QoA Aviation
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Packaging & Accessories
The box art is really really nice. I'm not someone to really care for box art nor presentation but I can't lie this unboxing experience is very pleasant.
Comes with a black box with pretty good stock eartips although there's not many different sizes with the eartips. There mostly bigger eartipsso someone with small ears may need to tip roll. (I apologize I didn't take a pic)
The case is extremely nice and very premium looking & feeling. It's a pretty big case with a big mesh compartment on this inside. You can essentially Carry any iem with extra tips, qudelix and a bunch of accessories in here and have a do it all case. Really well done from kinera imo.
Build & Design & Comfort
The shell is very very eye catching and its simply gorgeous. We all know kinera makes very nice designs for there iems but I feel like they didn't really bring all that effort to there sister brand. Not saying that in a rude way but I felt as if they weren't as nice looking...until now!
Isolation is very good on these and luckily they aren't too tip dependent and you should get a good seal everytime. You won't hear voices and low frequency sounds get blocked out nearly completely. All in all they're ****kn comfortable
Sound Quality
Ok so this iem is a very different sounding iem imo, it's not the typical Harman sounding chifi iem at least to me.
Bass is well done on this set to my ears the sub bass while present doesn't overpower the bass but that doesn't mean with the sub is bad of weak by any means, it just needs a decent source and of course a good fit. When powered nicely the sub can hit real low and isn't one note sounding so stuff like rap music and edm is a real joy. Overall the sub is satisfying although it can lack a bit of Detail at times compared to its midbass
Midbass is super well done, it's textured, punchy, and has great control. Simply put it's very very good midbass
Mids
Mids are the star of the show. The vocals are very very natural sounding and the note weight is amazing. Both male and female vocals are perfectly balanced to me and this midrange is very very addicting. Instruments again have a crazy good timbre and the note weight is fantastic You will hear a lot of notes that you've never heard before with these, the mids regardless of price range is nearly S tier.
Treble
This is where it can get a little less correct sounding, while it's still GOOD it's not great like it's midrange. Some songs I found it to get weird peaks with certain eartips and some songs. Not sure where this flaw is in its FR but just keep in mind it can show up on some poorly recorded songs or very bright
songs. But of course we live in a world where EQ exists so yeah you're chillin
Overall I find this to be a nearly fantastic iem. It's midrange is super detailed and natural. Bass again is well done with a great sub and midbass that really punches above its price. for 200 bucks (USD) this is a great offering from kinera and I can see this set pleasing many audio nutjobs like myself.
The box art is really really nice. I'm not someone to really care for box art nor presentation but I can't lie this unboxing experience is very pleasant.
Comes with a black box with pretty good stock eartips although there's not many different sizes with the eartips. There mostly bigger eartipsso someone with small ears may need to tip roll. (I apologize I didn't take a pic)
The case is extremely nice and very premium looking & feeling. It's a pretty big case with a big mesh compartment on this inside. You can essentially Carry any iem with extra tips, qudelix and a bunch of accessories in here and have a do it all case. Really well done from kinera imo.
Build & Design & Comfort
The shell is very very eye catching and its simply gorgeous. We all know kinera makes very nice designs for there iems but I feel like they didn't really bring all that effort to there sister brand. Not saying that in a rude way but I felt as if they weren't as nice looking...until now!
Isolation is very good on these and luckily they aren't too tip dependent and you should get a good seal everytime. You won't hear voices and low frequency sounds get blocked out nearly completely. All in all they're ****kn comfortable
Sound Quality
Ok so this iem is a very different sounding iem imo, it's not the typical Harman sounding chifi iem at least to me.
Bass is well done on this set to my ears the sub bass while present doesn't overpower the bass but that doesn't mean with the sub is bad of weak by any means, it just needs a decent source and of course a good fit. When powered nicely the sub can hit real low and isn't one note sounding so stuff like rap music and edm is a real joy. Overall the sub is satisfying although it can lack a bit of Detail at times compared to its midbass
Midbass is super well done, it's textured, punchy, and has great control. Simply put it's very very good midbass
Mids
Mids are the star of the show. The vocals are very very natural sounding and the note weight is amazing. Both male and female vocals are perfectly balanced to me and this midrange is very very addicting. Instruments again have a crazy good timbre and the note weight is fantastic You will hear a lot of notes that you've never heard before with these, the mids regardless of price range is nearly S tier.
Treble
This is where it can get a little less correct sounding, while it's still GOOD it's not great like it's midrange. Some songs I found it to get weird peaks with certain eartips and some songs. Not sure where this flaw is in its FR but just keep in mind it can show up on some poorly recorded songs or very bright
songs. But of course we live in a world where EQ exists so yeah you're chillin
Overall I find this to be a nearly fantastic iem. It's midrange is super detailed and natural. Bass again is well done with a great sub and midbass that really punches above its price. for 200 bucks (USD) this is a great offering from kinera and I can see this set pleasing many audio nutjobs like myself.
Attachments
Queen Of Audio - AVIATION : Elevated Music Experience!
Summary:
Launched in Sep'2023, QoA launched their newest hybrid IEM which comes with 1DD+3BA architecture. The Aviation looks great and also provides a great musical performance. Coming at a price range $198, the AVIATION comes with resin shells which are very lightweight, ergonomic and comfortable. The sound experience is just great for the price range which we will see from the details below.
Introduction:
Let's quickly dive into the details without making the introduction very lengthy. The AVIATION features 1 Dynamic Driver + 3 Knowles BAs. It comes with a great modular cable and a good case. The overall presentation is indeed praiseworthy.
The QoA AVIATION is priced at $198.
Design & Build:
The shells are very lightweight and ergonomic and made of some resin based material and is 3D printed. The paint & design is superb and can be easily compared with some $500 IEMs. The shells are quite light-weight and very comfortable. I have found them very comfortable throughout long listening sessions.
It is described as the following on the website:
Specifications:
The AVIATION comes at $198 price tag and the specifications are as below:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805743432769.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
The Box & Accessories:
The following are found in the box:
The Cables:
Default:
AVIATION comes with a 2 Pin 0.78mm 5N OCC based cable with 3.5mm & 44mm interchangeable plugs. The cable looks good, the fit and weight is also the right amount and is just amazing for this price range!
.
Whiskey (Optional buy):
In the website, there is also option to buy with an optional cable named Whiskey. This cable follows Litz multi-stranded structure, with 4 core double parallel twisted 5N OCC with silver plated + alloy copper with silver plated copper. The cable comes with 126 strands/core, total 504 strands and 1.7mm/core.
Also, it comes with the 3.5mm and 4.4mm interchangeable plug system. Switching from the default cable to Whiskey cable results in significantly scaled up performance from the IEM mainly owing to the better conductivity and higher thread count ensuring better power flow to the IEM. The price of this cable as a separate buy is $78. However, it can come as part of the bundle for extra $58 only ($257 total).
Ear Tips:
I have tried many different ear-tips with the AVIATION, starting from Spinfit W1, CP500, CP100+, JVC Spiral Dots+, Final Audio Black & Transparent ones.
But the best fit and isolation for my ears had been AZLA SednaFit ones. I have hence used them for majority of the review.
,
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....
Items Used for this Review:
DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, @MOONDROP DAWN PRO
Portable Players / Sources : @Cayin N7, Astell & Kern SE300, @Questyle QP2R
Streaming Source: QOBUZ
Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...
Pairing Performance with different sources:
Dongle DAC/AMPs:
AVIATION had the best pairing with @Questyle M15 & @MOONDROP DAWN PRO dongles. But, I have found that it pairs well with other dongles like @iFi audio Go Link, etc.
Portable Players:
Obviously the AVIATION had the best pairing with the Cayin N7, N30LE, @Questyle QP2R & specially Astell & Kern SE300 since that comes with Class-A amplification! The BEST pairing however came with Cayin C9 + Astell&Kern SE300 with Class-A amplification enabled. That just took the performance of the AVIATION to the next level.
AVIATION Sound Impressions in Short:
The BASS:
The bass performance of AVIATION is amazing. The Bass overall feels very enjoyable with good speed and muscle. The details of the sub-bass region can also be felt and is very enjoyable. The attack & decay were both very enjoyable. Tracks like: "Hotel California (Live on MTV 1994) – Eagles" and "Fluid - Yosi Horikawa" are quite immersive.
The MIDS:
The midrange of the AVIATION is quite open and clear with ample amount of texture and details. There's no bass bleed and the midrange is quite textured and full-bodied. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with good texture and feel very real. Instruments felt very natural and real with high accuracy and the separation between them is also great. The transients were accurate & adequate and very very enjoyable. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.
The TREBLE:
The Treble is quite smooth and non-peaky on the AVIATION. It has the right amount of details and energy and is in no way harsh or peaky. Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel very immersive and enjoyable from the treble perspective.
The SOUNDSTAGE:
The Staging capabilities of the AVIATION is quite wide and balanced. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable.
Imaging & Timbre:
The Imaging & instrument separation performance on the AVIATION is also great for the price range. The separation however feels quite average. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. The Timbrealso feels very natural.
Comparisons:
Please note that I have to make comparisons based on the similar price range. And hence I have compared the QoA AVIATION Hybrid IEM against QDC DMAGIC Solo which is a single DD. Point here being that a customer on a budget will always compare similar priced gears before making the purchase - and this comparison is aimed towards them.
QoA AVIATION vs QDC DMAGIC SOLO:
Price: Prices of both IEMs are very similar. The AVIATION comes at $198 while DMAGIC Solo comes at $186.
Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are identical form build & comfort perspective. AVIATION comes with a much better cable though while both cables support modular plug systems.
Bass: I felt that despite being a Single DD, the DMAGIC Solo bass was not as impactful and textured like the AVIATION.
Mids: The midrange DMAGIC solo is a bit recessed and sometimes feels a bit thin. The AVIATION slays here with superior details, texture and vocal performances.
Treble: The treble experience seemed similar on both.
Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: Staging wise AVIATION stage seemed a bit wider. DMAGIC Solo not lacking here though.
Conclusion:
The AVIATION experience is great and also feels effortless. the overall musical experience is very enjoyable and amazing and in a word feels elevated like in the air. This is an easy recommendation given the value it bring in for such a competitive price range.
Summary:
Launched in Sep'2023, QoA launched their newest hybrid IEM which comes with 1DD+3BA architecture. The Aviation looks great and also provides a great musical performance. Coming at a price range $198, the AVIATION comes with resin shells which are very lightweight, ergonomic and comfortable. The sound experience is just great for the price range which we will see from the details below.
Introduction:
Let's quickly dive into the details without making the introduction very lengthy. The AVIATION features 1 Dynamic Driver + 3 Knowles BAs. It comes with a great modular cable and a good case. The overall presentation is indeed praiseworthy.
The QoA AVIATION is priced at $198.
Design & Build:
The shells are very lightweight and ergonomic and made of some resin based material and is 3D printed. The paint & design is superb and can be easily compared with some $500 IEMs. The shells are quite light-weight and very comfortable. I have found them very comfortable throughout long listening sessions.
It is described as the following on the website:
Specifications:
The AVIATION comes at $198 price tag and the specifications are as below:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805743432769.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
The Box & Accessories:
The following are found in the box:
- AVIATION IEM
- Cable: 0.78mm 2pin, 3.5mm+4.4mm (interchangeable plug), 5N OCC cable X1
- Eartips: Balanced Eartips X3 (S/M/L), Vocal Eartips X3(S/M/L),
- Premium Storage Case X1
The Cables:
Default:
AVIATION comes with a 2 Pin 0.78mm 5N OCC based cable with 3.5mm & 44mm interchangeable plugs. The cable looks good, the fit and weight is also the right amount and is just amazing for this price range!
.
Whiskey (Optional buy):
In the website, there is also option to buy with an optional cable named Whiskey. This cable follows Litz multi-stranded structure, with 4 core double parallel twisted 5N OCC with silver plated + alloy copper with silver plated copper. The cable comes with 126 strands/core, total 504 strands and 1.7mm/core.
Also, it comes with the 3.5mm and 4.4mm interchangeable plug system. Switching from the default cable to Whiskey cable results in significantly scaled up performance from the IEM mainly owing to the better conductivity and higher thread count ensuring better power flow to the IEM. The price of this cable as a separate buy is $78. However, it can come as part of the bundle for extra $58 only ($257 total).
Ear Tips:
I have tried many different ear-tips with the AVIATION, starting from Spinfit W1, CP500, CP100+, JVC Spiral Dots+, Final Audio Black & Transparent ones.
But the best fit and isolation for my ears had been AZLA SednaFit ones. I have hence used them for majority of the review.
,
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....
