First of all, I would like to thank Jack Fu of Hisound Audio for generously sending me the E350 and 2 other models for me to review.
Recently, Hisound Audio has really impressed me with their entry level, budget minded IEMs and earbuds and the E350 is a new model that Hisound has just put out. It is priced at $25 and is the model above the PAA-1 and under the PAA-1 Pro that I have also reviewed. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much for such a modestly priced earphone, but I was quite surprised. While it doesn’t reach the PAA-1 Pro level, it does get very close for half the money. Due to the low price of this, I won’t be writing a full length review on these.
**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated or against Hisound Audio in any way. These were given to me as a review sample.
 

 
 
Unboxing & Accessories
The packaging really wasn’t much – just a triangular plastic box. It’s the type that you throw away right after you take the earphones out, but these are $25 so it’s just about what I expected.  
The E350 comes with 2 pairs of foam things that goes over the earphone and there is also a
Chinese manual or something which I can’t read. Like many other budget minded earphones, these come in very minimalistic packaging and accessories to keep the price down. One gripe I have is the way the cable is bent in the box leaves marks on the cable. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning.
 

 
 
Design, Isolation & Comfort
The design is quite nice and I like the flat cable since it doesn’t tangle in my pocket.
As with all earbuds, there is just about no isolation.
They are a bit uncomfortable with the foam things so I took them off and they are very comfortable now. I feel like the sound brightened a bit, but I’m not entirely sure. Those things are a pain to put on and after 10 minutes I just gave up.
 
 
Sound
This will be split into 3 main sections – bass, mids and treble. I won’t be writing about all the other more detailed things though. Listening was through a DX50, but it isn’t source dependant at all and there wasn’t much improvement over my Sansa Clip+.
 
Bass
“Another bass monster from Hisound” was what I first though when I received these. On the back of the box it says “Extreme bass and detailed sound” and they were certainly not wrong. The bass isn’t fast and I suppose that you could call it bloated, but it does have a very fun sound and I feel like the highlight of these is the bass. These should satisfy the bassheads out there.
 
Midrange
I feel like the midrange is very nice, just like the bass. It is very clear and not recessed at all – quite in your face really. Vocal clarity is excellent for it’s price, but I do feel like the bass bleeds a bit into the mids. Midrange separation was also pretty good, but a step down from the PAA-1 Pro. Overall, the mids are clear with an aggressive and in your face sound signature.
 
Treble
The treble is, to me, the weakest part in the E350. It does not have a lot of extension and the roll off is quite obvious. Cymbals don’t sound as good on these as they do on other earphones. This can sometimes result in an earphone sounding boring and dull, but not in this case. The treble is enough to stop it from sounding boring.
 
 
Summary
 

 

I will include some of the things that I didn’t in the sound section in the summary. Soundstage is decent and imaging is quite good for the price Detail levels are good, but not the best choice in it’s price range. Smaller details are drowned out by the big bass.
Overall, this is a great earbud, an I heartily recommend this to bassheads.

Noontec is a relatively new audio company and are quite well known for their Zoro line. Previously they had been making media players and other stuff but as far as I know, the Zoro is their first headphone.  When I first read that their company was based in China and what it looked like, I immediately thought that it was a crappy Beats Solo HD (sounds atrocious) copy and lost interest. It wasn’t until I was looking on Head-Fi and the internet that I ran across Tyll’s Innerfidelity review which was rather positive. Overall best headphone under $100? I just had to give this a try. This was burnt in for around 100 hours before review and no change was detected. Sorry for not taking my own pictures. 
In Oceania, the best place to buy it is from Noontec's website: http://www.noontec.com.au/
**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated with Noontec.

The 3 colour options for the Zoro. 
 
 
Testing Gear
Most of my listening was done with a DX50, but from what I read, these don’t need a good source to sound good so I tried it with my Samsung Galaxy S3 international version and while it still sounded very pleasant, it lost some of that magic that was there in the DX50. There was more clarity, soundstage opened up and the bass had more impact and became less flabby. These definitely scale up very well to better sources, but they do not ned a good source to sound good.
 
 
Unboxing & Accessories
The packaging really does look very nice and the box is one of the nicest that I have seen in this price range. However, if you look at the Solo HD’s packaging, you will realise how much better it is, but I am perfectly happy with the simple and nice packaging. One gripe I have is that I ordered a black model and they did send me a black model but on the box was a red one. I’m not sure why this is but whatever. I don’t really care.

Not my picture, but this is what my Zoro came in. 

It really doesn’t come with a wide array of accessories like the Beats range, but again, I don’t mind at all, because it has all the accessories that I need. There is a removable cable, soft pouch and last, but definitely not least, the Zoro. The cable does feel a bit flimsy, but being flat, it is tangle free. The pouch is soft and not offering much if any protection at all, acting more as a place to store them when not using them. While there aren’t a lot of accessories, the stuff that it comes with gets the job done and I am perfectly happy with that.
 
 
Design, Isolation & Comfort
I actually quite like the look of this headphone, but I don’t like that it is a direct copy of the Beats Solo HD. Wearing it outside may result in you looking like you want Beats, but can’t afford them so you settle for a random fake brand which is certainly not the case. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing them out on a street, especially in school.
The isolation is acceptable, but isn’t great. It will block out enough noise for you to enjoy your music, but I wouldn’t recommend these if your main use for them in the train and the like.
I usually do not like on ears for the reason that they are hardly ever comfortable for me. My ears are quite small and most on ears sit on the sides of my ear, causing discomfort. However, the comfort of the Noontec Zoro is actually quite decent and I can wear them for around 2 hours before I have to adjust them or take a break from them. I thought that the adaptive earpads was just an advertising gimmick, but it really works!

Picture of the earpads. 
 
 
Sound
Thank god these do not sound like the Beats Solo/HDs. Those sound pathetic and I am glad to say that the Noontec Zoro sounds substantially better. As per all of my review, the sound section will be split into 3 main parts – the bass, midrange and treble.
 
Bass
The bass is a bit exaggerated to my ears, but only a bit and definitely not like the Beats line of headphones. Speed is very good and there isn’t any bloat. One reason why I like the bass of the Noontec Zoro so much is that the bass never affects the mids and it is very controlled - no flabby bass at any time. At no time does the bass dominate the song when it isn;t supposed to. I feel like the detail is a notch above other headphones at the $100 range and comparing them to a pair of Skullcandy Aviators (actually decent) it was really easy to tell which bass was of better quality. Overall the bass is quite neutral with nice impact and good speed.
 
Midrange
The midrange is very neutral and not recessed at all like the Beats; on the Noontec wesite, the frequency graph actually shows a slight peak in the midrage. Vocals sound just right and not distant and the amount of clarity and detail is good, but not as good as more expensive on ears such as the Sennheiser HD25. I do feel like there is a bit of warmth in the midrange which makes everything sound just a touch lusher and have more weight. This is rather good for male vocals, but affects female vocals a bit, but not so much that they start to sound like there is a veil. Overall, the midrange performance is very good with a bit of warmth.
 
Treble
From the frequency graph, there is a massive dip in the lower treble and to be honest, I was expecting a very rolled off treble and a rather dull sound, but this is certainly not the case. Yes, there is a dip there, but not nearly as bad as what the graph suggests and what you get is a slightly laid back, but still very exciting treble. I don’t know much about frequency graph and personally, I trust my ears much more than a graph and at times like this, I do feel like the sound coming from the Zoro is quite different from what the graph suggests. The treble has sufficient sparkle and still has a lot of detail for me to have a pleasant listening experience.
 
Soundstage & Imaging
I’ve never really heard a closed headphone have a large soundstage, let alone an on ear and this is no different. While it isn’t very big, I do feel like it is large enough for me to be immersed in the music.
Imaging actually surprised me. I did not expect it to be this good at all, especially because of the small soundstage. On more congested songs, it can be harder to tell where different instruments are, but on less complex songs, the imaging is very impressive.
 
Instrument Separation & Details
Instrument separation wasn’t mind blowing, but it is quite good for its price. It struggles with complex music, but it does hold its own in the ever growing sub $100 budget headphones.
Detail levels are good, and if you are coming from stock earbuds or IEMs, you will hear some things that you didn’t know were there, but they do not have the detail retrieval that higher end cans offer, but these are only RRP$88.
 
 
Summary

Pic of the black Zoro. 

The budget headphone world has grown rapidly in the past few years and companies have made great headphones and priced them more competitively. This is exactly what the Noontec Zoro is – a great budget headphone and a perhaps the best headphone under $100. 

Astrotec seems to be a relatively new company to join the higher end IEM business and when I was offered an opportunity to borrow the AX-60 for a week for me to give my impressions, I jumped at the chance. I enjoyed that a lot that I was prepared to buy it, until I walked into the Noisy Motel and Billy showed me the AX-7, the model under the AX-60. I listened to it and I was shocked, in a good way.
 
Anyway, at the start of the year I was using a Brainwavz B2 that was absolutely terrible but I had gotten used to it back then and thought that it was pretty good. As many of you know, the B2 is based on the infamous TWFK design, which is known for a particularly hot treble. After that experience, I told myself that I would never buy another TWFK only driver IEM again.

Picture of the AX7 from the internet.
 
After I listened to it, Billy asked me how it was and I told him that it was great and he told me that it was a dual BA IEM and being the curious person that I am, I asked him what drivers it was based on. And he told me that it was a TWFK driver IEM and I really was shocked. Finally, a TWFK IEM that has bass, not too sibilant highs yet maintaining the same detail level. The best thing is that in Australia, it’s only $AUD189. From MP4Nation, they are $US165 I believe, so a bit cheaper than in Australia, but you get local warranty so I got them straight away and walked out of the shop with a smile on my face. Yes, they are cheaper from random dealers on eBay, but I would avoid them.
**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated with the Noisy Motel or Astrotec and I purchased these myself. They were not given to me as a review sample. This review was written while using the stock filters that were already on when I opened the box. 
 
 
Testing Gear
Most of my listening was through my DX50, but I did use the HDP-R10 (very overkill) and the Sansa Clip+/Fiio E6. I feel like they sound great with a Sansa Clip+, but they really are taken to another level with the DX50 and HDP-R10. Through a crappy source like my SGS3, the sound is quite grainy and the bass is quite loose and lacks some impact. My DX-50 is much better in this regard, widening the soundstage, adding separation, clarity and especially bass quality. Going up to the HDP-R10, the difference really wasn’t that great and the biggest improvement was the increased soundstage.
 

The Astrotec AX7 with my DX50
 
 
Unboxing & Accessories
The box was a major letdown for me. It’s just a plain cube like cardboard box with a few boring pictures. When you first open it, you are greeted with the AX7s and 2 pairs of tips. Then, lifting that up, there is a metal case and in it are 2 rubber tubes (not sure what they are for), a pair of foam tips and an extra pair of treble filters. Under that, there is another case, but this one is a soft one.

The AX7 with everything that it came in. The shirt clip was one that I found and wasn't included.
 
Honestly, I’m not sure that I will use any of them because the metal one has no padding whatsoever and the IEMs will probably get damaged inside the case. The soft one doesn’t offer much protection at all. The tip selection is very basic. Just a small, medium and large pair which remind me a lot of Sony hybrids but they have a slightly larger bore. The Sony hybrids have slightly more bass but a smaller soundstage and overall, I prefer the stock tips. The filter is a treble one as I mentioned above and it makes it sound more like a B2, DBA-02 MKI or Rockit Sounds R50. Personally, I wouldn’t use those, but if you want a bit more treble, those may be the way to go.

The treble filters. They screw on to the tip. 
 
 
Design, Isolation & Cable
I actually really like the design of the AX7. It is very well built with a full metal body and it looks quite attractive. There are strain reliefs on the IEM housing where the cable enters, but none on the y-split and only a bit on the plug, but it does seem very sturdy and I’m not afraid that it will fail anytime soon.
The isolation is above average and a bit better than my GR07 MKII and the other TWFK based IEMs. I would say something in between 3.5 and 4 on ljokerl’s multi IEM review scale. It is completely enough for everyday use.
The cable is made out of silver and copper (that’s what I was told) and isn’t the most flexible and easiest to use, but it’s not too bad. There is quite a bit of microphonics when worn straight down, but it is nonexistent when worn over the ear.

Picture of the AX7's Y-splitter and 3.5mm plug from Amazon. 
 
 
 
 
Sound
Sound quality is ultimately what makes and breaks a headphone and I am pleased to say that I absolutely love the sound of these. Like all my other reviews, the sound section is split into 3 main parts – mass, mids and treble. Here we go!
 
Bass
Bass has almost always been lacking in a TWFK based IEM and if I had heard that these were a TWFK IEM, I would have thought that the bass was lacking quite some impact. However, the bass on the AX7 is very pleasant and has good impact, even though it is still a bit less than neutral. It is very punchy with good impact and no bloat at all; the bass is a lot cleaner than the majority of IEMs that I have heard in any price range. It does have more bass and overall warmth of the Sony EX1000 by memory though. The bass quality is great and the details in each drum beat are easily discernible and the sub bass rumble is very pleasant and well controlled, not going over the top in any instances. The bass is terrific with great control and decent impact without muddying the sound at all. I do wish that it had a little more impact like my GR07 MKII though. But, I must say that where the bass lacks in impact, it more than makes up for it in detail and speed.
 
Midrange
When I first heard these, I thought that the midrange was a bit bright, but after a while, I realised that it was because it was a bit brighter that my Vsonic’s midrange. The one thing that I really like about TWFK based IEMs is the midrange and vocal clarity that they have and I am happy to say that the AX7, while having a warmer, more neutral midrange still retains the clarity of the brighter TWFK IEMs. The midrange is very neutral, maybe tilting just a bit to the slightly warmer side​ after more listening, it actually seems to be very neutral. Even though it is a bit warm, I do not feel like it affects the female vocals. Both male and female vocals sound excellent, even better than my GR07 MKII. You feel like the singer is standing a few metres away from you and you can hear everything that comes out of their mouth. At normal listening volumes, I did not notice sibilance at all in the vocals. Instruments were also rendered realistically and the AX7 certainly presents the midrange in a very pleasant, not fatiguing way.  
 
Treble
Every TWFK driver IEM I have heard has had a very bright and sibilant treble, but this is different and is the first TWFK IEM that has a fun but non fatiguing treble. Being a TWFK driver IEM, I guess however well you tune it; it is still going to have an elevated treble. At higher volumes, cymbals can get a bit harsh, but at normal listening volumes I would hardly call the cymbals harsh or sibilant. I find that an IEM need to have a slightly brighter treble for cymbals to sound realistic and exciting and that is exactly what the AX7 has done. Very nice detail and the decay is just right. Trumpets sound exceptional as well with the slight treble boost. Te extension is great and higher registers where other IEMs roll off can easily be heard. It is just so energetic and fun. I do find that this treble is better than an IEM with a more neutral or rolled off treble. For me, the highlight of this IEM was surprisingly, the treble.
 
Presentation
The presentation isn’t very spacious, but it does feel like there is a stage in front of you and not around you like some other IEMs. The one gripe I have with it is that it sounds a bit in your head, which is a bit annoying, but you can’t expect a perfect IEM for under $200 right?
 
Accuracy
By accuracy I mean how much it sounds like a live performance and how neutral it is. On a live performance level, I do feel like it recreates the song incredibly well and everything sound very realistic. However, it is certainly not a neutral IEM, being on the bright side on a whole. I still think that it is more enjoyable than a completely neutral headphone like the HD600 though. If you are looking for a neutral IEM, these probably aren’t a great choice.
 
