NiceHCK Himalaya Flagship 10mm CNT Dynamic IEM
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NiceHCK ‘Himalaya’
Introduction & Caveats
A Head-Fi member reached out to me a number of weeks ago to say NiceHCK were going to be launching a single DD which will be a big step up for them, yet with a goal to compete with IEMs at even higher price points… this member felt as I’m a fan of single DDs, and have own/owned quite a few at various price points, that I might be interested in trying this. I was of course curious, even though I had only been thinking I would take my foot off the review pedal for a while so as to stop and enjoy what I own - the challenge with reviews and especially when a few in the queue is that any spare time is spent just listening to the IEMs pending review so as to become familiar - this can feel a bit like work at times, instead of just reaching out for whatever set in my collections takes my fancy based on mood, choice of music, etc… anyway, I couldn’t resist, and said yes please - how could I say no to a single DD?!
I would like to thank NiceHCK for the opportunity, the Himalaya were sent to me free of charge in exchange for a review - as always, they didn’t cross my palms with silver or gold, nor did they wine and dine me in Michelin star restaurants… my words, my impressions, my pictures etc.
A bit about me...
I worked in the consumer electronics industry for a large part of my career, and have been passionate about music and technology from as far back as I remember - even as a small child asking my Mum to put records on the turntable (Abba, Supertramp and Planxty if anyone is curious )
My music preferences are very varied - anything from classical to techno, indie rock to jazz and all in between. In my early teens I was a big fan of bands like The Cure and The Smiths (still am all these years later), and I was bitten by the dance music bug that arrived in the early 90s where I became hugely passionate about genres like techno, house, trance and IDM - I amassed a huge collection of records and CDs, DJing with the former at various parties and occasional pirate radio station slots - a hobby at the time that I never took further, but still own 1000s of records and my trusty Technics 1210 turntables are still going strong 30 years later, a testament to the Japanese engineering!
I am not a professional reviewer or anything remotely like it. I love music, and I love the methods by which we can listen to music - over the last few years, that has become an obsession with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and held on to a select few - these have been anything from a $20 set like the Moondrop Chu, all the way up to kilobuck sets such as Aroma Jewel, the infamous 'Traillii' from Oriolus, UM Mentor, and a whole selection of my beloved single DDs. As part of this exploration, I like to share my thoughts on the various sets in my journey with the Head-Fi community, in the hope it might be useful to others. The massive caveat, is of course that 'your mileage may vary' - this is a highly subjective hobby.
About NiceHCK
I suspect most in this hobby are at the very least aware of NiceHCK, a brand probably most known for good value cables, and especially during the famous AliExpress sales where they are often reduced from $1,500,000,000 to $29… I jest, but you get the drift. I can’t find any direct website, as they appear to only sell directly via AliExpress but they’ve certainly been around for a few years now.
Specifications
The Himalaya arrives in a nice box and with an overall experience I would say is in keeping with the price tag.
Accessories
There are a nice selection of accessories, to include:
The Himalaya are a titanium shell with a nice smooth finish - very understated design which I tend to prefer, literally the brand printed on one shell, and Himalaya on the other. They have a bit of weight to them but don’t feel heavy in my ears, I do not experience any sense of fatigue during extended listening.
The 2-pin connection is flush on the shell, and the stock cable fits nice and securely. I haven’t used any 3rd partly cables so can’t comment here on fit etc.
This is where it gets a bit tricky, possibly not for all as it will really depend on your ears but the small and stumpy interchangeable nozzles could be a problem - I got them to work by choosing the largest tips in my collection, that being the excellent Acoustune AEX07 in XL which are 14mm wide and comprise of a soft yet relatively robust material that ensures a good fit in my ears for any set that proves a bit more challenging. A massive improvement however was brought to my attention by @Dsnuts where he recommended trying the nozzles from the Simgot EA1000, and this was an absolute game-changer - the slightly bigger EA1000 nozzles allow for a much better fit, and also improve the delivery of sound in my experience too.
Pictured below with the XL Acoustune AEX07 tips.
The stock nozzle pictured below on the left, with the Simgot EA1000 on the right.
The nozzles detached, with Simgot EA1000 on the left, and stock Himalaya on the right.
Listening Impressions
I feel somewhat long-in-the-tooth now in this hobby, as I’ve owned and tried so many sets at this stage, be it good value entry-level, to ridiculously expensive top-tier sets, and delighted to report that I continue to be surprised for the most part - especially at lower price points. I would love to have tested Himalaya in a blindfold experiment, as I suspect I would have guessed at least 2x the price point, and probably even more… these sound truly fantastic. I would describe Himalaya as having nicely balanced smooth tuning, warm, and very competent technical capability considering the price point. I have been very impressed with how these handle basically any genre I test, be it atmospheric ambient music to complex experimental music - vocals are a huge strong point too, with both male in particular sounding accurately portrayed with a visceral central position, not recessed yet not too pushed forward either. I often end up pigeonholing a set to a few genres, and only reach for them when the mood calls - with Himalaya I’m definitely finding immense enjoyment no matter what the genre, truly a highly competent all-rounder no matter what music I select. Nothing stands out as dominant, again there is an excellent sense of balance throughout the frequencies. While there is sufficient energy, I wouldn’t class them as an especially ‘energetic’ set, they go for a somewhat more relaxed approach but will do justice to basically any genre you care to throw at them.
I must note that since the discovery of using the EA1000 nozzles instead, I have been unable to switch back - you can’t reverse a ‘game-changing’ experience. I hope NiceHCK take note of this and include some bigger nozzles… but even if they don’t, and you find the stock nozzles a touch too small, I encourage you to buy the nozzles from EA1000, and then send your thanks towards Dsnuts!
Bass
Ample low-end on offer here for both sub and mid bass, with excellent control and speed. I would say sub bass has a slight bias, but not massively so. They have that mid-bass ‘kick’ that lands in a central position, one that I’ve noted in previous reviews as being something that reminds me of the wonderful ‘sweet spot’ when listening to a 2-channel system setup. While they aren’t at that ‘bass-head’ level, I’d be surprised if anyone is left wanting here.
Mids
Beautiful mids that exhibit wonderful lifelike qualities with any instrument from strings to electronic. While the overall experience as noted is quite balanced, there is perhaps a slight bias towards mids where they do tend to grab my attention in terms of a lush and captivating tonality. There is a nice weight to the tone, but by no means muddy - excellent clarity and plenty of space. The note weight I feel leans more towards male vocals than female where the body can be a touch heavy for higher pitched vocals.
Treble
The upper region is what I would describe as ‘safe’ where the lower treble region never overextends, nor do the highest registers ever become too harsh or sharp - there is still however sufficient extension to allow instruments extend as might be called for. They do take a slight step back in the upper most regions, which does mean you don’t quite get that ethereal or visceral ‘zing’ that can be achieved in this region, but on the flip side, this can be a double-edged sword on some recordings, leading to a harshness that interrupts the listening experience - this is not something I’ve encountered with Himalaya. Overall, I find there is nice amount of extension up top and again sits in that ‘safe’ zone but some might prefer more extension and air here.
Technical
The sense of instrument positioning and layering of music jumped out at me immediately when I first got these, it was one of those moments where you are almost caught off guard - in spite of the warmth and smoothness, the Himalaya still manages to portray a very precise sense of imaging. I’ve said it many times with regards to single DDs, I love how they remind me of a 2-channel system where the centre image becomes a focal point, with everything emanating out into a wide stereo field - think of the ‘sweet spot’ in 2-channel. They don’t go for microscopic detail but certainly provide enough not to be dubbed as a slouch here - I’ve tested some of my more complex favourites and not been left wanting.
Test Tracks & Comparisons:
I’m using the Sony NW-WM1AM2 for the test tracks, a DAP that I really adore and pairs wonderfully with Himalaya.
Oberst - Marble Arch (electronic / Krautrock)
It only takes a few seconds for this track to kick off and my foot it tapping and a big smile on my face. As often happens when I’m at this section of a review, and scrolling through my albums, stumbling upon one I’ve not heard in a while and decide to give it a spin. This has a classic Berlin School / Krautrock type electronic vibe going on, melodic synths and nice driving percussion - the kick drum has a really nice visceral thud, the synths sound lush and spacious across the stage, the overall listening experience sounds quite analogue.
Aukia - Rekindle (modern classical / electronica)
It is phenomenal to hear how this sounds on Himalaya - the combination of note weight, timbre, stage, imaging, and layering all make for a beautifully engaging experience… utterly captivating from start to finish. The upper realms of strings sparkle out left and right, the bass upon arrival feels like it reaches to the depths of my chest… and again it all sounds very analogue, wrapping you up in a blanket of smoothness.
Cigarettes After Sex - Keep On Loving You
I really love this cover, probably as much as the original. The vocals are central, full-bodied, and delivered with fantastic clarity within the overall presentation - probably a slight touch forward. Very impressive to hear the various components of the band presented in a warm/engulfing somewhat intimate and highly captivating experience.
Agnes Obel - Run Cried the Crawling
I haven’t listened to this album in a while, but often choose a track for a review - I must do a session with the full album. The vocals are again nicely central, a touch forward and with excellent body - perhaps a touch too much where Agnes might be best with a bit more in the upper mids, but will see when I compare with other IEMs. Having listened to the others to compare, and now coming back to Himalaya again I can confirm this set has a smoothness and warmth that provides a more intimate experience.
Pitch Black - Lost in Translation (electronic / dub)
This is a great test for sub bass where a deep/rumbling bass line pulses throughout the track, along with a fantastic offbeat percussion. Absolutely 5/5 here with Himalaya, while the sub does occupy a reasonable amount of space, it is in no way overwhelming or drowning out any other elements within mids. Nothing sounds out of place or harsh, the DD keeps up wonderfully with all of the minute details and brilliantly represents the entire FR spectrum on show.
Leif - Seven Hour Flight to Nowhere (experimental electronic)
Taken from the really spectacular album ‘9 Airs’, one which hardly a month goes by without me listening. This is a great example of how well Himalaya renders imaging and layering, in this case sounding quite holographic - it has that sensation where I find my eyes almost trying to ‘see’ the location of what I’m hearing! The timbre is beautiful, bass has a nice depth and visceral but not massive in quantity which is what I expect in this track.
Lone - Realise (downtempo electronic)
A dreamy electronic track that has nice early 90s vibes going on… one for either building up a night, or on the other end when chilling out. While it’s not particularly complex, there is a reasonable amount going on in terms of drums and synths and the overall ‘ethereal’ vibe the track gives which is very well represented on Himalaya - the warmth and smoothness coupled the sense of space and imaging is fantastic. I feel inclined to really keep increasing the volume on this.
KiloWatts - Night Writer (IDM… ish)
Another that performs without flaw, and another that really drives that ‘wow’ factor from an imaging perspective - there is a lot of detail in this track and you hear each element with such stunning pinpoint clarity, it’s one of those where you almost question how just a single DD at play here.
Heogen - Glas Blackbirds (IDM)
This is taken from the really fantastic ‘Full Spectrum’ compilation from the wonderful Touched Music - as always with this label, all proceeds go to charity and in this case to REACH who help young people with autism. 2x CDs of some of the best modern electronic music, and this was one this really jumped out at me on first listen recently. Beautifully rendered on Himalaya, the melodic synths sending shivers through me from start to finish.
Comparisons
DITA Project M ($330)
This is a brighter set, and steps back from a sub bass perspective. There is a lighter note weight which lends itself more towards female vocals, strings etc when you want to soar a bit higher. The overall presentation sounds more airy, as such giving a greater sense of micro-detail.
Final A5000 ($300)
The A5000 sounds more neutral overall, and could be considered a touch ‘boring’ possibly when switching from one to the other, but upon adjustment it’s just simply a more balanced/less coloured set. It performs incredibly well as an all-rounder and a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’ for any genre. It’s a set I often choose for out walking due to the small and incredibly light shells.
Simgot EA1000 ($230)
The EA1000 is a much loved single DD in the community, and that very much includes me. From a bass perspective, I would say the EA1000 excels with mid-bass where there is better impact and definition, and sub steps back vs Himalaya which extends deeper with a more visceral rumble. The note weight is lighter, and again better suited to female vocals vs Himalaya - it has that more CD-like presentation vs a smoother, analogue vinyl-like presentation with Himalaya.
Conclusion
This price segment continues to excite me - the quality on offer really does drive the whole ‘diminishing returns’ argument event further, you get serious bang-for-buck with the $329 asking price for Himalaya. If you are seeking a smooth set, with a nice robust/full-bodied sound, reminiscent of an analogue vinyl-like presentation, the Himalaya should certainly be on your shortlist. As noted, if looking for a brighter and more airy set, this probably won’t meet your requirements and I would suggest the likes of Project M in this price category - two sides of a coin with both sets, each arguably offering incredible value for money, punching significantly above their asking prices and offering a very different take on your library - highly complementary sets should you choose to invest in both! Hats off to NiceHCK for this step up to a more expensive segment, I’m very impressed.
- Single Dynamic Driver
- RRP: $329
Introduction & Caveats
A Head-Fi member reached out to me a number of weeks ago to say NiceHCK were going to be launching a single DD which will be a big step up for them, yet with a goal to compete with IEMs at even higher price points… this member felt as I’m a fan of single DDs, and have own/owned quite a few at various price points, that I might be interested in trying this. I was of course curious, even though I had only been thinking I would take my foot off the review pedal for a while so as to stop and enjoy what I own - the challenge with reviews and especially when a few in the queue is that any spare time is spent just listening to the IEMs pending review so as to become familiar - this can feel a bit like work at times, instead of just reaching out for whatever set in my collections takes my fancy based on mood, choice of music, etc… anyway, I couldn’t resist, and said yes please - how could I say no to a single DD?!
I would like to thank NiceHCK for the opportunity, the Himalaya were sent to me free of charge in exchange for a review - as always, they didn’t cross my palms with silver or gold, nor did they wine and dine me in Michelin star restaurants… my words, my impressions, my pictures etc.
A bit about me...
I worked in the consumer electronics industry for a large part of my career, and have been passionate about music and technology from as far back as I remember - even as a small child asking my Mum to put records on the turntable (Abba, Supertramp and Planxty if anyone is curious )
My music preferences are very varied - anything from classical to techno, indie rock to jazz and all in between. In my early teens I was a big fan of bands like The Cure and The Smiths (still am all these years later), and I was bitten by the dance music bug that arrived in the early 90s where I became hugely passionate about genres like techno, house, trance and IDM - I amassed a huge collection of records and CDs, DJing with the former at various parties and occasional pirate radio station slots - a hobby at the time that I never took further, but still own 1000s of records and my trusty Technics 1210 turntables are still going strong 30 years later, a testament to the Japanese engineering!
I am not a professional reviewer or anything remotely like it. I love music, and I love the methods by which we can listen to music - over the last few years, that has become an obsession with IEMs and related gear. I've bought and sold many, and held on to a select few - these have been anything from a $20 set like the Moondrop Chu, all the way up to kilobuck sets such as Aroma Jewel, the infamous 'Traillii' from Oriolus, UM Mentor, and a whole selection of my beloved single DDs. As part of this exploration, I like to share my thoughts on the various sets in my journey with the Head-Fi community, in the hope it might be useful to others. The massive caveat, is of course that 'your mileage may vary' - this is a highly subjective hobby.
About NiceHCK
I suspect most in this hobby are at the very least aware of NiceHCK, a brand probably most known for good value cables, and especially during the famous AliExpress sales where they are often reduced from $1,500,000,000 to $29… I jest, but you get the drift. I can’t find any direct website, as they appear to only sell directly via AliExpress but they’ve certainly been around for a few years now.