Items Used for this Review:
DAC/AMP & Dongles: @Questyle M15 Dongle DAC/AMP, @MOONDROP DAWN PRO
Portable Players / Sources : @Cayin N7, Astell & Kern SE300, @Questyle QP2R
Streaming Source: QOBUZ
Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews...
Pairing Performance with different sources:
Dongle DAC/AMPs:
AVIATION had the best pairing with @Questyle M15 & @MOONDROP DAWN PRO dongles. But, I have found that it pairs well with other dongles like @iFi audio Go Link, etc.
Portable Players:
Obviously the AVIATION had the best pairing with the Cayin N7, N30LE, @Questyle QP2R & specially Astell & Kern SE300 since that comes with Class-A amplification! The BEST pairing however came with Cayin C9 + Astell&Kern SE300 with Class-A amplification enabled. That just took the performance of the AVIATION to the next level.
AVIATION Sound Impressions in Short:
The BASS:
The bass performance of AVIATION is amazing. The Bass overall feels very enjoyable with good speed and muscle. The details of the sub-bass region can also be felt and is very enjoyable. The attack & decay were both very enjoyable. Tracks like: "Hotel California (Live on MTV 1994) – Eagles" and "Fluid - Yosi Horikawa" are quite immersive.
The MIDS:
The midrange of the AVIATION is quite open and clear with ample amount of texture and details. There's no bass bleed and the midrange is quite textured and full-bodied. Vocals are very immersive and both male and female vocals come with good texture and feel very real. Instruments felt very natural and real with high accuracy and the separation between them is also great. The transients were accurate & adequate and very very enjoyable. In tracks like: "Anchor - Trace Bundy", "A dog named Freedom – Kinky Friedman" and "Ruby Tuesday – Franco Battiato" it’s really easy to get lost into the music as it comes with ample detailed transients, texture, excellent vocals and details.
The TREBLE:
The Treble is quite smooth and non-peaky on the AVIATION. It has the right amount of details and energy and is in no way harsh or peaky. Treble in tracks like: "Paradise Circus – Massive Attack", "Mambo for Roy – Roy Hargrove” and "Saints and Angels – Sharon Shannon" feel very immersive and enjoyable from the treble perspective.
The SOUNDSTAGE:
The Staging capabilities of the AVIATION is quite wide and balanced. It comes with the right amount of width, height, depth and is well defined and just as much as the track requires. Tracks like: “The Secret Drawer – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones” or “She Don’t know – Melody Gardot” or “Bohemian Rhapsody (live aid) – Queen” sound amazing & enjoyable.
Imaging & Timbre:
The Imaging & instrument separation performance on the AVIATION is also great for the price range. The separation however feels quite average. Tracks like: “Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) - The Beautiful South “or “Hello Again - Howard Carpendale & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” just shine through. The Timbrealso feels very natural.
Comparisons:
Please note that I have to make comparisons based on the similar price range. And hence I have compared the QoA AVIATION Hybrid IEM against QDC DMAGIC Solo which is a single DD. Point here being that a customer on a budget will always compare similar priced gears before making the purchase - and this comparison is aimed towards them.
QoA AVIATION vs QDC DMAGIC SOLO:
Price: Prices of both IEMs are very similar. The AVIATION comes at $198 while DMAGIC Solo comes at $186.
Build, Comfort & Features: Both IEMs are identical form build & comfort perspective. AVIATION comes with a much better cable though while both cables support modular plug systems.
Bass: I felt that despite being a Single DD, the DMAGIC Solo bass was not as impactful and textured like the AVIATION.
Mids: The midrange DMAGIC solo is a bit recessed and sometimes feels a bit thin. The AVIATION slays here with superior details, texture and vocal performances.
Treble: The treble experience seemed similar on both.
Soundstage, Imaging and Separation: Staging wise AVIATION stage seemed a bit wider. DMAGIC Solo not lacking here though.
Conclusion:
The AVIATION experience is great and also feels effortless. the overall musical experience is very enjoyable and amazing and in a word feels elevated like in the air. This is an easy recommendation given the value it bring in for such a competitive price range.
Attachments
NOTES:
QOA is yet another offshoot brand of Kinera. They join Celeste in this regard in bringing to market quality products with careful attention to both form and function.
Tuning wise the Aviation is blessed with a sound that bucks the prevailing Harmon based trend yet does not stray far enough away to alienate those who have become accustomed to that type of sound.
The Aviation boasts a driver compliment of three Knowles Balanced Armature drivers and a single 8mm Dynamic Driver. That’s some quality hardware to begin with but is not a guarantee of good sound. Implementation and tuning are where the rubber hits the road regardless of the perceived driver quality and the Aviation does not disappoint in this regard.
Fairly easy to drive, the QOA Aviation really shines when driven by a quality source. I used the Ifi Hip-Dac 3 for most of my listening and was very satisfied with the synergy. Moving up to my Topping a50s/SMSL Sanskrit 10th stack afforded a touch more resolution at most not affecting the overall musicality. Tip selection is critical with the Aviation to help extract the best sound potential. In listening I went with a wide bore, shallow tip with good results.
Regardless of being the house or sister brand, Kinera has once again produced an iem with good sound paired with a great presentation. The reality though is that at its asking price of $199usd there is lots of competition. Read on to see how the QoA Aviation fared according to this opinionated music lover.
SPECS:
Drivers: 1x 8mm Dynamic, 2x Knowles 3287, 1x Knowles 33518
Impedance: 38ohm
Frequency Response: 20hz-20khz
Cable: 2-pin
BUILD, FIT & QUALITY:
The QoA Aviation is a beautiful iem. Pictures really don’t do it justice. The looks are matched by the build quality which is also excellent. The Aviation is on the larger side of medium and fit was snug and secure in my ears.
Quality of the included accessories was again, top notch. From the versatile multi-connector copper cable, above average tips to the included and posh case, the attention to quality and detail were unmistakable. QoA obviously paid lots of attention to the
SOUND:
BASS:
The QoA Aviation offers a bass presentation that goes deep with a moderate mid-bass prominence over sub-bass. The low end is powerful yet smooth with good speed and control. This is far from a bass shy iem yet not what I would call one of the “Basshead” variety, although there is ample low end on tap.
Bass impact is commendable offering good slam and rumble with an organic decay following. The low end has a pleasant weight or thickness to it that I find pleasing. On “Angel” by Massive Attack, the power of the driving bassline was front and center with a fair amount of the texture coming through. On “Manix!” by Intelligent Hoodlum the bass drops were palpable yet still controlled.
If there are any negatives to the bass it would be the level of detail which at times could be wanting. This can be heard in reproduction of the double bass on the track “No Worries” by the Robert Glasper trio. The incredible bass work was clearly audible but lacked the detail that exposed enough of the character of this instrument. Such it seems may be the trade-off made by QoA to achieve this level of note weight given the driver used.
Overall, the QoA Aviation brings to the table a powerful and expressive bass that serves as a solid foundation to the rest of the frequency range.
MIDRANGE:
The midrange of the QoA Aviation is more vocal forward than recessed and offers a rich and vibrant presentation with good clarity. There is admirable balance of details, macro over micro in quantity. There is ample energy but it does not come off as overdone or become tiring despite the presence uplift noted. More musical than analytical, the Aviation, despite its energy, offers a smooth playback with little to no harshness.
Vocals are clear and expressive and there is a noticeable touch of warmth imparted to the lower midrange from the mid-bass that does not cloud the mids. The vocal on “Change Your Mind” by Moonchild came through with a lushness that was enjoyable yet retaining a high level of clarity. On “Tenderhearted Lover” by John Stoddart, the vocalist’s emotional delivery was not only heard but felt.
Note weight is satisfactory with the Aviation not sounding thin. Timbre is good and the mids do come of as organic. The sound is non-congested even when pushed. I found myself on more than one occasion playing music at higher than typical volume levels attesting to the Aviation’s ability to stay composed and clean even when pushed. Layering and separation is fine, again staying composed even when the music gets loud.
The handling of dynamics is very well sounding unrestrained with the playback of transients following suit in quality with sharp leading edges and natural decay.
I would say that the midrange of the QoA is a winner. A combination of vibrant playback with a smooth & natural delivery that I believe many will find alluring.
TREBLE:
The treble of the QoA Aviation is fairly well extended and follows the prevailing trend of the midrange. Here we have a treble with good clarity, detail and vibrancy yet still delivered in a smooth and controlled manner.
There is ample sparkle and air but it is not overdone, rather it adds to the overall feeling of space, not hanging around long enough to sound harsh neither overdone.
The treble here follows closely the midrange sonics and does its job quite well.
IMAGING & SOUNDSTAGE:
The QoA Aviation throws up a moderately large soundstage with good width and balanced quantities of depth and height. Instrument placement is solid overall. The image never sounds like it has gaps nor do the musical elements appear as being on top of each other. There is space to breath but it is offered in a more organic way rather than being overblown or artificial.
VERSUS:
-Hisenior T4-
The T4 is a 4x BA per side iem with no dynamic driver in sight.
Bass power and slam are obviously more prominent on the Aviation but detail retrieval, texturing and speed are a win for the T4.
Midrange clarity, detail retrieval and separation are a win for the T4 while metrics such as note weight have the Aviation taking the lead. Both offer an organic playback but the T4 is more balanced and controlled vs the more energetic presentation heard on the Aviation.
Treble quality is closer and both offer fairly good extension with ample air and sparkle. As for detail retrieval the T4 gets the nod but each offers an enjoyable treble.
The T4 is my personal benchmark iem in the $200usd range and even above. The T4 also offers tuning switches, which I usually am not a fan of, but their implementation is done very well for added versatility. If I had to only keep one, it would still be the T4, but I would miss the Aviation.
CONCLUSION:
The QoA Aviation is a good iem. From the time it is unboxed to the first listen, the Aviation satisfies. This is a vibrant yet full sounding iem from top to bottom offering a smooth organic playback.
The $200usd price range is a competitive one and does include my personal benchmark iem the Hisenior T4. Still the Aviation deserves serious consideration by anyone looking to buck the boring trend of common tunings and who can also appreciate and iem that looks as good as it sounds.
The QoA Aviation gets a recommendation.
Introduction!
Hello friends!
Today we’ll talk about hybrid headphones from the Queen of Audio company, this is a subsidiary brand of Kinera and they come in a medium-sized box, with a very nice design in the best traditions of Kinera, and on the front there is the name of the model Aviation, and on top there is the company logo!
Well, at the back, as always, the technical characteristics of the headphones are indicated and the sound here is answered by 3 armature drivers from Knowles and 1 dynamic driver of 8 mm, and the sensitivity of the headphones is 118dB, and they received 39ohm impedance, and they are quite easy to drive, and here you can see the frequency response graph!
Let's take a look at what's included!
And the first thing that greets us here are two cards, one with an advertisement for the manufacturer’s social networks, and the other with instructions for use, well, I think everything is clear, and on the back there is also a duplicated frequency response graph.
Well, the headphones are very securely fixed here and they look very good!
They have a smooth body made of resin which itself is dark but slightly translucent and you can see the drivers, and rightfully there is a very beautiful slightly iridescent front panel in my case in the style of the galaxy with such small stars on top and the inscription Aviation in the middle, but there is another option decoration in the mirage style, you can buy it if, for example, you liked it more.
Well, what’s also pleasing is that there is a 2-pin connector installed here and it is slightly recessed into the body and not far from it you can see one acoustic hole!
But the nozzle here is slightly elongated, has 3 holes, and the diameter of the nozzle is 0.5 tenths of a cm, and on the plus side I can note that it has a protrusion due to which the ear pads are held very securely and do not fly off haha!
Ergonomics and convenience!
Well, the fit and ergonomics of the headphones are very good, they fit snugly to the ear and do not cause discomfort during prolonged use!
Accessories!
Well, here in this branded two-color protective storage case, there is such an excellent 4-core copper cable in an interesting color to match the headphones!
And I liked it because it doesn’t get confused, it’s quite flexible and comfortable with good earhooks and it has 2-pin connectors for connecting to headphones, and of course it has the ability to replace the plug and we have two options to choose from, either a regular 3.5 jack or a balanced 4.4 jack, 2.5jack is not here, which I think is the right solution, I think very few people use it now.
Well, here in the plastic organizer there is a pretty good set of high-quality ear pads of different colors, I especially liked these blue ones!
How do these headphones sound?
Well, now, friends, we come to the most interesting part, namely the sound of these headphones.
This is what their frequency response graph looks like and it’s surprising, but they are tuned very clearly according to my target, the only thing is that they have a small, slightly early roll-off at high frequencies, otherwise they are very good!
