fatiguing, but also not too rolled off, to the point where you lose the details and energy from the top-end.

I could definitely feel the lack of the top top-end, especially considering that I listen to dynamic songs with open vocals, some intense guitar solo’s, and also music with the presence of instruments such as the piano or violins.

Jo A Ram’s cover of “Soldier of Fortune” is a perfect example. You can feel that there is a lack of some details, as well as lack of that top top-end which defines the violin itself. This can also be felt in a song that I often use for testing - Travis Scott’s “Stop Trying to Be God”. At mark 5:19 (where Stevie Wonder’s harmonica hits its peak) you can notice that the sparkle is missing.

This being said, don’t take it as though the TRI i3 is warm with the mention of treble being rolled off. I am just referring to the highest notes; besides them, the treble response is very pleasant and clean. This will also depend from source to source, it’s very possible that I haven’t found the “match” for the TRI i3 (I am talking about a source here). One thing is for sure - it’s fatigue-free, so you are safe for long-listening sessions. If you don't mind the sparkle and are looking for a good and clean treble response which mostly isn't rolled off, then the TRI i3 should be able to satisfy you.



Soundstage -

The soundstage is quite large. In some cases, it sounded too realistic.. very close to an open-back headphone. Perhaps the eerily realistic “The Dogs of War” by Pink Floyd. Oh boy. It sounds very realistic, as though there is a mysterious creature breathing right behind your left ear.

This is seriously a great track, and I suggest you give it a listen- see whether it’s so realistic to the point where it’s scary. It isn’t? You need either a headphone or an IEM like the TRI i3 to experience it.

Can you imagine what this bad boy would do when watching movies? I’m curious too, I still didn’t have much free time to give any movie a watch.

Another track from Pink Floyd - “Dogs”. The guitar which is panned to the left is positioned slightly back. TRI i3 represents this space very well - like it should since this isn’t a very crowded track.

“Wish You Were Here” - Pink Floyd is another good example. You can hear the acoustical guitar being nice and distant (panned to the left), and another acoustical guitar being closer (panned to the right)

While we are talking about Pink Floyd, we cannot miss the track “Dogs” from their 10th album - Animals. I would specifically like to focus on imaging in this track, particularly from mark 3:48 - 3:59. The way TRI i3 was able to capture the drum rolling, it was a very realistic and accurate representation as to where the drum was. The drums roll around your head, and it’s gorgeous and enjoyable! As some say, it’s a holographic soundstage. Using this exact song, I found that Jade Audio EA3 (which is a much lower priced item) was keeping up with the imaging of the drums quite well (for its price)!

Lastly, how can we not include Fleetwood Mac. Let’s just take their record “The Chain - 2004 Remaster” - Blows your brains out in terms of both imaging and soundstage. The guitar panned to the left goes far beyond the IEM’s themselves. TRI i3 was able to very accurately reproduce that the guitar was located on the left, but it was more than capable of just representing that it was located on the left - it was able to reproduce that it was located behind the vocals. The interesting thing is that here it’s more about the depth than the width; I say this because the guitar isn’t panned far left, rather it’s fairly close to the singer, but it is very audible that it is placed behind the vocals.

I couldn’t find an IEM which was able to compete with TRI i3 in terms of the soundstage and imaging. Jade Audio EA3 could be mentioned only if we took width into consideration.. When it comes to depth, it simply couldn’t keep up with the incredible accuracy and representation of the TRI i3.



Conclusion -

This is exactly what I wanted to hear from the TRI i3. A very mature performance. I think that the soundstage and imaging alone would be the selling point of these bad boys, but you can’t forget to mention the other fields in which TRI i3 has a very good performance. There is always field for improvement, this is why I took my time to give as much feedback as possible in this review. I think it is crucial, especially for a company that didn’t release many models yet. Most of the critics I gave were given due to the price range of the TRI i3, so keep this in mind.

TRI i3 is a fatigue-free IEM, but that fatigue-free characteristic has its traits. Due to the absence of the top top-end, and the weight and definition of the lower end (mainly mid-bass), TRI i3 can definitely have a much better dynamic range and definition of sound. This isn’t to say that it was bad, actually quite the opposite - it was good. There is always better than the “good”, and I strongly believe you should keep an eye on KBEAR and what models it will release in the future.

I am very pleased to say that I can recommend the TRI i3. It’s a great IEM and one which has a very mature performance, especially in its price range.

Wood, nice big carrying case, semi-open, budget? That’s Sivga - a rising brand which originates from China. Many are familiar with Sivga because of their flagship P-II planar magnetic headphone. Some may associate their company with Blon or SendyAudio, they share similar design. SV004 is an entry-level headphone which they offer, but it is much more than your average budget headphone set.

Unboxing expereince -

One thing which I didn’t expect from a budget set was an unboxing experience which SIVGA offered. Well designed packaging which meets the standard of the mainstream product packaging, like the one you would find on Sony, Bose, or other well-known companies. Well not quite on the exact level, since those companies actually provide some kind of story or marketing text which will catch your attention. Either way, when you take the “sleeve” off, you will find a hard cardboard box which has the “SIVGA” logo in a silver finish on the front. This box has a magnet-flap system, it doesn’t feature any text, and once you open it you will finally find the carrying case which holds the actual headphones and its accessories. So overall, for a sub-200 USD product, the SV004 has very good packaging and has a pretty well rounded off presentation.



Accessories -

You don’t usually expect any accessories in the sub-200 USD price range, however I was actually pleasantly surprised to find “plenty” of accessories with the SV004. Two cables? C’mon, you don’t see two cables even with some 300 USD products. I was truly pleasantly surprised when I saw that you have one cable with a mic (1,2m long), and another non-mic 2m long cable, which also has a screw-on system for a 6.3mm adapter (which is included). I can say that both cables are flexible, although the 2m one is more flexible.
You also get an airplane adapter. You can use this adapter, well….in airplanes, for those who don’t know, you can use this adapter in in-flight entertainment systems so you can watch movies, or listen to music. I don’t know about you, but if you ask me, SIVGA did an impressively good job with both the packaging and accessories. Two braided cables, one shorter + mic, the other longer + ready for 6.3mm adapter.. and you get a 6.3mm adapter + airplane adapter. You also get a large hard carrying case, almost forgot to mention it. It’s not rock solid, but it is a handy case to store your headphones and accessories in, a very simple and functional case.



What’s in the box -

Let’s put it in a formal format:

1x 1,2m braided cable with a microphone (and volume buttons)
1x 2m braided cable which has a screw-on system for the 6.3mm adapter
1x canvas pouch (carrying pouch for the cables and adapters)
1x 6.3mm adapter
1x airplane adapter
1x cable tie

Click to expand...

Build quality -

Again, another field where I was actually pleasantly surprised. At this price point, you will very often see some flaws or Quality Control (QC), with the SV004 I couldn’t find a single part where I could say there has been a mistake or a flaw. You will find major or minor flaws even in the mainstream market, which goes beyond this price point, that is the reason why I appreciate this aspect so much. The SV004 has wooden cups, which is always appreciated, and it has several metal/aluminum parts. The overall construction of this headphone is phenomenal for its price, I am not even exaggerating it. This budget model has a metal grill and an aluminum ring which surrounds it, and the whole headphone construction is made out of metal (I believe it’s aluminum). What do I mean by “the whole headphone”? Everything besides: the headphone cups, the headband, the ear-cups and the cable itself is made of metal. And it’s high quality construction, I really am happy to see that the housing for the headphone jack is made out of metal, it’s very nice to see at this price point. Yes, there might be a plastic part here and there, like on the inner side of the piece which holds the ear-cups.



Overall it’s a fairly solid headphone, and the headband is nicely padded and soft. Both the ear-cups and the headband are made of faux leather. The cables are braided as mentioned previously, I surely prefer braided cables over bad quality rubber ones, but microphonics are a real problem with braided cables. This whole solid construction gives the SV004 a very nice weight, definitely not heavy, but you can feel that the headphone wasn’t made from cheap materials (such as cheap plastic).



Design and design features -

They aren’t a beauty queen, but they aren’t ugly for sure. The wood finish looks very nice, especially when combined with the matte silver metal and semi-shiny black grill. As mentioned in the build quality segment, there aren’t any flaws, I found everything to be precise and precisely fitted, which is something to appreciate. The ear-cups can rotate 180˚ horizontally and vertically, just like a DJ headphone.. except they cannot be folded. The movement of the rotation is very smooth and feels very nice! You can also adjust the height with 11 firm steps, this allows you to comfortable adjust the headphone to your head. There isn’t much besides that, except the screw-on system on the 2m braided cable, and the in-line volume control on the 1.2m cable. Although some people spread the misconception that one cable is balanced, I will confirm that both cables are single-ended (3.5mm). Another part which I want to clarify; both the ear-cups and the headband are made of protein leather, also known as “pleather”, this is faux-leather.