Specifications
- Flagship Titanium-Alloy Cavity Dynamic Driver IEM.
- Aerospace-Grade Titanium-Alloy Shells.
- 10mm Dual-Magnetic Dual-Layer CNT Dynamic Driver.
- Replaceable Acoustic Filters.
- 5-axis CNC Machined Ear shells.
- Multi-curved Ergonomic Shape.
- 3-in-1 swappable Termination Plug.
The Himalaya arrives in a nice box and with an overall experience I would say is in keeping with the price tag.
Accessories
There are a nice selection of accessories, to include:
- Great selection of tips that appear to be from Kbear
- Case
- Cable clip
- Cleaning brush
- Tuning nozzles
The Himalaya are a titanium shell with a nice smooth finish - very understated design which I tend to prefer, literally the brand printed on one shell, and Himalaya on the other. They have a bit of weight to them but don’t feel heavy in my ears, I do not experience any sense of fatigue during extended listening.
The 2-pin connection is flush on the shell, and the stock cable fits nice and securely. I haven’t used any 3rd partly cables so can’t comment here on fit etc.
This is where it gets a bit tricky, possibly not for all as it will really depend on your ears but the small and stumpy interchangeable nozzles could be a problem - I got them to work by choosing the largest tips in my collection, that being the excellent Acoustune AEX07 in XL which are 14mm wide and comprise of a soft yet relatively robust material that ensures a good fit in my ears for any set that proves a bit more challenging. A massive improvement however was brought to my attention by @Dsnuts where he recommended trying the nozzles from the Simgot EA1000, and this was an absolute game-changer - the slightly bigger EA1000 nozzles allow for a much better fit, and also improve the delivery of sound in my experience too.
Pictured below with the XL Acoustune AEX07 tips.
The stock nozzle pictured below on the left, with the Simgot EA1000 on the right.
The nozzles detached, with Simgot EA1000 on the left, and stock Himalaya on the right.
Listening Impressions
I feel somewhat long-in-the-tooth now in this hobby, as I’ve owned and tried so many sets at this stage, be it good value entry-level, to ridiculously expensive top-tier sets, and delighted to report that I continue to be surprised for the most part - especially at lower price points. I would love to have tested Himalaya in a blindfold experiment, as I suspect I would have guessed at least 2x the price point, and probably even more… these sound truly fantastic. I would describe Himalaya as having nicely balanced smooth tuning, warm, and very competent technical capability considering the price point. I have been very impressed with how these handle basically any genre I test, be it atmospheric ambient music to complex experimental music - vocals are a huge strong point too, with both male in particular sounding accurately portrayed with a visceral central position, not recessed yet not too pushed forward either. I often end up pigeonholing a set to a few genres, and only reach for them when the mood calls - with Himalaya I’m definitely finding immense enjoyment no matter what the genre, truly a highly competent all-rounder no matter what music I select. Nothing stands out as dominant, again there is an excellent sense of balance throughout the frequencies. While there is sufficient energy, I wouldn’t class them as an especially ‘energetic’ set, they go for a somewhat more relaxed approach but will do justice to basically any genre you care to throw at them.
I must note that since the discovery of using the EA1000 nozzles instead, I have been unable to switch back - you can’t reverse a ‘game-changing’ experience. I hope NiceHCK take note of this and include some bigger nozzles… but even if they don’t, and you find the stock nozzles a touch too small, I encourage you to buy the nozzles from EA1000, and then send your thanks towards Dsnuts!
Bass
Ample low-end on offer here for both sub and mid bass, with excellent control and speed. I would say sub bass has a slight bias, but not massively so. They have that mid-bass ‘kick’ that lands in a central position, one that I’ve noted in previous reviews as being something that reminds me of the wonderful ‘sweet spot’ when listening to a 2-channel system setup. While they aren’t at that ‘bass-head’ level, I’d be surprised if anyone is left wanting here.
Mids
Beautiful mids that exhibit wonderful lifelike qualities with any instrument from strings to electronic. While the overall experience as noted is quite balanced, there is perhaps a slight bias towards mids where they do tend to grab my attention in terms of a lush and captivating tonality. There is a nice weight to the tone, but by no means muddy - excellent clarity and plenty of space. The note weight I feel leans more towards male vocals than female where the body can be a touch heavy for higher pitched vocals.
Treble
The upper region is what I would describe as ‘safe’ where the lower treble region never overextends, nor do the highest registers ever become too harsh or sharp - there is still however sufficient extension to allow instruments extend as might be called for. They do take a slight step back in the upper most regions, which does mean you don’t quite get that ethereal or visceral ‘zing’ that can be achieved in this region, but on the flip side, this can be a double-edged sword on some recordings, leading to a harshness that interrupts the listening experience - this is not something I’ve encountered with Himalaya. Overall, I find there is nice amount of extension up top and again sits in that ‘safe’ zone but some might prefer more extension and air here.
Technical
The sense of instrument positioning and layering of music jumped out at me immediately when I first got these, it was one of those moments where you are almost caught off guard - in spite of the warmth and smoothness, the Himalaya still manages to portray a very precise sense of imaging. I’ve said it many times with regards to single DDs, I love how they remind me of a 2-channel system where the centre image becomes a focal point, with everything emanating out into a wide stereo field - think of the ‘sweet spot’ in 2-channel. They don’t go for microscopic detail but certainly provide enough not to be dubbed as a slouch here - I’ve tested some of my more complex favourites and not been left wanting.
Test Tracks & Comparisons:
I’m using the Sony NW-WM1AM2 for the test tracks, a DAP that I really adore and pairs wonderfully with Himalaya.
Oberst - Marble Arch (electronic / Krautrock)
It only takes a few seconds for this track to kick off and my foot it tapping and a big smile on my face. As often happens when I’m at this section of a review, and scrolling through my albums, stumbling upon one I’ve not heard in a while and decide to give it a spin. This has a classic Berlin School / Krautrock type electronic vibe going on, melodic synths and nice driving percussion - the kick drum has a really nice visceral thud, the synths sound lush and spacious across the stage, the overall listening experience sounds quite analogue.
Aukia - Rekindle (modern classical / electronica)
It is phenomenal to hear how this sounds on Himalaya - the combination of note weight, timbre, stage, imaging, and layering all make for a beautifully engaging experience… utterly captivating from start to finish. The upper realms of strings sparkle out left and right, the bass upon arrival feels like it reaches to the depths of my chest… and again it all sounds very analogue, wrapping you up in a blanket of smoothness.
Cigarettes After Sex - Keep On Loving You
I really love this cover, probably as much as the original. The vocals are central, full-bodied, and delivered with fantastic clarity within the overall presentation - probably a slight touch forward. Very impressive to hear the various components of the band presented in a warm/engulfing somewhat intimate and highly captivating experience.
Agnes Obel - Run Cried the Crawling
I haven’t listened to this album in a while, but often choose a track for a review - I must do a session with the full album. The vocals are again nicely central, a touch forward and with excellent body - perhaps a touch too much where Agnes might be best with a bit more in the upper mids, but will see when I compare with other IEMs. Having listened to the others to compare, and now coming back to Himalaya again I can confirm this set has a smoothness and warmth that provides a more intimate experience.
Pitch Black - Lost in Translation (electronic / dub)
This is a great test for sub bass where a deep/rumbling bass line pulses throughout the track, along with a fantastic offbeat percussion. Absolutely 5/5 here with Himalaya, while the sub does occupy a reasonable amount of space, it is in no way overwhelming or drowning out any other elements within mids. Nothing sounds out of place or harsh, the DD keeps up wonderfully with all of the minute details and brilliantly represents the entire FR spectrum on show.
Leif - Seven Hour Flight to Nowhere (experimental electronic)
Taken from the really spectacular album ‘9 Airs’, one which hardly a month goes by without me listening. This is a great example of how well Himalaya renders imaging and layering, in this case sounding quite holographic - it has that sensation where I find my eyes almost trying to ‘see’ the location of what I’m hearing! The timbre is beautiful, bass has a nice depth and visceral but not massive in quantity which is what I expect in this track.
Lone - Realise (downtempo electronic)
A dreamy electronic track that has nice early 90s vibes going on… one for either building up a night, or on the other end when chilling out. While it’s not particularly complex, there is a reasonable amount going on in terms of drums and synths and the overall ‘ethereal’ vibe the track gives which is very well represented on Himalaya - the warmth and smoothness coupled the sense of space and imaging is fantastic. I feel inclined to really keep increasing the volume on this.
KiloWatts - Night Writer (IDM… ish)
Another that performs without flaw, and another that really drives that ‘wow’ factor from an imaging perspective - there is a lot of detail in this track and you hear each element with such stunning pinpoint clarity, it’s one of those where you almost question how just a single DD at play here.
Heogen - Glas Blackbirds (IDM)
This is taken from the really fantastic ‘Full Spectrum’ compilation from the wonderful Touched Music - as always with this label, all proceeds go to charity and in this case to REACH who help young people with autism. 2x CDs of some of the best modern electronic music, and this was one this really jumped out at me on first listen recently. Beautifully rendered on Himalaya, the melodic synths sending shivers through me from start to finish.
Comparisons
DITA Project M ($330)
This is a brighter set, and steps back from a sub bass perspective. There is a lighter note weight which lends itself more towards female vocals, strings etc when you want to soar a bit higher. The overall presentation sounds more airy, as such giving a greater sense of micro-detail.
Final A5000 ($300)
The A5000 sounds more neutral overall, and could be considered a touch ‘boring’ possibly when switching from one to the other, but upon adjustment it’s just simply a more balanced/less coloured set. It performs incredibly well as an all-rounder and a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’ for any genre. It’s a set I often choose for out walking due to the small and incredibly light shells.
Simgot EA1000 ($230)
The EA1000 is a much loved single DD in the community, and that very much includes me. From a bass perspective, I would say the EA1000 excels with mid-bass where there is better impact and definition, and sub steps back vs Himalaya which extends deeper with a more visceral rumble. The note weight is lighter, and again better suited to female vocals vs Himalaya - it has that more CD-like presentation vs a smoother, analogue vinyl-like presentation with Himalaya.
Conclusion
This price segment continues to excite me - the quality on offer really does drive the whole ‘diminishing returns’ argument event further, you get serious bang-for-buck with the $329 asking price for Himalaya. If you are seeking a smooth set, with a nice robust/full-bodied sound, reminiscent of an analogue vinyl-like presentation, the Himalaya should certainly be on your shortlist. As noted, if looking for a brighter and more airy set, this probably won’t meet your requirements and I would suggest the likes of Project M in this price category - two sides of a coin with both sets, each arguably offering incredible value for money, punching significantly above their asking prices and offering a very different take on your library - highly complementary sets should you choose to invest in both! Hats off to NiceHCK for this step up to a more expensive segment, I’m very impressed.
Attachments
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank the NiceHCK for providing this review unit.
The Himalaya can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256806504567632.html (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of NiceHCK 07 wide-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L/)
- 3 pairs of NiceHCK 08 narrow-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- Plastic case for eartips
- Leatherette semi-rigid case for IEM
- Cable
- 3 modular terminals for 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modules
- 3 pairs of tuning nozzles
- Magnetic clasp
- Cleaning brush
Other than the lack of foam tips, the accessories are fit for a king. This is definitely befitting of a midFI IEM packaging, and almost everything that a discerning audiophile should require is inside.
We have 2 variants of silicone tips provided. The narrow-bore NiceHCK 08 tips boost bass with some soundstage compression, whereas the wide-bore NiceHCK 07 tips increase treble and staging. It is a nice touch that these eartips even come with their own plastic insert case.
A silver-plated OFC cable graces the packaging. This is very well-braided and supple, with minimal microphonics or tangling. It comes with a chin cinch and 3 pairs of modular terminals for single-ended (3.5 mm) and balanced (2.5 mm and 4.4 mm) terminations. Unlike some other modular cables which are just plugged on, this stock cable has a screw-on sheathing to prevent the module from inadvertently dropping out, which may be potentially disastrous if a connected phone or DAP drops off it!
We have a black leatherette semi-rigid case, which is compression-proof. The innards have webbing and a soft lining to cushion the contents, with a zipper mechanism to close it.
NiceHCK has added some other nice goodies such as a magnetic cable clasp and a cleaning brush, the former to tidy up the cable, and the latter to remove debris from the IEM.
We also have a trio of tuning nozzles, which we will discuss about in the subsequent sections.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock NiceHCK 08 silicone tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The Himalaya's housings are fashioned from aviation-grade titanium alloy, via 5-axis CNC machining. It is no exaggeration to say that they are literally built like tanks, and the Himalaya feels extremely solid and robust. With a matte grey finish, the shells are elegant yet practical - indeed, some prettier mirror-like shells may prove to be scratch or fingerprint magnets, unlike an unassuming matte faceplate.
Ergonomics are top-notch, and the earpieces are light yet comfortable, with no awkward protrusions to poke the ears.
I did not encounter any driver flex, and isolation is surprisingly above average.
TUNING NOZZLES/INTERNALS
The Himalaya's engine is a 10 mm CNT dynamic driver, which has front and rear cavities with coaxial dual-layer diaphragms, inlaid with N52 and N45 dual magnetic circuits. The 22 um ultra-thin CNT dome is clad with a CCAW copper aluminum voice coil.
Tuning nozzles and switches seem to be the flavour of the year, and the Himalaya comes with 3 pairs of tuning nozzles:
Graph of the NiceHCK Himalaya via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
As above, the gold and black nozzles are pretty similar - and some might say, borderline gimmicky - in furnishing a Harmanish tone with some sparkle in the lower treble, due to a slight 4 kHz uplift. These 2 nozzles are kings in technicalities, providing fast transients and crisp tones, with a textured and nimble bass. Do note however, that these 2 tunings feature an 11 dB ear gain, so these may be borderline shouty, especially at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve).
For folks who want a more laid back upper midrange and lower treble, the blue nozzle is a match made in heaven, bestowing a more chill soundscape, though there is admittedly some blunting of resolution with this nozzle.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Himalaya with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA11 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is relatively easily driven, and additional amplification is not 100% required.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
The following impressions were done with the gold nozzle installed.
On this configuration, tonally, the Himalaya sports a balanced Harmanish tone, as discussed above.
Bass is just slightly north of neutral, and this is not a basshead IEM by any means. There is a sub-bass preponderance, however, there is just a tickle of rumble heard in sub-bass heavy tracks. Bass has good texturing, with a nimble and fast bassline heard, with not an ounce of mid-bass bleeding.
The lower midrange is just a tinge depressed, but is very transparent in view of no mid-bass encroachment. Upper mids have a 11 dB ear gain - perhaps reminiscent of its Himalayan namesake? - this pushes vocals forwards, but there may be some shout heard, especially with louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve). Narrow-bore tips, lower volume playback and warmer sources may mitigate this area somewhat.
Treble continues on from the upper mids peak, with moderate extension. Sibilance is kept minimal, though we still have a decent sprinkling of clarity and resolution.
Timbre is natural, which isn't surprising for a single DD configuration, though note weight is slightly on the thinner side.
The Himalaya aces technicalities, amongst the midFI single DD contenders. Imaging, instrument and micro-details are very well portrayed. Soundstage is a highlight, with music going to beyond the ears in width and height.
COMPARISONS
The Himalaya will be compared against other midFI single DDs that are "tunable". Planars, multi-BAs, and hybrids are left out as the different driver types have their pros and cons.
The gold nozzle is used on the Himalaya for these comparisons.
