Reviews by AudioNoob
It looks like a face! | O < o > O |
The usb-c arena is getting crowded, but if you have the money to spend, and you want a dedicated portable usb-c unit that can drive moderately inefficient phones, hud100 will please those looking for a neutral-to-lean sound signature(Ety-head here). It delivers a clean and articulate tone in a small, somewhat over-engineered package covering pretty much all protocols and frequencies, ranging up to PCM 32bit/384kHz and DSD128. It also supports MQA(MQA debate aside for the scope of this review).
Built around a AK4377 chip on a 8 layer PCB, it contains discrete MEMS oscillators and an ARM cortex that can apply "propriety algorithms" to the signal. Rather than a hi/lo switch, they have designed separate signal paths for the high and low power outputs, giving the device its wide yet slim rectangular body. All that separation ensures a dead quiet noise floor, and I haven't run into any cellphone interference either. It also has a filtering switch that allows choosing bypass/dct/dynamic modes with subtle effects on the sound.
Filtering
I mostly tested it on DCT and transparent modes. The effect is subtle, and only works for 44.1khz sources. I asked Radsone exactly what the filtering does but haven't got an answer yet. I don't know if it's a DSP separation rather than a straightforward eq. Regardless, the effect of DCT mode is a subtle emphasis of sub-bass, and perhaps some noise shaping (welcome to the psychosomatic zone), I don't know about pre-ringing and so forth. The dynamic mode is a much clearer bump in lower regions, rolling into the lows, which I find to be a bit much for my preferences.
Although it makes visual sense to put the recommended default (DCT) in the middle, from a user experience point it is actually hard to set a tiny three way switch to the middle without looking. It might be better to swap it with the dynamic mode (they could do this in firmware).
Build and accessories
Considering the price of the package approaching bluetooth cabable usb-c dacs, I will do some nitpicking in this section.
My biggest issue is with the 3.5mm jacks. They are rather loose, which worries me for a dongle type device. I was trying to figure out if I was having sampling sync issues when I realized that my earphones had come unplugged by a hair. For this type of device, where the cables are inevitably going to bend and pull, I much prefer the snap-in-place, secure connection of the apple dac dongle.
The body is an unibody aluminum rectangular prism with a thin bottom cap. A bottom with a matching finish would feel more solid and offer some extra (perhaps unneccessary) shielding.
Included in the package is a clear plastic sleeve and two adhesive mounting points that stick to the back of your host device for a tidy portable stack. I do like the design as the permanent mounting point is rather unobstrusive once you remove the dac. It is a bit of a puzzle as to how you could have your earphones come out the top side and fit a usb-c cable loop in your pocket. For the most part, I find myself preferring the dac dangle out of my pocket rather than risk my usb-c ports.
There is one usb-c–c cable and one usb-c–a(Full size) in the box. The c-c cable is better built with an extruded usb-c connector sleeve rather than the loose fitting crimped one present on the a–c. The c-a cable itself is also stiffer and cheaper feeling with roughly molded strain reliefs. The color and line quality of their branding and logo don't match the c-c cable either. I think at this price, they should really include a better a-c cable. Also, it was 4"/10cm longer, you could use one of the extra sleeve attachment points on the lid of your laptop that kept your stuff off of the table.
Impressions
Ka Baird - Vivification Exercises I (44.1khz/24bit)
The hud100 maintains superb channel separation, and its articulation capacity in the low end renders a clear sonic topography, with other dacs at hand feeling blunt in comparison
Laura Marling - The Lockdown Sessions (44.1khz/16bit)
This album has a tendency to sound a bit nasal on the other dacs, the hud100 being an exception. Here, Marling's voice burns through with tactile graininess. The lean response tames the resonance of the guitar body a bit so that it doesn't bleed into the mids. The recording is not particularly expansive, so there isn't much difference in terms of the stage, but it feels a row or two farther thanks to the recessed lows.
Son Lux - Tomorrows II - Live Another Life (44.1khz/16bit)
The beginning of this track has a very distinct, rectangular soundstage set by a percussion that I can best describe as a rimshot hit with a thick plastic bottle, recorded from the inside with the lid on. My sonic ramblings aside, the hud100 really flaunts its colors here. The beginning section is rendered in exquisite detail, drawing a laser sharp wide rectangle with such detail that I find myself rambling as noted above. The channel separation and the leaner signature really helps distinguish the cacaphony of later sections, especially after the bass kicks in at 4:10.
Bjork - Hunter (48khz Spotify - Coreaudio)
As with other synthesized percussion above, the lean signature backed by its capacity for articulate sub-bass renders really rich percussions that are alive and detailed. This example is a bit interesting for me as I can group all other devices as different articulations of the same recording where the hud100 somehow stands apart almost as a remaster. The expansive soundstage really benefits from the channel separation and the rock bottom noise floor as the drums roll around and through your head.
Takuya Kuroda - Rising Son (44.1khz/16bit)
Apparently the theme is percussions today. This is one of those songs that builds itself out from its components, starting with a muted rim-shot. Hud100 lays it all out in great detail, you hear the stick hit the rim, the ever so separate bounce, and the resonance of the springs as Nate Smith keeps throwing in more elements. I really can't fault much with its rendition of this song, perhaps the trumpet comes through a little short on breath, but that's more likely my Etymotic ER2XRs.
In Sum
Compared to other dacs and devices that I currently have around (Dragonfly v1, Apple and Google Adapters, the pixel 3a, ipad pro), the Radsone has a significant edge in separation and detail, and it does so without sounding overly analytical. I'm very happy with the sound.
Even with the ER2XRs, the difference with the Apple adapter is significant enough for me to carry the hud100 around on the go. Perhaps if you are looking for a warm/tube-like tone, you might want to look elsewhere, especially if you are going to combine it with diffuse field earphones, but other than that, the hud100 is solid.
The one question I have is about the price –though still well under desktop dacs that it can rival– that it is high enough to make an upgrade to the ES100 or equivalent hybrid wireless dac tempting. If they were to upgrade a few small details (longer and better usb-a cable, up build quality and plugs, allow filtering in other frequencies, perhaps add an eq/app option?) I would be less likely to ask this question.
Note for others: On my macbook air, only one usb port would work for frequencies above 192khz including DSD. The other only worked above 192 when MQA was active.
B9Scrambler
Nice review 
Liking the new accessories too. Good update @radsone !
Liking the new accessories too. Good update @radsone !
radsone
Thank you for your review!
Jabra Elite Active 75t
Full disclosure, these were sent to me Jabra for testing a couple months ago, and I've been putting them through their paces since the ANC update.
They have been around for a while now and probably don't need much of an introduction as the last generation of Jabra's flagship buds. I wanted to do more of a revisit following FW2.0 and touch on some details in the process.
Let's start with the strengths. My overall note here is that it plainly works, I never have to fiddle with it and it is always there when I need it, with the app working just as seamlessly alongside to provide useful presets for switching on the go. It is very clear that Jabra has an extensive design process that considers the user experience from many dimensions, and gives that just as much weight as the sound.
