Reviews by mRaaghava
Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium In Ear Monitors
Disclaimer
I have been provided with Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs as part of an audition tour by Aural Café community and @pradiptacr7 . I am in no part related to the brand and all impressions given hereby are my own.
About
Spirit Torino is an Italian brand, which is quite popular for their range of headphones, released their new IEMs, Twin Pulse Beryllium, a dual dynamic driver IEM made with their patented twin pulse scaled isobaric system. They are housed in CNC machined aluminum earpieces, which are exceptionally made and designed in true Italian essence. They look and feel beautiful. Their package is well covered, keeping in mind present day requirements. It comes included with two cables, 3.5mm ended cable and 4.4mm ended balanced cable, 3 pairs of foam ear tips, 4 pairs of silicon ear tips, 3 different sound filters for finetuning sound signature. They are fairly easy to drive, but can scale well with powerful accessories, like most of the dynamic driver-based IEMs. It retails for 850 USD from official Spirit Torino and its authorized stores.
Sources Used
I had used my DAP, Cayin N7 and DACAMP, Earmen Angel for review purposes.
Sound Impressions
Pros
Coming to overall sound impressions, these IEMs sound very good right out of the box. Musical and enjoyable, and at the same time technically very capable. The moment you hit play, you will instantly love its natural tonality and timbre. Its bass is of very good quality and quantity, has very good rumble with faster decay. Not basshead levels of bass, but quality is excellent and does extend quite deep. Bass doesn’t creep into other frequencies and maintains clear space while transitioning into lower mids. Transients are fast. It has smooth transition from bass to mids to treble. Coming to mids, for me this the area where this IEMs falter big time. Mids are very clear, spacious and has good details. But, I found vocals to be too recessed for my tastes, they sound literally as if the singers are placed at very back end of the stage. And they sound little lean too. Apart from this, everything else is very good. Be instrument separation, and placement. Upper mids extensions are good too, only if mids are placed at the center, it would have been an even better experience. You can clearly point out from where a particular instrument’s sound comes. Changing my source to Cayin N7 slightly remedied this issue for me, but still, it is what it is. Guitars and cymbals are crystal clear and precise in how they sound. Overall detail retrieval capabilities are very good for the price. Resolution is quite good for the price. The stage has very good depth and width. There’s no congestion of any sort even when complex songs are at play. Imaging is very precise and accurate. Every note is clearly differentiated from the other. Treble is very well done. Very good extensions, not fatiguing at all. Though a little more air and sparkle would be a better addition, but excellent, nonetheless. The above impressions are based on silver filter. Changing from silver to red filter brought one change which I found lacking earlier, which is mids started to sound little thicker, and added musicality. It also brought a little more warmth to the bass region. Other than these two changes, everything else was on par with the silver filter. So for those who prefer a little more warmth and thickness in mids and bass sections can use red filter, and for those who prefer balanced and cleaner presentation can go with silver. Now shifting to black filter, the immediate change you observe is the addition of airiness to overall sound signature. IEM sounds more energetic in this filter compared to the other two, maybe bright for some, but not for me. But it introduced little graininess in upper treble. For me, silver filter is the choice, but I wish it had some of the thickness in mids found in red filter. But, it's the more balanced out of the three.
Verdict
The Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEMs are solid IEMs. Their tonality and timbre are top notch and quite addictive. These IEMs are very good in technicality, detail retrieval and clarity. It has very good quality bass and treble. My only gripe with these is its mids section. It’s quite recessed and slightly lean. This can be remedied to an extent with use of the red filter and a source like Cayin N7, but still, it has those qualities in the end. Other than this the IEMs are exceptional overall.
Disclaimer
I have been provided with Spirit Torino Twin Pulse Beryllium IEMs as part of an audition tour by Aural Café community and @pradiptacr7 . I am in no part related to the brand and all impressions given hereby are my own.
About
Spirit Torino is an Italian brand, which is quite popular for their range of headphones, released their new IEMs, Twin Pulse Beryllium, a dual dynamic driver IEM made with their patented twin pulse scaled isobaric system. They are housed in CNC machined aluminum earpieces, which are exceptionally made and designed in true Italian essence. They look and feel beautiful. Their package is well covered, keeping in mind present day requirements. It comes included with two cables, 3.5mm ended cable and 4.4mm ended balanced cable, 3 pairs of foam ear tips, 4 pairs of silicon ear tips, 3 different sound filters for finetuning sound signature. They are fairly easy to drive, but can scale well with powerful accessories, like most of the dynamic driver-based IEMs. It retails for 850 USD from official Spirit Torino and its authorized stores.
Sources Used
I had used my DAP, Cayin N7 and DACAMP, Earmen Angel for review purposes.
Sound Impressions
Pros
- Excellent Tonality
- Excellent Timbre
- Very Good Bass
- Very Good Technicalities
- Very Good Treble Extensions
- Excellent Design & Build Quality
- Good Set of In-Box Accessories
- Filter Set For Sound Tuning
- Silver for balance, Red for warmth & Black for airiness
- Very Recessed Mids.
- Slightly Leaner Mids
Coming to overall sound impressions, these IEMs sound very good right out of the box. Musical and enjoyable, and at the same time technically very capable. The moment you hit play, you will instantly love its natural tonality and timbre. Its bass is of very good quality and quantity, has very good rumble with faster decay. Not basshead levels of bass, but quality is excellent and does extend quite deep. Bass doesn’t creep into other frequencies and maintains clear space while transitioning into lower mids. Transients are fast. It has smooth transition from bass to mids to treble. Coming to mids, for me this the area where this IEMs falter big time. Mids are very clear, spacious and has good details. But, I found vocals to be too recessed for my tastes, they sound literally as if the singers are placed at very back end of the stage. And they sound little lean too. Apart from this, everything else is very good. Be instrument separation, and placement. Upper mids extensions are good too, only if mids are placed at the center, it would have been an even better experience. You can clearly point out from where a particular instrument’s sound comes. Changing my source to Cayin N7 slightly remedied this issue for me, but still, it is what it is. Guitars and cymbals are crystal clear and precise in how they sound. Overall detail retrieval capabilities are very good for the price. Resolution is quite good for the price. The stage has very good depth and width. There’s no congestion of any sort even when complex songs are at play. Imaging is very precise and accurate. Every note is clearly differentiated from the other. Treble is very well done. Very good extensions, not fatiguing at all. Though a little more air and sparkle would be a better addition, but excellent, nonetheless. The above impressions are based on silver filter. Changing from silver to red filter brought one change which I found lacking earlier, which is mids started to sound little thicker, and added musicality. It also brought a little more warmth to the bass region. Other than these two changes, everything else was on par with the silver filter. So for those who prefer a little more warmth and thickness in mids and bass sections can use red filter, and for those who prefer balanced and cleaner presentation can go with silver. Now shifting to black filter, the immediate change you observe is the addition of airiness to overall sound signature. IEM sounds more energetic in this filter compared to the other two, maybe bright for some, but not for me. But it introduced little graininess in upper treble. For me, silver filter is the choice, but I wish it had some of the thickness in mids found in red filter. But, it's the more balanced out of the three.
Verdict
The Spirit Torino Twin Pulse IEMs are solid IEMs. Their tonality and timbre are top notch and quite addictive. These IEMs are very good in technicality, detail retrieval and clarity. It has very good quality bass and treble. My only gripe with these is its mids section. It’s quite recessed and slightly lean. This can be remedied to an extent with use of the red filter and a source like Cayin N7, but still, it has those qualities in the end. Other than this the IEMs are exceptional overall.
Disclaimer
I have been provided with Aful Audio Performer 8 IEM for review purposes. I am part of Hifigo’s review tour in India. All the impressions I provide in this review are subjective to my listening capabilities and source used. I’m in no way related to Hifigo/Aful. You can buy Aful Performer 8 IEM from the following links for $369.99/INR 32,990:
https://hifigo.com/products/aful-performer8
Description
The Aful Performer 8 IEM is a hybrid in-ear monitor that features one dynamic driver and seven balanced armatures on each side in shells made using a high-precision 3D printed resin. The package includes a high-purity monocrystalline copper silver-plated cable in a 98 wire x 4-strand configuration. The package includes the IEMs themselves, cable, Cable, few sets of eartips, and a protective case. IEMs are well built for the price and they fit perfectly without any issues. Shells are light weight.
Source Used
My portable DACAMP, Shanling H7 was used for the review purposes.
Sound Impressions
In a nutshell, Performer 8 sounds very good right out of the bat, with its clean, mid-focused sound standing out.
Bass
Bass performance is just above neutral. Nowhere near bass head levels. It’s sufficiently provided to make music enjoyable. Decay and attack are fast. Sub bass and mid bass are decent. For me this is its weaker area. Little more bass quantity would have done wonders and make this IEM an even better offering.
Mids
This is the star of the show here. Performer 8’s mids sound very very clean, and natural with very good spacing and details. Male vocals sound natural. Female vocals are natural, crisp with excellent extensions. But, upper mids sound little thin and harsh. Mids timbre and tonality is excellent. Aful has provided an excellent tuning here. Very enjoyable, easily set this apart from competition.
Treble
Treble is nicely done with good extensions. As with upper mids, there’s slight thinness/harshness in lower treble. Apart from this, treble, overall, is done in a good way. Details are presented in good way.
Technicalities
Performer 8 continues to perform in a good way, sounds coherent, very very clean, with wide open stage. Stage is more wider than depth, where it lacks a little. But still it sounds open. Resolution, detail retrieval capabilities, and dynamics are very good. Imaging and layering is good, but could have been helped if stage depth was better.
In all, Performer 8 impressed me with its super clean, open sound and coherent signature for the price it demands.
Comparison
Vs FiiO FD5
FD5 is a single DD IEM offering from FiiO, more or less falling in and around Performer 8’s price tag. Though recently it is getting sold at lesser price than Performer 8, which is a hybrid 8-driver IEM. FD5 is of metal construction compared to the resin of Performer 8. Both are comfortable for long runs and are solidly built for the price. Both come with good quality cables to start with. Coming to sound quality, straight out of the box, you will find FD5 to have more bass quantity, more stage depth but less width and more lively, energetic treble over Performer 8. But, Performer 8 pulls back some by sounding more open, spacious and clean. It boils down to preferences here, though.
Verdict
Aful Performer 8 is an excellent performer with an excellent tuning, and keeping the price tag in mind, Aful really has a winner in their hands. I haven’t heard their previous Performer 5 IEM, but from what I heard with Performer 8 in these few days, they can truly produce high quality IEMs at a bargain that are no slouches and punch above their suggested price tags. Performer 8 impresses you with its clean, coherent and open mid centric sound signature. There are definitely two cons, it being bass light and slight thin/harsh upper mids-lower treble. Even with this, it’s a good recommendation for anyone looking for an IEM with excellent tuning chops. But, for me, if it didn’t have those two cons, I would have bought it in instant. I wish it had more bass quantity to make it even better for me. But, still, Performer 8 is totally worth it.
I have been provided with Aful Audio Performer 8 IEM for review purposes. I am part of Hifigo’s review tour in India. All the impressions I provide in this review are subjective to my listening capabilities and source used. I’m in no way related to Hifigo/Aful. You can buy Aful Performer 8 IEM from the following links for $369.99/INR 32,990:
https://hifigo.com/products/aful-performer8
Description
The Aful Performer 8 IEM is a hybrid in-ear monitor that features one dynamic driver and seven balanced armatures on each side in shells made using a high-precision 3D printed resin. The package includes a high-purity monocrystalline copper silver-plated cable in a 98 wire x 4-strand configuration. The package includes the IEMs themselves, cable, Cable, few sets of eartips, and a protective case. IEMs are well built for the price and they fit perfectly without any issues. Shells are light weight.
Source Used
My portable DACAMP, Shanling H7 was used for the review purposes.
Sound Impressions
In a nutshell, Performer 8 sounds very good right out of the bat, with its clean, mid-focused sound standing out.
Bass
Bass performance is just above neutral. Nowhere near bass head levels. It’s sufficiently provided to make music enjoyable. Decay and attack are fast. Sub bass and mid bass are decent. For me this is its weaker area. Little more bass quantity would have done wonders and make this IEM an even better offering.
Mids
This is the star of the show here. Performer 8’s mids sound very very clean, and natural with very good spacing and details. Male vocals sound natural. Female vocals are natural, crisp with excellent extensions. But, upper mids sound little thin and harsh. Mids timbre and tonality is excellent. Aful has provided an excellent tuning here. Very enjoyable, easily set this apart from competition.
Treble
Treble is nicely done with good extensions. As with upper mids, there’s slight thinness/harshness in lower treble. Apart from this, treble, overall, is done in a good way. Details are presented in good way.
Technicalities
Performer 8 continues to perform in a good way, sounds coherent, very very clean, with wide open stage. Stage is more wider than depth, where it lacks a little. But still it sounds open. Resolution, detail retrieval capabilities, and dynamics are very good. Imaging and layering is good, but could have been helped if stage depth was better.
In all, Performer 8 impressed me with its super clean, open sound and coherent signature for the price it demands.
Comparison
Vs FiiO FD5
FD5 is a single DD IEM offering from FiiO, more or less falling in and around Performer 8’s price tag. Though recently it is getting sold at lesser price than Performer 8, which is a hybrid 8-driver IEM. FD5 is of metal construction compared to the resin of Performer 8. Both are comfortable for long runs and are solidly built for the price. Both come with good quality cables to start with. Coming to sound quality, straight out of the box, you will find FD5 to have more bass quantity, more stage depth but less width and more lively, energetic treble over Performer 8. But, Performer 8 pulls back some by sounding more open, spacious and clean. It boils down to preferences here, though.
Verdict
Aful Performer 8 is an excellent performer with an excellent tuning, and keeping the price tag in mind, Aful really has a winner in their hands. I haven’t heard their previous Performer 5 IEM, but from what I heard with Performer 8 in these few days, they can truly produce high quality IEMs at a bargain that are no slouches and punch above their suggested price tags. Performer 8 impresses you with its clean, coherent and open mid centric sound signature. There are definitely two cons, it being bass light and slight thin/harsh upper mids-lower treble. Even with this, it’s a good recommendation for anyone looking for an IEM with excellent tuning chops. But, for me, if it didn’t have those two cons, I would have bought it in instant. I wish it had more bass quantity to make it even better for me. But, still, Performer 8 is totally worth it.
BGVP DN3 Review
Disclaimer
BGVP DN3 was provided to me by BGVP as part of their review tour. Impressions shared by me are subjective to my listening capabilities and gear used. You can buy DN3 for $74.
About
BGVP is a Chinese IEM manufacturer who got to fame with their debut IEMs, DMG and DM6. DN3 is their latest budget offering. DN3 houses one Beryllium alloy dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver. It uses MMCX connector. Provided cable is made of 5N OCC silver plated copper with a black TPE sheath and comes in two options, with and without mic. DN3 shells have good build quality, fit and finish and provide very good isolation. Cable is, in one word, mediocre. Feels rubbery and sticky to hold. Though, not much can be asked for at this price point. DN3 comes with good amount of accessories, ample tips and a cloth carrying case. DN3 is an easy to drive IEM.
Source
I have used HiBy R6 2020 DAP as source and used only its 3.5mm jack.
Sound Impressions
Mids
Mids are slightly recessed. Vocals take the cake here. DN3's vocals are very good. Male vocals sound full and rich. Female vocals sound natural and energetic. Upper mids have very good extensions and are slightly elevated, making it sibilant on few occasions.
Bass
Bass has got decent punch and slam in both sub bass and mid bass regions. It doesn't slam hard or go deeper, but sufficient enough to not make sound boring. I also observed slight bleed into mids.
Treble
Treble is a mixed bag. Where lower treble is elevated, upper treble is rolled off and lack extension, sparkle and air. Elevated upper mids and lower treble may cause sibilance, as mentioned before, but rolled off upper treble makes it a relaxed listen. Treble has decent details.
Technicalities
Technicalities are pretty decent. It has a narrow soundstage. It has slightly more width than depth. Lacks height. Instrument separation is decent, and slight congestion is observed in busy tracks. Imaging and detail retrieval capabilities are average at best. Overall clarity is also decent.