Comfort -

The soft headband and ear-pads contribute to good comfort. I personally don’t have large ears, and I found the ear-pads to be almost small for my ears, they would just about catch the end of my ears and be pressed against them. I took the matter into my own hands, and I kinda stretched the ear-pads from the inner (do at your own risk), but I did so carefully, and the problem went away. Besides that, the comfort is very good, you forget they are on your head. Sometimes they get hot if you are using them for awhile, this might be a concern to those in very humid countries. With the height and 180˚ swivel rotation, you can make sure that they are tailored to your head pretty well.



Sound - Clean performance outside of its price range

Lows

The low end of the SV004 is fairly interesting. The 50mm dynamic driver performs in a unique way. The mid bass is pretty balanced, so you will not get much punch and definition from it. However, the sub-bass can rumble.

I did find the sub-bass to be somewhat missing out because of the balanced mid-bass - it took away some weight, but surely if you turn up the SV004 loud enough, they will literally start to rumble and you will feel it all the way around.
As always, this can be noticed in Hans Zimmer’s “Why so Serious?” from mark 3:36.

The balanced mid-bass can be noticed in songs such as Radio Ga Ga, at no specific mark, because the drums are present from the beginning throughout the whole song. However, in songs such as M|O|O|N’s “Hydrogen”, you can hear that the bass has some satisfying punch and weight. But then again.. in a song such as Kendrick Lamar’s “Wesley’s Theory” you can feel the lack of weight for the bass present in the song. I personally didn’t find this a big problem, as though I felt the sub frequencies had a satisfying performance, while the mid-bass was balanced and let me focus more on the mid range.

“Paper Trails” by DARKSIDE is a great example to notice the dominance of the sub-frequencies of the SV004, you can feel more than you can hear.

Mids

I didn’t quite expect a fairly neutral sound signature from the SV004, especially considering their price. However, that is exactly how they sounded, fairly neutral, and not overly recessed.

The whole listening experience of Pink Floyd’s album “Wish You Were Here” was very pleasant. I loved the way it revealed details - for example in “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 6-9) at mark 10:16, there is a very subtle distortion (sounds like a blown out speaker rattle) which is panned to the left. It’s a very subtle and fine detail, but I greatly appreciated that the SV004 was able to capture it and reveal it clearly. If you are having a hard time hearing it, you may hear it more clearly from mark 11:25 - 11:30. I did find some vocals or instruments to sound thin at times, this is mainly due to the lack of bottom end.



Highs

The high-range is leaning towards the bright side. While cymbals do sound quite crisp and sharp on the SV004, when it comes to guitar solo’s and some more busy tracks, there is a noticeably amount of fatigue to the sound. I think that the top end is the most noticeable part which was “boosted”. Let’s take Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” as an example. Throughout the majority of the song there is a snare which repeats itself. Here, you can notice that it is forward, and it is leaning to the brighter side. It definitely sticks out of the mix. This can be noticed in several songs, but let’s mention the one song which I always go over: Travis Scott’s “Stopy Trying to Be God”, and Stevie Wonder’s harmonica in it at mark 5:19. While I usually look for sparkle in the top end, perhaps the SV004 has a little bit too much. I say this because it does sound fatiguing, and if you were to listen to music which has a lot of top-range present, I don’t think you would be able to do so for longer periods of time… but again, this depends on the volume you listen to.

Soundstage -
The soundstage is of good size. It’s not as spacious as I like it, but I cannot say that it isn’t wide. Listening to various tracks where this is very noticeable such as: Burial’s “Archangel”, “Letter” or “Bubbles” by Yosi Korikawa, “Hunter” by Björk, Daft Punk’s “Giorgo by Moroder”. There aren’t any specific moments in these songs which I would like to reference, as a whole they are very spacious and good to hear imaging.



Conclusion -

I have to say I’m impressed. I’m not going to sit here and focus on the small imperfections.. We are talking about a $90 headphone. At $90, these are amazing. I have to say that when you consider the packaging/unboxing experience, the accessories, the build quality.. I mean wood, and mostly metal/aluminum construction? Yes. The sound quality which is mostly neutral and balanced, even though it has some imperfections, I really did enjoy listening to music. I think the SV004 offers much more than what you would usually see in the mainstream market at this price point. The SV004 as a package is a great deal, especially if you are just looking for an entry-point pair of headphones to carry with you, it’s a great package. This being said, I can say that I can recommend the SV004, I personally enjoyed it. While they won’t satisfy the bass heads, they are perfect for those who enjoy a variety of music. I liked several genres with the SV004: pop, rock, alternative rock, hip hop, and even some techno tracks.

I also want to put extra emphasis that they had absolutely no flaws. Everything was perfect in terms of build quality. Sivga also stayed very close to its marketing, the sound was mostly balanced, although not soft. The SV004 give a very serious performance for its price range, they are of very good value. I am impressed, and am curious what else SIVGA has to offer.

KB EAR, or KBEAR as many call it, is a quickly growing Chinese company which specializes in In Ear Monitors. Whether you are a new-comer to the IEM market or a close follower, KBEAR Diamond should ring a bell. A single dynamic driver, to be exact, an 8.5 mm driver with a Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) coated diaphragm. But does it shine bright like a diamond?

An interesting thing about single dynamic driver IEM’s is that they can very well outperform a hybrid with multiple drivers. This comes at no surprise, because quantity never equaled quality. This is the case with the KBEAR Diamond, a very well polished product.

The more I get familiar with the company, the more I fall in love with what they are doing. To be quite honest with you, I am very excited to see what KBEAR has got for us in the future, because they are pretty impressive. Looking at the ever so growing Chinese market, there are way too many garbage products. This can be a common result of mass production, and when there is little attention to the product itself. Mass production is a logical strategy, and it works, you work in quantity within the margin of it being profitable. This often results in poor performance, and bad quality and accessories. KBEAR is one of the companies which I can see are taking what they do very seriously. From the packaging to the accessories, the Diamond is very well put together.



Unboxing experience -

When I received the Diamond, the first thing which popped up in my head was “Hm that’s a very nice box”. Now, of course we will not judge a book by its cover, nor will we judge the Diamond by its packaging, but I have to say that it feels like what you would get in your local tech store, like an official product. It doesn’t feel like a low quality Chinese product. One of the things which I have a problem with, is that many people associate China or Chi-Fi with something of lower quality, and that just isn’t right. Chinese Hi-Fi is getting quite serious, even though it has been serious for a long time already, I think that slowly but surely the Chinese Hi-Fi market, at least IEM market, is spreading towards the average people. More attention and recognition is being attracted, which is a good thing, as far as people learn to appreciate it.

Back onto track; I was very pleased to be met with a nice, firm and good quality box which had nice departments. I like how the foam tips are separated from the rest. Overall a hassle-free unboxing experience, exactly what you would want. It’s very interesting to see that KBEAR is neither cheating out on the packaging, nor the sound quality and overall quality of their products, that is one thing which caught my attention. Whether you are aware of it or not, packaging does cost, and depending on your connections and knowledge that cost can vary a lot, that’s why you see bad packaging a lot. It’s very embarrassing, because there are so many products with bad packaging.. but also bad product performance and quality too. So I am very happy to see a product and company which doesn’t fall into that category. It’s a very pleasant presentation, and I like what KBEAR is doing.



Smell -

Yes, you read it right. Before you go on to think that I’m insane for mentioning the smell, take a deep breath and let me explain. I think it’s a fun little thing to mention, because it’s always overlooked… not that it needs to be payed attention to, but I thought I’d mention it. There is no foul smell, and I always appreciate that. Sometimes, and we will not mention any names, the product smells horrific, and it ruins the overall experience. I don't know about you, but I personally cannot stand when a horrible smell hits me when opening a new product. KBEAR didn’t even have a bad smell... so all and all - Very good job KBEAR! We need to find an aspect which KBEAR didn't get right...



What’s in the box -

Many fail to include at least alright accessories, and I was very happy to finally see a practical carrying case alongside with normal accessories. It’s not as though it’s an innovation, but a very practical accessory. I personally hate pouches, and they are unfortunately the most common. Foam tips are very much appreciated at this price point, and they were my choice of preference. The carrying case is firm and sturdy, it’s very convenient and I would go as far as to say that it’s perfect.
Of course we will not forget the little guy: the cable tie. It’s a standard cable tie which has KBEAR branding on it.

Let’s put the accessories in a formal format:

1x S/M/L wide bore tips
1x S/M/L silicone tips (it feels more like XXS/S/L, yes you read this correctly)
2x foam tips
1x Velcro cable tie
1x Faux leather hard carrying case
1x 8-core silver plated copper cable (0.78mm 2-pin)

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Design - Daniel Arsham, is this you?

If the “sage green” was just a couple of shades lighter, these would be the exact representation of how Daniel Arsham's in ear monitors would look like. I seriously love the design and overall color choice for the Diamond, it might be one of the most elegant and vintage pair of IEM’s I have come across yet. Their color palette is iconic, much like the one of Sennheiser HD 598. I would definitely want to see another pair of IEM’s with this color scheme (KBEAR take notes!), because it is well put together.