Soundstage & Imaging
I do feel like the soundstage is pretty average for its price and it isn’t particularly impressive like the EX1000 or the IE8, but it isn’t bad, just not impressive. It is around the size of a B2 or R50.
Imaging is rather good though, but on more congested tracks it may be harder to tell where instruments are because of the not impressive soundstage. But on normal tracks, it does do very well.  
 
Instrument Separation
I was actually quite impressed by how well these did in terms of instrument separation. Obviously it isn’t at the level of the EX1000 and such, but it is just about on par with Westone 4 from memory, but take this with a grain of salt because I did not have one for side to side comparison. Overall, it is very good indeed.
 
Details
One reason I decided to buy this was how detailed this tiny thing was. One thing that I have realised is for microdetails, BAs seem to do better than dynamic drivers overall. I seem to be hearing more details than my already detailed GR07 MKII. Honestly, I don’t think that an IEM can have better detail than this under $200. Even much more expensive IEMs like the Rhapsodio RDB v1 and Astrotec’s own AX-60 doesn’t much more if any more detail than the AX7. The detail is one of the major points that sold me on this.
 
 
Summary

The AX7 with it's 2 cases. 
The audio world is very much about preferences, what sound signature you prefer and this comes so close to being perfect for me at just $189. Honestly, I think that if I had never heard higher end stuff before, I would be absolutely content with the AX7 and a DX50. This is highly recommended to anybody who likes a brighter sound signature. These little gems are keepers for sure. 
 
Edit: dropped half a start because the smooth metal parts scratch rather easily. 

The DX50 from iBasso Audio does seem like a direct competitor to the hugely popular Astell & Kern AK100 and the high value Fiio X3. Released at a price point of $239, it is slightly more than the X3, but much less than the price of the AK100. As you probably know, all three DAPs are based around the same Wolfson 8740 DAC chip and while some people believe that what matters is the implementation of the chip, I had previously believed that the DAC chip played a larger role – until I heard the DX50. Almost every DAC/DAP that I have heard which uses a Wolfson has sounded warm, but this doesn’t sound warm at all, but very neutral, leaning a bit towards the brighter side.
 

Girls Generation's picture. 
 
This really surprised me, as well as how good the DAP sounded out of the box. For $239, I have absolutely no complaints about the packaging, accessories or most importantly, the sound quality of the DX50. There were some issues like songs with apostrophes not playing, and that caused quite a stir in the DX50 thread, but I’m sure that iBasso will fix it soon. Another thing to take note in this review is that it is running firmware v1.1.5 and iBasso have an odd habit of changing the sound with each firmware update. I will try and update this review once in a while when a new update comes out. Here are the specs:
 

Main features:

- Bit Perfect, Support up to 24Bit/192kHz
- WM8740 24Bit DAC Chip
- Built-in 9V Voltage Swing Headphone AMP
- 2.4" IPS Screen(320*240) with Capacitive Touch Screen, Bonded by OCA
- Up to 24Bit/192kHz Mini Coaxial Output
- 3.5mm Headphone Output, and Line Out
- Three Physical buttons (Rewind, Play/pauses, Forward) on The Top Panel. 
- 256-Steps Digital Volume Control
- 8GB Onboard Flash
- Support SDXC and SDHC MicroSD card, up to 2TB (In theory, currently the largest available microSD cards are 64gb)
- 3-Setting Gain Switch
- Audio Formats Supported: APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, AAC, ALAC, OGG, MP3 
- User Replaceable Battery(Compatible With Samsung Galaxy S3), 14hours Play Time.
 

Specifications:

Line out:
Frequency Response: 20Hz~20KHz +/-0.2dB 
S/N: -109dB +/-3dB
THD+N: 0.003%
Output Level: 1.5V rms (1kHz 0dB)
Headphne out:
Frequency Response: 20Hz~20KHz +/-1dB 
THD+N: 0.004% (32ohm load)
Output Level: 1.2V(Low gain), 1.7V(Mid gain), 3.1V(High Gain)
S/N: -103dB +/-3dB(Low gain), -106dB +/-3dB(Mid gain), -108dB +/-3dB(High Gain) (32ohm Load)
Output Impedance: <0.5ohm
Battery Life: 14hours
Battery Charge Time: 3hours with AC adapter, 5.5hours with PC USB port
Case dimension: 2.52W x 3.98L x 0.67H (inch), 64W x 100L x 17H (mm)
Weight: 146g or 5.15oz
**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated with iBasso in any way and I will try my best to give an unbiased review.
 
 
Unboxing & Accessories
The unboxing experience was very pleasant indeed. It did not feel like a cheap product and the packaging was very appealing. While it was simple and cheap, it made the appearance much nicer. I can’t but help comparing the packaging of this to the X3’s...
I really didn’t expect the DX50 to come with many accessories considering its low price point and it didn’t come with a lot, but it did include most of the important ones. It came with a USB charging cable, coaxial cable, soft case and a screen protector for me, but other people got a warranty card as well. Not sure why I didn’t get one, but I should be able to get warranty if something happens. 
The DX50 silicone case is available to order from iBasso as well.
 

musicheaven's picture of the DX50 and all it's accessories. 
 
 
Design & UI
First of all, I really like the design and the look of the player, but I also know some people who think that it is very ugly. The pictures from iBasso’s website really don’t do it any justice. The body and back are a type of brushed metal and very similar to the material used in the AK1X0s. I also love the 3 gain settings which will come in handy if you are planning to use it to drive more inefficient headphones. Build quality is very impressive indeed but the back scratches quite easily. I did put some clear book contact on the back and while it doesn’t scratch, it does look pretty bad. Another downside is the jack is one of that tightest that I have ever encountered and I feel like it might damage the plugs of my headphones. Overall, I am quite impressed by the design of the DX50 but there are some quirks.
 
I don’t feel like it is entirely fair to judge the UI of the DX50 right now, but I will for the people who are interested. Keep in mind that there is a very high chance the iBasso will improve it over future firmware updates. Ok, so the scrolling and everything is great, and it is easier to use than my HDP-R10, but there are pretty annoying issues like not playing songs with an apostrophe in them and skipping about ½ a second from the start of some songs when you forward or in some cases, select a song. I have no idea why this is, but it is certainly very annoying. Some other issues include listing the same album several times if there are different artists (fixed in firmware v1.1.6)  and the fact that there is no playlist option (fixed in v1.2.0) as well as the apostrophe issue (fixed in firmware v1.1.6). I hope that iBasso rectifies these problems quickly.
 
Edit 1: The UI in v1.2.2 is extremely smooth and the user experience is way better than on the first firmware. The first firmware was incredibly buggy and now just about all of them have been fixed. 
 
Edit 2: iBasso have been improving the UI in each firmware update and here at v1.2.8 I feel like the UI has improved quite a bit from v1.2.2 and now I have absolutely no complaints about it. The scrolling is very easy and no more accidentally selecting a song while you are scrolling. Also, no more freezes since v1.2.6. The directory and album view is also perfect. I just wished it was easier to add songs to the playlist. Yes, the first few firmwares that iBasso rolled out were terrible, almost unusable for some people, but they have a come a long way from there since the beginning. The UI is absolutely wonderful; now. 
 
 
Sound
Yes, the DX50 looks pretty and on the v1.2.8 firmware works flawlessly as well. It is easy to skip or rewind and it has all the features most people would want in a DAP. This leaves the just the sound quality. What is a DAP if it doesn't sound good? Not much really. And I think here is where iBasso have done their best work; they have absolutely hit it out of the park with the DX50's sound quality. Hell, a few people including me even sold their DX100s! What does that tell you? 
 
Edit 1: After I updated to firmware 1.2.2 I think that it is time to update my review. I feel like there were some large sonic improvements here.
 
Edit 2: After I updated to v 1.2.8 I've decided to update the entire sound quality section again. I feel like it is a solid upgrade over the v1.2.2. 
 
 
DAC Section
As mentioned above, the DX50 has a Wolfson WM8740 chip in it. This chip has been immensely popular in DAPs since the AK100 was introduced. It may not have the same micro-detail retrieval as the reference sabre chip (ES9018) found in the DX100, but the DAC section of this is more forgiving and IMO more musical and enjoyable, but that does not mean that it is not detailed because it is detailed, just not as much as more sterile and cold DAC chips based on the sabre chip. iBasso have created a very nice DAC section that does performs very well and is extremely listenable and a bit fun. On the v1.2.8 firmware the sound coming from the DAC has opened up and is more detailed and has a bigger soundstage. From memory, it is still not as detailed and resolving as the DX100's ES9018 DAC, but the DX50's has the cleanest and best line out I have ever heard in this price range. I still think that if iBasso managed to lose that little bit of warmth the DAC has, it can be even more spectacular. Don't get me wrong, the DAC section of the DX50 is awesome, but I think that they can perhaps squeeze that last bit out of the WM8740 chip to make it even better than it already is.
 

Here is a picture of the WM8740 from the Wolfson website if you are interested in that sort of thing. 
 
 
Amplifier Section
There is plenty of power for IEMs, but just not enough juice for headphones like the HD600. The amp is very neutral and resolving with great separation with IEMs, but with my HD600, it struggles and you can immediately hear it. It can easily get to listening volumes, but there is just not enough power to make them sound nice, resulting in them sounding lifeless and boring. However, with IEMs, the amplifier does incredibly well and separation, detail, dynamics etc are well above DAPs that I have heard at this price range.  To sum up, the amp is great for lower impedance headphones and IEMs, but is not a good choice for harder to drive headphones. I feel like I should go on a bit more about the amp section for IEMs - it is very clean and with all IEMs I tried on it one v1.2.8 I did not find they had any hiss on slightly higher than normal listening volumes. Some people say that the amp section is the weaker part of the DX50 and whilst I don't totally agree, I do understand why people think that. Indeed, the DX50's DAC is fantastic and if you want the DX50 to go to the next level, go ahead amd strap on a nice amp. 
 
 
Separation
This section was only added in after firmware v1.2.2. Previously, the separation was particularly good, but it has improved in the new firmware. Starting off with vocal separation, I used the song "Some Nights" by fun., which is my go to track to test vocal separation. The DX50 passed with flying colours on the latest firmware and you could hear the person on the very right very clearly, something that you could not do on the previous firmwares. The level was almost up to HDP-R10 level, but not quite there yet. I think that due to the mids coming a bit forward, the vocal separation has benefitted greatly. On the v1.2.6, the separation was really taken up a notch. Bands' vocals seem much clearer well defined than before and I think sometimes I am perhaps just hearing a bit of detail in the vocals that I don't think was there on previous firmwares. On the newer v1.2.7 and v1.2.8 firmwares I didn't detect any change in the vocal separation.
 

Some Nights Album
 
Moving on to instrument separation, I can also say that it does very well, but it is slightly behind vocal separation. The instrument separation has really improved with the wider soundstage. On congested tracks it can still get a bit hard to make out some things, but those are hard to make out on much more expensive DAPs so the DX50 does very well. Previously, the instrument separation wasn't great, but it has substantially improved with the new firmware. The v1.2.6 firmware was a very solid upgrade in every way over the v1.2.2, v1.2.3 and v1.2.5 firmwares. Songs got a less congested and this was more noticeable on more complex sections of songs. Now we reach the v1.2.8 firmware and I think that even though the vocal separation was roughly the same between v1.2.8 and v1.2.6, I think that the instrument separation may have just improved a little bit. 
 
 
Soundstage & Imaging
The soundstage isn’t very wide, but it is quite deep and height isn’t bad either. This is the area that the DX100 absolutely trumps it, but that is to be expected, costing over three times as much. The soundstage is bigger than the X3 though, which is probably seen as it’s biggest competitor. Previously I put the soundstage as one of the cons, but that was because I was listening to the HDP-R10 before so that's the reason I though the soundstage was small. On firmware v1.2.2, the soundstage actually opened up significantly. Even though it is still smaller than the DX100's and it's Japanese brother, the soundstage is big enough to finally list my HDP-R10 on the for sale forums, a thing that I certainly did not foresee when I got the DX50. The soundstage opened up further with the v1.2.6 and v1.2.8 firmwares which I consider the two best so far. No longer was is small like in the first few firmwares. Now it is actually closer to the DX100 from memory but it's still quite far off.  
 
As for imaging, it does incredibly well, but it does not have that pin point imaging that higher end DAPs have. You can easily tell where instruments or the singer(s) is/are on a normal track, but in more congested tracks, things start to get a bit “muddy”. Still, it is great for its price and I am really not being fair at all by comparing this to TOTL DAPs. Once again, imaging has improved a lot of firmware v1.2.2 and everything is much clearer and imaging is much better on congested tracks, partly due to there presentation being more spacious. I take back what I say about the imaging being muddy because on the v1.2.8 firmware these have exceptional imaging. I feel like the biggest jump was from v1.2.5 (rather bad, worse than the v1.2.2) to v1.2.6. It's hard to imaging iBasso improving much more in future firmware updates. 
 

Random, but here is 00lunar's picture of the DX50 (bottom left) with various other DAPs. 
 
Bass
This section has changed the most after the firmware update (from v1.0.0 to v1.1.5) and the bass has increased in quantity. Whether this is a good or bad thing is your call. IMO, this made the sound more neutral and fuller. I did find it more appealing and it did not drown out any details. There seems to be more sub-bass rumble as well. The bass quality and detail is absolutely awesome and I certainly did not find this in similarly priced players like the X3 and RoCoo BA DAP. Each drum hit sound very real and has great speed to it. It is a bit heavy, but it does not have bloated bass at all. The bass was the highlight for me, but only on the updated firmware since I found the bass lacking on the original firmware that came with the DX50. 
 
Edit 1: The bass has actually reduced a tiny bit in quantity in v1.2.2, but detail and layering have been improved. I have emailed iBasso asking them to slightly bring the bass up in the next firmware and they told me that they would work on it. Anyway, the bass is still very fast with good impact and it makes the previous firmwares' bass sound a bit thicker than it should. 
 
Midrange
I am quite unsure of what I think of the mids yet since it does seem like on the v1.0.0 firmware they are a bit thin and a bit recessed, and on the v1.1.5 firmware it seems a bit warmer than neutral. I do feel like I am leaning towards the v1.1.5 firmware more because it suits what I listen to more. I would say the original firmware is better for female vocals while v1.1.5 is better for male vocals. That aside, the detail in both vocals and instruments are exceptional and singers are dead centre and you feel like you are in a concert. Pianos sound very good on v1.1.5 and string instruments are great as well, but I feel like the original firmware may be a bit better. 
 
Edit 1: Wow, the mids have really changed quite a lot from the previous few firmwares. In the first few firmwares, the midrange was perhaps a bit recessed and the sound was somewhat V shaped, but now I feel like the DX50's midrange presentation has become the highlight. It is slightly forward, and pairs very nicely with my UM Miracles. Vocals also sound clearer. I love the mids on this firmware!
 
Treble
The treble is a bit rolled off on v1.1.5 and a bit over prominent on the original firmware. If I had to pick one, I would go for the updated firmware, but I do wish iBasso will make the treble in between the original and update firmware. On the v1.1.5 firmware, cymbals sound great but have a slightly short decay bit still have great detail. Woodwind instruments sound very pleasant and while the detail levels are good, they do not reach those of TOTL DAPs, not that I am expecting it to. The treble instruments are extremely well rendered and while they were sometimes harsh on the original firmware, they are never harsh on the updated firmware. 
 
Edit 1: When I first got this the treble seemed slightly too emphasised and made some songs quite harsh. Luckily, iBasso have listened to everybody's suggestions and toned the treble down to a more neutral level. The detail and nice decay is still there, just without the harshness. 
 