Verdict
BGVP DN3 is a decent effort from BGVP. It neither excites nor gets boring. I found vocals to be its forte, but even then I wish it had more clarity, bass slam and upper treble energy.
Disclaimer
BGVP DN3 was provided to me by BGVP as part of their review tour. Impressions shared by me are subjective to my listening capabilities and gear used. You can buy DN3 for $74.
About
BGVP is a Chinese IEM manufacturer who got to fame with their debut IEMs, DMG and DM6. DN3 is their latest budget offering. DN3 houses one Beryllium alloy dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver. It uses MMCX connector. Provided cable is made of 5N OCC silver plated copper with a black TPE sheath and comes in two options, with and without mic. DN3 shells have good build quality, fit and finish and provide very good isolation. Cable is, in one word, mediocre. Feels rubbery and sticky to hold. Though, not much can be asked for at this price point. DN3 comes with good amount of accessories, ample tips and a cloth carrying case. DN3 is an easy to drive IEM.
Source
I have used HiBy R6 2020 DAP as source and used only its 3.5mm jack.
Sound Impressions
Mids
Mids are slightly recessed. Vocals take the cake here. DN3's vocals are very good. Male vocals sound full and rich. Female vocals sound natural and energetic. Upper mids have very good extensions and are slightly elevated, making it sibilant on few occasions.
Bass
Bass has got decent punch and slam in both sub bass and mid bass regions. It doesn't slam hard or go deeper, but sufficient enough to not make sound boring. I also observed slight bleed into mids.
Treble
Treble is a mixed bag. Where lower treble is elevated, upper treble is rolled off and lack extension, sparkle and air. Elevated upper mids and lower treble may cause sibilance, as mentioned before, but rolled off upper treble makes it a relaxed listen. Treble has decent details.
Technicalities
Technicalities are pretty decent. It has a narrow soundstage. It has slightly more width than depth. Lacks height. Instrument separation is decent, and slight congestion is observed in busy tracks. Imaging and detail retrieval capabilities are average at best. Overall clarity is also decent.
Verdict
BGVP DN3 is a decent effort from BGVP. It neither excites nor gets boring. I found vocals to be its forte, but even then I wish it had more clarity, bass slam and upper treble energy.
Disclaimer
Hidizs S8 was provided to me for review purposes by Hifinage, India. I am neither related to them in anyway nor work for them. All the impressions shared here are subjective to my listening capabilities and gear used. You can buy Hidizs S8 from Hifinage, India for INR 6590 through this below link:
https://hifinage.com/collections/hidizs/products/hidizs-s8
About
Hidizs S8 is a beautiful small-frame body HiFi decoding amplifier with a built-in DAC. It has a strong Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip, which provides exceptional audio performance and quality. It supports native DSD and PCM 32Bit 384kHz. It intelligently detects the plugged-in headphone impedance and provides stereo output up to 2-Vrms. It's a multi-platform universal AMP-DAC dongle that works with iOS, Android, Windows, MAC OS, and iPads. It has very compact size and is built extremely well with very good finish. It has minimalistic design, with just two buttons for volume on its front and brand labeling on the backside. It has only 3.5mm jack which has enough power to drive most of the IEMs out there. Hidizs has provided good amount of cables to use with different smartphones.
Gears Used
I had tested S8 by connecting it to my phone, iPhone 12 Pro Max, IEM used being itsfit labs Fusion.
Sound Impressions
Bass is good in S8, More so in sub-bass region, where it is emphasized. It has nice punch and slam feel to it. Midbass is decent, but not to the level of subbass. Bass is clean and decently detailed with neither muddiness or boomy nor bleed showing up in any other frequencies. Mids sound clean and natural, but slightly recessed. Male vocals sound natural, engaging, and energetic. Mids have good extensions. Female vocals sound natural, with good energy and engaging too. Soundstage has good width and depth with good space between instruments making it sound airy. There's no congestion found even in busy tracks. Imaging is precise. It has decent detail retrieval capabilities. Cymbals sound natural and crisp. Treble too carries forward S8's good performance with good extensions. Has decent details and is non-fatiguing.
Verdict
S8 is a very good dongle DACAMP for the price. It has got very good sound quality to go with good enough power to drive most IEMs.
Hidizs S8 was provided to me for review purposes by Hifinage, India. I am neither related to them in anyway nor work for them. All the impressions shared here are subjective to my listening capabilities and gear used. You can buy Hidizs S8 from Hifinage, India for INR 6590 through this below link:
https://hifinage.com/collections/hidizs/products/hidizs-s8
About
Hidizs S8 is a beautiful small-frame body HiFi decoding amplifier with a built-in DAC. It has a strong Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chip, which provides exceptional audio performance and quality. It supports native DSD and PCM 32Bit 384kHz. It intelligently detects the plugged-in headphone impedance and provides stereo output up to 2-Vrms. It's a multi-platform universal AMP-DAC dongle that works with iOS, Android, Windows, MAC OS, and iPads. It has very compact size and is built extremely well with very good finish. It has minimalistic design, with just two buttons for volume on its front and brand labeling on the backside. It has only 3.5mm jack which has enough power to drive most of the IEMs out there. Hidizs has provided good amount of cables to use with different smartphones.
Gears Used
I had tested S8 by connecting it to my phone, iPhone 12 Pro Max, IEM used being itsfit labs Fusion.
Sound Impressions
Bass is good in S8, More so in sub-bass region, where it is emphasized. It has nice punch and slam feel to it. Midbass is decent, but not to the level of subbass. Bass is clean and decently detailed with neither muddiness or boomy nor bleed showing up in any other frequencies. Mids sound clean and natural, but slightly recessed. Male vocals sound natural, engaging, and energetic. Mids have good extensions. Female vocals sound natural, with good energy and engaging too. Soundstage has good width and depth with good space between instruments making it sound airy. There's no congestion found even in busy tracks. Imaging is precise. It has decent detail retrieval capabilities. Cymbals sound natural and crisp. Treble too carries forward S8's good performance with good extensions. Has decent details and is non-fatiguing.
Verdict
S8 is a very good dongle DACAMP for the price. It has got very good sound quality to go with good enough power to drive most IEMs.
Disclaimer
Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo's India Tour. I am in no way related to them, nor work for them. Impressions provided by me are subjective to gear used and my listening capabilities. You can purchase RIE-880 for 140 USD from HiFiGo through following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/ranko-acoustics-rie-800-in-ear-earphone
About
Ranko Acoustics has released their latest single DD set of in-ear monitors, meet the all-new Ranko RIE-880. Bringing you the magic of a single 9.2mm Dynamic Driver on each side, the pair is tuned to deliver a crisp, balanced sound with high-resolution clarity through a wide frequency range. The pair adopts Ranko Acoustics's Patented RA FPhase acoustic architecture for smooth, distortion-free output. It comes with a high-purity RHA-1050(OCC Copper+Silver-Plated Copper) cable with a gold-plated 3.5mm termination plug.
Fit & Finish
RIE-880 is made of resin and feels very good in hand and build quality. Shell size is on the larger side, though I didn't find it troublesome, but it may be for some people. Shells are finished in white color with a very nice faceplate design(which is hand painted) . It looks beautiful. Finish is very good. Rank Acoustics did provide good case to carry the IEM and cable around, but it's smaller size and can only accommodate IEM and cable, with relatively no space for additional tips. Provided cable is of decent quality, and for the price we can't ask much, it does the duty.
Source Used
I used my DAP, HiBy R6 2020 to test RIE-880. I used it with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm HO.
Sound Quality
Overall, RIE-880 has decent sound quality. Shows average performance across the spectrum. It sounds for me as an unfinished project. It performs good enough for most part, only to be pulled back by lack of clarity at every spectrum. As this is a single DD IEM, with an impedance rating of 60 ohm, it does need more power to sound at full capacity. But even with powerful sources, it doesn't scale much.
Coming back to sound quality, 880 starts off well with good, enjoyable bass performance. Bass has very good quantity and of decent quality. Sub bass has very good slam, making it very enjoyable listen. Bass go deep and has little slower decay. But, as much as it excels in quantity, it suffers in quality. There's graininess in bass and it also bleeds into mids.
Mids are recessed apart from carrying the aforementioned bass bleed and graininess. Vocals sound good, but they sound unnatural on occasions. Male vocals sound good. Female vocals sound good and have very good extensions, but again bass bleed and grain spoil the party here.
Soundstage has decent width and depth. It doesn't have out of head experience, but in your head kind of experience. There's decent air and instruments are nicely separated. Imaging capabilities are good. Detail retrieval is good enough for the price. Instrument separation is good and nowhere does it sound congested.
Treble is harmless and smooth. It does perform decently, but lack extensions and air that will make sound more exciting. Same graininess can be found here too. Treble details are decent.
Verdict
Ranko Acoustics has done decent job with RIE-880. It could have been a better offering if not for the grainy sound all through the spectrum and the bass bleed. I wish Ranko Acoustics rectify these issues in their next iteration of this product, as this IEM has the potential to succeed at this price point.
Ranko Acoustics RIE-880 has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo's India Tour. I am in no way related to them, nor work for them. Impressions provided by me are subjective to gear used and my listening capabilities. You can purchase RIE-880 for 140 USD from HiFiGo through following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/ranko-acoustics-rie-800-in-ear-earphone
About
Ranko Acoustics has released their latest single DD set of in-ear monitors, meet the all-new Ranko RIE-880. Bringing you the magic of a single 9.2mm Dynamic Driver on each side, the pair is tuned to deliver a crisp, balanced sound with high-resolution clarity through a wide frequency range. The pair adopts Ranko Acoustics's Patented RA FPhase acoustic architecture for smooth, distortion-free output. It comes with a high-purity RHA-1050(OCC Copper+Silver-Plated Copper) cable with a gold-plated 3.5mm termination plug.
Fit & Finish
RIE-880 is made of resin and feels very good in hand and build quality. Shell size is on the larger side, though I didn't find it troublesome, but it may be for some people. Shells are finished in white color with a very nice faceplate design(which is hand painted) . It looks beautiful. Finish is very good. Rank Acoustics did provide good case to carry the IEM and cable around, but it's smaller size and can only accommodate IEM and cable, with relatively no space for additional tips. Provided cable is of decent quality, and for the price we can't ask much, it does the duty.
Source Used
I used my DAP, HiBy R6 2020 to test RIE-880. I used it with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm HO.
Sound Quality
Overall, RIE-880 has decent sound quality. Shows average performance across the spectrum. It sounds for me as an unfinished project. It performs good enough for most part, only to be pulled back by lack of clarity at every spectrum. As this is a single DD IEM, with an impedance rating of 60 ohm, it does need more power to sound at full capacity. But even with powerful sources, it doesn't scale much.
Coming back to sound quality, 880 starts off well with good, enjoyable bass performance. Bass has very good quantity and of decent quality. Sub bass has very good slam, making it very enjoyable listen. Bass go deep and has little slower decay. But, as much as it excels in quantity, it suffers in quality. There's graininess in bass and it also bleeds into mids.
Mids are recessed apart from carrying the aforementioned bass bleed and graininess. Vocals sound good, but they sound unnatural on occasions. Male vocals sound good. Female vocals sound good and have very good extensions, but again bass bleed and grain spoil the party here.
Soundstage has decent width and depth. It doesn't have out of head experience, but in your head kind of experience. There's decent air and instruments are nicely separated. Imaging capabilities are good. Detail retrieval is good enough for the price. Instrument separation is good and nowhere does it sound congested.
Treble is harmless and smooth. It does perform decently, but lack extensions and air that will make sound more exciting. Same graininess can be found here too. Treble details are decent.
Verdict
Ranko Acoustics has done decent job with RIE-880. It could have been a better offering if not for the grainy sound all through the spectrum and the bass bleed. I wish Ranko Acoustics rectify these issues in their next iteration of this product, as this IEM has the potential to succeed at this price point.
CCZ Plume Review
Disclaimer
CCZ Plume has been provided to me by HiFiGo for review purposes as part of their India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. All impressions shared here are subjective to my listening capabilities and sources used.
About
CCZ is a latest brand to enter audiophile market and Plume is their first product. Plume is made of full-metal shells, consisting of 5 drivers on each side, with 10mm dual magnetic dynamic driver and four custom-tuned balanced armature drivers. Plume was launched at an introductory price of 199$, with an official price tag of 239$. Plume’s shells were given gold color shells with brown and gold colored faceplate. They are well made and somewhat on larger side, and maybe uncomfortable for small ears. CCZ has provided a high quality nylon braided high purity copper cable with 2.5mm balanced termination. CCZ, also provided two adaptors, 2.5mm to 4.4mm and 2.5mm to 3.5mm adaptors to pair it with different sources. CCZ provided a very good quality faux leather case to carry IEMs, tips, cable and the additional adaptors.
Sound Impressions
Bass
Right out of the box, Plume’s bass is what will make a big impression. Plume brings very good bass into the music. Both quality wise and quantity wise. Sub-bass got good rumble and goes quite deep. Mid-bass is no slouch either, it has very good punch. It doesn’t sound boomy or muddy. Very enjoyable bass performance. But, there’s small mid-bass bleed into mids though.
Mids
Mids sound natural and have warm tinge to them. Female vocals sound natural, energetic and engaging. Upper mids have very good extensions. Separation and details are very good. Male vocals sound natural and engaging. Mids aren’t recessed and are at slightly forward position. Overall, mids have natural timbre and tonality.
Treble
Treble is quite relaxed and enjoyable. Upper treble extension is lacking a little and is less sparkly, yet Plume sounds little airy and open. Treble is non-fatiguing and pleasant. Details are very good.
Soundstage & Imaging
Soundstage is very good. Width is very good. Depth and height are decent. Overall, Plume sound quite spacious. Instrument separation is very good, with clear space between each and every instrument. Imaging is precise. Cymbals sound natural and crisp. Details retrieval capabilities are very good.
Verdict
It’s not easy to make a very good product with the very first attempt, but CCZ has done it with Plume. Yeah, it has its weaknesses, like that mid-bass bleed and lack of upper treble extensions, but overall it does very good in other areas. Plume is a very good IEM with great bass, warm and natural mids and relaxed treble. Very enjoyable IEM indeed.
Disclaimer
CCZ Plume has been provided to me by HiFiGo for review purposes as part of their India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. All impressions shared here are subjective to my listening capabilities and sources used.
About
CCZ is a latest brand to enter audiophile market and Plume is their first product. Plume is made of full-metal shells, consisting of 5 drivers on each side, with 10mm dual magnetic dynamic driver and four custom-tuned balanced armature drivers. Plume was launched at an introductory price of 199$, with an official price tag of 239$. Plume’s shells were given gold color shells with brown and gold colored faceplate. They are well made and somewhat on larger side, and maybe uncomfortable for small ears. CCZ has provided a high quality nylon braided high purity copper cable with 2.5mm balanced termination. CCZ, also provided two adaptors, 2.5mm to 4.4mm and 2.5mm to 3.5mm adaptors to pair it with different sources. CCZ provided a very good quality faux leather case to carry IEMs, tips, cable and the additional adaptors.
Sound Impressions
Bass
Right out of the box, Plume’s bass is what will make a big impression. Plume brings very good bass into the music. Both quality wise and quantity wise. Sub-bass got good rumble and goes quite deep. Mid-bass is no slouch either, it has very good punch. It doesn’t sound boomy or muddy. Very enjoyable bass performance. But, there’s small mid-bass bleed into mids though.
Mids
Mids sound natural and have warm tinge to them. Female vocals sound natural, energetic and engaging. Upper mids have very good extensions. Separation and details are very good. Male vocals sound natural and engaging. Mids aren’t recessed and are at slightly forward position. Overall, mids have natural timbre and tonality.
Treble
Treble is quite relaxed and enjoyable. Upper treble extension is lacking a little and is less sparkly, yet Plume sounds little airy and open. Treble is non-fatiguing and pleasant. Details are very good.
Soundstage & Imaging
Soundstage is very good. Width is very good. Depth and height are decent. Overall, Plume sound quite spacious. Instrument separation is very good, with clear space between each and every instrument. Imaging is precise. Cymbals sound natural and crisp. Details retrieval capabilities are very good.
