Audiofly, a brand well known for its precisely tuned BA based earphones might not be making a lot of wave in the market but those who know know that what is does is rarely found in the market. They make a handful of earphones ranging grom single DD to 6 driver earphones and some hybrid earphones in-between. They very recently brought out all their earphones with a revised tuning with MK2 prefix to the names. The subordinate to their latest AF1120 mk2 is the AF180 mk2. Housing 4BA drivers per side the AF180 was their flagship a couple of years ago, before the AF1120 was introduced and was known for it's pinpoint accuracy. Not a lot has changed with the AF180 mk2, just a bit of tuning refinement with slightly smaller shell and universally compatible MMCX port are the only changes made. (more on this at "what it feels like").

Nothing has really changed as far as the earphone is concerned. It looks exactly like the last generation. The driver count is same with 4BA drivers per side. Price is same too at $499 and comes in only black color.




ACCESSORIES AND PACKAGING:-

What really has changed with the MK2 series is the package. It looks more premium and refined. The unboxing experience still is very exciting. The biggest visual change is the carry case, it used to be a semi hard cloth case, it is now a proper crushproof water resistant carry case, adding more class to the new MK2 generation.

It ships with exactly same type of accessories as the old generation, same 9 pairs of tips. 3 pairs of triple flange, 3 pairs of comply T100 foam tips and another 3 pairs of single flange tips, sums up the list of tips. There is an airplane adapter, a quarter inch adapter and an user manual sums up the list of accessories.

I would have liked a cable clip, but its not a thing for most.




HOW IS THE CABLE:-

The af180mk2 uses the exactly same cable as the 1st gen. The coredura cable still is in charge of delivering the sound to the ears. It is if very good quality but the market has moved on to more premium cables.

AF180 MK2 comes with their trademark Audioflex cable, the cable is of very good quality, its light weight when compared with cables from other brands and has very little microphonics. It's not bouncy and is supple. The Audioflex cable is reinforced with CORDURA fiber technology, a layer of fiber that covers the cable from the 3.5mm jack to the cable splitter, protecting it from any kind of mishap. I have to admit that this cable guide is one the best one can find on earphones.

The cable is slightly on the thinner side. the past after the cable splitter doesn't look exactly strong when compared to what other brands are shipping with their earphones in this price range. It is not the supplest either. It has some memory but not bothering. Winding the cable is not a pain. There is little amount of microphonics with this cable, it does slightly worse than the Dunu duw-02 and is similar to the Pola symphonium cable.



HOW DOES IT FEEL:-

Build quality:- As I mentioned earlier nothing has really changed with the shell and the way the earphone looks, If put side by side one can't tell them apart. The material too is exactly same. It is made out of good quality plastic which can take a hit or two. Use of light weight material like plastic makes the earpieces more stable in the ear as it doesn't try to pop out because of its own weight.

Comfort and ergonomics:- Where the last gen had a notch in its mmcx connector making it inaccessible for aftermarket cables, the MK2 has done away with it.

It still is one of the most comfortable earphones in the market which doesn't have a semi custom type shell. The small form factor helps a lot with fitment, even people with small ears can accommodate it inside their ears without any problem. The long nozzle helps with deep insertion and giving the earphone a very secure feel inside the ear. All the ear tips provided with the AF180mk2 are fairly comfortable.

It is designed to sit effortlessly in the ear. It sits plush in my ears without sticking out, easy on ears and comfortable to say the least, the longer and narrow nozzle plays a good part here. I like the way the supple cable guides do their job, sits firmly and comfortably over the ear holding the ears tightly without any scope of uncomfortable movements, no adjustment required.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The MK2 has exact quad driver configuration as the 1st gen. 2ba drivers for bass, one for mid and one for highs.

The AF180 used to be dead flat with a slightly over emphasized treble presence. It delivered a reference sound with little room for improvements but the mk2 has curbed the treble a bit and have added some bass presence to the mix. Instead of being dead flat it is now livelier. Where the last gen was slightly mid forward the MK2 is more balanced with the rest of the spectrum. It still is a typical BA based earphone with its mind at details only but now with some refinement.

The sound signature is slightly bright and very neutral with tonality and timber.



Tips Preference:-

I advice to use foam tips as they give a better sense of space and sounds more out of the head where as triple flange and single flange silicone tips produce more in the head type of stage. With foam tips sound stage is slightly better than average with decent depth and width with good height. With silicone tips it becomes taller, conical and shallow.

SPECS TALK AND MATCHABILITY:-

Even when specs suggest an impedance of 16ohm and 104db sensitivity at 1k it's not one of the loudest earphones around. But the good news is you can drive the AF180 out of any portable device, it might not be able bring the best out of it (specially mid and lower end mobile phones) as AF180 demands some power but you will not feel like you are missing out on a lot.

It is one of the rare earphones which sound good with Tempotec V1a. It does lack a bit of treble extension but nothing else is hampered. It is advised to use good daps to enjoy the AF180mk2 fully. It does enjoy some power and feeding it properly opens the sound up with better stage size and more perceived micro details.

BASS:-

I was very impressed with the last gen AF180 but complained specially about the dual BA driver configuration for the lower end doesn't translate into the thump or weight I was expecting from them. The AF180 mk2 as I had mentioned earlier has added some bass body. It now feels slightly meatier and fuller. Don't expect it to blow you away with the bass body or thump, it is a typical BA type sound with snappy decay and less oomph. Bass notes don't just arrive and vanish into thin air but don't precipitate as much as they should. There is good amount of sub-bass extension while delivering good amount of rumble. Mid bass is not exactly meaty or full when compared to earphones like the DK-2001 or IMR R2 aten but compared to accuracy minded earphones like ER-4P and q-jays it manages to deliver some more bass body. Upper bass is nicely controlled with very good accuracy.

The quantity is slightly more than ER-4P and marginally less than Avara AV3. Quality wise it lends in between the Fibae 3 and ER-4P. The AF180 mk2 has a lower end that aims for accuracy and precision while delivering plenty of details and retaining acceptable amount of texture. It does not deliver thumpy bass but manages to keep one engaged.

MID:-

I personally love mid rage and, this is where the magic happens. The only driver assigned for the mid range delivers a lot of details with fantastic clarity and transparency. The mid range is nicely balanced with the rest of the spectrum. The transition from upper bass to lower mid range is the best one can find in this price range. There no loss in energy or details at all.

Vocals sound crisp and clear with natural tonality, the decay is slightly on the faster side giving the notes a sharper feeling. Both male and female vocals sound accurate. Male vocals have slightly slower decay, giving them a nice throaty feel. Female vocals are sharper with accurate notes depth and are a delight with plenty of bite. Vocal notes have very good texture to them with a lot of resolution and transparency. It delivers accurate still enjoyable vocals. Instruments have a lot of attack and bite to them. Notes are sharp and to the point with fantastic precision and accuracy. The upper mind rage is exceptionally clean and vivid. With added brilliance to it, it shines with a lot of details and clarity. The overall experience is nothing short of delightful here.

Layering and separation is of top notch with good amount of air between the instruments. The stage size is bigger than a handful of earphone in this price range like the Shozy Pentacle and Fibae Black. Even when the stage is big it doesn't sound hollow thanks to even distribution of instruments.

HIGHS:-

The AF180 mk2 has only one driver for the treble and it performs delightfully. The transition from upper mid to lower treble is as good as it gets. There is no loss of details or energy. The entire treble region has fantastic energy and clarity. Aided by exceptional transparency it is easy to pick micro details. The lower treble delivers class leading clarity, resolution and details. Notes are fairly sharp, sharpness more than that would have made it uncomfortable.

The AF180 mk2 has fantastic treble extension. It feels endless and the best part is that even when it goes deep into the spectrum notes maintain high amount of energy. If you love treble, this is what you will love.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys top end energy and spark, The 180 mk2 will bring you plenty of satisfaction. It's just fantastic. The amount of details, resolution and energy is class leading. Needless to say that separation and layering is up to the mark with good amount of air and space between instruments. The treble stage is well spread and has very good density to it.




COMPARISONS:-

VS Fibae 3 (525 euros):-

The 3BA earphone is tuned for a more musical output and less analytical.

Even when it has only one BA for bass it manages to deliver bigger bass body. The sub-bass have similar extension but better rumble and movement of air. The mid bass is similar in size but is slightly slower with decay. None is full with body, Fibae 3 is slightly healthier here. Mid range of the 3 is lush and smooth with a feel good touch, but the AF180 mk2 delivers more details and clarity while picking better amount of micro details. Vocals of the 3 is thick and more pleasing, the mk2 is more precise and tight. Treble of both the earphones have fantastic extension. Where the 3 lacks a bit of lower treble energy and picks up as it goes deeper into the spectrum the 180 mk2 maintains the energy across the whole spectrum. Stage wise the AF180 is bigger, especially with width and hieght while the depth is similar.

The AF180 mk2 is more technical where the Fibae 3 is more musical.

VS DUNU DK-2001 ($299):-

The 2001 has totally different sound signature.

It is bassier with plenty of slam and boom. The sub-bass has similar extension but the 2001 has more air movement and rumble. Mid bass is meatier and fuller with slower decay speed delivering more texture. Mid range is slightly less forward. Notes are not as sharp and fast as the 180. Vocals are smoother with nice texture and throaty feel to them. The overall amount of details is slightly lacking against the highly transparent 180 mk2. Treble has similar extension but the 180 mk2 maintains even amount of energy and notes sharpness across the region. Stage size of the 2001 is more evenly spread. The 180 mk2 has better dpth but 2001 has more rounded width and height.

AF180 mk2 is more detailed and precise.

VS IMR R2 Aten (400 euros):-

The R2 equipped with dynamic driver deliver fuller and meatier bass notes with a wholesome slam. Both have similar sub-bass extension but the rumble is more enjoyable on the R2. The decay speed is slow here but has slightly better texture with the notes. Mid range is fairly balanced but AF180 MK2 deliver better transparency and micro details have slightly better transparency. Vocals sound pleasing on both, it’s a matter of timber, if you like it slightly dry and accurate the MK2 is prefect, if you want it to be a bit juicy the R2 is fantastic. Treble region of the MK2 is mind blowing as it maintains exceptional amount of energy throughout the region. R2 has similar extension but the energy decreases a bit as it goes deeper.

Stage size of the R2 is considerably bigger than the MK2 in every direction. Layering and separation is good here but MK2 has more accurate and pinpoint instrument placement.



CONCLUSION:-

If you love a lot of details with your music, you will love the AF180 MK2. If you think your current earphone sounds a bit muddy and you are unable to extract the best out of your music the AF180 MK2 will let you do it without breaking a sweat. Just don’t expect it to go boom at your command, it does respond to EQ but still don’t expect it to deliver bassy wooly notes and you are good to go.

I personally love the AF180 MK2 as one of the most neutral and natural sounding earphone which doesn’t make any compromises when it comes to details and audio quality. If you like what you read here you will love what you will get. AF180 MK2 is one of the best $500 IEM for those who love details over other things. Build quality and ergonomics is very good and accompanied with good quality accessories and hard case it delivers a complete package.

Thanks for reading guys!! Have a nice time, Enjoy!!

INTRO:-
All of us who are interested in budget chi-fi earphones must have heard about BQEYZ, pronounced BQ eyes, they are one of the most popular chi-fi brands in the market. With earphones like KB100, KC2 and K2 they have a very good reputation among budget audiophiles. Most of their earphones hover in the range of $30 to $70 with a hybrid setup inside them, delivering good amount of bass, nice details and hell lot of value for money.

With the Spring1 they have ventured into a considerably more expensive price bracket where none of its competing value for money brands dares to trade in. The Spring1 houses a 13mm dynamic driver along with a 7 Layers piezoelectric driver and a Balanced Armature driver. They haven't specified the crossover of drivers or which driver is for which part of the spectrum though.

The Spring 1 come in two color schemes, Black gold and Blue gold and is priced at $139. Being the Flagship IEM of BQEYZ the Spring 1 faces tough competition from Moondrop KXXS, TSMR 2 and even the last generation earphone like Brainwavz B400 and simgot EN700 pro are giving it tough times.



Specifications:

1. Item：Spring 1

2. Dynamic Driver: 13mm

3. Impedance: 43Ω

4. Sensitivity: 108dB

5. Frequency: 7-40KHz

6. Cable Length: 1.2m

7. Pin Type: 0.78mm-2 Pin

8. Plug Type: 3.5mm

9. Driver units: 13mm Coaxial dynamic driver+7 Layers piezo electric+Balanced armature

9. Mic: Without

You can get one for yourself from this link:-

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/4000122244534.html

Let's run through the Spring1 and its contemporaries and see how they stand against each other.

WHAT YOU GET OUT OF THE BOX:-

The Spring1 comes in a tidy looking retail box and a simple packaging style. All the accessories including the cable are placed inside the bigger than average carry case. It has plenty of space for to carry the earphone around.

Even when it is priced considerably more than their best selling earphones the Spring1 doesn't ship with a lot of tips. There is a set of two types of tips in S/M/L sizes. The atmosphere tips favor bass and reference set of tips are self explanatory. There is one pair of foam tip in M size but it doesn't fit my ear sadly, I would have liked a large size Foam tip, just for versatility.

The informative leaflet and a cable tie complete the list of accessories.











HOW IS THE CABLE :-

The cheaper earphones from BQEYZ come with a generic cable used by many chi-fi brands but the Spring1 ships with an eight core upgrade cable. It is one of the best cables that ships with earphones under $150. The build quality seems very strong and feels good in hand. There is some heft to it but it is not bothering at all.

The quality of the cores is good. There is a nice layer of rubber on them, it is supple and doesn't have much microphinics too. The braiding is tight, not as tight as the Penon OS849 but is slightly tighter than the BGVP VG4 stock cable.

The Spring1's stock cable compliments it nicely, giving it a premium feel. It is one of the good cables that ships with earphones under $300, earphone priced at $1000+ like InEar StageDiver SD5 too ship with an inferior cable, there are barely anything better in its own price bracket.



HOW IS THE BUILD and COMFORT:-

Just like every other BQEYZ earphone, the build quality of the Spring1 is very good. Where most of the earphones in this price range ship with plastic or resin shells the Spring1 ships with metal shell. Made out of solid pieces of aluminum it is slightly on the heavier side of the spectrum but the slight heft is not bothering and don't fall out of the ear easily. Thanks to the metal build it is one of the strongest earphones in this price range, it can take a lot of beating without incurring any damage to it.

It doesn't have a very ergonomical design to it, most of the earphones in this price range don't have this either but a bit of an inner wing design would have made is a even more comfortable. The size of the ear-piece is not very large and easily fits inside the ear and will fit most of the users without any problem.

The design is slightly different than what we see with most of the earphones, the nozzle of the Spring1 has a different angle compared to what the industry follows. This does help in getting a slightly better fit inside ear.

The nozzle itself is deep enough and gives a nice and secure feeling inside the ear. One will find three vents on the inside of the earphone shell, I don't know why three (one for dynamic driver, one for piezoelectric driver). You can use T400 and T500 size tips on the nozzle.

The Spring1 doesn't out do its price range when it comes to comfort but still makes things better than others.







HOW DOES THIS SOUND:-

The Spring1 houses 3 type of drivers. I can make it out that the dynamic driver is for bass as usual but cannot put my finger what the BA and Piezoelectric drivers are responsible for. It seems that it has an open chamber design and the BA driver is placed in the nozzle.

The triple hybrid earphone has a very interesting sound output which is barely seen in this price range. The bass is very deep with good amount of sub-bass and manages itself to keep away from being over powering or a bit dull. The mid range takes the back seat with a less forward presentation and the treble region delivers a very good amount of energy and spark. What makes the Spring1 stand out of the competition is its sound stage which is bigger than anything in this price range.

The overall sound signature of the Spring1 is neutral with a bit of warmth with the bass. The tonality could have been a bit more accurate though, especially vocals could have been more accurate.

Burned for more than 100hrs, I am using my Plenue R with Creative Sound Blaster and stock tips for this review.



TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The Spring1 has an Impedance rating of 43ohm and the sensitivity of 108 makes it ask for good amount of power. Most of the mobile phones will struggle to drive it to listenable volumes without reaching more than 80% volume. Driving it out of a mobile device makes it loose a good chunk of details and treble stage get very clumsy. It is not advised to use the Spring1 out of a mobile phone, 99% of them are unable to provide it with good amount of power. Unless driven properly the Spring1 exhibits good amount of sibilance, feed it or it will bite.

Using DAPs even like Sony A35 will extract good amount of details out of it.

The Spring1 responds pretty well to EQs, if you think you need a bit more oomph, just tunes it to your liking.

BASS:-

The 13mm dynamic driver responsible for the lower section does a fantastic job. I would have been very happy with this type of lower end even from a $300 earphone. It has very good amount of details and texture to it. The lower end is more forwardness when compared to the mid range, giving the Spring1 its V shaped signature.

The 13mm driver moves very good amount of air and the slam is very punchy. The impact is very pleasing and makes the note enjoyable. Coming from BA based earphones, I am really liking this thump. The sub-bass extension is fantastic, it has very good amount of rumble to it and the size of it is very good. Mid bass is bigger than the sub-bass giving the lower end a fuller feeling. Upper treble has very good amount of energy and details to it. The overall size of the lower end is not huge but is nicely rounded.

Decay speed of the 13mm driver is aptly paced. It is not very fast like the BA earphones and is not very loose like BGVP DMG either. Even with the big 13mm dynamic driver the level of control shown by the Spring1 is very good. It doesn't let the notes get out of their character while maintaining very good amount of details and texture.

Changing the Atmosphere tips or say bass tips to reference tips does bring the bass to a more leveled situation with the mid range. Only the quantity and slam size is affected, effecting with slightly faster decay with everything else being more or less the same.

MID RANGE:-

BQEYZ hasn't specified which driver is doing what but looking at the tonality and lack to forwardness intrigues me to say that it is the piezoelectric driver but I will not like to make it a statement on it. Whatever driver is responsible for the mid range, it manages to deliver good amount of details along with a bigger than average stage size.

Even when the energy gradually decreases from the upper mid range to lower mid range the transition section feels fairly smooth and has maintained good amount of details and energy.

As I have stated earlier, the vocal section is not very accurate with tonality. My last review subject, the Inear SD5 is a prolific performer when it comes to vocals accuracy and clarity but is placed at $1000+. Even when compared to TSMR 2 and BGVP VG4 the Spring1 sounds slightly metallic and a bit splashy, hisses feel very vivid. George Barnett - Reflection does induce some peaks here. In general the male vocals have marginally sharper notes body but have good amount of texture and details to them. Female vocals on the other hand doesn't have that type of extra sharpness to it, they more accurate tonality and notes body. The overall vocal section is good, but could have been more refined.

Like the male vocals, instruments too have some over attack to them. The shine with a peaky end to them makes it uncomfortable for those who are sensitive to hot notes. Surprisingly the upper mid range is not hot, it maintains good amount of balance and doesn't have more peaks or attack than the rest of the mid range. The level of micro details and transparency is good in its place but not as good as something like the TSMR 2.

What really good is the stage size. It feels really spacious and there is very good amount of air between instruments. It feels very open. Sonic abilities of the Spring1 are fantastic, far better than BA based earphones in this price range. Thanks to this layering and separation is very good.