Low Frequencies:
As we can see from the graph and from the ear, at low frequencies the headphones demonstrate a fairly smooth and neat elevation, with a slight emphasis on the mid-bass rather than on the sub-bass, but it has good depth and volume, but the headphones certainly do not fall into the basshead category, but There is plenty of bass here, just the way I like it.
And the mid-bass region here audibly feels more pronounced and with more emphasis on itself, and I was pleased with the excellent transparent texture with good mass and excellent control without leakage into the mid-range.
Regarding the speed and execution of attacks, everything is also quite good, the bass and kick are clear and focused on the attack, and the decays here are smooth and long!
Mid Frequencies:
There is both a clear noticeable presence of air especially highlighted in the vocal part, and additional transparency with an excellent and well-developed space in which the instruments are not lost and sound clearly and separately even in heavy overloaded genres.
Well, this model obviously doesn’t go into straight tough analytics and has more of a musical warm side, and I want to say that they really reminded me of Kinera Freya 2.0 from the last one I listened to.
Well, the vocals don’t sound thin and have excellent weight and energy with the correct and wide filling of space without the effect of deafness and darkness, and it is slightly pushed forward, that is, its production is already quite familiar, I think for many.
But the drums have well-emphasized transients and leave behind long trails of reverberation, and in general I liked the presentation of this area due to the preservation of its neutrality without obvious smoothed moments and excessive brightness in the upper middle area, as it could be, since I see that this is a trend now for bright headphones is quite high and I hope that models with a similar setting will appear as often as possible!
High Frequencies:
A very good and correct approach to tuning is noticeable here, this range is felt as a slightly warm and neat presentation that is pleasant to the ear and has good resolution in the cymbals without their obvious over-amplification, as happens in other models when they try to enhance the high range to artificially improve detail,
in fact, this is not necessary and it is correct that the manufacturer did not do this, if everything is in order with your hearing, then you will have plenty of high frequencies here, exactly as much as you need, the only thing that, in my opinion, would not hurt to tighten this decline a little after 10 kHz because there is still a sufficient amount of necessary information there.
But despite this, there is a good feeling of airiness and quite distinct technicality, which is enough for heavier genres, since the headphones do not merge the sound into a single whole and try to work out each hit on the cymbal clearly and separately.
Stage and stereo panorama:
Well, the scene and visualization of the Queen of Audio Aviation headphones turned out to be well-developed in width; there is no effect of artificially stretched images, and in the end we have a fairly optimal and quite wide constructed canvas, and a good slope in depth is also pleasing.
My conclusion on these headphones:
Queen of Audio Aviation turned out to be excellent headphones for a calm and musical journey with music literally across the galaxy, there is a good confident amount of bass with a transparent texture, and weighty neutral mids without excessive unnecessary brightness, which are simply well complemented by neat, detailed highs!
Link where you can buy them!
Aliexpress Queen Of Audio Official Store: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805743432769.html
Icygenius was with you, I will be glad if you subscribe to my YouTube channel and watch this full review on QOA AVIATION !
Hello friends!
Today we’ll talk about hybrid headphones from the Queen of Audio company, this is a subsidiary brand of Kinera and they come in a medium-sized box, with a very nice design in the best traditions of Kinera, and on the front there is the name of the model Aviation, and on top there is the company logo!
Well, at the back, as always, the technical characteristics of the headphones are indicated and the sound here is answered by 3 armature drivers from Knowles and 1 dynamic driver of 8 mm, and the sensitivity of the headphones is 118dB, and they received 39ohm impedance, and they are quite easy to drive, and here you can see the frequency response graph!
Let's take a look at what's included!
And the first thing that greets us here are two cards, one with an advertisement for the manufacturer’s social networks, and the other with instructions for use, well, I think everything is clear, and on the back there is also a duplicated frequency response graph.
Well, the headphones are very securely fixed here and they look very good!
They have a smooth body made of resin which itself is dark but slightly translucent and you can see the drivers, and rightfully there is a very beautiful slightly iridescent front panel in my case in the style of the galaxy with such small stars on top and the inscription Aviation in the middle, but there is another option decoration in the mirage style, you can buy it if, for example, you liked it more.
Well, what’s also pleasing is that there is a 2-pin connector installed here and it is slightly recessed into the body and not far from it you can see one acoustic hole!
But the nozzle here is slightly elongated, has 3 holes, and the diameter of the nozzle is 0.5 tenths of a cm, and on the plus side I can note that it has a protrusion due to which the ear pads are held very securely and do not fly off haha!
Ergonomics and convenience!
Well, the fit and ergonomics of the headphones are very good, they fit snugly to the ear and do not cause discomfort during prolonged use!
Accessories!
Well, here in this branded two-color protective storage case, there is such an excellent 4-core copper cable in an interesting color to match the headphones!
And I liked it because it doesn’t get confused, it’s quite flexible and comfortable with good earhooks and it has 2-pin connectors for connecting to headphones, and of course it has the ability to replace the plug and we have two options to choose from, either a regular 3.5 jack or a balanced 4.4 jack, 2.5jack is not here, which I think is the right solution, I think very few people use it now.
Well, here in the plastic organizer there is a pretty good set of high-quality ear pads of different colors, I especially liked these blue ones!
How do these headphones sound?
Well, now, friends, we come to the most interesting part, namely the sound of these headphones.
This is what their frequency response graph looks like and it’s surprising, but they are tuned very clearly according to my target, the only thing is that they have a small, slightly early roll-off at high frequencies, otherwise they are very good!
Low Frequencies:
As we can see from the graph and from the ear, at low frequencies the headphones demonstrate a fairly smooth and neat elevation, with a slight emphasis on the mid-bass rather than on the sub-bass, but it has good depth and volume, but the headphones certainly do not fall into the basshead category, but There is plenty of bass here, just the way I like it.
And the mid-bass region here audibly feels more pronounced and with more emphasis on itself, and I was pleased with the excellent transparent texture with good mass and excellent control without leakage into the mid-range.
Regarding the speed and execution of attacks, everything is also quite good, the bass and kick are clear and focused on the attack, and the decays here are smooth and long!
Mid Frequencies:
There is both a clear noticeable presence of air especially highlighted in the vocal part, and additional transparency with an excellent and well-developed space in which the instruments are not lost and sound clearly and separately even in heavy overloaded genres.
Well, this model obviously doesn’t go into straight tough analytics and has more of a musical warm side, and I want to say that they really reminded me of Kinera Freya 2.0 from the last one I listened to.
Well, the vocals don’t sound thin and have excellent weight and energy with the correct and wide filling of space without the effect of deafness and darkness, and it is slightly pushed forward, that is, its production is already quite familiar, I think for many.
But the drums have well-emphasized transients and leave behind long trails of reverberation, and in general I liked the presentation of this area due to the preservation of its neutrality without obvious smoothed moments and excessive brightness in the upper middle area, as it could be, since I see that this is a trend now for bright headphones is quite high and I hope that models with a similar setting will appear as often as possible!
High Frequencies:
A very good and correct approach to tuning is noticeable here, this range is felt as a slightly warm and neat presentation that is pleasant to the ear and has good resolution in the cymbals without their obvious over-amplification, as happens in other models when they try to enhance the high range to artificially improve detail,
in fact, this is not necessary and it is correct that the manufacturer did not do this, if everything is in order with your hearing, then you will have plenty of high frequencies here, exactly as much as you need, the only thing that, in my opinion, would not hurt to tighten this decline a little after 10 kHz because there is still a sufficient amount of necessary information there.
But despite this, there is a good feeling of airiness and quite distinct technicality, which is enough for heavier genres, since the headphones do not merge the sound into a single whole and try to work out each hit on the cymbal clearly and separately.
Stage and stereo panorama:
Well, the scene and visualization of the Queen of Audio Aviation headphones turned out to be well-developed in width; there is no effect of artificially stretched images, and in the end we have a fairly optimal and quite wide constructed canvas, and a good slope in depth is also pleasing.
My conclusion on these headphones:
Queen of Audio Aviation turned out to be excellent headphones for a calm and musical journey with music literally across the galaxy, there is a good confident amount of bass with a transparent texture, and weighty neutral mids without excessive unnecessary brightness, which are simply well complemented by neat, detailed highs!
Link where you can buy them!
Aliexpress Queen Of Audio Official Store: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805743432769.html
Icygenius was with you, I will be glad if you subscribe to my YouTube channel and watch this full review on QOA AVIATION !
Queen of Audio Aviation Review
QOA Aviation
Intro
Hello friends, today I will be taking a look at one of QOA‘s (Queen of Audio) latest hybrid iems, the QOA Aviation. I want to thank HiFiGo & Alice in particular for providing the Aviation in exchange for a full review and feature of this latest product. The Aviation is one of many Kinera branded iems that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing of late and I gotta say… I feel like a broken record because I seem to always be impressed. I’ve spent a multitude of hours with the Aviation, and I feel like I have a very good handle on this set.QOA
QOA or “Queen of Audio” is actually a sub-brand of the very well-known audio brand “Kinera”. Most certainly the footprint and DNA of a Kinera product is seen in each and every QOA iem. It’s all there. The beautiful unboxing, the care that goes into the creation of the product, the thoughtful and appropriate name and design put forth in each product. Friends, these people truly do it right. Always, you’ll see a product worthy of the relative price point and you’ll get more than you would have thought. There’s just something about this company. Whether it be “Kinera” themselves, “QOA” or even their budget brand “Celest“. It is difficult not to be surprised at the quality in every aspect of their earphones. Are they all home runs? Well of course not! Nobody nails it every time. However, I have found that at least the proper love and care is put into the final product which is something that consumers should expect.What’s in a name?
The Aviation earphones oddly enough are named after a cocktail drink which itself was named after the Wright Brothers first adaptation of the flying plane. The name of that drink was called… you guessed it… “Aviation”. This may seem like a longshot naming scheme, but I beg to differ. I think it’s perfect! Bravo to QOA for thinking outside the box for a way to express the sound and to give some soul to this set of earphones. Good for you for not simply slapping on a coat of paint and giving it some random name that makes zero sense. Instead QOA likens the sound of the Aviation to the refreshing yet warm taste of the liquor it’s named after. Warm, smooth, lush and energetic. As though it’s the taste of spring. QOA states that the actual drink is sweet, sour, mellow, and filled with the breath of Springtime. So, QOA saw to it to give the Aviation earphones these same tonal qualities. Neutral with some warmth, rich, vibrant, with a full bass and extended highs which resemble the drink’s long aftertaste.Give it an identity!
Folks, we don’t get much from so many of these companies. The majority of these audio brands look at their products only as a money maker situation, let’s be honest. Most companies throw spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks. What I love about Kinera and their sub-brands is that they care about their craft. It’s obvious. Nobody goes through all of this time and effort to create a theme, follow that theme, and execute that theme all to simply… not care. They named the entire scheme after the feeling of flying through air, the galaxies, Springtime and the feel of Spring. I realize there are a couple different themes they are dancing with here, but they all go into the original idea of what the Aviation is supposed to be. I love a company that uses all of its resources, artists, engineers and everyone else involved to create a scheme and an identity to follow.Round of applause!
Take pride in your work, put actual care into it, and give your product an identity! Make something you can be proud of and those who give their hard-earned money for that product will reap the benefit of your creativity and expertise. I am always a romantic in everything I do but I can’t help and envision a bunch of very creative people looking at the finished product in the “Aviation” and feeling proud and accomplished. I like that. Thus, I’m already a fan of the Aviation, and clearly, I am a fan of Kinera as well as all of their sub-brands, especially QOA. Here’s my round of applause!!!!Okay, time to act like I’m serious again. Friends, within this review I want to fully explain the sound from my perspective as well as the unboxing, build, design and overall theme. Also, I want to answer the main question if the Aviation is even worth the $199 that QOA is asking for? And also, can it stand against some of the better iems within the price point? We shall see. With the intro out of the way I think we should get started… The Queen of Audio Aviation…
Gear used for testing
–Ifi Go Blu–Moondrop Dawn 4.4
–Hidizs S9 Pro
–iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2
–Shanling M6 Ultra
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
One thing that a sub-brand of Kinera will do right, 100% of the time… The unboxing. What crafty and creative people?! Always they will put more thought and care into a simple unboxing experience and into the packaging than most brands. Also, they do so without skimping out on any other areas. The box itself is a very colorful depiction of mountains with a valley and a moonlit night. Almost abstract but very tasteful and very fresh looking. I know that the unboxing is an experience which lasts a total of about a minute but, Kinera or “QOA” understands very well that if they go “all-out” on all aspects of the product than the consumer will eventually begin to associate their brand with quality and with respect. It’s just the truth. Of course, you gotta get the sound right too.Anyways, opening the box I found the Aviation sitting in very thick foam cut-outs, lookin’ all fly. Next to the earphones is an equally gorgeous carrying case and the 3.5 & 4.4 modular jacks. Inside the case is the tips (also in a case) and the modular cable. Everything included is perfectly colored and designed and I couldn’t be more approving than I am. Great job QOA!