Hardware
The case. The tactile quality of the case is immediately apparent. The case feels good in the hand with a subtle indent on the top and bottom surfaces for a natural grip, and is easy to slip in and out of any pocket. Standing up on a surface, it has a very small footprint, and the placement of the charging port on the back allows you to have the earbuds available at all times. There is a small led by the charging port that indicates charging status (along with firmware updates and such). Visually, it is understated and does not stand out, which I appreaciate given the number of devices hanging out on my desk.
The buds. They are easy to grip, feel very solid, and are not fiddly to get in and out of the case, snapping in home magnetically. The outer casing that sits in the concha is fairly small. They have a curving stem that ends in a somewhat complicated nozzle attachment point that makes for a shallow but secure fit. More on the included tips below. My favorite part of the Jabra design is the tactile face buttons. Unlike touch sensitive and haptic counterparts, I always know when and how many times I pressed the buttons. When I need to pause to talk to someone in person, I can rapidly double/triple click the left side to turn transparency on without praying that I touched it with the right cadence and temperance.
Software / Experience
Jabra earbuds are really designed around user experience, I never had a dropped connection, and always have them on multipoint between my ipad and google pixel, switching between the two as I wish. When I want to connect them to something else, I just click both earbuds at once and hold for a few seconds to move to pairing mode without having to remove them from my ears.
The Sound+ app is brimming with features, and offers the same experience across platforms. All settings are stored on the buds and are dynamically updated on app launch and are displayed on a user organized homepage. Unlike many other buds, you can change settings on one device and they will seamlessly sync to the second. There are extensive customization options covering everything from buttons to feedback tones on the interaction front, and three major tuning sections on the sound front. Some preferences can then be mapped to presets. For example you can switch to a particular EQ and ANC for outside, and have a more flat EQ without ANC when you are back home There is even a widget with high quality noise / ambient sound loops.
The app contains a personalized tuning routine that adjusts each bud to match your capacity for hearing by playing randomized tones at liminal volumes, one ear at a time. Similarly, ANC walks you through a simple routine to optimize it for your particular anatomy and preference. On top of these, they have a very responsive 5 band eq with automatic level balancing. I do wish that they at least offered a 7 band with labels to have a little more precision in taming the default elevated bass response, it might be a DSP chip limitation. I asked but couldn't get an answer.
Sound
Out of the box, they are quite bass forward with good detail, something like a Harman Bass+. To my ears -and I might be totally wrong here- there is some DSP going on that enhances perception of detail, differentiating subbass and extended highs a bit to give it all some bite. Thanks to the responsive EQ built into the hardware, simply pulling the first band down in the app (3/4 the way down) flattens it out to a resolving, slight U that is quite enjoyable. In a relatively quiet room, I find them to be quite energetic and fast, delivering a generally pleasing sound across genres.
Since they have quite a shallow fit by design, they don't offer much passive isolation. When you go outside or anywhere with a modicum of background noise (which tends to be on the lower registers), bringing the bass back up a little helps fill things up a bit to retain some body against the din of the outside world.
Having said all that, they are certainly not for -neither intended for, nor marketed towards- critical listening, especially if you are used to something like Etymotics through a resolving DAC. Partly, that is just the shortcoming of psychoacoustic compression used in bluetooth buds, and cannot be wholly avoided. Perhaps AptxHD+ will prove me wrong in the near future. The compression is certainly not helped by the relay connection. Regardless, it does not bother me for day to day listening for most of the time, and in many instances, I do favor the convenience of wireless over perfect sound. after all, I have spent many years of my life listening to bootleg tapes on earbuds included with my walkman, and enjoyed it just as much.
Distortion periods
ANC
This was a surprise. They really downplayed it as a software addition until release, but it is one of the better ANC implementations I have tried so far. It is certainly leaps and bounds better than the likes of Tronsmart and others that just slap on qualcomms or airoha's chip-on-board solutions. To add, it has extensive customization, per channel, of the effect. It also is one of the rare implementations that does not dramatically change the sound signature apart from raising the noise floor ever so slightly.
Weaknesses
Relay Connection: Lower quality signal to left ear.
Unlike newer earbuds that connect to your bluetooth device co-dependently or independently, the left bud connection is relayed by the right bud. Unfortunately, this introduces some compression that is clearly audible in some tracks and synthetic tests playing lower frequencies. At 0-30hz, the left earbud will flutter rather than deliver a clear tone. There is similar artifacts of psychoacoustic compression on the high end as well.
This also means that you can only use the right bud as a solo unit. Jabra said they made this call because they weren't able to guarantee a universal user experience when they experimented with independent-mono connections (if one is to speculate: likely connecting to some devices under one bluetooth identifier and so forth)
Included Tips + Spinfits
At least with my ears, the included tips require care in inserting if I need them to be comfortable over a long listening period. They have a peculiar design with a flat top and a perpendicular skirt, more of a cylinder than a bulb. If I insert them a hair too deep, the trailing edge rubs against my external ear canal and causes discomfort. Thankfully, Spinfit cp360 and cp1025 both fit perfectly and have rounded profiles.
Spinfit actually sent me a set of cp360 and cp1025(normally for APP) to review as I cover various TWSs and I found them to be the only tips that reliably fit a variety of cases. Previously, I had tested Sedna Lite Short and Xelastec tips and had case connection issues in most of the headphones I tested them with. I don't know if it's the bendy stem or the very flexible silicone used for the dome, but spinfits also reduce walking noise / bone conduction quite a bit.
At least for me, they have been essential to enjoy the Jabras to their fullest. I will note that all spinfits (I have tried most of them over the years) are very particular about sizing, with their dome crinkling and breaking the seal if you don't have it just right. I recommend getting a couple sizes and even trying different sizes for left and right if need be. I have included some photos for comparisons.
Conclusion
In the end, these would likely be my recommended buds for the average user. Certainly, they are not for those looking for niche sound signatures that one can seek in Nuarls, MW07s and other rare birds. However, between the consistency of user experience, the multipoint connection, and the easy to tweak sound signature, they are hard to pass on at half the price of Momentum 2s.
Many faces of the app
Stock tip vs CP1025
Stock tip vs CP360
CP360 vs CP1025
Full disclosure, these were sent to me Jabra for testing a couple months ago, and I've been putting them through their paces since the ANC update.
They have been around for a while now and probably don't need much of an introduction as the last generation of Jabra's flagship buds. I wanted to do more of a revisit following FW2.0 and touch on some details in the process.
Let's start with the strengths. My overall note here is that it plainly works, I never have to fiddle with it and it is always there when I need it, with the app working just as seamlessly alongside to provide useful presets for switching on the go. It is very clear that Jabra has an extensive design process that considers the user experience from many dimensions, and gives that just as much weight as the sound.
Hardware
The case. The tactile quality of the case is immediately apparent. The case feels good in the hand with a subtle indent on the top and bottom surfaces for a natural grip, and is easy to slip in and out of any pocket. Standing up on a surface, it has a very small footprint, and the placement of the charging port on the back allows you to have the earbuds available at all times. There is a small led by the charging port that indicates charging status (along with firmware updates and such). Visually, it is understated and does not stand out, which I appreaciate given the number of devices hanging out on my desk.