DUNU Falcon Ultra
Graph of the Falcon Ultra via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
The Falcon Ultra has 2 tuning nozzles, with the blue ones offering a Harmanish signature, compared to the gold nozzles, which decrease resolution but provide a laid-back darker tuning.
With the blue nozzles installed, the Falcon Ultra has a bit more bass, but with less shout in the upper midrange. It has a thicker note weight, and is less fatiguing in the upper-end.
The Falcon Ultra is behind in soundstage and micro-detailing, but is superior to the Himalaya in imaging. The Falcon Ultra is also easier to drive, and has a better accessory packaging, though it is a scratch and fingerprint magnet due to its mirror-like faceplate.
I would consider these 2 as sidegrades.
Oriveti OD200
Graph of the OD200 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
The OD200 also has 2 tuning nozzles, veering between a very shouty neutral bright tonality (on the black nozzle), versus a laid back tuning on the silver nozzle.
Most users find the black nozzle unusable, due to an over-zealous 13 dB upper mids ear gain, so we will be doing the comparisons with the silver nozzles in-place.
On this setup, the OD200 sounds more placid and laid back, with a thicker note weight, and slightly better timbral accuracy. However, the OD200 pales in comparison in technicalities, having a more claustrophobic stage, weaker micro-details and sub-par imaging. The OD200 is also harder to drive.
The OD200 is in an inferior league in terms of tuning and technicalities, and I would recommend the Himalaya over it.
Simgot EA1000
Graph of the Simgot EA1000 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
OK, theoretically the EA1000 isn't a pure single DD. It has a passive radiator for the bass, but it functions mostly as a single DD, and is one of the midFI benchmarks, so definitely there will be interested readers for this comparison.
The EA1000 has 3 tuning nozzles, but all give a bright Harmanish tone, which is classical of Simgot's house sound.
The EA1000 has less bass and is brighter in the treble. It may be more sibilant as such, but the EA1000 has a bit less bite in the upper mids.
The EA1000 has a smaller soundstage, but has a hair better imaging, micro-detailing and clarity.
These 2 IEMs are sidegrades, with some variances in tuning.
CONCLUSIONS
The Himalaya should definitely be in the conversation when discussing midFI single DDs, keeping esteemed company with pace-setters such as the well-regarded Simgot EA1000 and DUNU Falcon Ultra.
In terms of non-sonic tangibles, the Himalaya has impeccable ergonomics, accessories and build, with easy drivability. Additionally, there are 3 tuning nozzles to vary the sonics.
On paper, 2 of the 3 tunings are very similar, so in essence, there are only 2 legit different tunings, between a brighter and resolving signature, and a more restrained and chiller tone; the latter has some compromise in resolution, but may be less fatiguing in the upper midrange.
On the brighter nozzles, this IEM has an expansive stage with competitive technical chops, with a transparent midrange and solid bass quality. It isn't one for bassheads in view of some sub-bass roll-off, and the upper mids may be a touch peaky at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), but this can be tamed with tip or source choice, or even just swapping to the warmer tuning nozzle, or using it at lower to moderate volumes.
Overall, the Himalaya is certainly a competitive midFI single DD, and gets my recommendation.
I would like to thank the NiceHCK for providing this review unit.
The Himalaya can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256806504567632.html (no affiliate links).
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: 10 mm CNT dynamic driver
- Frequency response: 20 Hz - 28 kHz
- Impedance: 22 Ω
- Sensitivity: 110 dB/mW
- Cable: 2-pin, 0.78 mm; silver-plated OFC; modules for 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm terminals
- Tested at: $329 USD
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of NiceHCK 07 wide-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L/)
- 3 pairs of NiceHCK 08 narrow-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- Plastic case for eartips
- Leatherette semi-rigid case for IEM
- Cable
- 3 modular terminals for 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modules
- 3 pairs of tuning nozzles
- Magnetic clasp
- Cleaning brush
Other than the lack of foam tips, the accessories are fit for a king. This is definitely befitting of a midFI IEM packaging, and almost everything that a discerning audiophile should require is inside.
We have 2 variants of silicone tips provided. The narrow-bore NiceHCK 08 tips boost bass with some soundstage compression, whereas the wide-bore NiceHCK 07 tips increase treble and staging. It is a nice touch that these eartips even come with their own plastic insert case.
A silver-plated OFC cable graces the packaging. This is very well-braided and supple, with minimal microphonics or tangling. It comes with a chin cinch and 3 pairs of modular terminals for single-ended (3.5 mm) and balanced (2.5 mm and 4.4 mm) terminations. Unlike some other modular cables which are just plugged on, this stock cable has a screw-on sheathing to prevent the module from inadvertently dropping out, which may be potentially disastrous if a connected phone or DAP drops off it!
We have a black leatherette semi-rigid case, which is compression-proof. The innards have webbing and a soft lining to cushion the contents, with a zipper mechanism to close it.
NiceHCK has added some other nice goodies such as a magnetic cable clasp and a cleaning brush, the former to tidy up the cable, and the latter to remove debris from the IEM.
We also have a trio of tuning nozzles, which we will discuss about in the subsequent sections.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock NiceHCK 08 silicone tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The Himalaya's housings are fashioned from aviation-grade titanium alloy, via 5-axis CNC machining. It is no exaggeration to say that they are literally built like tanks, and the Himalaya feels extremely solid and robust. With a matte grey finish, the shells are elegant yet practical - indeed, some prettier mirror-like shells may prove to be scratch or fingerprint magnets, unlike an unassuming matte faceplate.
Ergonomics are top-notch, and the earpieces are light yet comfortable, with no awkward protrusions to poke the ears.
I did not encounter any driver flex, and isolation is surprisingly above average.
TUNING NOZZLES/INTERNALS
The Himalaya's engine is a 10 mm CNT dynamic driver, which has front and rear cavities with coaxial dual-layer diaphragms, inlaid with N52 and N45 dual magnetic circuits. The 22 um ultra-thin CNT dome is clad with a CCAW copper aluminum voice coil.
Tuning nozzles and switches seem to be the flavour of the year, and the Himalaya comes with 3 pairs of tuning nozzles:
Graph of the NiceHCK Himalaya via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
As above, the gold and black nozzles are pretty similar - and some might say, borderline gimmicky - in furnishing a Harmanish tone with some sparkle in the lower treble, due to a slight 4 kHz uplift. These 2 nozzles are kings in technicalities, providing fast transients and crisp tones, with a textured and nimble bass. Do note however, that these 2 tunings feature an 11 dB ear gain, so these may be borderline shouty, especially at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve).
For folks who want a more laid back upper midrange and lower treble, the blue nozzle is a match made in heaven, bestowing a more chill soundscape, though there is admittedly some blunting of resolution with this nozzle.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Himalaya with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA11 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone
This IEM is relatively easily driven, and additional amplification is not 100% required.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
The following impressions were done with the gold nozzle installed.
On this configuration, tonally, the Himalaya sports a balanced Harmanish tone, as discussed above.
Bass is just slightly north of neutral, and this is not a basshead IEM by any means. There is a sub-bass preponderance, however, there is just a tickle of rumble heard in sub-bass heavy tracks. Bass has good texturing, with a nimble and fast bassline heard, with not an ounce of mid-bass bleeding.
The lower midrange is just a tinge depressed, but is very transparent in view of no mid-bass encroachment. Upper mids have a 11 dB ear gain - perhaps reminiscent of its Himalayan namesake? - this pushes vocals forwards, but there may be some shout heard, especially with louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve). Narrow-bore tips, lower volume playback and warmer sources may mitigate this area somewhat.
Treble continues on from the upper mids peak, with moderate extension. Sibilance is kept minimal, though we still have a decent sprinkling of clarity and resolution.
Timbre is natural, which isn't surprising for a single DD configuration, though note weight is slightly on the thinner side.
The Himalaya aces technicalities, amongst the midFI single DD contenders. Imaging, instrument and micro-details are very well portrayed. Soundstage is a highlight, with music going to beyond the ears in width and height.
COMPARISONS
The Himalaya will be compared against other midFI single DDs that are "tunable". Planars, multi-BAs, and hybrids are left out as the different driver types have their pros and cons.
The gold nozzle is used on the Himalaya for these comparisons.
DUNU Falcon Ultra
Graph of the Falcon Ultra via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
The Falcon Ultra has 2 tuning nozzles, with the blue ones offering a Harmanish signature, compared to the gold nozzles, which decrease resolution but provide a laid-back darker tuning.
With the blue nozzles installed, the Falcon Ultra has a bit more bass, but with less shout in the upper midrange. It has a thicker note weight, and is less fatiguing in the upper-end.
The Falcon Ultra is behind in soundstage and micro-detailing, but is superior to the Himalaya in imaging. The Falcon Ultra is also easier to drive, and has a better accessory packaging, though it is a scratch and fingerprint magnet due to its mirror-like faceplate.
I would consider these 2 as sidegrades.
Oriveti OD200
Graph of the OD200 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
The OD200 also has 2 tuning nozzles, veering between a very shouty neutral bright tonality (on the black nozzle), versus a laid back tuning on the silver nozzle.
Most users find the black nozzle unusable, due to an over-zealous 13 dB upper mids ear gain, so we will be doing the comparisons with the silver nozzles in-place.
On this setup, the OD200 sounds more placid and laid back, with a thicker note weight, and slightly better timbral accuracy. However, the OD200 pales in comparison in technicalities, having a more claustrophobic stage, weaker micro-details and sub-par imaging. The OD200 is also harder to drive.
The OD200 is in an inferior league in terms of tuning and technicalities, and I would recommend the Himalaya over it.
Simgot EA1000
Graph of the Simgot EA1000 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler artefact peak.
OK, theoretically the EA1000 isn't a pure single DD. It has a passive radiator for the bass, but it functions mostly as a single DD, and is one of the midFI benchmarks, so definitely there will be interested readers for this comparison.
The EA1000 has 3 tuning nozzles, but all give a bright Harmanish tone, which is classical of Simgot's house sound.
The EA1000 has less bass and is brighter in the treble. It may be more sibilant as such, but the EA1000 has a bit less bite in the upper mids.
The EA1000 has a smaller soundstage, but has a hair better imaging, micro-detailing and clarity.
These 2 IEMs are sidegrades, with some variances in tuning.
CONCLUSIONS
The Himalaya should definitely be in the conversation when discussing midFI single DDs, keeping esteemed company with pace-setters such as the well-regarded Simgot EA1000 and DUNU Falcon Ultra.
In terms of non-sonic tangibles, the Himalaya has impeccable ergonomics, accessories and build, with easy drivability. Additionally, there are 3 tuning nozzles to vary the sonics.
On paper, 2 of the 3 tunings are very similar, so in essence, there are only 2 legit different tunings, between a brighter and resolving signature, and a more restrained and chiller tone; the latter has some compromise in resolution, but may be less fatiguing in the upper midrange.
On the brighter nozzles, this IEM has an expansive stage with competitive technical chops, with a transparent midrange and solid bass quality. It isn't one for bassheads in view of some sub-bass roll-off, and the upper mids may be a touch peaky at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve), but this can be tamed with tip or source choice, or even just swapping to the warmer tuning nozzle, or using it at lower to moderate volumes.
Overall, the Himalaya is certainly a competitive midFI single DD, and gets my recommendation.
PeacockObscura
Great review, and very good comparison choices. The Himalaya is definitely a top tier Midfi iem
NiceHCK Himalaya
It has been a while since I dove into the HCK waters. Jim and crew at NiceHCK have been at it during the Pandemic and today we see the culmination of numerous IEM designs that now sees a new flagship.
The Himalaya is a type of name given to a flagship level IEM and that is what I am hearing from their newest creation utilizing the tried-and-true single 10mm CNT dual layered dynamic.
Himalaya uses an all metal, titanium alloy housing with a very plain all metal sandblasted surface. Nothing about them catches the eye and screams. Here, look at me or anything like that. This to me is appreciated as I have had plenty of great looking IEMs that don’t end up sounding all that great. The Himalaya is the opposite. To be honest they look a bit too plain. But what matters most and foremost is how they sound. It is sound and function over looks. You would never guess the sound that emanates from these IEMs happens to be one of if not the best sounding NiceHCK IEMs I have ever heard.
There I said it. These things are a marvel and can easily hang with some of the best designed single dynamic IEMs I have and own. I still consider my Dunu Luna the best dynamic IEM with honorable mention to Fiios FD7 but I have to admit the Himalayas tuning is actually more versatile in comparison and shares some similarities with the FD7 of all IEMs in its sound balancing from how I hear them.
What they come with.
The Himalaya comes with an assortment of 7 different sets of silicone tips in various sizes and colors. A modular silver plated OFC cable with 3 different connectors. 2.4mm balanced. 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm single ended. An all black square zip up case to carry your goods with and 3 sets of nozzle screw on filters for fine tuning your Himalaya experience.
Disclaimers. I would like to thank Jim and crew at NiceHCK for providing the Himalaya for the purpose of a review. The Himalaya has been burned in for a week's time and is now ready for review. They have been tested using my sources. The Fiio K9 Pro ESS, Fiio M15, M15S, IBasso DX300Max, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature, IBasso PB5 amp.
Sound
If any of you guys have had NiceHCK IEMs in the past. These guys have a tuning angle that can be referred to as their house sound and it always incorporates excellent vocal performances from male and female vocals. Reason why I say this is, I noticed NiceHCK does not do too many steep V shaped tunings where vocals sound recessed or do they have too many overly neutral monitor like IEMs on the other hand. I would say their tunings are generally more balanced as NiceHCK always incorporates a good solid bass foundation and always incorporates some substantial mids to play in their IEMs. The Himalaya is a reference level sounding IEM meaning it incorporates a lot of nuanced refinements into their sound profile while providing a very versatile balanced sound signature. What is great about the Himalaya is that when you hear it, even on open listen, it is not easy to spot faults in the sound tuning. In fact the sound is more than just the integration of highs, mids and lows on this one.
These are the most refined sounding NiceHCK IEM I have ever heard from them.
The two other filters tweak the treble end a bit to where one accentuates a bit more upper mids and trebles and the more narrow filter lowers the treble aspect to the point where the mids and bass is more of the focus. My review is based on the preinstalled stock gold copper nozzle which for me is the best nozzle filter out of the 3. I will just say I am not a fan of narrowing the sound channel on the nozzles for the sake of detuning a sound and that is what one of the filters are doing. To be fair the dark blue filter curbs the treble and upper mids where the focus of the sound is squarely on the bass and its lower mids for a warmer tuning. Some may like this but for me it kinda neuters why the stock filter makes the Himalaya sound so good. Will get into that much more here on the sound descriptor.
Technicalities.
Beyond the well-balanced tuning on the Himalaya. It has some of the best timbre for both instruments and vocals I have heard from a single dynamic. Its natural accurate tonal character at all parts if its sound performance really gives a picture of what you're hearing to be more about your music than it is about what the IEM is doing for that music if that makes sense. To me that is the best compliment I can give a sound tuning as the Himalaya is a transparent vessel to hear what you want to hear, your tracks the way you know and hear it. Nothing on the tuning is overly exaggerated, overly emphasized or do they throw out some type of colored bias tonal character.
Then there is how they image. The Himalayas imaging is more substantial vs most Harmon tuned IEMs as these have the necessary lower mids to bring body/ thickness to a sound profile. Good clarity but one with a body of note which a lot of harmon tuned IEMs are missing or lack in. Vocals have some meat and fullness with a natural lower end substance attack and decay to a sound, Male vocals and instruments such as Cellos, bass guitars and Pianos sound more grounded and more substantial. That fullness of note is something that these IEMs do a lot better than soo many recent me too harmon tuned IEMs. It is one of those aspects that you don't realize how important it is until you start analyzing the sound and comparing them to said harmon tuned IEMs “Simgot EA1000” that shows what those are lacking in.