Firmware Updates
 

Picture of the firmware updating from earmass.com.
 
v1.1.6
The new firmware update has corrected the apostrophe option at last! They actually play properly now and the album issue has been sorted as well, but still no playlist.  I've been informed that it will be added in the next firmware update. As for the sound, the bass seems to be a bit tighter and punchier, but that can just be me because the comparison is based on memory. Treble seems to be better even though the quantity doesn't seem to have changed. Everybody should update to v1.1.6; it is by far the best firmware yet. 
 

v1.2.0
The new firmware update has added a playlist, but it takes ages to add songs to the playlist. Some people have said that the sound has become smoother, but I'm not sure because I did not use it for a day before the firmware update. The text has become a bit weird though and instead of it being "Game Of Love" and then in the artist section, "Daft Punk", it is now just "Game Of Love - Daft Punk in the title. Not a huge problem, but it is a bit annoying. The 1/2 second skip is not corrected and according to iBasso, won't be corrected in future firmwares. The skip is due to the pop or something like that. If there was no skip, there'd be a pop at the end/start of each song. 
 
v1.2.2
Updated this firmware this morning and I've used it for a few hours now. Upon the first listen, I immediately thought that the soundstage improved quite a bit. Previously, the DX100 & HDP-R10 trashed it completely, but now the gap becomes smaller, small enough to make me list my HDP-R10 for sale. The midrange seems to be a bit more prominent, and sweet, pairing terrifically with both the 1plus2 and my Miracle. Hiss seems to have been improved quite a lot for me. The battery meter also finally works and doesn't last half an hour on the last 2 bars. Apparently the playlist function has been improved, but I haven't tried it yet. One thing my HDP-R10 does better is the bass section, which despite all the firmware improvement s and sometimes sonic improvements still does not have bass with such authority. This firmware update has taken the DX50 one step up and with the way that iBasso is going, I might be changing this review to 5 stars. Best firmware by a long way! I have a few suggestions for iBasso though - please do put a battery percentage meter and please do somehow automatically add half a second to a start of a song so there is no delay.  
 
v1.2.3
After I updated my DX50 to v1.2.2, I noticed that even though basically all areas improved, the bass quantity decreased and I sent iBasso an email asking them to please increase the bass level in the next update. They said that they would work on it and I haven't heard anything about it sine then. Today, I updated the firmware to v1.2.3 and to my surprise, the bass has been taken up a level and now has great impact and the sub-bass is very powerful, but never overpowering at any time. Now it is not lacking bass at all. On top of that, I also found that the separation has improved a bit and it now does better on congested tracks. Imaging has also improved slightly. As for soundstage, I'm not sure whether there is any change, but I feel like there is a slight increase. 
A few suggestions for iBasso: please put a + on the side of the playlist so that it is easier to add songs to the playlist and make an option to have playlists arranged in alphabetical order. 
 
v1.2.5
Finally, I decided to update to v1.2.5 even though I heard some dodgy things about it on the DX50 thread. Quite a few people complained that there were problems with freezing but fortunately, I didn't encounter any of these problems. My first impression was that the bass hit harder and was a bit muddy and not as fast as the already slightly bass heavy v1.2.3 firmware. Personally, I prefer the bass from the v1.2.3 firmware because it is faster, more detailed and is generally cleaner. The midrange feels more recessed and vocals don't have that sharp clarity that they had in the v1.2.3 and v1.2.2 firmwares. Treble is good and not much is changed. The deal breaker for me was the crappy separation and small soundstage. I prefer the v1.2.3 firmware by far and l would not bother updating if you haven't already. 
 
v1.2.6
Wow... Just wow... When the v1.2.6 and v1.2.7 firmware rolled out I was on holidays so I didn't have time to download and update the firmwares. However, I did read some things that I liked on the DX50 thread and after downloading it, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. The sound became rather neutral and lost its bass boost that the v1.2.3 firmware did. For some reason I feel like I am hearing more details and better overall separation. This is just a joy to listen to. Also, I love the new media scanning bar - it's a lot better and faster than v1.2.3. 
 
v1.2.7
The sound is just about the same however I find that the mids are more recessed and it is less detailed. The soundstage may just be a little wider though. The gapless issue is really fixed, something that iBasso told me they weren't able to do a while ago. The issue was that it would skip the first part of a song which got rather annoying at times - well done iBasso! They claim the EQ is better and perhaps it is, but I am not an EQ guy so I'll leave that for you to judge. Also another feature they introduced is that you can change the wallpaper. Personally I'm not really into that, so it's back to v1.2.6 for me then I guess. 
 
v1.2.8
I must say, jumping from v1.2.6 to v1.2.8 was quite a surprise for me. For me at least, this is because the sound is so different from the last firmware. I think that the midrange has been changed somehow to a much more pleasant and unique tone. As some people have said, the midrange veil that is on some headphones is gone; well, the veil on the AX60 has been tamed a bit, but it's not gone and I don't expect it to be. The DX50 stock almost sounds like a Palaios amp Bass is nice and solid and treble has become clearer resulting in an increase of clarity and detail. Soundstage has gotten a little wider as well and separation is just as good as the v1.2.6 firmware. However, from what I hear the wallpaper function is gone but DSD is added. Best firmware yet IMO!
 
 
 
 
Summary

My DX50 

iBasso have certainly created a winner DAP at just $239. When it was released it was almost a disaster... Complaints flew everywhere and there was even a bug thread that was very popular from memory. Well, it certainly seems like iBasso have listened to the customers' problems and, in time, solved them. To me, the DX50 is a stunning looking DAP which does just about everything right for me. I love the 3 buttons on the face, the jacks on the bottom, the gain switch and in general, the entire DX50 design. But, the icing on the cake is the superb sound quality which is just amazing for the price. At this price, iBasso has well exceeded my expectations; this is a product I feel comfortable recommending to everybody looking for a DAP but doesn't want to dish out the extra cash for a DX90.  
 
Edit: Only reduced to 4.5 stars because the DX90 is a large step up and significantly better. 

[size=12.0pt]First of all, I’d like to thank Mach3 (Peter) for generously lending me his Sony EX1000s. I am not affiliated nor against Sony in any way.[/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Introduction[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Sony needs no introduction to the audio world and I’m sure that a lot of you would have heard Sony EX1000 as Sony’s previous flagship IEM. The Sony EX IEM line has been replaced with the newer XBA line, which many, including me believe is inferior to the EX line. The new Sony flagship, the XBA-4 has a dark sound signature while the EX1000 has a bright sound. This is now discontinued I believe, but they can still be bought. [/size]

Sorry for the bad photo quality
 
[size=20.0pt]Testing Gear & Accessories[/size]
[size=12.0pt]All testing was made via my HDP-R10 and Sansa Clip+ [/size][size=12.0pt]with a Fiio E6. First of all, these are not very source dependant. They sounded great right out of a Sansa Clip+, but when hooked up to a Fiio E6 amp, the soundstage grew and separation improved a bit. However, when I used it on my HDP-R10, I was truly impressed for the first time. The soundstage became much bigger and[/size] [size=12.0pt]the separation and detail increased quite a lot. Also worth mentioning is that the sound became a lot cleaner and less grainy, hugely improving my listening experience.
I was given the box it came in and there was a very nice looking leather case which looked great but I am less sure of the actual usefulness of it. It also came with a full set of Sony hybrid tips which should fit everyone. There were some manuals and that was it. Rather good, but I just wished the case offered more protection like a Pelican or a UE metal case. There was no IEM cleaner, but there is some material stopping stuff from getting in, so I don’t mind it so much. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Isolation, Design & Cable[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Since this is a vented dynamic driver IEM, it isolates extremely poorly, being the least isolating IEM that I have ever heard. Just to give you an idea, the isolation level is even less that the Sennheiser IE8 or IE80s. Also, as you may have read elsewhere, these are quite susceptible to wind noise.
The design is not bad, but they do stick out quite a bit and if you go outside with them, they might attract quite some unwanted attention. While I think that they look quite cool, it stops being cool when people start thinking that they might be hearing aids. The build quality is superb and although I won’t spend a long time with them, I know that they will last a long time.
I am actually quite undecided as to whether I like this cable. While it is very supple and easy to use, the strain relief on the jack is quite loose and the cable is thin and I keep on thinking that it may break after a while of normal use. The ear guides are very comfortable, but the memory function is terrible and it is very hard to mould them to the shape of your ear. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Sound Quality[/size]
[size=12.0pt]This is the reason why most people buy IEMs, for their sound. After writing all that, we are finally at the sound section. [/size][size=12.0pt]I will be breaking this part into a few sections like in my previous reviews and as you will soon see, I am still unsure as to whether I like it or not but if you are a basshead or looking for a neutral IEM, this is not it. [/size]
 
[size=18.0pt]Bass[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Being a dynamic driver, I was expecting quite a lot of bass despite the reviews that I had read. While the bass is very nice, these do not nearly have as much bass as a typical dynamic driver IEM; it actually reminded me of a greatly improved TWFK driver. While this does not have much impact, the quality is exceptional and it does reach far down and has some rumble.  It really does have great control, better than most BA IEMs that I have heard, but I find myself longing for a harder impact. Now that the quantity part is over, let’s get to the quality. All I can say is that it is great! The details are easily made out and is very fast, not having any bloat whatsoever on any songs that I threw at it. The bass was exceptional, being punchy, fast and full of detail but lacked impact IMO. However, some people will prefer the less bassy sound of the EX1000 compared to other IEMs. [/size]
 
[size=18.0pt]Midrange[/size]
[size=12.0pt]The mids are absolutely wonderful IMO of course. They are a bit on the thin side and female vocals sound realistic and very lifelike. They are very textured and I feel like I can hear the singer more clearly compared to the similarly priced Westone 4 for example. When I first heard them, the mids were shrill and overly thin, but after ten minutes of listening, my ears adapted and they sounded absolutely awesome. OK, now to male vocals, where things start to get a bit dodgy. They sound a bit thin and much less realistic than female vocals. They are, however, still extremely enjoyable and there are still tons of detail. There was a bit of sibilance, but it isn’t annoying to me. Vocal separation was simply astonishing. I didn’t expect them to be so good, being the best that I’ve heard other than the UM Miracle, Rhapsodio RDB v1 and the AKG K3003, all of which are more expensive. They certainly pass with flying colours in the mids even though male vocals did not sound as convincing as they could be. The other aspects more than made up for it. [/size]
 
[size=18.0pt]Treble[/size]
[size=12.0pt]This is the section that I am still almost completely undecided on.  The treble has a boost and has extra sparkle, a tiny bit similar to TWFK based drivers, but much less sibilant but I do feel like for me personally it is too much and it makes everything sound overly sharp. I do find that sometimes cymbals linger a bit too long and dominate in parts of music where it isn’t supposed to. Sure, I do like a slightly brighter that neutral treble, but this is just too much for me, but not by much. It is still enjoyable. The detail in the treble however, is great and you can hear the cymbals crashing very clearly and it is packed with detail. It extends very high and you don’t feel like you are missing anything at all. The treble problem is mainly with just the cymbals and other instruments such as the trumpet are rendered realistically, without an excessive treble boost. Once again, I feel like the treble is a bit too exaggerated but I’m sure that there are others who feel differently. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Presentation[/size]
[size=12.0pt]The presentation of the EX1000 is something that I really enjoyed. The soundstage is extremely large and I really can picture a stage in front of me, with the performers not too close and in your face nor too far. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Accuracy[/size]
[size=12.0pt]I personally perceive accuracy as how similar it sounds to a live presentation and I’m glad to say that the Sony EX1000 has done well. It has a treble boost as mentioned above and I do find that as a result of that, it colours the sounds, but for the better or worse is for you to decide depending on what your preferences are. It does still sound realistic but it is not for someone looking for a neutral IEM. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Imaging and Soundstage[/size]
[size=12.0pt]As mentioned above, the soundstage is very good for an IEM, one of the largest soundstages that I have heard in an IEM, up to the level of the Sennheiser IE8 if I remember correctly. This is the first IEM that I have ever heard that I think might beat the IE8.
The imaging is certainly one of its strong points and you can easily point out where everything is, but I have heard better imaging from some IEMs, but not by much.[/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Instrument Separation[/size]
[size=12.0pt]This is the part that I was shocked the most – in a good way thankfully. It performed well out of it’s price range and did well on whatever track I threw at it. I don’t own the Westone 4, but from when I heard it a while ago, the separation on this is significantly better if I remember correctly. On congested tracks, it never gets too hard to tell each instrument from the other. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Details[/size]
[size=12.0pt]This does have a lot of tiny details, but if you listen to a TOTL IEM, you will realise that these are still missing the minute microdetails. I am not surprised however, with these costing less than half of most TOTL IEMs. This does make it more forgiving of badly mastered tracks which can be both interpreted as good and bad. I’ll let you be the judge of that.  [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Summary[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Audio is really about your sound signature, what type of sound you like. For example, while I found the highs of these a bit shrill, you might find them just right. I would recommend that you try them before you buy them. After a few hours of listening to music, my ears have grown accustomed to the bright sound. I do believe that Sony has produced a world class IEM and priced it correctly, making it good value for money. I would recommend these to people who like a brighter sound signature and don’t mind the low level of isolation. [/size]

First of all, I'd like to thank Jack Fu of HiSound Audio for sending me a E212 for review. I am in no way affiliated nor against HiSound Audio in any way and I will try my best to give my unbiased opinions. These were given 100 hours of burn in, in which I feel like the E212 has improved dramatically. However, this can be just my ears getting used to the sound. Tested with my HDP-R10, Sansa Clip+, Fiio E6 and my SGS3. 
 

 
Design, Accessories & Unboxing
Sure, this is a budget minded $50 pair of IEMs, but HiSound does everything that it can to make this look like a $100 IEM. Most IEMs in this price range just come with a a few pairs of tips but this has a very nice and useful case, tips and a cable manager which I will probably never use. However, I'd rather more than less. The case is a square clamshell case like the one on the box which is easy to just pop in your pocket when you aren't using it. It might not protect the IEMs if you hit them with a hammer, but it is enough for day to day wear and tear. This is a vented dynamic driver earphone and doesn't really have a lot of isolation, but it is enough to stop ambient noise from being annoying on cars, public transport and in noisy places. A few things that I find really annoying is the lack of a shirt clip and a cable slider. Although the cable is one of the most non-microphonic cables that I have tried, it is still a bit noisy when worn down and you can't wear it over the ear or else the cable will slide off the top of your ear. I do find that a bit of tape fixed that, but I would still have rather HiSound have included one. The build quality is very good, much better than the PAA-1 Pro that I reviewed recently. It is made out of metal and a rough red material that also feels like metal and the strain reliefs make me feel confident that the cable isn't going to break soon.  

Sorry for it being upside down, but like I mentioned in the PAA-1 Pro review, have people started faking HiSound Products? 
 

 
This is how the E212 comes in the box. 
 
 
Sound Quality
For those people who have never read one of my reviews before, I break them into 3 main section - bass, midrange and treble. Here we go. 
 
Bass
HiSound says that these have extreme bass and detailed sound and I completely agree with them. The bass is arguably the best part of this IEM; I think so anyway. The bass is very strong and fun, reaching deep down and it really rumbles. Turn up the volume and you will probably find them vibrating so much that they come out of your ear. The bass quality is exceptional for the price and as I mentioned above, really does reach far down. However, you could also say that it is bloated and muddy and I would certainly understand why, but this IEM was designed for a fun, bass oriented sound, and is aimed at bassheads and not one who is looking for a neutral sound signature. IMO, the bass is great if you are a basshead; I'm more of a neutral person, but the bass is just so damn fun! There is a bit of bass bleed though. 
 