Verdict
It’s not easy to make a very good product with the very first attempt, but CCZ has done it with Plume. Yeah, it has its weaknesses, like that mid-bass bleed and lack of upper treble extensions, but overall it does very good in other areas. Plume is a very good IEM with great bass, warm and natural mids and relaxed treble. Very enjoyable IEM indeed.
Tanchjim Tanya Review
Disclaimer
Tanchjim Tanya has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. All my impressions shared here are subjective to my listening capabilities and gears used. You can buy Tanya for $22 from the link below:
https://hifigo.com/products/tanchjim-tanya-7mm-dynamic-hifi-earbuds
About
Tanya is the latest offering from Tanchjim, which has a single 7mm dynamic driver doing the duty. Tanya is priced at $22. Tanya, is a bullet shaped IEM with open back design, and very comfortable. Isolation isn’t good enough, because of its open back design. Tanya comes in a white slipcover, that contains a grey colored box. Tanchjim provided good number of accessories for its price, few tips, a carrying cover and few additional replacement filters. Tanya has very good build quality and comes with non-detachable cable. Cable is of decent quality and doesn’t have microphonics.
Sound Impressions
In a nutshell, Tanya sounds excellent for the price it demands. It's a warm and musical sounding IEM. Tanya's bass sounds very good with emphasis on mid-bass. Mid-bass has good rumble and depth. Sub bass has good punch and slam. Overall, Tanya's bass is enjoyable and musical. But, there's slight bass bleed into mids. Coming to mids, they are slightly recessed, but have good clarity and sound natural. Male vocals have natural timbre and tonality and sound very good and engaging. Female vocals carry the same qualities and sound engaging and energetic. Upper mids has good extensions. Mids have decent details and good separation. Because, Tanya is a open back IEM, its soundstage is quite wide and deep, in turn sounding open. Instrument separation is very good and so is its imaging capability. Imaging is very good. Dynamics and resolution is quite good for the price. Busy tracks don't bring any congestion. Detail retrieval capabilities are quite decent. After scoring good marks till now, Tanya stutters in treble. Treble lacks extension and is rolled off. It's just a harmless treble with decent details. Treble lacks energy and sparkle.
Verdict
For $22 asking price, Tanya is a crazy value for money product with very good sonic capabilities. It does show its weakness here and there, but those will be nitpicking. Tanya is a smooth, warm and musical sounding IEM.
Disclaimer
Tanchjim Tanya has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. All my impressions shared here are subjective to my listening capabilities and gears used. You can buy Tanya for $22 from the link below:
https://hifigo.com/products/tanchjim-tanya-7mm-dynamic-hifi-earbuds
About
Tanya is the latest offering from Tanchjim, which has a single 7mm dynamic driver doing the duty. Tanya is priced at $22. Tanya, is a bullet shaped IEM with open back design, and very comfortable. Isolation isn’t good enough, because of its open back design. Tanya comes in a white slipcover, that contains a grey colored box. Tanchjim provided good number of accessories for its price, few tips, a carrying cover and few additional replacement filters. Tanya has very good build quality and comes with non-detachable cable. Cable is of decent quality and doesn’t have microphonics.
Sound Impressions
In a nutshell, Tanya sounds excellent for the price it demands. It's a warm and musical sounding IEM. Tanya's bass sounds very good with emphasis on mid-bass. Mid-bass has good rumble and depth. Sub bass has good punch and slam. Overall, Tanya's bass is enjoyable and musical. But, there's slight bass bleed into mids. Coming to mids, they are slightly recessed, but have good clarity and sound natural. Male vocals have natural timbre and tonality and sound very good and engaging. Female vocals carry the same qualities and sound engaging and energetic. Upper mids has good extensions. Mids have decent details and good separation. Because, Tanya is a open back IEM, its soundstage is quite wide and deep, in turn sounding open. Instrument separation is very good and so is its imaging capability. Imaging is very good. Dynamics and resolution is quite good for the price. Busy tracks don't bring any congestion. Detail retrieval capabilities are quite decent. After scoring good marks till now, Tanya stutters in treble. Treble lacks extension and is rolled off. It's just a harmless treble with decent details. Treble lacks energy and sparkle.
Verdict
For $22 asking price, Tanya is a crazy value for money product with very good sonic capabilities. It does show its weakness here and there, but those will be nitpicking. Tanya is a smooth, warm and musical sounding IEM.
Moondrop Aria Review
Disclaimer
Moondrop Aria has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. All my impressions are subjective to my listening capabilities and the gears used. You can buy Aria from the link given below:
https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-aria-2
About
Aria is the latest budget IEM from the brand Moondrop. Moondrop is a well-known Chinese brand, which got great acclaim in audiophile circles with some great products that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Right from their successful debut IEM, Kanas Pro to their latest Variations, all have got good reputation.
Fit & Finish
Aria is their latest 80$ IEM, in which a single 10mm single dynamic driver does the duty. Aria has an impedance of 32 ohm and is quite easy to drive. Aria is made with matte-finish CNC machined metal in black color with nice design on its faceplate. Fit is very good and does provide good isolation. Finish is very good. Provided cable is wrapped in cloth material and is not of the best quality.
Sound Impressions
Bass
Aria has decent amounts of bass, has nice sub bass rumble. Mid-bass is decent. Decay is fast and bass doesn’t go deep. Though there is decent amounts of rumble is present to make Aria enjoyable, a little more depth would have been nice.
Mids
Female vocals sound clean and natural with good extensions. Mids have good amounts of details. Male vocals sound natural. It has natural timbre and tonality. But, it lacks in energy. Overall, mids aren’t energetic enough to make it engaging.
Soundstage, Imaging & Separation
Aria has good width compared to depth and height, which are average at best. Imaging is good. Instrument separation is decent, slightly congested during busy tracks. Cymbals sound clear and crisp. Detail retrieval capabilities are quite decent. Resolution and dynamics too are at decent levels.
Treble
Treble too carries same kind of energy from mids. It doesn’t get extended well enough to make Aria sound airy or sparkly. There's lack of energy and sparkle here, that makes treble a little boring. Treble has decent amount of details.
Overall, Aria does everything good, but not enough to make it stand out from the lot. Probably, sound is subjective, but I would have wished Aria to have better extensions in upper mids and treble and that bass go deeper than what's there in Aria.
Verdict
Overall, Aria didn’t sound to me like any other Moondrop products I tried like Kanas Pro, Blessing 2 and even their first TWS, Sparks. It doesn’t have that typical Moondrop house sound. It sounds different, but in the end, it neither disappoints nor excites. It’s somewhere in between. It would have been even better if Moondrop added little more energy all through.
Disclaimer
Moondrop Aria has been provided to me for review purposes as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. All my impressions are subjective to my listening capabilities and the gears used. You can buy Aria from the link given below:
https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-aria-2
About
Aria is the latest budget IEM from the brand Moondrop. Moondrop is a well-known Chinese brand, which got great acclaim in audiophile circles with some great products that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Right from their successful debut IEM, Kanas Pro to their latest Variations, all have got good reputation.
Fit & Finish
Aria is their latest 80$ IEM, in which a single 10mm single dynamic driver does the duty. Aria has an impedance of 32 ohm and is quite easy to drive. Aria is made with matte-finish CNC machined metal in black color with nice design on its faceplate. Fit is very good and does provide good isolation. Finish is very good. Provided cable is wrapped in cloth material and is not of the best quality.
Sound Impressions
Bass
Aria has decent amounts of bass, has nice sub bass rumble. Mid-bass is decent. Decay is fast and bass doesn’t go deep. Though there is decent amounts of rumble is present to make Aria enjoyable, a little more depth would have been nice.
Mids
Female vocals sound clean and natural with good extensions. Mids have good amounts of details. Male vocals sound natural. It has natural timbre and tonality. But, it lacks in energy. Overall, mids aren’t energetic enough to make it engaging.
Soundstage, Imaging & Separation
Aria has good width compared to depth and height, which are average at best. Imaging is good. Instrument separation is decent, slightly congested during busy tracks. Cymbals sound clear and crisp. Detail retrieval capabilities are quite decent. Resolution and dynamics too are at decent levels.
Treble
Treble too carries same kind of energy from mids. It doesn’t get extended well enough to make Aria sound airy or sparkly. There's lack of energy and sparkle here, that makes treble a little boring. Treble has decent amount of details.
Overall, Aria does everything good, but not enough to make it stand out from the lot. Probably, sound is subjective, but I would have wished Aria to have better extensions in upper mids and treble and that bass go deeper than what's there in Aria.
Verdict
Overall, Aria didn’t sound to me like any other Moondrop products I tried like Kanas Pro, Blessing 2 and even their first TWS, Sparks. It doesn’t have that typical Moondrop house sound. It sounds different, but in the end, it neither disappoints nor excites. It’s somewhere in between. It would have been even better if Moondrop added little more energy all through.
Moondrop Sparks TWS Review
Moondrop House Sound in A TWS Shell
Disclaimer
Moondrop Sparks has been provided to me for review purpose as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. One can buy Sparks TWS from the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-sparks-tws?_pos=3&_sid=dc62610de&_ss=r
About
Moondrop, is one of the popular Chinese brands, which churn out very good products frequently that get acclaim universally, right from Kanas Pro to Illumination. Sparks TWS is their latest product which is the main product under test here. Sparks uses a 6mm single dynamic driver, with the diaphragm made of Beryllium coated dome and PU suspension ring. It comes with Bluetooth 5.2 version, supporting aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC CODECs. You can pair Sparks with phones through NFC too, with the supported smartphones.
Build Quality
The charging case and earbuds are made up of ABS/PC material and comes in three colors, purple, black and pink. I have got the purple one for the test purpose. Build quality is very good and feels quite solid. Earbuds shape is based on semi-custom form, and fits perfectly and provide a very good isolation. Charging case has a semi-transparent design and looks cool while charging and displaying charging lights of both the case and earbuds inside.
Wireless Connectivity
As mentioned earlier, Sparks can be paired with smartphones either with Bluetooth or NFC. Pairing process is a hit or miss affair for me, I did find it to take little more effort in successful pairing. I had to reset it twice to make a successful pairing with my two phones. But, once paired, I didn’t face a problem afterwards. Moondrop could have made this process easier. Bluetooth range is very good, and I could get consistent connection without any drops, even if I was at outer limit of its supposed 10m range.
Endurance
Moondrop claims 8-hour battery life for the earbuds and a 48-hour battery life for the charging case. In my tests, Sparks, indeed stayed true to such claims, I got almost 8-hour battery life out of earbuds with mixed usage including continuous music playback, video streaming and phone calls. Which is among the best in the market. Performance during phone calls was decent.
Sound Analysis
Sparks has typical Moondrop house sound signature, which is neutral, natural and mature. Let us delve deeper into full breakdown of Sparks’ sonic performance.
Bass has got good rumble and is quite enjoyable. I found bass quantity to be just above average. Sub bass has good rumble and goes quite deep. Mid bass is decent. Decay is fast. But, I felt bass is lacking in quality overall and is not clean.
And as is the case with many Moondrop IEMs, Sparks have got very good mids section. Sparks has got natural, engaging and clean mids. Has good details and good separation. Male vocals sound natural. Female vocals sound very good, natural and engaging. Upper mids lack extension though. I wish it had little more energy and sparkle that will make it even better.
Same goes with treble performance too. Treble extensions are very good and clean, making Sparks sound airy. Cymbals crash are crisp. Even here, a little more sparkle up top was missing.
Soundstage is very good. Has very good width and depth. Making it sound very open. Imaging is precise. We can pinpoint the location of instruments easily. Instrument separation is also very good, with enough space between each instruments. Doesn’t sound congested at all. Has excellent dynamics and resolution overall.
Comparisons
Vs Sennheiser CX400BT
I know this is quite an unfair comparison as CX400BT costs double that of Sparks officially. But you can get CX400BT at a price closer to Sparks quite often. CX400BT uses same drivers as Sennheiser’s flagship TWS, Momentum 2 TWS, and has excellent sound quality. Here goes the comparison:
Sparks has slightly more bass rumble than CX400BT, bass goes little deeper too. Amount of bass is clearly more in Sparks. But, where, CX400BT pulls ahead is in the quality. Bass is cleaner than Sparks. CX400BT has got good rumble too, but with very good quality bass, it takes the cake here. Those who prefer more quantity than quality, will like Sparks more. Sparks bass quality is decent, but not clean enough.
Mids of Sparks are slightly forward placed than CX400BT. Sparks has sweet and natural mids and are slightly more engaging than CX400BT. But, again, CX400BT has got better clarity, details and upper mids extensions.
Both Sparks and CX400BT have very good treble performance. CX400BT has more extensions up top making it sound livelier than Sparks. And has better details too.
Soundstage of Sparks is wider than CX400BT. Depth of both are on par. Separation and imaging are slightly better on CX400BT. Sparks has better isolation and fit over CX400BT.
Verdict
Overall, Sparks has typical neutral Moondrop house sound signature, which brought the brand very good reputation in audiophile community. Balanced, clean and smooth sound. I found that its sound quality leans on to the safer side of things rather than being exciting. It does very good in all things, but I wish it had more energy and sparkle up top. But, nonetheless, Sparks packs typical Moondrop’s Virtual Diffuse Sound Field response in a TWS shell. Very good TWS for the price.
Moondrop House Sound in A TWS Shell
Disclaimer
Moondrop Sparks has been provided to me for review purpose as part of HiFiGo’s India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. One can buy Sparks TWS from the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/moondrop-sparks-tws?_pos=3&_sid=dc62610de&_ss=r
About
Moondrop, is one of the popular Chinese brands, which churn out very good products frequently that get acclaim universally, right from Kanas Pro to Illumination. Sparks TWS is their latest product which is the main product under test here. Sparks uses a 6mm single dynamic driver, with the diaphragm made of Beryllium coated dome and PU suspension ring. It comes with Bluetooth 5.2 version, supporting aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC CODECs. You can pair Sparks with phones through NFC too, with the supported smartphones.
Build Quality
The charging case and earbuds are made up of ABS/PC material and comes in three colors, purple, black and pink. I have got the purple one for the test purpose. Build quality is very good and feels quite solid. Earbuds shape is based on semi-custom form, and fits perfectly and provide a very good isolation. Charging case has a semi-transparent design and looks cool while charging and displaying charging lights of both the case and earbuds inside.
Wireless Connectivity
As mentioned earlier, Sparks can be paired with smartphones either with Bluetooth or NFC. Pairing process is a hit or miss affair for me, I did find it to take little more effort in successful pairing. I had to reset it twice to make a successful pairing with my two phones. But, once paired, I didn’t face a problem afterwards. Moondrop could have made this process easier. Bluetooth range is very good, and I could get consistent connection without any drops, even if I was at outer limit of its supposed 10m range.
Endurance
Moondrop claims 8-hour battery life for the earbuds and a 48-hour battery life for the charging case. In my tests, Sparks, indeed stayed true to such claims, I got almost 8-hour battery life out of earbuds with mixed usage including continuous music playback, video streaming and phone calls. Which is among the best in the market. Performance during phone calls was decent.
Sound Analysis
Sparks has typical Moondrop house sound signature, which is neutral, natural and mature. Let us delve deeper into full breakdown of Sparks’ sonic performance.
Bass has got good rumble and is quite enjoyable. I found bass quantity to be just above average. Sub bass has good rumble and goes quite deep. Mid bass is decent. Decay is fast. But, I felt bass is lacking in quality overall and is not clean.
And as is the case with many Moondrop IEMs, Sparks have got very good mids section. Sparks has got natural, engaging and clean mids. Has good details and good separation. Male vocals sound natural. Female vocals sound very good, natural and engaging. Upper mids lack extension though. I wish it had little more energy and sparkle that will make it even better.
Same goes with treble performance too. Treble extensions are very good and clean, making Sparks sound airy. Cymbals crash are crisp. Even here, a little more sparkle up top was missing.
Soundstage is very good. Has very good width and depth. Making it sound very open. Imaging is precise. We can pinpoint the location of instruments easily. Instrument separation is also very good, with enough space between each instruments. Doesn’t sound congested at all. Has excellent dynamics and resolution overall.
