NarMoo W1M High-Fidelity Noise Isolating Headphones with Mic

Greetings Head-fi!

 
Today I'm coming at you with my review of the two new iems from NarMoo; the W1M and B2M. I would like to thank Eric from NarMoo for giving me the opportunity to review them.

 
If these iems look familiar to some, there is a good reason for that. They're built on the foundation laid by NarMoo's excellent headfirst dive into the world of dual dynamic driver in-ear headphones. The W1M and B2M share the same housing, accessory kit, and contain one 10mm and one 6mm driver per side. While they share some sonic similarities, there are some key differences that lead to different experiences. My testing was done mostly through my cell phones (Nexus S and Moto G), but I also used the Plantronics Rig gaming amp. My cell phones each have their own distinct sound signature, with the Nexus S being warm and dark and the Moto G being significantly brighter. The Rig has three different EQ present which boost bass, mids, or treble.

 
Accessories - 7/10

 
The W1M and B2M come with NarMoo's fantastic case. Yeah, it's large and not the most portable of cases; however, it is sizable enough to hold multiple iems and accessories if that's your thing. I tend to roll with five iems and a splitter, plus a variety of tips. It's also large enough to hold smallish cellphones or DAPs. Anything larger than the Nexus S would be a bit of a stretch (both literally and figuratively).

 
I was pleased to see that NarMoo took customer feedback into account when deciding on their accessories, and included some great new tips that suit the sound signature of these two iems quite well. The new tips are similar to those provided with NarMoo's first in-ear, the R1M; they are shallow, wide bore tips, quite like those offered by many other manufacturers. This also means that the W1M and B2M are compatible with a wide variety of ear tips for those that like to try out different options to get the most out of their earphone. While the new tips feel more plush and less plasticky than those offered with the R1M, they are not as soft and pliable as those provided by others, such as JVC. NarMoo also threw in a pair of medium-sized dual flange tips, which was a nice touch. Since I preferred the sound from the pre-installed medium tips, I stuck with those for the majority of the review since they provided a problem free fit and good seal.

 
Construction and Comfort - 8/10

 
The W1M and B2M feel like quality products that will last a while. They are quite light, but feel stout and impart confidence in their ability to take some abuse. The housing is crafted from an aluminium alloy, with soft rubber strain reliefs. NarMoo did a great job with channel indication this time around. There are left and right markers on the back of the housing and strain reliefs, in addition to red and blue rings. The Y-split, identical to that used on the S1, could use a longer relief but it's adequate. The chin slider is plastic surrounded by an aluminum ring and slides firmly along the cable. It does it's job well, never once sliding out of place while I enthusiastically pecked away at my keyboard at work.

 
Continuing down the cable we come to the jack. Personally, I prefer straight jacks given most modern cell phones and music players I've come across have the jack either at the top of the device, or the bottom. I find that when used with devices like this, cables terminated in an angled jack always bend at weird angles leading to cable failure earlier than expected. A straight jack eliminates this issue pretty much outright in my experience. I was pleased to see that NarMoo stuck with a good thing, and used the same jack from the S1. It's very small, well-relieved, and I can't see it interfering with any phone cases, no matter how bulky they are. The only difference is an addition of a bit of knurling for added grip.

 
This is hands down one of the nicest cables I've experienced. NarMoo notes on the website that it is 1.2 meters in length, but on both the W1M and B2M I have it measured up closer to 1.5 meters. When wearing these iems cable-down you do run into some cable noise, but it is more manageable than what I experience on most cables. The worst offender I've run into for cable noise was the Klipsch S3 (these were quite unbearable) which at it's best is still better than this cable it is worst; in the cold, sliding up against a zipper. Wearing the cable behind your ear pretty much completely negates all noise. This wonderful cable is almost entirely memory free, yet another improvement over the S1.

 
There are a of couple things about the new NarMoo twins that I dislike; the new choice of knurling, and the B2M's initially intrusive driver flex. I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to faults, as most of the time you can find a workaround. When I first used the B2M, the driver flex was pretty out of control in the left ear, crinkling and popping with with any movement of the cable. It was bad enough for me to leave them on the burn station for almost the entire first week I had them, only listening to them occasionally to see how they were progressing. Luckily for me (and you), this issue more or less worked itself out. Driver flex is still apparent but no more intrusive than the average iem, only rearing its ugly face when you insert them. *Phew*

 
Now, the knurling is another issue entirely. I personally enjoyed the knurling on the S1. I thought it looked good, felt nice to the touch, and suited the design. Yeah, there was a bit of a sharp edge where the housing angled down to the nozzle, but it never touched my ear or caused any discomfort. Others were not so lucky. When I first saw the W1M and B2M "in the flesh", I was happy to see that NarMoo has gone with a smaller cut to the knurl. "Great!" I thought. "This should work out well for those that had issues with the S1". I wish that were the case, as the new knurling is rough and inconsistently carved into the housing. In this case, I think NarMoo might have been better off just leaving the housing smooth.