Changing the tips to reference tips make the mid a bit more forward with little to no changes to it anything else.

HIGHS:-

Just like the upper bass to lower mid transaction, the transition from upper mid range to lower treble region is very good. There is good amount of energy and fairly less disturbing elements compared to the mid range.

The treble region has very good amount of spark to it. The extension is fantastic too, there is very good amount of energy until the end. The level of transparency could have been marginally better, it lacks uniformity too, some notes have more bite than others. It has good amount of details but the level of micro details leaves a bit more to be desired.

There are occasions of sibilance here. After a long long time I am seeing this type of peaks. Treble heads!! Assemble!! Thanks to the big stage size, layering and separation is very good with good amount of air between instruments.

Even though the highs are good with energy and spark to them, they could have been more uniform with imaging.

( P.S. :- To shed some sharpness, use the reference tip)

COMPARISONS:-

VS Mee MX4 pro:- ($199)

The Mee audio MX4 pro is priced considerably more than the Spring1 but shares a few things with it. First of them is the sound signature and tonality.

The dynamic driver of the MX4 delivers a very similar type of bass, plenty of sub-bass but lacks a bit of body. The mid range is a bit similar but has better tonality and has no sibilance of any type. Stage size is good but is more in the head. Treble feels a bit dull with a bit of lack of extension it is not really up to the Spring1.

Both the earphones have similar amount of details, but the MX4 pro has more uniform transparency and has no peaks at all.









VS Simgot EN700 pro:- ($169)

The EN700 pro houses a single dynamic driver and is fairly similar to the Spring1 with its signature.

It deliver more or less similar sub-bass rumble but has bigger size. The mid bass is slightly more forward than the Spring1 and feels more fuller. Mid range has better control and notes have slightly better tonality. Vocals don't have sharpness. No vocal sibilance here. Extension of the treble region is slightly lacking and has slightly less energy too. Stage size is slightly smaller than the Spring1.

Level of details is similar but the Spring1 does better with micro details and transparency.

VS Brainwavz B400 :- ($169)

The 4BA earphone has been one of the best earphones for under $200.

It has considerably smaller bass impact and is thinner in comparison. The extension too is a bit lacking. Decay speed is better. Mid range has no peaks what so ever, it sounds cleaner and clearer with more appropriate notes depth. Vocals are similar with tonality but has no unnecessary sharpness to them. Treble is marginally dull. Stage size is considerably smaller.

Overall level of details is similar.

CONCLUSION:-

The Spring1 is a very capable earphone, the sound quality is very good, it has good amount of details, an impressive stage size and very good treble extension. It is one of the most detailed earphones in this price range of under $150. The Spring1 is a fantastic choice for those who like shining notes, good amount of bite and are not afraid of peaks.

For the rest, the extra bit of sharpness can be a bit uncomfortable. The evenness of notes depth has to be addressed too.

If they can do that, the Spring1 will be the Best earphone one can but for under $150. It is a good earphone even without those changes but it does leave a bit to be desired specially with notes sharpness.

I hope you guys had a nice time.

Cheers!!

INTRO:-

Signature acoustics is one of best home grown earphone brands here in India. They have mostly ventured into single dynamic driver earphones. The wooden shell earphone C-12 has been their most popular earphone and has seen many revisions to its tuning.

This time around they have collaborated with an OEM and come up with two hybrid driver earphones. SA Raven and SA Ocean. Both the earphones have two Dynamic drivers and one BA driver.

The SA raven is the cheaper one, priced at 2799rs. It already is one of the best value for money earphone in the market. It has only one color option Black.

I am comparing it with a handful of earphones in its price range.





Specifications:
Earphone: Triple Driver Hybrid Earphone (6 drivers total)

Driver Unit (each ear): 1 balanced armature + 2 Dynamic

Drivers: 10mm + 6mm

Net Weight: 25±5 grams

Cable Length: 1.2m±6mm

Plug Type: 3.5mm

Pin Type: 0.78mm 2 Pin

Frequency: 7-40 KHz

Impedance: 15 Ω

Sensitivity: 105 db

Channel Imbalance ≤ 3 dB

You can get one for yourself from here:-

https://www.amazon.in/Signature-Acoustics-Triple-Driver-Audiophile-Convertible/dp/B07YSFLJPF

Accessories:-

A departure from their eco-friendly packaging the Raven comes in a orthodox cardboard packet.

The SA Raven ships with 3 pair of silicone tips and one pair of foam tips, I would have liked a carry pouch but they have decided not to include any. There is no cable clip either.

It's not that anything else is needed but it would have been nice to add a carry case or pouch in the package.





Build quality and ergonomics:-

The raven has a full metal housing with a slightly shallower nozzle length. The stock tips fit very well into the nozzle. Build quality of the earphone is very good.

Ergonomically it is okay. There are more ergonomical earphones in this price range but they are not readily available here in India. The body might feel heavier but one can use the foam tip to get better traction in the ear.





Cable:-

Cable quality is not far better than the KZ earphones but it feels suppler and less bouncy. It is a 4 core braided cable with a 90 degree plug and the 2pin socket is flanked by aggressive cable guides that hold the earphone securely.

the MIC quality is good, the single button remote has good feedback to it.

Al in all, it is a good cable.



Sound Quality:-

The raven has two Dynamic drivers and one BA driver to cover the spectrum. What I like about the driver configuration is that the dynamic drivers take charge of the bass and mid range and deliver without any problem.

The overall signature is balanced without emphasizing any part of the spectrum. It can be labeled as slightly dark and gloomy. The tonality is slightly metallic.

Burned for more than 40 hrs I am using stock tips and my Plenue R for this review.

Even when the Raven has a nominal impedance of just 15ohm it is slightly harder to drive mostly because of the lowly sensitivity of 105db. Driving the raven out of a mobile device is not a problem at all.

Bass:-

Even when the raven has two dynamic drivers, it is fairly balanced sounding earphone without much emphasis on any part of the spectrum and it is true for bass too. It is not big in any stretch of imagination, if you want bigger bass let it be impact or air or even rumble, going for their C-12 V2.1 will yield better results.

This doesn't mean the Raven lacks bass, it delivers the punch when called upon. It is similar to a Ba driver bass, sizeable but not big. Sub-bass has acceptable amount of extension with good amount of rumble. It moves acceptable amount of air too. Mid bass is not over exaggerated at all. It has good body, gives the lower end a fuller feeling. Upper bass is nicely controlled with very good amount of details.

Decay speed is very good, it is not as fast as something like the Brainwavz B200 but for the price it is as fast as it gets from a dynamic driver earphone. There is very good amount of details and the texture of the bass notes are well perceived.

Mid range:-

The Raven has a dedicated 6mm dynamic driver for the mid range. The transition from upper bass to lower mid is good, it is not as flawless as one might expect as the transition region lacks a bit of energy.

Even when the raven is a balanced sounding earphone the mid range is slightly more forward compared to the bass region, especially the vocals have very good pop to them. It delivers very good amount of details and the level of transparency is up to the class. Both male and female vocals have very good amount of details. Male vocals retain good amount of throatiness and female vocals have nice texture to them. I would have liked a bit more accuracy with the tonality but it is not something one will notice.

Instruments have very good amount of details and clarity to them. One cannot expect to pick up micro details but the Raven barely leaves any details behind. Notes have nice sharpness to them, the finishing is very good without any unpolished feeling to them.

Stage size of the raven is just average, on par with competition but the Kinera Sif deliver bigger stage in every direction. The Stage is nicely rounded but I would have liked some more depth to it.

Treble:-

Transition from upper mid to lower treble has a small dip in energy but it is nothing to complain about in this price range.

The treble region of the Raven has very good amount of energy to it. There is plenty of spark and the notes have nice bite to them. Treble extension is as good as it gets for the price range.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the very good amount of clarity to them. Finishing of the notes along with the presentation is up to the class, tonality could have been a bit more accurate. Let it be clarity or imaging the Raven doesn't have any problem delivering.

What is really impressive is the amount of control it possesses over the notes. The notes are sharp but not sharp enough to cause any discomfort. There is no sibilance to worry about. If you are not comfortable with slightly aggressive treble notes, you might find it a bit more than desirable.

Layering and separation of the raven is up to the class but thanks to the smaller stage size there isn't much air between instruments.

Comparison:-

VS Kinera SIf:- (not available in India)

The Sif is a single dynamic driver earphone priced at around $40 or 2800rs is one of the most capable earphones under $50. The V shaped sound signature is very engaging. The Overall tonality is more natural.

It has bigger bass size, bass head level bass. Has better sub-bass extension, mid bass is slightly more emphasized. It moves more air, the rumble and slam size is considerably bigger. Mid range is in the V but still has very good transparency and clarity. Vocals have nice texture and are similar to the Raven. What really impresses about the Sif is the cleanliness, notes have very good amount of air between them and deliver better layering and separation. The stage size is considerably bigger. Treble region of the Sif feels dull compared to the Raven. The extension is just okay compared to very good extension of the raven.

The Raven sounds more evolved and is tuned better until the treble is taken into account. Overall Sif is good if you want more bass, but if you are a fan of balance, Raven is the way to go.

VS SoundMagic E50:-

The E50 has only one dynamic driver and retails for around 3000rs.

It has bigger bass, sub-bass is similar with mire prominent mid-bass. Moves more air and the slam is bigger. Mid range lacks the amount of details. Vocals are good but feel less accurate, blunter without appropriate sharpness to them. Stage size is wider with similar depth. Compared to the Raven the E50 sounds veiled. The treble has just average extension without much detail to it.

Layering and separation is not up to the mark.

Raven has better details and better clarity.

Conclusion:-

Looking at the Indian market, the raven is a nice introduction in this price range. It is hard to find a balanced sounding earphone here in India. Everyone is more inclined towards bass heavy sound.

The raven brings plenty of details and adds better functionality with its removable cables. One can go for the BT cable and go wireless without spending a lot to get another BT earphone.

It deliver fantastic amount of details and clarity. If you love slightly forward vocals and enjoy very good amount of details across the spectrum you will love it. It is a very good bang for bucks earphone, a solid deal for just 2800rs.

Thanks for reading, have a nice day.
Cheers.

Intro:-

When one buys an earphone, one always tries to enhance that by changing various things. One always looks for different things to get the best out of the earphone. We burn the earphones for hours to get some enhancements and trying various tips is the most basic of the things.

What we forget most of the time is the cable. Nearly 99.9% earphones don't come with balanced cables. And most of those single ended cables are just run of the mill type basic cable. Those cables are just there for the sake of it. Even some premium brands like Custom Art, Lime Ears and Inear ship with just okay type cables.

If you have a good earphone, not having a good cable will restrict the earphone from performing at its best. But one might think, there are a lot of cables, plenty of brands to choose from, what is the best cable for my earphone? Many type of cables with variety of materials available in the market, which is the one I need what material I should get to suit my earphone the best.

I am not a huge cable guy, I don't have expensive cables, I look for cables which are best value for money. Spending a lot on cable doesn't really make sense to me. One just can't have a $500 earphone and buy a $300 cables for it, it barely makes any sense.

What I will be looking into in this article is the Penon OS849 earphone cable. It is a Single Crystal Copper Silver-plated cable (basically a SPC cable) priced at $119 for 3.5mm singe ended version and $129 for 2.5mm balanced version. It is available in both 2pin and MMCX connectors.

I am comparing the OS849 with Nocturnal Acrux-4 which is priced at $119 (but one has to pay extra for 2.5mm termination and choice of 2pin) and $80 Electro Acousti pure copper cable.

Here are the specs of it:-

• 6n single crystal copper silver-plated cable
• Contained 8% silver, the thickness is 10μm,
• 8 Cores, single core is 49 strands, a total of 8 × 49.
• The plug contains 68% copper
• The solder joints is silver –contained tin
• Carbon fiber metal splitter and CNC integrated slider
• Sound field is very big and very natural
• Cable length: 1.2M

Accessories and Packaging:-

Unlike most of cables which barely come in a standard box type packaging, the Penon cable comes in a tidy looking retail box.

There are a lot of accessories out of the box. One can find three velvet pads, one velvet pouch, a cable clip, one cleaning tool and a Velcro cable tie. Most of these accessories are stuffed in the classy looking wooden case. OS849 has plenty of accessories and I don't think one can ask for more.









Build quality and comfort:-

Build quality of the OS849 is very good. The strands have a transparent layer of soft plastic on them which protects it from scratches. It feels very solid to the hand and can take more than a hit. The 2pin connector looks and feels very strong, it uses metal to give better protection than plastic and chrome plated plastic connectors used by most of the brands The Y splitter looks very good with some carbon fiber accent to it. The 2.5mm Jack feels very solid to the hand. Thankfully it does not come out if rotated by mistake (which is a big problem with some cables). The jack has a stress reliever to withstand bends. The cable slider too looks classic and is better than what others have.

The build quality is fantastic but like any other cable it cannot withstand brute force.

I have experience with a lot of decent cables. Of them all Effect audio Ares and the Acrux-4 cables have horrible memory and are rigid. They just cannot be wounded to ones liking. The OS849 doesn't have that problem. It does have some memory but it obeys better much like the Symphonym cables that ship with Shozy and AAW earphones.

The braiding is neither too tight nor much loose, maintaining good composure.

The OS849 has no cable guides. You can give it shape as per your liking, the cable is not heavy and is fairly comfortable over the ear.

All in all Penon has given plenty of attention to the build quality of the OS849.

How does it sounds:-

The OS849 is basically a Silver plated copper cable. It has silver plated layers on copper cores.

It is not a secret that silver is the best conductor of electricity closely followed by copper. Most of are aware of the rule that silver is good for mid range and copper deliver good lows, Combining both the metals in a cable means it has the best of the both worlds.

Thanks to the SPC nature of the cable it doesn't get much leaner or thicker when it comes to notes and delivers better transparency compared to copper cables. It produces accurate notes thickness and depth.

How does it pair:-

Fibae 3:-

Everything is fantastic about the Fibae 3 but it lacks a bit of bite. Notes lack some depth to them. The OS849 delivers more accurate notes thickness and pairs fantastically with the slightly blunt sounding Fibae 3. The stage which sounds conical with the stock cable sounds more rounded with the OS849. It is a big improvement over the stock single ended cable.

Fibae Black:-

Exactly same scene with the Fibae black, the smoothness is good but it does lack a bit of bite off the notes and the treble extension feels a bit lacking. With the OS849 it gains better sharpness and instruments have better transparency. Treble gains some extension and energy with the stage getting bigger. The OS849 pairs very well with the Fibae Black.


Inear SD5:-

The SD5 has very similar cable compared to the Fibae 3. The material is exactly same. With the stock cable SD5 sounds very good, mostly because it itself is a very potent earphone but still one might like a bit more bite which can be gained with the OS849. With it the SD5 sound cleaner with better definition and transparency. Instrument separation improves, so does the stage size too. The SD5 pairs fantastically with the OS849.


Nocturnal Eden:-

Noc Eden already comes with a very good cable and sounds exceptionally balance. Notes have good bite and transparency to them. But, still slightly better bite and separation is needed, OS849 with its balanced and agile nature can deliver it. It improves stage size too and unleashes a detail monster. The pairing can be slightly uncomfortable if one is not exactly comfortable with sharp notes.

TFZ Secret Garden 3:-

One of the best mid ranger the Secret Garden 3 delivers very good details and clarity with its above par cable. It is good with the stock cable but with the OS849 balanced cable it gains better details across the spectrum and has better instrument separation too. The stage size too gets bigger and the treble gains better extension.

How does it compare with others balanced cables:-

When compared to the Nocturnal Acrux-4 the OS849 sounds sharper and leaner. It brings more transparency with separation while compromising some smoothness. Things can get unnaturally sharper if you don't choose a more musical or smoother sound source. Pairing the Acrux-4 with my Plenue R does bring unnaturally sharper upper mid range.

Compared to Electro Acousti copper cable, the OS849 sound more transparent and clearer with better instrument separation. Copper cable has slower decay and sounds more laidback and is suiting for more aggressive sounding earphones like NCM Bella V2 and EM-5H. Pairing this cable with my Shanling M5s smoothens things even more and things start to sound a bit dull. But paring it with my Plenue R balances things nicely.



Conclusion:-

In short, OS849 pairs better with earphones which have smoother notes. Pairing it with something that already has very accurate notes depth and sharpness might get a bit uncomfortable.

Earphone with gentle tonality gain good amount of bite and transparency. If you think your earphone lack a bit of treble extension, the OS849 will definitely help. Pairing it with something like the EM-5H or Audiofly AF1120 might not be a wise idea as things can get sharper than desired, unless you like lean and sharp notes.

All in all the OS849 brings more agility to dull sounding earphone. It helps with decay speed, tightens things up, has bigger stage and delivers better treble extension too. Compared to stock cables, the OS849 is miles ahead. It brings better technicality and separation to the table.

If you have the budget and want a bit sharper notes with improvements in every department, the OS849 will not disappoint.

INTRODUCTION:-

Signature Acoustics is one of very few Indian brands who make their own products. They mostly have entry level earphones priced in the range of $20. As of now all of their earphones are based on dynamic drivers. They are coming up with a DD + BA hybrid earphone soon. But here.. It is all about their revision of their C-12 v2.0. And can you guess the name? It is C-12 V2.1, it's an revision with better tuning and comes with the exactly same eco friendly carry package and retails at 1049rs or around $15 most of the time.

It has exactly same shell, same design, everything is same except the tuning.

Here is the link to the C-12 V2.1.

http://signatureacoustics.com/signa...-version-2-1-wooden-earphone-with-microphone/

You can buy one for yourself from here:-

https://www.amazon.in/Signature-Acoustics-Elements-Version-Earphones/dp/B075WT5T5R

Technical Specifications For Earphone
Model: Elements C-12 Version2.0

Impedance: 22Ω±15%

Sensitivity: 94±3dB ＆1KHz; 1mW; IEC318

Frequency response: 20~20KHz

Distortion: Max: 3% ＆ 1KHz

Rated Input Power: 3mW

Maximum Input Power: 5mW

Level difference average: ≤3dB ＆ 1KHz


Microphone Specification

Directivity Omni-directional

Impedance: Max：2.2KΩ

Sensitivity: -42±4dB & 1KHz; 2.2KΩ 3V ,0dB=1V/Pa

Decreasing voltage: -3dB &VS=4.5V,RL=2.2KΩ

Current consumption: 200uA-350uA

S/N ratio Min: 58dB & 1kHz





I reviewed the V2.0 some time before. And I will not bore you guys with unnecessary gibber jabber here. I will dive into two very simple things. Goods and bads, and will squeeze in the review in it.

I am using my Galaxy A7 16 for this review. I have the foam tips on it and has burned the earphone for more than 70hrs.

Let's start.

GOOD things:-

The whole Eco friendly packaging is retained, the jute case and pouch makes you feel like you didn't bought some garbage for yourself as you can use it to store other things in it.

The lot of accessories contains a few useful things like a Leather key chain which will retail for around 50-100rs in open market. There are 3 pair of silicone tips and a pair of foam tips. The foam tips are good and are fairly rare in this price range.