Comparisons
Vs Sennheiser CX400BT
I know this is quite an unfair comparison as CX400BT costs double that of Sparks officially. But you can get CX400BT at a price closer to Sparks quite often. CX400BT uses same drivers as Sennheiser’s flagship TWS, Momentum 2 TWS, and has excellent sound quality. Here goes the comparison:
Sparks has slightly more bass rumble than CX400BT, bass goes little deeper too. Amount of bass is clearly more in Sparks. But, where, CX400BT pulls ahead is in the quality. Bass is cleaner than Sparks. CX400BT has got good rumble too, but with very good quality bass, it takes the cake here. Those who prefer more quantity than quality, will like Sparks more. Sparks bass quality is decent, but not clean enough.
Mids of Sparks are slightly forward placed than CX400BT. Sparks has sweet and natural mids and are slightly more engaging than CX400BT. But, again, CX400BT has got better clarity, details and upper mids extensions.
Both Sparks and CX400BT have very good treble performance. CX400BT has more extensions up top making it sound livelier than Sparks. And has better details too.
Soundstage of Sparks is wider than CX400BT. Depth of both are on par. Separation and imaging are slightly better on CX400BT. Sparks has better isolation and fit over CX400BT.
Verdict
Overall, Sparks has typical neutral Moondrop house sound signature, which brought the brand very good reputation in audiophile community. Balanced, clean and smooth sound. I found that its sound quality leans on to the safer side of things rather than being exciting. It does very good in all things, but I wish it had more energy and sparkle up top. But, nonetheless, Sparks packs typical Moondrop’s Virtual Diffuse Sound Field response in a TWS shell. Very good TWS for the price.
Attachments
NiceHCK EBX21 Review
Disclaimer
NiceHCK EBX21 earbuds have been provided to me for review purposes by HiFiGo. I am in no way related to them, and all impressions shared by me are subjective to my listening capabilities and gear used. You can purchase EBX21 from HiFiGo for 219$ from the link provided below
https://hifigo.com/products/nicehck-ebx21-flagship-flat-in-ear-earphones
About
EBX21 is latest flagship offering from NiceHCK, housing large 14.2mm dynamic driver with Japan LCP(Liquid Crystal Polymer) Diaphragm, High-precision 5-axis CNC machined ear shells, professional acoustic structure. Earbuds are well built and feel solid in hands. Features detachable MMCX connectors and provided a high quality silver plated copper cable. One can have this cable in any termination they want from 3.5mm SE, and balanced 2.5mm & 4.4mm options. The one I have with me has 3.5mm SE termination. Earbuds are on the larger size and having exact fit is a bit of concern. With none of the provided tips helping in this matter, at least for me. NiceHCK provided a very good carry case for the earbuds.
Sound Impressions
EBX21 sound very neutral, with natural tonality and with excellent clarity all round. It really impresses with its tonality, especially in mids.
EBX21’s bass sounds neutral. Sub bass rumble is decent. It has got decent mid-bass to make music enjoyable. Bass decay is fast and doesn’t bleed into other frequencies. Overall, EBX21’s bass is smooth, and has very good quality all through.
Mids take the cake here. Very natural, detailed and clean. Male vocals sound natural and energetic. Details, separation are top notch. Female vocals sound lively and energetic.
Soundstage has got very good width and depth make it sound very open and spacious. Instruments are neatly separated and portray good space between each and every instrument. Imaging is very good.
Treble is lively and energetic. Has got very good extensions. Details are excellent. Because of these, sound is airy. There’s no harshness or sibilance whatsoever. Cymbals are crystal clear. And so does notes of each instruments, they are portrayed with excellent clarity.
Verdict
I personally don’t prefer earbuds due to their fit issues and not able to sit in ears as any IEM does. Even though EBX21 doesn’t do anything in that regard, it did impress me by its sound. Wish, it had better fit for me. And hence, just a 4-star rating. EBX21 is an excellent neutral sounding earbuds, with natural tonality, clear mids, sparkly treble. Yes, it’s at premium end of earbuds, in both sonically and cost wise too. An easy rec.
Disclaimer
NiceHCK EBX21 earbuds have been provided to me for review purposes by HiFiGo. I am in no way related to them, and all impressions shared by me are subjective to my listening capabilities and gear used. You can purchase EBX21 from HiFiGo for 219$ from the link provided below
https://hifigo.com/products/nicehck-ebx21-flagship-flat-in-ear-earphones
About
EBX21 is latest flagship offering from NiceHCK, housing large 14.2mm dynamic driver with Japan LCP(Liquid Crystal Polymer) Diaphragm, High-precision 5-axis CNC machined ear shells, professional acoustic structure. Earbuds are well built and feel solid in hands. Features detachable MMCX connectors and provided a high quality silver plated copper cable. One can have this cable in any termination they want from 3.5mm SE, and balanced 2.5mm & 4.4mm options. The one I have with me has 3.5mm SE termination. Earbuds are on the larger size and having exact fit is a bit of concern. With none of the provided tips helping in this matter, at least for me. NiceHCK provided a very good carry case for the earbuds.
Sound Impressions
EBX21 sound very neutral, with natural tonality and with excellent clarity all round. It really impresses with its tonality, especially in mids.
EBX21’s bass sounds neutral. Sub bass rumble is decent. It has got decent mid-bass to make music enjoyable. Bass decay is fast and doesn’t bleed into other frequencies. Overall, EBX21’s bass is smooth, and has very good quality all through.
Mids take the cake here. Very natural, detailed and clean. Male vocals sound natural and energetic. Details, separation are top notch. Female vocals sound lively and energetic.
Soundstage has got very good width and depth make it sound very open and spacious. Instruments are neatly separated and portray good space between each and every instrument. Imaging is very good.
Treble is lively and energetic. Has got very good extensions. Details are excellent. Because of these, sound is airy. There’s no harshness or sibilance whatsoever. Cymbals are crystal clear. And so does notes of each instruments, they are portrayed with excellent clarity.
Verdict
I personally don’t prefer earbuds due to their fit issues and not able to sit in ears as any IEM does. Even though EBX21 doesn’t do anything in that regard, it did impress me by its sound. Wish, it had better fit for me. And hence, just a 4-star rating. EBX21 is an excellent neutral sounding earbuds, with natural tonality, clear mids, sparkly treble. Yes, it’s at premium end of earbuds, in both sonically and cost wise too. An easy rec.
Cat Ear Tuxedo Review
Disclaimer
Cat Ear Tuxedo has been provided to me for review purposes as part of a review tour. I am in no way related to nor work for Cat Ear. All my impressions are subjective to my listening and the gears used. You can find more details about Tuxedo cable from the link below:
https://www.catearaudio.com/product/catear-tuxedo
About
CatEar Tuxedo is a premium IEM upgrade cable made of 252 cores of high-purity silver-plated OCC copper wires stranded together in a multi-strand Litz structure. It features premium rhodium-plated copper termination plugs available in different termination options including 5-pole 4.4mm Bal, 4-pole 2.5mm Bal, and 3-pole 3.5mm SE. It is available in both universal MMCX and 0.78mm 2-Pin connector types. Users can choose the termination and connector option while ordering. Just like the Mia IEMs from CatEar, the components including the cable, connectors, and termination plugs undergo -196℃ Cryogenic Treatment. Price starts at 79$ for the 3.5mm variant and goes up to 85$ for the 4.4mm variant.
I got the cable with MMCX connectors and 3.5mm termination, with an additional MMCX to 2-pin convertor. I used my only IEM with MMCX connector, JVC HA-FDX1 for this review purpose. My IEM comes with three filters. I am using the green one.
Build Quality
Tuxedo cable is nicely made, feels soft and soft. There’s no microphonics. There are no memory hooks provided. Though it was never a problem with the IEM I tried this cable with. It’s very well-made cable for its price. And definitely an upgrade over the stock cables that come with many budget IEMs. Neatly braided all through.
Sound Impressions
My IEM, FDX1, sounds very neutral with its stock cable. Connecting Tuxedo to it, brought good improvements overall in airiness, treble extensions and clarity.
Bass didn’t get any change in quality or quantity, it stays as neutral as possible, which is FDX1’s trait. FDX1’s bass is very neutral with stock cable, which stays put with Tuxedo too.
Mids get more energetic, especially upper mids. Female vocals sound more energetic and just over borderline bright for me. In fact, this cable brings back some of the shrillness in upper mids of its default filter. Male vocals too feel more energetic.
FDX1 feels more airy overall, with increased extensions in upper mids and treble. Treble gets more sparkly and energetic, which may be a problem for many, as FDX1, by itself, sounds little bright. Even with green filter, Tuxedo makes this IEM even more sparkly.
Verdict
Cat Ear Tuxedo is a very good upgrade over any stock cable that come with most of the budget IEMs. It got nice build quality, feels soft and costs a decent 79$. Sonically, it makes an IEM sound more airy, and gives upper mids and treble better extensions. Which may not go well with bright IEMs, but with warm ones, this should pair well.
Disclaimer
Cat Ear Tuxedo has been provided to me for review purposes as part of a review tour. I am in no way related to nor work for Cat Ear. All my impressions are subjective to my listening and the gears used. You can find more details about Tuxedo cable from the link below:
https://www.catearaudio.com/product/catear-tuxedo
About
CatEar Tuxedo is a premium IEM upgrade cable made of 252 cores of high-purity silver-plated OCC copper wires stranded together in a multi-strand Litz structure. It features premium rhodium-plated copper termination plugs available in different termination options including 5-pole 4.4mm Bal, 4-pole 2.5mm Bal, and 3-pole 3.5mm SE. It is available in both universal MMCX and 0.78mm 2-Pin connector types. Users can choose the termination and connector option while ordering. Just like the Mia IEMs from CatEar, the components including the cable, connectors, and termination plugs undergo -196℃ Cryogenic Treatment. Price starts at 79$ for the 3.5mm variant and goes up to 85$ for the 4.4mm variant.
I got the cable with MMCX connectors and 3.5mm termination, with an additional MMCX to 2-pin convertor. I used my only IEM with MMCX connector, JVC HA-FDX1 for this review purpose. My IEM comes with three filters. I am using the green one.
Build Quality
Tuxedo cable is nicely made, feels soft and soft. There’s no microphonics. There are no memory hooks provided. Though it was never a problem with the IEM I tried this cable with. It’s very well-made cable for its price. And definitely an upgrade over the stock cables that come with many budget IEMs. Neatly braided all through.
Sound Impressions
My IEM, FDX1, sounds very neutral with its stock cable. Connecting Tuxedo to it, brought good improvements overall in airiness, treble extensions and clarity.
Bass didn’t get any change in quality or quantity, it stays as neutral as possible, which is FDX1’s trait. FDX1’s bass is very neutral with stock cable, which stays put with Tuxedo too.
Mids get more energetic, especially upper mids. Female vocals sound more energetic and just over borderline bright for me. In fact, this cable brings back some of the shrillness in upper mids of its default filter. Male vocals too feel more energetic.
FDX1 feels more airy overall, with increased extensions in upper mids and treble. Treble gets more sparkly and energetic, which may be a problem for many, as FDX1, by itself, sounds little bright. Even with green filter, Tuxedo makes this IEM even more sparkly.
Verdict
Cat Ear Tuxedo is a very good upgrade over any stock cable that come with most of the budget IEMs. It got nice build quality, feels soft and costs a decent 79$. Sonically, it makes an IEM sound more airy, and gives upper mids and treble better extensions. Which may not go well with bright IEMs, but with warm ones, this should pair well.
BGVP NS9 Review
Disclaimer
BGVP NS9 has been provided to me by BGVP for review purpose as a part of their review tour in India. BGVP NS9 is priced competitively at 169 USD. I am no way related to them nor do work for them. All my impressions are subjective and based on my sources.
About
BGVP is quite popular Chinese brand that makes a few successful IEMs like DMG, DM6, which brought this brand into limelight by its overnight popularity. It has some really good products in its catalogue, DM7, DM8, ArtMagic ES12 and ArtMagic EST8. Recently, they released a new 9-driver hybrid IEM, NS9, the one going under test in this review. BGVP has put 2 dynamic drivers and 7 balanced armature drivers in NS9. NS9’s shell is built with aluminum and is very light and comfortable to use for long time. Build quality is very good an\d no complaints there in this regard. Fit and finish is very good. BGVP, has also included three filters along side the IEM to alter sound signature with respect to bass, mids and treble. Nozzle is little bigger in size though, but in no way uncomfortable. BGVP did provide ample amounts of tips and a good quality MMCX cable with 3.5mm termination. Provided cable is supple and soft and has no microphonics. MMCX connectors are used and they are of good quality. BGVP has provided 3 pairs of tips each for mids and vocals and one pair of foam tips. BGVP has also provided a very good quality case with ample space for IEMs, cable and tips.
Sound Impressions
NS9, right out of box, sound warm and smooth. Bass is its strength all through, and it’s a decent performer overall. NS9 comes with three filters to boost bass, mids and treble regions, but I didn’t feel any vast difference from such filters. Let’s break my impressions even further.
Bass
Bass of NS9 is quite addictive. It has got very good slam and rumble. Decay is slower making it sound warm and thick. Sub bass has got good slam and goes deep. It has very good mid bass rumble too to make you enjoy songs all through. NS9is quite musical IEM.
Mids
This is where NS9 falters a bit. Typical to any IEM with v-shaped sound signature, NS9’s mids are recessed. White and black filters bring mids a little forward, but still it’s recessed. Powerful bass region adds warmth and thickness to its mids, but there’s slight bleed into mids. In certain songs mids sound veiled and slightly unnatural. Both male and female vocals feel less energetic. Overall, mids are decent, not too exciting nor too dull.
Treble
NS9 lacks air and sparkle. Treble extends well, but not enough to make music exciting. The silver filter is supposed to bring treble forward, but that doesn’t do anything special. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find any difference with silver and the other two filters regarding treble performance. Treble lacks energy all through.
Soundstage, Separation & Imaging
NS9’s soundstage has decent width but has good depth and height. Instrument separation is good. Doesn’t feel congested in busy tracks. Imaging is good. Overall resolution of NS9 is good. Cymbals aren’t exciting enough. Has good details all through. Resolution is quite good, but found lacking in treble region.
Comparison
Vs JVC HA-FDX1
I have been using this IEM since few months and mighty impressed with its performance. It too comes with three filters and costs 200 USD from drop.com. It’s a single DD IEM compared to 9-driver NS9. Though both are made by aluminum, FDX1 feels heavier and better built than NS9. Coming to sound comparisons, FDX1 is opposite to NS9, in how it sounds. FDX1 is neutral to warm NS9. Bass quantity is more in NS9, bass slam and punch are all good and is best suited for people who prefer more bass. FDX1, on the other hand has neutral bass, better in quality. FDX1 takes the cake in mids though, mids sound natural, clean with good energy whereas NS9’s mids sound thick, warm and veiled sometimes. FDX1’s treble is more energetic and sparklier than NS9 with better extensions. Soundstage on both NS9 and FDX1 are slightly similar in width, though FDX1 has a little advantage in width and depth too. Instrument separation, imaging, clarity and resolution are all better in FDX1. Overall, if you like neutral and energetic sound, FDX1 is for you and if you want very good bass in your IEM, NS9 is for you.
Verdict
BGVP NS9 is overall a decent IEM, that performs very good in bass regions, decently in mids and treble. BGVP could have provided more treble extensions and reduced bass bleed. It’s all that needs to transform a decent IEM to a good IEM.
Disclaimer
BGVP NS9 has been provided to me by BGVP for review purpose as a part of their review tour in India. BGVP NS9 is priced competitively at 169 USD. I am no way related to them nor do work for them. All my impressions are subjective and based on my sources.