Midrange
The bass does bleed slightly into the midrange, but not until it becomes annoying. There is just a kind of midrange magic that is in the PAA-1 Pro as well. Vocals still sound extremely realistic and euphonic even though thy are on the slightly darker side, making female vocals sound a tiny bit "manly". However, this does not become annoying and is actually quite pleasant for most of the music that teenage boys are interested in. It's not only vocals that sound nice, but pianos sound extremely pleasant as well, since they sound quite tinny with many more neutral IEMs. I find that the extra weight makes them sound a bit more realistic. Guitars are very nice, but are a tiny bit dark, and this is the same with other string instruments. The midrange is very nice for vocals, but I would have loved for it to be a tad bit less dark. 
 
Treble
This IEM is an ideal choice for people who are a bit sensitive to a hot treble. Straight out of the box, the treble is significantly rolled off and when I first listened to them, I was like What?!!! What have HiSound made here? However, after 100 hours, I do feel like the treble has come out quite a bit, but is still quite rolled off. Detail levels are quite good, but other earphones such as the PAA-1 Pro performs significantly better here. Cymbals sound a bit dull and the decay is shorter than neutral, but it is not as dull as some other IEMs that I have listened to. There is just enough sparkle to keep these from being boring. Overall, the treble is good in quality, but lacking in quantity. I will not mark it down though, because some people may prefer this sort of sound signature. I would have personally liked a little extra sparkle. 
 

 
Tips that it comes with. I personally prefer and use the Sony Hybrids. 
 
Separation & Details
To be honest, I'm surprised how well the E212 did in my separation tests. In the song "Some Nights" by Fun., the vocal separation was even better than the PAA-1 Pro and I could distinctly make out where each singer was. Instrument separation was exceptional as well, once again besting the PAA-1 Pro and it was less congested on the tracks that I tested it on. 
Details are not as good as the separation. In almost all IEMs, big bass always results in reduced detail and the E212 is no exception. It's not to say that the detail levels are bad, just 0ot as good as other offerings of the same price. 
 
Imaging & Soundstage
I was once again extremely impressed by the imaging ans separation of these. The sound stage was huge for an IEM of it's price and of the IEMs that I have heard only loses out to the UM Miracles, RDB v1 and IE8. 
Imaging is also very good, but not as impressive as the soundstage. It was easy to tell where each singer or instrument was but sometimes on more congested tracks, it got a bit muddy. 
 
Amping
Just about no changes were detected with amping. I actually liked them unamped, right out of my Sansa Clip+ more than out of the Sansa into the E6. I would not bother amping these; just plug them into a source and go. 
 
 
Comparisons
HiSound E212 vs HiSound PAA-1 Pro
 
I was certainly very intrigued by the HiSound E212 since it was said as "the best IEM under $100". When I first heard it, I was shocked, and not in a good way either. They were a veiled, muddy mess. The bass was overpowering and the treble really veiled. I let it burn in for a while and after 50 hours, I listened to them again and to my surprise, they had opened up quite a lot. The bass became more controlled and the treble came out a bit. For the bass, the E212 still has much more quantity and more sub bass. The quality is about the same so which is better really does come down to personal preference. As for the mids, HiSound has done extremely well with both of the earphones. They all have this sort of clear but interesting and fun midrange. The E212 has a lusher, more creamy midrange while the PAA-1 Pro has a thinner midrange presentation. The treble is not a competition IMO. The treble on the PAA-1 Pro is quite obviouslybetter in quality and has more quantity. The roll off on the E212 isn't that bad though, and those who are a bit sensitive to treble will like it. The soundstage is a bit bigger on the PAA-1 Pro and the imaging is a bit better as well. I personally prefer the PAA-1 Pro, but I can see why people would like the E212 more. 
 
 
HiSound E212 vs Sony MH1C
When I first heard of the E212 and it's pricetag of $50, I immediately wondered how it would fare against the Sony MH1C. Before now, it has been my go to recommendation for the sub $50 price range. However, I do think that the E212 defeats it. The E212 has better bass quality and more quantity. The midrange is also more natural and less metallic and also more aggressive. The treble is more prominent on the MH1C but for some reason, there seems to be more of a veil and I find myself choosing the E212 more. Details are more obvious on the Sony MH1C, but the E212 makes up for that by offering better separation, much larger soundstage and better imaging. IMO, the E212 is clearly the better IEM overall. 
 
 
Summary

 
These are an exceptional of in ear monitors, especially at their $50 price. The bass is hard hitting ans has a very nice rumble to it, the midrange is natural and the treble is non fatiguing but has just enough sparkle for it not to sound dull. IMO, HiSound has created another winner here and thanks again, to Jack Fu for bringing us such a nice IEM for an extremely reasonable price. 

First, I'd like to thank Jack Fu of HiSound Audio for sending me a review sample of the PAA-1 Pro and the E212. It was certainly very generous of him to send multiple units to so many people. I am in no way affiliated with HiSound Audio and this will be a completely non biased review. Tested with my HDP-R10, Sansa Clip+ and SGS3 international version. More on amping later. I have burnt these in for a while now, but not for the 100 hours that HiSound recommends. I will change the review if I feel like the sound changes after burn in but others have not noticed much if any change after burn in. 

 
 
Design, Accessories & Unboxing
Being a vented earbud, there is close to no isolation, but this is really something that affects every earbud and not just this one. It's shape is more or less the shape of the old Apple earbuds but it is significantly more comfortable with the soft covering. It comes with a cable manager which IMO is just about useless, 3 sets of the soft thing that goes over the earbud and a nice shirt clip. There is no cable slider though if you are one who cares about that. The box is very nice and simplistic, not having too much unnecessary stuff that comes with other earphones. It does come with a very nice square zip case which I find to be extremely handy and something that is generally only included with more expensive products. The downsides to the design are the annoying cable and the slightly shoddy build quality. The cable is plasticcy and very rigid and looks easily tangled and IMO is one of the worse cables that I've seen but it is not too hard to use like the TF-10 cable. The build quality is also not that great, but it is more than what you would expect in a $50 product. I don't feel like it is going to break anytime soon, but I would have rather it be made with some metal even if it made it a bit heavier. The good thing is that all the flaws of the PAA-1 Pro is in this section since I believe that the sound is what you would be expecting in a $100+ product. 
 

Have people started faking HiSound products? 
 

How the PAA-1 Pro comes. The way that the cable is tied makes the cable bent and the cable doesn't seem like it will become straight anytime soon. The case is very nice though. 
 
 
Sound Quality
Those people who have never read one of my reviews before, I break them into 3 main sections - bass, midrange and treble. 
 
Bass
Many people label these as a basshead earbud and while I don't completely disagree, I disagree to some extent. While the bass is emphasized, bassheads will probably be wanting more quantity. The bass is very clean and there isn't very much sub bass and instead, the PAA-1 Pro focuses on mid bass. The bass is extremely dynamic and hits hard without any bleed whatsoever into the midrange. The detail is really just incredible, and I feel like I'm hearing textures in the bass that I've never heard before in a sub $100 earphone, regardless of whether it was an earbud or IEM. To be perfectly honest, I was expecting slightly bloated bass, but there is no bloat at all and it actually stays incredibly clean. They certainly hit much higher than it's price might suggest. 
 
Midrange
I do feel like the midrange was the section that I enjoyed the most. Let's start with vocals. HiSound have got it just right there. They are neither pushed too much forward nor recessed which makes them feel extremely realistic. Vocal separation was impressive as well and they worked very well with bands signing together. Midrange instruments were also portrayed in an extremely realistic way and the timbre was just right. There was sibilance present if it is in the track, but it was not bothering at all and it wasn't piercing like some other earphones. Pianos sound nice, but are just a bit on the thin side. Guitars are recreated exceptionally though and so are violins. Detail levels are once again much better than other earphones in it's price range. HiSound has hit it out of the park with the midrange. 
 
Treble
Quite a few people have said that the treble is rolled off. Yes, I do feel like it is a bit rolled off, but IMO there is plenty of sparkle and it doesn't become overly sibilant or cause listening fatigue. I was actually quite shocked when I listened to them because they had quite a lot more treble than I was expecting. Cymbals are rendered very nicely and have a very nice and pleasant decay. They weren't dull at all, like other earbuds that have treble roll off. Woodwind instruments are extremely nice and they really do sound like they are in a total other price range. Now, the treble roll off doesn't mean that they are like the Apple Earpods (which I actually like quite a bit) and they are quite a lot brighter. I find that they brighten up some more if you take off the soft sleeve thing but there is enough IMO. 
 

By soft sleeve thing I mean these. Sorry for the crappy picture. 
 
Separation & Detail
To test vocal separation, I used the song "Some Nights" by Fun. I was actually very pleasantly surprised at how well they handled the start of the song. I could quite easily tell where each singer was. Instrument separation lags just behind vocal separation but it does do well there as well, not becoming overly muddy and confusing on congested tracks. It handles itself well there. 
Detail levels are very good, especially for the price. The detail in each drum hit was easily discernible and I could hear the nuances in string instruments. It is very impressive here as well.
 
Imaging & Soundstage
The imaging is something that I was absolutely blown away by.  I could tell where everything was on the stage and the sound was actually quite transparent. Hardly ever did I find that I just could not tell where something was. I am quite confident that there is probably nothing better than the PAA-1 Pro within it's price range that can best it in that area. 
The soundstage is quite large as well. It is quite a bit larger than the Sony MH1Cs, a pair of high value $40 IEMs and even a bit bigger than the E212. I'm not sure about earbuds, but it is certainly large by IEM standards. 
 
Amping
I find that these opened up a bit more with amping, especially the bass. Drum hits had a bit more weight and details in the bass were more evident. The midrange sounded clearer and the treble detail increased a bit, but quantity stayed around the same. Soundstage opened up even more and everything just sounded more complete. I do find that a cheap amp such as a Fiio E6 can drive them perfectly fine. A budget rig that I would suggest is the Fiio E6 and the Sansa Clip+. These 2 drive the PAA-1 Pro extremely well and IMO sufficiently. I did try them with my much more expensive HDP-R10 but the changes were quite small over the $60 rig. 
 
Comparisons
Sony MH1C vs Hisound PAA-1 Pro
So far to me, the Sonys have been my go to recommendation for IEMs in the $50 price range. Well, not anymore because I feel like the PAA-1 Pro well and truly defeats it. The Sony can sometimes get a but muddy due to the slightly excessive sub bass but this is not an issue with the PAA-1 Pro at all. The mid bass hits a tiny bit harder than the MH1C but the detail is better. There is sometimes a veil on vocals on the Sonys but this is just about non existent on the PAA-1 Pros. There is also more treble on the PAA-1 Pro which I think is a good thing because the Sonys can sometimes come off as having a treble veil. There is definitely more sparkle and detail on the PAA-1 Pro. As for isolation, the Sony MH1C is better by a huge margin since the PAA-1 Pro has next to no isolation. Soundstage and imaging is better as well by quite a lot. The Sony cable is worse IMO, but both are bad. The Sony MH1C is well and truly defeated and the PAA-1 Pro has become my new my budget king. 
 
HiSound E212 vs HiSound PAA-1 Pro
I was certainly very intrigued by the HiSound E212 since it was said as "the best IEM under $100". When I first heard it, I was shocked, and not in a good way either. They were a veiled, muddy mess. The bass was overpowering and the treble really veiled. I let it burn in for a while and after 50 hours, I listened to them again and to my surprise, they had opened up quite a lot. The bass became more controlled and the treble came out a bit. For the bass, the E212 still has much more quantity and more sub bass. The quality is about the same so which is better really does come down to personal preference. As for the mids, HiSound has done extremely well with both of the earphones. They all have this sort of clear but interesting and fun midrange. The E212 has a lusher, more creamy midrange while the PAA-1 Pro has a thinner midrange presentation. The treble is not a competition IMO. The treble on the PAA-1 Pro is quite obviouslybetter in quality and has more quantity. The roll off on the E212 isn't that bad though, and those who are a bit sensitive to treble will like it. The soundstage is a bit bigger on the PAA-1 Pro and the imaging is a bit better as well. I personally prefer the PAA-1 Pro, but I can see why people would like the E212 more. 
 
Apple Earpods vs HiSound PAA-1 Pro
The Apple earpods have been getting quite a lot of praise lately so I decided to go and get a pair recently. I was quite impressed that Apple could actually make a decent earbud unlike the absolutely horrible old Apple earbuds. The bass is more heavy on the Earpods, but the quality of the bass is really not very good. There is significantly more quantity but the quality is also a lot lower. The mids has a veil as well, making vocals sound too dark and adding even more weight to them compared to the E212 except the E212 does not sound veiled for some reason. The PAA-1 Pro absolutely sounds better there. The treble is veiled as well and the PAA-1 Pro has more quantity and much better quality as well. Overall, the PAA-1 Pro sounds a heap better than the Apple Earpods but I do respect the Earpods for what they are - a well above average pair of stock earbuds.
 
 
 
Summary

This is yet another example of a product that sounds way above it's price range. I find the sound to be extremely neutral with some mid bass emphasis and a slight treble roll off. Please do not think that it is a knock off just because it comes from  Chinese company. Give it a try and I am almost sure that you will be pleasantly surprised at what $50 can buy nowadays. If you are looking for a more noise isolating IEM with more bass oriented signature, I wholeheartedly recommend the HiSound E212. I will be review them soon once they fully burn in. 

[size=12.0pt]Before writing this review, I would like to thank Charles for generously sending out multiple IEMs and amplifiers for us to try and review. Charles is also one of the friendliest and most responsive guys that I have met in the audio world and often responds to emails in a few minutes. This is something that I take into account when buying any product, especially one at this price. I am in no way affiliated with nor against Rhapsodio in any way so these are my own, unbiased opinions on the Rhapsodio RDB v1 IEM.[/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Introduction[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Rhapsodio is a relatively new company to the audio world and they’ve already caused quite a stir on Head-Fi with their interesting products which have been compared to much more expensive ones. For example, swimsonny thinks their $400 R^2 has been said to compete very well against the $1300 Tralucent 1plus2, even winning in some aspects. But this IEM that I will be reviewing is the more expensive model, the RDB v1 priced at $US650 not including fancy cable upgrades. It uses a TWFK driver for the midrange and treble and an 8mm dynamic driver for the bass. To my knowledge, there was another similar model, the RDB+ v1 (which has now been discontinued?) which uses a 10mm dynamic driver but I haven’t heard that one so I can’t provide any comparisons. The reviews from H20Fidelity, mrAdrian and svyr are of the previous version. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Testing Gear[/size]
[size=12.0pt]All testing was made with my HDP-R10, my Sansa Clip+, Samsung Galaxy S3, K2 amp and Shozy amp. First off, I want to make it clear that this is not very source dependant, well not as much as my UM Miracles anyway. They do not need to be amped and there is not as much difference between my Sansa Clip+ and my HDP-R10 as you would expect since the HDP-R10 costs 30x as much as my Clip+. However, a better source does help make the sound better. For example, if the sound from my HDP-R10 was 100%, the Clip+ would be 70-80%. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Accessories[/size]
[size=12.0pt]I don’t know what it comes with if you bought it, but I think that it comes with 3 pairs of silicone tips and a pair of foam tips along with an Otterbox (2000?) case which is waterproof and crushproof. It’s pretty much the same as a Pelican case if you’ve used one of those. My demo version also came with a large metal case with “Rhapsodio” written on it which IMO is unnecessary but a nice addition. Good, but I would have liked to see it come with some extra tips; I don’t mind the fact that there is no IEM cleaner because there is a filter that stops ear wax from going into the IEM. [/size]


 
 