The build quality of the ear pieces is very good, it doesn't feel feeble or weak or cheap. In fact it feels more premium than its price suggests. Everything about the earphone feels very sturdy and once you have it in your ears you know that you didn't bought a cheap pair of earphones for your daily commute.

The straight cable design is what makes it an easy wear, the 90 degree 3.5mm jack makes it easier to hold the phone while gaming.

The Mic has very good clarity. The listener at other end has no problem with the clarity.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The biggest plus point of the C-12 v2.1 is its sound quality. The C-12 V2.1 is still V shaped but has better reach at both ends without sounding harsh.

BASS:-

I was not exactly satisfied with the tuning of the v2.0. It had good bass and everything but the treble region was lacking. It lacked the bite which I look for in most of the earphones. You can't really miss a whole part of the spectrum. That thing has been rectified here.

Most of the earphones in this price range have bass (boat and stuff), boomy, but they lack depth and definition to them. There are barely any details in those bass notes.

The C-12 V2.1 sound very mature when it comes to the bass region. It has plenty of thump to it. Where the V2 was lacking a bit of sub-bass the v2.1 delivers better amount of sub-bass rumble. The reach is considerably better and lands in very good category. The mid bass gives it the required amount of fullness. It feels very meaty and full bodied. There is little to no complaints about the notes delivery. It has plenty of depth and richness to it. The upper bass is not uncomfortable too.

The decay is nicely paced for a $15 earphone. It is as good as something like the BGVP DMG. Yes the DMG has better texture and details but the v2.1 has better decay speed while still keeping the slam size big. The best part is the V2.1 is it delivers very good amount of details too, as good as similarly priced KZ earphones.

When listening to Coldplay - Everglow the sub-bass rumble delivered by the C-12 is fantastic.

MID RANGE:-

The mid range hasn't changed much. It is what it was with the V2. It takes the mid range slightly in to the V. The level of energy is good but it is slightly lower than the treble and bass region.

Instruments have very good clarity and pop to them. Nothing sounds overly hollow or unnatural. Vocals sound really natural. Male vocals have the required amount of throatiness to them. Female vocals have very good sharpness. Presentation of the notes is very good too. They have nice depth and required amount of sharpness. It is not very accurate but what can you ask for a $15 earphone.

What I am really impressed is the amount of details and clarity it has. Yes you won't be able to pick micro details but the v2.1 is aptly good.

The stage size is very good too. Bigger than Realme Buds 2.

TREBLE:-

The treble region of the v2.1 is the most improved part of the spectrum compared to the V2.

This time around the treble has very good amount of reach and spark to them, they extend more into the spectrum and have very good amount of energy to them. Instruments sound livelier.

Air between instruments is okay. One cannot as for better layering and separation in this price range.

COMPARISONS:-

VS Realme Buds 2:-

Realme buds are just bass minded earphones, nothing special about them at all. They sound hollow and out of depth. The notes feel like floating in the air.

Bass is boomier without much detail in them, there is little to no texture to it, its monotonous, the mid bass is bloated and feels unnatural. Mid range lack details too, they don't sound focused and the imaging is very bad. Vocals are drowned. When a big bass note arrives it drowns the mid range.

There is no treble to talk about here, it lacks energy, extension and any type of transparency. It is bad, horrible to be precise.



VS stock Samsung In-ear:-

The stock Samsung earphone is good, but not as good as the V2.1.

It lacks a bit of bass body and sub-bass rumble, the mid range and treble region do have okay amount of details but they don't have the notes depth to them. It lacks details across the spectrum when compared to the C-12 V2.1.

Treble of this is just okay. Better than the Realme Buds 2 but is not good otherwise. Its sounds lame at times. Instruments sound tinny. There is very little amount of treble extension. The stage size is smaller.



VS Panasonic hje-290:-

The 290 is more balanced and has good vocals, still not as good as the V2.1.

The bass has good sub-bass rumble but the mid bass is lacking body, hence the whole bass region feels thin. The decay speed is better. Mid range lacks a bit of depth and sharpness. Vocals sound good, male vocals have good texture to them, female vocals have good sharpness too, but the V2.1 still is better.

Treble region of the HJE-290 is okay, better than the Samsung and Buds 2 but still the V2.1 is better with it. The good thing is the Panasonic doesn't sound unnatural like the Samsung or overly hollow like the Buds 2.

The C-12 V2.1 has better details and is better in every other way.

VS Sony XB41EX:-

This bass monster can blow anything away with its bass size and the amount of air it can move.

The Bass of the few years old Sony top dog for bass minded earphones is still leaps and bounds above the rest. It has a huge bass, huge, the slower decay is the reason for this. But it can be more mid bass minded and the upper bass region is not well controlled either. It does get tiring after while thanks to the dry upper bass notes.

Vocals are okay, instruments are good, treble extension is slightly good and stage size is very big but due to lack of instrument transparency it feels hollow.

Level of details too is okay. The C-12 V2.1 sounds better in many departments except stage size and bass size.



VS SoundMagic E50:-

The E50 is very good earphone, it sounds more natural, the timber is more natural and has a good stage to work around.

The bass is more mid bass minded, sub-bass is good but doesn't move much air. Bass size is smaller than the C-12 V2.1. Vocals are good and have better transparency to them Instruments have good clarity too. Stage size is similar.

What the E50 is not so good at is the Treble region. It is okay and lacks much of the energy and spark. Extension too is just okay. C-12 v2.1 is better here.



BAD things:-

The cable needs to change, it is horrible and the wire noise or microphonics in more technical term is very bad, the rubbery wire while rubbing on the cloth makes horrible noises.

Realme buds have better cables.

Nothing else is bad with the C-12 V2.1.

CONCLUSION:-

The C-12 V2.1 is tuned to be a very good earphone for the asking price. It is fantastic for 1049rs. There are barely any earphone in this price range which comes close to the C-12 V2.1 when it comes to sound quality.

Earphones like Realme Buds 2 and boat earphones just focus on bass and do not deliver on other fronts.

Anyone looking for an earphone for around 1000rs should go for it without any doubts.

INTRO:-

Flat Impedance Balanced Armature Earphone, Fibae. This is what Fibae Stands for.

I don’t think there is anyone in this world of audiophiles who are not aware of the Polish giant Custom Art's Fibae series of earphones. Known for their level of precision with BA based earphone, they make some of the most evolved and refined sounding earphones in the industry. Their earphones range from single BA Fibae 1 at $350 to 8 BA Harmony 8.2 for $1250.

In their pursuit to achieve most out of minimal resources they came up with the magnificent Fibae Black. Even though the Fibae Black has a single BA driver to work around. This single BA based earphone utilizes pressure optimizing design with their flat impedance design to extract the best out of the limited resources and man!! does it succeeds..

The Fibae Black has a starting price of at around $510 or 450 Euros, it comes in both custom and universal trim. the universal trim comes with only black color option.

I would like to thank Custom Art for this review unit.

You can place your order here, in both universal and custom trims.

https://thecustomart.com/shop/acrylic-products/fibae-black/

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

It has the exactly same set of accessories as the Fibae 3.

The Fibae Black comes in a gift box style Box with two carry cases inside it. One is a hard sided zipper case to keep the earphone when not on the move, the other one, a Pelican 1010 case, meant for travel use which will keep the earphone safe under unfavorable circumstances.

There are 3 pair of tips inside a small tips case in S/M/L sizes and a pair of double flange tip. Dehumidifier, wax pick tool and the welcome document sums up the list of things out of the box.





BUILD QUALITY:-

The Fibae Black has 3D printed acrylic shell.

Just like every other Custom art earphone, the build quality of the Fibae black is outstanding, it has a slightly bigger body compared to the Fibae 3 and it feels a bit more stable in the ear too.

There are many customization options available, some are with extra cost, you can chose different cables and one with Mic too. There is option to have the Fibae Black with MMCX connectors too, in case you don’t like the more secure feeling of the 2pin design. The Acrylic shell is very sturdy, the back plate fusion is flawless and unless you decide to drop the earpieces on solid floor (deliberately trying to break them). There is only one bore in side.

There is no vent in the shell, a BA don’t need one at all. The nozzle has nice depth to it and its very easy to change tips.




CABLE:-

Finally the cable has changed, finally. In one of my videos on YouTube I had pointed out that 3 brands, one from china and two from Poland (one is custom art) use the exactly same cable, which can be bought for $20 max. I am not saying that cable was bad, but for a premium looking earphone a not so attractive cable doesn’t do much justice.

Talking about the new cable, it looks very good, the clear layer of rubber looks more premium compared to older one. Yes the new cable is marginally more bouncy, slightly less supple and a bit more microphonics but it looks more premium and up to the class. The crystal clear Y splitter and cable slider give the Fibae Black more character.

To be honest, this new cable is supple enough, it doesn’t have much memory either and tangling is only induced by the metal inserted cable guides.

You can opt for cable with Mic if you want to use it with mobile devices, I am not sure what type of cable that is.



COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

All of their custom earphones have very good fitment with plenty of customization. Their universal earphones, like the one I am reviewing too have a very comfortable feel to them.

It is exceptionally comfortable for a $500 earphone, many other earphone in this price range have bigger footprint. The smaller size, and ergonomically design makes it a very comfortable earphone for everyone. Another thing which helps is the weight, which is very light thanks to light weight shell material.

the Fibae Black has an aptly deep nozzle making it more stable and secure. Fibae Black fits like a dream inside my ears. One of the most comfortable earphone in this price range. No bothering edges at all.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The Fibae Black is tuned for the both sides of the audiophile world. An audio enthusiast, a stage artist and a mastering artist will admire the Fibae Black equally. It delivers delicacies of music without going too hard at them, without peaks or sibilance of any type, with a soothing approach delivering a very clear and true to the nature tonality.

In their words the Fibae Black is:-

"Designed as a statement, breaking rules and going against the current. With only single Balanced Armature FIBAE Black produces sound unmatched by any IEM within its class and above. Pressure Optimizing Design allows for extremely precise control of frequency response, improving soundstage and separation capabilities, without issues arising from crossovers or multi-driver constructions.

Natural smooth sound with fast-paced deep bass, forward mids and smooth extended highs. Tuned for correct tone and enjoyment without sacrificing extension on both ends. It’s one of our most versatile IEM yet combining musicality and precision. FIBAE Black is the perfect choice for daily use."

There is little to no coloration and the signature is very neutral, just like the Fibae 3, but the notes have slightly better weight and depth to them making it more enjoyable. It has a very flat spectrum too, more even compared to the Fibae 3.

the Fibae Black is properly burned for 120hrs I am using stock tips, Plenue R and Plenue D for this review.











TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The Fibae Black is very easy to drive out of any portable device without much problem, even when using some capable mobile phones, you will still be able to get most out of it, but a dedicated dap will always bring out the best of it. 108.5db sensitivity means it can get very loud too. Amping is not necessary but if you have one, you can use one and you will find a bit more energy up top.

Given that the 5.2ohm impedance value, its prescribed to use a low output impedance source.

BASS:-

The Fibae Black relies on its only BA driver to do the heavy lifting, and it delivers without any problems. It doesn’t have a typical BA type bass one can experience with earphones like the ER-4P and Q-jay. The body and impact size is very good, far more respectable when compared to the flatter ones. It definitely is not in the line with the bassier ones like the EE bravado, Black's bass has slightly smaller body than the Shozy Pentacle I reviewed very recently.

If the Fibae 3 was riding on the sub-bass power, the Fibae black rides on a more fuller and full bodied bass size. The Fibae Black has bigger bass size from every perspective compared to the Fibae 3. It deliver equally good sub-bass impact and extension but has bigger slam and moves more air. If a single BA can do this.. Why was the Fibae was unable to do this, maybe because of the different tech implementation. Be informed that the Fibaes I am talking about here are some of the best earphone when it comes to sub-bass extension. The Fibae black has better sub-bass extension when compared to the 64audio U3, Nocturnal Avalon and even slightly better than the Pola.

It goes as deep as 20hz, it delivers better sub-bass compared to most in this price. The Decay is fast, marginally slower than the ER-4P or the q-jays, slightly slower decay gives notes a bit more weight and authority as they make their presence felt. It has better precipitation compared to the flatter ones.

The Amount of control and composure shown by the Fibae Black is class leading. It has one of the most polished and matured bass presentation I have seen. There is no jitteriness to it. And the amount of details and precision shown by this single BA based earphone is praise worthy. The Fibae 3 has slightly slower decay, the Black has rectified that with a better decay speed, it feels more accurate now.

Mid bass is as fast as the sub-bass, it maintains very good tempo, it has equally good depth, it make its present felt with good amount of air, the upper bass to maintains good amount of energy exhibiting good control.

There is no sacrifices made when it comes to the balance between presence of bass and the level of details it delivers. The level of accuracy, resolution and amount of resolving details is up to class. The amount of balance exhibited across the bass spectrum by the Black is admirable.

MID RANGE:-

the upper bass nicely blends into the lower mid range. There is very good amount of energy there. It is one of the most mature transaction even for $500. Earphones tend to get shaky there, custom art has been very good in this region. It sounds more forward and a bit fuller when compared to the Fibae 3. The whole mid range has very good smoothness and presentation to it. It doesn’t have any type of discomfort to it, in fact the Fibae black is one of the most pleasant sounding earphone when it comes to mid range. Notes have a slightly warm feel to them thanks to the thicker and marginally slower decay, they give the Fibae black's mid range plenty of body.

The vocals are as musical as they get, they have exceptional texture to them, it sounds very much like a dynamic driver, notes have fantastic body, they sound very detailed and male vocals excels with a very throaty and textured feel to them. One of the richest vocal notes with a very polished notes finishing to them. Female vocals sound equally impressive, they have very good amount of detail to them, it's just sublime.

The instruments too have very good amount of details to them, but guess what.. this is where the Fibae Black lacks a bit of bite, it just want to pamper you with its lovable tonality and presentation. Others with more drivers does better with super fine details and transparency. Something like the NOC Avalon churns out more details in expense of tonality and smoothness. Upper mid lacks a bit or energy compared to the vocal region. It still has very good amount of energy with the instruments.

The level of layering, instrument accuracy and separation is up to the class but I have seen better, it can be more cleaner. The Fibae Black has more rounded stage size compared to the Fibae 3, the fibae 3 has a conical feel to it, the Fibae Black equally complimenting width depth and height, it still is slightly deeper than wider or taller but its more even. the stage size is very good, in the ballpark of 64audi U3.

HIGHS:-

The transaction from upper mid to lower treble is smooth with no spike of any type. There is good amount of energy there which holds true for the mid treble region too. There is good amount of spark and energy to them. From there the problem of having a single driver starts to show. The treble extension is above average but it starts losing energy after around 11k. It doesn’t feel as endless as the Fibae 3. It still is very good, just not Fibae 3 good.

Treble is the weakest point of the Fibae Black, no doubt there, but it still has very good layering and separation. Instrument placing is very good with good amount of air in between. With the bigger than average stage size, the presentation is delightful and fatigue free. The resolution and imaging is up to the class too.

The spectrum wide width to notes thickness catches up to treble too, the thickness results in to hair slower decay. That thickness does wonders for bass and mid range but it doesn’t work wonders for treble region as it makes the notes slightly blunt. They don’t feel as sharp or as transparent as most earphones in this price range. By doing this they definitely have got rid of any type of sibilance though.

There is very good amount of details but it lacks some super fine details.

COMPARISION:-

VS Shozy Pentacle :-

The pentacle has similar sound signature but the notes are slightly shallower and lack a bit of sharpness. Both have similar bass body and air but the Black feels more involving. Mid range is slightly less attacking and is not as cohesive as the black. Treble of the Pentacle has slightly better extension and energy. Stage size is slightly smaller but is decent.

The Fibae Black feels more engaging and Technically better.


VS Fibae 3 and Eternal Melody EM-5H:-









CONCLUSION:-

Magnificent, yes that is the word for the Fibae Black, there are no two ways about it, it is one of the most versatile and efficient earphone I have ever come across. What it delivers is just outstanding, nothing is really comparable to the Fibae Black except the other Fibaes like the Fibae 3.

The Tonality and timber is just exceptional, it is very light still heavy, it doesnt bite still the impression is not easy to forget. The bass notes are fantastic, mid range has very good amount of details, vocals are one of the best, treble is slightly lacking, but when you look at the whole picture, the lack of treble extension is dwarfed in front the strong points.

The Fibae Black is a one of its kind earphone.

You can't buy the Fibae Black for the sheer amount of details, it is not a studio tool, it is more tuned for enjoying the music. It still have very good amount of details and clarity though.

If you want to enjoy your music without being very critical about it, go for the Fibae Black, you will not regret a bit.

That’s it here, enjoy your music. Cheers.

INTRO:-

Debauche Bacchus or DB in short is one of the newest brands in the market. Targeting the mass consumer they have only one model in their artillery which has two versions. The DB Monroe V1 and V2 or say the Pro version. Both the models have exactly similar internals body and accessories, the only way to tell them apart is the Pro written on the package. I believe the difference is with the Tuning of the Drivers.

Yes, drivers, it has two Dynamic drivers, the first one is an ultra thin 10mm grapheme dynamic driver, and the thin profile reduces resonance of the lower frequencies, helps with treble extension too. The 2nd one is an 8mm titanium driver with the similar thin film profile which helps to better top end frequencies.

The DB Monroe ro is available in 4 colors, red, blue, yellow and black and is priced at $159. The dual DD setup is not new but it is not abundantly available in IEMs in this price range. Most of the earphones in this price range opt for hybrid setups or sticks to BA drivers or one dynamic driver.

I will be comparing the Monroe Pro with Brainwavz B400, Simgot EN700 pro and the Mee Audio MX4 pro.

You can buy one for yourself from here:-

https://penonaudio.com/db-monroe-pro.html





ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The official page might not show enough accessories in its list of things out of the box but there are plenty of extras in the box, like Marlin Monroe stickers in 4 colors, some booklets and cards about the brand, it felt more like a limited edition product with more than required branding.

Audio related products are 4 pair of tips, 3 pair of silicone grey tips and a pair of foam tips, one 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter and a cassette style carry case for the earphone sums up all out of the box.









BUILD QUALITY:-

The pentagonal design catches the eye instantly, and the retro design makes these even more appealing.

Build quality of the earphone is outstanding thanks to the full metal 316L stainless steel body. It’s on the heavier side too. One of the heaviest earphones I have put inside my ears. Thankfully they don’t stick much out of the ear hence they don’t tend to feel off balance or feel like falling out. They are practically indestructible with day to day usage.

The Nozzle is not very long but it has an aptly deep insertion giving it a secure feel. It is slightly shallow nevertheless. The Back plate has nice retro styling on it with cassette player type attributes, there is a vent under the styling, another vent can be found on the inner side of the shell. They let the Driver breathe freely.

Overall the build quality of the Pro version is very good.









CABLE:-

The cable is of acceptable quality, there is a sleeve on the cable till the splitter that helps to reduce cable noise and helps with it being more organisable. It doesn’t bounce and the splitters along with the ports terminals are well built.

Cable guides are without wire insertion and are easier on the ear, one doesn’t have to fight with them every time.



COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL:-

The DB Monroe Pro is middling when it comes to comfort and ergonomics. Ergonomically specially its not exactly designed to fit snug in the ear, it still is comfortable but earphones at this price range can be very comfortable, like Brainwavz B400 and the Mee MX4 pro.