The buds. They are easy to grip, feel very solid, and are not fiddly to get in and out of the case, snapping in home magnetically. The outer casing that sits in the concha is fairly small. They have a curving stem that ends in a somewhat complicated nozzle attachment point that makes for a shallow but secure fit. More on the included tips below. My favorite part of the Jabra design is the tactile face buttons. Unlike touch sensitive and haptic counterparts, I always know when and how many times I pressed the buttons. When I need to pause to talk to someone in person, I can rapidly double/triple click the left side to turn transparency on without praying that I touched it with the right cadence and temperance.
Software / Experience
Jabra earbuds are really designed around user experience, I never had a dropped connection, and always have them on multipoint between my ipad and google pixel, switching between the two as I wish. When I want to connect them to something else, I just click both earbuds at once and hold for a few seconds to move to pairing mode without having to remove them from my ears.
The Sound+ app is brimming with features, and offers the same experience across platforms. All settings are stored on the buds and are dynamically updated on app launch and are displayed on a user organized homepage. Unlike many other buds, you can change settings on one device and they will seamlessly sync to the second. There are extensive customization options covering everything from buttons to feedback tones on the interaction front, and three major tuning sections on the sound front. Some preferences can then be mapped to presets. For example you can switch to a particular EQ and ANC for outside, and have a more flat EQ without ANC when you are back home There is even a widget with high quality noise / ambient sound loops.
The app contains a personalized tuning routine that adjusts each bud to match your capacity for hearing by playing randomized tones at liminal volumes, one ear at a time. Similarly, ANC walks you through a simple routine to optimize it for your particular anatomy and preference. On top of these, they have a very responsive 5 band eq with automatic level balancing. I do wish that they at least offered a 7 band with labels to have a little more precision in taming the default elevated bass response, it might be a DSP chip limitation. I asked but couldn't get an answer.
Sound
Out of the box, they are quite bass forward with good detail, something like a Harman Bass+. To my ears -and I might be totally wrong here- there is some DSP going on that enhances perception of detail, differentiating subbass and extended highs a bit to give it all some bite. Thanks to the responsive EQ built into the hardware, simply pulling the first band down in the app (3/4 the way down) flattens it out to a resolving, slight U that is quite enjoyable. In a relatively quiet room, I find them to be quite energetic and fast, delivering a generally pleasing sound across genres.
Since they have quite a shallow fit by design, they don't offer much passive isolation. When you go outside or anywhere with a modicum of background noise (which tends to be on the lower registers), bringing the bass back up a little helps fill things up a bit to retain some body against the din of the outside world.
Having said all that, they are certainly not for -neither intended for, nor marketed towards- critical listening, especially if you are used to something like Etymotics through a resolving DAC. Partly, that is just the shortcoming of psychoacoustic compression used in bluetooth buds, and cannot be wholly avoided. Perhaps AptxHD+ will prove me wrong in the near future. The compression is certainly not helped by the relay connection. Regardless, it does not bother me for day to day listening for most of the time, and in many instances, I do favor the convenience of wireless over perfect sound. after all, I have spent many years of my life listening to bootleg tapes on earbuds included with my walkman, and enjoyed it just as much.
Distortion periods
- 0-120hz(flutters)
- 2000hz-3700hz
- 8000-10000hz
- 13500-17000hz(straight up crackling like a campfire)
ANC
This was a surprise. They really downplayed it as a software addition until release, but it is one of the better ANC implementations I have tried so far. It is certainly leaps and bounds better than the likes of Tronsmart and others that just slap on qualcomms or airoha's chip-on-board solutions. To add, it has extensive customization, per channel, of the effect. It also is one of the rare implementations that does not dramatically change the sound signature apart from raising the noise floor ever so slightly.
Weaknesses
Relay Connection: Lower quality signal to left ear.
Unlike newer earbuds that connect to your bluetooth device co-dependently or independently, the left bud connection is relayed by the right bud. Unfortunately, this introduces some compression that is clearly audible in some tracks and synthetic tests playing lower frequencies. At 0-30hz, the left earbud will flutter rather than deliver a clear tone. There is similar artifacts of psychoacoustic compression on the high end as well.
This also means that you can only use the right bud as a solo unit. Jabra said they made this call because they weren't able to guarantee a universal user experience when they experimented with independent-mono connections (if one is to speculate: likely connecting to some devices under one bluetooth identifier and so forth)
Included Tips + Spinfits
At least with my ears, the included tips require care in inserting if I need them to be comfortable over a long listening period. They have a peculiar design with a flat top and a perpendicular skirt, more of a cylinder than a bulb. If I insert them a hair too deep, the trailing edge rubs against my external ear canal and causes discomfort. Thankfully, Spinfit cp360 and cp1025 both fit perfectly and have rounded profiles.
Spinfit actually sent me a set of cp360 and cp1025(normally for APP) to review as I cover various TWSs and I found them to be the only tips that reliably fit a variety of cases. Previously, I had tested Sedna Lite Short and Xelastec tips and had case connection issues in most of the headphones I tested them with. I don't know if it's the bendy stem or the very flexible silicone used for the dome, but spinfits also reduce walking noise / bone conduction quite a bit.
At least for me, they have been essential to enjoy the Jabras to their fullest. I will note that all spinfits (I have tried most of them over the years) are very particular about sizing, with their dome crinkling and breaking the seal if you don't have it just right. I recommend getting a couple sizes and even trying different sizes for left and right if need be. I have included some photos for comparisons.
Conclusion
In the end, these would likely be my recommended buds for the average user. Certainly, they are not for those looking for niche sound signatures that one can seek in Nuarls, MW07s and other rare birds. However, between the consistency of user experience, the multipoint connection, and the easy to tweak sound signature, they are hard to pass on at half the price of Momentum 2s.
Many faces of the app
Stock tip vs CP1025
Stock tip vs CP360
CP360 vs CP1025
DunninLA
Thanks for the review. I bought these for my daughter who asked for help finding workout IEMs impervious to sweat
At first I wasn't sure about these. They are really, really, really bass heavy. I have had the TFZ No.3 and those have no bass in comparison to these. Neither the MELE. Neither the Timeless 7Hz.
My only reason for posting is to say that it is sure a lot easier to remove excessive bass through EQ than to try to add bass to a bass shy IEM through EQ.
I am running these on my iPhone SE 2020. The companion app has a graphic EQ, and here is what I did to get the sound more or less bass emphasized rather than bass-head, and tame the treble.
Starting with the midband, I elevated that by 1-2 dot widths.
Then, for the mid-treble, I left that alone.
On the upper treble, I lowered that by 2 dot widths.
For both midbass, and bass, I lowered those by 3 dot widths each.
At first I wasn't sure about these. They are really, really, really bass heavy. I have had the TFZ No.3 and those have no bass in comparison to these. Neither the MELE. Neither the Timeless 7Hz.
My only reason for posting is to say that it is sure a lot easier to remove excessive bass through EQ than to try to add bass to a bass shy IEM through EQ.
I am running these on my iPhone SE 2020. The companion app has a graphic EQ, and here is what I did to get the sound more or less bass emphasized rather than bass-head, and tame the treble.