[size=20.0pt]Isolation, Design & Cable[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Being a vented IEM, isolation is not one of its strong point. Most IEMs that I have heard do isolate much better than these. The degree of isolation is about the level of IE8(0), Sony EX1000 and some other dynamic driver IEMs which need a vent to breathe. As for the design, you can customise the colour of the body and faceplates. The faceplates can be carbon fibre black or silver and the body can be any colour I think. What is interesting is that if you look closely at the drivers of the IEM, you will see that the TWFK drivers are actually inserted into your ear full as they are at the tip of the IEM.
I’m not sure what cable it comes with if you order the most basic IEM with no upgrades, but I got a really well built brown clothed cable that Charles said was copper and silver crystals whatever that means. The braiding was very consistent and didn’t have different sized gaps. While it was quite thick, it was still very easy to use. Microphonics is worse than normal stock CIEM cables, but being a couple of times thicker, this is hardly a surprise.  It was the best sounding and easiest cable to use out of the 3 cables that I received even though it was the thickest. I think that this cable is able to be purchased directly from Charles for $160. The first pic is of the old version, the second pic is the RDB v1 next to my full sized customs and the last one is the RDB 2v1 on the left and the RDB v1 on the right. [/size]

 
 
 
 
[size=20.0pt]Sound Quality[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Sorry if I have bored you with all of that, but now we are finally at the meat of the review – the sound. I will be breaking this part into a few sections like in my previous reviews and as you will soon see, (spoiler alert) I really like this IEM. However, if you are looking for an analytical IEM, this is not for you. [/size]
 
[size=18.0pt]Bass[/size]
[size=12.0pt]I’m not sure if this is true, but someone mentioned that RDB stood for really dynamic bass. I really do agree with this statement since the bass is certainly more forward than one of a neutral IEM, but it doesn’t always sound like a dynamic driver. Personally, I have always been on the BA side of the balanced armature or dynamic driver debate, but I must say that this dynamic driver has the control of a BA driver, but also has the rumble of a dynamic driver when the song calls for it. The bass rumble is exceptional, but sometimes I think that it is just a tad bit too much, drowning out some micro details. Bass extension is superb and there is no bleed into the midrange. To sum up, bass on the RDB v1 is exceptional and it was certainly the first thing that hit me when I listened to them. [/size]
 
[size=18.0pt]Midrange[/size]
[size=12.0pt]I must say that the mids are really a love or hate thing. They have this texture that sometimes makes vocals very enjoyable to listen to, but can also seem a bit thin on certain tracks. When I first listened to it, my first thought was that the mids were too thin like the RDB 2v1, but after using it for a while, I realised that they were not as lush as those of my Miracles, but still extremely enjoyable. It is also worth mentioning that the mids are recessed due to the bass and treble being more upfront. As a result, on a few tracks in my collection sounded a bit off. I wouldn’t sound bad, but I enjoyed those of the Miracles and AKG K3003 more. I did like the mids on some songs, but other sounded a bit odd. The Miracles are much more solid and present everything in a more polite manner and it is much harder to fault them. [/size]
 
[size=18.0pt]Treble[/size]
[size=12.0pt]I can’t decide which part of this earphone I like the best – the bass or the treble. Both sections were extremely fun for me. As I mentioned in my UM Miracle review, I would have loved to have a bit more sparkle without it going overboard and the RDB v1 almost gets it right. It is maybe 1 or 2 db off, being slightly too bright for me. There is slight sibilance but treble detail more than makes up for that. Going from the Miracles to this makes this seem bright and harsh and going from these to the Miracles makes the Miracles seem like there is a slight veil. The cymbals sound a tad harsh, but that is actually what they sound like and if you have gone to hear a band or play in one, you will know what I mean. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Presentation[/size]
[size=12.0pt]I have read all about the Tralucent 1plus2 and just recently found out that the original RDB+ v1 and the 1plus2 v1 used the same drivers. These are exactly what I read on the 1plus2, but maybe a bit worse. The soundstage is large for an IEM, but not huge and it a bit smaller than the UM Miracles. The RDB v1 also makes music sound like there is a stage in front of you instead of a surround feeling like the Miracles. I actually prefer the RDB v1’s presentation over the Miracles since it is more realistic.[/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Accuracy[/size]
[size=12.0pt]I personally perceive accuracy as how similar it sounds to a live presentation and I’m glad to say that the RDB v1 has done exceptionally for a sub $1000 IEM. The reproduce instruments extremely well but there is quite a bit of colouration to the sound. This does make the sound more fun but it is certainly not for one who craves accuracy. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Imaging and Soundstage[/size]
[size=12.0pt]As mentioned above, the soundstage is very good for an IEM, but not the best that I have heard in an IEM. I just feel like the soundstage of the Miracles and the IE8s are slightly bigger.
The imaging however, is the best that I have heard from an IEM. It is very slightly better than the Miracles because the imaging is more exact and the stage is in front of you rather than around you. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Instrument Separation[/size]
[size=12.0pt]This puts every IEM that I have heard under $1000 to shame. Everything is so coherent yet you can hear each layer of the music without even trying to. With the Brainwavz B2s, a TWFK driver based IEM, the separation is miles behind this and just cannot match it in any way. On congested tracks, this really does let some instruments shine through or make some things easier to hear. However, it is not the last word in instrument separation and my UM Miracle is better in this area and the K3003 is as well, but only very slightly. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Details[/size]
[size=12.0pt]This certainly does have a lot of detail, but due to the bass, the details are sometimes a bit hard to make out and some micro details are left out altogether. This is not completely a bad thing since it is much more forgiving of badly mastered tracks than many other IEMs. For example, “Hall of Fame” is truly hard to listen to using my Miracles, but it is still very enjoyable with these. [/size]
 
[size=20.0pt]Summary[/size]
[size=12.0pt]Rhapsodio have created a world class IEM that they could have very easily priced at $800-$1200 but they have decided to price it at $650. This is not to be interpreted as low worth but is actually high value. I recommend this to anyone who likes a fun sound signature who has less than $1000 to spend and doesn’t mind the low level of isolation. [/size]
[size=small]Edit: changed to 4 star because of Rhapsodio's QC problems and their unresponsiveness. [/size]

First of all, I would like to thank H20Fidelity for lending me his pair of MH-1Cs. 
Recently, there has been much hype about the Sonys and finally, I got an opportunity to listen to them. From what I've read, they just come with the IEMs and 1 pair of tips - nothing else. Personally, I don't mind, but I just wished that it had a case for me to put them in when I'm not using them because the cable flops around and does not stay in one spot. Build quality is decent and it doesn't feel flimsy. It may be worth noting that much of the body is made of metal. Now, let's move on to sound:
 
Sound Quality
First of all, I was really impressed by these budget IEMs and feel like they can compete with much more expensive IEMs. Sound will be broken into bass, midrange and treble. 
Bass
The bass is what struck out the most to me. It is certainly exaggerated, but not to the extent that it is a bit muddy like the Monster Turbines. The bass is fast, has good impact and does not bleed at all. The detail in the bass is also exceptional for the price. You can easily make out the details in each drum hit and each string plucked in a bass guitar. It performs exceptionally in pop songs and everything sounds very energetic. While the bass may not satisfy bassheads or people who like beats, it is certainly enough for me and I do feel like the bass is the best part of the MH-1C. 
Midrange
The midrange is just a tad bit recessed, but it is still very enjoyable and I don't feel like the mids are distant by any means. Instruments sound very good, but sometimes, I just feel like there is a tiny bit of a veil and same goes for the vocals. However, on the bright side, the midrange detail is very good and separation is decent, but if you consider the price, it is actually very impressive. For example, on the track Some Nights, I can tell roughly where each singer is, but it isn't as clear as say a Brainwavz B2 for example, but that is understandable since the B2 is much more expensive. 
Treble
This is the part where I find that the Sony MH-1Cs are not as good as I would have liked them to be. The treble is a little rolled off for me. Sometimes, I find it a bit veiled and unnatural with instruments such as cymbals. On these, cymbals are hardly anything more than a click and you do not actually hear them vibrating as you would on something like the Brainwavz B2s. The quantity leans more towards the Monster Turbines and the good thing is that there is still good detail and sometimes there is some sparkle as well as it not being fatiguing. The treble I feel, stops the MH-1C becoming an IEM that can challenge $100+ IEMs. 
Soundstage
Soundstage was very impressive for such a budget IEM. It was around the size of the B2s and was quite deep. Very good indeed. 
 
Conclusion
The Sony MH-1Cs are perhaps the best IEM under $50, but there is starting to be more competition such as the Monoprices priced at $7, Vsnic VC02 which is more neutral and costs around the same. I would recommend it if you prefer a warm signature and have not that much to spend. 
Reduced to 4 star because the price has gone up and IMO the Hisound E212 is better. 

To be perfectly honest, when I first heard of the Turbines, I thought that they were just another Monster consumer product like Beats. That is, heavy, muddy, bloated bass, recessed mids and highs. When I first heard them, I was pleasantly surprised and I don't own these. To start with, it will be worth knowing that these are extremely sensitive to insertion depth and when it isn't perfect, the sound can be odd, so make sure that they fit properly before you judge them. I borrowed them off a friend so I don't know what it comes with etc and I will just get straight to the sound. Also, these have already been used for a few years so should be fully burnt in if you are one of those who care about burn in. 
 
Sound
If you have read any of my other reviews, you will know that I split the sound section into 3 main parts - bass, midrange and treble, so here we go!
 
Bass
The bass is certainly north of neutral, there is no doubt about that, but it is actually really pleasant and it excellent for mainstream music which are mostly bass heavy. The bass really does lack detail though and that becomes very apparent when you hear other IEMs like the Brainwavz B2s which have little bass, but very good detail. The bass however, it not as fast as I like, but boomy bass may be your type of sound and in that case, this will be an excellent choice. Also, the bass does bleed into the mids and sometimes drown them out a little, but it is quite bearable. A lot of people, including me, would call the bass a bit bloated, but it is supposed to, and Monster has done a great job at making an IEM with just the right amount of bass for basshead audiophiles while still satisfying average consumers. 
Midrange
I was expecting the midrange to be recessed like the Beats tours, but they really did remind me of the Monster Jamz which have quite a nice midrange but sounded much more natural and a bit less recessed. The vocals sound quite meaty and impressive for an IEM of it's price, but again, female vocals still sound a bit metallic and lifeless. Instruments are quite nice, but lack a bit of realism  and sounded darker than what they should sound like. As mentioned above, the bass bleeds into the mids, but it is still quite nice and I doubt that it would really affect you if you haven't heard Vocal separation is OK, but nowhere up to the level of the slightly more expensive Rockit Sounds R50. The detail level is good, but not great because of the strong bass. I actually really liked the midrange and prefer it to many more expensive IEMs I've heard. 
Treble
I am actually most impressed by the treble. I was expecting a veiled mess for the treble, but it wasn't like that at all and improves greatly on the Monster Jamz's treble. The cymbals are not just a click, but actually have a very nice decay which, while on the short side, is still enjoyable. I has some sparkle, but doesn't go over the top like the B2s and is very smooth and non fatiguing. People who are used to a bright IEM will find these very dull and veiled, but these are actually just about neutral, but may be just that few DB off. There is no odd peak which plagues many IEMs that I have tried. Also, there is absolutely no sibilance even after I pushed it well past safe listening levels which is another plus for the treble. It really isn't like any of the other Monster IEMS. 
Instrument Separation
This is where the Monster turbines do not do well at all. It sounds very coherent, but it is quite hard to tell each instrument from another on congested tracks. The B2s really do do way better than these in that aspect.
Soundstage
The soundstage was rather impressive for a $100 IEM. It was wide and quite deep, but not very tall. 
 
Conclusion
If you are looking for a very nice bass heavy and fun IEM under $100, these are an excellent choice, but maybe you will want to check out the Shure SE215s as well. I did really enjoy the turbines and please don't just think that they will be terrible sounding because they are from Monster like I did. Give them a run and you might be impressed. 

Here is my rather long review. I hope you enjoy it:
Copy and pasted from here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/668455/unique-melody-miracle-6-ba-ciem-review
 
A while ago, when I was in a dilemma (mind you, it was a good dilemma) of choosing what CIEM to get, I read many reviews on the UM Miracle, JH13, ES5, JH16 and the Rooth LS8. Of those, I narrowed it down to the Miracles, JH13 and LS8 since I was after a more balanced sound signature. I then eliminated the Rooth since there were no local dealers in Australia and they seemed a bit too treble heavy for me. The JH13 and UM Miracle both looked like exceptional CIEMs and there were certainly very much hype surrounding those two, especially the JH13, many people claiming it as the best CIEM that you could buy. However, neither average_joe nor ljokerl had a review up of the JH13 and ljokerl had the UM Miracles and gave them a full 10/10. Eventually, I gave in and got the Miracles and got my impressions and took them down to UM’s Melbourne office.
Note that my listening was carried out via my HDP-R10 (Japanese DX100), SanDisk Clip+ and my Samsung Galaxy S3
**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated nor against Unique Melody in any way. I will try to give my unbiased opinions on the UM Miracle. I purchased them myself for the RRP of $980.
 
 
[size=18pt]Things To Consider[/size]
Before you get a custom, you have to decide if a custom is really for you. Do you want to be completely isolated from your surroundings? Are you willing to make the commitment, knowing that if you don’t like them, you will have to sell them off at a large loss? Are you more comfortable with acrylic shoved up your ears or some silicone or foam? If you are from the latter group, you may be better off with going for a top tier universal IEM such as the AKG K3003, FitEar ToGo 334, Tralucent 1plus2, Sennheiser IE800 and the like. They take a while to make and you have to add the cost of an audiologist (around $50) and you may have to send them back for a refit if the fit is not optimal. To me, I found that I wanted more isolation, the comfort levels of a custom that everyone was talking about and didn’t mind waiting for a while, so I jumped the bandwagon.
 
 
[size=18pt]Overview[/size]
The Miracles are a 6 balanced armature (BA) driver 3 way IEM. 2 drivers produce the bass, 2 make the midrange and has 2 drivers for the treble. Having the same amount of drivers for every frequency, they are supposed to produce a neutral, balanced sound. Unique melody says “Offering six balanced armature drivers per side, the Miracle offers astounding detail and clarity from high to low, with just the right amount of fun. Don’t expect any noticeable bumps throughout the frequency range though, the Miracle represents the epitome of the epitome of the Unique Melody house sound. Clarity, accuracy, liveliness and detail.” Here are the specifications:
·         Frequency Range: 18 Hz – 19kHz
·         Impedance: 15.9 ohms
·         Sensitivity: 114 dB SPL
·         Driver Tech: 6 Balanced Armatures
·         Crossover: 3 Way Passive Crossover
·         Driver Configuration: 2xHigh, 2xMid, 2xHigh
 

 [size=18pt]Ordering Process[/size]
To order any pair of CIEMs, you just about follow the same steps. Basically, first I contacted UM to get the order form for your order.

[size=14pt]Design[/size]
This is a relatively large decision as if you change your design midway through before your IEMs are made, you have to start your wait again from scratch, as I learned the hard way. You have to decide what colour you want for the faceplate, shell, tips and what artwork you want on the faceplate. You can browse the web for CIEM designs and pick one of your liking, or if you are good with Photoshop, you can make your own design. Now I think that custom-iem.com has a program where you chose the colours and they will show you about what the CIEMs will look like. Again, this is an important decision because once they are built, there is no way to change the colours unless you rebuild them from scratch.