Comfort wise it is okay, it doesn’t fall out and the weight is nicely borne by the cable guides.

Seal of the earpiece is average, slightly better with foam tips.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

With its dual dynamic drivers the DB Monroe Pro delivers very good amount details with a W shaped signature. The tonality is fairly natural without much coloration. None of the earphones I am comparing the Monroe Pro here have a tonality this neutral and natural.

The IEM is burned for more than 80hrs and I am using my Shanling M5s for the review.

TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

Even though the resistance is at 32ohm, the lower than average sensitivity of 99db makes the DB Monroe Pro slightly hard to drive, it needs slightly more power than most earphones. Pushing the IEM to its potential is easier than most as dynamic drivers don’t have impedance swings. Driving the Monroe out of a decent mobile phone is easy.

It isn’t much choosy either. Matches well with most sources thanks to its neutral tonality.

BASS:-

The DB Monroe pro has one of the deepest bass notes I have experienced on an earphone in recent time. I had the BGVP DMG too, which was ruling the scene few months ago but somehow it was not good with bass as the presentation felt off, the mid bass of the DMG was more forward.

Except the bass prowess what impresses me is the amount of control it exhibits, yes there is very good amount of thump and rumble, and it hits hard too, but the notes are without much distortion or say are not muddy like the DMG or EN700 pro. The credit goes to decay speed which regulates this admirably. The notes are nicely paced with very good amount of weight to them. Texture is better than DMG which concentrates more on slam than anything else.

It moves plenty of air, the impact is visceral, the reverb is fantastic, and thanks to the sub-bass inclination the impact feels soft and cushy, unlike the DMG which has mid-bass mixed in and feels harder. The mid bass body is good, gives the lower range its body and fullness but doesn’t influence the lower end much, thanks to this the sub-bass feels more vivid. Upper bass is well under control and doesn’t have any anomalies in it. The B400 shows better control but the size of the bass impact is considerably less than the Monroe Pro.

The lower end body is presented very well. No part of the lower end takes a huge piece of the cake with a sub-bass friendly tuning.

MID RANGE:-

The 8mm titanium driver is responsible for the mid range and it manages to deliver up to my expectations. There are good amount details and the instruments are sharper than DMG.

The crossover is good but the lower mid lacks some forwardness and slightly boosted vocal region induces the first dip in the spectrum for the W shaped signature. There is barely anything happening in that region so it can be overseen. The mid range is well paced without being dull and is not overly aggressive either. Instrumental distribution and density is good too.

The mild drop in energy helps the vocals to keep away from any disturbance and compared to other dynamic driver earphones in this price range the Monroe Pro feels more resolving, accurate and cleaner. Male vocals have very good thickness to them, the notes are nicely paced and the texture is retained nicely. Female vocals too have very good sharpness to them. They feel more accurate and precise than most in this price range. There is little to no fatigue and that helps with longer listening sessions.

Instruments too have plenty of clarity and transparency to them. But the 2nd dip in energy at the upper mid region let’s off some sharpness. It still has good details but it could have had better attack.

The stage size is average, its not huge but is slightly bigger than the DMG with depth. The stage is well rounded with good width height and depth.

HIGHS:-

Where the other earphones like DMG and NS audio NS2 pro tend to underperform the Monroe Pro delivers. The thing which sets these apart is the treble extension, the extension is very good. Before burning I was slightly disappointed, but after some 60hrs of burning the drivers opened up and started shining. The performance is as good as the Brainwavz B400 and that is something for sure.

The Dip in energy slightly extends into the lower treble region, thanks to this there is no sibilance at all. This is a feat on its own. The energy rises slightly and delivers one of the more admirable treble region, filled with plenty of spark.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have good amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note along with the presentation is good. Let it be the resolution, transparency or imaging the Monroe Pro maintains its dignity where others fail. There is little to no complain about the treble.

Layering and separation is up to the class, it doesn’t sound as clean as the B400 which has plenty of air in between but its close. B400 is just a different beast in its sound signature.

COMPARISONS:-

Vs BGVP DMG:-

Even though the DMG has a different set of drivers, both these earphones share the same sound signature. The bass feels loose, the impact feels more rigid, the decay is slow and the mid bass is more prominent in comparison.

Mid range felt a bit veiled, the notes were more aggressive with thickness but were not more accurate. The stage is similar with lacking depth. Highs lack some extension, the spark gets lost and it feels very dull. Layering and separation too is not par.

(No doubt I sold the DMG.)

VS Brainwavz B400 VS Simgot EN700 pro VS Mee audio MX4 rpo:-















CONCLUSION:-

The DB Monroe is an earphone totally targeted toward the crowd who love plenty of bass, sub-bass to be precise and love their vocals and doesn’t want the treble to be left behind. The icing on the cake is its neutral tonality, something which is getting rare these days.

The shape is slightly unorthodox but it’s not a deal breaker. The retro design too is a nice touch to it.

The overall package of the Monroe Pro is very good, it delivers where I thought the DMG failed to impress. I will definitely suggest the Monroe Pro to someone who wants impactful bass in their music without losing the essence of it.

Thanks for reading, Cheers!!

INTRO:-

There are only a few brands in the market who maintains products in every price bracket, Shozy is one of them. Based in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, they have some of the most versatile products, starting from the new V33, their entry level iem priced at $60 to their upcoming Pola 39 at $1099, they have products for everyone.

Their Pola is made with collaboration from AAW and is priced at $800 for universal and $900 for custom version, is one of the most versatile earphones in the market for its retail price. It houses one 13mm grapheme dynamic driver and two electrostatic drivers with a 2 way crossover with vented design for better dynamism.

In their words Pola is:-

‘‘A design that truly brings out the ES driver’s qualities’’

“Powered by the cutting-edging miniature electrostatic tweeter technology, It employs a six micro gram, gold plated membrane held against a plate charged up to 400 volts. The electrical signal voltage is amplified up to 100 times via a built-in miniature transformer. The electrostatic attraction and repulsion effects induced by music signal triggers the membrane to produce acoustic pressure. Simply plug into your player and high fidelity music is ready to go.”

I am reviewing the universal version of the Pola, which faces competition from the likes of Andromeda, Shure SE846, W50 and many others at this price. I will compare the Pola with Eternal Melody EM-5H, Hyla TE-5B and Nocturnal Eden.

For a short period of time, the Pola was one of my favourite earphones, read on to find out why.



ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The Pola box has all the accessories packed in a good looking carry case. It contains 6 pairs of tips, 3 pairs of foam tips, 3 pairs of rubber tips in S/M/L sizes. There is a 6.5mm and airplane adapter below the cable box. No cable clip in the box. There is a cleaning cloth and the warranty card rounds up the list of accessories.



BUILD QUALITY:-

Build quality of the Pola is average at best. Other brands in this price range use more premium materials like metal or resins for the shell, but the Pola is made out of plastic material for the shell and the nozzle is aluminium, giving the nozzle a very strong feel, with “AAW” engraved on it.

The back plate has a nice textured look to it and is nicely fused into the Shell. The layer of resin on it gives it a stronger feel. There is a small vent on the body near the dynamic driver which give the large 13mm driver some breathing space.

The recessed 2pin socket is slightly tricky and it would have been nice if the socket was at level of the body.

There are two bores, one for the dynamic driver and one for the Electrostatic drivers.

If you opt for custom version, you can choose back plates and of your choice.







CABLE:-

The Symphonym Tiburon UPOCC copper cable is of very good quality and I was not expecting anything of lower quality from an earphone of this calibre. Most of the Brands in this price range give cables which cost $70-100 on their own, adding more value to the IEM.

The 4 core pure copper cable lets the Pola churn out better quality when compared to lower quality $20-30 cables.

The build quality of the cable is very good. All the 4 cores are thicker than most $100 cables and feel very strong. The cable is neither bouncy nor rubbery. There is little to no microphonics on the cable.

The cable feels very supple and very little memory, there is no problem in winding the cable to our own preference.





COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL:-

The Pola is quite comfortable, it doesn’t have excess weight either and doesn’t fall out of ear easily. It is not the most comfortable in this price range but unless you have very small ears the Pola will not fall off. The little wing on the body gives it good grip inside the ear and feels secure. The nozzle is deep enough and gives an aptly deep fit, it isn’t extra wide and one can use most of the 3.5mm to 5mm tips on it.

Seal of the Pola is above average with silicone tips and slightly better with foam, it can’t stop very loud outer noise but will do for the average commute. If seal is your priority then go for the custom version.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The lifting is done by the dynamic driver and two Estat drivers and the quality is outstanding, as good as to get its place in Headfonia’s recommended earphone for $800.

The signature is slightly W shaped but that doesn’t take anything away from the mix of things, the full bodied bass and well extended treble mixed with the huge stage makes the experience a delight for any audiophile. The tonality is very neutral with fantastic precision with the notes sharpness.

Burned for more than 150hrs, I am using the Plenue R and D for this review, the Pola need good amount of power and will not be easily out of mobile devices, thanks to the lower crosstalk values of mobile devices.

TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The Pola with its 101db sensitivity and 12ohm impedance is not very easy to drive out of any mobile device, driving it out of a dap is okay but If you dap is not powerful enough you will miss the best of the Pola. Power is what makes the Pola tick.

It matches pretty well with all type of devices, it is not much choosy.

BASS:-

Being Drenched with BA drivers, trying the Pola makes my feet tap. The full bodied bass with its dynamism is a delight for even someone who demands bass thump from their IEM. The 13mm grapheme driver does very good with clarity. It doesn’t do anything over the head like the Hyla TE-5B and doesn’t fly under the radar like some BA based earphone.

I agree that the bass quantity or the amount of air wont absolutely please a bass head but it wont leave them asking for much more either. In other words, the Pola moves very good amount of air with a full bodied slam. The extension of sub-bass is deeper than most of the BA based earphones but is slightly less than the TE-5B, where TE-5B fails badly is with bass decay, that’s where the Pola pulls ahead with better clarity and details. The notes have very good sharpness to them, they don’t feel loose and the texture too is outstanding.

The Pola has slightly more mid bass body than the sub-bass, giving bass the required amount of fullness making it meatier and impactful. The slam, the air and the rumble makes the Pola's bass very enjoyable and sets is apart from the likes of Andro and other BA based earphone. The upper bass is nicely done with good amount of control.

The thing which sets the Pola apart from the Andro and the TE-5B is something which both the earphones failed to deliver. The andro takes the leaner approach with very good details but sounds dry, where the 5B takes other extreme with crap loads of bass losing the details and precision. The Pola middles that with near perfection, it has very good amount of slam and air, the level of details too is 2nd to none.

When you consider details, slam, air, body and tonality, nothing really strikes a better balance than the Pola for at around $1000.

MID RANGE :-

The mid range is delightful, the dynamic driver handles the mid range too and it does a fantastic job, the transition from upper bass to lower mid range is nicely done, there is little to no loss of energy in that region and has good amount of clarity. Yes it is not as flawless as the AF1120 or the Nocturnal Eden but its better than the TE-5B.

The mid range is nicely paced without being dull like the Fibae 3 and is not overly aggressive like the EM-5H. Instrumental distribution and density is as good as the Andro but the Andro has more forward mid range hence delivering slightly better transparency.

The Mid range is nicely balanced with the bass region without being much forward. There is plenty of detail and the huge stage size helps a lot. The stage is one of the biggest, bigger than the TE-5B and Andro. The notes have very good body. They have the required amount of thickness to them and are not sharp at top, keeping any type of sibilance at bay.

Vocals on the Pola are very accurate with notes depth and details, it might sound slightly dry because of lack of notes body, they have awesome decay but a bit slower decay and thicker note body would have sounded more natural. The vocals have very good bite, when I switch from pola to the TE-5B vocals sound dull and muddier. Both male and female vocals sound equally impressive, both have fantastic details and accuracy. Male vocals retain good amount of throaty feel to them and female vocals maintain good amount of depth and sharpness with them.

Instruments have fantastic amount of transparency and details to them, they have very good and precise amount of sharpness to them. Upper mid range is slightly lacking energy when compared with the vocals and rest of the mid range. It still has very good weight to notes. There is no sibilance to worry about.

HIGHS:-

The treble region of the Pola is handled by two micro tweeters and the result is outstanding, the extension feels endless and the amount of energy too is fantastic. There is plenty of spark to it.

The transition from upper mid to lower treble is very good but not flawless, there is a small dip but has very good amount of energy and details to it. There is the Pola delivers one of the most delightful treble presentation with plenty of details and accuracy. The huge stage size helps a lot with instrument placements and density. There is plenty of air between instruments and the layering an d separation is fantastic.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have fantastic amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note along with the presentation is very good. Let it be the resolution transparency or imaging the Pola delivers like a champion. There is little to no complain about the treble.

The treble doesn’t shine out of proportion and does it work delightfully, the extension and stage size is good enough to bring smile on any ones face.





COMPARISONS:-

VS EM-5H:-

Working around 5BA drivers, one for bass, two for mids and highs, the 5H delivers one of the most detailed music in the price range of around $700.

The EM-5H has smaller bass size and the extension too is slightly less than the Pola. It doesn’t have a W shaped signature, the flat signature of the 5H is loaded with details and notes are sharper and drier hence sounding unnatural. Level of details is similar, but the 5H can be sibilant at times.

The extension doesn’t feel as endless as the Pola. And the biggest difference is the stage size, the 5H is considerably smaller here, mind you, the Pola has one of the biggest stage.

VS FIBAE 3:-

Based on 3BA drivers the Fibae 3 has one for bass, one fullrange driver and one treble driver for the lifting.

The Fibae 3 lacks the bass body, the extension is slightly better, the notes are smoother, doesn’t have the attack of the pola. The mids are less forward and lack a bit of energy against the Pola, decay across the spectrum is slightly slower. The Fibae 3 is slightly less transparent and the lack of details is evident.

The stage size of the Pola is considerably bigger with width and height where the 3 has similar depth. It has similar treble extension as the Pola.






VS HYLA TE-5B and NOC EDEN:-




CONCLUSION:-

When you consider details, transparency, technicality and tonality, nothing really comes close to the performance level of the Pola for around $800, it is fantastic.

The signature as I said is W shaped, the dips at the transition points are very marginal, if you can live with that, you have a champion at hand.

If you are in the market looking to upgrade from your $500 IEM or want more bass or better details or better treble extension from your $500-600 iem, Pola should be on the top of your list.

Thanks for reading, cheers!!

INTRO:-

Almost everyone is aware of the Brand Brainwavz. They are one of the most active and most popular brands in budget and mid range buyers. They have plenty of things in their inventory, starting from single DD priced to quad BA earphones to full size planar headphones priced in the range of $20 to $400.

The Brainwavz B200 calmly lies in the mid of their product list which has a price tag of $90 and comes in two colors Cosmic Black and Stay Frosty. It has two BA driver in tweeter and woofer configuration and is a revised version of the older B200 which lacked the newer models refined qualities and removable cables.

In the market which is getting flooded with new earphones in this price range every week, I have some of the competing earphones like the Simgot EN700pro, DT500 and the TFZ series 4 for comparison.

You can get one for yourself from here.

https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/earphones/products/b200-dual-balanced-armature-earphones



ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The B200 comes with their signature black and red long earphone carry case, the newer packaging too looks more premium and classy compared to the older B200. The set of accessories is exactly same except the removable mmcx cable.

There are 6 pairs of rubber tips, one pair of comply T-100 tip, a cable clip, Velcro cable tie, and few documentation completes the list of accessories.



BUILD QUALITY & ERGONOMICS:-

I never had any problem with the build quality of any of the Brainwavz earphones, and the Bxxx series being their flagship range are some of the most ergonomic earphones in their price ranges. The newer version has 3D printed shells and are as comfortable as the older version. The size of the earpieces are fairly small the fit is very snug.

The all plastic build looks fairly strong and is very light weight. The nozzle is longer than most and is one of the most secure fitting earphones as it gets nicely deep into the ear. There is a vents on the shell, maybe to keep the pressure in control. Keep in mind that BA based earphones don’t need vents.

The B200 seals very well, one of the best to be precise.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.









CABLE:-

In their words:-

"The Brainwavz B200 use the industry standard MMCX cables.
Detachable cables extend product life span, allow for additional features and creates a truly custom product experience."

The newer cable is very similar to the older version, thankfully the newer one has removable cables and swapping the cables with something aftermarket is now possible.

The cable is internally braided with a layer of rubber coating on it. it does have some bouncy characteristics and is on the stiffer side of the spectrum when compared to cables which comes with earphones in this price range. It retains the exact 45degee jack, Y splitter and even the cable guides, but thankfully it terminates at the MMCX port. The cable guides are fairly comfortable.

SOUND QUALITY:-

In their words:-

"The B200 plays host to some of the finest drivers around, and tuned to produce a balanced and accurate sound signature, with little to no colouring, hear the music as the artist intended.

Brainwavz unique 3D modelling and printing allows us to create a unique system that lets the the Balanced Armatures perform above and beyond expectations."

The brainwavz B200 has flatter and more detailed tuning compared to the older version. The bass doesn’t have the boomyness to it and the treble has fantastic reach and energy for the price.

The newer version has better balance across the spectrum. Unlike the Oder version, the newer one has little to no coloration. The tonality is not exactly neutral, there is some brightness to it.

Burned for more than 100hrs, I am using the Plenue R and D for this review, the B200 doesn’t need much power and can be driven out of mobile devices but some devices like my Galaxy A7 exhibits huge amount of background noise. I advice to use it with an aptly powerful DAP.







TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The Brainwavz B200 has a nominal impedance of 30ohm but it is not exactly mobile device friendly, the twins inside are like, no no no.. this thing we don’t like, bring us something DAP like. It has a sizeable amount hiss and distortion with some under powered mobile devices.

The 110db sensitivity helps the B200 to get very loud. So the thing is, match ability of the B200 depends on your device, it does perfectly fine with the Galaxy Note 8 but not with low ringers.

BASS:-

The B200 has a typical BA type bass, powered by a single BA, its does have better like and thump compared to The legendary ER-4P but earphones like klipsch X10 have slightly bigger presence. Nothing close to what single DD bass monsters like King pro and dynamically driven BGVP DMG can deliver with their bass body and impact size.

The B200 triumphs those bass heavy earphones with better details and accuracy. What B200 have is very good sub-bass reach and rumble, for a BA based earphone in this price range, it has one of the best bass extension along with the Earnine EN210. The mid-bass is not as forward as the sub-bass but gives the bass notes the required amount of body. There is good amount of slam when called upon and it moves nice amount of air when. I cannot call the bass full bodied but it's not lean. The upper bass lacks a bit of forwardness and lies flat on its back.

The decay speed of the B200 gives the bass notes a very accurate presentation, its slightly slower than the flatter ones and considerably faster than bassier ones. There is very good amount of details

What is really interesting is that this B200's bass is like the Fibae 3 bass on budget, very similar, the Fibae 3 has better body and rumble and tonal accuracy but the B200 has faster decay.

Those who are looking for a bass heavy signature will find the B200 lacking.