Its relatively large deep full bodied sound profile is what makes the Himalaya sound so right. I have IEMs that are more grounded in the detail aspects but will lack the note weight and fullness of sound of the Himalayas. Strictly Harmon tuned IEMs can sound very detailed but none of that matters when you have a thinner sound profile. Sound separation is actually done really well on the Himalaya I will say is above average for dynamics that will be sold at this price range. The resolve of the 10mm DLC dynamic chosen by NiceHCK clearly shows. Again I have other dynamics that out resolves the Himalaya but those IEMs will cost you a whole bunch more money. At the price NiceHCK is asking for this set, it is ideal. There is nothing in the sound that sounds flat, canned, brittle, thin, confined or cripled. It is the exact opposite. Open, broad, rangy, well separated, substantially natural yet meaty and refined sounding at the same time.
Detailed aspects of the Himalaya are more groundined on its macro details vs micro. Could be due to the fact that it has this excellent note weight and fullness to its sound that masks a bit of the micro nuances that presents a bit easier on thinner sounding multi BA IEMs and or harmon tuned IEMs that has much upper mids and trebles to offset the rest of its tuning for the sake of a detailed sound signature. The trade off is that you get a full bodied sound which I would take 10 out of 10 times over an overly neutral signature that sounds thin and unnaturally too energetic which ends up being fatiguing in the long run.
Nothing on the Himalaya sounds forced, not the treble and not its upper to lower mids and certainly not its bass either. I keep using that word natural to describe the Himalaya but that is what I feel the overall sound does best. Its very natural full bodied tonal character but one that shows excellent accurate timbre. A bold balanced sound profile gives a really great overall enjoyment factor to how they relay your music.
Trebles
The trebles of the Himalaya has a moderate level of emphasis with the most emphasis toward its lower trebles, and has no treble grain of any type. It's not an overly rolled off treble emphasis I am hearing but does seem to incorporate a fairly larger dip at the sensitive 7khz area. ( NiceHCK likes to do this particular treble tuning on their IEMs) This could be the reason why I hear the Himalayas lack a touch in micro details. However the trebles overall have solid footing on the Himalayas overall sound presentation where trebles have the right amount of emphasis showing a good amount of sparkle. The balancing here is done well as the trebles take equal footing to the sound balancing of the mids and bass. Trebles sound clean, crisp and extend well enough. It could use just a bit, 2dbs less dip in the 6-7Khz range but otherwise I have nothing to really complain about. What is a bit puzzling here is that the black nozzle and the gold nozzle seem to be roughly the same in emphasis and sound character, don't know if it is me but I feel the black nozzle could be of a different material yielding just a slight extra emphasis for upper harmonics but otherwise the differences are miniscule. It is when you use the dark blue nozzle that really changes up the sound balancing of the Himalaya.
Using the dark blue narrow nozzle the treble is lowered quite a bit where the overall tonal character turns warm with its balancing skewed a bit more towards its bass and lower mids emphasis. That natural tonal character shifts to more of a warm balanced sound and while some may like this profile. It kinda neuters that exquisite balancing of the stock nozzle. Trebles sound a touch muted vs the other two and lowers the 6-7khz emphasis even more than what came with in its stock tunings. This neuters a lot of presence for vocals and stringed instruments and ends up sounding a touch dull in comparison. But for folks that like warmer signatures, here is your warmer signature.
Mids.
This is the real star of the Himalaya. Both vocals and instruments throw out a very natural tonal character but with clean distinction and an accurate timbre that has that excellent body of note I referred to earlier.
The driver chosen for the sound on the Himalaya is a very good one for its mids performance. The layering for the mid bands are clearly evident and music that requires them layers to bring forth the full sound experience. The Himalayas can perform to the degree that puts a lot of higher end IEMs to shame. Its airy but rangy vocal performance has more than the correct tonal character. That fullness of note here comes to play more so than a lot of IEMs I have been reviewing lately and I forgot just how good NiceHCK tunes the mid bands. It is quite remarkable the depth and height with a spacious stage of sound that the Himalayas perform with.
Lower mids presence for instruments and vocals alike are on clear display. It seems it is always the upper mids that more Chifi IEMs focus on but not as much for the lower mids where we perceive a lot of that body of note. Lower mids and bass related to the overall quality of a sound performance here is ideal in relation to its standard upper mids skew for better clarity. The Himalaya has both. I know a certain headfier that keeps asking me which IEM to buy for male vocals. I would put the Himalaya on your list my friend because there are not too many better for male vocals. This substantial lower mids presence and warmth reminds me of Fiios flagship pure Beryllium dynamic IEMs the FD7. Which cost approximately double that of what the Himalayas will be sold for. So in that regard these are a solid value.
The level of detail is not anything spectacular but more of how breathy, natural and weighty the sound can be at the same time. Mids detail level is solid but more so how it is presented with some excellent imaging to go with it. Tracks that are recorded with dimensional values you can clearly hear how excellent the Himalayas portray a dynamic recording.
Add to the element of a stage and projects with excellent height, depth and width of sound and you get something that leads to better sound immersion.
A lot of harmon tuned IEMs take precedence for female vocals and stringed instruments which the Himalaya does well but sometimes a bit too much for the sake of sacrificing lower mids for a bit of extra emphasis in the upper regions. This is where I feel the Himalaya gets it right. Sometimes a lower mids dip is necessary in order to get a bigger bass profile to happen if that is what the maker of the IEM is going for. But with the Himalaya it not only has the right amount of lower mids emphasis but also the bass end to go with it.
Bass
This aspect is a bit surprising. NiceHCK has always done bass well. They don’t do too many IEMs that are bass light but on the other hand, they don't do too many IEMs with bass being the emphasis for their sound signatures on the other hand. Bass has roughly a moderate 7dbs of emphasis for both mid and sub bass. The goldilocks for accurate bass emphasis the Himalaya has a surprising quality aspect to its bass impact and rumble. Bass definition is not only outstanding but is not afraid to come out to play for tracks that call for it. It's got a tight and fairly speedy bass presentation that much like its mids performance comes out clean and natural in ability.
I have always been a fan of CNT bass which stands for Carbon NanoTubes. Carbon based dynamics excel in detail especially for its bass performance. I have yet to hear a carbon-based dynamic that can’t bring a solid bass performance. The Himalaya is lauded as a flagship for NiceHCK and it is a title well deserved and it certainly helps that the bass is tasty and brings a tight accurate transient quality. Its bass end works amazing in conjunction with the lower mids emphasis to bring a very natural slightly warm tonal character with a body of note that some IEMs miss altogether. You just simply can’t have a natural descriptor without that warmth is what I am saying. Bass is very much fundamental and complementary to the tasteful mids of the Himalayas but it can be the focus at times depending on the track that calls for it.
Unlike other IEMs where bass is an afterthought. The bass end on the Himalaya can be featured due to their outstanding quality. Bass fans will not be disappointed with the quality but true bass fans will just want more of it. Moderate accurate bass brings the punch and a proper low bass rumble. If that's the area of sound that takes precedence for you, and it is because of the sheer quality of its bass performance, you're probably going to want a bit more of it.
To that I say, that is what bass boost on amps and or eq are for. The dark blue nozzle filter does bring more attention to NiceHCKs bass end as its treble sounds a bit muted which while still sounding balanced tilts the tonal character toward the Himalayas warm side of things. In analyzing the Himalaya I wish there was a filter option that was somewhere between the dark blue and with most of the treble aspects of the stock filters in place. This would have been ideal.
Now I am nitpicking more than anything. By the way this is something that you can actually do, especially if you own any of the Simgot IEMs. Simgot IEMs include tuning nozzles for their IEMs. EA500, EA500LM and the EA1000. Why am I mentioning this? Two reasons. For some of you the relatively short nozzles on the Himalaya will mean you might have a more difficult fitment to get a good seal. I just use a larger Azla Sendafit tip to compensate for that for me but this is a valid issue. Well the Simgot nozzle makes the nozzle longer. Not to mention you can tweak the treble and upper mids to be at the sound emphasis level that you want. This makes the Himalaya very moddable for anyone getting a set. You can get the Simgot EA500 tuning filter set bought on Aliexpress and fine tune your own treble dampening via mesh filters and foams that is included on the set.
Final
The Himalayas was a surprise to me with so many positives to its sound performance and comfort. I have to give props to Jim and his crew at NiceHCK. They have finally made what was good on their former flagship the Lofty into something that is not just more refined but easily represents some of the best dynamics you can buy at the price point. Its solid construction means they will last the test of time. Its easy 2 pin construction means you can cable roll to your hearts content to add or take away and sound characteristics you would like on the sound profile. Its one part highly technical and another part very musical and that makes for a great combo for an IEM sound. The Himalaya will be launched very soon for their world audience at the RP price point of $329 on NiceHCKs website on aliexpress, at that price these will more than meet your expectations of just how good single dynamics have become. Thanks for taking the time to read.
It has been a while since I dove into the HCK waters. Jim and crew at NiceHCK have been at it during the Pandemic and today we see the culmination of numerous IEM designs that now sees a new flagship.
The Himalaya is a type of name given to a flagship level IEM and that is what I am hearing from their newest creation utilizing the tried-and-true single 10mm CNT dual layered dynamic.
Himalaya uses an all metal, titanium alloy housing with a very plain all metal sandblasted surface. Nothing about them catches the eye and screams. Here, look at me or anything like that. This to me is appreciated as I have had plenty of great looking IEMs that don’t end up sounding all that great. The Himalaya is the opposite. To be honest they look a bit too plain. But what matters most and foremost is how they sound. It is sound and function over looks. You would never guess the sound that emanates from these IEMs happens to be one of if not the best sounding NiceHCK IEMs I have ever heard.
There I said it. These things are a marvel and can easily hang with some of the best designed single dynamic IEMs I have and own. I still consider my Dunu Luna the best dynamic IEM with honorable mention to Fiios FD7 but I have to admit the Himalayas tuning is actually more versatile in comparison and shares some similarities with the FD7 of all IEMs in its sound balancing from how I hear them.
What they come with.
The Himalaya comes with an assortment of 7 different sets of silicone tips in various sizes and colors. A modular silver plated OFC cable with 3 different connectors. 2.4mm balanced. 4.4mm balanced, 3.5mm single ended. An all black square zip up case to carry your goods with and 3 sets of nozzle screw on filters for fine tuning your Himalaya experience.
Disclaimers. I would like to thank Jim and crew at NiceHCK for providing the Himalaya for the purpose of a review. The Himalaya has been burned in for a week's time and is now ready for review. They have been tested using my sources. The Fiio K9 Pro ESS, Fiio M15, M15S, IBasso DX300Max, IFI Gryphon, IFI Signature, IBasso PB5 amp.
Sound
If any of you guys have had NiceHCK IEMs in the past. These guys have a tuning angle that can be referred to as their house sound and it always incorporates excellent vocal performances from male and female vocals. Reason why I say this is, I noticed NiceHCK does not do too many steep V shaped tunings where vocals sound recessed or do they have too many overly neutral monitor like IEMs on the other hand. I would say their tunings are generally more balanced as NiceHCK always incorporates a good solid bass foundation and always incorporates some substantial mids to play in their IEMs. The Himalaya is a reference level sounding IEM meaning it incorporates a lot of nuanced refinements into their sound profile while providing a very versatile balanced sound signature. What is great about the Himalaya is that when you hear it, even on open listen, it is not easy to spot faults in the sound tuning. In fact the sound is more than just the integration of highs, mids and lows on this one.
These are the most refined sounding NiceHCK IEM I have ever heard from them.
The two other filters tweak the treble end a bit to where one accentuates a bit more upper mids and trebles and the more narrow filter lowers the treble aspect to the point where the mids and bass is more of the focus. My review is based on the preinstalled stock gold copper nozzle which for me is the best nozzle filter out of the 3. I will just say I am not a fan of narrowing the sound channel on the nozzles for the sake of detuning a sound and that is what one of the filters are doing. To be fair the dark blue filter curbs the treble and upper mids where the focus of the sound is squarely on the bass and its lower mids for a warmer tuning. Some may like this but for me it kinda neuters why the stock filter makes the Himalaya sound so good. Will get into that much more here on the sound descriptor.
Technicalities.
Beyond the well-balanced tuning on the Himalaya. It has some of the best timbre for both instruments and vocals I have heard from a single dynamic. Its natural accurate tonal character at all parts if its sound performance really gives a picture of what you're hearing to be more about your music than it is about what the IEM is doing for that music if that makes sense. To me that is the best compliment I can give a sound tuning as the Himalaya is a transparent vessel to hear what you want to hear, your tracks the way you know and hear it. Nothing on the tuning is overly exaggerated, overly emphasized or do they throw out some type of colored bias tonal character.
Then there is how they image. The Himalayas imaging is more substantial vs most Harmon tuned IEMs as these have the necessary lower mids to bring body/ thickness to a sound profile. Good clarity but one with a body of note which a lot of harmon tuned IEMs are missing or lack in. Vocals have some meat and fullness with a natural lower end substance attack and decay to a sound, Male vocals and instruments such as Cellos, bass guitars and Pianos sound more grounded and more substantial. That fullness of note is something that these IEMs do a lot better than soo many recent me too harmon tuned IEMs. It is one of those aspects that you don't realize how important it is until you start analyzing the sound and comparing them to said harmon tuned IEMs “Simgot EA1000” that shows what those are lacking in.
Its relatively large deep full bodied sound profile is what makes the Himalaya sound so right. I have IEMs that are more grounded in the detail aspects but will lack the note weight and fullness of sound of the Himalayas. Strictly Harmon tuned IEMs can sound very detailed but none of that matters when you have a thinner sound profile. Sound separation is actually done really well on the Himalaya I will say is above average for dynamics that will be sold at this price range. The resolve of the 10mm DLC dynamic chosen by NiceHCK clearly shows. Again I have other dynamics that out resolves the Himalaya but those IEMs will cost you a whole bunch more money. At the price NiceHCK is asking for this set, it is ideal. There is nothing in the sound that sounds flat, canned, brittle, thin, confined or cripled. It is the exact opposite. Open, broad, rangy, well separated, substantially natural yet meaty and refined sounding at the same time.
Detailed aspects of the Himalaya are more groundined on its macro details vs micro. Could be due to the fact that it has this excellent note weight and fullness to its sound that masks a bit of the micro nuances that presents a bit easier on thinner sounding multi BA IEMs and or harmon tuned IEMs that has much upper mids and trebles to offset the rest of its tuning for the sake of a detailed sound signature. The trade off is that you get a full bodied sound which I would take 10 out of 10 times over an overly neutral signature that sounds thin and unnaturally too energetic which ends up being fatiguing in the long run.
Nothing on the Himalaya sounds forced, not the treble and not its upper to lower mids and certainly not its bass either. I keep using that word natural to describe the Himalaya but that is what I feel the overall sound does best. Its very natural full bodied tonal character but one that shows excellent accurate timbre. A bold balanced sound profile gives a really great overall enjoyment factor to how they relay your music.