 
Outside of the potential for discomfort caused by the new choice of knurling, these are exceptionally pleasant to wear for long periods of time. They are light and the housing is rounded off at the front leading to the nozzle. The plush cable lessens the chances they will be tugged out of your ears by accident as it has some flex and give. For a fairly bulky iem, they are impressively easy to "set and forget". They don't isolate any better than your average dynamic driver iem, and that's perfectly fine. That's what we have balanced armatures for.

 
Sound - W1M 7.5/10, B2M 7/10

 
Out-of-the-box I didn't notice a huge difference between the two, but after only a couple hours of play they started to differentiate themselves. Both are very easy to drive from a basic player, but do seem to benefit from a bit of extra power. When amped they sound cleaner, more detailed, and their strengths are enhanced.

 
The W1M and B2M display a warm signature. They sound smoother and more refined than NarMoo's other offerings, but also lack the treble extension of their dual-and single-driver cousins. While this prevents them from being fatiguing over long listening periods, they do come off sounding a little dull up top, especially on darker recordings. On the plus side, this does not prevent them from being quite detailed. I never felt like I was missing out on anything, it just wasn't as aggressive as I wanted. I never noticed any weird peaks or uncomfortable moments, except at dangerously high volumes where certain consonants like "s" and "t" were exaggerated a bit too much for my liking. That comment applies to pretty much any iem I've tried at such high volumes, so it's on par for the course as far as I'm concerned. In general, I'm a low volume listener, so this is not an issue I would have run into outside of testing. All in all I think these would be a great choice for those who are averse to bright sounding iems, or are sensitive to treble.

 
Both iems present vocals in a very engaging and intimate way. They sound natural, forward, and often take centre stage. This is hands down my favourite aspect of both the W1M and B2M, and makes them slightly unique among everything else in my collection. Instruments sound as I would expect them to without coming across as artificial, something that I find is an issue with many budget products. Moving between the W1M and B2M, I did notice that vocals on the W1M are more forward than on the B2M, in addition to being a bit more clear and detailed.

 
The B2M would please most bass-heads. The bass dives deep, hits with authority, and rumbles along similarly to another bass-monster iem I own, the Sony XB50. Unlike the XB50, the B2M does not recess the mids, but treble extension is similarly calm. There is a major boost in the upper/mid bass regions which makes them feel boomy and slow at times. They seem right at home with dubstep, rap, hip hop and other like genres. Looking to rock and metal, especially on quick and technical tracks, they feel out of their element as the bass can be overpowering. I do want to point out that every time I throw on some bass heavy beats, they put a ridiculous smile on my face. That rumble is intoxicating.

 
The W1M was quite bassy initially, but around the 40-50 hour mark they seemed to settle down. Everything settled down actually. These ended up becoming a very relaxed iem, and are the most balanced of the NarMoo bunch. They still have some heavy bass, but it's not boosted to the point of being a primary focus. For my tastes, they are fantastic for drum and bass and late 70/80s classic rock, as they handle technical stuff more competently than the B2M. Overall they seem to be the more versatile of the two.

 
The W1M succeeds at presenting music in a spacious and airy manner. The B2M is similar in this regard in terms of depth, but is less spacious overall (possibly due to the lack of ventilation near the base of the nozzle). Since the mids on the B2M are slightly less forward, I found they gave the impression of a soundstage wider than it actually is. On tracks where sounds were thrown around, I noticed the W1M did a better job of imparting a wide and deep physical space. Given the overall presentation of these two products, these differences are fitting. The B2M is more energetic than the W1M, and the smaller soundstage plays to this in a positive way.

 
I feel that both the W1M and B2M are good sounding products, but the lack of treble energy may hold them back for some. Pairing them with a bright source helps, as does eqing if you want to liven them up. Still, I would rather equalize excess treble out than risk distortion by adding in too much.

 

So how are they overall? W1M - 7.5/10, B2M - 7/10

 
The in-line mic works well, the cable is excellent, they don't feel like a sneeze will shatter them or loosen their internals, and they are comfy to wear over long periods. I don't really have any complaints outside of the 'play-it-safe' treble response and potential knurling problems that some may experience.

 
When I first heard both, I found myself immediately gravitating towards the W1M. There were a couple of reasons for this; the midbass bloat and driver flex the B2M suffered from was overwhelming. Once the B2M gave up on trying to be a crinkly old mid-bass monster, I really warmed up to them and found them to be exceptionally enjoyable. While the B2M is the livelier of the two, I would have to give the edge to the W1M for it's greater genre flexibility, more spacious soundstage, and more balanced approach. I hope you enjoyed the read. **After another week of use, the driver flex in the B2M is pretty much gone. Burn in definitely helps these great iems out.**

 
- B9Scrambler

 


 
**Made some slight edits to address some aspects I missed: channel indicators, sources, etc.**