MID RANGE :-

The first thing that catches the attention of the listener is the mid range, it is very accurate and transparency along with level of details is class leading. Level of details too is something I had not seen in this price range. The mid range is more forward compared to the bass region, giving it the driving seat. The whole mid range maintains very good amount of energy. The overall tonality is on the metallic side.

The Transition from upper bass to lower mid is nearly flawless. There is a little dip in energy nearer to the bass side, nothing anyone can hold against any earphone under $300, let alone at this price range.

The Mid-range of the B200 has very good clarity and transparency. The tonality and polished notes presentation pulls the B200 ahead of the competition. There are many chi-fi earphones who lack refinement, resolution, presentation, evenness with density and tonal balance the B200 can achieve. They tend to be unrefined and either edgy or sibilant.

The forwardness of the mid range makes both female and male vocals sound very clear and lively. The tonality of female vocals is very good, the male vocal sound a bit sharper than required.

Instruments have very good amount of transparency and details to them, they have fantastic amount of sharpness to them. Upper mid range is nicely balanced with the vocals and rest of the mid range with good accuracy. There is no sibilance to worry about but some tracks might induce some upper mid peak.

Level of layering and separation is class leading thanks to the bigger than most stage size in this price range. The stage has more depth than width and height.

HIGHS:-

Transition from upper mid to lower treble is very good. The amount of energy in this transition region is nicely maintained. There is little to no reduction of energy when compared to the mid range.

The B200 has one of the most lively highs for the price range, there is plenty of spark to it with very good amount of energy until the end. The extension is one of the best if not the best. There is no edginess or unwanted smoothening to the notes sharpness.

The level of transparency and clarity is class leading. There is a bit more energy than needed but there is nothing to worry about. Sibilance is just kept out of the equation. The extension is exceptional, the last one I had seen with this type of extension in this price range was the hifiman RE-400.

Just like the mid range, layering and separation is very good, there is plenty of air between instruments and the bigger stage size helps with instrumental placement.

COMPARISON:-

VS Simgot EN700pro, TFZ Series 4, Ostry KC09 and Final F3100:-



VS the old Version:-

The older version had slightly bigger but slower bass, lacks some details, was not this transparent and lacked a bit of air. The stage size was more cylindrical, the newer version is equally deep with more rounded width and height. The treble extension was not deep enough.

In other words, the newer version is an improvement to the older version in every aspect.







CONCLUSION:-

The B200 is fantastic for the price. It is immensely capable. It has one of the best transparency and resolution for a $100 earphone and the level of details is the best. There is little to no fault in the SQ of the B200. The stage size is very good. The only thing which holds the B200 a little back is the slightly metallic vocal tonality (mostly because I was listening to some $1000+ earphones before this, which are better with tonality, obviously).

The B200 is so good that I can tell you, those who bought a Fiio F9 will find the B200 doing far better than it in every aspect, nothing the Fiio F9 does better than the B200, not a single thing.

If you are in the market looking for an earphone under $100 which deliver at every front, the B200 fits the bill. It might lack some bass but it still has enough.

It is very difficult to find a better sounding earphone for $100.

INTRO:-

Nguyen Customs, the Vietnamese IEM maker has made a different name for itself within the community, they have their NCM NC5 v2 and NCM Bella leading the way for them, but they have full array of earphones, starting from single BA NC-1 to 9 driver hybrid systems the Bellas, Bellas as there is the new Bella V2, which differs to the V1 with a slightly different tuning and changes to the build.

The Bella V2 is available in both custom and universal shells, prices for both options is exactly same at $1099, both can be ordered with customizable shells colors and back plates.

The Bella houses 9 drivers for the heavy lifting, one 10mm dynamic driver takes care of the bass and 8ba drivers for mids and highs in a 4way crossover setup channeled through 3 stainless steel bores.

Being the Flagship the Bella bears the performance pressure, specially from the likes of other flagships. What I am going to compare the Bella with The Hyla TE-5B and the Shozy Pola.

Contact here to place an order for the Bella V2:-

info@nguyencustoms.com


ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The Bella V2 comes in a pelican style hard sided large carry case. Perfect for performers or those who travel a lot. There is zipper case stuck to the upper flap with the help of Velcro strap. It’s a very good arrangement as everything can be kept in that pouch. Things you can find the box are 4 pairs of ear tips of various types, a wax pick, draw string carry pouch, a 6.5mm adapter, leather cable tie and silica gel.

Keeping all the things in the pouch keeps the arrangement clean.



BUILD QUALITY:-

I find the build quality of the Bella V2 to be very solid. It looks sturdy and durable. The NC5 v2 I had reviewed earlier had slightly inferior build. The shell of the Bella V2 looks stronger and more sturdy. The back plate is nicely fused into the body. Unless you decide to use extensive force, the Bella V2 won't break.

The clear shell of my unit shows plenty of details of the internals. There are 3 stainless steel bores, one for the dynamic driver, one for mid range and one for treble. There is a bass vent for the DD. The vent is smaller than the NC5 V2. the nozzle is longer and it doesn’t feel shallow, giving it a more secure fit.

Even if you order universal shell, one can customize the shell color, faceplate color and faceplate design. One can even get a 2.5mm cable instead of the stock 3.5mm cable if willing to spend some more.







CABLE:-

I opted for the 2.5mm cable instead of the stock 3.5mm cable. The 2.5mm cable is of average quality. It is 4 core copper cable. Its supple, doesn’t bouce and doesn’t have much memory of its own. there is no cable guide of any type. There is little to no microphonics to worry about.

The 2pin socket and 3.5mm jack look strong and the wooden cable slider adds some character to it.

I am slightly disappointed with this cable. It is a $1000+ earphone after all, and the cable is equal to something one can buy for as much as $30. A bit more premium cable will add class to the Bella V2.



COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

The Bella V2 with its wide and longer nozzle is fairly comfortable in the ear thanks to its ergonomics. It is more ergonomic compared to the Hyla TE-5B and Shozy Pola. The shells get nice traction inside the ear and feels sturdy.

The housing is big, and it has a fair reason to be big, there are 9 drivers inside it but it's not uncomfortable.

Bella V2 seals very well with silicone tips and is very good with foam tips.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The official word sets the V1 apart from the V2 with a few mm longer nozzle, less prominent bass presence, more forward mid and treble with a slightly smaller stage size.

What I can tell you that the V2 has loads and loads of details, its has oodles of details and some more. A month ago I had a chance to spend some time with the Lime ears Model X, which is in the same price bracket. The model X was good, the tonality and everything was fantastic but the level of details and treble extension fell considerably short when compared to the Bella V2.

The tonality of the Bella V2 is fairly neutral. There is some brightness to it, but that’s it. The overall tonality is very true to the characters. there is little to no coloration.

With a nominal impedance of 31ohm at 1k, it can be driven out of a mobile device but not to its fullest, a DAP will do justice to the Bella V2.

I have burned the V2 for more than 150 hours, and is using the Plenue R for this review.

BASS:-

The Bass region is very well defined and paced with plenty of precision and details, it has good amount of energy to the notes and has more body to it when compared to the Fibae 3.

The Bella V2 uses a dedicated dynamic driver for bass. Thanks to the dynamic driver, the bella has better bass presence compared to typical BA based earphones, like EM-5H or AF1120.

The V2 move good amount of air and the slam is accurate, the bass body is nicely rounded and delivers a fuller notes. When compared to the likes of Ee Bravado the Bella V2 feels more balanced and much more detailed.

The bass of the Bella V2 is very accurate, one of the most accurate I have ever seen in long long time. Its not overly excited as the Hyla 5B or as flat as the EM-5H. It manages to strike a very good balance between being flat and being over exaggerated. The Sub-bass has acceptable amount of reach, not as deep as the Model X but as good as the 5H. The best part is the decay, I love the decay of the V2. It is one of the most accurate IEMs when it comes to decay. It neither let the speed to be a bit too slow to make it sound heavy nor lets the bass note vanish into thin air like the audiofly AF1120.

Mid bass is slightly more forward when compared to the sub-bass and it gives good amount of body to it. There is no upper bass anomaly to worry about.

Notes are very well defined. Notes weight and fullness is better than the fibae 3. It is not as dry as the 4P or not as heavy as the Bravado, it lies closer to the Fibae 3 though. There is no compromises made when it comes to the amount of details and imaging. The level of accuracy, resolution and amount of resolving details is very good.

The Bella V2 cannot be called a bassy earphone by a long shot.

MID RANGE:-

The Bella has 8 BA drivers for both Mids and treble, but the number of driver dedicated for mid range and treble are not defined, I assume it has 4 for mid range. The Mid range is slightly more forward compared to the bass region. The level of balance maintained by the mid range is outstanding.

The transition from upper bass region to lower mid range has a small dip in energy, keeping the bass region clear of the mids. From there on the amount of energy maintained from lower mid range to the upper mid is very consistent, through the whole mid range, the Bella V2 maintains exactly equal amount of energy, which is a very rare feat even at this price range.

Earphones do tend to have a certain frequency delivering more energy than the other but that is not the case with the Bella V2, even a few spikes it has have equally same amount of reach and energy.

The level of transparency and resolution the Bella V2 exhibits is class leading, better than Model X, Shozy pola and even the Andromeda. Its crystal clear and has very good amount of accuracy to the notes. Both male and female vocals are as clear as they get, none of them have any kind of edge over other (imagine the accuracy, transparency and level of energy maintained by the Bella V2) and both are very accurate.

Instruments too have equal amount of energy and notes accuracy to them, they are as thick or as thin as they need to be. Unlike the EM-5H which has very good sharpness bad lacked accurate thickness and depth and the Model X which lacked a bit of transparency, micro details and had a lower than average notes depth. The extra bit of transparency makes it difficult to take the mind away from the Bella V2. The upper mid range too maintains equal amount energy, it neither dips not gets elevated. There are no sibilance but the amount of transparency can bite a bit..

Layering and separation, thanks to the level of transparency and resolution is very good.

The only point where the Bella V2 loses some points is at the stage size, it has equal amount of width and height as the Fibae 3 but the fibae has a deeper depth. And compared to competition the stage size of the V2 is smaller.

HIGHS:-

The transition from upper mid range to the lower treble region is flawless. It has the exact amount of energy right through, the crossover is flawless. The number of drivers doing the lifting here is not defined but I assume there are 4 of them.

Just like the Mid range the treble section too has fantastic amount of energy to them. There is plenty of spark and details to them. The amount of extension is very good.

Going up the spectrum, energy with the notes are maintained, instruments exhibit class leading details and transparency. Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the very good amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note, along with the presentation is very good. Let it be resolution, clarity or imaging, the Bella V2 doesn’t hold back. The level of imaging delivered is cleaner and clearer.

The Bella V2 has very good amoutn of energy, transparency and resolution to it, it can feel a bit more forward but Nguyen doesn’t try to dial it back which is admirable.

COMPARISONS:-

VS Hyla TE-5B:-

The Hyla has bigger bass size, better sub-bass rumble and body. It has better sonicality and has a bigger stage size. The level of details is not as high as the Bella V2, it doesn’t have the level of transparency either. Both have similar treble extension.

Bella V2 has better details and clarity, layering and separation is equally good on both but 5B feels airier.

TE-5B has a superior cable.

VS Shozy Pola:-

The Pola is very similar to the TE-5B. The difference comes with sound signature. The Pola lacks the amount of detail and is less forward compared to the Bella V2 treble and vocal region. Both have similar treble extension. Pola doesn’t sound as transparent either.

The Pola has bigger bass impact and body, both have similar bass extension. The stage size of Pola is bigger.

Pola too has a better cable.









CONCLUSION:-

The Bella V2 has is one of the most detailed and transparent sounding earphone irrespective of the price bracket. It just delivers all there is. There is no note in the spectrum which doesn’t make its presence felt, that too with tonal accuracy. There is good amount of bass body, fantastic mid range clarity and forwardness and equally impressive treble range, everything about the Bella V2 is either class leading or class worthy except the stage size, which is smaller than average for the class.

Build quality is fantastic too.

What they need to change immediately is the cable. It needs a more premium cable to match others in the price range. Everything else about the Bella V2 is exceptional.

If you are in the market looking for an upgrade to your ER-4P or want something with mind boggling amount of details, the Bella V2 will deliver with its eyes closed.

Thanks for reading guys, have a nice day enjoy!!

INTRO:-

Shozy has been very busy with their products releases. They have released a handful of earphones in a short period of time and all of them are of very good for their price Bracket. They had released the Neo BG 5 with collaboration with NEO, the BG5 a 5ba earphone and is priced very competitively at $270.

But shozy wanted something which is ‘’ A more premium hand-built audio solution for your daily commute''.
Bettering the Neo BG 5 the come up with the Pentacle, with same number of drivers (different drivers) the pentacle has a different tuning compared to the BG 5. Made with collaboration of Shozy and AAW, the Pentacle lives up to the reputation of bass power delivered by all of the AAW earphone. Priced $450 the Pentacle goes head-on against plenty of competition in the same price range. But the unique tuning of the Pentacle lifts it above the rest.

There is only one color option of the Pentacle. Wood faceplate with smoke black shell.

You can get one for yourself from here, or just get in touch with Shozy on Facebook.

http://www.shozy-hk.com/hibiki-1/pentacle-5ba



ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The Pentacle box has all the accessories packed in a good looking carry case. It contains 6 pairs of tips, 3 pairs of foam tips, 3 pairs of rubber tips in S/M/L sizes. There is a 6.5mm and airplane adapter below the cable box. No cable clip in the box.












BUILD QUALITY:-

Build of the Pentacle is on par with other earphones in this price range. The 64audio U3 feels more sturdy but the Pentacle is not slouch either. The Plastic shell is not the best but it keeps the weight low making it feel effortless in the ears. The semi custom type wing on the inner shell gives it a good grip inside the ear. The Build quality is average but sturdy enough. The Nozzle is made of metal.

The back plate is fused nicely into the shell. The recessed 2pin in the shell is slightly tricky, it took me a moments to put it in. once you got it, it's easy. I would have liked it at the same level as the body if not protruding.

It clearly has a 3 bore design inside, there are no vents, not that it needs one.



CABLE:-

The Cable is one of the best in the price range. The funny thing is, cheaper earphones have better cables compared to the like of Fibae 3 and Lime ears Model X which is okay, they clearly mean that get yourself a good cable. The Pentacle cable on the hand is very good and one doesn’t need another cable unless it wants to go balanced. There is no microphone option.

It is a 4 core cable with unspecified composition, it sounds like pure copper as the bass feels meatier when compared to the Nocturnal SPC cable. It is slightly on the stiffer side thanks to the not so rubbery coating, its not bouncy but has good amount of memory.

there is no microphonics and the cable guide is without any wire insert and is supple enough to give no headache at all.



COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

The Pentacle is a totally universal model, there are no custom versions and it comes in a single color too.

It is aptly comfortable for a 5ba earphone, it is of the same size as the Pola and is comfortable inside the ear thanks to the small wing to hold on to the inner ear giving it a nicely ergonomically feeling. The Pentacle has nicely deep nozzle and its not very wide either, making it comfortable with all type of tips. It fits nicely in my ear without any discomfort even after hours of usage.

Seal of the Pentacle is above average with silicone tips and slightly better with foam, it cant stop very loud outer noise but will do for the average commute.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

In Shozy's words pentacle has :-
"Punchy, dynamic sound with strong vocal texture combines into an immersive listening experience on the go. Sensitive driver config coming with 2-pin sockets allows fine tweaks fitting your personal preference!"

The Pentacle is not an orthodox sounding BA based earphone. Where other based on BA drivers tend to aim for flatter bass, forward or equally leveled mid range and sparkly treble, the pentacle delivers very good amount of bass, slightly V shaped mid range and smoother treble.

The tonality is warm and slightly dark. The tonality and timber are pretty natural and the notes have very good depth and feel to them. There is a bit of coloration.

Burned for more than 150hrs, I am using the Plenue R and D for this review, the Pentacle doesn’t need much power and can be driven easily out of mobile devices.

TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The Pentacle with its 117db sensitivity and 36ohm impedance is very easy to drive out of any portable DAP without much problem, even when using some capable mobile phones, you will still be able to get most out of it. Amping is not necessary but if you have one, you can use it to get a bit more energy up top.

It matches pretty well with all type of devices, it is not much choosy.

BASS:-

It’s the lower end where the Pentacle differs the most from its peers, other BA based earphones. It delivers a wholesome amount of bass instead of being flat or reserved.

My first impression was like " Man this is something I was not expecting". I have good amount of exposure to earphones in this price range who have very good bass response even with BA drivers, ES3 and 64audio U3 to name a couple. Before getting the Pentacle I read into the product page and Shozy had mentioned that they will not let the bass of the Pentacle lie flat, indeed they didn’t, it feels like a dynamic driver bass. The ES3 has this much of sub-bass but lacked with mid-bass body and was slower with decay.

It has good amount of rumble to it, there is very good amount of air too. The extension is as good as other BA driver earphones but has far better sub-bass presence. If the fibae 3 has 6/10 sub bass rumble and body, the pentacle has 7.5/10. It gets more meaty and impactful with the mid-bass, its slightly more active and energetic giving the lower region a full bodied feeling. This much of mid-bass with this amount of decay speed makes the experience enjoyable. The slam, the air and the rumble makes the pentacle's bass enjoyable.

Will I call this most accurate? maybe not, mostly because earphones like EM-5H and even the lower Neo BG 5 delivers better accuracy and details, but do they have this much of sub-bass and bass body? not by a long shot. What the Pentacle brings to the table is the enjoyable characters. The slightly slower decay makes the notes precipitate better, giving a nice poise. It doesn’t want you to analyze the music, it wants you to enjoy it.

When it comes to technical ability I find the Pentacle in the middle of the mix, above the Earsonics ES3, 64audio U3 & DUNU DK3001 and under the likes of EM-5H, Shozy Pola.

MID RANGE :-

The first thing that catches ones attention is the smoothness the Pentacle delivers with its mid range. Its very similar to the EE Bravado except the Pentacle has better notes depth. It is nicely paced without being a bit dull like the Fibae 3. Instrumental distribution and density is as good as anything else but the stage size could have been a bit bigger.

The Mid range slightly lacks energy when compared to the forwardness of the bass region. One can call it mildly V shaped, just a bit. Compared to the Earsonics ES3 the Pentacle mid range is plenty forward. Just to make things clear, the Pentacle is far superior to the ES3 when it comes to mid range, it's just the stage size where the ES3 has slightly more dimension and better projection.

The transition from bass to lower mid range has a small drop in energy, very similar to the ES3.

Vocals on the Pentacle is very lush and loveable with accurate notes depth, they don’t bite, they don’t try hard but they leave an impression. Both male and female vocals sound equally impressive. None of them have an edge over another, just like the Shozy Pola. Male vocals retain good amount of throaty feel to them and female vocals maintain good amount of depth and sharpness with them.

Instruments have good amount of transparency and details to them, they have good precise amount of sharpness to them. Its not as dull as the Fibae 3 and not as sharp and dry as the NOC Avalon. Upper mid range is nicely balanced with the vocals and rest of the mid range with very good weight to notes. There is no sibilance to worry about. Both the vocals and instruments have better transparency than the ES3, the Pentacle feels more lively in comparison.

The level of layering, instrument accuracy and separation is up to the class, the only thing that holds the Pentacle back compared to the Fibae 3 and NOC Avalon is its slightly smaller stage size and a bit lack of micro details transparency and clarity.