Eartips
The included tips are of very good quality. Provided in the packaging are three sets (S, M, L) of “Balanced” eartips which 100% resemble in every way the KBear 07 tips. I’m beginning to think every company has their own 07 style tips. Anywhoo, I love these tips folks and they work perfectly for the Aviation. The other set of tips (S, M, L) are the “Vocal” tips which feature a shallow fit, firm flanged, wide bore which also does a great job for further tuning the Aviation. The sound is a hint more open with the wide bore tips but the 07 style tips seem to perk up the upper mids a bit more as well as adds a punchier low-end. Both sets only bring out the best in the Aviation. This was perhaps one of the first times in a long time that I had zero need to go through my collection of eartips searching for a suitable option as the included tips are perfect.
Carrying Case
I’ve said it in almost every review I’ve done, that I don’t ever actually use any carrying cases. But folks… look at this case! It’s truly a looker. I don’t know how much it actually costs to make one of these, but QOA sure made it look about as nice as you can. Look at the white stitched top of robust material, the brand name indented in the center, the magnetic flap with the brass rivet. The bottom is the same material yet in deep blue. Inside the case is some soft felt type material to keep your audio stuff safe and cared for. Now this is a big case. Probably only good for throwing in a bag. Big enough for possibly a couple sets of earphones or a set of iems and a dongle dac. It’s a good size. I think that QOA knocked this out of the park. The case is stylish, handsome, the magnet is strong, it feels durable and it’s big. Again, well done QOA!
Cable
QOA decided upon a gorgeous grayish blue colored cable that pairs very well aesthetically with the Aviation. The cable is actually a 2-pin, 4-core, OCC copper cable that has a modular termination with 3.5 & 4.4 sized removable Jack’s. I absolutely love a solid looking cable with just enough chunkiness to feel “not cheap” and I love a good color choice. Let’s be real, we love a good cable! Period! I love that QOA provided a cable that looks good and sounds good with the Aviation. Finally, I don’t have to go with some 3rd party alternate cable to fulfill my need for nice aesthetics. Also, how nice is it to have a modular system on your cable where you can simply swap the jack out for use with whatever source you’re using. I think every cable should be modular, but that’s just me. Especially over a certain price, it would be nice to see and very helpful and conscious of the consumers’ needs and wants.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit
Build Quality
The QOA Aviation is a nicely built iem made completely out of 3D printed resin. The material is obviously very durable. The size is just large enough to accommodate all the drivers internally. Comparatively, the Aviation is actually rather small against other sets with similar driver counts. You’ll see that the nozzle is about medium length and appears to be made of aluminum or stainless steel. Also, as you look at the nozzles head-on you can see the three holes for the three different tubes. Nothing particularly special about the build as we can find build quality just as good for much cheaper. Still, the Aviation has a good feel when in hand as well as in the ear.
Design
The QOA Aviation comes in two different colorways, aptly named “Mirage” & “Galaxy”. Both colorways use a translucent blue color as the base which faintly gives us the ability to peer into the unit to see the inner workings, the drivers, the tubes. The faceplates are hand painted by some impressive artisans to depict the night sky in one colorway and the galaxies on the other. Obviously, the glitter you see will resemble the stars. I am utterly impressed by the artwork on these shells. It isn’t easy to create this appearance as the average Joe isn’t just going to re-create this look. This took people who are very talented, and the faceplate shows this. They are gorgeous. I do like the set I got better than the Mirage colorway, but both are very nice to look at. Both colorways refract light and shoot colors back to my retina as I twist the Aviation in the light. You’ll notice in my pictures I tried hard to reflect the colors and make them “POP” in each shot. Of course, I wasn’t always successful.The faceplates have the name of the earphones “Aviation” printed or painted right in the middle of the faceplates. Usually I would be against this, but I like it when it’s a theme such as this. It’s a nice look. The cursive is elegant, and the backdrop of the night sky contrasts the writing very well. Truly a beauty and QOA should feel proud and happy with what they have made.
Internals
QOA decided to go with a four driver Hybrid system to recreate the sound that they wanted. They used an 8mm full-range, custom built Dynamic Driver. I don’t know the actual diaphragm material. They also used two Knowles #32873 Balanced Armature Drivers for the mid to high frequencies as well as one Knowles #33518 Balanced Armature Drivers for use with the ultra-highs. This is a three-way tuning scheme that seeks to fine tune the treble extension and the rest of the mix. Internally you’ll notice the tubing running to each of the frequency divisions and out to the nozzles. It’s pretty obvious when listening that QOA outfitted some good drivers within the Aviation.Fit
As far as the fit is concerned, I have zero issues. I get a good seal very easily without any fiddling when first putting the Aviation into my ears. The Shells aren’t very large as even smaller ears should have no real trouble. Just like any set in most any of my reviews; make sure to find tips that work for your particular ears and also, just because they fit me doesn’t mean they will fit you. I would assume that the vast majority of hobbyists would have no problem with he fit. I also found that isolation is actually great with the Aviation as outside noises are never an issue. Is suppose when I don’t have to think about it then that’s a plus. To the same point there isn’t any sound leakage either.
Drivability
Mobile listening
The QOA Aviation is a fairly easy to drive iem with an impedance rated at around 39 ohms and a sensitivity of 118 db’s. I found that there really is no hiss or extra noise which is fantastic. Using my iPad 6th gen, I didn’t have an issue getting the Aviation to volume. Of course, the iPad is not a very musically gifted source, but it does give the reader an idea of what type of power requirements are needed. Now, I do think that scaling with power as well as source is certainly something to consider with the Aviation. For instance, using the IFi Go Blu with 3.5 single ended and then jumping to 4.4 balanced was quite a nice difference. The Go Blu’s CS43131 dac chip is nice with the Aviation but I did enjoy the Qudelix 5k a hair more (almost never the case). The 5k uses a Dual ES9219C dac chip which is a bit more analytical and neutral and seems to play to the warmth of the Aviation nicely. Of course, I had to swap cables for the 5k’s 2.5 connection, but it was a nice pairing.
Dongles
I used many different dongles during the course of this review. I used the Shanling UA2, the Fiio KA3, Hidizs S9 Pro, a newer dongle that I cannot speak of yet (soon enough), and the Moondrop Dawn 4.4 among others. With all honesty… I liked each one I used. Certain ones I preferred more than the others but all sounded nice. That said, I did notice through a constant swapping of dongles that the Aviation does scale to the auditory ability of each source and the power of each source. Again, some dongles paired a hair better than the others, but all sound good with the Aviation attached. Usually, I’ll hear at least one that doesn’t jive, but yay for the consumer… the Aviation plays nice. Not exactly a chameleon, but also it’s not absolutely & positively source dependent. This is a great quality as so many iems will only pair really well with certain source tonalities.
Perhaps the vibrant warmth of the Aviation is tilted far enough to the left that it doesn’t matter what you use. However, the Aviation did pair the best with the dongle that I cannot name (forgive me but I can’t right now) and the Moondrop Dawn 4.4…For me anyways. The more neutral tonality of the Dawn’s CS43131 dac and the big power provided from the Dawn made the Aviation a bit cleaner sounding, bass tighter, mids more present, soundstage fuller. However, even the slightly warmer S9 Pro sounded rich and dynamic.
Daps
I only have two Daps in my possession anymore. These are the two that I keep because they each have different tonal qualities to better fit whatever earphone I am using. As a reviewer it is nice to have that ability. The iBasso DX240 with Amp8 MK2 installed has a nicely lustrous and vivacious dynamic behavior. It has a neutral sound with an energetic replay. My other dap is the Shanling M6 Ultra which is very resolving, dynamic, and slightly lusher in presentation.Both daps are outfitted with fantastic flagship level dac chips and some of the best audio tech under $1k. The DX240 uses the ES9038 Pro chip and the M6 Ultra uses the AK4493SEQ velvet chip. Both are tonally different, and both daps sound really good with the Aviation. I honestly couldn’t tell you which I liked better. The DX240 gives the Aviation a bit more crispness but also a hair less low-end oomph, better technically too while the M6 Ultra is creamy and ridiculously resolving with a more fun sound and a bit more musical. I used medium gain on both daps at all times though low gain would have been plenty as both daps have around 1w of maxed power and it doesn’t take much for the Aviation.
At the very least
At the end of the day, like most iems, all you really need is a decent Dongle Dac or equivalent source. It should have decent power as the Aviation will scale to a degree. If anything, it may suit your preference to have a more neutral, clinical sounding source but I don’t think this is required at all. The Aviation seems to pair well with just about anything. Obviously, your mileage may vary pertaining to that statement.
Sound Impressions
I think you probably already have a gauge on what the tonal color and characteristics of the Aviation sound like. However, I will recap in this section to give you a quicker glimpse into the sound. The QOA Aviation comes across very much organic sounding with some added coloration. There’s a slight warmth to the vibrance within the presence of the sound which comes across realistic to me. It’s nice to get close to that natural and authentic sound yet still have plenty of dynamism, energy. This is one of the characteristics that sets the Aviation apart. It’s colored in certain areas but that coloration tilts more towards its vivacity and its enthusiastic character rather than skewing the sound, veiling the sound, or creating an artificial sound. I think when someone says “warm sounding” it leads some to believe it’s darker with less treble lift and brightness. That’s not what I’m saying. I said it has a “slight warmth” while keeping a certain vibrance. Which by the way is utterly musical, non-offensive and completely forgiving. This is a set to sit and chill with folks. And also… It sounds pretty damn good! Pardon my word choice.Tonal balance
I would probably say that the tonal balance is almost mid-centric (to a degree) but truthfully, I’m having a hard time labeling it. It isn’t really V-shaped. I wouldn’t consider it a straight up L-shaped iem either, though there is an L-shaped tilt. Possibly a W-shape tonal balance with emphasis located in the low-end and the midrange and a low key but nicely equipped treble region. The sound is not analytical or sterile… At All! This is a musical sound, emotionally charged with some soul to it. There is a richness to the sound with a nicely concentrated & ropy type of note body. There’s still some ductility and agility to the modulations of sound which makes the Aviation actually very well controlled. In the same breath it isn’t the most resolving set I’ve ever heard. By way of tuning alone and the tilt of sound balance, the lush nature compels the Aviation to not illuminate and define a notes structure as well as some more lean and analytical iems.Between the 20’s (pint sized)
Between the 20’s and with the QOA Aviation in your ears, you’ll find a thick and warm bass region that has plenty of slam and good enough extension down low. Bass notes don’t have the best-established note outlines in the world, but the timbre is great. I wouldn’t call the bass one-noted, but I have heard cleaner bass replays for less. Still, it has a nicely hefty bass that can rumble and plumps up the rest of the mix.The midrange is up front, melodic, velvety in its articulations and note structure, yet with a very rhythmical tempo & bounce. Also, the Aviation has good transient response for such a lush setting. Don’t get me twisted here. Considering the thick and warm cadence of the Aviation it’s transients are well controlled and fairly clean. It’s in the midrange that the macro-dynamics are pronounced making the Aviation a warm but also engaging set. The mids have a great presence in the mix which makes vocals really great for me. Instruments too. Obviously, there are subjective nitpicks and qualms, but the midrange is delicious friends.
Like how it sounds
The treble is not what I would consider airy or radiant and there isn’t that bright brilliance up top. However, there is a very fluent sound balance that doesn’t seem lifeless or flat. The energy in the bass and mids is matched in the treble. I find the treble to still have enough lift to make for a nicely coherent flow between the treble and the other frequencies. Also, there’s texture and good note body in the treble which is just another way of presenting the sound. Detail retrieval isn’t anything to write home about, but I find that there is okay imaging and average layering with a nice stage that doesn’t lack in any one direction. There are obvious subjective gripes, but all things considered… I really like how this set sounds.