Starting with the midband, I elevated that by 1-2 dot widths.
Then, for the mid-treble, I left that alone.
On the upper treble, I lowered that by 2 dot widths.
For both midbass, and bass, I lowered those by 3 dot widths each.
DunninLA
I ran out of room above, so here is the conclusion of my post.
Now with that EQ job, this Jabra EA 75t is a bass emphasized but not bass-head TWS set with relaxed treble... which is my preference (MELE). Of course the EQ only alters sound signature, and doesn't affect technicalities at all, which are pretty bad. The bass, while reduced 3 dot widths with EQ, is still thick, slow and indistinct, but it still gives a good strong beat for working out. The voices are clear and just slightly pulled back, and the upper treble is there but inoffensive. Without EQ that upper treble is just brutal. Of course I'm only referring to EQ for music. If I were using these only for phone calls, I would pull back the both bass regions the same way, but I would leave the upper treble alone.
Now with that EQ job, this Jabra EA 75t is a bass emphasized but not bass-head TWS set with relaxed treble... which is my preference (MELE). Of course the EQ only alters sound signature, and doesn't affect technicalities at all, which are pretty bad. The bass, while reduced 3 dot widths with EQ, is still thick, slow and indistinct, but it still gives a good strong beat for working out. The voices are clear and just slightly pulled back, and the upper treble is there but inoffensive. Without EQ that upper treble is just brutal. Of course I'm only referring to EQ for music. If I were using these only for phone calls, I would pull back the both bass regions the same way, but I would leave the upper treble alone.
DunninLA
Oh, something interesting I forgot to mention. When I paired these with my Macbook Air M1 2020, they needed almost no EQ at all. All that thunderous overbearing bass just wasn't there. I don't understand that, as I assumed pairing with an Apple product, both 2020, would have a similar sound. Nope, there's almost not enough bass with the MB Air, and the treble is not offensive at all.
Well designed, built and presented TWS at a reasonable price point ($55), the Air has excellent microphones, a decent interface including wearing sensors, a good battery life with both quick and wireless charging, and IPX7 waterproofing backing its all-rounding sound signature. They would make good gifts.
Unlike most budget TWS, Earfun puts out products that are well presented and intuitive with well written instruction manuals in multiple languages. They also have (at least from my contact with them) good customer service in the US.
Starting from the outside, the case is light and slim with a nice design distinguished by a subtle dip of the top surface extending down the sides in a subtle curve. There is a single diffused dot of light that comes on when you remove/replace the buds that let you know of the battery life via changes in color.
The stemmed earbuds rest stem down, held by strong magnets that make it slightly difficult to pull them out at times, the round heads lacking an easy grip area. Opening the lid brings on the sync indicating micro leds on the outer surface of the buds that blink until connected. The connection is pretty immediate on all my devices, the buds chiming "Connected" before I get them to my ears. They remember the last device they were connected to, and can remember handshakes with up to eight devices, allowing to use them by turning off bluetooth on the last remembered device / connecting to the available device at hand if the last remembered device is not around.
They use shallow fit silicone tips with a flange and could probably accomodate the misodiko/ikko foams amongst others. The provided silicones are very thin, yet I was able to get a good seal -a task I often have difficulty with- that had them secure enough in my head to stay seated through some headbanging roleplay. Given the shallow fit, they are not the most passively isolating earbuds and I would recommend foams mentioned above if that is a concern.
The interface is touch controlled, allowing a variety of gestures including volume up/down, next song, pause/play, voice assistance. With my hands, the multi-tap gestures work best if I'm deliberate about putting as much of my fingertip as possible. Light taps of small contact surface often go unnoticed. They also have capacitive sensors that know when you take them off -most of the time- and pause/resume playback when you remove/replace one.
The microphone quality is the best I've seen yet. They have two mics in each bud, one at the outer end of the stem and one near the top of the body. I was able to stick my head in the window AC and still make a clear recording.
The sound will please a majority of general users. I would prefer a little more precision, but then, I'm an Etymotics sort of person and my other iems are all detail oriented with faster, more resolving drivers. A sweep finds 10hz deliver an audible rumble with a slightly resonant boom between 50-90hz. The drivers were well matched and I couldn't find any other issues such as driver flex / housing creak. I'm really happy getting this sort of consistency in design from earbuds at this price range. Perhaps they can tweak the onboard DSP a bit given that there wasn't that much absolute roll-off.
The buds are quiet as a mouse while on standby / in quiet sections of music, probably the quietest among the handfull of bluetooth earbuds I have at hand. They don't have noticeable delay with either device (20ms-ish on youtube), and support AAC/SBC codecs.
Having noted the lack of extreme precision, I still enjoyed listening to most genres, and benchmarking against others using my test playlist, found that simply dialing the 60hz down one db and 230hz 1.5db brought back a lot of control and dialed down the minor bass boom present in some songs (using the Android system EQ only allows 5 bands) though they still lacked some sub 50hz slam. Given all the other features, I would be happy with them for general listening.
The connection was solid on my phone and ipad both, easily allowing me to work in the kitchen two rooms down in a cincerblock apartment building. The buds are built around the Airoha AB1536 chipset. Potentially, this chipset supports over-the-air firmware updates and DSP presets but there isn't an app for them at the moment, I don't know if there is one in the works. If there was an app to control DSP / Touch sensitivity, these would be even better.
*disclaimer, while I bought them myself from Amazon to make sure that I wasn't getting a hand-picked sample, earfun refunded the cost of the purchase before I shared my review so as to not affect the content.
Unlike most budget TWS, Earfun puts out products that are well presented and intuitive with well written instruction manuals in multiple languages. They also have (at least from my contact with them) good customer service in the US.
Starting from the outside, the case is light and slim with a nice design distinguished by a subtle dip of the top surface extending down the sides in a subtle curve. There is a single diffused dot of light that comes on when you remove/replace the buds that let you know of the battery life via changes in color.
The stemmed earbuds rest stem down, held by strong magnets that make it slightly difficult to pull them out at times, the round heads lacking an easy grip area. Opening the lid brings on the sync indicating micro leds on the outer surface of the buds that blink until connected. The connection is pretty immediate on all my devices, the buds chiming "Connected" before I get them to my ears. They remember the last device they were connected to, and can remember handshakes with up to eight devices, allowing to use them by turning off bluetooth on the last remembered device / connecting to the available device at hand if the last remembered device is not around.
They use shallow fit silicone tips with a flange and could probably accomodate the misodiko/ikko foams amongst others. The provided silicones are very thin, yet I was able to get a good seal -a task I often have difficulty with- that had them secure enough in my head to stay seated through some headbanging roleplay. Given the shallow fit, they are not the most passively isolating earbuds and I would recommend foams mentioned above if that is a concern.
The interface is touch controlled, allowing a variety of gestures including volume up/down, next song, pause/play, voice assistance. With my hands, the multi-tap gestures work best if I'm deliberate about putting as much of my fingertip as possible. Light taps of small contact surface often go unnoticed. They also have capacitive sensors that know when you take them off -most of the time- and pause/resume playback when you remove/replace one.