HIGHS:-

Treble region of the Pentacle has good amount of energy and spark to it, it has good levels of transparency and details. There is no sibilance to worry about at all. Sadly the extension is not exactly up to the mark for the price range, in comparison the NOC Avalon and even the ES3 has slightly better extension.

The transition from upper mid to lower treble region is very good. It delivers very good amount of details and transparency with smoother notes presentation. The energy starts decreasing after 11k and vanishes into thin air at around 14-15k. It is good, but the competition delivers better.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the good amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note along with the presentation is good. Let it be the resolution or imaging, the pentacle does well.

Needless to say that separation and layering is up to the mark with acceptable amount of air and space between instruments, a bigger stage would have done more justice to this but it is what it is.

It would have triumphed the Fibae 3 if it had slightly better treble extension.

COMPARISONS:-

VS Earsonis ES3:-

The pentacle has similar sub-bass impact, more air, better mid bass body, is technically more capable. Pentacle has better vocals energy, instruments sound sharper, less V shaped, has better details and transparency.

The ES3 triumphs the Pentacle with slightly bigger stage size.

Vs Shozy Neo BG 5:-









VS Custom Art Fibae 3, Nocturnal Avalon, EE Bravado and Eternal Melody:-






CONCLUSION:-

After my impression video I instantly I got questions about the ability of the Pentacle. To be very clear, Pentacle differs with tuning and approach to music, it delivers a more musical sound and makes the listener enjoy the music rather than being very technical or analytical. In the pursuit for that it loses some micro detail pop and transparency.

If you are coming from a bass dominated sub $200-300 earphone and looking to keep the similar signature the pentacle fits perfectly, heck it even betters the ES3 in most of the aspects.

Fit is above average, no need refit it every now and then, the size is not very big, and the fatigue free signature makes the pentacle a good upgrade to slightly V shaped signature loving listeners.

Will I recommend it over the likes of Fibae 3 or NOC Avalon? Never, but the Pentacle shines where no one else does.

Thanks for reading guys, have a nice day, enjoy!!

INTRO:-

This review is about a brand, not much publicized, not very popular between audiophiles like us, mostly because Eternal Melody doesn’t have much exposure. They are slightly reserved with their approach, but man, do they make fantastic earphones for the price.

I am reviewing their EM-5H iem. It houses 5 BA drivers, with a slightly different setup compared to the EM-5. The EM-5 has Two for bass, two for mids and one for highs. The EM-5H has one for bass two for mids and two for highs. Both have the same number of Drivers but have different setups. Except the setup the only thing that sets these part is the EM-5H written on the shell. There is no other way to know which is which.

5H is priced at around $650-750 for both Universal and Custom versions respectively, available with variety of faceplate options is going against popular earphones like the Campfire Andromeda, Shozy Pola and EE bravado. I am going to compare the EM-5H with the Shozy Pola, Bravado and Fibae 3.

Get one for yourself from their own store:-

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a21wu.12321156-tw.0.0.3e9034baftOGCA&id=549772190370

https://world.taobao.com/item/549772190370.htm

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-



The 5H comes in a nice looking box. The best thing I found in the box after the EM-5H is the full metal carry case, milled out of single pieces of metals, it looks stunning and feels very solid. One can be totally assured that their earphone inside that case can stand some extreme conditions without any problem.

inside the carry case you will find some wide bore tips which fit the 5H nicely. Other things out of the box are a cleaning cloth, an airline adapter, a65.mm adapter, user manual and a wax or dust pick.

There is a choice of cable color, white and black, I choose black.













BUILD QUALITY:-

Build quality of the 5H is very good, it is up to the mark of every other earphone in its price range, it feels more solid compared to the Shozy pola, the shell looks stronger and more robust. I don’t think it will break but a deliberate effort to break them.

The Back plate or faceplate is fused nicely into the body and it feels seamless. Contrary to the EM-5 design, the 5H has a dual bore design without any specification.

There are no vents in the shell, there is no need for one. The nozzle length is good and gives the 5H a nicely deep insertion, deeper than the Shozy brothers.

CABLE:-

Eternal Melody has a couple of cable color options. They have Black and white color cables with 2pin socket.

The 3 core braided cable has nice feel to it, there are no unnecessary layers of rubber on it, hence it's not bouncy at all. It's very supple and doesn’t tangle easily either. There is no microphonics to worry about. The cable guide is metal inserted which keeps shape once shaped to ones comfort. Cable splitter is of decent size and there is a cable slider too.

COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

All of the custom earphones have very good fitment with plenty of customization. Their universal earphones, like the one I am reviewing too have a very comfortable and ergonomical feel to them.

It is very comfortable for a 5ba earphone, Even some single BA earphones have bigger shell size. The smaller size and ergonomically design makes it a very comfortable earphone, unless you have very small ear cavity.

Last time I reviewed the NCM NC5 v2 I complained about the Nozzle length, the EM-5H has an aptly deep nozzle making it more stable and secure. 5H fits better than the Fibae 3, EE bravado and the Campfire Andromeda thanks to its very ergonomically shape.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The 5H is for those audiophiles who demand clarity, details and transparency, it is very accurate, there is little to no coloration. Weightier and deeper notes makes it sound very natural.

Before the EM-5H I had tried a few 5+ ba based earphones, reviewed one too, AF1120 to be precise. Reviewed a few more in the price range of $700, EE bravado, AF1120 and Fibae 3 to name some.

All of these are very good at what they do, so does the EM-5H and does a few things better than most. None of these have the amount of density and level of details delivered by the EM-5H.

The EM-5H has been burned for more than 100hrs and I am using my Plenue R and D for this review.


















TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The EM-5H is very easy to drive out of any portable device without much problem, even when using some capable mobile phones, you will still be able to get most out of it, but a dedicated dap will always bring out the best of it. Amping is not necessary but if you have one, you can use one and you will find a bit more energy.

BASS:-

The Bass region is very well defined and paced with plenty of precision and details, it has good amount of energy to the notes but it is not for a bass heads for sure.

The 5H has one BA driver to do the heavy lifting. Sub Bass notes are very much in line with typical BA earphone like AF1120 and ER-4 micro series. Thankfully the lower end note are weightier and less dry when compared to these flat bass earphone. 5H does move better amount of air and the slam is acceptable, the bass body is nicely rounded and delivers a more fuller notes. When compared to the likes of Ee Bravado the 5H can feel very flat.

Best comparison for the 5H is the Fibae 3, both have similar bass size and body, the 5H has better precision, details and accuracy. The decay of the 5H is as good as the ER-4P but has better weight and depth to the notes, which means it is faster than the Fibae 3 and miles ahead of the Bravado. Notes don’t vanish into thin air, they make their presence felt while keeping the speed up to the mark.

The sub-ass extension is as good as AF1120 and ER-4P but is slightly less compared to the Fibae 3. There is some rumble, nothing to write home about though. Mid bass is slightly more energetic giving the bass most of its body. Upper bass has better amount of energy compared to the Fibae 3.

Notes are very well defined. Notes weight is in between the Fibae 3 and ER-4P. It is not as dry as the 4P or not as juicy as the Fibae 3, it lies just in the middle of these two. There is no compromises made when it comes to the amount of details and imaging the 5H delivers. The level of accuracy, resolution and amount of resolving details is up to the mark.

The 5H as I said earlier is not for those looking for Bass, it can deliver but can not please a bass head.

MID RANGE:-

EM-5H has two BA driver for mid range, transition from upper bass to lower mid range is without any obvious drop of energy. It maintains very good amount of energy at the lower mid range. The mid range is slightly more forward compared to the bass region giving the instruments and vocals a more central projection. Notes are sharper and more precise compared to the Fibae 3. Fibae 3 tries to deliver smoothness over level of details or clarity. EM-5H notes have nice finishing to them, sonicality, too is up to the class.

The first thing to notice with the mid range is the amount of accuracy it shows with notes, its exceptionally paced with plenty of details with plenty of energy to them. The mid range sounds very transparent and delivers one of the cleanest notes presentation in the price range, it has very good instrumental distribution and density, sibilance and aggressive notes are nicely kept at bay, things do get sharp but not overly.

Thanks to dual BA drivers, vocals on the EM-5H are very well defined with good amount of throaty feel to them. Let it be male of female vocals both sound very clean and have accurate tonality to them, more accurate compared to the Nocturnal Avalon. Level of sharpness is kept well under control to avoid vocal sibilance, still the 5H have very good reach and vocal notes have better than average body to them. In comparison the Fibae 3 feels milder and Nocturnal Avalon overly excited.

Instruments shine like the star of the show. There is plenty of energy and bite to them, they bite well, leaving a mark, without getting close to uncomfortable. They have better amount of details, resolution and transparency when compared to the likes of Fibae 3 and EE Bravado, but it is not as clearer as the Shozy Pola, as the Pola delivers better defined notes and feels more spacious too. Still I love the way the 5H projects its mid range, the level of resolution is mention worthy, it is willing to go the distance with plenty of accuracy and precision, without crossing the line. Upper mid range is kept nicely under limits, there is no sibilance to worry about, but there is plenty of details and spark to enjoy.

Layering and separation of the 5H is very good and is in line with others, the level of density is better than Fibae 3 and Bravado, keep in mind that Fibae 3 and Bravado are no slouch the 5H does a very good job of keeping its head over these two. The stage size of the 5H is nicely rounded with very good height, width and depth to it.

Level of isolation too is very good, better than the Pola and Bravado.

HIGHS:-

Transition from upper mid range to the lower treble region is very good, but there is a small dip in energy to keep the spikes and any type of sibilance in check. There is good amount of energy around the transition but nothing that is uncomfortable. Eternal Melody deserve praise for this, cuz the AF1120 was sibilant at this very region. Level of details at this region too is very good.

Going up the spectrum, energy with the notes increases, instruments exhibit class leading details and transparency. Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the very good amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note, along with the presentation is very good. Let it be resolution, clarity or imaging, the EM-5H doesn’t hold back. The level of imaging delivered is cleaner and clearer when compared to the Fibae 3 and Bravado.

The 5H's treble works around two BA drivers and it is evident. It delivers plenty of details and has very good amount of spark to them, EM has not tried to dial the energy back, which is admirable. The amount of extension too is up to the class. Yes the Treble doesn’t feel as endless as the Fibae 3 or AF1120 but it is not a thing one can put a finger on either.

Layering and separation is better than the two earphones I have been constantly comparing the 5H with. The 5H feels more airier and dense. Stage size is big, not as big as the Fibae 3 but still bigger than Shozy Pentacle.

COMPARISONS:-





Comparing the Custom Art Fibae 3 Vs Nocturnal Avalon, Shozy Pentacle, EE Bravado and Eternal Melody


Comparing the Lime ears Model X against the Eternal melody EM-5H and Shozy Pola



CONCLUSION:-

The Eternal Melody EM-5H is an earphone which cannot be anything but brilliant. It delivers very good vocal tonality, the instruments are very clear and transparent, nothing holds the 5H back from delivering an imaging with plenty of resolution and details. Not a single thing that is wrong with this 5H, let it be build quality or accessories or sonicality or level of details or ability to keep the sibilance at bay, the 5H does everything effortlessly.

Yes it lacks a bit of bass prowess, it doesn't go boom like the Bravado, but the Bravado is has nothing else over the 5H and 5H does everything else better than the Bravado.

The EM-5H is an earphone for an audiophile who wants plenty of details with their music and they feel being choked when the music is not good enough to push the earphone to its limit. (look at me I am one). The 5H cant appeal to types of music which doesn’t have density to them as the dynamism of the 5H will feel limiting, which it is not.

If you want to enjoy your music with class leading amount of transparency, details and sharpness and if your music is capable, close your eyes and you will find yourself losing touch of your surroundings with the 5H.

I hope you guys had a nice time reading the review. Enjoy your music. Cheers.

Upcoming… Shozy Pola.

INTRO:-

Most of us who are into portable gears knows about Brainwavz, they are one of the most active brands in the market with plenty of products with appeal to every type of consumers, let it be beginners, enthusiasts or analyst, they products for everyone. Their Bluetooth earphone are very popular and their BA based earphones too are very impressive. All of them were regularly updated.

What they had not upgraded was their headphone lineup, the extremely popular HM5 had not seen an upgrade or successor since its inception, there were smaller headphones, but they were not up to the mark to replace it. But now Brainwavz has come up with an equally impressive headphone, the HM100 Studio monitor with wooden cups.

It comes in only brown color option and is priced at $200.

It’s a proper upgrade to the HM5 with bigger drivers, 42mm drivers are replaced with 52mm drivers, Power handing capacity has gone up 10 times, from 100mw to 1000mw, so that you can use it with very powerful setups and be assured that the drivers will be able to handle it.

It is bound to face tough competition from the ATH-m50x, Shure SRH-440 and other mid budget headphones. I had the ATH-m50 which in my opinion was not a good headphone, I will compare it from memory, and has SRH-440 and HD598 closed back (leaned from @superuser1) to compare with the HM100. (I had auditioned the HM5 on 2017 June but can't make a firm comparison).







ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The packaging box is a neat looking one with required amount of information on it.

The HM100 comes in a huge carry case, which houses the cables, extra pair of pads and padding to keep the wooden cups safe from bumps. It is a hard sided zipper case which can take a bit of beating.

There are two cables in the package, one is an 1.3m or 4ft single ended cable and the other one is a 3.0m or 10ft single ended cable, both have soft rubber layer on them which is neither very supple nor stiff. Both the cables feel good to the hand and the build quality is up to the mark.

There is another pair of Velcro pads out of the box if you want to swap the leather ones. There is a instruction manual and a 6.5mm adapter sums up the list of things in the box.












BUILD QUALITY:-

If the HM100 has any setbacks, it's in the build quality of the hinges, they squeak, they are not as smooth or sturdy as the HM5 used to be. And yes, the HM5 was not very sturdy either, nor is the SRH-400 or ATH-M50, what is really sturdy is the HD598 or the HD380 pro.

Except the hinges, the adjustable slider too is a bit loose side. The pads are difficult to adjust after you put them on, so make sure you rotate the pads to your comfort before putting it on.

There are three dot like holes which are the driver vents. Putting on pads is moderately easy.

CABLE:-

Both the cables that come with the HM100 are audio cables, no mics or anything remotely close to them are found on them. One of those cables is a 1.3m cables and the other one is a 3m long cables to enjoy movies on larger screens. Both of them have 3.5mm mono terminations which goes into the headphone.

Both of these cables have similar build quality with smooth rubber coating on them. They are not much bouncy but have a bit of microphonics to them when compared to the cables of the HD 380 pro.

COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

To be precise, the HM100 is comfortable, more comfortable than the HD 598se as the Sennheiser feels less stable on head. The HM100, thanks to a bit more clamping force feels more stable and as the pads are thicker and softer the clamping doesn’t feel out of proportion, it makes the headphone feel stable on the ears. If you want me to spit it out, yes, Yes the HM100 is a comfortable headphone.

Ergonomically its mot as good as the Hd 380 pro but it gives a nice feel and is comfortable enough as no part of the headphone induces any discomfort or irritation.

Noise Isolation is as good as the HD 380 pro thanks to the softer pads. It's better than the HD 598se and far better than HD 598 open back.

SOUND QUALITY:-

Unlike most of the headphones in this price range the HM100 is tuned to monitoring headphone. It has a very nice balance between bass mids range and treble without giving much emphasis to any of them. It is one of the most neutral and colorless headphones one will comes across in this price range. Its even more neutral compared to the W shaped HD 598 open back. The 598 can be a bit dark but the HM100 is not.

With the power of its 52mm driver, the HM100 delivers very good symphonies, it delivers very accurate and precise notes. I love the balance of it, when I bought the HD 598 open back, I was expecting this type of presentation but I was left disappointed.

I have burned the HM100 for more than 100hrs before writing this review and is using Plenue R and S.M.S.L. SAP-11 amp for this review.

Keep in mind that HM100 is a power hungry headphone and will not sound good enough out of Mobile phones. Proper driving from a DAP or amping yields desirable results.

TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

Driving the HM100 is slightly on the harder side as just average Mobile devices can't deliver required amount of power. The 64ohm impedance and 96db sensitivity is not suited for mobile devices. It does sounds okay out of my Lenovo P2 which has higher loudness than most phones, and sounds crappy out of the new Galaxy A7 2018. If you are using some flagship device, you will be fine as the HM100 it is not a picky headphone.

If you have an aptly powerful source, the HM100 will oblige. It’s a full size Headphone after all and amping it is always recommended. More power brings out the better in it.

BASS:-

Yes the HM100 is not what the ATH-M50 is. Yes the HM100 doesn’t have the bass body of a HD380 pro either. But what it has is the control of a balanced armature earphone. Its very precise about its notes. Not a single note feels out of place, the way it use to sound out of a ATH-M50. In a straight on comparison the M50 has very loose notes, let it be sub-bass or mid bass lr any part of the lower spectrum. Sub-bass rumble is very good with the HM100, M50's sub-bass is drowned under its mid-bass emphasis. Mid bass too on the HM100 is tighter and doesn’t bleed like the M50. If you want bass, EQ, it responds well to EQs.

The HM100 has good extension and sub-bass presence, going as deep as 25hz, it delivers better sub-bass reach compared to the HD 598se and far better than K702, moving more air and delivering a nice slam. The Decay is fast, The HM100 tightens things up, it delivers a very accurate imaging without any loose ends, marginally slower than the AKG K702. The slightly slower decay gives notes a bit more weight and authority to make their presence felt.

Mid bass is where things get snappy, not as snappy as the K702, but faster than HD 380 pro and HD598 Closed back, it moves good amount of air and the bonus is, if you feel the K702 is dry, the HM100 is aptly juicy. Things get flatter with upper bass.

There is little to no sacrifices made when it comes to the balance between presence of bass and the level of details it delivers, it feels more dense and engaging when compared to the HD 598 se and K702. I am loving the lower end presentation of the HM100.

Yes the bass note is not as engaging as the HD 380 pro (I find the M50 bass to be a bit too much loose) but it delivers a very well balanced imaging to the lower end.

MID RANGE:-

As I have always said, for me, the magic happens in the Mid range. It is the part of the spectrum I admire the most, I feel the soul of a auditory device lies within how it delivers the mid range notes.

I have had plenty of headphones in the past. ATH-M50, Sony ZX700, Sennheiser HD 598 open back, AKG K702, Shure srh 440 to name some of them. None of them had the balance I was looking for. Most of them have very good Mid ranges (all of them actually, not the M50). The HM100 is the closest to what I expects from an headphones midrange in this price range.

The transition from upper bass to lower mid is very smooth, there isn't much loss of details or energy, unlike every other headphone (SE598, ATH-M50). It maintains very good amount of energy with the instruments in this transition stage. Most of the Headphones make tend to soften notes and lack transparency here.

Thanks to their W shaped signature both the HD 598 and HD380pro deliver more forward vocals giving a faux feel of better details, but when I tried feeling the notes quality, the HM100 delivered sharper and more textured notes. HD598 has thicker notes presentation which makes female vocals sound less natural.

When it comes to Upper mid instrument clarity, the HM100 blows the competition like a Leaf blower blows away the leaves. It maintains the most amount of energy and delivers very accurate and precise notes with class leading and mention worthy transparency.