[size=14pt]Impressions[/size]
Next, you should go to an audiologist, preferably an experienced one so that they don’t mess up your impressions. I personally went to Melbourne Audiology Centre and they messed up my impressions the first time, but the second time I had a more experienced person do it and it was fine, but my right ear impression was taken 4 times. Here is a quote from Loquah’s review on what to do when getting your impressions taken:
“When having your impressions taken, be sure to stay completely still and looking straight ahead (you might want to choose a spot on the wall to stare at for the whole time). Different companies recommend different mouth positions (i.e. open, closed, wide open, open & closed) so you may find variation in the instructions. Many audiologists will have bite blocks you can use to hold your mouth still in an open position. I found for the Miracles that a bit block around 1.5cm thick worked best.  Importantly, the audiologist may forget to instruct you thoroughly so make sure you remind yourself of the steps provided by your CIEM company and stick to them or it could be a painful wait as you send your brand new CIEMs back to be redone.”

[size=14pt]Send Them In[/size]
You then send your impressions in to the UM office in Melbourne or straight to UM labs. From what others have said, dealing directly with UM labs may result in you getting your CIEMs back quicker. Next, you just wait and try to forget that you ordered them or even heard of Unique Melody. If you get good impressions, then you shouldn’t need a refit and the wait time is 5-7 weeks normally.

[size=14pt]Getting Them[/size]
After what seems like a whole year, you will get them. You will probably rip open the packaging as fast as you can an open the box. The unboxing experience is nothing too special and there is a glass paperweight, case, manuals, cloths, a warranty card, a pair of tips, IEM cleaner and a case, which when you open are greeted with the Miracles.
·         When you first try to put them in your ears, they will feel weird and uncomfortable, as if the tip of the CIEM is poking your eardrum, but don’t worry, it’s not.
·         You will probably fiddle with them and get them in to your ears finally after around 5 minutes if this is your first CIEM. At first, it will be really hard to put in and take out the Miracles (or any CIEM), but after about a week, you eventually get used to it.
·         At first, you may not get the perfect seal. This does not mean that they don’t fit properly and you require a refit. Wriggle them around your ears for a while and see if it gets better. When you smile, the seal will break; this happens to most people.
Hopefully, the fit is fine, but if you are positive that after you move it around and after a few days, you still find that it doesn’t have a good seal, then maybe it is time for you to take another trip to the audiologist. When they fit properly, you will be able to tell from the way that they fit snugly against your ear and the sound quality. If it doesn’t fit, there is no bass and everything sounds hollow and terrible. Trust me, you’ll know if they don’t fit. When I first got them, they seemed really uncomfortable, but now that I’ve gotten used to them, they fit extremely well and are just as comfortable, if not better, than any universal. When I’m wearing them, I sometimes forget that they are on at all! However, it is quite uncomfortable and at certain times, even painful to put them in and take them out.
 
 
[size=18pt]Build Quality[/size]
So how is the build quality on these? Unique Melody is known as one of the companies with the best build quality, ahead of JH Audio and on par with Heir Audio, but with less design options. There are a few tiny bubbles that you won’t notice unless you are looking specifically for them. Other than that, the build of these are impeccable.
As you can see from the picture included, I opted to have translucent grey faceplates, tips and bright blue body with large Unique Melody inserts. There is absolutely no point in getting light coloured tips and all it does it show if you have earwax there or not. After a while, it doesn’t look nice and you have to clean it more often for it to not look disgusting.
If you, like me, decide to choose light colours, you will be able to see the 6 drivers in there, which I think is actually quite cool. There are 4 drivers in the middle, which I think are the high and midrange drivers, but I could be wrong and there are 2 others that are closer to the sound bores that could be the 2 bass drivers.

A pic of my Miracles. 
 
 
[size=18pt]Cable[/size]
This is the standard cable that comes with CIEM from most companies like JH Audio, Ultimate Ears etc. I quite like the right angled jack, but it could be a problem for some phone cases. The cable itself is nice and flexible and it very easy to use. It seems pretty well built, but the braids will probably loosen up over time.

 
 
[size=18pt]Service[/size]
To me at least, service is very important with anything, but especially something expensive like this. To be perfectly honest, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t bad either. They didn’t have a phone number that you can call, but instead, they have a call back option. At times, UM or Actustoms as they have merged into one company could answer one of my emails in an hour or so, but other times, it would take them 2 or 3 business days to answer and email. UM labs were much more responsive, answering all my emails mostly in less than 10 minutes when the time was reasonable. It is truly a bit of a shame that the overall experience had to be let down by this. UM did still maintain a professional attitude when I was bugging them about where my CIEMs were toward the end. What happened was that Um labs said that my Miracles were already sent out, but UM Aus said that they were still at UM labs. It really is a shame that the customer service isn’t great, because, as you will see later on, the Miracle is a truly exceptional product and when paying almost a grand, I expect to have faster customer service.
 
 
[size=18pt]Isolation[/size]
Being an acrylic custom moulded IEM, the isolation is great, but naturally, it will be bested by silicone CIEMs such as the Spiral Ears SE5. However, you need not worry about isolation with any CIEM because the isolation on my pair is already great and sometimes I actually wish that I had a bit less isolation in order to hear what others are saying. When there is no music playing, you have to sort of lean towards someone to hear what they are saying if they are talking at a normal volume. To sum up, there is a lot of isolation and it is completely enough, but if you feel like, for some reason, require even more isolation, you should go with a silicone based CIEM.
 
 
[size=18pt]Sound[/size]
Finally, we are at the sound section after a long time. From what I read, I certainly had high hopes for this custom and it didn’t disappoint. Initially, they were nothing special and they were a bit muddy and lacking detail. After 50 hours, the sound settled down and after 100 hours, I don’t think that it will change any more (or my brain has fully adapted to it if you don’t believe in BAs burning in.
 
[size=14pt]Presentation[/size]
The Miracles are often praised for their nice and natural presentation and after I got accustomed to them, I now see what it is really about.
The soundstage, while not massive, is very respectable and I am continuing to be surprised at what an in ear moniter can actually do. Every single note played in beautifully portrayed and pianos and guitars sound like a live performance.
Extremely accurate and never congested, the Miracles have a heap of detail, but doesn’t hit you in the face with it. While they may not wow you upon the first listen, I am appreciating them more and more with every song that I listen to with these jewels.

[size=14pt]Sound Signature[/size]
The sound is very neutral and the mids are a bit recessed. By recessed, I don’t mean that they are recessed until the music is a bit unenjoyable (cough cough TF-10 cough) but it is more a “neutral V” sound if that makes sense. The bass it a bit north of neutral and the treble has a good amount of sparkle from it, but I wished that it had a little more.

[size=14pt]Bass[/size]
The bass is very neutral, albeit a bit heavy. At no time do I feel like it is overpowering any section of the spectrum though. It is just right and is certainly very fast and makes other IEMs that I have heard such as the Earsonics SM3 v2 sound muddy, bloated and very un-neutral. The bass detail is great and you can hear the texture from every drum beat or every string of a bass guitar plucked. Bass heavy IEMs such as the Sennheiser IE8 seem like they are lacking resolution and speed. For mainstream music though, I do wish that there was a bit more midbass whilst staying just as fast. The Miracles get top marks in the bass department for quality, but not quantity. If you are a basshead, look into something else like the JH16 or the UM Merlin.

[size=14pt]Midrange[/size]
Even though the midrange is a bit recessed, it still sounds great and not by any means really distant like the ATH-M50 or the TF-10. It is only a tiny bit recessed and the detail level in the midrange is still great. I actually prefer this sort of midrange to a forward, in your face midrange. It strikes an excellent balance between thick and thin and vocals sound like you are at a live performance. It may take a while for you to get used to this kind of midrange if you come from something like a mid forward Earsonics SM3 v2, but from a neutral midrange IEM like the Brainwavz B2 I had no problems adapting. Vocal sibilance will be there if it is present in the track. Great midrange, but if you like a forward midrange, look into Westone’s line of customs.

[size=14pt]Treble[/size]
At first, I thought that these were a bit dull and the highs were a bit rolled off, but that is understandable because the B2s are an extreme treblehead IEM. From my standpoint now, the treble is excellent and just like UM said, just enough fun. It isn’t like those bass heavier IEMs with rolled off trebles where the cymbals just don’t come alive. In this, the cymbals have just enough sparkle to not become sibilant and harsh, but still have great extension. The cymbals decay is realistic, but I feel like it is just a bit too fast. If you have heard a live performance, you will know that the cymbals have quite a slow decay. However, other instruments are very realistic and the details are all there if you listen closely.
 
 
[size=18pt]Accuracy[/size]
By accuracy, I mean how well the instrument is produced and how much it sounds like as if it is just out in front of you. Of course, IEMs of any kind will probably never be able to match flagship headphones at producing instruments realistically. I feel like the Miracles reproduce instruments very well and realistically, especially with high quality classical tracks such as Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”. The instruments really came alive and sounded very believable and there wasn’t much colouration to the song. Playing nice piano pieces on a high quality source also makes it very much like the piano is just right in front of you. It strikes an excellent balance between thin and thick and as a result, the UM Miracle has great accuracy and instruments are portrayed excellently.
 
 
[size=18pt]Imaging & Soundstage[/size]
IEMs in general are not known to have a huge soundstage and great imaging. The soundstage on the Miracles is big, but not bigger than say a $400 Sennheiser HD600. Open headphones generally have the biggest soundstages (HD800, SR-009 etc.) and the UM Miracle simply cannot compete against them. Most people praise the Sennheiser IE8/IE80 for their soundstage and I feel like the soundstage on these is just a bit smaller. The soundstage is not really in front of you, but the Miracles create a sort of surround felling, immersing you in the music, which I actually prefer to the stage in front of you. Overall soundstage is very large for a non-vented IEM.
Imaging is actually one of the best that I have ever heard on an IEM. Universals such as the IE8 which has a large soundstage simply cannot match the Miracles in terms of imaging. Listening to quality music, you can hear and point out where each instrument is placed very easily. Very good imaging from not only an IEM, but it challenges many higher end headphones as well.
 
 
[size=18pt]Instrument Separation[/size]
In nothing that I have heard so far am I struggling to make out what is behind another instrument. Maybe it is because there are 2 drivers per ear for each frequency and each driver has to produce less than other (C)IEMs that have say 3 drivers per ear, one handling each frequency. For example, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” is a pretty well recorded track which I happen to like a lot, doesn’t have much congestion anywhere, and I thought that other IEMs which I had listened to the song on were just fine and everything was great, but other IEMs just seem to be lacking separation compared to the Miracles and this song really isn’t a very congested track. As for vocal separation, I used Fun.’s “Some Nights”. At the start, you can easily distinguish between their voices with no congestion whatsoever and they don’t sound like it is just one person singing.
 
 
[size=18pt]Details[/size]
This is certainly a detailed custom, but the way that it presents its details is different from other IEMs. Instead of instantly “wowing” you with in your face details, but instead letting them sink in. Initially, I thought that they were actually lacking details, but after a while, I have really learnt how to appreciate them and know that their detail level is actually exceptional. I actually feel like on some tracks, especially mainstream music (which I listen to a lot of), even FLAC tracks sound harsh. For example, “Hall Of Fame” By The Script Ft. Will.I.Am sounds really bad because the recording itself is mastered badly and the Miracles really reveal jut how sub-par the recording is. It is definitely detailed, but it is a bit unforgiving.
 
 
[size=18pt]Clarity, Transparency and Lushness[/size]
Upon the first listen, I realised that I could see no veil that plagues many IEMs. I think that it is extremely easy to “look” (or rather hear) through and see the performers and the instruments. It is very easy to place where they are and the detail and air surrounding them is just amazing.
The Miracles are definitely very clear, but other top IEMs have definitely bested it. Vocals are lacking that tiny bit of clarity that I find other treble heavier IEMs possess.
I feel like this strikes a nice balance between fun and analytical and it is lush without being overly lush. The note decay is very fast, perhaps a tad bit too fast for my taste, but as usual, YMMV.
 
 
[size=18pt]Summary[/size]
For almost $1000, I did have extremely high expectations for these and needless to say. I was most definitely not let down by these. There was no real flaw to me and everything was very balanced, with a very slight bass boost and recessed mids. These are really just an exceptional pair of customs and I am happy that my first foray into the world of customs was a positive one.
 
 
[size=18pt]Comparisons[/size]
 
[size=14pt]AKG K3003[/size]

Big thank you to Jaben Australia for letting me demo their AKG K3003. Tested with the reference filters.
The AKG K3003 has been very highly regarded as one of the best universals that you can buy. Compared to the Miracles, the bass is very nice and hits around the same, but maybe a bit harder than the Miracles but stays around as fast. Mids were definitely more present than the slightly recessed mids of the Miracles, but they were thin and didn’t sound as natural as the rather lush midrange of the Miracles. The mids were also brighter, which made them seem like they had a bit more detail over the Miracles, but I also found them a bit more sibilant than the Miracles. As for treble, they definitely have more sparkle to them, but whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, that’s up to you. Personally, I liked the treble somewhere in between the Miracles and the K3003s, but if I had to choose what treble I preferred, I would have to pick the Miracle’s treble over the AKG’s since I find the K3003 treble slightly too bright and a tad bit metallic. The detail levels of the treble in both IEMs are about the same, but the Miracle’s details are more laid back while the AKG’s are more forward, which makes them very unforgiving of badly recorded tracks. From what I’ve written above, you might be thinking that technically, the AKG K3003 are pretty much on par with the Miracles and you’d be right in saying that. They are the best universals that I have heard to date and when you reach this level of performance, there is no clear winner, but it is instead what you prefer. However, I think that the presentation of the Miracles are much better than the AKGs and I think that many would agree with me. The soundstage is bigger and on the AKGs, instrument placement is just not on par with the Miracles. The instrument separation wasn’t as good as the Miracles, maybe due to their 3 drivers and sometimes there was just that tiny bit of congestion. As for transparency and imaging, these really excelled, but weren’t better than the Miracles. They were around the same standard. Isolation is not even close. The AKG’s housing isn’t designed to go in deep and they didn’t. The isolation fell short of my B2s. The AKG K3003 are certainly a top IEM, but I just wasn’t blown away by them and I feel like they fall just short of the Miracles. Having a $1300 price tag, I really can’t recommend them over the $980 UM Miracles.
 
[size=14pt]Final Audio Design FI-BA-SS[/size]

Thanks this time to Addicted To Audio for kindly allowing me to demo the FI-BA-SS, Sennheiser HD600, 650 and the Audez’e LCD-3s.
I think that many, including me, didn’t really regard the FI-BA-SSs as one of the top universals because of ljokerl’s 9.3 rating on his huge multi IEM review which has helped me so much that I can’t think him enough. To be honest, I’m not quite so sure where I stand on these yet. They seem to be a nice and detailed IEM and is proficient in many areas, but when I listen to it, I just feel like there is something missing, not as in micro details, but something with the presentation is odd. Bass is very nice, has good impact and is fast, actually a bit faster than the Miracles. Detail levels are good, but just not on par with the Miracles, but I actually prefer the bass quantity and speed over that of the Miracles. Midrange, again, is liquid, but not nearly as lush as the UM Miracles and even though they are not, they sometimes come across as a bit thin on vocal reproduction. Midrange clarity is better than the Miracles, but gets sibilant more easily. As for treble, it is presented in a very nice way indeed. Not too sparkly, but has more sparkle than the Miracles. To be perfectly honest, I actually really like the treble of the FI-BA-SS and I consider it on par with the UM Miracles. Now on to presentation. This is where the FI-BA-SS is not so good. The separation is not nearly as good as the Miracles and on some tracks, it sounds a bit congested. Imaging is also a few steps behind. Soundstage is good, but also cannot compete with the Miracles. However, the biggest deal breaker for me was the cable. It was thin, non detachable (I think) and there was no real strain relief. I find that this is completely unacceptable for a $1350 IEM. I really did like the sound, almost as much as the AKG K3003. I do feel like they should be a 9.5 or 9.6 on ljokerl’s list, but being more expensive than the both the AKGs and the Miracles, I would rather get the 3003s than these.
 