About
BGVP is quite popular Chinese brand that makes a few successful IEMs like DMG, DM6, which brought this brand into limelight by its overnight popularity. It has some really good products in its catalogue, DM7, DM8, ArtMagic ES12 and ArtMagic EST8. Recently, they released a new 9-driver hybrid IEM, NS9, the one going under test in this review. BGVP has put 2 dynamic drivers and 7 balanced armature drivers in NS9. NS9’s shell is built with aluminum and is very light and comfortable to use for long time. Build quality is very good an\d no complaints there in this regard. Fit and finish is very good. BGVP, has also included three filters along side the IEM to alter sound signature with respect to bass, mids and treble. Nozzle is little bigger in size though, but in no way uncomfortable. BGVP did provide ample amounts of tips and a good quality MMCX cable with 3.5mm termination. Provided cable is supple and soft and has no microphonics. MMCX connectors are used and they are of good quality. BGVP has provided 3 pairs of tips each for mids and vocals and one pair of foam tips. BGVP has also provided a very good quality case with ample space for IEMs, cable and tips.
Sound Impressions
NS9, right out of box, sound warm and smooth. Bass is its strength all through, and it’s a decent performer overall. NS9 comes with three filters to boost bass, mids and treble regions, but I didn’t feel any vast difference from such filters. Let’s break my impressions even further.
Bass
Bass of NS9 is quite addictive. It has got very good slam and rumble. Decay is slower making it sound warm and thick. Sub bass has got good slam and goes deep. It has very good mid bass rumble too to make you enjoy songs all through. NS9is quite musical IEM.
Mids
This is where NS9 falters a bit. Typical to any IEM with v-shaped sound signature, NS9’s mids are recessed. White and black filters bring mids a little forward, but still it’s recessed. Powerful bass region adds warmth and thickness to its mids, but there’s slight bleed into mids. In certain songs mids sound veiled and slightly unnatural. Both male and female vocals feel less energetic. Overall, mids are decent, not too exciting nor too dull.
Treble
NS9 lacks air and sparkle. Treble extends well, but not enough to make music exciting. The silver filter is supposed to bring treble forward, but that doesn’t do anything special. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find any difference with silver and the other two filters regarding treble performance. Treble lacks energy all through.
Soundstage, Separation & Imaging
NS9’s soundstage has decent width but has good depth and height. Instrument separation is good. Doesn’t feel congested in busy tracks. Imaging is good. Overall resolution of NS9 is good. Cymbals aren’t exciting enough. Has good details all through. Resolution is quite good, but found lacking in treble region.
Comparison
Vs JVC HA-FDX1
I have been using this IEM since few months and mighty impressed with its performance. It too comes with three filters and costs 200 USD from drop.com. It’s a single DD IEM compared to 9-driver NS9. Though both are made by aluminum, FDX1 feels heavier and better built than NS9. Coming to sound comparisons, FDX1 is opposite to NS9, in how it sounds. FDX1 is neutral to warm NS9. Bass quantity is more in NS9, bass slam and punch are all good and is best suited for people who prefer more bass. FDX1, on the other hand has neutral bass, better in quality. FDX1 takes the cake in mids though, mids sound natural, clean with good energy whereas NS9’s mids sound thick, warm and veiled sometimes. FDX1’s treble is more energetic and sparklier than NS9 with better extensions. Soundstage on both NS9 and FDX1 are slightly similar in width, though FDX1 has a little advantage in width and depth too. Instrument separation, imaging, clarity and resolution are all better in FDX1. Overall, if you like neutral and energetic sound, FDX1 is for you and if you want very good bass in your IEM, NS9 is for you.
Verdict
BGVP NS9 is overall a decent IEM, that performs very good in bass regions, decently in mids and treble. BGVP could have provided more treble extensions and reduced bass bleed. It’s all that needs to transform a decent IEM to a good IEM.
Disclaimer
Sennheiser IE 300 IEM has been provided to me for review purposes by Sennheiser, India. I neither work for them nor related to them in any way. All impressions shared by me are subjective to my listening capabilities and the gear used by me. You can purchase Sennheiser IE 300 IEM from Sennheiser, India. Further details about IE 300 can be found in Sennheiser, India website link provided below:
https://en-in.sennheiser.com/ie-300
Product Description
Sennheiser IE 300 comes in a nice box, showing off an enlarged picture of IEMs on top of it. Unboxing is pretty straight forward experience, lifting upper lid revealing the IEM surrounded in a foam material, and its carry case in its own space. You also get the standard manuals on top of the carry case. Inside the box, you get 6 pairs of tips including foams and cleaning tool. Carry case is small and can hold the IEM and spare tips sufficiently, though I wish it comes in a little bigger size.
IE 300’s shell is made of thermo-plastic resin material and it’s of small size, in turn providing excellent fit and comfort. Even though the earpieces are made of plastic, they feel solid and premium with neat design to go with. Provided cable is just okay though. Cable connection at IEM end is of MMCX type. MMCX port is quite recessed, and one can only use Sennheiser made cables for now. Cable noise and movements are pretty much audible even while playing music.
IE 300 uses a German made 7mm XWB-transducer. It’s rated at 16 ohms with THD<0.08%. It can be driven easily by a smartphone, but a dongle DAC minimum is advised to bring the best out of it.
Gear Used
Cayin N6ii DAP with E02 module was used to test IE 300.
Sound Impressions
Bass
IE 300 has excellent bass performance both in quantity and quality. Right from the start of music playback to the end, you are presented with a full bodied and rich bass. Bass goes deep, has good texture and thicker notes, has faster attack speeds and slow decay. Sub bass is good and has decent rumble with slight lack of details. Mid bass is good and overall sounds punchy and well controlled. All my bass test tracks including Lorde’s Royals, Julia Michael’s Issues sounded punchy and well controlled.
Mids
Mids sound natural and lush. I found mids to be slightly recessed. Upper mids lack extension. Tonality and timbre are clean and natural. Female vocals sound natural and slightly lack energy. Same goes for male vocals. Male vocals sound full bodied, clean and natural. Detail retrieval is good. Diana Krall’s “Sway” and “Let’s Fall in Love” sounded very good, though I wish her voice could have been slightly forward and with more energy.
Soundstage
Soundstage has very good width and good depth representation. Imaging is very good. Instrument separation is very good, though thicker notes result in compromise in layering. Layering isn’t as pronounced as it should be, giving an impression of slight congestion in busy tracks. Soundstage isn’t an out of head experience, but wide enough to be not called as an intimate listen. Overall detail retrieval capabilities are very good. Soundstage width and depth has been portrayed good in songs like TOOL’s “Chocolate Chip Trip”, Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams(2001 Remaster)” and Anette Askvik’s “Liberty”.
Treble
Treble is very well extended in IE 300. It doesn’t sound harsh or fatiguing. In my testing I felt it had little less energy and sparkle than what I like. Cymbals sound natural, crisp and clear. Laurie Anderson’s “Born, Never Asked” sounded very good, but with less energy and sparkle.
Overall, sound quality is very good, but lacks that oomph factor that can make this IEM a stand out offering from Sennheiser. It has the typical mainstream v-shaped sound signature.
Comparisons
Vs Drop x JVC HA-FDX1
FDX1 is a very popular single DD IEM offering from the collaboration of Drop and JVC. JVC offers three filters for FDX1 to alter its sound. The changes in sound are minimal in nature, largely taming its shouty upper mids and metallic nature, which is the case with its default white filter. I used the blue one, which has the most dampening. Pitting this against Sennheiser IE 300, immediately shows the different tuning methodologies used by JVC and Sennheiser. JVC is very neutral sounding IEM compared to the warmth of IE 300. FDX1’s bass lacks that punchiness of IE 300’s bass. FDX1’s bass is just above neutral and clean. Whereas IE 300 is full bodied. Detail retrieval, imaging, layering and instrument separation are slightly better on FDX1. Mids are on warmer side with IE 300, with thicker and richer notes compared to FDX1’s clean, natural and forward mids. Upper mids extension is better on FDX1. Soundstage is wider in IE 300 and slightly deeper in FDX1. Both FDX1 and IE 300 have very good treble extensions, but FDX1 wins in having that extra bit more energy and sparkle. Overall, if you like a neutral, clean sounding IEM, then FDX1 is hard to beat in its price range, and if you like to have an engaging, and fun sounding IEM, Sennheiser IE 300 is a very good one at it and in fact can be a very good companion IEM for any neutral IEM.
Verdict
Overall IE 300 is quite an engaging IEM, with very good bass, lush mids, and well extended treble. Even though it performs well enough in all things that matter, but it still lacks that wow factor. Sound signature is on safer and on little laidback side, may suit casual audience more than impressing audiophiles who are spoiled for choices in this price segment. Yes, price is on little higher side, $300/INR 29,990, but for that you are getting arguably one of the better, if not the best IEM in fit, and comfort, apart from having good overall sound quality. So, in the end, do I recommend it wholeheartedly? Yes, for pure fun listening sessions, totally keeping technicalities and critical listening aside.
Sennheiser IE 300 IEM has been provided to me for review purposes by Sennheiser, India. I neither work for them nor related to them in any way. All impressions shared by me are subjective to my listening capabilities and the gear used by me. You can purchase Sennheiser IE 300 IEM from Sennheiser, India. Further details about IE 300 can be found in Sennheiser, India website link provided below:
https://en-in.sennheiser.com/ie-300
Product Description
Sennheiser IE 300 comes in a nice box, showing off an enlarged picture of IEMs on top of it. Unboxing is pretty straight forward experience, lifting upper lid revealing the IEM surrounded in a foam material, and its carry case in its own space. You also get the standard manuals on top of the carry case. Inside the box, you get 6 pairs of tips including foams and cleaning tool. Carry case is small and can hold the IEM and spare tips sufficiently, though I wish it comes in a little bigger size.
IE 300’s shell is made of thermo-plastic resin material and it’s of small size, in turn providing excellent fit and comfort. Even though the earpieces are made of plastic, they feel solid and premium with neat design to go with. Provided cable is just okay though. Cable connection at IEM end is of MMCX type. MMCX port is quite recessed, and one can only use Sennheiser made cables for now. Cable noise and movements are pretty much audible even while playing music.
IE 300 uses a German made 7mm XWB-transducer. It’s rated at 16 ohms with THD<0.08%. It can be driven easily by a smartphone, but a dongle DAC minimum is advised to bring the best out of it.
Gear Used
Cayin N6ii DAP with E02 module was used to test IE 300.
Sound Impressions
Bass
IE 300 has excellent bass performance both in quantity and quality. Right from the start of music playback to the end, you are presented with a full bodied and rich bass. Bass goes deep, has good texture and thicker notes, has faster attack speeds and slow decay. Sub bass is good and has decent rumble with slight lack of details. Mid bass is good and overall sounds punchy and well controlled. All my bass test tracks including Lorde’s Royals, Julia Michael’s Issues sounded punchy and well controlled.
Mids
Mids sound natural and lush. I found mids to be slightly recessed. Upper mids lack extension. Tonality and timbre are clean and natural. Female vocals sound natural and slightly lack energy. Same goes for male vocals. Male vocals sound full bodied, clean and natural. Detail retrieval is good. Diana Krall’s “Sway” and “Let’s Fall in Love” sounded very good, though I wish her voice could have been slightly forward and with more energy.
Soundstage
Soundstage has very good width and good depth representation. Imaging is very good. Instrument separation is very good, though thicker notes result in compromise in layering. Layering isn’t as pronounced as it should be, giving an impression of slight congestion in busy tracks. Soundstage isn’t an out of head experience, but wide enough to be not called as an intimate listen. Overall detail retrieval capabilities are very good. Soundstage width and depth has been portrayed good in songs like TOOL’s “Chocolate Chip Trip”, Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams(2001 Remaster)” and Anette Askvik’s “Liberty”.
Treble
Treble is very well extended in IE 300. It doesn’t sound harsh or fatiguing. In my testing I felt it had little less energy and sparkle than what I like. Cymbals sound natural, crisp and clear. Laurie Anderson’s “Born, Never Asked” sounded very good, but with less energy and sparkle.
Overall, sound quality is very good, but lacks that oomph factor that can make this IEM a stand out offering from Sennheiser. It has the typical mainstream v-shaped sound signature.
Comparisons
Vs Drop x JVC HA-FDX1
FDX1 is a very popular single DD IEM offering from the collaboration of Drop and JVC. JVC offers three filters for FDX1 to alter its sound. The changes in sound are minimal in nature, largely taming its shouty upper mids and metallic nature, which is the case with its default white filter. I used the blue one, which has the most dampening. Pitting this against Sennheiser IE 300, immediately shows the different tuning methodologies used by JVC and Sennheiser. JVC is very neutral sounding IEM compared to the warmth of IE 300. FDX1’s bass lacks that punchiness of IE 300’s bass. FDX1’s bass is just above neutral and clean. Whereas IE 300 is full bodied. Detail retrieval, imaging, layering and instrument separation are slightly better on FDX1. Mids are on warmer side with IE 300, with thicker and richer notes compared to FDX1’s clean, natural and forward mids. Upper mids extension is better on FDX1. Soundstage is wider in IE 300 and slightly deeper in FDX1. Both FDX1 and IE 300 have very good treble extensions, but FDX1 wins in having that extra bit more energy and sparkle. Overall, if you like a neutral, clean sounding IEM, then FDX1 is hard to beat in its price range, and if you like to have an engaging, and fun sounding IEM, Sennheiser IE 300 is a very good one at it and in fact can be a very good companion IEM for any neutral IEM.
Verdict
Overall IE 300 is quite an engaging IEM, with very good bass, lush mids, and well extended treble. Even though it performs well enough in all things that matter, but it still lacks that wow factor. Sound signature is on safer and on little laidback side, may suit casual audience more than impressing audiophiles who are spoiled for choices in this price segment. Yes, price is on little higher side, $300/INR 29,990, but for that you are getting arguably one of the better, if not the best IEM in fit, and comfort, apart from having good overall sound quality. So, in the end, do I recommend it wholeheartedly? Yes, for pure fun listening sessions, totally keeping technicalities and critical listening aside.
Ikko OH1 Review
Disclaimer
Ikko OH1 has been provided by Hifinage, India for review purposes. The impressions provided hereafter are subjective to my gear and listening capabilities. One can purchase OH1 from Hifinage for INR 10,999 through following link.
https://hifinage.com/products/ikko-oh1
Build Quality
Ikko OH1 shells are made up of advanced lightweight aerospace alloy which weighs only 6 grams per side. Each shell incorporates 1 BA and 1 DD hybrid driver which ensures deep low frequency and extended highs which is natural, delicate, and elegant in sound signature.
It comes with high-purity OFC silver-plated cable with 2-pin 0.78mm termination detachable cable design. The cable is made up of 4 strands of 8 high purity oxygen free copper silver-plated which ensures an amazing sound. Cable quality is nothing to write about. It doesn’t feel that premium to hold. It could do with better cables straight out of the box. But that is the case with even few 1000$+ IEMs too, so for OH1 it’s quite acceptable.
Sound Quality
I have used mainly my DAP, Cayin N6ii with E02 module for the review purpose.
Bass
OH1’s bass is very good. Very good in both quality and quantity. Sub-bass rumble is excellent. Bass decay is quite fast. Mid bass is very good. Sub-bass is emphasized here, with very good slams. OH1 sounded excellent with all my bass test tracks including Royals by Lorde, Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, Issues by Julia Michaels and Teardrop by Massive Attack.
Mids/Vocals
OH1’s mids are natural and clean and has decent details. Tonality and timbre are clean. Lower mids seem little recessed compared to upper mids, which see very good extension. Vocals sound lively and energetic. Overall mids have a very good presence.
Soundstage, Imaging, Details & Separation
OH1’s soundstage has very good width to it and feels airy all through. But stage depth and height are below average. It would have been even better if it had depth and height to the levels of width. Detail representation is excellent. And so is imaging. Instruments have very good spacing between them. Tonality and timbre are natural. Cymbals sound clear. Resolution is very good.
Treble
Treble performance is good, neither fatiguing nor harsh. But lacks in extension and sparkle. Treble has good details. The song ‘Born, Never Asked by Laurie Anderson’ sounded decent in OH1, sparkle and energy taken away due to lack of upper treble extension.