Stage size of the HM100 finds it in between the mix, the biggest stage coming from the HD598 open back with the smallest being the ZX700. IMO the stage sizes are like this:- HD598 open> HD380pro > SRH 440 >= HM100 > HD598 close ATH-M50 > ZX700. But when it comes to density, the HM100 tops the chart just Above the SRH 440.

All in all the HM100 mid range is a performer which relies on accuracy, precision, clarity, level of details and transparency.

TREBLE:-

The biggest complain I had with the SRH 440 was that it lacked some treble stage size which limited the dynamics and some clarity of the treble. This is not the case with the HM100, take the treble of the SRH440, add some more energy and extension, voila, the HM100 treble rises like a Phoenix. This added energy makes the HM100 sound more transparent and clearer compared to competition.

The upper end of the HM100 is fantastic to say the least. It has plenty of energy, spark and details. None of the headphones I have or had this type of extension, energy or treble details.

The transition from upper mid to lower treble is nicely maintained with plenty of details, there no lack of details here, and the region doesn’t have spikes or uncontrolled energy. The actual energy lies at the mid treble region, things can get sharper than most of the headphone, the K702 has sibilance, this can get closer to getting sibilance but I am perfectly fine this amount of energy, in fact this energy keeps me seated, it makes the headphone sound proactive and lively.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the very good sharpness to them and the finishing of the note along with the presentation is worth mentioning. Let it be the resolution or imaging, the HM100 doesn’t hold back.

Needless to say that separation and layering is up to the mark with good amount of air and space between instruments, the stage feels full and the density is outstanding for the price.












COMPARISONS:-

HM100 vs SRH440 vs HD598 closed back:-


HM100 vs Sennheiser HD 380 pro:-









CONCLUSION:-

The HM100 from Brainwavz is a champion performer, it delivers where other shy away. It pushes the boundary of a $150-200 Headphone.

No part of the spectrum is left behind. It has the whole spectrum with very similar energy and transparency. The ability to deliver something without a single dip or uncomfortable peak in the spectrum is something to write home about. If you want reference sound for under $200 the HM-100 is the answer.

HM100 is a studio worthy stuff, casual users will find it dull with bass power and aggressive with mid range and treble notes transparency and clarity.

Thanks for reading guys, Have a nice time, Enjoy.

INTRO:-

Bluetooth connectivity modules are not very common, not very popular either, but they have plenty of uses. They can turn any of your wired devices into a BT device. Let it be your T.V., gaming console, wired speaker or your headphone and earphones, everything can be turned into an audio device.

The Biggest trick under the sleeves of the Phoenix is that it can transmit the data from non-BT PC or T.V. to your Speakers or headphones. You can use two Phoenix to connect two non-BT audio devices.

The Signature Acoustics Phoenix from the house of Pro audio home sold by Pristine Note has a few more tricks under its sleeves. The Phoenix works around a CSR 8675 APTX HD Qualcomm chip which can pair up with 2 devices at the same time with BT 5.0. It can connect with TV PS3 or PS4 with the optical cable or 3.5mm female to RCA male connector. And the best thing is, the Phoenix supports all Android, Apple and Windows Operating environments.

The Phoenix is priced at 2799rs or around $39, with its no stone turned approach with connectivity options, still has some competition from other lesser known brands but most of them don’t have optical cable option.

Let's find out how it fairs against my $160 creative E5 BT receiver, who am I kidding.. E5 is a full fledged amp. But still, I will just compare the Audio quality through BT, and the Bt on the E5 is 4.0, E5 should be at disadvantage, let's find out.



Before that..

ACCESSORIES:-

The Phoenix comes with plenty of accessories. First and the most used accessories is the 3.5mm line in cable. There are a 3.5mm female to RCA male cable and a optical cable to use with console devices.

There is a charging cable and the instruction manual sums up the list of accessories..







CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS:-

The Phoenix can transmit and receive audio signals with APTX HD quality with just a flick of a switch. TX mode transmits and RX mode receives. One can use one of those out of the box accessories to connect the Phoenix for optimum performance.

In TX mode, just hold the on button on the top, a blue light will start blinking and it will connect automatically to the nearest BT device ready to be paired. IN RX mode, hold the on button for 4-5 sec and a red and blue light starts blinking, means it is ready to be paired.

For an instance, if you want to connect your non-BT T.V. with your BT headphone, you can use the 3.5mm lineout cable or RCA cable. To connect console, one can use optical cable for this. Simply use the lineout cable to connect with Non-BT speaker. One of the best use is to use it with car stereo system.

Use the RX mode and make your non-BT earphone or headphone a BT accessory.


Connected to my TV
+
Connected with TRN BT in TX mode.




BUILD QUALITY and BATTERY:-

The build quality of Phoenix is acceptable, its all plastic, the upper Plastic cover is a button which makes it feel slightly less sturdy. The overall build quality of the Phoenix is average. It doesn’t feel very sturdy, not much fragile either, just make sure you don’t drop it.

There are two switches and the DC charging port is on one side. First switch is the TX/RX, the other one is a AUX/SPDIF switch.

The Phoenix has 400mah of battery which can handle up to 16 hours of auxiliary and 14 hours of SPDIF operation. Charging it is for around 90mins fills the battery to 100%. I found the battery to last around 12 hours with RCA and around 17 hrs with aux cable. Battery life is very good.





SOUND QUALITY:-

The Phoenix has CSR8675 BT5.0 chip which has faster transfer speed, better response time (if you want to play games) and supports higher sample rate. Does this means it can deliver better sound quality?

I am using Flac files (DSD and DSF and ISO.. transfer speed is not that fast) and my Pixel 2 & a loaned LG V30+ thinQ for this review, both support APTX HD.

To test its driving ability I will use the Brainwavz HM100 (which I am reviewing alongside the Phoenix) and a BA based earphone, the Shozy Pentacle.

Pitting it against the Creative E5 which can only receive and is equipped with only BT 4.0.

The overall quality of the BT 5.0 is evident, it has more depth and more minute details compared to the Robin. The tussle with the E5 took a different turn as I found out that the Signal is processed by the AMP chip too.. Making the comparison not in favor of the Phoenix, but still, it’s a comparison, let's find out.

BASS:-

The Phoenix delivers accurate bass notes, it doesn’t lose any extension and delivers most of the bass body. If I had compared it only with the Robin I would have said that its far better but the E5 delivers better body and slam. The slightly smaller body makes the decay faster with the Phoenix hence everything sounds more cleaner and clearer. Extension of the E5 is on par, but the E5 costs around 5 times more than the Phoenix.

MID RANGE:-

The mid range of the Phoenix is as good as it gets with the headphone or earphone you are using. Notes do lose some native sharpness. The difference is very small but is evident when I use the pentacle.

Instruments and symphonies have good amount of details, just like every other BT device when faced with high speed or busy tracks, details tend to clip, transparency, layering and separation do take a hit. But this time around the amount of damage received is considerably lower.

Vocals retain the most amount of details, the throaty feel of male vocals is slightly lost, the sharpness of female vocals is slightly less evident too. The presentation is much like a more ironed one compared to the default head gear character. A bit of the micro details is lost.

The stage size too is slightly smaller than default.

HIGHS:-

Highs are slightly hard to get a hold of, still. Its far better than what it used to be with some other BT earphones I have reviewed couple of years ago, but still the wired mode of Hearing delivers better extension and details, which is expected. I have to admit that the Phoenix delivers better highs when compared to the TRN BT cable which uses BT4.2.

The amount of details matter on the earphone too, as it is very much like a BYOG thing. Your gear, your quality.

With the Pentacle, it shows good extension, instruments have enough energy, there isn't much spark or energy, but its better than my E5 and TRN BT receiver.








CONCLUSION:-

Doesn’t matter what type of earphone or headphone you use, the timber and tonality of the head gear is well maintained. As it is with every wireless thing, sharpness do take a bit of hit. It still beats the Creative E5 when it comes to treble extension, energy and decay speed.

I find the Phoenix to be a nifty device, it delivers all one can expect from a Bluetooth audio adapter, it transmits, receives, and enables all the non-BT audio equipments with BT and does it with ease. If you are a wireless person who use BT on regular basis and want to make your no-BT device BT-licious, get yourself a BT 5.0 enabled Signature Acoustics Phoenix. It will serve you like a Phoenix.

The number of connectivity options it provides is outstanding.

There are other options too, why will you buy this? Buy this because its Signature Acoustics, one of the biggest Indian Audio companies and they have nicely responsible customer care team.

Buy yours From here:-
https://www.amazon.in/Signature-Acoustics-Bluetooth-Transmitter-Home-Theater/dp/B0188U2PLU

I hope you guys are enjoying your music, have a nice time, cheers.

INTRODUCTION:-

I don’t think the Custom Art Fibae 3 needs much of an introduction, still.. The FIBAE - "flat impedance balanced armature earphone" 3, housing 3 Balanced Armature drivers now leads the Fibae series with 1 and 2 under it.
They also have the triple BA PRO 330 v2 and EI.3, and their Flagship Harmony 8.2. All of these earphones have received heaps of praise from both reviewers and customers. (They have launched a single BA earphone Fibae Black very recently). All of their earphones are Custom made and are available in both Custom fit and universal fit just like mine (universal fit upon request). You can pick Silicone and Acrylic shell with Custom fit.
After the immense success of the Fibae 1 and 2, they introduced the Fibae 3 as their middle weight street fighter, with a price tag of 525 Euros, it takes on earphones like the EE Bravado, Campfire Jupiter, NCM NC5 v2, Shozy Pentacle and Eternal Melody EM-5H.

I will compare the Fibae 3 with a few other earphones, Shozy Pentacle, Shozy Neo BG 5, NCM NC5 v2 and EM-5H to name some.

You can get one for you from here:-

https://thecustomart.com/shop/silicone-products/fibae-3-silicone/

https://thecustomart.com/shop/acrylic-products/fibae-3-acrylic/

If you are from Asia, you will prefer this:-

https://music-sanctuary.com/products/custom-art-fibae-three-acrylic

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The Fibae 3 comes in a gift box style Box with two carry cases inside it. One is a hard sided zipper case to keep the earphone when not on the move, the other one, a Pelican 1010 case is meant for travel use which will keep the earphone safe under unfavorable circumstances.

There are 3 pair of tips inside a small tips case in S/M/L sizes and a pair of double flange tip. Dehumidifier, wax pick tool and the welcome document sums up the list of things out of the box.








BUILD QUALITY:-

Build quality is one of the biggest positive of the Fibae 3, which holds true for all the Custom Art earphones too.

There are many customization options available, some are with extra cost, you can chose different cables and one with Mic too. The Acrylic shell is very sturdy, the back plate fusion is flawless and unless you decide to drop the earpieces on solid floor (deliberately trying to break them). On the inside it implements a two bore design, one for Bass and mid and other for highs.

There is no vent in the shell, a BA don’t need one at all. The nozzle has nice depth to it and its very easy to change tips.




CABLE:-

Custom art has a couple of cable color options. They have Black and grey color cables with both MMCX and 2pin socket. You can chose a mic cable too for extra money. Mine is the grey 2pin cable.

The 3 core braided cable has nice feel to it, there are no unnecessary layers of rubber on it, hence it's not bouncy at all. It's very supple and doesn’t tangle easily either. There is no microphonics to worry about. The cable guide is metal inserted which keeps shape once shaped to ones comfort.



COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

All of their custom earphones have very good fitment with plenty of customization. Their universal earphones, like the one I am reviewing too have an comfortable feel to them.

It is exceptionally comfortable for a 3ba earphone, Even some single BA earphones have bigger shell size. The smaller size and ergonomically design makes it a very comfortable earphone for everyone.

Last time I reviewed the NCM NC5 v2 I complained about the Nozzle length, the Fibae 3 has an aptly deep nozzle making it more stable and secure. Fibae 3 fits like a glove to my ear without any discomfort even after hours of usage.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.




SOUND QUALITY:-

The Fibae 3 is tuned more for the consumers than for mastering use. It is meant to enjoy the delicacies of music without going too hard at them, without peaks or sibilance of any type, with a soothing approach delivering a very inoffensive sound signature.

"FIBAE 3’s tuning is a result of a carte blanche approach. Researched and newly developed drivers deliver reference sound without sacrificing punchy lows as well as improved presence of highest frequencies without adding harshness or sibilance. FIBAE 3 shares highly musical and engaging character of its bigger brother – Harmony 8.2. Consequently, this triple-driver IEM offers smooth, balanced midrange and high coherency that Custom Art is known for.

FIBAE 3 emerges as a new paradigm with only three Balanced Armature drivers that provide class-leading extension across the frequency range."

There is little to no coloration and the signature is very neutral, let put it like, its 95% like the ER-4P, but the notes have better weight to them making it more juicy. It has a nearly flat sound signature with a mild W shape to it.

Properly burned for 120hrs I am using stock tips and Plenue R and Plenue D for this review.

TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The Fibae 3 is very easy to drive out of any portable device without much problem, even when using some capable mobile phones, you will still be able to get most out of it, but a dedicated dap will always bring out the best of it. 110db sensitivity means it can get very loud too. Amping is not necessary but if you have one, you can use one and you will find a bit more energy up top.

Given that the 7.3-8.2ohm impedance value, its prescribed to use a low output impedance source.

BASS:-

The lower end of the Fibae 3 is handled by one dedicated driver which is aided by a full range driver, yes the full range driver might be a mid range driver while contributing something to other two drivers, but we can't say that for sure.

The Bass region is not only very well defined and paced with plenty of precision but also has the poise of a matured tuning of the driver.

When compared to earphones like the NCM nc5 v2 and Empire Ears Bravado the Fibae 3 can be considered flat. But in front of the real flat folks like the ER-4P and q-jays the 3 is very potent. From a neutral point of view, It doesn’t lay flat on its back when a bass note arrives, it moves good amount of air with a sizeable slam. The body is not huge but is nicely rounded and meaty enough to keep me seated.

The biggest plus over the flatter ones is the sub-bass rumble, it has the most amount of energy and forwardness in the lower region. The Fibae 3 has very good extension and sub-bass presence, going as deep as 20hz, it delivers better sub-bass compared to the nocturnal Avalon. The Decay is very fast, marginally slower than the ER-4P or the q-jays, slightly slower decay gives notes a bit more weight and authority as they make their presence felt without vanish into thin air.

Mid bass is where things get as snappy as the ER-4P, its very fast as the notes size is smaller compared to the sub-bass notes, it is still present and moves a bit of air, thankfully it is not as dry as the 4P. Things get flatter even as things move to upper bass.

There is little to no sacrifices made when it comes to the balance between presence of bass and the level of details it delivers. The level of accuracy, resolution and amount of resolving details is up to competition. The amount of control exhibited by the Fibae 3 over the mid-bass and upper bass is rarely seen in this price bracket.

Even though the Fibae 3 is a bit sub-bass minded, it delivers a very detailed and textured presentation with equally better transparency. What impresses me the most is the effortlessness, it doesn’t feel like being held back.

Yes the bass is not huge by any means, but if you came for that.. the Fibae 3 will not leave you looking for it, just done expect much rumble.

MID RANGE:-

The first thing to notice with the mid range is the amount of maturity it shows with notes, its exceptionally paced with plenty of maturity with a nicely polished feel to them. The mid range sounds very lush and delivers one of the cleanest and smoothest notes with very good instrument distribution and density, sibilance and aggressive notes are nowhere to be seen.

If you look into specs, the full range driver does all of the hard work here and it delivers like a champ. Coming out of the same full range driver it delivers one of the most flawless transaction from upper bass to lower mid range. The mid range is slightly more forward that the bass region, giving it a more fuller and full bodied presentation and W shaped sound signature. Notes have a more natural tonality thanks to accurate notes width, sharpness and decay, notes don’t hound, it doesn’t bite, it just wants to cuddle.

Vocals are comparatively smoother with good enough texture to them, there is plenty of details from the word go. Male vocals sound accurate and soothing with a nice throaty feel to them, female vocals too have equally good tonality, sharpness, accuracy and smoothness to them. Both male and female vocals sound equally composed, there is no extra energy to make things uncomfortable unlike the Avalon, which can push some more spikes into the mix.

Instruments too have very good amount of details and transparency to them, picking up micro details is not a problem at all, but instruments do lack the pop thanks to the smoother presentation. Yes it doesn’t have the sharpness of the Nocturnal Avalon, which sounds slightly more transparent and cleaner. Upper mids are exceptionally balanced with the vocals and rest of the mid range with very good weight to notes. There is no sibilance at all.

The level of layering, instrument accuracy and separation is up to the class and easily beats the 64audio U3 and Earsonics ES3 with its more vivid and clearer presentation. The stage size has a cylindrical feel to it, it has exceptional depth with average height and width, aided by sonicality, the Fibae 3 can throw cues farther than most of the earphones mentioned.

HIGHS:-

The Fibae 3 delivers one of the most inoffensive treble notes. The is very good amount of energy and extension to them, but any type of spikes are kept out of the equation. The lower treble is nicely under control, but the energy increases as it goes deeper into the spectrum. The smoother notes presentation has not left the scene. Level of detail is very good.

Transition from upper mid range to the lower treble is exceptional here too with exactly same amount of energy to them, lower treble delivers very good clarity, resolution and details.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals, they have the required amount of sharpness and the finishing of the note along with the presentation, which is very good. Let it be the resolution or imaging, the Fibae 3 delivers.

Needless to say that separation and layering is up to the mark with plenty of air and space between instruments, with the bigger than average stage size, the presentation is delightful and fatigue free.

Slightly thicker and rounded notes do make the Fibae 3 sound a bit less cleaner and transparent.

COMPARISONS:- (videos)

Vs NCM NC5 v2 & DUNU DK-3001:-




Vs Shozy Pentacle, Nocturnal Avalon, EE Bravado and Eternal melody EM-5H:-









CONCLUSION:-

With a smoother and near natural approach to the notes, the Fibae 3 delivers a effortless sublime experience. It has plenty of maturity to the notes, there is not a single spike in the whole spectrum. Not a single thing feels out of place with a beautiful imaging. Let it be, tonality, timber, weight of notes, presentation, balance, sonicality, or imaging, it excels at many things. There is clumsy feel to it at all. It slightly lacks with details and sharpness.

Yes, it cannot compete with detail hogs, The Fibae 3 sounds Veiled compared the the EM-5H, Nocturnal Avalon and Shozy Pentacle. And that how the Fibae 3 is tuned. It's not for monitoring use but for enjoying the music with very good amount of details and smoothness.

If you and to enjoy your music with exceptionally accurate tonality and timber without a single spike in the spectrum coming your way, if you just want to sit back and enjoy the music, there is nothing that beats the Fibae 3.

I hope you guys had a nice time reading the Review.

Cheers, have fun, happy Christmas, enjoy.

INTRO:-

Unless you were living in a cave for some years, everyone has heard about Brainwavz and most of us have owned them too. The are one of the most active brands in the market. With plethora of products under their belt they have reach from $15 earphones to $250 earphone. Let have multiple flagships let it be their DD or BA earphones or Headphones. They usually target the mass market with mouth watering prices. Tempting to the limit and maybe beyond when in sale.