[size=14pt]Sennheiser HD600[/size]
 

Yes, a headphone and IEM comparison, just as a benchmark since many people have listened to this headphone. The Sennheiser HD600 is an old classic, but still regarded as a great headphone and perhaps the most neutral headphone in the world. Yes, it is a great headphone, but it has one terrible flaw – the veil that everyone is all so familiar with. Now, I can’t speak for you since some people can and some people can’t hear the veil, but I am one of those who can. Everything is pretty much on par, but I can hear more details with the Miracle and I prefer their presentation over the HD600s, however, I do feel like at $500 in Australia, half the price of the Miracles, the HD600’s get to 85% of the Miracles without breaking the bank.
 
[size=14pt]Rhapsodio RDB v1[/size]
First, I would like to thank Rhapsodio for sending out a review sample for me. Wow it is a good IEM for $650! To be perfectly honest, I found that this is the best universal IEM that I have ever heard and I'm quite an IEM guy. It really gives the Miracles a run for the money. Charles from Rhapsodio is also one of the friendliest guys that I know and he answers emails in a few minutes provided that the time isn't ridiculous. The bass is exceptional on both. The Miracles have more mid bass quantity and more reverb, but I feel like the RDB v1's mid bass is cleaner and detail levels are about the same. The RDB v1 has a lot of sub bass rumble This is a draw. As for the mids, both IEMs are recessed, but the Miracles have better separation and more realistic, but the v1 mids are still exceptional, not only for a $650 IEM, but even as a $1000 IEM. There is no annoying peak in the higher mids that causes sibilance, but I think that the higher mids are actually the most recessed! For the treble, this is perhaps the hardest part to choose. the highs are about the same quantity, but the v1 has slightly more. Cymbals sound better on the v1s, however, other parts of the treble sound just as good on the Miracles as they do on the RDB v1. I find myself slightly preferring the Rhapsodio's treble most of the time. Now to presentation, the soundstage is smaller on the RDB v1 by a bit and things seem to be in front of you like it's on a stage rather than surrounding you like on the Miracles. Detail is won by the Miracles since the bass is in general smaller and has less rumble, therefore, not drowning out micro details. This is a killer IEM for $650 and should be on everyone's list if you are looking for an IEM in that price range. I honestly thing that they can compete - and win against 1 grand IEMs like the FI-BA-SS and the AKG K3003. I am going to buy one. Sorry, Sennheiser, the HD650 has to wait. Also, for what it means to you, the Rhapsodio RDB v1 also is said to have the same drivers as the really hyped up 1plus2. For an analytical sound, I always reach for the Miracles, but the RDB v1 is just so damn fun! 
 
[size=14pt]Rhapsodio RDB 2v1[/size]
I don't like this at all! It is simply just bad. There is no comparison between these and the Miracles. Here's what I wrote on the RDB 2v1 tour thread: 
 

The RDB 2v1 sounds a bit weird. The bass is a bit south of neutral and the highs are very nice, but a bit overdone, but after all, it is a TWFK driver so that was what I expected. Now comes the weird part - the mids. They sound a bit thin and have that sort of nasal feeling if you know what I mean. I have a B2 which is just a TWFK driver IEM and it doesn't have the dynamic driver that the 2v1 does and I am finding that I actually prefer the mids on that more. However, the bass impact and quality is far better than the B2 and the highs aren't as sibilant, but not by much. There is also a bit more detail. Not bad at all, but worth $600? To me, it is a no. Oh, and before I forget, compared to the Miracles, there is simply no comparison.

Click to expand...

 
The Miracles are simply better in every way and everything in the music is just more coherentSimply put, these are the worst IEMs I have heard over $100. 
 
 
[size=18pt]Cable Changes[/size]
I don’t want to somehow turn this thread into an argument as to whether aftermarket cables make a difference or not. I believe that they do and I’m just writing what I think.

[size=14pt]Toxic Cables 8-Wire Hybrid Silver/Copper Cable (Currently around $500)[/size]

A and b-ing cables has an obvious element of pointlessness because you will always know what cable is what due to the weight, etc. After using the stock cable for a week, going to the super expensive 8-wire hybrid, I immediately noticed than the 8-wire was much better sounding and flowed a lot better. The details were much easier to hear and the mids got pushed forward a bit. The mid bass quantity stayed just about the same, but the details and texture in drum hits were a lot more apparent. The sub bass actually increased quite a bit in quantity and quality. The Miracles have slightly recessed mids, but I feel like this problem has been rectified with the 8-wire. The mids were slightly lacking detail, but now, they are great and much more enjoyable. As for highs, there really isn’t much change. There may just be a tiny bit more extension and the cymbals sound a bit more lively, but that is just it. Separation is what shocked me most of all. Everything sounded so clear, building on the already great separation of the Miracles. This is built like a tank and I have no gripes about build quality and I love the absence of memory wire that is there on all stock CIEM cables. However, it is quite thick, having 8 wires, and if you, like me, go around a lot, than this cable may not be a good choice for you. To sum up, the Miracles are an excellent pair of CIEMs, but this cable really shows me what the UM Miracles are capable of.
 
[size=14pt]Double Helix Cables Symbiote SE Litz Copper Cable (Currently around $270)[/size]

I tried this cable out today at the Melbourne meet and I was very impressed. The build quality was excellent, though the braids themselves were not as tight as the Toxic Cables cables that I've seen. This looks like a hybrid since it is multi-coloured, but it is actually a pure litz copper cable, meaning that it will not turn green like ordinary copper cables. From the stock cable to the DHC cable, I noticed a difference in the first 10 seconds of a song. It had some micro details that I could not hear on the Miracles with the lower quality stock cable. Bass went lower and it was a tiny bit more impactful. Mids were brought out a little and had some more detail as well. The treble stayed about the same, the cymbals having a slightly longer decay. Soundstage was increased a bit as well. Very good cable indeed, but a the price might suggest, the detail levels, soundstage size and other things just weren't on par with the Toxic Cables 8-wire. 
 
Edit: Dropped half a start because of UM Aus' atrocious customer service. 

First off, I am not affiliated nor against Monster. I purchased them for $50 and I will judge them as $50 IEMs. I read some reviews about how these had great build quailty and had a lot of bass, which, then, I belived was good. So I bought them and a year later, I write this review after I've heard much better IEMs so to compare them. 
Accessories
If I remember correctly, these came in a rather flimsy paper box which had 3 pairs of tips and a clothy material snap lock case. The case is not protective at all and is just a bag to keep your IEMs. If you drop them or something it will b ok, but I'm less sure if you hit them will a hammer. Not great, but also not the best that I have seen. 
Build Quality
Some say that the build quality of these IEMs are good. Monster advertise these by saying that they are indestructable. There is no strain relief on the IEM casing, jack or y-splitter. This is a bit concerning, but my pair seem to have held up pretty well. The metal IEM casing seems well built, but I think that Joker said that his pair broke in a day. I'll let you be the judge of build quality as it doesn't seem to be very consistent. Oh, and there is driver flex - that is, when you push the IEM into your ear, there is a sort of crackling sound. 
Isolation, Comfort and Microphonics
Isolation is bit above average, but it certainly get's the job done. It's more than the IE8s, and around the B2s. It is quite comfortable for me, and my ears are pretty small, so it should be fine for yours'. There is quite a bit of microphonics when you wear them straight down, but when worn around the ear, they are great. 
[size=medium]Sound Quality[/size]
[size=small]Bass[/size]
[size=small]The bass is certainly exaggerated like I expected. To be honest, my expectations for the Monster Jamz were fairly low since the only other Monster IEM that I had heard was the Beats Tour (which I am not even going to review). The bass isn't too bloated, but you can certainly tell that is is overexaggerated. The low end is quite boomy, which may be a plus for some people, but not me. Bass quality is pretty low and drums just sound like a boom and there is no texture to it. However, Monster caters to the non-audiophile crowd and are consumer oriented and ordinary people don't know much about bass texture and quality, so it will be ok. [/size]
Midrange
I really did expect the midrange to be recessed and a mess, but this wasn't so and the Monster Jamz surprised me in a good way. Is the midrange recessed? Yes, but not to the extent of beats. I actually quite like the midrange sound signature - a little bit recessed, but not too much. There is, however, a veil in the vocal areas where it got really annoying to listen to. Male vocals are alright, but female ones are lifeless and downright unnatural. It really would be alright for the average consumer who like the Monster branding, but you guys reading this on Head-Fi will probably know better than to get Monster products (except for their Turbine series which are actually pleasant to listen to, even though they are bass heavy).
Treble
I feel like the treble is the section that lets the Monster Jamz down the most. The treble is veiled and lifeless, not at all interesting to listen to. Cymbal that, when heard with headphones with nice treble sections sound so nice sound like a dull thud with a tiny bit of sparkle. The treble veil is perhaps what also affects the midrange veil. There is hardly any sparkle, but there is more than beats, but that's not saying much. One good thing from the treble is that it is very smooth and there are no peaks anywhere. Also, there is no sibilance no matter what volume you crank it up to, but that is not really a good thing with these. 
Conclusion
Unlike beats, these are listenable, but these are in no ways special. Get these is you are looking for a brand product that is very bass heavy and is better than the Beats that high schoolers now believe are the best headphones ever. 

When I first got these, I was a bit unsure as to how to put them in my ears, but I managed to find out after a quick search. I remember when I first listened to them, I felt that they sounded atrocious. The bass was alright, but the cymbals were very harsh. Slowly, my ears accustomed to the sound and now the sound great. These are very neutral with a peak in the high mids/lower treble region, which sometimes causes both vocal and cymbal sibilance. Below is a full review.
 
Edit: After listening to them again, they sounded terrible. While they are technically very good, I don not like them at all. Therefore, I will reduce the rating to 3.5 stars. 

Accessories:
I got the Barinwavz B2 used, but if you get them new, you get a nice clamshell carrying case, a 1/8-1.4 adapter, an airplane adapter, quite a few tips including foam tips. These are really the only things that I need. I don't need a kazillion tips and fancy storage case like the IE8 and I also don't need an extension cable or the airplane voltage converter thingy that come with the TF-10s.
Build Quality:
The build of these are rather average. They don't have anything on well build IEMs such as IE8, but they are pretty good. A potential downside is that there is no detachable cable and the braids start coming a bit loose after some time. The shell scratches quite easily, but it feels quite solid. 
Design:
The design is good, but I feel like the corners should be a bit more rounded. It causes discomfort sometimes which can be very annoying. The cable is stylish, but i just wished that the braids didn't come loose so easily and that they would make the cables detachable. The strain reliefs are decent but the cable slider is too loose. The tip size is also really weird. It is much smaller than other tips which means that you cannot use aftermarket tips such as Sony Hybrids or Comply foam tips. Overall, not bad except for the tip size which is really annoying. 
Isolation & Insertion Depth:
The isolation is very average. Due to the design, these only have about as much isolation as the IE8s. The TF-10 with Sony Hybrids inserts much deeper and isolate much more. These are fine for say riding the train or walking on a busy street though. 
Bass:
Coming from a pair of UE TF-10s, the bass felt very weak initially. Now, a few weeks in, the bass is fine, but at times I feel like there should just be a bit more. On my HDP-R10, I use the EQ and turn the sub bass up 2 DB and the mid bass up 1 DB. I am not a basshead and I really disliked the IE8 because of the excessive bass. I felt like the TF-10 had too much bass as well. B2's bass can be considered very neutral. It's somewhere around the HD600 that I heard a while back. The bass detail is a clear upgrade from the UE TF-10. Overall, the Brainwavz B2 is very capable in the bass apartment. 
Mids:
First up, let me say that I feel like that mids on the Brainwavz B2 are just perfect. I find myself not needing to EQ the mids as I find that I do sometimes on other IEMs. Both female and male vocals are great, but I feel like the male ones could do with a bit more body to them. On a song like "Some Nights" by Fun, I can easily tell where every singer is. On songs where male and female singers have the sing at the same time, it is much easier to separate them than compared to say the IE8 or TF-10. The mids are not as recessed as the TF-10 which is a relief. The mids are the strongest section of the B2s. 
Highs:
The highs are where the B2 shine. There is only a bit of sibilance at normal listening volume. It starts to become a real issue when the volume gets turned higher than normal. it doesn't really matter though because you really shouldn't be listening at those dangerous volumes anyway. The highs extend very well and there is just the right amount of sparkle to them. Not too little that they sound dull or too much that they start to become fatiguing like the TF-10. The details especially on cymbals around the 16 khz region is very clear. I think that the highs are the clear strong point of the TWFK drivers. 
Instrument Separation & Transparency: 
The separation on these is great for an IEM in its price range. In many IEMs, string instruments in the background get drowned out in pop,but this is not so with the B2. Violins and celos are easily distinguished from the drums and cymbals. Transparency is not great but is good for an IEM of its price range.
Soundstage:
The soundstage is good, but not great. It is very much source dependent. With my S3, the soundstage is quite small. with my HDP-R10, the soundstage broadens up and extends deeper a lot more. Some IEMs give you the "surround" feeling. These go for the more realistic approach and the instruments and singer feels like they are all in front of you on a stage.
Summary:
These are a very capable pair of IEMs and for $189 in Australia, they are a relative bargain. However, I do think that the Fischer DBA-02 MKII sounds a tiny bit more refined so it may be a good choice to spring for that. They have also fixed that cable braiding issue in the MK2 version. However, these are smaller and if you have small ears, the Fischers may not fit. I'd say that if you have small ears or like the look of the B2s, then go for them. If you have an extra $10 to spend on IEMs then go for the Fischer DBA-02 MK2.

I traded my beloved IE8s for these just less than a week ago. All of this is tested on my HDP-R10, Samsung Galaxy S3 and my Sansa Clip+. 
Everything said in this review is how I hear and I am in no way affiliated with UE or against them. 
Design and Comfort:
I actually really like how these look. Personally, I think that the "Gunmetal Blue" looks very cool. It comes with detachable and easily replaceable cables, which is good because I have never ever come across a worse cable. It is very still and coming from the nice and soft cable of the Sennheiser IE8, the cable and memory wire was definitely a pain to gt used to, but I have already bought a "Dark Lord" cable from a Head-Fier and I'm waiting for it to get here. I also have to say that I have fairly small ears and after an hour or so of wear, they become pretty uncomfortable, which I think has something to do with how the housing of the IEMs are positioned.  If your budget permits, I would recommend you to look into reshelling them into a custom. It comes with a very nice case which UE claims is crushproof. It certainly feels the part, but I have no intentions of smashing a brick on them to test it out. 
Sound:
Bass:
I don't see myself as a basshead and have to really EQ to get the sound that I want on the TF-10s. To me, the bass without any EQ sounds a tiny bit bloated and hits too hard. However, quality of and detail in the bass is very good. I think that some details are hidden by the bass. I love the low bass rumble in many of my songs. Many people will probably ask what the differences between the Sennheiser IE8 and these are. I will do a comparison of the TF-10 to the IE8 in every section. 
IE8 vs TF-10 Bass:
I sort of agree to ProjectDenz on this. The IE8's bass is very hard hitting and is bloated to me. It reverbs a bit more than the TF-10. This can be both a good and bad thing. The TF-10 has better quality bass and slightly less bass overall.

Whether one is better than the other simply comes down to personal preferences. For me the TF10 sounded better in the bass department with Trance music and the IE8 sounded a lot better with Hip-Hop style music." 

Click to expand...