You may think that the drivers are larger judging by the size of the shells, however if you had a Hifiman RE-600s in your hands, you would know how small the driver actually is. Speaking of the shells, they feature a gold-plated copper nozzle which sits at an angle. I do have to admit that the shiny “gold-plated cooper nozzle” is VERY sexy. You know what else is sexy? That carbon fiber faceplate which sits under an epoxy-like layer. On the faceplate there is a KBEAR logo in a gold finish to match the nozzle.
I also appreciate that KBEAR made the decision to put use subtle branding on both the housing of the 3.5mm connector and the Y-splitter.

KBEAR didn’t have any intention to stop doing a great job.. so they included a good cable. The 8-core silver plated copper cable is of high flexibility, and of high quality. Everything about the cable is good: highly flexible, pre-formed ear hooks which are also very flexible, metal housing for the 3.5mm connector, metal housing for 2-pin connectors, metal housing for the Y-splitter, metal chin slider.. Speaking of the chin slider, another little guy which is overlooked. I will take the time to appreciate it and state what is good, and chin slider should be of no excuse. This is the best chin slider I have come across yet, and I hope KBEAR keeps using it. It has a hole for both “strands” of the cable, and there is a thin plastic which separates them. Usually the chin slider is a single ring which you just slide, and here it’s different, and it stays put in the place where you put it.. it won’t go anywhere unless you put force.

Diamond has two vents: a single vent located on the bottom side of the shell, and another vent on the nozzle.



Build quality - Built like a tank

By now everything about the Diamond has been good, and you might think that KBEAR might have messed up at least in one field. Well… no, it isn’t build quality, because KBEAR nailed it. I swear I am not sugar-coating anything, you simply cannot deny that they are well built. With a metal shell and metal parts on the cable, you cannot say they aren’t of good built quality. Let’s be nit-picky and go beyond our way to find something to “complain” about.. the faceplate isn’t perfectly sitting underneath the epoxy-like top layer, that’s as far as we can go to find something negative… a damn faceplate.

Comfort -

If there is one thing which you need to know about me, it’s that comfort is the single most important aspect to me. When something is in your ears, there is no tolerance for bad comfort. Even if a product has good sound performance, if the comfort and fit is bad.. I cannot use it. I am very strict when it comes to comfort, and Diamond is no exception to that.

The comfort was good, but the fit isn’t ideal. I couldn’t find myself using any of the silicone tips, and the only solution were the foam tips.. and even with them I didn’t find the seal and fit to be ideal, which didn't quite make it a solution. This means that to get the ideal fit, you probably need to do some tiprolling. Another thing which you should know about me is that I am not about tip rolling. The reason behind it is simple: I believe that it’s manufacturer’s job to make their product satisfy the majority. If I, as a consumer, I need to go and search for tips (or cables) to make the product do what it needed to do in the first place, then I don’t believe it’s an easy recommendation, especially because not everybody know what to search for, or where to search for.

Now, this wasn’t very horrific with the Diamond, as though I did find them quite comfortable with the foam tips, it’s just that the seal wasn’t as tight and was a bit loose.

This being said, I will clearly state that they do not have bad comfort, it’s just a field where KBEAR could put more focus on and play around. For example, KBEAR TRI i3 has to be one of the most comfortable IEM’s which I have tried… and I formed this opinion only based on the 20 minutes which I spent with them. My advice to the manufacturer, continue doing what the TRI i3 is doing and implement that in your future models.



Sound -

Lows-
The low range is the better part of the Diamond. The combination of good weight and good punch is what result in a good performance. The Diamond can very well keep up with a track like “Smoking Mirrors” from Lee Curtiss, while not the busiest or the fastest track, I do like the general pace of it. There is a very good amount of body to the bass, and there is a tight punch, which set the rhythm of the track right. Oh… and “Hydrogen” M|O|O|N (or M.O.O.N), damn is that a beatiful performance, seriously packing a punch, it delivers the weight of the bass very well. While the Diamond does have a reasonable sub-bass extension, it fails to rumble, and that can be noticed in tracks like “Why so Serious?” by Hans Zimmer. In similar fashion, I found mid-bass to be generally lacking definition. But as a whole, the low range performance is pretty good.


Mids-
One of the first things I noticed is that the vocals do not sound natural or too pleasant, and that is expected with a V shape sound signature. Being a person who primarily listens to vocal focused and vocally intense music, this is one aspect which stood out to me. However I cannot deny that they have a natural timbre when it comes to instruments, this lives up to KBEAR’s marketing of the Diamond having a natural timbre. I felt like I am missing something out, everybody loves the Diamond and usually praises its mid range performance, so it feels a bit vulnerable to say what I am about to say, but I never fell under the influence of clichés and masses opinions. I already said that I mainly listen to music which is heavily focused on vocals, and I will say that the KBEAR Diamond portrays vocals in a shouty and tinny (definition: sounds like music is coming through a telephone or a tin can). Not a particularly vocally intense track, but this is the track in which I came to realize this: Lana del Rey - Off To The Races.
My goal is to state what I hear without falling for the illusion just so my opinion or experience matches to the one of the masses. Everyone hears differently and this is what I heard, and therefore I will mention it. That’s the whole concept and purpose of reviews, so you know what other people experience.. but you will never be able to use anybodies opinion for yourself, sound is a personal subject, and you can follow or trust somebodies opinion/reviews if you found out that it matches to your perception, and that you and that person share the same observations, but that’s about it.

This sound characteristics makes them not so ideal for vocally focused music, and if you decide to listen to quite vocally intense music for longer periods of time, they can come off as fatiguing because the upper mid-range is boosted, that’s exactly what the terms shouty and tinny mean. And fatigue is an expected characteristic of tinny and shouty sound performance.

Highs-
Top end would be perfect if the mids weren’t tinny. The Diamond is able to reach the peaks and give the sparkle which is always appreciated, if this top range performance was combined with a good mid range, then it would significantly contribute to vocals. As always, “Stop Trying to Be God” by Travis Scott, my preferred reference track for hitting the peak of Stevie Wonder’s harmonica at mark 5:19, and the Diamond certainly did not disappoint and was able to produce the peak notes. However due to the fact that the mid range is tinny, the highs do sound overemphasized and can sound pretty steely, this overall creates fatigue if played at moderate-to-loud levels.



Soundstage -
While definitely not the most spacious and open, the Diamond does have an above average soundstage, and you can’t deny it. While imaging isn’t the most accurate and precise, I did find the extra space pleasing.

Separation -
I found separation to be quite lacking. Let’s clarify and explain what separation means, or at least what I am referring to. Separation is referencing to the ability to distinguish different sounds and frequencies, if separation is bad then some frequencies will get lost because they will get mushed together with the others… this leaves to an overall muddy-like performance because you lose the ability to hear certain elements in music, you lose detail. That’s exactly what happens with the Diamond, while I continued to listen to Lana del Rey’s “Born To Die” album, when I came to the track “Dark Paradise”, there is a very subtle snare, this snare can be heard but it is quite muddy and lacks definition. It’s hard to hear it and it sounds very flat, that’s why it gets lost with the other frequencies dominating over it.



Conclusion -

KBEAR’s Diamond is certainly an interesting IEM, not quite my cup of tea because my music taste is mainly within vocally present tracks. I do believe that KBEAR is going in the correct direction. With getting some correct tuning in mind, I think it will be able to make some serious progress. Diamond is one of my favorite IEM’s when it comes to it’s design, I would go as far to call it iconic. I wish that the separation was much better, and that the mid range was clearer and not recessed, this would take advantage of the soundstage which is has.. otherwise that extra space from the soundstage is taken for granted because muddy and not well defined sound performance take up most of that space.
Going beyond my personal preference in terms of music, I can say that I will recommend the KBEAR Diamond to people who listen to electronic music, whether it’s techno or rave, or just not vocally intense and present music genre, I believe that the Diamond is a very well polished choice which gets most things right. As a single dynamic driver, it has a very good bass performance which I appreciate, and so should you.

As a reviewer there is certain bias, if you like a certain genre and the product doesn't perform well in it, you will naturally have bitter feelings about it. However I have to keep in mind that other people may enjoy a product, like the KBEAR Diamond, which is a excellent product, and I believe it wasn't made to be focused on the mid range and vocals, but rather implement a sharp V-shape sound signature.

Re-600s is an updated version of the older RE-600 which released back in 2013. Re-600s released in 2014, and then in 2017 Hifiman released Re-600s V2 in 2017. If you are following me, I will be reviewing the RE-600s V2, which is an earphone from Hifiman’s “Premium” line of products. It retails originally retailed for $200, and as of today (June 7th) you can get it on Hifiman's official store for $74.90.