The microphone quality is the best I've seen yet. They have two mics in each bud, one at the outer end of the stem and one near the top of the body. I was able to stick my head in the window AC and still make a clear recording.
The sound will please a majority of general users. I would prefer a little more precision, but then, I'm an Etymotics sort of person and my other iems are all detail oriented with faster, more resolving drivers. A sweep finds 10hz deliver an audible rumble with a slightly resonant boom between 50-90hz. The drivers were well matched and I couldn't find any other issues such as driver flex / housing creak. I'm really happy getting this sort of consistency in design from earbuds at this price range. Perhaps they can tweak the onboard DSP a bit given that there wasn't that much absolute roll-off.
The buds are quiet as a mouse while on standby / in quiet sections of music, probably the quietest among the handfull of bluetooth earbuds I have at hand. They don't have noticeable delay with either device (20ms-ish on youtube), and support AAC/SBC codecs.
Having noted the lack of extreme precision, I still enjoyed listening to most genres, and benchmarking against others using my test playlist, found that simply dialing the 60hz down one db and 230hz 1.5db brought back a lot of control and dialed down the minor bass boom present in some songs (using the Android system EQ only allows 5 bands) though they still lacked some sub 50hz slam. Given all the other features, I would be happy with them for general listening.
The connection was solid on my phone and ipad both, easily allowing me to work in the kitchen two rooms down in a cincerblock apartment building. The buds are built around the Airoha AB1536 chipset. Potentially, this chipset supports over-the-air firmware updates and DSP presets but there isn't an app for them at the moment, I don't know if there is one in the works. If there was an app to control DSP / Touch sensitivity, these would be even better.
*disclaimer, while I bought them myself from Amazon to make sure that I wasn't getting a hand-picked sample, earfun refunded the cost of the purchase before I shared my review so as to not affect the content.
Jeet Air Plus
These are not well known but I ran into them and asked JEET to see if they would be interested in sending me a sample and so they did.
There aren't many Qualcomm 30** Single BA USB-C options out there so I was excited to receive these.
I think they punch quite above their weight in sound and build quality, given that they are only $55 and come with Qualcomm 30** chip with AptX / AAC and seamless mono support. The interface is a bit quirky but I'll get to that in a bit.
They are one of the rare sub $100 earbuds that have an accompanying mobile app with sound and feature customization, as well as feature updates.
Sound
They have single balanced armature drivers that deliver a mid-centric, even keeled sound that did well with all genres that I threw at it (after setting to 'pure audio' mode in the app) They remind me some of Kbear F1 and Audiosense T180. Again being BAs,they are not going to have slamming sub-bass (There is a DBB option to compensate), but what they have is plenty and is rather controlled, which is very welcome in a TWS in this price range.
In 'Pure Audio' mode (equalizer modes are not described in the app so I do not know what they are precisely doing), they are detailed, with good extension on both ends, and present a surprisingly wide soundstage. Mids are slightly forward with good body to vocals both high and low.
Don't except Etymotic level detail (most of that extension gets compressed in wireless anyhow) or the slam of a large driver and you will not be disappointed.
The 'default' mode rolls off the highs a bit, veiling things slightly. Perhaps the 'pure audio' is a slight U or a DPS of that effect but I found it to be the most balanced and pleasant of the options. It also includes a Dynamic Bass (DBB) mode for the bassheads out there.
Once I got a good seal, I found that I enjoy them quite a bit. They were not lacking significantly in any measure as they played through disparate playlists covering punk, classical, jazz and experimental electronica.
There is a slight hiss when the amp is engaged (half a second after/before playback and during) that I did not notice very often during listening. It is less than the only other TWS I currently have and.
Fit
Their shape is a bit unique with a gentle protrusion on the inside of the buds that as far as I can tell, is supposed to fit in the anti-helix. The tips extend onto the body, covering all the parts that touch your ear except for the area with the contacts. I found the included tips to be a little too thin-walled to provide a good seal and so decapitated them to be able to tip roll. Thankfully the buds have long, wide stems that make tip rolling very easy (see pictures below). I settled on Final E tips.
Interaction
I haven't seen this before, but while they are described as 'touch'(unless they fixed it per my suggestion) controlled, they actually have an accelerometer in them that detects sharp raps on the housing. They only react to double 'tapping' and so you have one action possibility for each side. You can even flick your ear and it will register it as an action. While the idea is sound, it is uncomfortable to hit something in your ear, and I wasn't able to get it to work that consistently.
Once you update the firmware, you can change the sensitivity and what action you want on each side. I found the lightest setting to be still a bit uncomfortable. I asked if they were planning to add more interaction options, but unless there was something lost in translation, the engineers said that the hardware is limited to double-tapping
Build / Case
They have a faceted face with a microphone hole and a gunmetal ring around it that is pretty subtle. They don't protrude much from my ears so people usually don't notice that I have them on. The case lid follows the faceted gloss design with the rest of it matte plastic. The case is a really nice size/shape that is easy to pocket with the usb-c connector on the bottom.
The other thing that is rather advanced for a $55 bud is that the case itself handles the sync. interaction with the earbuds linking as soon as you flip the lid up, switching to mono seamlessly if you only end up lifting one up. Putting the lid back on the buds once they are in disconnects them. There is also a sync button on the case that you need to use if you want to connect to a new device after disconnecting from a previously connected device.
The ad claims 35 Hour playtime total with 10 hours on the buds alone. I have yet to test that claim but have not had them die on me yet. There isn't a multi-led battery status on the case but you can see them on your synced device, and the case offers a color based low-battery notice once you are near depletion.
Microphone
The microphone is very clear with or without background noise (Qualcomm 30** has noise cancellation built in). I don't have many TWSs but I found it to better than review samples I have listened to. It doesn't have that underwater quality often present in TWS earphones.
Random Notes
While the volume was pretty normal on the phone, connecting to OSX they seemed extremely loud (can't go past one dot in volume without discomfort). Not sure why this is. Will test with other versions of OSX.
These are not well known but I ran into them and asked JEET to see if they would be interested in sending me a sample and so they did.
There aren't many Qualcomm 30** Single BA USB-C options out there so I was excited to receive these.
I think they punch quite above their weight in sound and build quality, given that they are only $55 and come with Qualcomm 30** chip with AptX / AAC and seamless mono support. The interface is a bit quirky but I'll get to that in a bit.
They are one of the rare sub $100 earbuds that have an accompanying mobile app with sound and feature customization, as well as feature updates.
Sound
They have single balanced armature drivers that deliver a mid-centric, even keeled sound that did well with all genres that I threw at it (after setting to 'pure audio' mode in the app) They remind me some of Kbear F1 and Audiosense T180. Again being BAs,they are not going to have slamming sub-bass (There is a DBB option to compensate), but what they have is plenty and is rather controlled, which is very welcome in a TWS in this price range.
In 'Pure Audio' mode (equalizer modes are not described in the app so I do not know what they are precisely doing), they are detailed, with good extension on both ends, and present a surprisingly wide soundstage. Mids are slightly forward with good body to vocals both high and low.