Comparison
Vs ikko OH10
OH10 is an another IEM offering from ikko under 200$ segment. Even though ikko priced both OH1 and OH10 under same price range, they couldn’t have done more to differentiate both of them. OH1 has quite natural tonality, with sub-bass emphasis. OH1’s bass is just above neutral, but OH10 has bucket loads of sub-bass slam and rumbles going for it. Still, bass doesn’t mask other frequencies in either of these two IEMs. Mids, too show slightly different characteristics. OH1’s mids have good presence, especially that upper-mids extension taking it close to being called a bright IEM compared to recessed mids of OH10. OH1’s treble isn’t as extended as OH10’s. Another area where OH10 shows its supremacy is that it has bigger stage width than OH1, making OH10 sound more airier. Overall, I will pick OH10 for its better sub-bass rumbles and better extended treble.
Verdict
Overall, OH1 has very natural and pleasant tonality and timbre going for it. It has got very good sub-bass rumble, very good mids presence and a wide sounstage. The only things that pull back things are that lack of upper treble extension and forward nature of upper mids and in turn making OH1 sound little bright.
Disclaimer
Ikko OH1 has been provided by Hifinage, India for review purposes. The impressions provided hereafter are subjective to my gear and listening capabilities. One can purchase OH1 from Hifinage for INR 10,999 through following link.
https://hifinage.com/products/ikko-oh1
Build Quality
Ikko OH1 shells are made up of advanced lightweight aerospace alloy which weighs only 6 grams per side. Each shell incorporates 1 BA and 1 DD hybrid driver which ensures deep low frequency and extended highs which is natural, delicate, and elegant in sound signature.
It comes with high-purity OFC silver-plated cable with 2-pin 0.78mm termination detachable cable design. The cable is made up of 4 strands of 8 high purity oxygen free copper silver-plated which ensures an amazing sound. Cable quality is nothing to write about. It doesn’t feel that premium to hold. It could do with better cables straight out of the box. But that is the case with even few 1000$+ IEMs too, so for OH1 it’s quite acceptable.
Sound Quality
I have used mainly my DAP, Cayin N6ii with E02 module for the review purpose.
Bass
OH1’s bass is very good. Very good in both quality and quantity. Sub-bass rumble is excellent. Bass decay is quite fast. Mid bass is very good. Sub-bass is emphasized here, with very good slams. OH1 sounded excellent with all my bass test tracks including Royals by Lorde, Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, Issues by Julia Michaels and Teardrop by Massive Attack.
Mids/Vocals
OH1’s mids are natural and clean and has decent details. Tonality and timbre are clean. Lower mids seem little recessed compared to upper mids, which see very good extension. Vocals sound lively and energetic. Overall mids have a very good presence.
Soundstage, Imaging, Details & Separation
OH1’s soundstage has very good width to it and feels airy all through. But stage depth and height are below average. It would have been even better if it had depth and height to the levels of width. Detail representation is excellent. And so is imaging. Instruments have very good spacing between them. Tonality and timbre are natural. Cymbals sound clear. Resolution is very good.
Treble
Treble performance is good, neither fatiguing nor harsh. But lacks in extension and sparkle. Treble has good details. The song ‘Born, Never Asked by Laurie Anderson’ sounded decent in OH1, sparkle and energy taken away due to lack of upper treble extension.
Comparison
Vs ikko OH10
OH10 is an another IEM offering from ikko under 200$ segment. Even though ikko priced both OH1 and OH10 under same price range, they couldn’t have done more to differentiate both of them. OH1 has quite natural tonality, with sub-bass emphasis. OH1’s bass is just above neutral, but OH10 has bucket loads of sub-bass slam and rumbles going for it. Still, bass doesn’t mask other frequencies in either of these two IEMs. Mids, too show slightly different characteristics. OH1’s mids have good presence, especially that upper-mids extension taking it close to being called a bright IEM compared to recessed mids of OH10. OH1’s treble isn’t as extended as OH10’s. Another area where OH10 shows its supremacy is that it has bigger stage width than OH1, making OH10 sound more airier. Overall, I will pick OH10 for its better sub-bass rumbles and better extended treble.
Verdict
Overall, OH1 has very natural and pleasant tonality and timbre going for it. It has got very good sub-bass rumble, very good mids presence and a wide sounstage. The only things that pull back things are that lack of upper treble extension and forward nature of upper mids and in turn making OH1 sound little bright.
Disclaimer
Ikko OH10 has been provided by Hifinage, India for review purposes. The impressions provided hereafter are subjective to my gear and listening capabilities. One can purchase OH10 from Hifinage for INR 16,999 through following link.
https://hifinage.com/products/ikko-oh10?_pos=1&_sid=bfc4f784c&_ss=r
About
OH10 is also known as the Obsidian OH10 and is a Copper Cavity Hybrid IEM from the house of Ikko. It offers a dual titanium driver with Ikko ultra-low distortion FDB which helps in achieving a clean and clear sound. The driver’s configuration on OH10 is Knowles 33518 BA driver for clear mids and treble with a 10mm dynamic driver for great bass response. It comes with a high purity OFC coated silver cable with a 3.5mm jack.
Build Quality
OH10 has great build quality and fit. The earpieces are made of metal and feel very nice to hold. The earpieces feel hefty and solid in hand and disappears in ears. The weight of earpieces was never felt in my ears and were very comfortable for long usage. OH10 packaging comes with a leather case, an OFC silver cable, and 6 pairs of eartips. Leather case looks nice and well made, but it can only store the IEMs tightly with no space for the eartips. The provided cable, is made of 4 strands of high-purity oxygen-free copper-plated 5N silver-plated. Cable’s build quality is poor and you need to change it once you receive your OH10. This cable also brings graininess to the music and it’s recommended to upgrade to a new cable, preferably silver.
Sound Quality
I have used mainly my DAP, Cayin N6ii with E02 module for the review purpose.
Bass
OH10’s bass is very good. Very good in both quality and quantity. Sub-bass rumble is excellent. Bass decay is quite fast. Mid bass is excellent too. Very fun sounding and foot tapping bass representation. Icing on the cake is that even with this much bass, OH10 neither feels muddy nor does it cloud other frequencies, it’s very controlled. OH10 sounded excellent with all my bass test tracks including Royals by Lorde, Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, Issues by Julia Michaels and Teardrop by Massive Attack.
Mids/Vocals
OH10’s mids are recessed. Upper mids lack extension making OH10 less enjoyable with mid-centric music. In songs ‘Strong by London Grammar’, ‘Sway by Diana Krall’ and ‘Gold by Gabriel Rios’, vocals lacked that spark that makes one to enjoy such songs. Both, male and female vocals lack energy and sometimes feel grainy. Mids, though have all details with good clarity all through with good spacing. Overall, this section feels duller compared to how OH10 performed in bass.
Soundstage, Imaging, Details & Separation
OH10’s soundstage has very good width to it and feels airy all through. But stage depth and height are below average. It would have been even better if it had depth and height to the levels of width. Detail representation is excellent. And so is imaging. Instruments have very good spacing between them.
Tonality and timbre are natural. Cymbals sound clear. Resolution is very good.
Treble
Treble is very good, neither fatiguing nor harsh. But lacks a little in extension and sparkle. Treble has good details. The song ‘Born, Never Asked by Laurie Anderson’ sounded very good in OH10, though would have been even better if it had better extension in highs.
One thing to note is that I had observed distortion at higher volumes. If one wants to hear their music at higher volumes(not at all advised even in general terms), this should be kept in mind.
Source Pairings
Lotoo Paw S1 USB-C Dongle DAC
OH10 doesn’t scale much with source, performs at more or less at same levels as pointed above in the review. With this Lotoo Paw S1 dongle DAC, OH10 has the same excellent thumping bass performance, same kind of recessed mids and treble too showing same traits as discussed above. Soundstage is less wide than N6ii w/E02 module. OH10 through S1 has less space between instruments, and in turn sound less airy than what is the case with N6ii w/E02. That is a given considering the gap between capabilities between the DAP and dongle. But, in the end, OH10 sounds very good from S1 dongle DAC.
Comparison
Vs JVC HA-FDX1
JVC HA-FDX1 is a single DD IEM that falls under ikko OH10’s price range. It comes with three filters, I am presently using the blue filter, which is warmer of all the three filters. FDX1 sounds very transparent and natural straight out of box. Also FDX1 needs more power to shine than OH10. FDX1’s bass is very natural just above neutral, not to the levels of OH10’s thunderous slams. For fun bass, OH10 wins here. For neutral bass lovers, FDX1 is better. Mids, is where FDX1 takes the cake here. Mids are forward placed in FDX1 than OH10 and sounds exceptionally clean and natural. Upper mids have great extension in FDX1. Vocals sound full of energy, which is what is lacking in OH10. Timbre and tonality too carry forward same naturality, much better than OH10. Detail retrieval capability is better in FDX1. FDX1 lags OH10 in soundstage width but has slightly more depth and height. OH10 feels more airier than FDX1. Whereas FDX1 sounds narrower in comparison. Making OH10’s one and only win over FDX1. FDX1 carries forward its supremacy in treble department too. FDX1’s treble has great extensions and has lot of sparkle and details. Overall, it would be better to say OH10 complements FDX1 as being a fun IEM in one’s collection. If you are looking at a fun sounding IEM, then OH10 is the way to go. If you prefer naturality and transparency in your music, then FDX1 is the one to choose.
Verdict
OH10 is an enjoyable, fun sounding offering from ikko. It has got thunderous bass and yet controlled. It has got wide soundstage and sounds spacious. Even though these two are its major strengths, it fares quite decently in other frequencies too. OH10 is worth to get if you want such a kind of IEM.
Ikko OH10 has been provided by Hifinage, India for review purposes. The impressions provided hereafter are subjective to my gear and listening capabilities. One can purchase OH10 from Hifinage for INR 16,999 through following link.
https://hifinage.com/products/ikko-oh10?_pos=1&_sid=bfc4f784c&_ss=r
About
OH10 is also known as the Obsidian OH10 and is a Copper Cavity Hybrid IEM from the house of Ikko. It offers a dual titanium driver with Ikko ultra-low distortion FDB which helps in achieving a clean and clear sound. The driver’s configuration on OH10 is Knowles 33518 BA driver for clear mids and treble with a 10mm dynamic driver for great bass response. It comes with a high purity OFC coated silver cable with a 3.5mm jack.
Build Quality
OH10 has great build quality and fit. The earpieces are made of metal and feel very nice to hold. The earpieces feel hefty and solid in hand and disappears in ears. The weight of earpieces was never felt in my ears and were very comfortable for long usage. OH10 packaging comes with a leather case, an OFC silver cable, and 6 pairs of eartips. Leather case looks nice and well made, but it can only store the IEMs tightly with no space for the eartips. The provided cable, is made of 4 strands of high-purity oxygen-free copper-plated 5N silver-plated. Cable’s build quality is poor and you need to change it once you receive your OH10. This cable also brings graininess to the music and it’s recommended to upgrade to a new cable, preferably silver.
Sound Quality
I have used mainly my DAP, Cayin N6ii with E02 module for the review purpose.
Bass
OH10’s bass is very good. Very good in both quality and quantity. Sub-bass rumble is excellent. Bass decay is quite fast. Mid bass is excellent too. Very fun sounding and foot tapping bass representation. Icing on the cake is that even with this much bass, OH10 neither feels muddy nor does it cloud other frequencies, it’s very controlled. OH10 sounded excellent with all my bass test tracks including Royals by Lorde, Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, Issues by Julia Michaels and Teardrop by Massive Attack.
Mids/Vocals
OH10’s mids are recessed. Upper mids lack extension making OH10 less enjoyable with mid-centric music. In songs ‘Strong by London Grammar’, ‘Sway by Diana Krall’ and ‘Gold by Gabriel Rios’, vocals lacked that spark that makes one to enjoy such songs. Both, male and female vocals lack energy and sometimes feel grainy. Mids, though have all details with good clarity all through with good spacing. Overall, this section feels duller compared to how OH10 performed in bass.
Soundstage, Imaging, Details & Separation
OH10’s soundstage has very good width to it and feels airy all through. But stage depth and height are below average. It would have been even better if it had depth and height to the levels of width. Detail representation is excellent. And so is imaging. Instruments have very good spacing between them.
Tonality and timbre are natural. Cymbals sound clear. Resolution is very good.
Treble
Treble is very good, neither fatiguing nor harsh. But lacks a little in extension and sparkle. Treble has good details. The song ‘Born, Never Asked by Laurie Anderson’ sounded very good in OH10, though would have been even better if it had better extension in highs.
One thing to note is that I had observed distortion at higher volumes. If one wants to hear their music at higher volumes(not at all advised even in general terms), this should be kept in mind.
Source Pairings
Lotoo Paw S1 USB-C Dongle DAC
OH10 doesn’t scale much with source, performs at more or less at same levels as pointed above in the review. With this Lotoo Paw S1 dongle DAC, OH10 has the same excellent thumping bass performance, same kind of recessed mids and treble too showing same traits as discussed above. Soundstage is less wide than N6ii w/E02 module. OH10 through S1 has less space between instruments, and in turn sound less airy than what is the case with N6ii w/E02. That is a given considering the gap between capabilities between the DAP and dongle. But, in the end, OH10 sounds very good from S1 dongle DAC.
Comparison
Vs JVC HA-FDX1
JVC HA-FDX1 is a single DD IEM that falls under ikko OH10’s price range. It comes with three filters, I am presently using the blue filter, which is warmer of all the three filters. FDX1 sounds very transparent and natural straight out of box. Also FDX1 needs more power to shine than OH10. FDX1’s bass is very natural just above neutral, not to the levels of OH10’s thunderous slams. For fun bass, OH10 wins here. For neutral bass lovers, FDX1 is better. Mids, is where FDX1 takes the cake here. Mids are forward placed in FDX1 than OH10 and sounds exceptionally clean and natural. Upper mids have great extension in FDX1. Vocals sound full of energy, which is what is lacking in OH10. Timbre and tonality too carry forward same naturality, much better than OH10. Detail retrieval capability is better in FDX1. FDX1 lags OH10 in soundstage width but has slightly more depth and height. OH10 feels more airier than FDX1. Whereas FDX1 sounds narrower in comparison. Making OH10’s one and only win over FDX1. FDX1 carries forward its supremacy in treble department too. FDX1’s treble has great extensions and has lot of sparkle and details. Overall, it would be better to say OH10 complements FDX1 as being a fun IEM in one’s collection. If you are looking at a fun sounding IEM, then OH10 is the way to go. If you prefer naturality and transparency in your music, then FDX1 is the one to choose.
Verdict
OH10 is an enjoyable, fun sounding offering from ikko. It has got thunderous bass and yet controlled. It has got wide soundstage and sounds spacious. Even though these two are its major strengths, it fares quite decently in other frequencies too. OH10 is worth to get if you want such a kind of IEM.
ikko Zerda ITM-03 USB-C DAC Review
Disclaimer:
Ikko Zarda USB-C DAC has been provided to me for review purposes by Hifinage, India. I am in no way related to them or work for them. All the sound evaluations provided me are subjective to my own listening and sources used. You can buy ikko Zerda USB-C DAC from Hifinage through the link given below for INR 7999.
https://hifinage.com/collections/ikko-audio-portable-usb-amp-dac/products/ikko-itm03
Introduction:
Ikko Zerda ITM03 is an USB-C DAC adaptor, which houses a single Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chip. It supports only Android phones till now. It has 3.5mm SE headphone output, which can also double up as digital output. It is made of sandblasted aluminum alloy in a very compact form. Its cable is made of OCC silver, shielded by a silicon layer. It looks and feels very polished. It is quite powerful.
Sound Impressions:
Gears Used: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus-->Apple Music/Tidal MQA-->ikko Zerda ITM03-->JVC HA-FDX1 IEM.
Initial sound impressions were decent. It is quite powerful. My IEM, FDX1 needs good amounts of power, Zerda was able to drive it sufficiently.
Bass representation is quite good, with decent amounts of slam. It has got decent sub-bass rumble, making it an enjoyable listen. Bass decay is fast.
Mids are presented well with good clarity. Mids are neither forward nor recessed. Vocals sound sweet, with natural tonality. Upper mids have good extension. Detail retrieval capabilities are good. Timbre is quite good.
Treble has very good extensions, with decent amounts of detail. Cymbals sound natural. Instruments sound natural with good enough space between them. It doesn’t sound harsh or fatiguing.