You may be wondering how the three releases differ from each other, and it’s not that complicated. The original RE-600 (2013) featured a balanced, TRRS jack and the old cable. RE-600s (2014) came with a single ended, 3.5 mm jack, the same goes with the RE-600s V2 (2017) except it came with an upgraded cable.

Let me put it formally like this:

RE-600 (2013 release) - balanced TRRS cable
RE-600s (2014 release) - 3.5 mm cable (still the same cable as previous release)
RE-600s V2 (2017 release) - 3.5 mm cable + upgraded single crystalline copper cable

Click to expand...

What’s in the box:

One of the first thing you are going to notice, and one thing which caught my attention: the box and the unboxing experience itself. It is clear that Hifiman put extra thought and attention to both the packaging and the unboxing experience. The unboxing experience is one remarkable thing which you will not forget about the RE-600s V2, it’s something which is special to them.

There are two sections of the unboxing: the main box and a carrying case. In the main box, which is rather premium, you get your RE-600s V2 earphones, and the ear tips. In the round carrying case, you will find even more ear tips and extra filters. The main box is made of faux leather, it has a metal stripe in the middle. This stripe acts as a magnet which holds down two flaps of the two compartments. You will also find that the model name is etched onto this metal stripe, and “HiFiman” is indented on the bottom flap.

The overall unboxing experience is very premium, meeting the standards of it’s premium price tag. I can definitely say that the unboxing experience would contribute as a great gift to somebody. Presentation 10/10, good job HifiMan!



Accessories -

When Hifiman released the RE-600s with it’s premium price tag, they ensured the customer one thing, and that is the ear tips. There are enough ear tips so everybody can find their preferred one. The ear tips of my choice were the white, oblong ones. The seal and fit is perfect with them for me. You have 11 pairs of ear tips in total to choose which one fits your needs:

3x S Bi-Flange
2x M Bi-Flange
2x S Mono flange
4x Silicon tips

Click to expand...

A round carrying case is also included, it is of both function and use. It’s a nice and firm case which will keep your earphones safe when traveling and you will find no struggle to fit the earphones inside it (you can find images of it online, or at the official store from HifiMan).
Inside of it you will find a set of extra filters, 5 pairs if we were to be exact. This ensures longevity of the earphones, in case you lose or damage them, you can always replace them. This is a nice feature, and it is something expected and appreciated at this price point.



Design & build quality - When they said “less is more” they truly were correct.

The design is very simple and minimalist, which contributes to its great build quality. I would consider the RE-600s to be a micro-earphone purely due to it’s small size. While they are small, they have a 8.5 mm driver which features a titanium diaphragm and neodymium magnet. The earphones themselves are of a metal housing and a braided cable. The cable gives me a throwback to 2000’s when the cables were similar to the one featured on the RE-600s, however that is not to mislead you about what hides below the braided material: an upgraded single crystalline copper. The cable is stiff out of the box, but with use it will become more flexible. The cable is non-removable as with many earphones, I didn’t find any problems with it. The 3.5 mm plug is straight, it features a rubberized housing which I found no issues with when taking my phone out of my pocket.

The earphones themselves have a straight, non-angled nozzle which goes inside of the ear perfectly, the nozzle has a lip which ensures that your ear tips stay in place.
Simple design combined with good build quality.



Comfort -

Due to their size, they have great comfort. They give a good seal and fit, I quite enjoy long listening sessions with the RE-600s. I experienced a nice, deep insertion into my ear, and this resulted in a good seal, a very tight seal. I also found out that the RE-600s is perfect when you are laying on your side or sleeping. They didn’t protrude and it is most likely due to their size which resulted in a pleasant experience. When I move around they stay in my ear and don’t fall out, which just concludes that the comfort of these is well executed and overall near-perfect. The small size and light weight greatly contribute to its comfort. The seal I get with the oblong white ear tips is pretty much top notch, I get a full seal with them. Yet another element which HifiMan nailed here.



Functionality and convenience -

RE-600s are a pair of very functional earphones. They are small and easy to travel with, they are very easy to drive, the accessories are functional and of good quality.

Their sonic and sound qualities also make them very versatile, they are perfect for music and movies due to their soundstage characteristics (I will talk about the soundstage in detail in a separate segment). I can also confirm that you can wear it cable down (like normal earphones) or over-ear (like IEM’s), so it gives you the flexibility and choice tho fit your preference. While the RE-600s is a music focused earphone, it performs in other fields well. I found the open and spacious sound to perform well for, as mentioned above: watching movies, the soundstage of them is something which truly stands out.

Sound: Did somebody say mid-range heaven?



Lows-
The low end is very balanced, it definitely won’t give you a headache. This being said, they don’t rumble, and will definitely not be a choice for bassheads, however this is all expected. You have to keep in mind that in order to get more quanitity and quality bass performance, you need a bigger driver. This is the same with speakers, you will never get near to the bass performance of a bigger speaker with a small speaker and driver, that’s simply not how sound works and travels. In order to get more quantity of bass, you need a bigger driver which will move more air molecules. When you have a smaller driver it needs to move more to produce lower frequencies. The mid-bass is well defined, there isn’t a lot of weight and energy in the low end region, and neither do they deliver a strong punch, but I simply enjoyed their low frequencies response because it is balanced with the other frequency ranges. I myself appreciate a nice sub-bass extension, even though the RE-600s don’t rumble, they definitely delivered the sub-frequencies. When I played Hans Zimmer’s “Why so serious?” I was shocked to hear the sub-frequencies at the mark 3:30. This was a segment where I was pretty surprised and impressed, especially considering their size.

Mids-

This is the field which RE-600s shines in. I found myself heavily enjoying various types of music with them. RE-600s are slightly laid back, however they have a very full body sound. I mainly enjoyed listening to tracks where the vocals are more prominent, mainly because of the weight in the vocals that the RE-600s delivers.

The imaging is also one element which truly impressed me, the accuracy of the RE-600s is something which is among the stronger points of it. Listening to tracks of classic music such as Beata Viscera (monophonic conductus) by Perotin and Anthony Pitts, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, various tracks by Lana Del Ray: The Next American Record, 13 Beaches, In My Feeling, Honeymoon, The Blackest Day, Dark Paradise, truly reminded me how much I enjoyed listening to music with them.

I would characterize the sonic performance of the RE-600s as very open, dynamic, and fairly transparent and balanced. I truly found myself enjoying the open and dynamic sound that the RE-600s delivers, it’s very enjoyable and addicting.

Vocals are very enjoyable, you will find out that they deliver the vocals with a lot of energy, they carry their weight pretty well. Besides for vocals, they are great for classical music.

Listening to the latest album “Before Love Came to Kill Us” by Jesse Reyez, I truly noticed the full body of her voice, and I quite enjoyed it with the RE-600s. Or "The Winner Takes It All" by Susan Boyle, it is able to produce the vocal range of Susan, and when she hits her peak, oh does it sing. I myself am passionate about intense vocals, and while Susan's "The Winner Takes It All" isn't the most intense, it is still a very beautiful piece where you can hear a very good vocal performance.



Highs-

There is a great amount of clarity in the high frequency range while staying away from being bright. Perhaps they lack the sparkle, but this is due to their slightly laid back and warm sound signature. This being said, there is no feeling that the high end is reduced, however you can feel that it is limited in some particular genres and songs. As I mentioned before the overall sound signature and frequency response from the RE-600s is balanced, and high frequencies are no exception to this.

Travis Scotts “Stop trying to be God” is a good reference for high end, I usually listen for harshness or piercing high end in it. What can be noticed is that the top end is indeed rolled off, the highest top end, so you will not get the sparkle from some stringed instruments or intense vocals. It truly depends on which music you listen to, in some cases you will notice the lack of sparkle, in other cases you will get the exact performance you are expecting. For example, the introduction of “Poison” by Freya Ridings, the piano notes hit with the top end sparkle, the same performance continues throughout the vocals by her.



Soundstage -

I have to say that this is the biggest soundstage I have come across yet, the width, the height, the depth. All very deep and accurate, imaging is very precise. The soundstage of the RE-600s keeps me coming back to it, it’s very appealing. It’s something which sets it apart and makes it unique, I would say that the soundstage alone is the selling point of this earphone.

I have to emphasize how important soundstage is, because it gives a very crucial dimension to music, it gives music depth. Depth is something I’d describe RE-600s with, very deep and open sound. One of the main disadvantages to a narrow soundstage is the enclosed feeling, the sound seems to be constricted and restricted. It takes away the dynamic and life of music, this is why I think the RE-600s sound so good, they have this extra dimension which gives music life.

One of the most spacious earphones I have come across, all coming from a 8.5mm driver. I don’t know about you, but I am very much impressed by this. In fact, I was blown away when I heard the soundstage they were capable of creating.

Let's take "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers, a beautiful masterpiece, the soundstage is very accurately presented, with the piano and the cymbal staying far left, and the stringed violin on the far right, with the vocals in the center.