Trebles
The trebles of the Himalaya has a moderate level of emphasis with the most emphasis toward its lower trebles, and has no treble grain of any type. It's not an overly rolled off treble emphasis I am hearing but does seem to incorporate a fairly larger dip at the sensitive 7khz area. ( NiceHCK likes to do this particular treble tuning on their IEMs) This could be the reason why I hear the Himalayas lack a touch in micro details. However the trebles overall have solid footing on the Himalayas overall sound presentation where trebles have the right amount of emphasis showing a good amount of sparkle. The balancing here is done well as the trebles take equal footing to the sound balancing of the mids and bass. Trebles sound clean, crisp and extend well enough. It could use just a bit, 2dbs less dip in the 6-7Khz range but otherwise I have nothing to really complain about. What is a bit puzzling here is that the black nozzle and the gold nozzle seem to be roughly the same in emphasis and sound character, don't know if it is me but I feel the black nozzle could be of a different material yielding just a slight extra emphasis for upper harmonics but otherwise the differences are miniscule. It is when you use the dark blue nozzle that really changes up the sound balancing of the Himalaya.
Using the dark blue narrow nozzle the treble is lowered quite a bit where the overall tonal character turns warm with its balancing skewed a bit more towards its bass and lower mids emphasis. That natural tonal character shifts to more of a warm balanced sound and while some may like this profile. It kinda neuters that exquisite balancing of the stock nozzle. Trebles sound a touch muted vs the other two and lowers the 6-7khz emphasis even more than what came with in its stock tunings. This neuters a lot of presence for vocals and stringed instruments and ends up sounding a touch dull in comparison. But for folks that like warmer signatures, here is your warmer signature.
Mids.
This is the real star of the Himalaya. Both vocals and instruments throw out a very natural tonal character but with clean distinction and an accurate timbre that has that excellent body of note I referred to earlier.
The driver chosen for the sound on the Himalaya is a very good one for its mids performance. The layering for the mid bands are clearly evident and music that requires them layers to bring forth the full sound experience. The Himalayas can perform to the degree that puts a lot of higher end IEMs to shame. Its airy but rangy vocal performance has more than the correct tonal character. That fullness of note here comes to play more so than a lot of IEMs I have been reviewing lately and I forgot just how good NiceHCK tunes the mid bands. It is quite remarkable the depth and height with a spacious stage of sound that the Himalayas perform with.
Lower mids presence for instruments and vocals alike are on clear display. It seems it is always the upper mids that more Chifi IEMs focus on but not as much for the lower mids where we perceive a lot of that body of note. Lower mids and bass related to the overall quality of a sound performance here is ideal in relation to its standard upper mids skew for better clarity. The Himalaya has both. I know a certain headfier that keeps asking me which IEM to buy for male vocals. I would put the Himalaya on your list my friend because there are not too many better for male vocals. This substantial lower mids presence and warmth reminds me of Fiios flagship pure Beryllium dynamic IEMs the FD7. Which cost approximately double that of what the Himalayas will be sold for. So in that regard these are a solid value.
The level of detail is not anything spectacular but more of how breathy, natural and weighty the sound can be at the same time. Mids detail level is solid but more so how it is presented with some excellent imaging to go with it. Tracks that are recorded with dimensional values you can clearly hear how excellent the Himalayas portray a dynamic recording.
Add to the element of a stage and projects with excellent height, depth and width of sound and you get something that leads to better sound immersion.
A lot of harmon tuned IEMs take precedence for female vocals and stringed instruments which the Himalaya does well but sometimes a bit too much for the sake of sacrificing lower mids for a bit of extra emphasis in the upper regions. This is where I feel the Himalaya gets it right. Sometimes a lower mids dip is necessary in order to get a bigger bass profile to happen if that is what the maker of the IEM is going for. But with the Himalaya it not only has the right amount of lower mids emphasis but also the bass end to go with it.
Bass
This aspect is a bit surprising. NiceHCK has always done bass well. They don’t do too many IEMs that are bass light but on the other hand, they don't do too many IEMs with bass being the emphasis for their sound signatures on the other hand. Bass has roughly a moderate 7dbs of emphasis for both mid and sub bass. The goldilocks for accurate bass emphasis the Himalaya has a surprising quality aspect to its bass impact and rumble. Bass definition is not only outstanding but is not afraid to come out to play for tracks that call for it. It's got a tight and fairly speedy bass presentation that much like its mids performance comes out clean and natural in ability.
I have always been a fan of CNT bass which stands for Carbon NanoTubes. Carbon based dynamics excel in detail especially for its bass performance. I have yet to hear a carbon-based dynamic that can’t bring a solid bass performance. The Himalaya is lauded as a flagship for NiceHCK and it is a title well deserved and it certainly helps that the bass is tasty and brings a tight accurate transient quality. Its bass end works amazing in conjunction with the lower mids emphasis to bring a very natural slightly warm tonal character with a body of note that some IEMs miss altogether. You just simply can’t have a natural descriptor without that warmth is what I am saying. Bass is very much fundamental and complementary to the tasteful mids of the Himalayas but it can be the focus at times depending on the track that calls for it.
Unlike other IEMs where bass is an afterthought. The bass end on the Himalaya can be featured due to their outstanding quality. Bass fans will not be disappointed with the quality but true bass fans will just want more of it. Moderate accurate bass brings the punch and a proper low bass rumble. If that's the area of sound that takes precedence for you, and it is because of the sheer quality of its bass performance, you're probably going to want a bit more of it.
To that I say, that is what bass boost on amps and or eq are for. The dark blue nozzle filter does bring more attention to NiceHCKs bass end as its treble sounds a bit muted which while still sounding balanced tilts the tonal character toward the Himalayas warm side of things. In analyzing the Himalaya I wish there was a filter option that was somewhere between the dark blue and with most of the treble aspects of the stock filters in place. This would have been ideal.
Now I am nitpicking more than anything. By the way this is something that you can actually do, especially if you own any of the Simgot IEMs. Simgot IEMs include tuning nozzles for their IEMs. EA500, EA500LM and the EA1000. Why am I mentioning this? Two reasons. For some of you the relatively short nozzles on the Himalaya will mean you might have a more difficult fitment to get a good seal. I just use a larger Azla Sendafit tip to compensate for that for me but this is a valid issue. Well the Simgot nozzle makes the nozzle longer. Not to mention you can tweak the treble and upper mids to be at the sound emphasis level that you want. This makes the Himalaya very moddable for anyone getting a set. You can get the Simgot EA500 tuning filter set bought on Aliexpress and fine tune your own treble dampening via mesh filters and foams that is included on the set.
Final
The Himalayas was a surprise to me with so many positives to its sound performance and comfort. I have to give props to Jim and his crew at NiceHCK. They have finally made what was good on their former flagship the Lofty into something that is not just more refined but easily represents some of the best dynamics you can buy at the price point. Its solid construction means they will last the test of time. Its easy 2 pin construction means you can cable roll to your hearts content to add or take away and sound characteristics you would like on the sound profile. Its one part highly technical and another part very musical and that makes for a great combo for an IEM sound. The Himalaya will be launched very soon for their world audience at the RP price point of $329 on NiceHCKs website on aliexpress, at that price these will more than meet your expectations of just how good single dynamics have become. Thanks for taking the time to read.
Attachments
Dsnuts
For you I would have said the Himalya will be your thing, now there are a few things you have to do in order to get them to a different level. Something I didn't go over in the review. Look into the Simgot Tuning nozzles. Which cost a buck right now on simgot site on aliexpress. Those nozzle just fit better on the Himalaya. Several reasons why these nozzles are better. If you get that Simgot nozzle filter you can tune the upper mids and treble to your liking. I mentioned on my review that I wish there was a medium filter between the blue and the stock nozzle and that is what the Simgot nozzles will do for you. I dont think the stock cable is the best for the Himalaya but they are certainly not bad. I would get them first and burn them in and see how you like it and go from there.
Dsnuts
TSMR-X is a level above the Himalya for bass has less lower mids presence so you will like vocals better on the Himalaya. Himalaya is not as dimensional sounding as the TSMR-X but its good in that regard. Its tonal and timbre character is more natural than the TSMR-X but TSMR-Xs bass switches makes them more versatile than the Himalaya when it comes to eclectic music listening. But the relatively well balanced Himalaya with excellent quality bass is not bad there either. Sound is not as airy as the TSMR-X and sound separation is not quite as good but again certainly not lacking in that department for the Himalaya. I think you did good by getting the Himalaya. Just know they can be better than what you will hear with them when you get them. It takes a good thicker upgraded cable and them Simgot nozzles with a foam piece underneath and you will get one of the best dynamic IEMs for the price in your ears.
The HIMALAYA:
The flagship 10mm CNT DD, CNC Titanium Alloy from NiceHCK Audio
Preamble:
IEMs are a lot like cars. The fact that there are new models coming out with some of the same technology as previous models, only at times offering refinements and advancements. There is a cost hierarchy where you need to pay for more engine horsepower/more drivers, or advanced shell construction in design. There are the interiors that can offer comfort, like the back-side of the semi-custom IEM fitment. You know when you sit in a car and go ahhhh. When you put that IEM in your ear and go ahhhh. Then when you start the car/turn-on the volume……it’s that thrill and the very reason we buy these things. In that there are never ending models of retail production. Some models hold onto the past with a homage to history, and other models scrape the ceiling of the times, seemingly seizing future technologies and putting them to use. And cars have styles, just like IEMs have various styles. Typically we buy cars which we know and trust, same as IEM brands. Yet every once in a while something special comes along to create a purchasing emotion...........sizzle……….and it is that sizzle that makes you hungry……..hungry for a taste of provocative technology.
Introduction:
Rarely am I the first kid on the block with a never before seen IEM around here. But that’s the perks of being a reviewer……as at times you are offered nice surprises. Yet there is a little pressure to get everything correct……..to focus the public's attitude here, by relaying thoughts and opinions. Sure my reviews are a lot like walking advertisements for products, yet they are sincere and the only way I know how to write? I would change my style, except that wouldn’t be me. Here the photographs have to look a certain way, and this script has to be written to the (informative) best of my ability. But since there are very few (if any) HIMALAYAs out in the wild, I also have to be detailed and accurate as to the reality of the IEM. With all that said, this is/was a fun job, and you know what they say about fun………..If it’s fun, it’s not work.
NiceHCK:
As such this company has been around, yet as of 2023/2024 NiceHCK has increased their game. Yep, seemingly coming out of the backwoods and into the front row. Starting primarily as a cable builder, they are incredibly budget minded, offering nice cables at value prices. While I only have a few NiceHCK cables, those three are very well behaved both in demeanor and sonics. I have only got a taste of three NiceHCK IEMs so far, each has been special and represents their specific price point and sonic goals.
Here is the thing……if you went and got the F1 Pro 14.5mm Planar, the DB2 entry level IEM and this HIMALAYA IEM, you would still have only spent roughly $470.00 for all three.
Possible USD HIMALAYA Price $348.00
NiceHCK DB2 Price $22.99
NiceHCK F1 Pro $99.00
Now you may be wondering why I’m concentrating on price so early in the review here, shouldn’t I get to sound and construction first? I’m concentrating on price right-off as that’s the value here. Also the fact that NiceHCK has just released 3 very different IEMs. All at three different price-points. That (in-fact) you could own each one and still have three very different individual IEM sound styles, and slightly different driver methodology outcomes.
Let’s concentrate on the F1 Pro and the HIMALAYA:
You see, having the two NiceHCKs is completely and totally complementary here. But better than that, in that just by their individual contrasting tone they validate each other's existence here at Head-Fi. But more than that, if I can suggest these tone signatures represent 2 sides of a coin, to where the F1 Pro is a little of a macho brute, and the HIMALAYA is offering sophistication on a whole different level. What this means to you and your listening profile is having both is not a waist. Like if you had a closet full of belts and shoes……there is a chance that some will be used more than others……..yet I can promise you NiceHCK didn’t repeat themselves here, and are offering up different windows into your music, that while both are intrinsically different due to driver and construction methodology, neither is any lesser of a IEM, and most importantly neither is wrong with what they do.
The F1 Pro v the HIMALAYA:
Really when you get down to it both share a similar tune, except for starters the F1 Pro Planer is harder to drive. Now before I said the F1 Pro is a brute, really what I meant is almost nothing out there offers up the fine filigree of treble details like the HIMALAYA. I guess I’ll start with the upper stage and treble positioning here, as that seems to be an area of endless fascination.
Nozzle changes:
Now the real question presents itself as how is the HIMALAYA with the Blue Bass enhancement nozzles in direct comparison to the F1 Pro. You see, it really is the F1 Pro tune that is it’s claim to fame, with the reality of many consumers finding this or that wrong with many Planar IEMs, only to find a home with the F1 Pro. Often listeners will give away a (IEM which has a) tune that doesn’t sit well with them, or shelf an IEM and not listen to it..........for fear of it not exactly matching the tonal balance they are after. Even though the F1 Pro has price leading technicalities, the retail of $99.00 only goes so far, and truly it is the tune which is at the core of its success. Sure NiceHCK will introduce a Flagship with better detail and itemization of imaging……..except what would happen if we attempted to make the HIMALAYA more fun with a fuller deep-end? Would it surpass the F1 Pro, or would the FI Pro seemingly have a better tune, regardless of technicalities?
Let’s see:
My guess is the technicalities will prevail here, simply making the HIMALAYA better no-matter-what? Trying this set-up of the Blue Bass nozzles and HIMALAYA, we actually find a smoother and more even stature of more maturity. The bass is in no way overboard, yet the F1 Pro shows a vibrant upper midrange that is noticeably both more forward, yet less detailed. Here the volume differences when listening presented an issue where the HIMALAYA volume had to be drastically reduced to match the Planars. I mean this was not totally what I was expecting as the HIMALAYA was simply even more polished with the Bass filter attached. What that did was create a bass focus yet there was still total balance, that balance a more sophisticated relay subtly sitting back and generating a smoother and less all around aggressive stance…….a politeness ever so compounding the differences from the F1 Pro. The HIMALAYA still had its subtle V shape, but the small filter hole let the treble through, yet possibly pulled back the overall volume one more level? I would suggest this HIMALAYA set-up if in your history you found the F1 Pro to be too much of a vibrant and macho individual IEM. Normally we always combine vibrancy will clarity, only the HIMALAYA here politely sits back holding advanced confidence, and lets its wilder, smaller and less expensive brother act out, despite having less control over the replay.
Kaveh Cohen, Michael Nielsen
Forza Motorsport OST
Brotherhood
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
In the song Brotherhood there is actually a separation and pronounced realization of a finite tap of a cymbal sound. This finite detail is so hidden in the mix that I am not sure I ever heard it before now. And that is the HIMALAYA in a nutshell. The fact that very small sounds come about, and not because of a jacked-up treble. The sounds are in-fact completely natural, yet shown due to pure technicalities.
Being this is not a BA driver, becomes even that much of a watershed event.
That treble artifact:
The point is I actually have to revert back to the HIMALAYA to find the items timestamp place for this song...........as with the F1 Pro we are left with a hint of the sound, only it is not dislodged and separated from the background tones.........like the HIMALAYA does so very well.
At the last part of 00:09 the hit takes place……..and yes it is incredibly small, yet this artifact adds to the pace found as hits always do. Yet upon further investigation its a set of hits one one strong one, with others trailing off like an echo delay. I don’t want to focus too much on this single artifact, yet it proves the ability of both the HIMALAYA drivers' ability to showcase such a sound, but also to separate it from the other tones.
If any of you had slight issues with the upper midrange being too forward with the F1 Pro, here we have seen NiceHCK go about a more relaxed upper midrange positioning. Simply call me smitten, but this compounds my love for the 10mm CNT DD the HIMALAYA is sporting. Maybe one reason they can lower the energy is the details are still there, showcased by good and old-fashioned technicalities here.