This is what ProjectDenz wrote and I agree with it. 
Midrange:
IMO, this is the TF-10's weak point. Some may say that the mids are not recessed. I however, believe that they are. Upon the first listen, I could immediately tell that the midrange was recessed and sounded quite distant. If you have something like a Westone, switching to a TF-10 will take a lot of getting used to. However, EQing fixes this easily and makes it very enjoyable again. 
IE8 vs TF-10 Midrange
Both of those IEMs have a recessed midrange and I would say that without EQ, IE8 wins by a tiny margin, but with EQ, TF-10 can be better
Treble:
Perhaps the strongest part of these is the treble. It is hard to describe, but at the top end, there is a sparkle to it. It extends very high and there is no sibilance whatsoever. Occasionally, these do cause listening fatigue. Some say that BA IEMs don't burn in, but I could have sworn that the treble because less harsh after I got around 100 hours on them. 
IE8 vs TF-10 Treble:
At times, I found the IE8's treble to be a little veiled and the TF-10's treble to be excessive. However, I feel that there is more detail in the treble of TF-10. The Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10 win here.
Soundstage:
Soundstage is good, but nothing special and truly cannot compete against the IE8. The IE8 wins by quite a large margin here. However, I think that instrument placement is around the same for those two. Maybe, the TF-10 is a tad bit better. 
Detail:
There is much more detail in the TF-10 and you can hear things that weren't very clear or in some extreme cases, unnoticeable on the IE8. The TF-10 wins by quite a bit here.
Conclusion:
These IEMs are truly impressive an to me, a good upgrade to my IE8s. I would say that if you found them for under $150, grab it immediately. The sound signature is on the warm side and V shaped. I wouldn't recommend these if you love in your face midrange, but otherwise, these are an extremey good pair of IEMs. However, I believe that they have recently been discontinued. Their successor, the UE900 is supposedly better and more neutral. I look forward to trying one of them out. However, the main gripe that I have with them is that they have too much sparkle at times and it easily causes listening fatigue.
I would recommend that you use an amp with them, as without an amp, they hiss quite a bit and can get very annoying. 
 
Edit: Dropped a star because after listening to them after hearing similarly priced IEM, they really aren't that impressive. 

I got these a month ago and it still amazes me. First of all, I have to say that burn in is very important, with the HDP-R10 at least. At the start, the sound is a bit muddy and it has a bit of hiss, but that is completely eliminated after about 300 hours. It is said to be superior to the DX100 which is why I purchased it instead of the DX100. The specs show that it is recommended for any headphone from 8-600 OHMs which is basically everything. Below is my full review.
*Disclaimer* I am in no way affiliated with iBasso nor Hibino Intersound. I bought these myself. Here are the specs from Hibino Intersound
 
 
[size=0.8em]

HDP-R10
Built-in memory	64GB
Use OS	Android ™ 2.3.1
Display	3.75 type touch panel
Audio format [size=xx-small](* 1)[/size]	FLAC, DSD, ALAC, AIFF, WAV, WMA, AAC, OGG, APE, MP3
Frequency characteristic	5Hz ~ 45kHz ± 3dB (theoretical value)
S / N ratio	108dB
Gain switching	Lo, Mid, Hi
Maximum output	Lo: 140mW +140 mW (16ohm)  Hi: 300mW +300 mW (16ohm)
THD	Less than 0.002%
Power	Built-in lithium polymer battery
Battery duration [size=xx-small](* 2)[/size] (theoretical value)	FLAC, WAV (24Bit/192k Hz): about 8.5 hours  FLAC, WAV (24Bit/96kH z): about 9 hours  FLAC, WAV (16bit/44.1 about 10 hours: kHz)  (128kbps) MP3: about 10 hours  Standby: about up to 100 hours
Charging time	About 8 hours
Headphone impedance	8 ~ 600Ω recommended
Connector	External memory slot	Micro SD (micro SDHC support, up to 32GB)
Headphone output	Standard phone jack × 1,3.5 mm stereo mini jack × 1
Digital output	3.5mm mini-jack (optical × 1, coaxial × 1)
Line output	3.5mm stereo mini jack × 1
USB input	USB Micro-B socket × 1
Wireless LAN	Wi-Fi
Bluetooth ® [size=xx-small](※ 3)[/size]	Version: Bluetooth ® 2.1 + EDR  profiles: AVRCP, PAN
The main software	HD Music player (IBa sso Audio), browser (Google), Japanese input software simeji (Bai du)
Color	Massive Black
Accessories	Charging AC adapter, USB cable
Dimensions and Weight	W72 × H28 × D118mm, 260g

[/size]
 
UI
The UI is alright but is lags quite a bit. You can create multiple playlists which is really convenient for me. Swiping is a bit weird because it takes long to respond and scrolling is weird. Then once again, I'm used to the very responsive Samsung Galaxy S3 screen so I'm sure it's not actually so bad. When you select a song, it also takes 5 seconds to play it and that really does get on my nerves at times. The track forward and back also have a similar problem but it is not as bad. The whole player is rather unresponsive and I have tried to contact Hibino Intersound with no success. However, this is an audiophile music player after all and it was built for the main purpose of playing music. It is a lot easier to use than say a Sansa Clip+ rockboxed. Overall, not too bad but it could be further improved.

Design
The design is not the best that I have seen. The volume rocker is usually on the left side on most devices and it is on the right with the HDP-R10. There is a 1/4 (gold plated?) jack and a 3.5mm jack which makes things a lot more convenient. It also has a line out and 3 gain switches as well as optical and coaxial outputs which I do not use but the more functions the better right?

The inbuilt memory is 64GB and it accepts 32GB Micro SD cards but you can use a 64GB one formatted to FAT32. The battery is stated to last 10 hours but I often get around 12 hours playing 16 bit music. I find that it is perfectly sufficient but it may be a bit too little for long plane flights. I'm not sure why iBasso decided to make this an Android device and I believe that most people will not use most Android functions such as apps. Overall, the design is pretty good except for its huge size.
Here are some pictures:

 
Packaging & Accessories
It came with a pretty looking white box which which is sealed with a piece of tape. Upon opening it, you are greeted with the HDP-R10 surrounded by soft foam covered with a soft, silk like purple cloth. It is an expensive player and the packaging certainly reflects that. Below, a compartment slides out and there is a nice USB to Micro USB cable and a charging cable that was with the Japan socket. I had to get an adapter thing to use it in Australia. There is a user manual in Japanese which I cannot read and that is about it. Nice and simple. iBasso included all the necessary features on the actual player and didn't waste their time on unnecessary accessories that nobody was going to use. You can buy a case, stand and screen protectors separately.
                                                                                             
 
Soundstage
The soundstage is absolutely amazing on these. the stage width is around 5 times as wide as my Samsung Galaxy S3 with Poweramp and everything is placed very well. This is perhaps the biggest soundstage in a DAP.

Internal DAC
This uses the ES9018 DAC that is popular in many expensive home set ups. It is, one of the most expensive if not the most expensive DAC chip on the market. In a word, it is wonderful. I don't mean that it is just better than say a DAC on your phone or your cheaper DAP. I mean that playing music on my phone sounds grainy in comparison. The background is completely black and I can hear minute details that I just can't on cheaper DAPs. The most noticeable difference is the bass and how it seems to be faster than on other more economical DAC chips. For those who don't believe that DACs make a difference, try this. I've seen some people stack an external DAC on and I've never really gotten the point of it. I think that the internal DAC is better than all portable DACs including the Algorythm Solo -DB with an iPod Classic. This is the chip that it uses:

 
Internal AMP
This DAP has a great amp and uses the 627 op amp and it is said to be able to power 600 OHM phones well. Many people said that they drove the HD600 and HD650 with ease and they are both 300 OHMs. I can push some of my headphones to sound like speakers. I have no doubts at all about the driving power of this. The internal amp does reduce hiss by a lot and there is none detectable at normal listening levels. It also refines everything and I feel like this really add a bit of detail.

Sound

Bass
The bass is very neutral and it reproduces deep bass extremely well.The detail in the lower region is really incredible. With lesser players, drum hits were just a sound, but now, they are textured and you can actually hear them vibrating after every hit. Bass guitars are so realistic and you can actually hear every individual string plucked and the air around them when they vibrate. The bass trumpets are hyper detailed and you can hear the person taking a breath easily. Woodwind instruments are also reproduced very realistically and the bass detail is simply the best that I've heard, surpassing the DX100, AK100 and many other ToTL DAPs. 
 
Midrange
These are a tad bit mid heavy and in a good way. It is great for vocals, but it won't hide any flaws and it utterly revealing. If sibilance is present on the track, the HDP-R10 won't help reduce it. FLAC tracks by Susan Boyle are hauntingly good and with the right headphone or IEM, it really does sound that she's right in front of you. Now that we've established that vocals are absolutely awesome, let's move on to midrange instruments such as pianos, violins, guitar and the like. I have never really been truly impressed by the way that a portable player presents piano, but Hibino has done it. Pianos, violins and other instruments sound so real that if you are listening to classical music, you really do feel like you are in a concert hall listening to a live performance. 
 
Treble
The treble, like all the other frequencies are stunning. Cymbals are rendered superbly and the decay is just right. There is just enough sparkle to make it neither dull nor sibilant. Woodwind instruments are extremely realistic and detailed and with good headphones, you can actually hear the spit from the performer's mouth on well recorded tracks. If you have actually heard a trumpet in real life, you will be amazed how well the HDP-R10 can reproduce it. Compare the HDP-R10 to lesser players, an you will think that other players sound thin and plain bad in comparison. Even when I compare this to the DX100, this wins by a bit and you can tell how it is mire detailed and overall just more realistic.
 
Comparisons 
Coming soon
 
Conclusion
I know that I used the words realistic and others many times, but that's really how you can describe it. It is just so realistic, like there are people performing in front of you. There are hardly any faults for sound quality and you'd really have to be nit picking to find a real fault in sound as it just sounds so great. However, not everything is good about this player. The major downside for me is size. I'd happily pay twice as much for this if this was half as thick, had 15 hours of battery life, can be charged via USB and was just about bug free. I do feel like with every purchase of the HDP-R10 and DX100, iBasso/Hibino Intersound should at least include a nice case and a screen protector. About the pop and 5 second delay problem, Hibino Intersound said that they will probably release a firmware update in the near future that will fix these issues. So is this an end game DAP? For me, yes, until something that meets all my requirements above comes out. I was looking at the HM-901, but I decided that no touchscreen and the wheel thing would be too hard to navigate, so I'm sticking with my HDP-R10. 

I bought these a while ago on Amazon (4GB Version) and had them shipped to Australia in 3 days for just $35. I've now been using it for about half a year now and it has held up wonderfully and there has been no problems whatsoever.
Accessories
This came with a pair of alright earbuds, a USB charging cable, some manuals and a disc that I will probably never use. Overall, I think that all these accessories are great considering that the whole package cost just $30. However, I wished that it came with the USB charging dock thing. The earbuds are actually pretty good considering that they came free. I would say that Ik prefer them over the old apple earbuds and they are around the level of the new earpods which cost $30. 
Build Quality
Being plastic, the build quality isn't great, but you can get a nice silicone case that will protect it from falls. One thing that I'm concerned of is the clip at the back, which I always feel like is going to snap when I pull it open. The cable is very durable and should last you a long time. Overall, not great, but not bad either. 
DAC Section
I don't think that Sandisk states what DAC chip it uses, but it is actually quite decent. It is relatively clean and not as grainy as my Samsung Galaxy S3 Wolfson chip. The background isn't very clean, but it does incredibly well for a $30 player. 
AMP Section
One thing that I dislike about this player is that the amp is bass heavy. I believe that all DAPs should be neutral and if you want it to be bass heavy, then you can EQ it. On the good side, the amp is quite powerful and it powers all IEMs that I have thrown at it. However, it does have quite a lot of trouble powering higher impedance headphones but this is really nitpicking since after all, this is a $30 player. 
Sound
Bass
The bass is a bit bloated and quite slow. For some people, this may be a good thing, but I prefer it to be more neutral. It does render the low frequencies very well though and there is very good sub bass. However, bass detail is lacking, but you probably won't notice until you hear much more expensive players. The bass can be said as both the selling and weak point of the Clip+. 
[size=small]Midrange[/size]
I feel like the mids were better before I rockboxed it. After rockbox, the mids just sound a bit odd since the lower mids seem a bit recessed and the higher mids seem a bit forward. Notice that I said a bit and that is because it realy isn't that bad and is only a minor downside. If you feel like you listen to a lot of vocal songs and the like, you may be better off not rockboxing it, even though there are more functions and better battery life after rockbox.
[size=small]Treble[/size]
The treble is very nice and even though the bass is a bit heavy, I don't feel like this affected the treble and made it veiled at all. Yes, the treble is a tiny bit recessed, but it is very smooth and it really helps in reducing sibilance. Cymbals do sound a bit dull though. If I remember correctly, before rockbox, the entire sound signature was a bit more balanced and the highs had more sparkle to them. 
Conclusion
I do realise that this review may have come out as a bit bad and sounds like I don't like this player. This is not correct by any means. I have a 30x more expensive HDP-R10 and I am used to the hyper detail that those put out. Because of that, I find the Clip+ lacking in many areas, but if you are looking for a player under $100, I cannot recommend the Clip+ any more. It really stands as the best price/performance player I have ever had the chance to listen to. Another question that you might ask is whether to rockbox or not. Many people find that rockbox makes the sound better, but I disagree. I find that rockbox makes the sound slightly worse, but I am willing to sacrifice that tiny bit of sound quality for better battery life and more functions. 

Right up, I'm gonna say that Beats gets a lot of hate on Head-Fi and I certainly understand why. They are very much bass heavy and the bass quality is pretty crap, but I do think that having Beats around is actually really good. They were my first pair of headphones and they were the headphones that left me wanting more and the headphones that got me into higher end stuff. Below is My full review:
Design, Accessories and Packaging
Beats are not designed for audiophiles, but rather for people who care more about style than SQ. I actually think that they look pretty good and they are one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones that I have tried. The red "b" symbol has almost become a fashion symbol rather than a headphone brand. People wear them around their necks more than they actually listen to them. Beats has certainly put more effort into marketing then into the actual headphones. The packaging is very flashy and it comes with a nice semi-hard case, an 1/4 inch adapter, 2 cables and a cleaning cloth. From the outside, it actually looks like a nice headphone, but when you listen to it, you will realise how bad it really is. Oh, and build quality is also very bad and the headphones are constructed fully of cheap glossy plastic.
Sound
I must say that these sound pretty crap and very bad for their money.
Bass
The bass is very much exaggerated in a terrible way. Say if you have an IE8, the bass is 5 times as big as it and not in a good way either. It is certainly very boomy and bleeds not only into the midrange, but into the pretty much non-existent treble as well. The quality is nothing special, maybe a bit better than a pair of stock Apple earbuds. Overall, this may appeal to those people who like hugely overexaggerated bass which to me, sounds like crap.
Midrange
The mids are quite recessed and if you view a frequency graph of the Beats Studios, you will see that it is rather V shaped. They certainly do sound distant, sort of like the ATH-M50, but more recessed. The bass bleeds into the mids, drowning out much of the mids. Vocals sound like a muddy mess. A good thing that you could say is that there's no sibilance whatsoever, but it is so veiled that it's not really saying much.
Treble
The treble is absolutely terrible on the studios. Apparently, the frequency graph is V shaped, but II just cant hear how the highs are emphasized. Yes, I do think that the mids are oddly recessed, but the treble is almost non existent. If you can imagine your neutral headphones have their bass turned up 15 DB and the treble turned down 10, then you have the Beats studios.
Conclusion
I honestly have no idea why someone would buy this headphone except for the looks. The bass overpowers the entire spectrum and it is lacking detail and resolution. It's worth something like $80.