Separation -

With a very spacious soundstage, the RE-600s has outstanding separation. There is a lot of room for instruments to breathe and therefore it results in very accurate and clear separation, and also imaging. Whether it's in "Where to turn?" by James Litherman, "Smoking Mirrors" by Lee Curtiss, or "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" by Pink Floyd, both the separation and imaging is very accurate and easily noticeable.




Conclusion -

RE-600s V2 is a very well rounded off earphone, it completely surprised me with it’s performance. With 3 years after its release, you will probably find them with a good discount, and they are definitely not to be ignored. One thing which I can tell for certain is that I greatly enjoy them, their small size and their comfort. Whether it’s the transparent and balanced sound signature, their clarity, the soundstage, it’s all a very well rounded off package. Considering their size and overall sound performance, I can recommend them, and they are very suitable for a present with their packaging. One of the things you learn to appreciate with an audio device which doesn't have emphasis on low frequencies, are the vocals. What else will you focus on if it's not the bass? The mid range, and that's what I believe the RE-600s are the best at. Especially considering that they are very spacious, which makes vocals and overall mid range beyond just pleasing for listening. RE-600s is an easy recommendation, it's an earphone I believe everyone should try out.

Introduction-
We are all familiar with Blon’s BL-03, a much anticipated in ear monitor from last year. Does Blon-05 live up to the hype of it’s previous generation, the well hyped Blon BL-03? Blon BL-03 itself was a very controversial IEM in the market, you either loved it or hated it. One thing which I know for sure, is that Blon-03 required some some serious time investment to make it suit you. Did Blon-05 follow the same path?


Photo reference: original package contents of Blon BL-05

Unboxing experience-
We are greeted by the already familiar slim and long box, which has the authentic and infamous “Belief, Letmusicburn, Oppoty, Nevergiveup”, apparently that is the true meaning behind the company’s name, BLON. There’s nothing too special about the unboxing experience, just a basic package with nothing fancy, you have to keep in mind the price range of this in ear monitor.
At first when I opened the package, I thought that the eartips were covered in human hair. However it appeared to be “flakes” from the white piece which holds the in ear monitors.

Something to point out is that I have received two sets of accessories, the ones which arrive with the stock Blon BL-05 (original accessories), and an extra package which has foam tips and two sets of extra cables (two sets of silver plated cables). It should be clear that when buying the normal Blon BL-05 package, you do not get the extra accessories.



Accessories-
Usually you should not expect crazy accessories from a budget set of in ear monitors, I also strongly believe that it’s better to include less accessories than include more accessories with crappy quality. I strongly stand behind this. This is the case with BL-05… except it doesn’t include many accessories. In fact, it’s almost identical to the accessories included with the old BL-03. It comes with the same canvas pouch, which features BLON branding on it, the same 0.78mm 2-pin cable. There are two sets of eartips: one set of S/M/L small bore eartips, and another of S/M/L wide-bore eartips.

Build quality-
I believe the build quality of the housing shell of the Blon-05 is by far it’s best feature, at least from the build quality aspect. It’s made out of metal with a chrome finish. It follows the same chrome look of the previous Blon BL-03, except this time it features a completely new shape and look. It features a gold accent on the face of the housing, it’s shaped like a “key hole”, it’s raised and features the brand name, including the labelling for “left” and “right”.
By now everyone should be familiar with the cable of the Blon BL-03. Blon decided to follow the same path and include the same cable with Blon BL-05. It’s the worst, awful quality and feel, just a big turn off. It’s certainly not built to last, especially looking at the two “fangs” at the Y-splitter, which will certainly break off with enough usage. The 3.5 mm jack is angled, housed in cheap plastic.. which doesn’t feel pleasant. I wasn’t impressed with the complete lack of metal in the cable, the whole cable is made out of cheap plastic.
There is no driver flex, which is always a good thing. Driver flex can me a very large problem, I myself cannot stand it, it’s possible my ears are sensitive to it. When I experienced drier flex on IMR R2 Aten, I never touched them again, but maybe it was a faulty unit, I haven’t confirmed that. So this is something which I never overlook, I greatly appreciate that Blon didn’t have this issue.



Design and design features-
Blon is going in the right direction with the design choice, because the looks are very nice with the BL-05, a sleeker and sharper looking in ear monitor than BL-03. The design reminds me of the Terminator franchise, especially the T-1000, played by Robert Patrick, the chrome, shapeshifting Terminator reminds me of the smooth chrome finish of BL-05. I can definitely see Arnold Schwarzenegger rocking the Bl-05.
The design features are pretty standard, as mentioned above, a flat, 90˚ 3.5 mm jack, and there is a protruding 2-pin connector. That’s it in terms of the design and design features, there is also a single vent on the inner side of the housing shell.

Comfort-
Out of the box, I thought that it had a very bad fit and seal. This is either because I haven’t broken the ear guide in, or because of the stock eartips… which were a useless fit for my ears. Not one had a good seal, it’s only after I put in the black foam eartips that the seal and fit improved. However after some time spent with it, the overall comfort wasn’t bad. The fit is in between, neither deep, nor shallow. On the other hand, the seal with the foam tips is very nice, not vacuum-tight, but nice fit. Blon BL-05 is suited for long listening sessions, proposing no discomfort issues after longer sessions. This isn’t the most comfortable pair of in ear monitors which I have tried, but it’s definitely not the most uncomfortable, far from that.



Sound-
Low range-
Low frequency range has a considerable extension, however doesn’t have full body and weight, which are both much appreciated. I especially found mid-bass to lack definition and texture. Sub-bass delivers a pleasing rumble. Let’s take for example Hanz Zimmer’s “Why so serious?” at mark 3:30. Sub-bass can be felt, felt being the key word. You can feel it pulsing and “breathing”. However at other times, such as the beginning of Arctic Monkey’s “ Do I wanna know?”, there is serious lack of thump and definition of the bass, the track loses most of it’s original energy due to it. While the low frequencies are extended, at times the lack of definition is very noticeable.





Mid range-
One of the first things which I have noticed when using the BL-05 is that it appeared to be shouty and thin in the mid range. With my first listen, this is the aspect I noticed straight away. Mid are noticeably recessed, this is no surprise because it has a V-shaped sound signature. I found the thin sound characteristic quite a problem, making them suck out of music, almost making them completely non-musical. To support these statements, let’s take a look at the classic “Bohemian Rhaphosy” by Queen, this track usually has a lot of energy behind it, it’s definitely one where you can notice many elements and characteristics..at the end of the day, Queen barely could put together the song due to the amount of layers Freddie had in mind. Focusing specifically on Freddie’s vocals in first third of the Bohemian Rhapsody, most of Freddie’s energy isn’t there. Where there would usually be body in his vocals, with the BL-05 there isn’t. The upper-midrange is well presented with good presence/edge, however there is a noticeable lack of musicality at lower-to-moderate volumes, which I did find to be a problem. Mark 2:17, when Freddie goes on to sing “..face the truth” is a specific part where this is clearly noticeable. Overall not impressed, pretty fatiguing and tinny sound characteristics in the mid range, and this is a no no for me.



High range-
This is the aspect which I appreciate the most with the BL-05. It delivers nice sparkle and top end where needed, while staying away from piercing. I did find it fairly unusual that the highest top end is somewhat rolled off, usually Travis Scott’s track “Stop trying to be God” is a reference I use for particular harshness, especially at mark 5:20 where Stevie Wonder’s harmonica hits its peak, and at this particular mark it didn’t have the sparkle which it should have. While the highest top-end doesn’t have the sparkle to deliver those frequencies, it did bring out the lower pitch frequencies of the high end. This track in particular just lacked the delivery which was supposed to be present, however, on a good note I did find the treble response to be quite pleasant. The treble is present, and it is presented well.



Soundstage-
I found the soundstage to be fairly narrow, and this combined with the previous weaknesses, it just finished off the job… in a bad way.



Conclusion
While the Blon BL-03 was much hyped, I can only see that hype train to have been forwarded onto the BL-05. Did BL-05 live up to that hype train? I wish I could say yes, but unfortunately I found the overall experience quite average, even below average at some points. With the market moving and evolving so fast, it’s very hard to put out a successful product. You always have to be two steps ahead of everyone, otherwise you just get buried in the sea of products which do not stand out. You can imagine that when there are thousands of fish in the sea, if you are among these fish, you must stand out, otherwise it will be very hard to attract somebody to pick you. Is Blon BL-05 a bad product? I wouldn’t say so. While there are definitely some aspects which could be improved upon, BL-05 itself isn’t a bad product, but it’s hard to recommend it when there are so many choices out there, and each one of these products has their own characteristic which makes it stand out. Blon BL-5’s lack of standing out features is the biggest disadvantage. Overall not my cup of tea.

EA3 is an IEM from the brand Jade Audio (a sub-brand of Fiio). EA3 features a hybrid setup: 1BA (Knowles 33518) + 1DD (13.6mm with polymer diaphragm).