Soundstage width is very good but it has got below average depth and height. Instrument separation and imaging capabilities are very good in slow songs/melodies. Where Zerda falters is that, whenever a busy/fast song is played, it becomes little congested with instrument separation and imaging taking a hit. It has no problems with slow paced songs or melodies. It is slightly unforgiving with poor recordings too.
Comparison:
Lotoo Paw S1:
Lotoo Paw S1 is an USB-C DAC offering from Lotoo, priced at INR 13,990. It is MQA certified and has two headphone outs, 3.5mm SE output and 4.4mm balanced output. I used only the 3.5mm SE output for the comparison part. Compared to Zerda, S1 sounds cleaner and more natural. It has better bass, in quality and quantity, cleaner mids, and sparkly treble. S1 has wider and deeper stage representation and better separation and imaging. Has better detail retrieval capabilities. Yes, S1 indeed costs almost double that of Zerda, and should sound so.
Verdict:
Ikko Zerda ITM03 USB-C DACAMP turned out to be a decent offering from ikko. It sounds good as long as you are limited to slow paced music and becomes little congested with anything other than that kind of music. It could have done better if it had better stage depth, separation, and imaging. Overall, it is a decent performer with few small niggles.
Disclaimer:
Ikko Zarda USB-C DAC has been provided to me for review purposes by Hifinage, India. I am in no way related to them or work for them. All the sound evaluations provided me are subjective to my own listening and sources used. You can buy ikko Zerda USB-C DAC from Hifinage through the link given below for INR 7999.
https://hifinage.com/collections/ikko-audio-portable-usb-amp-dac/products/ikko-itm03
Introduction:
Ikko Zerda ITM03 is an USB-C DAC adaptor, which houses a single Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chip. It supports only Android phones till now. It has 3.5mm SE headphone output, which can also double up as digital output. It is made of sandblasted aluminum alloy in a very compact form. Its cable is made of OCC silver, shielded by a silicon layer. It looks and feels very polished. It is quite powerful.
Sound Impressions:
Gears Used: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus-->Apple Music/Tidal MQA-->ikko Zerda ITM03-->JVC HA-FDX1 IEM.
Initial sound impressions were decent. It is quite powerful. My IEM, FDX1 needs good amounts of power, Zerda was able to drive it sufficiently.
Bass representation is quite good, with decent amounts of slam. It has got decent sub-bass rumble, making it an enjoyable listen. Bass decay is fast.
Mids are presented well with good clarity. Mids are neither forward nor recessed. Vocals sound sweet, with natural tonality. Upper mids have good extension. Detail retrieval capabilities are good. Timbre is quite good.
Treble has very good extensions, with decent amounts of detail. Cymbals sound natural. Instruments sound natural with good enough space between them. It doesn’t sound harsh or fatiguing.
Soundstage width is very good but it has got below average depth and height. Instrument separation and imaging capabilities are very good in slow songs/melodies. Where Zerda falters is that, whenever a busy/fast song is played, it becomes little congested with instrument separation and imaging taking a hit. It has no problems with slow paced songs or melodies. It is slightly unforgiving with poor recordings too.
Comparison:
Lotoo Paw S1:
Lotoo Paw S1 is an USB-C DAC offering from Lotoo, priced at INR 13,990. It is MQA certified and has two headphone outs, 3.5mm SE output and 4.4mm balanced output. I used only the 3.5mm SE output for the comparison part. Compared to Zerda, S1 sounds cleaner and more natural. It has better bass, in quality and quantity, cleaner mids, and sparkly treble. S1 has wider and deeper stage representation and better separation and imaging. Has better detail retrieval capabilities. Yes, S1 indeed costs almost double that of Zerda, and should sound so.
Verdict:
Ikko Zerda ITM03 USB-C DACAMP turned out to be a decent offering from ikko. It sounds good as long as you are limited to slow paced music and becomes little congested with anything other than that kind of music. It could have done better if it had better stage depth, separation, and imaging. Overall, it is a decent performer with few small niggles.
Cozoy Takt-C USB-C DAC Review
Disclaimer
Cozoy Takt-C USB-C DAC dongle is provided for review purposes by HiFiGo as a part of their review tour. I am in not affiliated to them or paid by them. All views expressed here are subjective and based on the gear used. You can purchase Cozoy Takt-C for $110 from HiFiGo from the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/cozoy-t...-dsd-hifi-decoder?_pos=1&_sid=02d6ad0bb&_ss=r
About
Cozoy Takt-C is an USB-C DAC. It uses ESS9018Q2M DAC chipset. Takt-C is made up of aluminum, which is nice to hold. It has 3.5mm SE output. It has three buttons on its façade, one each for play/pause, volume up and down functions. Buttons are very small and pretty difficult to use for big hands, especially closely placed volume up and down buttons. Overall, body size is on taller side. Cable quality is poor. Which is a letdown considering its price point of $110 and $50 iBasso’s DC01 has better cable.
Sound Analysis
Bass quantity and quality is very good. Sub-bass rumble is good. Bass attack and decay speeds are fast.
Mids sound natural, clear with good amounts of details. Vocals are right at center. Female vocals sound quite lively and energetic, whereas male vocals sound little less energetic.
Dynamics are very good. Detail retrieval capabilities are very good for the DAC of this size. Soundstage has good width and decent depth. Instrument separation is good. Attack and decay of instruments are pretty good. Imaging capabilities are good.
Treble has good extension, with good detailing. May sound harsh when paired with brighter IEMs.
Overall Takt-C has good sonic capabilities. Where it falters is in its size, which is too tall and in the amount of heat it generates, which is too much. Even with easy to drive IEMs, it becomes quite hot after a single song! And it becomes too hot during extended usage.
It drains off smartphone’s battery pretty fast too. In my testing I found it sipping 10% of my smartphone’s battery in an hour.
Verdict
Sonically Takt-C performs quite good and provides decent upgrade over a smartphone’s jack. But at $110, it’s hard to recommend it over a $50 iBasso DC01, considering its shortcomings in its size, poor cable and the absurd heat it generates.
Disclaimer
Cozoy Takt-C USB-C DAC dongle is provided for review purposes by HiFiGo as a part of their review tour. I am in not affiliated to them or paid by them. All views expressed here are subjective and based on the gear used. You can purchase Cozoy Takt-C for $110 from HiFiGo from the following link:
https://hifigo.com/products/cozoy-t...-dsd-hifi-decoder?_pos=1&_sid=02d6ad0bb&_ss=r
About
Cozoy Takt-C is an USB-C DAC. It uses ESS9018Q2M DAC chipset. Takt-C is made up of aluminum, which is nice to hold. It has 3.5mm SE output. It has three buttons on its façade, one each for play/pause, volume up and down functions. Buttons are very small and pretty difficult to use for big hands, especially closely placed volume up and down buttons. Overall, body size is on taller side. Cable quality is poor. Which is a letdown considering its price point of $110 and $50 iBasso’s DC01 has better cable.
Sound Analysis
Bass quantity and quality is very good. Sub-bass rumble is good. Bass attack and decay speeds are fast.
Mids sound natural, clear with good amounts of details. Vocals are right at center. Female vocals sound quite lively and energetic, whereas male vocals sound little less energetic.
Dynamics are very good. Detail retrieval capabilities are very good for the DAC of this size. Soundstage has good width and decent depth. Instrument separation is good. Attack and decay of instruments are pretty good. Imaging capabilities are good.
Treble has good extension, with good detailing. May sound harsh when paired with brighter IEMs.
Overall Takt-C has good sonic capabilities. Where it falters is in its size, which is too tall and in the amount of heat it generates, which is too much. Even with easy to drive IEMs, it becomes quite hot after a single song! And it becomes too hot during extended usage.
It drains off smartphone’s battery pretty fast too. In my testing I found it sipping 10% of my smartphone’s battery in an hour.
Verdict
Sonically Takt-C performs quite good and provides decent upgrade over a smartphone’s jack. But at $110, it’s hard to recommend it over a $50 iBasso DC01, considering its shortcomings in its size, poor cable and the absurd heat it generates.
Disclaimer:
Queen of Audio Mojito IEM has been sent to me for review purpose by HiFiGo. I am in no way related to them nor working for them. Shared opinion is based on my listening and my sources. You can purchase Mojito from HiFiGo from the link provided below.
https://hifigo.com/products/2020-qo...-ear-earphone-iem?_pos=3&_sid=e35d4b4d6&_ss=r
About:
Queen of Audio, a Chinese brand, is a sister company of much popular Chinese IEM manufacturer, Kinera. Queen of Audio’s lineup consist of Vesper, Pink Lady, and Mojito. Today’s product of review is Mojito, a 6-BA(4-Knowles and 2 Sonion) driver per side universal monitor, which can be purchased for $399 from the link given above.
Fit, Build & Design:
Design of Mojito is very good. QoA released Mojito in three exciting colors: Aqua Blue, Amber Orange, and Grape Sparkling Wine. I got Grape Sparkling Wine colored one for review, and it looks very nice. The choice of the shell color and matching cable and ear tips bring uniformity and looks very good. Cable is of pure copper and silver mix hybrid cable. Cable does look supple and nice to hold. Fit and finish are very good, and isolation is very good too, with less outside noise coming in.
Sources Used:
I have used my only DAP, Cayin N6ii w/A01 module for this review purpose.
Sound Analysis:
Bass
In one word, Mojito lacks bass. Bass quantity is bare minimum. There is no sub-bass rumble. Quantity is so less that you feel bassy songs like Royals by Lorde as bass shy. Drum beats sound unnatural and tinny in the above song and in Issues by Julia Michaels. Bass quality and texture is okay, but quantity is too less taking away the enjoyment factor out of music.
Mids
Mojito’s poor tuning continues here too. Mids lack naturalness and body. Vocals sound dull, lifeless and lack emotions. Mids are somewhat better with N6ii’s other module E02, but still sound off.
Detail Retrieval & Dynamics
This is refreshing section for Mojito after failing in two previous sections. Mojito’s detail retrieval capabilities are quite good, It fares better here than in bass and mids section. But still falls short of what it’s price range demands. Dynamics are pretty good too.
Soundstage, Imaging, & Separation
Mojito’s soundstage has decent width and good depth. In the song Liberty by Anette Askvik, there is a good representation of depth with vocals placed at center. Cymbals sound crisp. Imaging capabilities are quite good. Instrument separation is quite decent, but shows slight congestion in higher notes.
Treble
Mojito falters again after showing decent performance in detail retrieval and soundstage. It gets back to its uneven tuning. Treble is rolled off. Lack extension and energy. Flutes and sopranos lack energy and extension. Upper treble region sound little congested and tinny.
Comparison
Fearless Audio S8F
S8F is my first and favorite IEM in its price range. Sound wise there’s nothing going for Mojito in this comparison. S8F is far better in every aspect, it has better bass, in quantity and quality. S8F’s mids are more clear, natural and detailed. S8F’s treble is well extended and energetic. And S8F is a detail monster and brings everything in music. S8F has little wider and deeper soundstage. Pricewise S8F is just $90 over Mojito, but sound wise its leagues ahead.
Verdict
I had reviewed Queen of Audio’s debut IEM, Pink Lady and found it poorly tuned. And with Mojito, at $399, I expected better things. But, unfortunately it isn’t any different from its $110 little brother. QoA Mojito is a tasteless bland cocktail. Except the decent soundstage and detail retrieval capabilities(even these doesn’t fit $399 price tag), its overall tuning is wonky. There’s nothing in it to justify its price tag. Add another $90 and get Fearless Audio S8F or look elsewhere if S8F’s intensive nature is not for you.
Queen of Audio Mojito IEM has been sent to me for review purpose by HiFiGo. I am in no way related to them nor working for them. Shared opinion is based on my listening and my sources. You can purchase Mojito from HiFiGo from the link provided below.
https://hifigo.com/products/2020-qo...-ear-earphone-iem?_pos=3&_sid=e35d4b4d6&_ss=r
About:
Queen of Audio, a Chinese brand, is a sister company of much popular Chinese IEM manufacturer, Kinera. Queen of Audio’s lineup consist of Vesper, Pink Lady, and Mojito. Today’s product of review is Mojito, a 6-BA(4-Knowles and 2 Sonion) driver per side universal monitor, which can be purchased for $399 from the link given above.
Fit, Build & Design:
Design of Mojito is very good. QoA released Mojito in three exciting colors: Aqua Blue, Amber Orange, and Grape Sparkling Wine. I got Grape Sparkling Wine colored one for review, and it looks very nice. The choice of the shell color and matching cable and ear tips bring uniformity and looks very good. Cable is of pure copper and silver mix hybrid cable. Cable does look supple and nice to hold. Fit and finish are very good, and isolation is very good too, with less outside noise coming in.
Sources Used:
I have used my only DAP, Cayin N6ii w/A01 module for this review purpose.
Sound Analysis:
Bass
In one word, Mojito lacks bass. Bass quantity is bare minimum. There is no sub-bass rumble. Quantity is so less that you feel bassy songs like Royals by Lorde as bass shy. Drum beats sound unnatural and tinny in the above song and in Issues by Julia Michaels. Bass quality and texture is okay, but quantity is too less taking away the enjoyment factor out of music.
Mids
Mojito’s poor tuning continues here too. Mids lack naturalness and body. Vocals sound dull, lifeless and lack emotions. Mids are somewhat better with N6ii’s other module E02, but still sound off.
Detail Retrieval & Dynamics
This is refreshing section for Mojito after failing in two previous sections. Mojito’s detail retrieval capabilities are quite good, It fares better here than in bass and mids section. But still falls short of what it’s price range demands. Dynamics are pretty good too.
Soundstage, Imaging, & Separation
Mojito’s soundstage has decent width and good depth. In the song Liberty by Anette Askvik, there is a good representation of depth with vocals placed at center. Cymbals sound crisp. Imaging capabilities are quite good. Instrument separation is quite decent, but shows slight congestion in higher notes.
Treble
Mojito falters again after showing decent performance in detail retrieval and soundstage. It gets back to its uneven tuning. Treble is rolled off. Lack extension and energy. Flutes and sopranos lack energy and extension. Upper treble region sound little congested and tinny.
Comparison
Fearless Audio S8F
S8F is my first and favorite IEM in its price range. Sound wise there’s nothing going for Mojito in this comparison. S8F is far better in every aspect, it has better bass, in quantity and quality. S8F’s mids are more clear, natural and detailed. S8F’s treble is well extended and energetic. And S8F is a detail monster and brings everything in music. S8F has little wider and deeper soundstage. Pricewise S8F is just $90 over Mojito, but sound wise its leagues ahead.
Verdict
I had reviewed Queen of Audio’s debut IEM, Pink Lady and found it poorly tuned. And with Mojito, at $399, I expected better things. But, unfortunately it isn’t any different from its $110 little brother. QoA Mojito is a tasteless bland cocktail. Except the decent soundstage and detail retrieval capabilities(even these doesn’t fit $399 price tag), its overall tuning is wonky. There’s nothing in it to justify its price tag. Add another $90 and get Fearless Audio S8F or look elsewhere if S8F’s intensive nature is not for you.
Queen of Audio Pink Lady Review – Bassy Mess!
Disclaimer:
Queen of Audio Pink Lady IEM has been sent to me for review purpose by HiFiGo. I am in no way related to them nor working for them. Shared opinion is based on my listening and my sources. You can purchase Pink Lady from HiFiGo from the link provided below.
https://hifigo.com/collections/qoa/...-hybrid-3-driver-in-ear-monitor-hifi-earphone
About:
Queen of Audio, a Chinese brand, is a sister company of much popular Chinese IEM manufacturer, Kinera. Queen of Audio’s lineup consist of Vesper, Pink Lady, and Mojito. Today’s product of review is Pink Lady, a 3-driver - two BA and one 10mm dynamic driver universal monitor, which can be purchased for $119 from the link given above.
Fit, Build & Design:
Pink Lady, as with the name, comes only in a pink shade. It is made of solidly built semi-custom acrylic shell. Faceplate shows off QoA logo, in a quite stylish way. It uses 2-pin, 0.78mm connectors and they are placed in a slightly recessed housing. Design and finish are very good, with faceplate and shell seamlessly put together. Fit is very good with its semi-custom shell design, providing decent levels of isolation. Nozzle has no lip, and hence eartips stay in ears sometimes whenever IEMs are taken out. Provided cable is of decent quality and is tangle prone. Cable is of 8-core copper and SPC hybrid variety, with black shielding around it.