At 00:42 we are given an example of the true expanse of the stage. Here is a segment of the song that allows a wide open synth wash to..............wash over-us causing endorphins to surge.
The other feature here is bass, that while slightly more bass is offered up by the F1 Pro v HIMALAYA (Balanced mode) it’s not as detailed in holding finite placement into the stage as what occurs with the HIMALAYA. I mean sure the F1 Pro is less than 1/3 of the HIMALAYA’s price, but aren’t Panars supposed to offer something special in the bass department? I don’t want any of this review to undermine the true statement of how good the F1 Pro is, as it is absolutely the best Planar value, and holds a place in the top three Planar IEMs I’ve tried, if not the very top. Only we are meeting up with a whole different animal here, demanding respect due to simple ability……..and I haven’t even got to the tuning balance yet. Lol
I mean sure technicalities can start to overwhelm a review. Reason being is if instruments are correctly generated in imaging, then that simply offers up more details, from information stored inside the music. If that is combined with ultimate timbre, well…….then success starts to happen. Yep, creativity in the making here…….and that’s what we have.
This all happens due to the even, complete and correct idea the HIMALAYA has as far as tonal values. Now as far as overall balance here, I have heard deeper bass and brighter treble (balanced nozzle) results, but that’s the thing…….this quota of balance is uncanny, being such I challenge anyone to find fault in it. Sure graphs will surface and the measurement-heads will regularly make their opinions known…….for that is a fact of life, still if the graph shows up good, or parts questionable, it is irrelevant……why? Because no graphs are needed. What is found here is beyond graphs to quantify. I mean sure you can get an idea as to the demeanor here, but the real value of this IEM is the stage, that somehow the imaging into the stage is so correctly positioned.
That there is a pure and wholesome placement of images which can never be communicated via a graph. That it is with-in this area of separation that the HIMALAYA charm is found, and it is those experiences that ask for another listen and another…..and so on.
To summarize our challenge here:
While truly dynamic sounding and fun….and complete for just $99.00, the F1 Pro packs a serious amount of listening horsepower. The F1 Pro has its own charms being it’s way smaller than the HIMALAYA and contrasting in that it weighs only 5 grams compared to the 12 grams the HIMALAYA weights. But while both tuned similarly, it is the HIMALAYA which through technicalities makes those details of instruments and vocals a reality, something the F1 Pro due to inability left on the table.
Music tests:
I have all day to get to the build/shape and packaging……yadda-yadda-yadda………really come-on, I promise that stuff is all good, yet the sound is what this review is about…….plus this section is totally fun and easy to write about.....and I'm lazy.
Hans Zimmer
Inception OST
Old Souls
44.1 kHz - 16 bit
Here is a great song to showcase contrasts, piano timbre….and of course the famous bass drops found here. It has been so many years since I saw (the movie) Inception, and truly I don’t remember the plot, something about guys sitting around talking a lot, then streets and special effects going hog wild. Yet I listen to this OST all the time. Now to clue in on a very special Hans Zimmer construction method, he drops a piano note directly on-top of the biggest bass drop you have ever heard on IEMs........and it is not just quality but quantity here.
Let’s go:
At 00:23 the piano in question starts off. We also get reverberation held into such a note. The interesting part is leading up to the 00:23 spot there are also piano notes except they may be reversed or subdued, but probably reversed in time……….going backwards in time is a great way to impose a feeling of timelessness in music, as too the effect of disorientation like waking from a dream.
The Blade Runner synth:
At 00:23 this note is also accompanied by a nice homage to Blade Runner synth. Seemingly communicating only the way two sets of keys can talk. At 00:53 that legendary bass drop hits. Now this is important, because I have heard it way more bass laden and even detailed with less costing IEMs before……..but really..........at this point those past references become meaningless. There is less bass note definition, except the initial boom is holding perfect transients and a clean attack. Where this attack is quality in that it’s not overpowering the midrange, or being too showy for its own good. In fact, because of this carefulness we can now locate volume changes from 00:53 to 00:57 as holding actual instrument detail and not a bucket of nonsense. And of course it goes without saying that this song excels at holding the three musical bands in union, of the bass, the midrange and the treble……..somehow as fully separated and intermingling with one another. At 02:55 we start to become engulfed, even inundated with more volume and contrasts.
As such........at 02:27 a violin is chosen to scathingly scratch the stage traveling like a wild lost hornet.
And then at 01:32 a reverberated guitar.........and after that at 01:44 breathing fast in and out…………… heck there is breathing all through this song......…like a porno movie. And yet each musical element is dissected and itemized here, like a song you can listen to over and over and keep learning new things, as the song is simple yet very detailed.
Gdanian
Induction
Shield Emitter (feat. Tineidae)
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
This is a really important song to have placed here simply due to the way the bass is displayed. The genre is ambient except it would be defined as a bass ambient sub-genre. Only the most important aspects of this number is the use of layers, layers to try and understand both bass separation and the scattering of item tone into the 3D stage. OMG…………I am beside myself at this moment. And unexpectedly it’s not totally about the bass……….at 00:10 there is an additive of a ringing bell that just so happens to add contrast to the bass notes heard……..and once again you have to hear it to believe it.
We are gifted with a precise and infinitely small ringing………way beyond anything I was expecting here?
But of course the bass………or should I say 8 different bass tracks all going off together into the realization of extreme bass environments...........playing out at the 00:20 mark. At 00:42 the ringing hits again…….though this time it is a clump of treble. There is what sounds like a paper tear which travels right to left before the big white noise marker at 00:54. All I can say is this song isn’t always great with the IEMs I test, yet here the visceral world of found sounds triggers deep meaning and fun........in ways I can’t really put down on paper……..just if you're into this style of music give this song a try. Cheers! The words for this song today is layered and big, like a cake, or better yet an onion. Maybe an onion cake?
Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski
Grand Turismo OST
Jann’s Journey
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
My bet is this will be the biggest set of sounds we experience today. Why? Well this is a live orchestra recorded on a soundstage. Where often (only used) synth instruments can sound vivid, they don’t always hold room reverbs…….as such reverb units often are not able to fully replicate a live stage setting, at least that’s my idea. But also this is not a home recorded song, from a home studio, but a full-on arrangement produced for a major Hollywood motion picture. And sure the first Hans Zimmer song was too, only that was released in 2010, and Grand Turismo OST was released in 2023……..I simply feel it sounds bigger, or forward or something?
At the opening from a multi-drum accent up till 00:05..........we get a taste of what we will find. I have listened and burned the HIMALAYA in for a solid week, and when it wasn’t on the burn-in bench it was in my ears. I am backed up 5 reviews deep and those IEMs sit on a shelf as I am truly preoccupied here. It is survival of the fittest here at Redcarmoose Labs………those IEMs that perform get ear-time, and even IEMs not yet unboxed will often not get the time of day only due to expectations. Speaking of expectations…....…I never heard this song before from the HIMALAYA, I simply have so much time, and truly I would have used this song sooner, I simply didn’t know how good it would be. As a test song, after numerous IEMs being used, I have come to understand if an IEM has trouble with this song it is normally due to pace issues. As this is quite the song to try and take apart. As such there are choruses, big drums (timpani) violins etc….etc. We are even given a broad range rhythm section……and believe it or not, this rhythm section has come to light here as one of the stand-out features today. Why? They decided to throw everything in this……as far as multiple tracks of multiple rhythm instruments, and not only that, but the mixing is crazy having the multitracks spew these items into a fast traveling chain of events across the whole darn stage. At 01:05 we are now once more gifted with a metallic chime, only this time it is not from BAs as no BAs are used, that in fact once more it is the separation here with ingredients that sound like more BA than a single DD.
That has been my prediction for 2024 success........I have a feeling this is the future………the sound of the BA detail in the future, yet using DDs.........is what the future brings us?
I have made it my preference to enjoy the dislocation of sounds brought forth from Hybrids………Yet stuff out now, like what this HIMALAYA does, is remarkable in that the design has transcended the drawbacks normally associated with DD………………..meaning cramped stage, and a treble fall-off. That or no bass, something was always to blame for being that while great at some aspects of playback, DDs always could not pull-off the items of detail brought forth from treble instruments all that well. But now we have both separation into the stage and great timbre, not holding really any metallic attributes in replay. It is the transient ability here that is creating the drum additive imaging, that quite frankly is remarkable for a DD. Especially at 01:09 as there are too many to list items of replay........seemingly traveling across the stage and interlocked with rhythm. We hear a chorus then the tinkle of bells at 01:15………..only to be once again midrange synth sequenced into a traveling speed, as this is a race car movie OST.
At 02:19 the rhythm subsides and we are rewarded for participation with a final drum at 02:35…….. My idea here is that if there is a slight tweak of timbre (in balanced nozzle use) and it is on the up-push, which while not at all metallic, could be viewed as not 100% natural, though the tilt actually adds to songs like this?
DCD
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Really this is my favorite test track at the moment, and yes I’ve tried it a number of times with the HIMALAYA. Probably to try and understand where we have traveled (due to burn-in) this past week...............the song is simply more smooth, and holds better separation of imaging…........and slightly deeper bass. Of course this could be from mental burn-in too? To try to describe this opening tone, the drum sound is pretty close to perfect, holding the dynamics and separation found (especially localized) with the ride cymbal into showing contrasts.
Probably the most rewarding thing and unique thing about this song, is even though I have heard it 100s of times, I am now witnessing not only the different emphasis of strike here, but a slightly new movement of positioning into the reaction of the hit. Combined with the bass drop and downbeat at the 00:18 mark, there is an exquisite single emphasis with a single strike a millisecond sooner, and we can totally perceive that!
To an IEM fan, this is what we live for, to have the auditory glass cleaned and the giant detail lens brought into position, without the unnatural treble boost to mistakenly do it.
But wait………what was all that nonsense prior? This song hasn’t even come alive yet. The world guitar of Brendan Perry at the 00:38. The vivid high pitched and lovely vocals of Lisa Gerrard lightning up the room at 01:13.
My gosh, are these really as good as they sound right now? I actually don’t want to say how good they are for fear of losing credibility…………or washing away any remnants of credibility I have left?
But for those still reading, and those still curious about female vocals, these were made for female vocals, as such we have abundant textures and reverberations, details abound.............truly all I could wish for from any IEM in existence. It is times like this where I undermine my very own believability…………risking it all to try and get the very point across................that is the cause of such emotion. Yet I don’t care…………you will see if you take a climb into the mountain range called the HIMALAYA?
DCD
Anastasis
All In Good Time
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Finally some good old fashioned bass and male vocals. I would truly call this tune a carefully executed neutral with a slight bass tilt and treble tilt. As such they become strangely well-rounded, finding equal home with use is Rock, EDM, Classical, OST, World Music and New Age. I know you are looking for some dirt here………sorry can’t dig-up any today. Even so much as Vocal Music and Singer Songwriter seems to be the HIMALAYAs forte? Even extreme Heavy Metal…………..where I let my DAP play on and on and I picked it up with Heavy Metal blasting, and not any Metal..........but tweaked-up and forward treble guitars, you know the kind……the guitar sound that could strip paint of the walls if left to play loudly. And that was the best feature here, is that even that was both detailed and still sounding correct to the producers intention. Where yes, there was still a found emphasis in the upper treble guitar parts, where they are simply over-done and that’s how the sub-genre is…….It is what powers the sub-genre! Anyhow…….that's the magic found here.........is that vocals like DCD can live and coexist with Extreme Metal, and both styles of music get catered to.
Well-roundedness:
Ha, crazy as it sounds I ended up using a number of cables as well as a number of sources and it always worked out to be fine. What that means to you is you can leave the modular cable attached and use the HIMALAYA on the go! From a phone it is balanced and not thin, but a very musical form of replay. Get home at pull out your audiophile DAP and find 3.5mm to be just that one step closer to perfection, and finally going and switching to 4.4mm allowing the different amplifier of your Audiophile DAP to take the HIMALAYA away to simply wider stage environments plus greater vocal or instrument separation at hand.
People who know me know I’m a cable experimenter, and while different cables surely offered a slightly different window to look out into the HIMALAYA landscape, no one cable was too right…….or too wrong. Now typically that would give reference to transparency........and maybe it is still true……..but the minimal change between sources and cables meant less writing to do on my part………………..simply because it’s all good anyway you choose to slice it. Except moving from 3.5mm phone use, to 3.5mm DAP use……and finally 4.4mm DAP use meant everything as far as witnessing separation and vividness. Now the single question is what would happen if we matched the Blue Bass nozzles to the Sony WM1Z? This is adding bass on top of bass. See the 1Z is the most bass laden DAP I own, it proclaims success by throwing out big round/deep bass realities, and tops that balance out with crystal clear treble energies…….so it is more V shaped than the midrange WM1A energies. Even EQ and aftermarket software only goes so far to try to make the 1A perform like the 1Z. Reason being the internal capacitors are different, showing an alternative amplification system. Because the Blue filters narrow the nozzle port from the back of the nozzles, in many ways we are now experiencing a narrow-bore ear-tip, even if wide-bores are in use. Here the outcome is far more digestible than you would guess beforehand. I mean sure these nozzle changes are real, and very different (from SIMGOT) from simply packing-in a different layer of foam, only the HIMALAYA balance can’t seem to be interfered with, parleying a deeper bass, except the treble makes it though, and the bass is really not interfering with the midrange……..it’s all good, and better than good as this may be exactly how I use the HIMALAYA daily from here on out. Still there is no denying the magic the Gold balanced nozzles provided, and the expanded midrange of the 1A put together, a more midrange idea, holding those midrange and treble details in more focus and contrast in daily use. I mean there is an emotional connection to the first time you hear the HIMALAYA and a want to return to those backseat love sessions.
SIMGOT:
To be fair SIMGOT is using different nozzle material and at times foam and filter stickers. But the results are opposite here. This is due to SIMGOT focusing primarily on the upper midrange peak, if you don't mind me over generalizing here. NiceHCK is approaching the nozzles by changing the Grey to shorter size, Balanced to normal size, and Bass to a narrow exit port, thus truly altering the respected areas of frequency response.
Specifications:
Brand: NICEHCK
Model: Himalaya
Production Type: In ear
Driver unit: 10mm dynamic
Diaphragm: Dual magnetic dual layer CNT
Shell material: Titanium alloy
Sensitivity: 110dB/mW
Impedance: 22Ohm
Frequency response: 20-28kHz
Cable material: Silver plated OFC
Connector: 0.78mm 2Pin
Plug type: 3-in-1
Packaging:
There is one set of tips on the IEM, and two more blue ones in the case. Then there are an additional four clear silicones in the case extra. You get a cleaning brush, and a storage case. Three different plugs which lock in which screw down locking fasteners. 1) 3.5mm 1) 2.5mm 1) 4.4mm
There is a user manual, a warranty card and a link card.
Build:
Coming in made of hefty solid titanium alloy, you can’t scratch it……..at all. The nozzles are easy to place on and unscrew without issue. While sure at 12 grams each, these are not play toys. Yet at the same time the semi-custom shape means this weight is truly packed inside your ear. And remember, that it is not how heavy the IEM is, it is where it sits in the ear, if the outcome is comfortable or not. You start to get the impression that these are little works of art, especially how they are fabricated. The thing is the more and more you use them the better they sound and the more climatized you just become to how they feel, they will become all you listen to, if you're like me? And because of that the build goes one step further to kind-of substantiate that you're going to have them for a long, long time…….like permanently? Lol
Cable:
What can I say about the cable. NiceHCK is a cable builder first and foremost. This cable offers a range of ergonomics, movability, yet it is silver plated OFC giving great acoustics. As such it comes with a remarkable 3-in-1 modular system which proves one step more by giving the listener the ability to screw down a fastener and permanently keep the modular plugs joined. It also comes with non-agresive ear-hooks. As such there is always the possibility of using aftermarket cables with-out ear-hooks, though I have to say, these ear-hooks feel good in use.