Don't except Etymotic level detail (most of that extension gets compressed in wireless anyhow) or the slam of a large driver and you will not be disappointed.
The 'default' mode rolls off the highs a bit, veiling things slightly. Perhaps the 'pure audio' is a slight U or a DPS of that effect but I found it to be the most balanced and pleasant of the options. It also includes a Dynamic Bass (DBB) mode for the bassheads out there.
Once I got a good seal, I found that I enjoy them quite a bit. They were not lacking significantly in any measure as they played through disparate playlists covering punk, classical, jazz and experimental electronica.
There is a slight hiss when the amp is engaged (half a second after/before playback and during) that I did not notice very often during listening. It is less than the only other TWS I currently have and.
Fit
Their shape is a bit unique with a gentle protrusion on the inside of the buds that as far as I can tell, is supposed to fit in the anti-helix. The tips extend onto the body, covering all the parts that touch your ear except for the area with the contacts. I found the included tips to be a little too thin-walled to provide a good seal and so decapitated them to be able to tip roll. Thankfully the buds have long, wide stems that make tip rolling very easy (see pictures below). I settled on Final E tips.
Interaction
I haven't seen this before, but while they are described as 'touch'(unless they fixed it per my suggestion) controlled, they actually have an accelerometer in them that detects sharp raps on the housing. They only react to double 'tapping' and so you have one action possibility for each side. You can even flick your ear and it will register it as an action. While the idea is sound, it is uncomfortable to hit something in your ear, and I wasn't able to get it to work that consistently.
Once you update the firmware, you can change the sensitivity and what action you want on each side. I found the lightest setting to be still a bit uncomfortable. I asked if they were planning to add more interaction options, but unless there was something lost in translation, the engineers said that the hardware is limited to double-tapping
Build / Case
They have a faceted face with a microphone hole and a gunmetal ring around it that is pretty subtle. They don't protrude much from my ears so people usually don't notice that I have them on. The case lid follows the faceted gloss design with the rest of it matte plastic. The case is a really nice size/shape that is easy to pocket with the usb-c connector on the bottom.
The other thing that is rather advanced for a $55 bud is that the case itself handles the sync. interaction with the earbuds linking as soon as you flip the lid up, switching to mono seamlessly if you only end up lifting one up. Putting the lid back on the buds once they are in disconnects them. There is also a sync button on the case that you need to use if you want to connect to a new device after disconnecting from a previously connected device.
The ad claims 35 Hour playtime total with 10 hours on the buds alone. I have yet to test that claim but have not had them die on me yet. There isn't a multi-led battery status on the case but you can see them on your synced device, and the case offers a color based low-battery notice once you are near depletion.
Microphone
The microphone is very clear with or without background noise (Qualcomm 30** has noise cancellation built in). I don't have many TWSs but I found it to better than review samples I have listened to. It doesn't have that underwater quality often present in TWS earphones.
Random Notes
While the volume was pretty normal on the phone, connecting to OSX they seemed extremely loud (can't go past one dot in volume without discomfort). Not sure why this is. Will test with other versions of OSX.
disclaimer: The i4 was sent by KB Ear / Kinboofi for this review.
Sum: Well built all metal Hybrid with good resolution and a solid sub slam left a bit lean in the middle by heavy handed tuning when using included tips. Deeper insertion tips with narrower nozzles (Final Es are highly recommended) and Comply/foam tips work well to reduce resonance, making up for a relatively well controlled L signature.
The punchy bass paired with the Knowles armature render a realistic soundspace that does well with movies and games as well as music.
Setup
Audioquest Dragonfly Black v1.2, Spotify VHQ
Build
The build quality is pretty good at this price level. The nozzles are well machined with a prominent lip, no tips will be left in your ear. The mmcx connector seems solid and well fitted. They are rather comfortable thanks to their small size and smooth shells, they feel solid in hand, clacking together like those steel bearing swings if you pick them up by the cable.
They come with what is probably my favourite daily driver cable so far, it is super tangle proof and drapes neatly. Low on microphonics. It has a pretty low profile 90 degree plug, finished well with an actual strain relief that attaches at the base of the jack. It has a nicely tooled chin slider, the connectors and split casings are compact and solid. It is a four twist below the split and not braided. Make one with a remote please.
They come in a well presented in a simple black box with the world's softest velour pouch. The box includes two types of silicones and a pair of memory foam tips. The website on the box goes to a placeholder page, perhaps they were not quite ready to market these.
Sound
The I4 by tri combines a 10mm Composite DD with a Knowles armature in reaching for both ends of the spectrum. The 10mm certainly pulls its weight and sounds like you've got a sealed, well controlled sub in the trunk that does not bleed into the rest of the spectrum and generally does well on its own.
–Discloure here, I'm definitely not a basshead, having once returned an er3xr for having too much bass–
I first found the bass tuned a step too high and the crossover a little early with the Knowles not being Dampened/tuned in a manner that would harmonize well with that bass impact. I don't know if it's burn-in or tip-rolling but it's much better now that I'm coming back to it. The sub kicks can still startle a bit. Earlier, I was having to set the volume for the bass and the 4k+7k peaks, decoupling the two with a valley in the lower mids.
This is where the kz blue tips, final e tips or complys work wonders in reducing the 4/7 resonances. You could potentially achieve something similar by inserting a soft material in the nozzles for dampening. I ended up with comply/final e for as they make the i4s sound more coherent.
Regardless of tips, the precise bass is pleasant on its own with well mastered records, it surprises me at times how how well it can discriminate in the sub 50hz range. For many songs it does well, and many others it was too discordant for my taste with the included tips.
The bass does not bleed much to the rest of the spectrum but the high-sub / low-mids can get a bit crowded at points in multi-instrumental songs.
Moving on beyond the mids left slightly behind our main performers, highs are detailed and rendered well without significant sibilance. They are very insertion dependant though, so make sure you find a pair of tips that allow you to insert past pesky reonances. Unlike straight barrel iems, the insertion depth options are limited so take care to find what works.
Soundstage
It has pretty good semblance of location, especially in well mastered, sparser songs like Redbone by Childish Gambino or Bjork's Hunter. The effect largely reaches out in width (more so than in depth) with a well located central image. Between the Knowles' rendering of details and the large sound stage, it had me looking around thinking there was something in the room. While well defined, the soundstage is not enormouse.
By Song
Charlie Haden's This is Not America is well rendered with its split drum (It basically puts you in the middle of the drum kit with other instruments arranged around you, it is a creative take on simulating listening at a small venue). The recessed low mids with included tips can confuse some more cacaphonous moments like the crescendo of Holst's Mars from the Planets.
With stock tips: I am an Ape - St. Vincent & David Byrne 1-1:30 and 1:50 to 1:60 bass overpresent, between the 6k peak and the bass the mids feel lacking
With blue KZ: It is better controlled, lower bass tones could still take a slight step back and mids remain a little recessed but it doesn't feel like something is wrong. With Comply / Final E: It sounds pretty good, with above problems largely gone.
For records that are to the warmer side of the spectrum that are not hyper compressed and retain their dynamic range the like London Philharmonic's The Planets, the low end actually helps to extend the tonal range a bit with the occasionally overdone lower register of the strings section.
