In recent years, some chi-fi brands start to collaborate with some renowned reviewers, so as to produce their earphones, which the design is mainly made by the brand itself, and tuning is done by those reviewers. For instance CRN (also known as ZEX pro) by KZ, DQ6s by KZ, Eclipse by Fiio, as well as Midnight by See Audio. Since I quite enjoyed Yume that I purchased in last year, I acquire the Yume:Midnight through Hifigo, even without proper auditioning in physical store.

The specification of Midnight is same as that of Yume, 1DD+2BA. Midnight is priced at 200 usd, which is 30 usd higher than Yume, while improves in appearance, accessories and tuning. Is it worthwhile to pay a bit more for Midnight? It will be addressed at the end of the review.



Key Info of Midnight:
- 1DD + 2BA
- 2-pin 0.78mm Connectors
- 5N OCC silver plated Cable


Source:
- MOOV (Music Streaming Service in HK)
- iPhone
- L&P W2



Appearance:
- Same as Yume, which utilizes acyclic as shell material.
- The faceplate is switched to carbon fiber, while shell is in solid black.
- The fitting and comfort is better than Yume, thanks to the redesign of shell.


Accessories:
- Same as Yume, it is paired with a metallic carrying case.
- 5 pairs of eartips are provided, including size XS, S, M, L, and XL, which is similar as the Kbear 07 tips.
- The cable provided is a 2-wire silver plated copper one. It is suggested See Audio to change the slider, since it cannot sit well on the cable.
- When compared with Yume, the cable has already been plugged on the Midnight, which can prevent the user mistakenly damage the earphone.
- Two sets of spare filters are provided as well.



Impressions:
- With KBEAR 07 eartips, and 20-hour burn-in.
- Scalability: Easier to drive than Yume. Even though I use iPhone with an adapter, the performance is acceptable, without any issues like insufficient bass impact or thin vocal.
- Tuning style: Slightly warmer than Yume, and less emphasized in upper treble, or ACG genre music.
- Bass: Stronger impact and more extension than Yume, hence creating more musicality. The bass quantity is more than Yume, while not bleeding into the mids, or causing it sounds muddy.
- Vocal: Positioning is a bit forward than Yume, while remains its clean sounding. The density or thickness of vocals improves a lot, which is less emphasized in female vocals than Yume. The sibilance is not noticeable.
- Treble: The treble extension is much more than Yume, leading Midnight sounds a bit shouty. Users may feel fatigued after listening for a period of time.
- Technicality: Wider horizontal soundstage than Yume, as well as a better separation.



Conclusion:
Is it worthwhile to pay a bit more for Midnight? My answer is absolutely a yes.

When compared to Yume, Midnight improves a lot in bass impact, and vocal thickness, while slightly improves in vocals positioning, and horizontal soundstage width. In overall, it is less emphasized in upper-treble, or ACG genre music. Apart from that, it is easier to drive than Yume, hence I believe it is more appropriate for newbies to acquire. Maintaining the tuning style of Yume, Midnight adds a bit in musicality, which fits a more variety of users.

I am an earphone enthusiast from Hong Kong, and love to surf some headfi forums in my local community. There are tons of threads regarding this IEM, T force Audio Li Yuan, which triggers me to purchase it from Taobao. Its price range is about 120 usd.


Key Info of Li Yuan:
⁃ 10mm Single Dynamic Driver (DLC Diaphragm)
⁃ 2-pin 0.78mm Connectors
⁃ 6N OCC Copper Cable


Source:
⁃ MOOV (Music Streaming Service in HK)
⁃ iPhone
⁃ Hakugei Adapter (C100 MFI Licensed Chips)



Impressions:
⁃ With KBEAR 07 eartips, and 40-hour burn-in.
⁃ Scalability: The lower bound of Li Yuan’s performance is high, which it’s okay to drive using a iPhone with adapter. When it is well-driven, it can has a better detail retrieval, and less congested on complex tracks.
⁃ Bass: Punchy and well-textured, which I prefer its quantity can slightly be decreased. Also, the drum sounds elastic.
⁃ Vocal: Strength of Li Yuan, forward and full bodied. Its performance of male vocals is better than that of female vocals. The sibilance is not that noticeable.
⁃ Treble: Smooth, and these instruments (piano, violin, or guitar) will not be too prominent. Yet, it has a slightly sibilant sound in some songs (with hi-hat).
⁃ Details retrieval, soundstage, and separation are average, when compared with similar-priced products.


Comparison with NF Audio NM2:
⁃ The sound signature of NM2 is V-shaped tuning, which emphasizes on bass and treble extension. Its strengths are better details retrieval, as well as a wider horizontal soundstage. While the weakness is vocal thickness, especially male vocal is quite thin.
⁃ The sound signature of Li Yuan is vocal-focused, and it will not sound dull, because of the sufficient bass impact and quantity, also some treble extension. When compared with NM2, Li Yuan’s horizontal soundstage is narrower, a similar details retrieval, and a less bass impact. In short, it can provide a fatigue-free experience to users.


Conclusion:
Although Li Yuan is positioned as entry-level (which is priced around 120 usd), it uses aluminum housing, as well as rich accessories, including leather case and copper cable. Also, its tuning is quite fun and engaging, with a warm tonality, vocal focused, sufficient bass impact and quantity, and bright treble. In my opinion, Li Yuan is suitable to those who are new to this hobby.