Disclaimer:
This item has been sent to me through Jade Audio’s EA3 Review Tour, free of charge. I was required to write an honest review and not overstate the advantages. Everything said in this review is my opinion and how I feel about the EA3, I had no external/outside influence on my opinion.



Design:

EA3 features a stunning design.
You have to give them credit for the beautiful shell and smooth shape.
I just can't get enough of the shine off my black version.

If you was to catwalk for a fashion show, you could easily bring the EA3 and I can assure you that they wouldn't disappoint. I have the black version, which I prefer over the Weathet (blue) color, but it's all about personal preference. They are very stealthy and not in your face.

The Jade Audio logo underneath the shell gives a very bold, classy and serious look to it, this is mainly due to the beautiful cursive typography of the Jade Audio logo. The design of the EA3 can be compared to that of luxury and classic cars from 40's and 50's. Strong and sexy. The black finish looks even better than in the digital photos.

I like what Jade Audio did with the celluloid plate (it sits underneath the shell, it’s the part where the Jade Audio logo is placed on the IEM’s) because it features subtle shimmery/satin spots which mainly react differently according to the lighting.

You can probably conclude by now that Jade Audio, from a design point of view, absolutely nailed it with the EA3. Also not to forget, both the shells themselves and the housing of the 2-pin connectors are labelled for left and right, this makes connecting them the easiest part.



Build quality:

I have to say that overall, I'm quite satisfied with Jade Audio's job here. I didn't find any flaws or issues which would make me say that they have a bad build quality or feel cheapish. Yes, not all the fields in terms of build quality are spot on, but it might be too much to ask for from a sub $50 set of IEM's. What I can say, is that it's a solid and well built product.

Can we talk about the shell for a moment? It's as smooth as a babies bum. I think that mentioning that there are no sharp edges is a bit too obvious.
What is worthy of mentioning, is that it doesn't have any parts and points where your fingernails get stuck on, even in the part where the two parts of the shells are connecting, my fingernail glides over it.
The nozzles are angled and made of aluminum, the grills are also metal (they aren't going anywhere). The nozzle has a nice lip which makes sure your ear tips don't go anywhere.
Jade Audio definitely took the overall shell's build quality seriously.

The cable. This is the aspect which has me divided.

The build quality itself is pretty good, it features a metal housing for the 3.5mm jack, both the housing of the Y-spliter and chin slider are metal as well. And the little guy which many forget to mention, the cable tie. It is also very well done, it is soft.. but it seems like it likes everything around it so much that it gets caught on everything.

Then there are the clear plastic housings of the two pin (0.78mm) connectors. It would've been nicer and better if they were also metal, but even in this case, the plastic used is actually of high quality, not one of those muddy and cheapish plastics used on some cables. Both of the plastic housings are labeled for Left and Right. Not only this, but they are color coded too.. I don’t know for you, but for me this is a very handy feature. When you need to pick them up, you immediately know that blue goes into your left ear, red into your right. Good job here Jade Audio!

A problem which I solved my way (do at your own risk) the ear guides. They weren't uncomfortable from the beginning, but they were too twisted inside of themselves. I did it with caution, and made sure to hold the part of the cable closest to the housing (clear plastic part) with two fingers, making sure that this part doesn’t get bent (this is because you don’t want to disconnect and damage the connection inside). After I did this, the ear guide took an ear-shape, you can see this in my video review too.
Accessories:

Nothing spectacular here. A soft carrying case which doesn't feature any branding, and spare ear-tips.
I didn't find the case too useful and functional due to the pure nature and shape of the IEM's (this case would work for something like any of those earphones you get with your smartphone). I found myself using my hard case which did its job.

I found myself leaning towards the medium red tips, the black tips just made them even more harsh. The tips fit pretty well, and you have 6 pairs to pick from (S/M/L)




Comfort:

Did someone mention cozy?
These are simply 10/10 in terms of comfort. You can wear the EA3 for days, they simply melt inside your ears. When I have the EA3 in my ears, I forget they are even in. If that doesn't tell you enough about its comfort, I don't know what will. The comfort aspect is simply spot on, and I truly haven't found them uncomfortable at any point. You know when you are tired after work and just melt in your sofa? Mhm that's exactly how feel about the comfort aspect.

Functionality and convenience:

The EA3 is very functional, it truly is a great replacement for your daily drivers such as those earphones which come with your smartphone.

What do you do with your phones stock earphones? You watch videos, movies, play games and of course- listen to music, you basically do everything with them. In the same way, the EA3 is a great all-purpose IEM's which do all of those jobs fine, I wouldn't say that they are focused on one specific listening element or task.

The carrying case itself isn't too functional, but is a handy case for storing other sensitive objects or earphones. Both the cable tie and the chin slider are functional.

The IEM's themselves are easy to drive, both my Samsung S8 and Macbook Pro were able to drive them with no problem. With my S8 I can push them to around 50-68% before they become too loud and unbearable. With my Mac it's a different story. I listen to them at 2 bars when I'm listening to people speaking (video courses), and at around 5-6 bars when I'm listening to music. When I'm watching movies I also can turn them up to 5-6 bars.

If you travel and use your smartphone as the main source for listening, you may want to pay attention to this part. I found that if you are keeping your phone in your pocket and taking it out often, it's not very convenient. What do I mean by this? Simply the cable gets caught on the inside of the pockets (even with sweatpants). This creates a risk to damage the cable itself. The short and slim metal housing of the 3.5mm plug might be the cause. HOWEVER: if you absolutely are not a daily traveler who needs to take their phone out of their pockets every 5 minutes, this is nothing to worry about.



Sounds isolation:

Fantastic. Another element which Jade Audio got spot on. When I put these on (without music), I can barely hear somebody talking to me, when music is playing.. not a single word. I haven't tried them out in a busy public transport, however I did use them on bus and didn't find any trouble, very pleased with their sound isolation.

Sound leakage:
Even though the EA3 has two vent holes, it has pretty minimal sound leakage, which I am pleasantly surprised with. While I cannot provide you with accurate measurements, I hope you got the basic idea. Sound leakage will not represent a problem in public transport if you keep the volumes below 50%, however if you push them louder you will get some sound leakage which might present a problem in some places, at the end of the day you have to keep in mind that this is a pair of vented IEM’s.

Sound:

Lows- Let me start this off by saying that these are sub-bass monsters. The sub-bass digs deep and rumbles.
EVEN at low volume it hits, this leaves me very satisfied with it. The sub-bass has both weight and rumble at low volumes.
However the issue is that the sub-bass is stronger than mid-bass. This creates an imbalance, which leaves me with the impression that the mid-bass lacks both weight and punch compared to the monster sub-bass which completely eats it. Sub-bass is more dominant, making it over-dominate mid-bass. The mid-bass is like a little kid compared to the sub-bass. Some people may misunderstood what I wrote above, by no means is the EA3 bass-light, and mid bass is completely fine, however if you are a basshead you will probably be left wanting more.
I found Hanz Zimmer's "Why so serious?" at mark 3:30 to be a very good test for sub-bass, the EA3 has plenty of it, I recommend you to give this track a try (shout out to Generic over at the "The Headphones Community" from whom I discovered this track's sub-bass)

Mids- This is an aspect which can definitely be worked on in the future. Mids sound very weird and funny.
Vocals are very boxy, and completely lack depth. It truly feels like the vocals are fixed in the nozzle of the IEM's. The thing is that only vocals are fixed, so while the instruments and other aspects of music have great depth, imaging, and dynamics, the vocals are kind of in your face. I was really able to separate the music by vocals and instrumental part, by this I mean that the "two layers" can be separated and noticed with ease. This being said, vocals don't sound natural, they appear to be "on top" and trapped in that space (which is fixed and separated from the rest). When music can be separated in layers, music doesn't sound unified, which isn't a good thing. As I mentioned in my video, they simply cut through the mix.

Besides the vocals, I found the EA3 reveling great detail and having great resolution. I truly noticed and heard elements in music which I never heard before. Suddenly music has more elements and you hear things in songs which you have never heard before, the micro detail which EA3 reveals is very enjoyable and a true different experience

Highs- There's not much needed to be said here, they are bright. I am treble sensitive and for me even at average levels they are piercing and harsh, however this is exactly why I loved them. Treble lovers will seek for this kind of a quality, however for me, not something which MY ears appreciate(d). In all honesty, because I am treble sensitive, I kept my volumes extremely low. I actually loved these IEM's because of their (at first harsh) treble, yes you heard that right- a treble sensitive person said it. I explained why in my video review.

Update: Now after they have been with me for over a month, I can say they lean to the brighter sound, however they are not harsh anymore and the treble has tamed down. I still enjoy and prefer to use the at lower volumes as though I don’t find any reason to push the volume louder, the main reason is the bass response from the 13.6 mm DD. I used to listen to extreme volumes jut to get “enough” bass, that’s not the case with the EA3 which broke my bad habit of extreme volume listening.