Bass Region
Sub-bass
The sub-bass is able to get down and dirty with a reverberant vibratory depth that is relatively haptic and tactile in its presentation. Listening to the track “Golden Child” by Lil Durk certainly gives off enough of the deep, trench-like and sonorant rumble, but doesn’t go overboard with it. You won’t feel this rumbling in your eyelid’s folks. Still, without question, there is plenty for most any genre and enough of a guttural haptic growl down low to satisfy. “Groove” by Ray Wylie Hubbard begins with a dirty bass guitar riff and the Aviation does an adequate job of staying clean enough, controlled enough and deep-toned enough. There are definitely other sets in the price range which either go deeper or are more transient quick. The Aviation sub-bass note decay hangs around a bit as it finishes the note. Basically, it won’t win any awards for speed or definition. Still, what it does do is offer a nice sub-bass rumble that gives vital extension to my music.Mid-bass
The mid-bass has an emphasized, pretty large and very inviting sound where just like the sub-bass you don’t have that transient tight and deft ductility and agility like on some iems. I’d go so far as to say It’s almost one-noted on some tracks. Especially the more congested songs down low. Having said that, I really like the bass for what it adds to the rest of the mix. It has some nice density, it’s a little bit soft at the note edge but there is a robust substance there which falls into the midrange adding good lushness to the sound. I would certainly enjoy a tighter and cleaner mid-bass, but this type of presentation is more an additive to the overall sound. It does its job.The Aviation has a robust slam and slightly fuzzy note edge at the crest of the note. For instance, on a song like “Billie Jean” by Weezer. Granted this is a simple track with big booming kick drums. However, in it you can easily hear the pillowy fuzz at the attack/decay peak within the note referring to that kick drum boom. It’s heavy, weighted, full, but also a hair soft. I think of it like a rock wrapped in a sock. Dense but doughy. Does that make it bad? Absolutely not.
Mid-bass cont…
In more congested tracks with speedier bass arrangements the Aviation is not so refined that it partitions off each note like some speedier bass sets. It simply isn’t tuned for this. For instance, “Radio” by Rancid. It’s a fast bass track, and the Aviation sounds a bit meshed together down low. Granted, that’s a tough track for any set, but you get the point. Again, not a bad thing at all but certainly something to make note of. It’s a preference thing. Hence, why I’m bringing it up. Not everyone is a fan of any “one-thing”. However, the timbre down low sounds great. It’s a warm and inviting bass that casts a warm shade across the entire frequency and provides some cream to the midrange while not muddying the waters… so to speak. Kick drums sound bulbous but less intense and defined. Bass guitar has more than enough fullness and grizzly growl down low. Bass singers are weighted with great pitch and tone to my ears.Downsides to the Bass Region
The biggest drawback of the bass (for some folks) would definitely be what I’ve already expressed. It doesn’t have that tight and compact bass but instead it’s spread out and more “one-noted” throughout the bass region. Of course, I say that, and it reads much worse than the Aviation really is. So please try not to navigate my words like they are “black & white”. We live in a gray world and the Audioverse is no different. Truth is, I quite enjoy the low end. It’s fun, it bumps pretty good and has good note density. Just slightly less agile than some iems of late. I love what the low end does for the rest of the spectrum, adding warmth and weight. The bass simply isn’t some detailed, clean response type low-end. Still very nice though, still very engaging. The only other issues I’d find down low is that it may be too much in quantity for a large number of people in the community. On the flipside, it may not be enough for some bassheads.
Midrange
Oh, the midrange! This is where I began my enjoyment of the Aviation. Not that the bass region isn’t great, but the midrange is bolstered by the bass. Almost like it’s infused with extra weight. The midrange is smooth throughout with a cream-like and warm tonal coloration. However, the mids aren’t without some great allure & charisma. They don’t come across veiled in any way, which is the one thing I fear with an intrusive low-end. I feel the Aviation takes all the benefits of the bass and leaves out the negative side effects.I also wouldn’t call the midrange particularly forward, but it has good presence. Truly. I love the full-bodied & milky vocals on this set. They come across pretty clean per this type of replay and are certainly not a haze-covered mishmash of sound. Let’s put it this way, the mids aren’t as clean and transparent as some other sets, but they do have a very organic and natural timbre that doesn’t sound congested at all. Warmer and heftier in the lower half and slightly leaner and more forward in the upper mids. Stepping back, the midrange is thicker in body yet still energetic, the mids are highlighted and pleasant across the board and stay in good control. They’re nice folks.
Lower-midrange
I’ve already stated that the low-mids take on some of the warmth and body of the bass region. As for male vocals, they have a robust sound with a predominance of the low-end energy permeating through the presence of the lower half of the midrange. There’s just a slight tinge of vibrancy to uplift this area of the mix. Meaning, it isn’t all just dull warmth. There is a nice character to male vocals that sounds very nice.“Sweet DeAnn (Live)” by Zach Bryan sums up this whole sentiment as his voice has that thick southern drawl and coarse inflection with the Aviation. This set really helps to bring out the emotion in his voice. This is one time when I’d say with certainty that the earphones I’m using helped to tell the story. Not to mention the instruments which compose the melody that float behind his vocals; they too sound full & warm but not without musicality. Or “Howling” by Noah Kahan. His voice is higher in pitch which probably peaks in the mid-mids but I think his voice actually has some shimmer to go along with that nice vocal smoothness and body. Nothing even remotely grating or harsh. Nothing flat or boring either. Definitely not as snappy as many sets or as detailed, but folks, this set is tuned to be emotionally musical and the low-mids testify to this.
Upper-Midrange
The upper midrange sits slightly more forward in the mix than the low-mids to a slight degree. Actually, I call it “forward” but really, they are just more exuberant and elated or uplifted in pitch and tone. The upper midrange has a nice ear gain that isn’t piercing at all with a gradual uphill climb. I find the upper-mids to have a slight bit of shimmer to them, but nothing even hinting at being bright or too luminous.Females take advantage of well-tuned Knowles Balanced Armatures that really dial in that smoothness yet hold enough of a sheen to sound energetic against the rest of the mix. Females are rich with an organic and realistic flare to them. They can sound elegant, svelte, very charming, and polished in their slightly colored timbre authenticity. In the same breath females can sound resounding, vigorous, edgy and boisterous. I find it hard to actually find negatives in this region unless you are after a very brilliant upper midrange.
Females cont…
“Logical” by Olivia Rodrigo is a perfect example of those descriptive words that I just used. Elegant, svelte, charming yet boisterous and even a bit shimmery. The piano behind her vocals sounds rightly natural to my ears and shares the stage very well against her vocals. Another example is Taylor Swift’s track “The 1 (Long Pond Studio Sessions)” from one of her latest album retakes. She sounds feathery and sweet. The Aviation has enough warmth to add to the sensibility within the longing of this song's sentiments. Just enough body to her vocals and there’s an emotional sweetness that envelopes the delicate intonations in the sound of her voice. Her voice is forward in the mix but not overbearing and her vocals don’t cascade or mask over the piano.I really don’t want to oversell here and perhaps I am, but far too often we are bombarded by lean and even sharp female vocals. Also, many iems can replay this track well. Now, whether they can do so in the same tone and timbre like the Aviation is a different story. Still, In the spirit of “not” overselling… I had to at least mention this. Moving on…
Instrumentation
Instruments in this region are up and down for me. Due to the lack of speedy midrange agility, I have definitely come across tracks that sound a bit more compressed. Of course, these are complicated tracks. For the most part the Aviation presents instruments very well. I hear nice texture for instruments (generally) and some good timbral accuracy, albeit slightly colored. Of course, it is what “I” think sounds natural and “accurate”. So… grain of salt. Piano has that bouncy tunefulness on most tracks. Percussion may come across a bit less punchy or crisp, but harmonics are great. Cymbal strikes have weight to them, snares pang with some machismo. Strings could use a bit more immediate bite but again, secondary harmonics sound great to me. Violin is actually very expressive without sounding artificial. Details won’t blow your mind, but this area has plenty of mellifluous musicality to make up for it.Downsides to the Midrange
If I were to pick apart downsides of the midrange, I would have to say that transients aren’t super expedient. Also, detail retrieval is average in my mind, yet still pretty well done per the lusher tuning. Resolution is not perfect but the sound is still pretty clean. Separation can be an issue in congested tracks too. I know that some folks would much more desire a midrange that’s snappy and can handle complicated songs a bit better. Still, the Aviation sounds very nice to my ears.Understand that the midrange has body to it, it’s creamy, it’s weighted. Also remember that this set is $199. There are certainly iems more expensive that can sound lush, smooth and rich yet still come across detailed and articulate, within reason. We have to temper our expectations a little bit and take the good with the not-so-great. However, in my mind the Aviation is a big WIN in the midrange. Personally, I enjoy this set very much. I don’t hear any great sibilance, no shoutiness or crazy peaks. The sound is still relatively energetic while holding tight to the velvet and organic musicality.
Treble Region
The treble is the type which is definitely a good and important supporting actor in a very good cast. I don’t consider the treble to be very luminous or vibrant and I don’t consider the treble region to be that sparkly and spirited “icing in the cake” like some sets. Not even close to the type of treble we often see that imparts forced resolution and oversaturated highs into the equation. So no, the treble is not that shimmery and vivacious treble that adds vibrant life to the upper portions of the frequency. Still, the treble also isn’t devoid of vibrance. It’s there but it’s simply kept in check.I realize this is not coming across as very appealing to many folks. Just wait… Having said all of that, I also don’t feel the treble is boring at all. This is not a lackluster or mundane treble either. There is still plenty of LIFE up top. It just stays in keeping with the rest of the mix, it stays cohesive with everything else. You can’t have this warm and smooth, cozy and thick bass & midrange and then shock the mix with unhinged sparkle and vivacity. That would very much “not” be cohesive, or in keeping with the natural flow to the tuning.
It fits!
The treble fits. It works. The treble region has decent body to notes with a corporeal and distinct substance to them as well. There is energy in the treble that doesn’t necessarily come across as brilliance or… Pizzaz. The sparkle is there, it’s just not super crystalline or ultra crisp. That’s not to say that it can’t come across crisp either. It simply isn’t that heightened gloss, but it doesn’t come across attenuated. It’s non-fatiguing and non-offensive to the ear and does its job.Listening to the track “Keel Over and Die” by Old Crow Medicine Show the Aviation is actually able to keep up with the instrumentation with a tuneful treble. Granted, other sets can speed along a bit easier, but I have no issues with the amount of treble. I could maybe use a bit more of an edge to notes and they could be a bit more delineated between instruments but not even close to bad or a hard “con” in my book. In fact, “Gerri Marie” by Durand Jones has an effervescent quality to the treble and has this slightly subdued brilliance to it. Listening to this track with the Aviation presents a treble with texture, vividness, clarity and does so with good body to notes.
Downsides to the Treble Region
Obviously, the biggest drawback would be for treble heads or those who yearn for a brighter and more extended top end of the spectrum. Also, you won’t hear an ultra-detailed treble from the Aviation. Like I said, it isn’t a crystalline or exact and ultra refined treble. But also, like I said, it fits, and it works to the tuning that QOA was going for. Remember the theme of this set. I feel that Queen of Audio did exactly what they sought out to do. It’s not sibilant, not offensive, it doesn’t have that piercing saw blade type highs and actually… The treble is quite nice.
Technicalities
Soundstage
The QOA Aviation creates a nice mental image in my mind. When thinking of the soundstage, I could sum it up by simply saying that the stage sounds full. I feel like there isn’t any unused space when listening with this set. My entire mindscape is full of music with the Aviation in my ears. The soundstage has a nice width to it that stretches outside my ears with good dynamics. The same goes for the height of the stage. Elements of that stage are presented a bit closer, but the sound is simply big in all ways. And just like the width & height, I get pretty nice depth too. Though the depth is a bit harder to perceive, but without question it’s there. I don’t think anyone would have any great complaints when talking about the stage size.