For others like Steely Dan's Jack of Speed (I had to, it's on every stupid audio test playlist) the effect is more like one of those surround upsampling DSPs, everything is pulled apart but not exactly in a good way. It's better on Bela Fleck's Flight of the Cosmic hippo thanks to the recordings gentle highs but the bass is still over the top. Like I am an Ape above, the blue tips help a lot.
Recordings with generous high rolloff like Tin Pan Alley (should get the worst lyrics ever award, and yes, again, on every stupid list because echo-y guitar and clear separation of sparse instruments sells speakers) do well with the airy rendition of the I4s.
I have a couple go-tos for checking harshness of highs and the i4s do well on the non-sibilant ones likes Will O'the Wisp which can be unpleasant depending where the peaks land. They are on the other hand often a little grating on high heavy crescendos (Like the refrain in Ironic - Alanis Morisette, but then, what headphone is not! Ha! Elementary School days, it must've sounded better on the walkman, two casette transfers down from the radio. The 2015 remaster is better)
ETC
- By ear, well matched drivers
- Relatively flat signature past the sub hump
- The inner/outer vents allow for easy bass modding with some tape and a needle.
Sum: Well built all metal Hybrid with good resolution and a solid sub slam left a bit lean in the middle by heavy handed tuning when using included tips. Deeper insertion tips with narrower nozzles (Final Es are highly recommended) and Comply/foam tips work well to reduce resonance, making up for a relatively well controlled L signature.
The punchy bass paired with the Knowles armature render a realistic soundspace that does well with movies and games as well as music.
Setup
Audioquest Dragonfly Black v1.2, Spotify VHQ
Build
The build quality is pretty good at this price level. The nozzles are well machined with a prominent lip, no tips will be left in your ear. The mmcx connector seems solid and well fitted. They are rather comfortable thanks to their small size and smooth shells, they feel solid in hand, clacking together like those steel bearing swings if you pick them up by the cable.
They come with what is probably my favourite daily driver cable so far, it is super tangle proof and drapes neatly. Low on microphonics. It has a pretty low profile 90 degree plug, finished well with an actual strain relief that attaches at the base of the jack. It has a nicely tooled chin slider, the connectors and split casings are compact and solid. It is a four twist below the split and not braided. Make one with a remote please.
They come in a well presented in a simple black box with the world's softest velour pouch. The box includes two types of silicones and a pair of memory foam tips. The website on the box goes to a placeholder page, perhaps they were not quite ready to market these.
Sound
The I4 by tri combines a 10mm Composite DD with a Knowles armature in reaching for both ends of the spectrum. The 10mm certainly pulls its weight and sounds like you've got a sealed, well controlled sub in the trunk that does not bleed into the rest of the spectrum and generally does well on its own.
–Discloure here, I'm definitely not a basshead, having once returned an er3xr for having too much bass–
I first found the bass tuned a step too high and the crossover a little early with the Knowles not being Dampened/tuned in a manner that would harmonize well with that bass impact. I don't know if it's burn-in or tip-rolling but it's much better now that I'm coming back to it. The sub kicks can still startle a bit. Earlier, I was having to set the volume for the bass and the 4k+7k peaks, decoupling the two with a valley in the lower mids.
This is where the kz blue tips, final e tips or complys work wonders in reducing the 4/7 resonances. You could potentially achieve something similar by inserting a soft material in the nozzles for dampening. I ended up with comply/final e for as they make the i4s sound more coherent.
Regardless of tips, the precise bass is pleasant on its own with well mastered records, it surprises me at times how how well it can discriminate in the sub 50hz range. For many songs it does well, and many others it was too discordant for my taste with the included tips.
The bass does not bleed much to the rest of the spectrum but the high-sub / low-mids can get a bit crowded at points in multi-instrumental songs.
Moving on beyond the mids left slightly behind our main performers, highs are detailed and rendered well without significant sibilance. They are very insertion dependant though, so make sure you find a pair of tips that allow you to insert past pesky reonances. Unlike straight barrel iems, the insertion depth options are limited so take care to find what works.
Soundstage
It has pretty good semblance of location, especially in well mastered, sparser songs like Redbone by Childish Gambino or Bjork's Hunter. The effect largely reaches out in width (more so than in depth) with a well located central image. Between the Knowles' rendering of details and the large sound stage, it had me looking around thinking there was something in the room. While well defined, the soundstage is not enormouse.
By Song
Charlie Haden's This is Not America is well rendered with its split drum (It basically puts you in the middle of the drum kit with other instruments arranged around you, it is a creative take on simulating listening at a small venue). The recessed low mids with included tips can confuse some more cacaphonous moments like the crescendo of Holst's Mars from the Planets.
With stock tips: I am an Ape - St. Vincent & David Byrne 1-1:30 and 1:50 to 1:60 bass overpresent, between the 6k peak and the bass the mids feel lacking
With blue KZ: It is better controlled, lower bass tones could still take a slight step back and mids remain a little recessed but it doesn't feel like something is wrong. With Comply / Final E: It sounds pretty good, with above problems largely gone.
For records that are to the warmer side of the spectrum that are not hyper compressed and retain their dynamic range the like London Philharmonic's The Planets, the low end actually helps to extend the tonal range a bit with the occasionally overdone lower register of the strings section.
For others like Steely Dan's Jack of Speed (I had to, it's on every stupid audio test playlist) the effect is more like one of those surround upsampling DSPs, everything is pulled apart but not exactly in a good way. It's better on Bela Fleck's Flight of the Cosmic hippo thanks to the recordings gentle highs but the bass is still over the top. Like I am an Ape above, the blue tips help a lot.
Recordings with generous high rolloff like Tin Pan Alley (should get the worst lyrics ever award, and yes, again, on every stupid list because echo-y guitar and clear separation of sparse instruments sells speakers) do well with the airy rendition of the I4s.
I have a couple go-tos for checking harshness of highs and the i4s do well on the non-sibilant ones likes Will O'the Wisp which can be unpleasant depending where the peaks land. They are on the other hand often a little grating on high heavy crescendos (Like the refrain in Ironic - Alanis Morisette, but then, what headphone is not! Ha! Elementary School days, it must've sounded better on the walkman, two casette transfers down from the radio. The 2015 remaster is better)
ETC
- By ear, well matched drivers
- Relatively flat signature past the sub hump
- The inner/outer vents allow for easy bass modding with some tape and a needle.
*Disclaimer, I was sent this one for a review. I promised an honest one as I don't have any affiliation with the company and don't host a channel or a website that would make this review profitable.
4* assuming the driver variation is a one-off
Testing with Audioquest Dragonfly v1.2 that tends to present detail forward. Spotify at max quality, auto-gain turned off.
Used frequency sweep to match seals/resonances, checked for phase and whatnot using playlist below.