Soundstage:

I was pleasantly surprised with the soundstage that EA3 offers. Vocals aside, it has both good depth and imaging. The soundstage is definitely above average and the spotlight of the EA3. I enjoyed watching movies with them, and I am sure these would be pretty handy for gaming as well, especially for games where space is important (Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Rainbow Six Siege...). The soundstage goes beyond the IEM's themselves, an this is one of the biggest pro's of the EA3. The soundstage jumps outside of the earpieces, and you are guaranteed to enjoy this new dimension to music.
I mentioned in my video review that these break the usual virtual space which is limited to the earphones themselves, EA3’s soundstage extends outside of the nozzle of the IEM’s in the same way an open-back headphone would (of course the soundstage of the EA3 and an open-back headphone cannot be compared for obvious reasons)



Conclusion:

Overall Jade Audio EA3 is a superb for low level listening, a great all-purpose IEM and an IEM which will give another dimension to your music with either it's soundstage, sub-bass extension or the micro-detail revealing. I wouldn't say that these wouldn’t meet the high standards of audiophiles, however for someone who is looking for a high quality daily driver which has authentic certifications, information, these are for you. Many are too skeptical to jump into Chi-Fi and you can start with these, you will find the great options which are available in the Chi-Fi world. I am enjoying them quite a lot, and am beyond satisfied. They are a noticeable upgrade from your phone’s stock earphones, and they are very comfortable.

I hope you enjoyed the read and the content. Critics and feedback are welcome. I had a lot of fun and time invested into this whole review, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it. I think I said all the details and things I wanted to say. I am aware of some areas for improvement, I will be working on making my content even better the next time.





My Burn in process:
I proceeded to burn my EA3 by playing two playlists, from the start to the end with no pause. The volume was around 6-7 bars on my Macbook Pro (Early 2015).
The two playlists on Spotify (~22 hours):



And then I proceeded to make a playlist out of most of my music on my phone (~20 hours)

After this, I jut used them daily for watching videos, listening to music of course, and other tasks.

I do want to recommend another playlist which I haven't used but is definitely useful (100h and it also has silence, so you don't have to worry about damaging your device):

The Sennheiser HD 598 is an entry-audiophile headphone from the well-known German manufacturer, Sennheiser. In the sub-200 USD category it's a king of its own, and this is how many people perceived them as for years. If you catch these at a discounted price, they are a steal. It truly is a great overall choice, it's non-fatiguing, very comfortable and enjoyable to listen to.

Build quality

Judging its build quality by the price I managed to get them at (~€140), the build quality IS something to write home about. Sennheiser made sure to use sturdy and high quality plastic. There is nothing that presents a concern about them breaking. The leatherette headband feels nice; nothing to complain about, especially when they are on your head. Each ear piece features just enough tilt and pivot to let the HD 598 adapt to your head and make them a comfortable fit.
Of course, there is a metal grill on the ear-cups; pretty standard for open-back headphones.

The included cable is 3m long, and has a 6.3mm jack, the 3.5mm adapter is included. The cable is tangle free and overall, it's a nice thick (rubber) cable which you don't have to worry about.. especially because of the 3m length. Actually, let me state how good the cable is; It's one of the most durable and best cables I have seen. At least judging from it being run over with my chair (the rubber withstood the "blow"); I even accidentally had my full weight distributed on them when my cable got under the leg of another chair (this chair didn't have wheels). Durability was definitely something Sennheiser had in mind when making the HD 598.

Build quality meets the standards of its price range. Although not quite the most valid comparison (because I believe Massdrop x Sennheiser 6xx was made with different intentions), if we were to compare the build quality of the HD 6xx and the 598, HD 598 is far superior and more premium than the 6xx. When Massdrop was having the collaboration headphone with Sennheiser (HD 6xx), I think their focus was to build it for as cheap as possible, but not cheap out on the sound. That's why I say it's not a fair comparison, but it is still worth mentioning because overall, it contributes to the experience.



Design

The whole headphone is in a beige finish, mixed with nice dark chocolate brown accents. These accents are present on the earpads, the "ring" around the grill, and the high-gloss burl. Overall, it has that retro feeling to it. In my opinion the colorway is what makes the HD 598 authentic.

You either love the colorway or you hate it. Or.. you just buy the HD598SE which is a special edition of the HD598, which is a blacked out version.

There is a labeling for "Left" and "Right" on the facing side of the ear cups. They are printed in the same dark chocolate brown as the rest of the accents, and they are printed in a large font. It's a nice touch, although it isn't necessary (since you can only wear the HD 598 one way). In fact, they are shaped in a way that you can actually tell if they are facing the correct direction just by feel when you pick them up. I can mainly tell this by the touch sensation of the plastic piece which holds the earcups (it's the curved part to which the ear cups are attached to), when it's facing the correct way, it's facing you.



The left ear cup is the one where the 2.5mm input is (where you connect the headphones). This is another feature which I would consider iconic - the twist-lock mechanism. Before I get into a bit more detail about the twist-lock mechanism, I want to mention that the inner side of the 2.5mm input (where you connect the cable to the headphones) is at an angle, and the inner side of it is in a silver chrome finish. It's a very sleek design, and it's designed in a way that you don't have to "search" for the input hole but rather, it acts as a guide. This way, you can literally just slide the 2.5mm cable inside. The chrome finish helps it glide; overall, very thoughtful and convenient. Onto the twist-lock mechanism - so what Sennheiser did is very neat. Once you plug the 2.5mm cable, you can twist it to secure it. This is genius, because there is no way that it can detach, unless you untwist it on purpose. Long cable + the secure lock mechanism is the way to go; it ensures that you can have both great mobility, and also you don't have to worry about the cable falling out/detaching.

The earcups are oval-shaped and are made of velvet. Velvet is a material very comfortable to the skin. However, dust easily gets trapped inside it. Overall the design is very clean, and I personally don't find anything which should be changed about it. It's just a very well designed headphone, I think the design of the HD 598 is timeless.



Comfort

Comfort is one of the elements which make the HD 598 so pleasing to use. They are simply amazing, very comfortable... I mean, they are Sennheiser's. When was the last time you heard a higher-end model from Sennehiser being uncomfortable? The velour pads just disappear after a certain period of time. I didn't get any itchiness with the pads - very comfortable and pleasant to the skin. The headband isn't the softest; it's rather semi-rigid, but this is only to the touch. When you put them on the head, they have similar qualities to the pads; you just forget that it's there. You can wear these for hours without complaining. The tilting and pivoting movement really help out with getting them adjusted to your head.

There are 17 full steps to adjust the "height" - why do I say 17 full steps? Because the 18th step isn't full, but you have plenty of room to tailor it to your head.



Sound quality
What can you say about an open-ear headphone? Simply beautiful.

Bass is on the lighter side. These are definitely not for bass-heads. I myself love to feel the thump from the bass, and the HD 598's definitely weren't able to do that. However, I didn't find that to be a problem. Even though the open-back design gives you different sound characteristics from the usual closed-back headphones - it's definitely an enjoyable experience.

This being said, if you are looking for that punch and thump, you are better off with a closed-back headphone. Just as some other members said, the lack of low end is what makes the HD598 itself. They will not provide the rumble, punch or thump some are looking for, but with this being said, it lets you focus on the vocals and other aspects in the music that you probably didn't focus on before (that's what I found interesting with the lack of low-end). I personally prefer the spacious sound + no basshead level of low-end of an open-back headphones over the narrow soundstage + the thumb and rumble in the low-end.

Update with EarMen TR-Amp:
Tr-Amp opens up the frequency response, allowing the bass to have more impact, punch, and weight. The lower frequencies have noticeably more definition, and can be felt and told apart much more clearly than without TR-Amp.

For example, the sub-bass present in Hans Zimmer's "Why so Serious?" - mark 3:30 - is more defined and clear, it's much cleaner sub-bass. Or, in the introduction of "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys, there is more bottom-end present. This is something that is subtle, yet contributes to the sound in a major way. There is more depth and layers to the sound.

"Paper Trails" by DARKSIDE is a beautiful example where you can see how TR-Amp can impact the low-range. The whole track sounds much fuller, and even has more space to breathe; (TR-Amp) it truly brings the life out of the Sennheiser HD 598.

Further speaking upon the lower frequencies, while the differences with TR-Amp are subtle in music genres where lower frequencies are used with a rational amount, in electronic music, the difference is much more prominent. And when I say "much more", it's really day and night. I accidentally came upon a song "Smoking Mirrors" by Lee Curtiss, and the amount of depth and more volume (not referring to loudness) the lower frequencies have when TR-Amp is used - it's something that really does make a large difference. Not only is there more space for the lower frequencies to breathe and overall have more space for full-body sound, but there is just so much more definition and presence in the lower notes.