Separation
Now, separation is one of those attributes that will be greatly affected by what type of music you enjoy. At least when listening with the Aviation in your ears. If you listen to more complicated music, then you may find that separation isn’t as distinct as some other more technically savvy iems. With less complicated tracks separation is wonderful. Listen, the Aviation simply isn’t tuned to illuminate the edge lines and delineate every instrument from the next on congested and speedy tracks. However, I don’t want to dissuade anyone just because there is a little blending happening. This is a regular occurrence, and some sets handle it better than others. Of course, those sets which do separate elements of a stage better will also lose out in other areas. Everything is a give and take, for the most part. Also, again, my words probably sound much worse than what you’ll hear and 8 out 10 of you won’t even really notice. What you will notice is the musicality of the Aviation.Imaging
Take what I said above and apply it here. Imaging is great in less congested, less involved music. The issue is the tuning and the lusher, thicker, more gravy smooth sound of the Aviation. It’s buttery and not as defined and transient snappy which makes it a bit more difficult to navigate those fine lines. The stage is big but it’s also closer to the listener in some respects. Resolution is not perfect either. If I were to give it a “word rating” I’d call the Aviation about average here. However, if I were rating it against similarly tuned sets, I’d say that the Aviation does rather well. Basically, the imaging ability is a by-product of that sweet sound the Aviation has. There are some sets which can do both, have that lushness yet still provide a technically proficient sound, but you’d have to pay more for them. The Aviation is only $199, which in respect to the Audioverse… that’s peanuts.Details
You already know, details are about average and about what one should expect if you’ve read any word I’ve written and trust that I’ve done my homework. The Aviation is fantastic so long as I’m not listening to some rapid fire and heavy music with a huge cast of instruments all playing in concert with each other. Take a simple joint, easier to digest music and I promise the Aviation will catch the finer details well. You’ll hear the dude laughing 10 rows back in your favorite live track, you’ll hear the scrapes of fingers on a guitar string, the edgy harmonics of a violin, the breath in a mic. You simply cannot have a whole lot playing alongside. Again, I would call the Aviation about average in detail retrieval. It’s fine, it’s good enough. The good thing is what you get in return for it… Warm and engaging, dynamic and non-offensive with a penchant to come across very melodic.
Comparison
Hisenior Mega 5P ($239)
The Hisenior Mega 5P is one of those sets that marks a standard at its price point. At least that is what it was for me. The Mega5P has a 10mm Bio-Cellulose Dynamic Driver paired with four Balanced Armature Drivers and I must say… there’s some serious cohesion happening. The M5P is about $40 more in price then the Aviation. I used the Mega 5P because I think the differences are enough to warrant a preference battle here. In fact, these two iems are tuned very much differently from each other. I’d venture to say that they are almost opposites. They certainly have different sound signatures. I feel it helps to explain the Aviation a bit better, but that’s up for debate. I’ll also say that the Aviation has its hands full here as I’m posing it against one of the best iems in the price point. However, the M5P also isn’t for everyone. So, let’s see if we can spot some differences and maybe learn a thing or two about the Aviation in the process.
Differences
To begin, both iems are remarkably made/built and both are absolutely gorgeous in design. Not much separates the two in these categories. The M5P is a bit larger with a bigger internal cavity and so that is something to think about. However, I absolutely adore the way both sets look. As far as “fit”, this is 100% subjective but the M5P fits me slightly better. I realize that didn’t help you at all. Now, the M5P is a neutral sounding iem with a wonderfully natural sound and the Aviation has much more coloration and warmth to it. The Aviation is slightly harder to drive as well. Both sets excel for different reasons. The M5P leans towards a neutral-ish Harman sound where the Aviation boosts the bass, pushes the midrange forward and relaxes the treble. Two different takes to good sound.Sound Differences
I’ll make this brief to conserve my words a bit. Like I said, the M5P is much closer to a neutral sounding iem while the Aviation leans warm and smooth. The M5P is also very smooth in its timbre and approach & has a very relaxed sound. The dynamics are more energetic on the Aviation. More expressive. More musical. Don’t let those words fool you though, that doesn’t make the Aviation better, not by any stretch. Both are very engaging with a very inviting personality. The Hisenior Mega5P certainly has the more resolute and airy presentation across the board. That said, the timbre and note body comes across thinner and less full bodied than the Aviation. No doubt each set has their pluses and minuses. Also, no doubt that each set is a welcome addition to most any collection.Bass Region
The bass on the Aviation is fuller, warmer, more wholesome and cozier. It has greater density and effects the entire spectrum much more. The M5P has a tighter, more focused bass with more of a sub-bass leaning. The M5P has a more clinical and punchy bass region and doesn’t sound anywhere near a one-noted endeavor like the Aviation. The Aviation has that half-circle wide and flat bass with more of a haptic and tactile feel to it and bigger slam. Hisenior kept it clean though. Very clean. The M5P bass region has nice texture and still has good rumble while not leaking into the midrange very much. For me I think the M5P has the more mature bass while not leaving out some of the fun too.Midrange
The midrange on the Aviation has a thicker and lusher replay while coming across more emotionally charged. The M5P on the other hand is more separated, technically conscious, clean and resolute in its midrange with less note body and a shimmery upper-midrange. Both sound energetic but for me personally I’d go with the Aviation here. That could change a day from now so keep that in mind. The note body/density and the realistic structure to notes helps vocalists come alive in my mind. Both sets do the midrange very well, albeit they also do so differently. However, I do like both sets for different reasons. One thing’s for sure, both the Aviation and the M5P are at the top of the heap when it comes to overall midrange presentation.Treble Region
The treble offers some large differences between the two sets. First, the M5P has the more emphasized and better extended treble while the Aviation has a slightly more relaxed treble with better note body and better texture to individual notes. However, the M5P certainly has a more detail-oriented treble with faster transient attack/decay.Technicalities
I find the soundstage on the Aviation to be generally fuller though both sets have a nice stage. The Aviation presents things closer to the listener while the M5P are seated a bit back. Both are wide, tall and both have decent depth. The M5P has the more detailed playback with better separation and imaging.In the end
Honestly, I love both of these two sets. This was kind of an unfair battle actually. The M5P is more of an all-rounder type set. The Aviation is a bit more polarizing I would say. I actually think of the M5P as my palate cleanser set. So very neutral, very clean, well balanced across the board. So yes, perhaps this was an unfair comparison. What doesn’t come across in my little comparison is the utter joy the Aviation brings in listening and the fun within its replay. The M5P is much more analytical in its approach, while the Aviation is much creamier, weighted and engaging in my opinion. Again, I love em’ both.
Is it worth the asking price?
This is 100% a question of preference here. I will always answer only for myself, but if I were to answer for the community then I would likely have a bunch of folks who don’t agree with me. We are all so different. So many of you love a clean, resolute, neutral and technically adept sound and I get it. I too love that type of sound. Thankfully, I also love a warmer and more boldly dynamic sound too. I suppose as a reviewer it does pay to like just about every sound signature, or else I’d probably be alienating a lot of hobbyists in each review. And probably leading a lot of people astray. I want to keep it 100! Saying that, there is no way I could have listened to the Aviation for the past two weeks and come away saying that it isn’t worth the $199 QOA is asking for it. I’d be lying if I did. Also, I’m not one of those reviewers who believes I have to put things down to gain respect from the community. Keepin’ it 100…Honestly, this set is awesome to me.The Why
If I were to give you my reasons why the Aviation is worth the $199 that QOA is asking I would first state that this set is built very well, premium in its all resin feel and very solid in hand. Good builds just feel different. Next, I’d say that the QOA Aviation is downright gorgeous. Find me a set that is blatantly more beautiful than the Aviation around its price point. I’d also state that unlike so many iems that are sitting pretty in the $150 to $250 range there are far fewer that take on this type of tuning. So, it will complement most collections I would think. Lastly, the biggest reason “why” the QOA Aviation is worth the asking price; what we all pay for… the sound…Every last penny
The Aviation offers such an immersive experience with its dynamically expressive and wholly rich yet organically skewed timbre and fun coloration. The midrange is an absolute gem! Vocals are so well structured and very melodic. This isn’t your average Harman tuning here folks. This set presents a musically seductive appeal with rich undertones, fullness of note body too. It’s both fun and relaxing at the same time. No odd peaks, no horrible sibilance and no veil. Yeah, there’s some technical shortcomings but I couldn’t imagine losing any of this set’s musicality just for some heightened details. It’d be a tragedy. The Aviation is a very well done iem and it’s worth every last penny. My opinion.Could go either way
Of course, there are plenty of great iems that hover at or around the Aviation’s price point. There’re many Harman style sets, some nice planar iems, and some V-shaped baddies too. There’re sets that are much better technically, more energetic as well and the list goes on & on. I could very easily see some people not enjoying the Aviation at all and I could understand it too. This set isn’t for everyone. It simply isn’t. I wouldn’t even call it an all-rounder type listen. So, I could see the answer to this question going either way.
Ratings (0-10)
Note: all ratings are based upon my subjective judgment. These ratings are garnered against either similarly priced sets or with similar driver implementations or styles with the unique parameters of my choosing. In the case of the QOA Aviation ratings below, that would be $150-$220 iems of any driver configuration. Please remember that “ratings” don’t tell the whole story. This leaves out nuance and a number of other qualities which make an earphone what it is. A “5” is exactly average and please take into consideration the “lot” of iems these ratings are gathered against, this is important. $150-$220 US is a decent sized scope of iems and so seeing a “9. 0” for instance, should be something special. My ratings are never the same, never cut n’ dry, and each set of ratings tells a different story. Each time you read one of my ratings it will be unique to that review. Basically, I create a Rating that makes sense to me.Aesthetic
-Build Quality: 9.0 Build Quality is great-Look: 9.8 The design of this set is near top in class
-Accessories: 9.7 I love a brand that doesn’t skimp on accessories
–Overall: 9.5
Sound Rating
-Timbre: 9.1 The timbre and tonality are fantastic.-Bass: 7.8 Nice supporting bass but not the star of the show
-Midrange: 9.8 The bread & butter of the Aviation.
-Treble: 8.1 Great treble timbre, body, presence, lacks brilliance.
-Technicalities: 7.2 Great stage but lacks other technical aspects of an iem
–Overall: 8.4
Ratings Summary:
I’ll definitely have to explain myself here. I tested the Aviation against any iem within the $150 to $220 range. I think we can all agree that this is a very competitive price bracket. Go through the list of iems! Let me know when you’re finished tomorrow. It’s long and many sets perform well. You really shouldn’t see a whole lot of ratings past a 9.0, so if you do, there’s a good reason for it in my opinion.To start, the “Timbre” could go either way. It has an organic hue but there is quite a bit of coloration to the sound. I’ll call it “Organic-Dynamic”. Anyways, the timbre is great, and I believe this set deserves this rating. The “Bass” speaks for itself, it’s good but has some very slight issues. Against the competition ($150-$220) I feel there are many more which ranks higher. The “Treble” also speaks for itself. Again, it’s good but isn’t top notch to crest that 8.5 barrier. I think an 8.1 is deserving. That brings us to “Technicalities”. Honestly the only saving grace for this rating is the soundstage. If that was to the same level as the other Technicalities, then this Rating would likely be closer to 5 or 6. However, in the grand scheme of things an “8.4 Overall” is a very high score considering the price point. I suppose this is another set where the ratings really don’t tell the whole story and to really get to know a set… it takes a bit more nuance than a few numbers.
Conclusion
To conclude my review of the QOA Aviation I have to again thank HiFiGo for providing this set and for always acting as true professionals. HiFiGo happens to be a place that I’ve spent way too much time and purchased many sets through. So, to be able to work with a company such as this while never once asked to skew my words is nice. I’d have it no other way. Instead, I’ve only been asked to write my truth on the page. I also want to thank anyone who clicked the link to check out this review. I truly hope I can help you out in making a decision. $199 is not cheap by any measure and for so many that is a long time of saving money to be able to afford. Therefore, we gotta get it right. $199 is a fortune for the vast majority of our world and I can surely say that I’ve given you my exact thoughts.Other perspectives
With this understanding I also want to push you all to get 2nd and 3rd opinions. Do not simply read my words and hit the buy now. I’ve said it a hundred times; we are not all the same! We have different music libraries, different gear, different abilities to actually hear the music and we have not all been down the same journey in audio. So please, do yourself a favor and take in other thoughts.This is it folks, the QOA Aviation is a very well-tuned iem that has its place amongst some of the best in the price point. I truly believe that. Even if the sound signature isn’t what you enjoy, it’s hard to argue with how well QOA crafted and tuned this set. I hope you all are well and good and relatively safe, take care and God Bless!
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank HIFIGO for furnishing this unit. The Aviation can be gotten here (no affiliate links): https://hifigo.com/products/qoa-aviaiton
SPECIFICATIONS
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of "balanced" silicone tips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of "vocal" silicone tips (S/M/L)
- Cable
- 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modules for cable
- Carrying case
Other than the omission of foam tips, the accessories are pretty generous. There's even a modular cable included, which we will talk about below.
The eartips come inlaid in their own case, which is quite cool! 2 variants are included - the "vocal" wide-bore ones, which provide better soundstage and treble air, and the "balanced" narrower-bore ones, which are bassier with less air.
Queen of Audio has provided a 5N Litz OCC copper cable, with 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modular terminals. This definitely increases source pairing options, depending on whether your source harnesses single-ended or balanced outputs. The cable is sheathed with PVC, and is extremely well braided with a chin cinch. There's some smattering of microphonics.