Nozzle:
Gold Filter-Balanced Style
Grey Filter-High Frequency Style
Blue Filter-Heavy Bass Style
Conclusion:
Do you think this review was long, do you think it was complete? I have a confession to make……..I could have written easily two times more ramblings. Why? This HIMALAYA is inspiring that’s why. But seriously who cares about a written review? Such things are secondary, I just want to listen to the HIMALAYA, except I was given this thing so that I can tell others about it, and that’s what I’ve done. It’s not normal, it’s not normal to find a 12 gram titanium switchable nozzle custom form factor IEM? These three filters are also wild in that truthfully I have never seen an extreme filter like the bass blue filter work the way it does. What that means is I perceive the GOLD as balanced and with maybe a hint of upper tilt. But the Blue filter is Heavy Bass style which changes up the whole demeanor. Now you would think that the Blue would somehow hide details, when in fact the Blue could have been stock tuning with no other filters included, that’s how complete and really balanced the HIMALAYA is in bass mode. The Grey filters are the shortest in length and they boost high frequencies, yet I see myself utilizing the Gold and Blue filters. The Gold is longer like the Blue, yet the Blue has a narrow port on the inside. I have a confession to make, I spent most of the week with the Gold filters, and had no idea the bass filters could in-fact be so much fun. So if you don’t hear from me for a while, I’m off for another week now experiencing what the bass filters can do. You know why I didn’t care about the filters……..because normally filters are not this much fun. I mean seriously have you ever seen filters that look like these? It is true the HIMALAYA is a hard pill to swallow for reviewers, simply because it causes market disruption. That style of disruption took over Redcarmoose Labs and took up way too much time, yet that listening time is what Head-Fi is about, the simple enjoyment of music. The HIMALAYA is built like an heirloom, something you could pass on to your kids, it is super tough yet sounds delicate and sophisticated.
The HIMALAYA may be just like the mountain range it was named after, a final destination that you don’t even know you have arrived at until you are there. Truthfully I’ve never been to the HIMALAYAN mountain range, but my Father was an outdoor instructor. So you can only imagine my childhood, filled with a Dad making me climb the tallest mountains in North America, across the continental divide, across the valleys and vistas. At times spending whole months in the wild with all the magic and drama that those places provide. Staring at the night sky each night always reminded us of the infinite, the infinite and the beauty of the mountain night stars. During the day, every time we got to the mountain top he would explain which mountain it was, and how high it was in relation to the other mountains. And in many ways the HIMALAYA could be your personal mountain top, a place to arrive and look down on all that was achieved. I have only heard three NiceHCK IEM, but I can’t fathom them ever making anything at this particular level before? If this sounds like a purchase you would make, I can promise you that the nozzles really do something wild, and have the power to make this particular IEM loved by many. There is nothing fake or hokey about how the nozzles work. The cable is absolutely fine, with your choice of 3.5mm. 2.5mm or 4.4mm. The cable provides ear-hooks but the HIMALAYA fit so deep that it wasn’t an issue in-case you have a few other cables in mind.
The HIMALAYA comes with a TOTL box opening experience, a choice of quality ear-tips, a brush and quality control paperwork and a lovey zipper-case. What else do you want? What else could you possibly need? If you want a more basshead IEM it is that, if you want balanced it’s that too, and if you’re into treble, it can go there also, and in each form of the HIMALAYA it is still relatively complete and still holds that charm that charmed me the first week of demoing it.
This is the real deal, it is, and a TOTL under (estimated) $350.00…………….makes this truly a no-brainer. In my humble opinion. Get yours today, you’ll be glad you did.
$329.00
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256806504567632.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2jpn
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Vivian at NiceHCK for the love and exquisite HIMALAYA Universal IEM review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP in 4.4mm balanced
Samsung Phone 3.5mm output
The flagship 10mm CNT DD, CNC Titanium Alloy from NiceHCK Audio
Preamble:
IEMs are a lot like cars. The fact that there are new models coming out with some of the same technology as previous models, only at times offering refinements and advancements. There is a cost hierarchy where you need to pay for more engine horsepower/more drivers, or advanced shell construction in design. There are the interiors that can offer comfort, like the back-side of the semi-custom IEM fitment. You know when you sit in a car and go ahhhh. When you put that IEM in your ear and go ahhhh. Then when you start the car/turn-on the volume……it’s that thrill and the very reason we buy these things. In that there are never ending models of retail production. Some models hold onto the past with a homage to history, and other models scrape the ceiling of the times, seemingly seizing future technologies and putting them to use. And cars have styles, just like IEMs have various styles. Typically we buy cars which we know and trust, same as IEM brands. Yet every once in a while something special comes along to create a purchasing emotion...........sizzle……….and it is that sizzle that makes you hungry……..hungry for a taste of provocative technology.
Introduction:
Rarely am I the first kid on the block with a never before seen IEM around here. But that’s the perks of being a reviewer……as at times you are offered nice surprises. Yet there is a little pressure to get everything correct……..to focus the public's attitude here, by relaying thoughts and opinions. Sure my reviews are a lot like walking advertisements for products, yet they are sincere and the only way I know how to write? I would change my style, except that wouldn’t be me. Here the photographs have to look a certain way, and this script has to be written to the (informative) best of my ability. But since there are very few (if any) HIMALAYAs out in the wild, I also have to be detailed and accurate as to the reality of the IEM. With all that said, this is/was a fun job, and you know what they say about fun………..If it’s fun, it’s not work.
NiceHCK:
As such this company has been around, yet as of 2023/2024 NiceHCK has increased their game. Yep, seemingly coming out of the backwoods and into the front row. Starting primarily as a cable builder, they are incredibly budget minded, offering nice cables at value prices. While I only have a few NiceHCK cables, those three are very well behaved both in demeanor and sonics. I have only got a taste of three NiceHCK IEMs so far, each has been special and represents their specific price point and sonic goals.
Here is the thing……if you went and got the F1 Pro 14.5mm Planar, the DB2 entry level IEM and this HIMALAYA IEM, you would still have only spent roughly $470.00 for all three.
Possible USD HIMALAYA Price $348.00
NiceHCK DB2 Price $22.99
NiceHCK F1 Pro $99.00
Now you may be wondering why I’m concentrating on price so early in the review here, shouldn’t I get to sound and construction first? I’m concentrating on price right-off as that’s the value here. Also the fact that NiceHCK has just released 3 very different IEMs. All at three different price-points. That (in-fact) you could own each one and still have three very different individual IEM sound styles, and slightly different driver methodology outcomes.
Let’s concentrate on the F1 Pro and the HIMALAYA:
You see, having the two NiceHCKs is completely and totally complementary here. But better than that, in that just by their individual contrasting tone they validate each other's existence here at Head-Fi. But more than that, if I can suggest these tone signatures represent 2 sides of a coin, to where the F1 Pro is a little of a macho brute, and the HIMALAYA is offering sophistication on a whole different level. What this means to you and your listening profile is having both is not a waist. Like if you had a closet full of belts and shoes……there is a chance that some will be used more than others……..yet I can promise you NiceHCK didn’t repeat themselves here, and are offering up different windows into your music, that while both are intrinsically different due to driver and construction methodology, neither is any lesser of a IEM, and most importantly neither is wrong with what they do.
The F1 Pro v the HIMALAYA:
Really when you get down to it both share a similar tune, except for starters the F1 Pro Planer is harder to drive. Now before I said the F1 Pro is a brute, really what I meant is almost nothing out there offers up the fine filigree of treble details like the HIMALAYA. I guess I’ll start with the upper stage and treble positioning here, as that seems to be an area of endless fascination.
Nozzle changes:
Now the real question presents itself as how is the HIMALAYA with the Blue Bass enhancement nozzles in direct comparison to the F1 Pro. You see, it really is the F1 Pro tune that is it’s claim to fame, with the reality of many consumers finding this or that wrong with many Planar IEMs, only to find a home with the F1 Pro. Often listeners will give away a (IEM which has a) tune that doesn’t sit well with them, or shelf an IEM and not listen to it..........for fear of it not exactly matching the tonal balance they are after. Even though the F1 Pro has price leading technicalities, the retail of $99.00 only goes so far, and truly it is the tune which is at the core of its success. Sure NiceHCK will introduce a Flagship with better detail and itemization of imaging……..except what would happen if we attempted to make the HIMALAYA more fun with a fuller deep-end? Would it surpass the F1 Pro, or would the FI Pro seemingly have a better tune, regardless of technicalities?
Let’s see:
My guess is the technicalities will prevail here, simply making the HIMALAYA better no-matter-what? Trying this set-up of the Blue Bass nozzles and HIMALAYA, we actually find a smoother and more even stature of more maturity. The bass is in no way overboard, yet the F1 Pro shows a vibrant upper midrange that is noticeably both more forward, yet less detailed. Here the volume differences when listening presented an issue where the HIMALAYA volume had to be drastically reduced to match the Planars. I mean this was not totally what I was expecting as the HIMALAYA was simply even more polished with the Bass filter attached. What that did was create a bass focus yet there was still total balance, that balance a more sophisticated relay subtly sitting back and generating a smoother and less all around aggressive stance…….a politeness ever so compounding the differences from the F1 Pro. The HIMALAYA still had its subtle V shape, but the small filter hole let the treble through, yet possibly pulled back the overall volume one more level? I would suggest this HIMALAYA set-up if in your history you found the F1 Pro to be too much of a vibrant and macho individual IEM. Normally we always combine vibrancy will clarity, only the HIMALAYA here politely sits back holding advanced confidence, and lets its wilder, smaller and less expensive brother act out, despite having less control over the replay.
Kaveh Cohen, Michael Nielsen
Forza Motorsport OST
Brotherhood
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
In the song Brotherhood there is actually a separation and pronounced realization of a finite tap of a cymbal sound. This finite detail is so hidden in the mix that I am not sure I ever heard it before now. And that is the HIMALAYA in a nutshell. The fact that very small sounds come about, and not because of a jacked-up treble. The sounds are in-fact completely natural, yet shown due to pure technicalities.
Being this is not a BA driver, becomes even that much of a watershed event.
That treble artifact:
The point is I actually have to revert back to the HIMALAYA to find the items timestamp place for this song...........as with the F1 Pro we are left with a hint of the sound, only it is not dislodged and separated from the background tones.........like the HIMALAYA does so very well.
At the last part of 00:09 the hit takes place……..and yes it is incredibly small, yet this artifact adds to the pace found as hits always do. Yet upon further investigation its a set of hits one one strong one, with others trailing off like an echo delay. I don’t want to focus too much on this single artifact, yet it proves the ability of both the HIMALAYA drivers' ability to showcase such a sound, but also to separate it from the other tones.
If any of you had slight issues with the upper midrange being too forward with the F1 Pro, here we have seen NiceHCK go about a more relaxed upper midrange positioning. Simply call me smitten, but this compounds my love for the 10mm CNT DD the HIMALAYA is sporting. Maybe one reason they can lower the energy is the details are still there, showcased by good and old-fashioned technicalities here.
At 00:42 we are given an example of the true expanse of the stage. Here is a segment of the song that allows a wide open synth wash to..............wash over-us causing endorphins to surge.
The other feature here is bass, that while slightly more bass is offered up by the F1 Pro v HIMALAYA (Balanced mode) it’s not as detailed in holding finite placement into the stage as what occurs with the HIMALAYA. I mean sure the F1 Pro is less than 1/3 of the HIMALAYA’s price, but aren’t Panars supposed to offer something special in the bass department? I don’t want any of this review to undermine the true statement of how good the F1 Pro is, as it is absolutely the best Planar value, and holds a place in the top three Planar IEMs I’ve tried, if not the very top. Only we are meeting up with a whole different animal here, demanding respect due to simple ability……..and I haven’t even got to the tuning balance yet. Lol
I mean sure technicalities can start to overwhelm a review. Reason being is if instruments are correctly generated in imaging, then that simply offers up more details, from information stored inside the music. If that is combined with ultimate timbre, well…….then success starts to happen. Yep, creativity in the making here…….and that’s what we have.
This all happens due to the even, complete and correct idea the HIMALAYA has as far as tonal values. Now as far as overall balance here, I have heard deeper bass and brighter treble (balanced nozzle) results, but that’s the thing…….this quota of balance is uncanny, being such I challenge anyone to find fault in it. Sure graphs will surface and the measurement-heads will regularly make their opinions known…….for that is a fact of life, still if the graph shows up good, or parts questionable, it is irrelevant……why? Because no graphs are needed. What is found here is beyond graphs to quantify. I mean sure you can get an idea as to the demeanor here, but the real value of this IEM is the stage, that somehow the imaging into the stage is so correctly positioned.
That there is a pure and wholesome placement of images which can never be communicated via a graph. That it is with-in this area of separation that the HIMALAYA charm is found, and it is those experiences that ask for another listen and another…..and so on.
To summarize our challenge here:
While truly dynamic sounding and fun….and complete for just $99.00, the F1 Pro packs a serious amount of listening horsepower. The F1 Pro has its own charms being it’s way smaller than the HIMALAYA and contrasting in that it weighs only 5 grams compared to the 12 grams the HIMALAYA weights. But while both tuned similarly, it is the HIMALAYA which through technicalities makes those details of instruments and vocals a reality, something the F1 Pro due to inability left on the table.
Music tests:
I have all day to get to the build/shape and packaging……yadda-yadda-yadda………really come-on, I promise that stuff is all good, yet the sound is what this review is about…….plus this section is totally fun and easy to write about.....and I'm lazy.
Hans Zimmer
Inception OST
Old Souls
44.1 kHz - 16 bit
Here is a great song to showcase contrasts, piano timbre….and of course the famous bass drops found here. It has been so many years since I saw (the movie) Inception, and truly I don’t remember the plot, something about guys sitting around talking a lot, then streets and special effects going hog wild. Yet I listen to this OST all the time. Now to clue in on a very special Hans Zimmer construction method, he drops a piano note directly on-top of the biggest bass drop you have ever heard on IEMs........and it is not just quality but quantity here.
Let’s go:
At 00:23 the piano in question starts off. We also get reverberation held into such a note. The interesting part is leading up to the 00:23 spot there are also piano notes except they may be reversed or subdued, but probably reversed in time……….going backwards in time is a great way to impose a feeling of timelessness in music, as too the effect of disorientation like waking from a dream.
The Blade Runner synth:
At 00:23 this note is also accompanied by a nice homage to Blade Runner synth. Seemingly communicating only the way two sets of keys can talk. At 00:53 that legendary bass drop hits. Now this is important, because I have heard it way more bass laden and even detailed with less costing IEMs before……..but really..........at this point those past references become meaningless. There is less bass note definition, except the initial boom is holding perfect transients and a clean attack. Where this attack is quality in that it’s not overpowering the midrange, or being too showy for its own good. In fact, because of this carefulness we can now locate volume changes from 00:53 to 00:57 as holding actual instrument detail and not a bucket of nonsense. And of course it goes without saying that this song excels at holding the three musical bands in union, of the bass, the midrange and the treble……..somehow as fully separated and intermingling with one another. At 02:55 we start to become engulfed, even inundated with more volume and contrasts.
As such........at 02:27 a violin is chosen to scathingly scratch the stage traveling like a wild lost hornet.