Mids Gorgeous full-body mids (but are they full-body? Read my update). They are sweet. They are on the warmer side, and you will find yourself enjoying the vocals and instruments for days. They never fail to satisfy you with their mid-range capability and performance. I found myself completely absorbed in the music when I had these on (p.s. the long cable helps you with showing off your dance moves, and how well you can play a guitar... without a guitar). The mids are where the HD 598 shines - this is their special ability. They are smooth, and sweet, just like a good baklava. Should I also mention the clarity? Absolutely amazing. They have very good clarity - just play a song where a guitar is plucked, and you will understand what everybody is talking about. I mean.. I think you get the point, this is their sweet spot. I believe that Sennheiser put their main focus on the mid-range when developing the HD 598, and they definitely did a good job. However, it is worth mentioning that the warm sound signature limits some vocals - you only notice this after using a good source with the HD 598.

Update with Earmen TR-Amp:
This is where it gets serious. Once you use TR-Amp, there is no going back. Or any other good source. However, I am strictly speaking from my experience with TR-Amp. I did say that the mids were full-body - but wait until you pair them up with TR-Amp.

I believe that the warm sound signature (which limited vocals) is gone with the TR-Amp, or at least it's tamed down by a great amount. It truly opens up the vocals, it opens up the range, and let's you hear more of the frequencies present. It increases the range which Sennheiser HD 598 can produce as a whole.

Let's talk about real examples through music; Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune", mark 2:00. At this mark, David Coverdale's vocals hit a peak - without TR-Amp, this part seems very bland and doesn't deliver the sparkle. It's almost as though the higher frequency is cut off, leaving David Coverdale's vocal limited, not presenting it's true range and capability - the energy isn't there. That's one of the pleasing things when using the TR-Amp.. after all, this device is the same price as the HD 598 (even more expensive when I consider the price I got them at). However, it does live up to its price, and transforms the HD 598 into a whole another story - a much better and enjoyable music experience. Without the TR-Amp, the whole sound performance sounds thin (compared to the sound performance with the TR-Amp, I am not implying it is thin!).



Highs I absolutely can't stand bright and piercing sound. HD 598 is far from brightness. I found them enjoyable for listening to stringed instruments, such as violins, and also generally enjoy vocally-intense music.

Not much to complain about; they definitely deliver a pleasant experience. I think that they could be a touch brighter so the highest notes hit a bit harder. I found the highest notes from the Stevie Wonder's mouth harmonica in "Stop trying to be God" from Travis Scott a bit lacking, especially at the peak.

While they lack sparkle at times, in all the other aspects, the treble was very enjoyable and clear. This is one trait of a warmer sound signature; the top-end is rolled off, but this does ensure that you can listen to them forever (in theory, at least).

Another beautiful top-end experience was with Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-5) at mark 6:07 - focus on David Gilmour's guitar performance.. even though you could focus on his performance in the entire song.

Update with TR-Amp:
Yet again, TR-Amp doesn't fail to do its job. If anything, the treble is the region it affects the most - at least it's the one aspect which is the most noticeable.
While the HD 598 was doing just fine in the treble region without TR-Amp, it's the combination of extended mids and extended highs that truly put it all together.

As mentioned before, the difference is very noticeable, while at the same time subtle. More can be felt, and that's the beautiful thing about music; at certain times, it's not easy to describe when it's about the sensation of feeling.

Another great example: Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune", the guitar at the very beginning (the introduction) - it sounds more real, the plucks can be felt. Even though HD 598 does pretty well at this section without the TR-Amp, the subtle difference does contribute to the overall experience. The guitar sounded more like a guitar - I can almost say it had better timbre with the TR-Amp.



Soundstage is quite open. To be quite honest, it's no surprise - soundstage is where open-back headphones make the biggest difference. They are enjoyable to use for both music and gaming. While it's not the widest, it's very enjoyable, as it should be with an open-back headphone.

Update with TR-Amp:
Pff.. not the widest. Talk about wide.

TR-Amp does it; the extra space in music which TR-Amp allows is the single element which I personally enjoyed the most. Not only do the sound and music elements have more space to breathe, but that extra space also allows the sound to be fuller.

With any of these tracks, you can notice the beauty of space: Burial’s “Archangel”, “Letter” or “Bubbles” by Yosi Korikawa, “Hunter” by Björk, Daft Punk’s “Giorgo by Moroder”, or the majority of records from Pink Floyd.

Conclusion

For its price, the HD 598 gets many things right, and nowadays you can find them for great deals. Overall, they offer a pleasant experience and are a headphone which you can put on when you are sitting in your chair - play some music, and just fall asleep. Relaxed is the best word I'd describe these headphones with. They aren't the most lively and crazy experience - these are elegant.

Overall, a very good option. If you find them at a good deal and haven't experienced the open-back sound, these are a great option to do that for its price range. They are a great introduction to Hi-Fi in general.

When paired with a good source, they can deliver quite a sonic performance. Being a sub-200 USD headphone, they are among the better-built headphones out there. I believe some of the best plastic was used, and it's overall a very premium-feeling headphone. With their lightweight quality and the comfort aspect, they are an easy recommendation for long listening sessions. If you would like to start somewhere in this hobby, I can say that the HD 598 may be one of the best starting points - from there on, there is a lot you can learn about sound.

Update with TR-Amp:
When HD 598 is paired with the TR-Amp from Earmen, it's another beast entirely - it makes a large difference and overall, greatly contributes to the performance of the headphones.

I cannot find any other way to put it but to say that it adds more depth to the sound. Now, do not confuse the term "depth" with what I am trying to say here; "depth" usually refers to the sense of distance, and I am not referring to that "depth". I meant that there are more layers in sound, more frequencies, more range - essentially, I think detailed would be the correct term here. The following would be the definition that better explains what I am referring to: "The attention to a full reproduction with all sound/notes being audible and present" (Audiophileon's definition).

Think of it as in photography: an image is more detailed when shot in RAW format, and once it's converted to JPG, it loses the detail, the color, and all the other information stored by the sensor.
In RAW format, there is a wider dynamic range, and the difference is noticeable (well... only if you don't do any editing, and just convert the original RAW image to JPG). This is how I would explain what TR-Amp is doing - reproducing more frequencies and more "information". The Sennheiser HD 598 is doing that, but TR-Amp is the one that is making that possible.



Enough about cameras. As Earmen wrote on their page, it "allows music, not the amplifier to be heard". This is exactly how I experienced it - there is overall more energy, more can be felt.

Felt is the key word here, that's what music is about. You know when there is a really great vocal, or a really great guitar performance, and there is just that vibrating sensation in your ears? That's what I'm talking about. TR-Amp lets the HD 598 do that. Guitars sound more like guitars, plucks can be felt; snares and cymbals are more present, have more sparkle. Vocals sound more like vocals, more energy is transferred - more can be felt, more can be heard. Drums and bass have more body, more bottom-end.



It's very interesting, since HD 598 is the very headphone which got me into Hi-Fi, and to hear what it's capable of.. it's just a very unique and personal experience to me.

The way that TR-Amp opens up the musical performance and the frequencies it can reproduce; it's something that you notice straight away. The way it can open up the vocals, like Freddie Mercury's vocals (Bohemian Rhapsody), or let's take Meryl Steep's vocal performance in ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" for an example; the way TR-Amp opens her vocals up, and allows the higher frequencies to be reproduced - this is something which can be felt. The vocals are more present, and the detail in them is what make such a large difference. One of the magical moments I had was when I played Pink Floyd's "Dogs" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". It was a gorgeous performance. Just pure music. Or even "Dogs" from mark 3:40 onward. Ahh, the atmosphere you get from Pink Floyd's songs, always refreshing.

The major difference is separation. I think that the detail and clarity qualities of the HD 598 greatly contribute to why TR-Amp is making separation so much better and clearer.

I would recommend to everybody to give "Brasileiro" by Sérgio Mendes a listen. It's one of the best-engineered albums - it also won a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 1993. It is a very dynamic album. You can hear great use of panning, a variety of instruments, a variety of frequencies. It's a great album to listen for separation, imaging/staging, lows/mids/highs, and timbre. There isn't a single track which I would say sticks out - the whole album is great and each track is unique on its own; each track is worth a listen.

I like to think of it like this: the TR-Amp enhances the performance of the HD 598. It doesn't change the overall sound signature, it just expands the range that it is capable of. I truly appreciate the fuller sound, the wider dynamics, the deeper lows and mids, the higher mids and highs.
To put it simply: TR-Amp brings the life out of the HD 598.

While the total cost of the HD 598 and EarMen TR-Amp adds up to around 500 USD, I personally think it's worth it. It's really important that you invest into a quality source, because it can be equally important as the headphones themselves. TR-Amp is one of those sources which just enhance the performance, but doesn't change the sound signature (doesn't add color). It's very arguable whether this combination is worth it, but to me, it's worth it mainly because of the significance that the HD 598 has to me. You may very well be better off with the new HD 6xx or newer headphones.. You must go out an test these headphones in person, and make up your mind. If you do test them, make sure you are testing them with the same source, that way you are giving each pick an equal chance.

After around 9 years of it's initial release, I still enjoy this headphone, and definitely enjoy it even more with the TR-Amp from EarMen.