Last but not least, we have a semi-rigid elegant leatherette carrying case, which operates with a button fastener. This case is quite substantial in volume, allowing the Aviation plus multiple accessories to be stored, with room to spare. The innards contain webbing and a soft material to cushion the contents.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock "vocal" silicone tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The Aviation's shells are fashioned from 3D-printed resin, and are a real looker. Each earpiece is individually hand-painted, and one can opt for a "galaxy" version (black/grey hued) or a "mirage" one, which has an amalgamation of yellow/gold/black/blue colours.
Comfort is top-notch - the shells are light and ergonomically designed - and I faced no issues using them for marathon listening sessions. There's a concha protrusion for added grip.
Interestingly, during packaging, Queen of Audio has wrapped the entire shell in protective stickers, and I left one side of the stickers on (bottom left photo) to show the thoughtfulness of the manufacturer in preventing scratches on these puppies.
Being a vented IEM, isolation is just slightly above average. Nevertheless, the Aviation should be usable out-doors, but probably not in an airfield as per its namesake!
I did not find any driver flex on my pair.
INTERNALS
The Aviation is a 1 DD + 3 Knowles BA hybrid - an 8 mm full-ranged custom dynamic driver handles the low-end and overlaps with the other frequencies. Dual Knowles 32873 BAs take care of the midrange, and one Knowles 33518 BA settles the treble. These are divided into crossovers, with a triband tube acoustic structure.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Aviation with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Fiio KA13 dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- 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
The Aviation is easily driven and amplification is not truly essential.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the Queen of Audio Aviation via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.
Tonally, the Aviation can be described as having a gentle U-shaped tuning.
This IEM is sub-bass focused, with just a tickle of rumble heard on bass heavy tracks. It is not for bassheads as such. The bass is quite textured, but is on the slower side. Unfortunately, basslines can smear with complex or rapid bass tracks, with some mid-bass bleed noted.
The lower midrange is warmed by the thick bass. It is a double-edged sword, as the lush midrange is syrupy with lots of heft to note weight, though this region loses some transparency as such, with a veiled tone heard. I would describe the midrange as "euphonic". With a 6 - 7 dB ear gain, vocals are far from shouty or fatiguing, and this is quite a fresh air from the usual over-zealous pinna gain steroid-infused CHIFI (should we call those pinna pain instead?)
The lower treble is has a slight boost, and is generally smooth. However, there's a peak around the 7 kHz region which adds to some cymbal and high-hats emphasis, though there is a tinge of sibilance heard. The upper treble then veers to darkness with not much air heard.
Timbre is excellent for a hybrid, and acoustic instruments sound life-like. No complaints on this front.
In technical chops, the Aviation is sadly below average at this price point. While soundstage is above average in all 3 dimensions, the fuzzy imaging bestows a nebulous soundscape where instruments cannot be pinpointed easily.
The aforementioned darkish upper treble does lead to some veiling of micro-detailing, and instrument separation can be compressed.
In essence, the Aviation goes for a "musical" signature, rather than something analytical for critical listening.
COMPARISONS
Comparisons were made with other $200ish USD hybrids. Planars, tribrids, single DDs and pure BA types were left out of the equation as the different transducers have their pros and cons.
Penon Fan 2
Graph of the Aviation versus Penon Fan 2 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.
The Fan 2 is a warm neutral hybrid. The Fan 2 has a neutralish bass, though it is more textured and cleaner. The Fan 2 also has more treble air and extension.
Both IEMs have good timbre for hybrids, though the Aviation shades it in this area. The Aviation also has a thicker note weight and sounds more "full".
Technically, the Fan 2 is a league ahead, boasting superior imaging, micro-detailing and instrument separation. Soundstage is a bit better on the Aviation, though as mentioned, the poor imaging contributes to difficulty in locating instruments in the headspace.
Many consumers face fitting issues with the Fan 2's super long nozzles, so ergonomics are definitely better on the Aviation. Additionally, the Fan 2's stock cable is non-modular and way worse than the Aviation's haptically pleasing one.
Aful Performer 5
Graph of the Aviation versus Performer 5 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.
Both sets are U-shaped, albeit the Performer 5 has more treble, though it is thinner in note weight. Both IEMs are not paragons of clean basslines, with the Performer 5 having a one-noted untextured bass that smears.
The Performer 5 has a bad metallic timbre, sounding very artificial in this department.
Technically, the Performer 5 has a smaller soundstage, though it has better imaging, instrument separation and micro-detailing.
CONCLUSIONS
The Aviation blends a balanced U-shaped soundscape with thick note weight and a syrupy midrange, offering dulcet tones with non-fatiguing vocals. Timbral accuracy is also excellent, which cannot be said for some similarly priced competitor hybrids with pungent BA timbre.
In addition, the Aviation's aesthetics, build and comfort are second to none, with easy drivability to top it off.
Alas, the Aviation doesn't take flight when it comes to technicalities. It is quite meh in this area, and this is an IEM more for "musicality" rather than critical listening. There is an argument to be made that not everything needs to score high marks in the 3 Ts of timbre, tonality and technicalities - and there is definitely a niche for relaxing and laid-back IEMs - but I would counter-argue that gear at this price-point ($199 USD) should at least score above average in all departments.
The flabby bass also does not help when it comes to complex or rapid bass tracks, and some genres like metal will not fare well with the Aviation. It thus loses some marks cause of the middling technical chops.
Having said that, the Aviation is a sight (and sound) for sore ears, especially for folks who are wary of an overly boosted pinna gain or shouty vocals. The pleasant tonality and dense soundscape it provides is definitely unique compared to the run-of-the-mill Harmanish fare we see (or rather hear) every week.
The Aviation can soar into the sky in acing timbre and tonality, and is an IEM to pick out for a smooth and chill session. However, look elsewhere if technical chops are the first priority, or if one desires a fast and clean bass.
I would like to thank HIFIGO for furnishing this unit. The Aviation can be gotten here (no affiliate links): https://hifigo.com/products/qoa-aviaiton
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver configuration: 8 mm custom dynamic driver + 3 x Knowles balanced armature drivers (dual 32873 and single 33518)
- Impedance: 39 Ω
- Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Sensitivity: 118 dB
- Cable: 2-pin, 0.78 mm; 5N Litz OCC copper cable; modular cable with 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm termination modules
- Tested at $199 USD
ACCESSORIES
Other than the IEM, these are included:
- 3 pairs of "balanced" silicone tips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of "vocal" silicone tips (S/M/L)
- Cable
- 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modules for cable
- Carrying case
Other than the omission of foam tips, the accessories are pretty generous. There's even a modular cable included, which we will talk about below.
The eartips come inlaid in their own case, which is quite cool! 2 variants are included - the "vocal" wide-bore ones, which provide better soundstage and treble air, and the "balanced" narrower-bore ones, which are bassier with less air.
Queen of Audio has provided a 5N Litz OCC copper cable, with 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm modular terminals. This definitely increases source pairing options, depending on whether your source harnesses single-ended or balanced outputs. The cable is sheathed with PVC, and is extremely well braided with a chin cinch. There's some smattering of microphonics.
Last but not least, we have a semi-rigid elegant leatherette carrying case, which operates with a button fastener. This case is quite substantial in volume, allowing the Aviation plus multiple accessories to be stored, with room to spare. The innards contain webbing and a soft material to cushion the contents.
The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock "vocal" silicone tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.
BUILD/COMFORT
The Aviation's shells are fashioned from 3D-printed resin, and are a real looker. Each earpiece is individually hand-painted, and one can opt for a "galaxy" version (black/grey hued) or a "mirage" one, which has an amalgamation of yellow/gold/black/blue colours.
Comfort is top-notch - the shells are light and ergonomically designed - and I faced no issues using them for marathon listening sessions. There's a concha protrusion for added grip.
Interestingly, during packaging, Queen of Audio has wrapped the entire shell in protective stickers, and I left one side of the stickers on (bottom left photo) to show the thoughtfulness of the manufacturer in preventing scratches on these puppies.
Being a vented IEM, isolation is just slightly above average. Nevertheless, the Aviation should be usable out-doors, but probably not in an airfield as per its namesake!
I did not find any driver flex on my pair.
INTERNALS
The Aviation is a 1 DD + 3 Knowles BA hybrid - an 8 mm full-ranged custom dynamic driver handles the low-end and overlaps with the other frequencies. Dual Knowles 32873 BAs take care of the midrange, and one Knowles 33518 BA settles the treble. These are divided into crossovers, with a triband tube acoustic structure.
DRIVABILITY
I tested the Aviation with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Colorfly CDA M1 DAC/AMP dongle
- Creative Sound Blaster X5
- E1DA DAC/AMP dongle
- Fiio KA13 dongle
- Hiby R3 Pro Saber 2022 DAP
- 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
The Aviation is easily driven and amplification is not truly essential.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
Graph of the Queen of Audio Aviation via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.
Tonally, the Aviation can be described as having a gentle U-shaped tuning.
This IEM is sub-bass focused, with just a tickle of rumble heard on bass heavy tracks. It is not for bassheads as such. The bass is quite textured, but is on the slower side. Unfortunately, basslines can smear with complex or rapid bass tracks, with some mid-bass bleed noted.
The lower midrange is warmed by the thick bass. It is a double-edged sword, as the lush midrange is syrupy with lots of heft to note weight, though this region loses some transparency as such, with a veiled tone heard. I would describe the midrange as "euphonic". With a 6 - 7 dB ear gain, vocals are far from shouty or fatiguing, and this is quite a fresh air from the usual over-zealous pinna gain steroid-infused CHIFI (should we call those pinna pain instead?)
The lower treble is has a slight boost, and is generally smooth. However, there's a peak around the 7 kHz region which adds to some cymbal and high-hats emphasis, though there is a tinge of sibilance heard. The upper treble then veers to darkness with not much air heard.
Timbre is excellent for a hybrid, and acoustic instruments sound life-like. No complaints on this front.
In technical chops, the Aviation is sadly below average at this price point. While soundstage is above average in all 3 dimensions, the fuzzy imaging bestows a nebulous soundscape where instruments cannot be pinpointed easily.
The aforementioned darkish upper treble does lead to some veiling of micro-detailing, and instrument separation can be compressed.
In essence, the Aviation goes for a "musical" signature, rather than something analytical for critical listening.
COMPARISONS
Comparisons were made with other $200ish USD hybrids. Planars, tribrids, single DDs and pure BA types were left out of the equation as the different transducers have their pros and cons.
Penon Fan 2
Graph of the Aviation versus Penon Fan 2 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.
The Fan 2 is a warm neutral hybrid. The Fan 2 has a neutralish bass, though it is more textured and cleaner. The Fan 2 also has more treble air and extension.
Both IEMs have good timbre for hybrids, though the Aviation shades it in this area. The Aviation also has a thicker note weight and sounds more "full".
Technically, the Fan 2 is a league ahead, boasting superior imaging, micro-detailing and instrument separation. Soundstage is a bit better on the Aviation, though as mentioned, the poor imaging contributes to difficulty in locating instruments in the headspace.
Many consumers face fitting issues with the Fan 2's super long nozzles, so ergonomics are definitely better on the Aviation. Additionally, the Fan 2's stock cable is non-modular and way worse than the Aviation's haptically pleasing one.
Aful Performer 5
Graph of the Aviation versus Performer 5 via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz area is a coupler artefact peak.
Both sets are U-shaped, albeit the Performer 5 has more treble, though it is thinner in note weight. Both IEMs are not paragons of clean basslines, with the Performer 5 having a one-noted untextured bass that smears.
The Performer 5 has a bad metallic timbre, sounding very artificial in this department.
Technically, the Performer 5 has a smaller soundstage, though it has better imaging, instrument separation and micro-detailing.
CONCLUSIONS
The Aviation blends a balanced U-shaped soundscape with thick note weight and a syrupy midrange, offering dulcet tones with non-fatiguing vocals. Timbral accuracy is also excellent, which cannot be said for some similarly priced competitor hybrids with pungent BA timbre.
In addition, the Aviation's aesthetics, build and comfort are second to none, with easy drivability to top it off.
Alas, the Aviation doesn't take flight when it comes to technicalities. It is quite meh in this area, and this is an IEM more for "musicality" rather than critical listening. There is an argument to be made that not everything needs to score high marks in the 3 Ts of timbre, tonality and technicalities - and there is definitely a niche for relaxing and laid-back IEMs - but I would counter-argue that gear at this price-point ($199 USD) should at least score above average in all departments.
The flabby bass also does not help when it comes to complex or rapid bass tracks, and some genres like metal will not fare well with the Aviation. It thus loses some marks cause of the middling technical chops.