And then at 01:32 a reverberated guitar.........and after that at 01:44 breathing fast in and out…………… heck there is breathing all through this song......…like a porno movie. And yet each musical element is dissected and itemized here, like a song you can listen to over and over and keep learning new things, as the song is simple yet very detailed.
Gdanian
Induction
Shield Emitter (feat. Tineidae)
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
This is a really important song to have placed here simply due to the way the bass is displayed. The genre is ambient except it would be defined as a bass ambient sub-genre. Only the most important aspects of this number is the use of layers, layers to try and understand both bass separation and the scattering of item tone into the 3D stage. OMG…………I am beside myself at this moment. And unexpectedly it’s not totally about the bass……….at 00:10 there is an additive of a ringing bell that just so happens to add contrast to the bass notes heard……..and once again you have to hear it to believe it.
We are gifted with a precise and infinitely small ringing………way beyond anything I was expecting here?
But of course the bass………or should I say 8 different bass tracks all going off together into the realization of extreme bass environments...........playing out at the 00:20 mark. At 00:42 the ringing hits again…….though this time it is a clump of treble. There is what sounds like a paper tear which travels right to left before the big white noise marker at 00:54. All I can say is this song isn’t always great with the IEMs I test, yet here the visceral world of found sounds triggers deep meaning and fun........in ways I can’t really put down on paper……..just if you're into this style of music give this song a try. Cheers! The words for this song today is layered and big, like a cake, or better yet an onion. Maybe an onion cake?
Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski
Grand Turismo OST
Jann’s Journey
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
My bet is this will be the biggest set of sounds we experience today. Why? Well this is a live orchestra recorded on a soundstage. Where often (only used) synth instruments can sound vivid, they don’t always hold room reverbs…….as such reverb units often are not able to fully replicate a live stage setting, at least that’s my idea. But also this is not a home recorded song, from a home studio, but a full-on arrangement produced for a major Hollywood motion picture. And sure the first Hans Zimmer song was too, only that was released in 2010, and Grand Turismo OST was released in 2023……..I simply feel it sounds bigger, or forward or something?
At the opening from a multi-drum accent up till 00:05..........we get a taste of what we will find. I have listened and burned the HIMALAYA in for a solid week, and when it wasn’t on the burn-in bench it was in my ears. I am backed up 5 reviews deep and those IEMs sit on a shelf as I am truly preoccupied here. It is survival of the fittest here at Redcarmoose Labs………those IEMs that perform get ear-time, and even IEMs not yet unboxed will often not get the time of day only due to expectations. Speaking of expectations…....…I never heard this song before from the HIMALAYA, I simply have so much time, and truly I would have used this song sooner, I simply didn’t know how good it would be. As a test song, after numerous IEMs being used, I have come to understand if an IEM has trouble with this song it is normally due to pace issues. As this is quite the song to try and take apart. As such there are choruses, big drums (timpani) violins etc….etc. We are even given a broad range rhythm section……and believe it or not, this rhythm section has come to light here as one of the stand-out features today. Why? They decided to throw everything in this……as far as multiple tracks of multiple rhythm instruments, and not only that, but the mixing is crazy having the multitracks spew these items into a fast traveling chain of events across the whole darn stage. At 01:05 we are now once more gifted with a metallic chime, only this time it is not from BAs as no BAs are used, that in fact once more it is the separation here with ingredients that sound like more BA than a single DD.
That has been my prediction for 2024 success........I have a feeling this is the future………the sound of the BA detail in the future, yet using DDs.........is what the future brings us?
I have made it my preference to enjoy the dislocation of sounds brought forth from Hybrids………Yet stuff out now, like what this HIMALAYA does, is remarkable in that the design has transcended the drawbacks normally associated with DD………………..meaning cramped stage, and a treble fall-off. That or no bass, something was always to blame for being that while great at some aspects of playback, DDs always could not pull-off the items of detail brought forth from treble instruments all that well. But now we have both separation into the stage and great timbre, not holding really any metallic attributes in replay. It is the transient ability here that is creating the drum additive imaging, that quite frankly is remarkable for a DD. Especially at 01:09 as there are too many to list items of replay........seemingly traveling across the stage and interlocked with rhythm. We hear a chorus then the tinkle of bells at 01:15………..only to be once again midrange synth sequenced into a traveling speed, as this is a race car movie OST.
At 02:19 the rhythm subsides and we are rewarded for participation with a final drum at 02:35…….. My idea here is that if there is a slight tweak of timbre (in balanced nozzle use) and it is on the up-push, which while not at all metallic, could be viewed as not 100% natural, though the tilt actually adds to songs like this?
DCD
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Really this is my favorite test track at the moment, and yes I’ve tried it a number of times with the HIMALAYA. Probably to try and understand where we have traveled (due to burn-in) this past week...............the song is simply more smooth, and holds better separation of imaging…........and slightly deeper bass. Of course this could be from mental burn-in too? To try to describe this opening tone, the drum sound is pretty close to perfect, holding the dynamics and separation found (especially localized) with the ride cymbal into showing contrasts.
Probably the most rewarding thing and unique thing about this song, is even though I have heard it 100s of times, I am now witnessing not only the different emphasis of strike here, but a slightly new movement of positioning into the reaction of the hit. Combined with the bass drop and downbeat at the 00:18 mark, there is an exquisite single emphasis with a single strike a millisecond sooner, and we can totally perceive that!
To an IEM fan, this is what we live for, to have the auditory glass cleaned and the giant detail lens brought into position, without the unnatural treble boost to mistakenly do it.
But wait………what was all that nonsense prior? This song hasn’t even come alive yet. The world guitar of Brendan Perry at the 00:38. The vivid high pitched and lovely vocals of Lisa Gerrard lightning up the room at 01:13.
My gosh, are these really as good as they sound right now? I actually don’t want to say how good they are for fear of losing credibility…………or washing away any remnants of credibility I have left?
But for those still reading, and those still curious about female vocals, these were made for female vocals, as such we have abundant textures and reverberations, details abound.............truly all I could wish for from any IEM in existence. It is times like this where I undermine my very own believability…………risking it all to try and get the very point across................that is the cause of such emotion. Yet I don’t care…………you will see if you take a climb into the mountain range called the HIMALAYA?
DCD
Anastasis
All In Good Time
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Finally some good old fashioned bass and male vocals. I would truly call this tune a carefully executed neutral with a slight bass tilt and treble tilt. As such they become strangely well-rounded, finding equal home with use is Rock, EDM, Classical, OST, World Music and New Age. I know you are looking for some dirt here………sorry can’t dig-up any today. Even so much as Vocal Music and Singer Songwriter seems to be the HIMALAYAs forte? Even extreme Heavy Metal…………..where I let my DAP play on and on and I picked it up with Heavy Metal blasting, and not any Metal..........but tweaked-up and forward treble guitars, you know the kind……the guitar sound that could strip paint of the walls if left to play loudly. And that was the best feature here, is that even that was both detailed and still sounding correct to the producers intention. Where yes, there was still a found emphasis in the upper treble guitar parts, where they are simply over-done and that’s how the sub-genre is…….It is what powers the sub-genre! Anyhow…….that's the magic found here.........is that vocals like DCD can live and coexist with Extreme Metal, and both styles of music get catered to.
Well-roundedness:
Ha, crazy as it sounds I ended up using a number of cables as well as a number of sources and it always worked out to be fine. What that means to you is you can leave the modular cable attached and use the HIMALAYA on the go! From a phone it is balanced and not thin, but a very musical form of replay. Get home at pull out your audiophile DAP and find 3.5mm to be just that one step closer to perfection, and finally going and switching to 4.4mm allowing the different amplifier of your Audiophile DAP to take the HIMALAYA away to simply wider stage environments plus greater vocal or instrument separation at hand.
People who know me know I’m a cable experimenter, and while different cables surely offered a slightly different window to look out into the HIMALAYA landscape, no one cable was too right…….or too wrong. Now typically that would give reference to transparency........and maybe it is still true……..but the minimal change between sources and cables meant less writing to do on my part………………..simply because it’s all good anyway you choose to slice it. Except moving from 3.5mm phone use, to 3.5mm DAP use……and finally 4.4mm DAP use meant everything as far as witnessing separation and vividness. Now the single question is what would happen if we matched the Blue Bass nozzles to the Sony WM1Z? This is adding bass on top of bass. See the 1Z is the most bass laden DAP I own, it proclaims success by throwing out big round/deep bass realities, and tops that balance out with crystal clear treble energies…….so it is more V shaped than the midrange WM1A energies. Even EQ and aftermarket software only goes so far to try to make the 1A perform like the 1Z. Reason being the internal capacitors are different, showing an alternative amplification system. Because the Blue filters narrow the nozzle port from the back of the nozzles, in many ways we are now experiencing a narrow-bore ear-tip, even if wide-bores are in use. Here the outcome is far more digestible than you would guess beforehand. I mean sure these nozzle changes are real, and very different (from SIMGOT) from simply packing-in a different layer of foam, only the HIMALAYA balance can’t seem to be interfered with, parleying a deeper bass, except the treble makes it though, and the bass is really not interfering with the midrange……..it’s all good, and better than good as this may be exactly how I use the HIMALAYA daily from here on out. Still there is no denying the magic the Gold balanced nozzles provided, and the expanded midrange of the 1A put together, a more midrange idea, holding those midrange and treble details in more focus and contrast in daily use. I mean there is an emotional connection to the first time you hear the HIMALAYA and a want to return to those backseat love sessions.
SIMGOT:
To be fair SIMGOT is using different nozzle material and at times foam and filter stickers. But the results are opposite here. This is due to SIMGOT focusing primarily on the upper midrange peak, if you don't mind me over generalizing here. NiceHCK is approaching the nozzles by changing the Grey to shorter size, Balanced to normal size, and Bass to a narrow exit port, thus truly altering the respected areas of frequency response.
Specifications:
Brand: NICEHCK
Model: Himalaya
Production Type: In ear
Driver unit: 10mm dynamic
Diaphragm: Dual magnetic dual layer CNT
Shell material: Titanium alloy
Sensitivity: 110dB/mW
Impedance: 22Ohm
Frequency response: 20-28kHz
Cable material: Silver plated OFC
Connector: 0.78mm 2Pin
Plug type: 3-in-1
Packaging:
There is one set of tips on the IEM, and two more blue ones in the case. Then there are an additional four clear silicones in the case extra. You get a cleaning brush, and a storage case. Three different plugs which lock in which screw down locking fasteners. 1) 3.5mm 1) 2.5mm 1) 4.4mm
There is a user manual, a warranty card and a link card.
Build:
Coming in made of hefty solid titanium alloy, you can’t scratch it……..at all. The nozzles are easy to place on and unscrew without issue. While sure at 12 grams each, these are not play toys. Yet at the same time the semi-custom shape means this weight is truly packed inside your ear. And remember, that it is not how heavy the IEM is, it is where it sits in the ear, if the outcome is comfortable or not. You start to get the impression that these are little works of art, especially how they are fabricated. The thing is the more and more you use them the better they sound and the more climatized you just become to how they feel, they will become all you listen to, if you're like me? And because of that the build goes one step further to kind-of substantiate that you're going to have them for a long, long time…….like permanently? Lol
Cable:
What can I say about the cable. NiceHCK is a cable builder first and foremost. This cable offers a range of ergonomics, movability, yet it is silver plated OFC giving great acoustics. As such it comes with a remarkable 3-in-1 modular system which proves one step more by giving the listener the ability to screw down a fastener and permanently keep the modular plugs joined. It also comes with non-agresive ear-hooks. As such there is always the possibility of using aftermarket cables with-out ear-hooks, though I have to say, these ear-hooks feel good in use.
Nozzle:
Gold Filter-Balanced Style
Grey Filter-High Frequency Style
Blue Filter-Heavy Bass Style
Conclusion:
Do you think this review was long, do you think it was complete? I have a confession to make……..I could have written easily two times more ramblings. Why? This HIMALAYA is inspiring that’s why. But seriously who cares about a written review? Such things are secondary, I just want to listen to the HIMALAYA, except I was given this thing so that I can tell others about it, and that’s what I’ve done. It’s not normal, it’s not normal to find a 12 gram titanium switchable nozzle custom form factor IEM? These three filters are also wild in that truthfully I have never seen an extreme filter like the bass blue filter work the way it does. What that means is I perceive the GOLD as balanced and with maybe a hint of upper tilt. But the Blue filter is Heavy Bass style which changes up the whole demeanor. Now you would think that the Blue would somehow hide details, when in fact the Blue could have been stock tuning with no other filters included, that’s how complete and really balanced the HIMALAYA is in bass mode. The Grey filters are the shortest in length and they boost high frequencies, yet I see myself utilizing the Gold and Blue filters. The Gold is longer like the Blue, yet the Blue has a narrow port on the inside. I have a confession to make, I spent most of the week with the Gold filters, and had no idea the bass filters could in-fact be so much fun. So if you don’t hear from me for a while, I’m off for another week now experiencing what the bass filters can do. You know why I didn’t care about the filters……..because normally filters are not this much fun. I mean seriously have you ever seen filters that look like these? It is true the HIMALAYA is a hard pill to swallow for reviewers, simply because it causes market disruption. That style of disruption took over Redcarmoose Labs and took up way too much time, yet that listening time is what Head-Fi is about, the simple enjoyment of music. The HIMALAYA is built like an heirloom, something you could pass on to your kids, it is super tough yet sounds delicate and sophisticated.
The HIMALAYA may be just like the mountain range it was named after, a final destination that you don’t even know you have arrived at until you are there. Truthfully I’ve never been to the HIMALAYAN mountain range, but my Father was an outdoor instructor. So you can only imagine my childhood, filled with a Dad making me climb the tallest mountains in North America, across the continental divide, across the valleys and vistas. At times spending whole months in the wild with all the magic and drama that those places provide. Staring at the night sky each night always reminded us of the infinite, the infinite and the beauty of the mountain night stars. During the day, every time we got to the mountain top he would explain which mountain it was, and how high it was in relation to the other mountains. And in many ways the HIMALAYA could be your personal mountain top, a place to arrive and look down on all that was achieved. I have only heard three NiceHCK IEM, but I can’t fathom them ever making anything at this particular level before? If this sounds like a purchase you would make, I can promise you that the nozzles really do something wild, and have the power to make this particular IEM loved by many. There is nothing fake or hokey about how the nozzles work. The cable is absolutely fine, with your choice of 3.5mm. 2.5mm or 4.4mm. The cable provides ear-hooks but the HIMALAYA fit so deep that it wasn’t an issue in-case you have a few other cables in mind.
The HIMALAYA comes with a TOTL box opening experience, a choice of quality ear-tips, a brush and quality control paperwork and a lovey zipper-case. What else do you want? What else could you possibly need? If you want a more basshead IEM it is that, if you want balanced it’s that too, and if you’re into treble, it can go there also, and in each form of the HIMALAYA it is still relatively complete and still holds that charm that charmed me the first week of demoing it.
This is the real deal, it is, and a TOTL under (estimated) $350.00…………….makes this truly a no-brainer. In my humble opinion. Get yours today, you’ll be glad you did.
$329.00
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256806504567632.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2jpn
Disclaimer:
I want to thank Vivian at NiceHCK for the love and exquisite HIMALAYA Universal IEM review sample.
Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.
Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm and 3.5mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP in 4.4mm balanced
Samsung Phone 3.5mm output
Redcarmoose
@Bleuciel,
So sorry have not heard the Dunu Glacier.
So sorry have not heard the Dunu Glacier.
Redcarmoose
@Nick24JJ,
They really are complete and wonderful! Cheers!
They really are complete and wonderful! Cheers!
Giving me the perfect fit for hours without any discomfort.