Sources Used:
I have used my only DAP, Cayin N6ii w/A01 module for this review purpose.
Sound Analysis:
In a nutshell, Pink Lady doesn’t impress me with its sound quality, with a particular frequency messing up with everything else.
Bass. Bass comes in a ton load with Pink Lady. Too much in quantity, and minimal quality. Bass is damn slow and lack of control in sub-bass region means it overshadows other regions so much that overall sound feels muffled, uninteresting. Mids lack clarity due to this and placement is too backwards, that only upper-mids sound somewhat clear. Only upper-mids have decent tonality. Instruments sound muffled, lack that natural timbre. Soundstage is pretty decent with good depth than width. Depth representation is somewhat a silver-lining for this poorly tuned IEM. Instrument separation and imaging is decent. Treble is rolled off apart from being overwhelmed by that bass bleed. Treble lacks extension.
Overall, I find Pink Lady’s sonic performance is inconsistent, with bass shadowing every frequency range. I didn’t try doing all that tip rolling stuff as I was totally not at all impressed with what had been dished out in the form of Pink Lady’s tuning.
Verdict
Pink Lady is poorly tuned and messy product from Queen of Audio. Too much bass bleed. Muffled sound. Hard to pick an area where it performs good sonically. Perhaps, decent soundstage depth, may be, for its price. But that isn’t enough to save this. I don’t have any IEM in the similar price range to compare, but had ikko OH10 once, and I feel it far superior than this in all respects. Agreed it costs 70$ more, but it’s worth to save a little more and getting it instead or any other IEM from Moondrop or Thieaudio in this price range.
Disclaimer:
Queen of Audio Pink Lady IEM has been sent to me for review purpose by HiFiGo. I am in no way related to them nor working for them. Shared opinion is based on my listening and my sources. You can purchase Pink Lady from HiFiGo from the link provided below.
https://hifigo.com/collections/qoa/...-hybrid-3-driver-in-ear-monitor-hifi-earphone
About:
Queen of Audio, a Chinese brand, is a sister company of much popular Chinese IEM manufacturer, Kinera. Queen of Audio’s lineup consist of Vesper, Pink Lady, and Mojito. Today’s product of review is Pink Lady, a 3-driver - two BA and one 10mm dynamic driver universal monitor, which can be purchased for $119 from the link given above.
Fit, Build & Design:
Pink Lady, as with the name, comes only in a pink shade. It is made of solidly built semi-custom acrylic shell. Faceplate shows off QoA logo, in a quite stylish way. It uses 2-pin, 0.78mm connectors and they are placed in a slightly recessed housing. Design and finish are very good, with faceplate and shell seamlessly put together. Fit is very good with its semi-custom shell design, providing decent levels of isolation. Nozzle has no lip, and hence eartips stay in ears sometimes whenever IEMs are taken out. Provided cable is of decent quality and is tangle prone. Cable is of 8-core copper and SPC hybrid variety, with black shielding around it.
Sources Used:
I have used my only DAP, Cayin N6ii w/A01 module for this review purpose.
Sound Analysis:
In a nutshell, Pink Lady doesn’t impress me with its sound quality, with a particular frequency messing up with everything else.
Bass. Bass comes in a ton load with Pink Lady. Too much in quantity, and minimal quality. Bass is damn slow and lack of control in sub-bass region means it overshadows other regions so much that overall sound feels muffled, uninteresting. Mids lack clarity due to this and placement is too backwards, that only upper-mids sound somewhat clear. Only upper-mids have decent tonality. Instruments sound muffled, lack that natural timbre. Soundstage is pretty decent with good depth than width. Depth representation is somewhat a silver-lining for this poorly tuned IEM. Instrument separation and imaging is decent. Treble is rolled off apart from being overwhelmed by that bass bleed. Treble lacks extension.
Overall, I find Pink Lady’s sonic performance is inconsistent, with bass shadowing every frequency range. I didn’t try doing all that tip rolling stuff as I was totally not at all impressed with what had been dished out in the form of Pink Lady’s tuning.
Verdict
Pink Lady is poorly tuned and messy product from Queen of Audio. Too much bass bleed. Muffled sound. Hard to pick an area where it performs good sonically. Perhaps, decent soundstage depth, may be, for its price. But that isn’t enough to save this. I don’t have any IEM in the similar price range to compare, but had ikko OH10 once, and I feel it far superior than this in all respects. Agreed it costs 70$ more, but it’s worth to save a little more and getting it instead or any other IEM from Moondrop or Thieaudio in this price range.
Otto Motor
Yep! Agreed!
Lypertek Tevi Review
About
Lypertek, a Chinese audio brand, recently shot to fame with their successful truly wireless IEM, Tevi, which I am going to review in a moment. Lypertek has few products under its belt, 2 IEMs and 1 TWS IEM. Their products carry an unique naming schemes with all the three having rhyming names: Mevi, Bevi & Tevi. For now this review is all about their first truly wireless IEM offering, Tevi, which caught everyone’s attention by providing better performance than its competitors in its price range. Tevi is priced very aggressively at INR 6,999 or $90. Tevi uses a high performance 6mm graphene driver and supports all major Bluetooth codecs available. And is powered by Qualcomm’s high-end Bluetooth audio SOC. You can buy Tevi from either of these links below.
https://www.headphonezone.in/collections/lypertek/products/lypertek-tevi
https://www.lypertek.com/shop
Package, Design & Build Quality
Lypertek Tevi comes in a small white box, containing the earbuds, charging case, USB-C charging cable and few extra ear tips. Packaging is pretty much standard across many brands, and Lypertek does not do anything new. Earpieces are made of plastic and look solidly built. Each earpiece’s faceplate holds a button with brand’s naming printed on it and a charging notification LED light. You can use the buttons to answer/decline calls, music control and to use your phone’s voice assistant. Buttons have to pressed a little harder to work and this makes it less intuitive. The earpieces are of slightly bigger size and protrude out of ear and one has to use provided foam tips to avoid any movement while you are doing any activity.
Charging case is also made of plastic and wrapped in a fabric which makes it nicer to hold. Case is on bigger size to allot more battery in it. Opening the case will show off the charging holders for earpieces, which are spaced out nicely. The hinge of the case does not feel confident inspiring though. The charging case has 4 LED light indicators at the front indicating the battery charge left. Overall fit and finish is fine and stays true to the price range it caters to.
Connectivity
I have used my phone Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus extensively to test Tevi. Connectivity with my phone is quite good with few niggles. Wireless range is very good. The few niggles I faced in my usage are 1. It got itself disconnected and re-connected to my phone thrice in a day’s usage and 2. Mic quality is not that good. The call receiver will hear external voices more louder than caller’s voice even if caller’s talking quite louder and the other issue I found with the mic, receiver will hear a peculiar tapping noise while the caller is walking at leisurely pace. Apart from these connectivity is quite good and stays consistent throughout usage.
And all these come after establishing a connection with my phone. Which is where Tevi lacks the simplicity of few of it’s competitors say like, Samsung Galaxy Buds+ and RHA TrueConnect have. I had to take out the right earpiece first from the charging case to get both earpieces connected at a time to my phone. If the left earpiece is taken out first, you only be able to connect that earpiece and not the right. You have to connect right earpiece separately, which won’t be that straight forward and is a hassle. You can use just a single earpiece without taking out the other, no issue with that, but if you want to use both of them, you have to take the right one out of the charging case first to avoid hassles.
Sound Analysis
Tevi, in a nutshell, is a very good truly wireless IEM as far as sound quality is concerned. It has a neutral sound and yet quite enjoyable to listen to and all that comes at a bargain price.
Tevi’s bass is on the neutral side with just the right amounts of slam when called for making it enjoyable. Bass attack and decay is quite fast and is very controlled and there is no bleed into the mids section. But, bass depth is less, which I wish it had more of it.
Mids are balanced and natural with good note thickness, placement is right at center. Upper mids though seems to have more emphasis and has more sparkle in here making mids section little energetic. Female voices sound slightly more energetic than male voices. Cymbals sound natural. It has good natural tonality.
Detail retrieval, imaging and layering all are very good for the price. It has slightly less micro-details but can’t ask more for the price and it is very good in these at its price point.
Soundstage is decent. It has got fair depth and width, enough to not have any congestion. Instrument separation is also pretty good, though it may sound slightly congested in busy tracks during high notes. Instrument timbre sound natural.
Treble has good extension and has good detailing too. But I found Tevi to be on the brighter side of things on particular songs. Not overly bright, but bright enough to trouble some.
Latency
I have used Tevi while streaming videos and found that it has little latency at the beginning of the video but later on it’s perfectly fine and no latency seen after that.
Battery Life
This is going to be another deciding factor to Tevi’s success story apart from the sound quality. Tevi has exceptionally good battery life. Earpieces lasted a good 8 hours for me on a single charge and the charging case providing another 7 more charges on a single charge of its own. This is all due to the bigger batteries placed inside both the earpieces and the charging case.
Comparison
Samsung Galaxy Buds+
Galaxy Buds+ is Samsung’s latest offering in truly wireless IEM segment and is priced at INR 10490 or you can get them for INR 8500 if you buy through Samsung Corporate website. Buds+ has an upper hand over Tevi in connectivity, connecting Buds+ is a breeze on any phone and even more on a Samsung. Just download the app on non-Samsung phones and opening the case connects both the buds to the phone in an instant, and they have better call quality than Tevi too. And touch control on Buds+ seem to work more intuitively than Tevi’s. Buds+ have a stellar battery life, with earbuds running for 10-11 hours on single charge. But Tevi has got an upper hand when it comes to the charging case, Tevi’s charging case is bigger in size and battery capacity, it can charge earpieces 7 times compared to Buds+ case which can only charge buds twice being smaller in size and hence overall battery life is just superior in Tevi. As far as sound quality is concerned, Buds+ takes the cake here. Just. Though difference is quite close. Buds+ do seem to have slightly better overall clarity and better treble control than the Tevi. Both sound very neutral, with Tevi having little brighter highs.
Verdict
Priced at INR 6,999 or $90, Tevi has many things going for it. It has got good build quality, exceptionally good sound quality, decent call quality, good connectivity, and stellar battery life. It has its share of issues, but all those are minor. Overall, Tevi is an exceptionally good TWS IEM. Well worth the money.
About
Lypertek, a Chinese audio brand, recently shot to fame with their successful truly wireless IEM, Tevi, which I am going to review in a moment. Lypertek has few products under its belt, 2 IEMs and 1 TWS IEM. Their products carry an unique naming schemes with all the three having rhyming names: Mevi, Bevi & Tevi. For now this review is all about their first truly wireless IEM offering, Tevi, which caught everyone’s attention by providing better performance than its competitors in its price range. Tevi is priced very aggressively at INR 6,999 or $90. Tevi uses a high performance 6mm graphene driver and supports all major Bluetooth codecs available. And is powered by Qualcomm’s high-end Bluetooth audio SOC. You can buy Tevi from either of these links below.
https://www.headphonezone.in/collections/lypertek/products/lypertek-tevi
https://www.lypertek.com/shop
Package, Design & Build Quality
Lypertek Tevi comes in a small white box, containing the earbuds, charging case, USB-C charging cable and few extra ear tips. Packaging is pretty much standard across many brands, and Lypertek does not do anything new. Earpieces are made of plastic and look solidly built. Each earpiece’s faceplate holds a button with brand’s naming printed on it and a charging notification LED light. You can use the buttons to answer/decline calls, music control and to use your phone’s voice assistant. Buttons have to pressed a little harder to work and this makes it less intuitive. The earpieces are of slightly bigger size and protrude out of ear and one has to use provided foam tips to avoid any movement while you are doing any activity.
Charging case is also made of plastic and wrapped in a fabric which makes it nicer to hold. Case is on bigger size to allot more battery in it. Opening the case will show off the charging holders for earpieces, which are spaced out nicely. The hinge of the case does not feel confident inspiring though. The charging case has 4 LED light indicators at the front indicating the battery charge left. Overall fit and finish is fine and stays true to the price range it caters to.
Connectivity
I have used my phone Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus extensively to test Tevi. Connectivity with my phone is quite good with few niggles. Wireless range is very good. The few niggles I faced in my usage are 1. It got itself disconnected and re-connected to my phone thrice in a day’s usage and 2. Mic quality is not that good. The call receiver will hear external voices more louder than caller’s voice even if caller’s talking quite louder and the other issue I found with the mic, receiver will hear a peculiar tapping noise while the caller is walking at leisurely pace. Apart from these connectivity is quite good and stays consistent throughout usage.
And all these come after establishing a connection with my phone. Which is where Tevi lacks the simplicity of few of it’s competitors say like, Samsung Galaxy Buds+ and RHA TrueConnect have. I had to take out the right earpiece first from the charging case to get both earpieces connected at a time to my phone. If the left earpiece is taken out first, you only be able to connect that earpiece and not the right. You have to connect right earpiece separately, which won’t be that straight forward and is a hassle. You can use just a single earpiece without taking out the other, no issue with that, but if you want to use both of them, you have to take the right one out of the charging case first to avoid hassles.
Sound Analysis
Tevi, in a nutshell, is a very good truly wireless IEM as far as sound quality is concerned. It has a neutral sound and yet quite enjoyable to listen to and all that comes at a bargain price.
Tevi’s bass is on the neutral side with just the right amounts of slam when called for making it enjoyable. Bass attack and decay is quite fast and is very controlled and there is no bleed into the mids section. But, bass depth is less, which I wish it had more of it.
Mids are balanced and natural with good note thickness, placement is right at center. Upper mids though seems to have more emphasis and has more sparkle in here making mids section little energetic. Female voices sound slightly more energetic than male voices. Cymbals sound natural. It has good natural tonality.
Detail retrieval, imaging and layering all are very good for the price. It has slightly less micro-details but can’t ask more for the price and it is very good in these at its price point.
Soundstage is decent. It has got fair depth and width, enough to not have any congestion. Instrument separation is also pretty good, though it may sound slightly congested in busy tracks during high notes. Instrument timbre sound natural.
Treble has good extension and has good detailing too. But I found Tevi to be on the brighter side of things on particular songs. Not overly bright, but bright enough to trouble some.
Latency
I have used Tevi while streaming videos and found that it has little latency at the beginning of the video but later on it’s perfectly fine and no latency seen after that.
Battery Life
This is going to be another deciding factor to Tevi’s success story apart from the sound quality. Tevi has exceptionally good battery life. Earpieces lasted a good 8 hours for me on a single charge and the charging case providing another 7 more charges on a single charge of its own. This is all due to the bigger batteries placed inside both the earpieces and the charging case.
Comparison
Samsung Galaxy Buds+
Galaxy Buds+ is Samsung’s latest offering in truly wireless IEM segment and is priced at INR 10490 or you can get them for INR 8500 if you buy through Samsung Corporate website. Buds+ has an upper hand over Tevi in connectivity, connecting Buds+ is a breeze on any phone and even more on a Samsung. Just download the app on non-Samsung phones and opening the case connects both the buds to the phone in an instant, and they have better call quality than Tevi too. And touch control on Buds+ seem to work more intuitively than Tevi’s. Buds+ have a stellar battery life, with earbuds running for 10-11 hours on single charge. But Tevi has got an upper hand when it comes to the charging case, Tevi’s charging case is bigger in size and battery capacity, it can charge earpieces 7 times compared to Buds+ case which can only charge buds twice being smaller in size and hence overall battery life is just superior in Tevi. As far as sound quality is concerned, Buds+ takes the cake here. Just. Though difference is quite close. Buds+ do seem to have slightly better overall clarity and better treble control than the Tevi. Both sound very neutral, with Tevi having little brighter highs.
Verdict
Priced at INR 6,999 or $90, Tevi has many things going for it. It has got good build quality, exceptionally good sound quality, decent call quality, good connectivity, and stellar battery life. It has its share of issues, but all those are minor. Overall, Tevi is an exceptionally good TWS IEM. Well worth the money.
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