Having said that, the Aviation is a sight (and sound) for sore ears, especially for folks who are wary of an overly boosted pinna gain or shouty vocals. The pleasant tonality and dense soundscape it provides is definitely unique compared to the run-of-the-mill Harmanish fare we see (or rather hear) every week.
The Aviation can soar into the sky in acing timbre and tonality, and is an IEM to pick out for a smooth and chill session. However, look elsewhere if technical chops are the first priority, or if one desires a fast and clean bass.
TONALITY: 8.5/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8/10
TIMBRE: 8.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE: 8.2/10
IMAGING: 7.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 9/10
SOUND VALUE: 8/10
INTRO
Queen of Audio is a IEMs company from China loosely connected to Kinera. It has been founded in 2019 by 2 sisters Yu.
Their goal seem to offer earphones that are very appealing to they eyes, so they give great care to the design as well as it's artistic embelishment.
Most of their IEMs release are hybrid with the exception of single driver IEM like QOA Gimlet which was the last IEM I review from this company, and a very good one that worth consideration.
Today I will review their latest hybrid earphones release, the QOA Aviation.
Priced 199$, the Aviation is an hybrid universal custom in ear using 1x 8mm custom dynamic drivers+3 knowles balanced armature. All drivers are tubed, and it seem it's a crossover free IEM.
QOA promise a smooth, full rich sound with ''good mid-frequency density'' and ''moderate energy distribution''.
Let see in this review if this IEM offer a singular musicality that worth the consideration.
CONSTRUCTION&ACCESSORIES
Last IEM ive tested from QOA was a rather fancy looking Pink Lady, so I was expecting another beautiful cratfmanship by this company and it's exactly what I get. I mean, their 2 design model and I receive this one randomly, it's a sober elegant looking IEM that can reveal its beauty subtilities with different light effect. It can go from powdered grey and black to grey and dark blue, which mystify the eye for sure while not being over the top in term of fashion affirmation.
The housing is all made of smooth high grade resin plastic that seem molded in one piece because their no lining of front and back part nor glue visible. The back is opaque while the front is semi transparent so you can observ the drivers inside the shell.
2pin connector are just slightly recessed, which is a good choice for stable and easy connectivity. It seem solidly embeded to housing and don't have any visible gap or loose part.
Overall shape is ergonimic, smooth and easy of fit. It's thinked for shallow fit, not deep one. Isolation is good enough. It's the type of IEM we can forget we wear due to light housing and organic shape.
The cable included is of excellent quality. Its a modular 4 strands, 5N oxygen free litz copper cable. It have 2 interchangeable plugs, one 4.4mm balanced and one 3.5mm. I would appreciate a 2.5mm balanced too, but nowadays it's rare we have DAP or dongle using this balanced jack. Their 2 version of this cable, other one is purple and even more beautiful than this one.
The packaging come in a beautifuly decorated box that isn't too big. It included a unique looking carrying case of great quality with enough space for 2 cable and couple of IEMs. As seen, the ear tips come in a little plastic case, which is appreciated. It include 6 pairs of silicone eartips in 4 models shape. Those eartips are logical choice for the Aviation nozzle and don't necessitate recurse to third party one, yet 3 models come only in one size, which is a bit puzzling.
All in all, the packaging and accessories scream quality, and it's enough for me to conclude this is adequate for it's price tag.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
My story with Queen Of Audio is a bumpy ride, it begin with the Freya which hypnotize me with their incredible eye catching artsy design but not with their sound, then go to budget Gimlet that I find excellent both tonaly and technicaly yet so crually underatted by Chifi community....and now, these Aviation which I have no idea of how they will sound but see I graph that mislead me thinking these will be bright W shape.
Which they aren't. The Aviation is all about Mid Range lover and i'm certainly the right guy for this kind of target.
Vocal, saxophone, piano and all mid range centric instrument is what hook our attention for sure, and not in a shouty or dry fowards presence way. It's smooth, enveloping, lush and creamy mid range here, these aren't neutral yet sound natural, these aren't bass head, yet are very bassy, these aren't treble head yet have some air and sparkle on top.
One thing sure too: these aren't harman target and i'm relieve to don't endure another gimmicky tuning of this over exploited balance.
Overall balance is warm W shape to mid centric L shape with extra bass warmth that thicken lower harmonic of instrument and vocal. I do think the ideal musicality that QOA chase here is natural and lush, laid back but dynamic, it's not using the 3 BAs to blow your mind with micro details or treble focus, yet, it's not an IEM i find plain dark or technicaly underwhelming.
Yet, the BASS is the achille heel when it come to this technical performance. It seem it's there to solely thicken and warmth mid timbre. This is a unique approach with pros and cons. In the sens, it will add note weight and widen presence without using texture brigthness to do so, it feed the lower mids with protein too, that permit male and female vocal to blossom full bodied way.
But all positive side is mostly with instrumental music, or simply pop bassy music, not fast complex rock or jazz with crazy bass line and kick drum speed.
I mean, the bass is quite boosted and offer a thick warm slam that swallow kick drum presence and offer bodied yet colored bass line that feel a bit loose and dark too. This do better with cello that gain lushness and fullness in presentation, and never feel recessed while for anything that hit this appealing tone warmth goes into lack of proper definition we will expect from a mid tier IEM. As well, this punch has a ''pillowy'' feel, its not hard punching with energic presence added to dynamic heft.
The bass is the guilty pleasure part of Aviation, which will be hit or miss dependingof music genre you listen to.
Anything that don't need clean edgy attack lead definition will be appealing, including synth bass line, cello, bassoon etc, but when it goes acoustic drum with double bass things will get less accurate and clear.
Nonetheless, due to hybrid drivers configuration, we aren't into muddy fest here, just a thick macro dynamic transition that are richly layered, and not analytical or high fidelity at all in lower region.
The mid range is heavenly, it's center of the show and fully extract from macro dynamic with a focus on vocal, fowards lush way. Woodwinds instrument too are sublime, which is logical because it's similar to vocal in term of presence projection.
Mids are the first thing that charm me listening to Aviation, and then keep me hooked for hours and hours because my playlist have lot of female vocal and im sensitive to both shoutyness and sibilance now, as well as thin annoying timbre. Which the Aviation are free off, both male and female vocal are full bodied and smootly projected foward with a wide velvety presence coherent in timbre naturalness, free of displeasant texture spike boost, just a hint breathy and boosted in lower harmonic, adding density to their intimate presentation that feel very very near the listener.
So, if you wish to be at 30cm of Agnes Obel face or any of your favorite singer, this is it.
The dual Knowles balanced armature used for mid range are excellent and dominant in the mix, and the fact it's achieved with a low fatigue free pinna gain is a tour de force in it's own right.
The piano restitution too is marvelous, it's not clinical or lacking in note weight, each note are round and authoritative in presence, dense and a hint warm in timbre, wide in attack sustain-release with vibrant air. It's captivating, effortless way, with natural tone but softed presence grain, so it isn't sharply define in each stroke, it's tactile with great sens of proximity. The piano fundamental will be more highlight than higher harmonic in chord, and embrace the definition with an appealing (and guilty?) warmth.
Then like the vocal, saxophone is very sweet with polished texture that will not monitor the mouth mouvement or blow micro details, which in fact are artefact I rarely want to hear unless part of saxophonist expressivity.
And for violin, I can't say it deliver and edgy attack that will benefit fast playing of Hilary Hahn, but when she goes mid range lush playing we are in for delactable presentaton with widen presence, smooth dynamic and organic timbre. Not dry or metallic violin tone here, its colorfull and tamed in agressive spike.
At they end, it all come to how you consider natural and pleasant your mid range, but one thing certain is that Aviation focus on mid range is all about lower mids and buttery upper mids that favor a colorful natural tone over brighten texture presence.
When bass and mids take first seats, it's rare treble is the focus of the show and the Aviation is no exception about this. This is logical if it use dual BA for mids and only one for whole treble section.
So while slightly dark as well as lacking air and sparkle on top, treble isn't plain dull and doesn't lack dynamism as well as tactile fullness, just don't expect tremendous amount of micro details nor edgy definition of each percussions in soundscape.
The acoustic guitar do lack a bit of sparkle, the attack lead lack snap and decay, its boosted in lower harmonic body so notn thin sounding but when guitar use metallic string we will not even know it with this kind of lush treble.
Lower treble is buttery while mid treble have hint of minimal crunch that permit percussion to sound lively enough, sustain vibrancy is there more than the decay release.
Its a very safe treble that don't create fatigue and is on par with a gently lively macro dynamic.
I find it both refined and understated, not harsh nor spiky, the highs doesn't attract your attention but permit to deliver smooth instrument texture free of grain or artefact, and a permissive resolution for bad recording prompt to have boosted background hiss with more analytical or treble extended IEMs.
The Soundstage is quite impressive in both wideness and tallness and act as a big wall of holographic sound surrounding the listener, but doesn't have lot of crisp depth to it, so you can't travel upfront, your drown in rich soundscape.
The imaging isn't impressive though, it's dark im micro dynamic and proper instrument positioning is hard, mids range and center stage will darken both bass and treble instrument separation, so overall macro resolution is too opaque for proper positioning accuracy.
SIDE NOTES
Surprisingly, the Aviation seem to scale up with a little of amping power, so I would suggest a minimum of 100mW@32ohm. It's impedance is of 39ohm, while it's sensitivity is rather high at 118db, so a powerfull source with low output impedance will make them shine in term of clean lively rumbly dynamic.
The included eartips are good enough, while for the cable i tend to prefer silver plated one to improve the imaging sharpness a bit as well as treble air.
COMPARISONS
VS PENON FAN2 (2DD+2BAs-280$)
The Fan2 sound more neutral and technical, crisper and cleaner.
The bass is tighter, more mid bass centric and edgier in punch definition, not as warm and rumbly, nor as thick as Aviation but better separated and faster in attack.
Mids are more open and airy, more transparent and hint leaner and more compressed in presence, which is more centered and not as lush in vocal presentation, colder we can say but offering clearer resolution too.
Treble is snappier and sparklier-airier but dryer too, we have more micro details as well as more extension pas 10khz than darker thicker Aviation. Macro dynamic is less smoothed and more vivid with Fan2.
Spatiality is notably wider and taller with Aviation, but not as clean and deep as Fan2.
Imaging is more precise in positioning and sound layering is more transparent with Fan2.
All in all, technical performance go to Fan2 here, especialy in imaging and clean clarity, but timbre wise Aviation is lusher and vocal are therefore more present and enveloping, and to my ears, more musical and trigering greater emotional response.
VS TANCHJIM KARA (1DD+4BAs-180$)
The Kara are more U shape in balance, more mature and neutralish too.
The overal macro dynamic is notably leaner and duller too.
Bass doesnt hit as hard, it's more mellow and more focus on sub bass extension in a leaner, less thick in rumble way. Kick drum is notably less round and punchy, and tend to disappear both in presence and tactility more.
Mids are dryer, colder, leaner and notably thinner with Kara, it feel more recessed and lacking note weight as well as having more compressed presence. Their less bass warmth as well as more scooped lower mids that make male vocal even more uneven compared to lusher, thicker more fowards and warmer mids of Aviation.
Treble is a bit more open and clean with Kara, but dryer, thinner and less crunchy, so its even more softed in edge and safer than already very safe Aviation. Yet Kara dig more sound info and
Soundstage is again way wider taller with Aviation, just a hint deeper with Kara due to moe recessed center stage.
Imaging is better with Kara but not very impressive, just more transparent in layering and treble have more air and cleaner-crisper macro resolution.
All in all, the Kara feel mids less compared to Aviation that have fuller mid range and not as scooped lower mids, when it come to technical performance, if we pull off the bass warmth it woul be on par but due to warmer tonality Kara has upper hands in term of imaging, transparency and micro details. Anyway, i can't enjoy music with Kara. So who's the guilty pleasure then?
CONCLUSION
The QOA Aviation is an highly immersive and musical IEM to my ears and will certainly charm the audio enthusiast that are listening to alot of vocalist.
This is a mid centric sounding earphone with great emphasis on lower mid range, delivering thick dense and wide vocal, as well as chunky mid bass slam. It's not a technical or clinical sounding IEM, and I would not suggest these to treble head as well as neutral head because it's very colored musicality.
The Aviation offer a refreshing tuning that favor an holographic macro dynamic over analytical micro details and don't follow the Harman target trend which can be perceive as thin or shouty mid range for some.
For those people seeking an engaging warm musicality, this hybrid is Recommended.
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PS: I want to thanks QOA for sending me this review sample. I'm not affiliated to this company and these are my unbiased subjective audio impressions and opinion.
You can order the QOA Aviation for 199$ here (non affiliated link):
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005929747521.html