Some test tracks: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4vhv7XQ8UeAgCS6R6mZL18?si=Ri0dAQ0wQYmYmdsAFn9_UQ
In sum
Warm with detailed mids, defined by elevated lower textures with good sub-bass reproduction, albeit a touch slow seeming. Relatively controlled with an early rolloff around 12khz. Should appease most bass lovers that want well defined bass while avoiding fatiguing V signatures. Not the best resolving earphone for those looking for something on the brighter side of things. Still very good for the price and easy to recommend to most people.
Build
Once you get past the ridiculous box, you get well made metal two piece shells, a short/medium nozzle with a mesh cover. It is advertised as a zinc alloy. One vent on the middle of the inner shell. Their small size and smooth shape make for an easy fit once you find a good tip. The cable is too tightly coiled over the ears with a heatshrink that is on the thick side that gets uncomfortable for me (with glasses). Others reported the ear hook rotating the earphones out of their seal. I think its a .78mm 2-pin connector.
It comes with two sets of tips: one is a conical, super lightweight silicone that I could get a seal initially that would not last; the other are the typical, flanged/lipped inset bore (where the outer cap extends beyond the end of the bore) silicones. The largest were not large enough for inserting as deep as they go so I switched to another tip I had on hand that was almost identical but slightly larger. (I usually use ML, sometimes L on thre right here). Important note here not to seal that vent since it will lead to -more- driver flex.
Cable is meh, not a very tight or neat braid/twist and while not that tangly, it tends to spring about when you want to coil it nicely on a flat surface. KZ style 90 degree 3.5mm jack. I much prefer the 90 degree connectors where the strain relief start at the shaft so that you are not putting torque on the earphone connectors with daily use. It has a kz stype spread-eagle split and no chin-slider. I'm not sure what cable replacement would work best as they have a shroud. I'd be happy to hear. I have not tested the mic to see how much crosstalk there is.
Sound
Range
Very present bass from 10hz onwards.
Treble Rolloff starts at 11-12kh though it remains audible at 17.
Bass
Elevated but controlled bass that doesn't bleed into / muddle the mids too much. Some normal distortion in the 50hz region. Pretty good definition thanks to the sub extension. 40-70hz can be a little too forward with some contemporary masters, droning over other sounds at times. I actually found the bass to be a little tiring after a while when I upped the volume to compensate for the lack of detail at the higher end.
Mids
While not recessed, they are not forward either. Higher vocals lose an edge with the early high rolloff. Generally it does alright though it can feel a touch congested if there is a lot going on in the sub 100hz range. For contrast, the Final audio e2000/e3000 are also warmer earphones but they are mid-forward as they lean on lower-mids more than sub 100hzs, they do trade off some bass control in doing so.
Highs
Fast and early roll-off following elevated high mids leave them detailed feeling without being fatiguing. Resolution is so-so. I can't help but feel the veil at all times, rounding the edge of instruments and stealing the rasp of some vocals. Despite the veil, peaks in the 4750-7300-9000hz (depending on insertion depth) maintain the feeling of detail.
Soundstage/Separation
The rolloff of highs sucks some air out of the soundstage. While not congested, it lacks height and can feel dampened thanks to percussions losing an edge to the rolloff, and dominant lower frequencies that humans cannot as easily place in space. Average.
Issues
Drivers not well matched, running a sweep sways left to right several times.
Driver flex, though it is not always present and largely on one side, crinkle is never good.
ETC
You can wear them down if you can find a cable that will do so. It's a shallower fit and will likely bring up resonances in the 4-6k region which makes it more detailed sounding but possibly harshly so.
4* assuming the driver variation is a one-off
Testing with Audioquest Dragonfly v1.2 that tends to present detail forward. Spotify at max quality, auto-gain turned off.
Used frequency sweep to match seals/resonances, checked for phase and whatnot using playlist below.
Some test tracks: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4vhv7XQ8UeAgCS6R6mZL18?si=Ri0dAQ0wQYmYmdsAFn9_UQ
In sum
Warm with detailed mids, defined by elevated lower textures with good sub-bass reproduction, albeit a touch slow seeming. Relatively controlled with an early rolloff around 12khz. Should appease most bass lovers that want well defined bass while avoiding fatiguing V signatures. Not the best resolving earphone for those looking for something on the brighter side of things. Still very good for the price and easy to recommend to most people.
Build
Once you get past the ridiculous box, you get well made metal two piece shells, a short/medium nozzle with a mesh cover. It is advertised as a zinc alloy. One vent on the middle of the inner shell. Their small size and smooth shape make for an easy fit once you find a good tip. The cable is too tightly coiled over the ears with a heatshrink that is on the thick side that gets uncomfortable for me (with glasses). Others reported the ear hook rotating the earphones out of their seal. I think its a .78mm 2-pin connector.
It comes with two sets of tips: one is a conical, super lightweight silicone that I could get a seal initially that would not last; the other are the typical, flanged/lipped inset bore (where the outer cap extends beyond the end of the bore) silicones. The largest were not large enough for inserting as deep as they go so I switched to another tip I had on hand that was almost identical but slightly larger. (I usually use ML, sometimes L on thre right here). Important note here not to seal that vent since it will lead to -more- driver flex.
Cable is meh, not a very tight or neat braid/twist and while not that tangly, it tends to spring about when you want to coil it nicely on a flat surface. KZ style 90 degree 3.5mm jack. I much prefer the 90 degree connectors where the strain relief start at the shaft so that you are not putting torque on the earphone connectors with daily use. It has a kz stype spread-eagle split and no chin-slider. I'm not sure what cable replacement would work best as they have a shroud. I'd be happy to hear. I have not tested the mic to see how much crosstalk there is.
Sound
Range
Very present bass from 10hz onwards.
Treble Rolloff starts at 11-12kh though it remains audible at 17.
Bass
Elevated but controlled bass that doesn't bleed into / muddle the mids too much. Some normal distortion in the 50hz region. Pretty good definition thanks to the sub extension. 40-70hz can be a little too forward with some contemporary masters, droning over other sounds at times. I actually found the bass to be a little tiring after a while when I upped the volume to compensate for the lack of detail at the higher end.
Mids
While not recessed, they are not forward either. Higher vocals lose an edge with the early high rolloff. Generally it does alright though it can feel a touch congested if there is a lot going on in the sub 100hz range. For contrast, the Final audio e2000/e3000 are also warmer earphones but they are mid-forward as they lean on lower-mids more than sub 100hzs, they do trade off some bass control in doing so.
Highs
Fast and early roll-off following elevated high mids leave them detailed feeling without being fatiguing. Resolution is so-so. I can't help but feel the veil at all times, rounding the edge of instruments and stealing the rasp of some vocals. Despite the veil, peaks in the 4750-7300-9000hz (depending on insertion depth) maintain the feeling of detail.
Soundstage/Separation
The rolloff of highs sucks some air out of the soundstage. While not congested, it lacks height and can feel dampened thanks to percussions losing an edge to the rolloff, and dominant lower frequencies that humans cannot as easily place in space. Average.
Issues
Drivers not well matched, running a sweep sways left to right several times.
Driver flex, though it is not always present and largely on one side, crinkle is never good.
ETC
You can wear them down if you can find a cable that will do so. It's a shallower fit and will likely bring up resonances in the 4-6k region which makes it more detailed sounding but possibly harshly so.
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