Their BLU series has seen couple of very successful earphones. The BLU-100 left everyone awe inspired when launched with a lowly price tag and the BLU-200 improved on the 100.

Here I will look into the BLU-300, the 3rd and the cheapest member of the lineup. With an mop of just under $40 it looks sleek and has a neck bend design with a magnetic clasp and with its IPX7 rating it is bound to get attention from gym goers and everyone else.

The market is flooded with plenty of BT earphones in this price, but we will look into a couple of other BT modules to see if the BLU-300 is really worth it or not.

You can get yours from here:-

https://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/blu-300-wireless-sports-earphones

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07J5RZG8V

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5RZG8V

P.S. I am not a BT guy, but I will be very lenient with my words.

ACCESSORIES:-

The BLU-300 is very lowly when it comes to accessories too. It doesn’t come with the trademark Brainwavz red/black case, there is no carry case in the box, and only one pair of tips. The charging cable and warranty card sums up the list of accessories.

Possibly because it will not fit into the box, but putting in some tips is something they could have done.




BUILD QUALITY, CABLE AND MIC:-

The BLU-300 is built very well, it feels very sturdy and solid in hand. The all metal housing brings plenty of confidence about its durability. The neck bend rest on the collar and is built with good quality plastic, unless you go hard at it, it will last anyone for couple of years at least. One has to take a bit of care of the cables, as they are the biggest reason why BT earphones fail. (few years ago I suggested Brainwavz to go Removable cables, but it went in vain).

The cable is long enough and is fairly comfortable. The remote is well built too. This time around it has separated power and volume buttons. The bigger power/call answer/end button is easy to reach and operate.

The power button works as answer/cut for calls, does work for pause and play for music too, but one has to manually initiate the music app first. The volume buttons work as usual. Holding the volume buttons for a couple of seconds changes the song.






USAGE:-

It nearly takes 90 to 120 minutes to charge from battery low to full. It shows red lightly while charging and blue lightly when charged. Holding the power button for a couple of seconds turns the device on, a blue light starts blinking, holding it for another two seconds initiates the pairing mode, blue and red light blink simultaneously.

The range is said to be 10m and it is around 8m even with a wall in between, the reception quality has improved considerably and the amount of lag has recued too.

I will never be able to test the Stand by time, but the playback time is respectable at around 7 and half hours depending on the volume. Calling will reduce the life by a couple of hours. I can't be on call for that long to test it, so.. bite it.

You cannot pair another device while streaming from another. If a call comes from the other device, the music will stop and will resume once the call is disconnected.

The MIC quality is good with good amount of clarity, picks plenty of back ground sounds too.






Paired with my Pixel 2 and A7 2016.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The BLU-300 relies on a 10mm dynamic driver for the heavy lifting and BT 4.1 for connecting, it's not the latest and might struggle while streaming Loss-less files. To me, its baseless to stream Loss-less files over BT anyway. For general listening one will be very pleased with the performance.

Its bass heavy sound with good amount of mid range emphasis gives it a very engaging signature. It’s a L shaped signature with plenty of warmth and a bit of coloration.

BASS:-

It’s the driving force of this earphone. Older models were slightly more mid bassy with a slower decay, the 300 focuses on the sub-bass rumble and gives plenty of vibrations at around 60-90hz, it feels pretty satisfying compared to older models.

Bass has a nicely rounded body with a punchy and airy bass. The slam feels more natural thanks to faster decay. Lower end extension is pretty good. One cannot be critical about of details here but the 300 has good amount of details and texture. Notes don’t feel overly attacking or flashy and are well rounded. It has good amount of resolution but as usual density is missing.

Bass is well within limits and delivers a sound signature enjoyable for everyday use. Yes its nearly bass head level of bass, only if it has slightly bigger body, I would have labeled it bass-head.

Mid bass is nicely controlled with good amount of decay speed. Upper bass too is pretty clean. The driver handles the bass like a champ. I will not call it the best but yes It can be the best for an BT earphone in this price.

MID RANGE:-

Whenever I hear BT I lower my expectations considerably. I just simply cant expect it to pick up wired level of micro details and clarity. What I can expect is a signature easy on ears and acceptable levels of transparency.

The 300 is better than 100 and 200 in this regard. It has better details and clarity. The timber feels more natural and notes have better sharpness with more accurate body. And more than everything, it doesn’t sound hollow.

The vocals are the focus here and both male and female vocals sound natural, female vocals sound slightly off, just slightly. They have good amount of texture to them.

Instruments do have some clarity but as we go deeper into the spectrum thighs get more gloomy and they tend to lose intensity. Layering and separation is acceptable. Stage size is better than some wired earphones.

HIGHS:-

The nicer the lesser you talk about it. It's not like it's totally missing but it lacks extension, there is some upper mid energy which extends up to lower highs, but that’s it, over that its muted, lacks enough energy to be clear, but till that slump its got more than enough energy, more than S0 to be precise. And it's not bad, it just lacks much needed extension. Cymbals are okay, guitars are good, but when you get into some fast paced music with some serious instrument work, it falls on its back, everything sounds pretty much veiled, giving up much details, so play some slow jams, with lesser instruments, some POP, trance and house is just okay as they just use synthesizers in the track and it is just fine. If the track has few more things playing in the background, it just feels very bust lacking any focus or transparency.

So stick to pop, and hip-hop, not rock, if rock don’t expect details.

COMPARISON:-

In recent past I have tried some other BT cables from KZ and TRN, the KZ costs around $10 and TRN costs around $18 but they don’t have earpieces, What I can conclude though is that the Brainwavz Has better Reception and Vocal clarity. Trn has slightly better upper mid presence with a bit more extension but that’s it.

The one with best extension is the BLU-Delta, but it sounds thin and lacks the bass thump. Which in a gym session feels very dull and uninspiring.

CONCLUSION:-

If you will ask me, I am satisfied, my last few reviews were some $500 earphones with up to 5 drivers so I simply can't expect that level of performance here.

1. I expected an engaging sound signature, and I got it.

2. I expected very good reception and I got that with very clear voices at both ends for calls.

3. And more than those, I wanted lesser amount of mid-bass, and the BLU-300 delivered in that front.

Yes it doesn’t have much treble presence, you can't expect that from an BT device any way unless you are spending $1000. It is a very good option for gym goers, commuting use, jogging use in the park, and for casual listening to Netflix to Amazon Prime episodes.

That’s it guys, have fun, enjoy, cheers.

INTRO:-

Nguyen Custom Monitors better known as NCM are a custom In Ear Monitors maker from Vietnam who have plethora of models under their belt. Starting with single BA driver NCM NC-1 and single dynamic DS1 to 9 driver single dynamic 8BA hybrid Bella, they have earphones for everyone, let it be for a beginner, a pro or a performer, they have models for everyone, and all of their models are available with universal and custom fit which is a feature on its own.

The single driver earphones cost somewhere around $150 (3500000 VD) and the totl Bella costs around $1010, the NC5 V2 middles these with a price tag of around $540 and is equipped with a 10mm Dynamic driver and 4 balanced armature drivers with 4 way crossover it pushes details like a pro (more on that later).

Facing competition from the Bravado, Fibae 3, dunu-dk3001 and many other earphones in this price range, the NC5 v2 does a few things like no one in the above mentioned earphones can pull off.

Get your pair from here :- http://nguyencustoms.com/ncm-nc5-v2/ (scroll down, fill the form, submit, Thomas will get back to you for other details)

Gaze at other models here :- http://nguyencustoms.com/

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

As the NCM NC5 V2 comes in both universal and custom trims the universal model comes with 4 pair of silicon tips and a pair of comply tips. The NC5 V2 comes with the stock OFC ultra soft cable.

The NCM V2 comes with a hard carry case, draw string carry pouch and a cleaning cloth.





BUILD QUALITY:-

The NC5 v2 has only acrylic shell option with a handful of colors for shell and back plates. The build quality is very good with a middling size for a 5 driver earphone, one of them being a 10mm dynamic driver. They have both MMCX and 2pin options at the order form, one can go for which ever they are comfortable with. My unit has mmcx port. Both the Face plate and body are nicely fused together.

It has 3 bores, one for the dynamic driver, one for dual mid range drivers and one for dual treble drivers. One of them being a stainless steel bore (not from the dynamic driver). There is huge bass vent for the dynamic driver to breathe.

The only problem with the whole earphone is the nozzle length, which is smaller than most of the earphones available in the market, giving it a shallow fit. Putting a 5mm bore tip on the NC5 is easy.







CABLE:-

The cable is a simple OFC cable. Nothing fancy here. It has very good build though, feels very supple and is without much memory, there is no bounce in it either. It has a good layer or rubber on it, protecting it from any type of mishaps or damages. There is a cable inserted cable guide, the 3.5mm jack is a 60 degree one with good enough stress reliving.

Sadly there is no cable slider.



COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

The NC5 is very comfortable, if you forgive the short nozzle length, it is very comfortable without any type of discomfort even after long periods of time. Thanks to the shallow fit, the seal is just average at best, isolation is not class leading but will get the work done.

Ergonomically it has a semi custom universal shell, giving it a very ergonomic feel.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The NC5 v2 is a very unique and clear sounding earphone, housing 5 drivers, 1 dd and 4 BAs it has the truest character of a hybrid earphone we all wanted since the inception of hybrids. Most of the brands struggle with the tuning, some tune the dynamic down, some tune the DD very awkwardly, and others tend to dial the treble down.

That is not the case with the NC5, it delivers exceptional clarity and presence all across the spectrum. The crossovers are exceptionally clear, especially of the DD with the BA drivers.

If you think you need to move out of the clinical and analytical sounding earphones or want something which sounds equally good with bass mids vocals and highs, the NC5 v2 is the best option for around $500.

The NC5 has bass in its heart and details in its mind, and man does it delivers.. It overwhelmed me.

The Dynamic bass and elevated mid range gives it a W shaped signature which is bright, warm and slightly colored still sounding very natural. As I said, it’s a very unique sounding earphone.

FYI the NC5 v2 is burned properly and the source is Plenue D and Plenue R. I am using aftermarket Sony or KZ tips for this review.

I have used tons of music for this review which includes Biffy Clyro, Breaking Benjamin, Arctic monkeys, Lupe fiasco, some pop and some electronic.




TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

The NC5 is very easy to drive and gets very loud. With a 19 ohm impedance and 111db sensitivity one can easily drive it from their portable device, the NC5 sounds decent out of mobile phones too.

Amping is not required, but it does help the treble to gain slightly more energy.

The NC5 is not a choosy earphone either and sounds fairly good out of any decent source.

BASS:-

This is the bass I was expecting out of hybrid earphones, a meaty, punchy dynamic bass loaded with texture and details. An independent, clean and clear sounding bass with plenty of thump and body. Finally the NC5 v2 delivered on this front. The Lear Kaleido has bigger bass but the NC5 sounds more resolved and detailed, the Lear tends to focus more on the mid bass and lacks this much of sub-bass.

The NC5 has a very pleasant bass presence, it has a well rounded body, moves plenty of air with a nice slam thanks to the huge vent. The lower end extension is very deep and sub-bass presence is class leading, the sub-bass level goes neck in neck with the Bravado and does better than the Bravado in keeping the mid bass away ( in other words its ability to discover bass notes is class leading), sounding more mature and resolved. The level of sub-bass presence and rumble is superior with the NC5 thanks to the bass vent. It delivers punches like a champ, meaty and whole hearted punches, without holding back.

Mid bass has slightly more presence at 90hz -120hz, not exaggerated by any means while adding to the overall body and slam of the notes. Upper bass to maintains very good amount of energy and adds more details to the mix. The overall body is as big as the bravado, still the decay is slightly faster giving the NC5 better control and accuracy in comparison.

It has very good amount of details texture and clarity. Notes are weighty and very juicy. The level of resolution and amount of resolved details is slightly better than the Bravado.

The biggest strength of the NC5 is the way it separates the bass from rest of the spectrum. It feels exceptionally separated and the tuning is bang on.

MID RANGE:-

The mid range is handled by two BA drivers and have their own separate bore. Transition from upper bass to lower mid has a drop in energy to keep the notes distinctly separated. It's not flaw less as the crossover is evident.

The Mid range doesn't have the level of energy of the bass, it still maintains good amount of forwardness, notes are very clear and the level of transparency is very good. Notes presentation has good amount of bite and sharpness. Its not excessively thin or thick giving it a natural notes thickness which sounds truer to the nature of instruments. Thanks to this instruments sound very clear and crisp with good amount of air between them. At the same time it maintains the juice with a true to the nature decay speed making the experience more musical and enjoyable. The upper mid range do gain more energy helping cymbals and other instrument shine. Some might find it slightly aggressive but that’s it, it doesn’t get uncomfortable at all.

Vocals sound clear and crisp. Both male and female vocals sound natural with good amount of details and texture to them. Notes are presented with accurate depth and sharpness. It has very good resolution and transparency. Vocals on NC5 v2 aims and succeeds in delivering a very good balance between details, coherency, accuracy and natural tonality. It has more energy than the Bravado and doesn’t have unnatural sharpness of the Avalon.

Layering, separation and spacing between the instruments is very good. It’s has very good amount of resolution, details and density. The level of micro details in slightly lower than the Nocturnal Avalon and is neck in neck with the Bravado.

Sound stage is nicely rounded with good amount of width depth and height but is not exactly huge. It is still bigger than most of the main stream earphones in the market. Its Feels slightly lacking in all dimension compared to the bravado.

HIGHS:-

Treble region of the NC5 has very good amount of details, the rise of energy from upper mid range is maintained at the lower treble region too which gives it a more detailed presentation and bite. It feels very lively. They are not overly sharp like the Avalon and is devoid of any type of sibilance unless you are not someone who can take some spark with their treble. The extension is good, but it is not as good as dunu DK-3001.

The NC5 doesn’t have excessive energy, it does have a nice bite to it but it is not something to leave an impression.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals the sharpness and the finishing of the note along with the presentation is very good.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys top end energy and spark, The NC5 v2 will bring you good amount of satisfaction. Yes it is not beating the Avalon or the AF1120 by a long shot when it comes to energy or extension (the avalon has the sharpness and details to die for, AF1120 has the similar details with an extension to kill for).

Needless to say that separation and layering is up to the mark with good amount of air and space between instruments, the stage size is good enough to give proper spacing between instruments. The presentation is very good.

SELECT COMPARISONS:-

VS Dunu DK-3001:-

The Dunu lacks with thump, sub-bass rumble and body. It does have sub-bass but NC5 v2 has more. Both have similar texture and details but the 3001 has faster decay. The Dunu doesn’t really stand in front of the NC5 v2 bass.

The dunu beats the v2 when it comes to vocals texture and timber, but the NC5 get back with better instrument transparency and details. Both have very good resolution but 3001 lacks a bit of density. When ti comes to stage size, the Dunu is still bigger, if not very big, it is 10-15% bigger in every dimension.

Highs of the NC5 has lesser extension against the 3001 which has extremely good extension, but have better energy and spark to them. Layering and separation of the Dunu is better as it has more air between instruments but the NC5 has better transparency.

The 3001 lacks with transparency and details and is technically inferior to the NC5 v2. It does have bigger stage and forward vocals going for it.



Vs Fibae 3:-

First thing first, the Fibae 3 doesn’t have a single sharp peak in its spectrum. Every note is nicely rounded and feels full bodied.

The fibae 3 is a delightful earphone, it has slightly better sub-bass extension but the rumble is not as big as the v2. Uverall bass of the NC5 v2 is multiple times bigger than the 3. It has faster decay, slightly less texture but with similar amount of details. Mid bass is not as prominent.

Mid range is a delight on the Fibae 3, its very smooth and detailed, has slightly less transparency, but has similar control and accuracy, the stage width and height is similar but depth is better. Vocals are slightly less sharp than the NC5. All in all the mid range is less forward compared to the NC5 v2.

Highs of the Fibae 3 has better extension and has better energy as it goes in to the spectrum. Thanks to its better lower treble energy the NC5 feels more tingly or say lively. Layering and separation is better on the Fibae 3. Stage of the Fibae has better depth.

If you like bass prowess.. the fibae 3 will fall flat. If you want sonicality, fibae 3 is head and shoulders above.

Vs Nocturnal Avalon:-

Avalon on straight is a better earphone technically, it has better transparency and air between instruments.

But when it come to bass, nothing mentioned in this article has better and bigger bass than the NC5 v2. Avalon has faster bass decay and is slightly mid bassy.

Mid range is similarly V shaped. NC5 have better vocal thickness and the timber is more accurate. Details in better here. Stage size is similar.

Treble is better on the Avalon, better energy, extension and transparency. Layering and separation too in better.

VS EE Bravado:-

Both have fairly similar bass, the Bravado has slightly more mid-bass emphasis and the decay is slightly slower. It has similar texture but notes feels more refined and softer.

Mid range is considerably less energetic, is not forward by any means but has similar details and has bigger stage size. The whole imaging and resolution is slightly better but lacks bite at the same time. Overall stage size is bigger in every dimension. Has slightly less density.

Treble has better extension and maintains good amount of energy till the end. There is no hump of any type, feels very smooth and relaxed. Layering and separation is slightly better here. Lacks forwardness and may feel dull in comparison. Notes have slightly slower decay.

If you are shy about high but want similar bass power, the Bravado comes very close with more leveled or say linear mid range and highs.






In general:-

The NC5 v2 is a very capable earphone and is technically superior of the 64audio u3 and Earsonics ES3.

CONCLUSION:-

" Mr Thomas Mr. Thomas we have a big problem, the NCM NC5 V2 is awesome, and I aint giving it back, cut me a deal.."

Why this? Why did I do that? If its not exactly better than the Avalon or Fibae 3 at some point?

Because it has the balance of bass, mid range, and treble I had not experienced at this price range.

1. The bass is full bodied with plenty of slam, energy, rumble and texture.

2. The mid range has accurate vocals and good amount of details.

3. Treble has nice amount of energy, sharpness and spark to it.

If this meets your expectations, go get it, its a fantastic sounding earphone.

Cheers, Enjoy your music.

INTRO:-

With the ever expanding possibilities the audio industry is growing like wild fire. With new payers joining every week to have a share of the pie. Today we will look into a fairly new brand the NS audio, Nature Sound audio's Top of the line earphone, NS2- composer.

The NS2 is a dual BA based earphone with a price tag of $270, comes in two colors, white and black, it faces competition from LZ A5, Lear Kaleido, the ever green UE900s and many more. I will compare the NS2 with all these three earphones and add the ER-4p for reference.

I would like to thank penon audio for the Sample unit. You can get one from here:-

https://penonaudio.com/ns-audio-ns-2-composer.html

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The NS 2 comes in a Wooden box, it looks good to start, with a different approach from others. There is a pair of cable guides, some eartips with a pair of double flange tips, there is cable strap, a cable clip and a pure leather carry pouch, more of a style statement which will not provide much protection.

My unit cane with plenty of tips in it, I am not sure if the 6 pairs of tips and a pair of double flange tips sticks with the retail package.






BUILD QUALITY:-

According to the Penon audio NS2 page the NS 2 has semi custom 3D printed shells, which is polished and glazed. And indeed it looks good. It looks like a single bore design from outside, but might have different internals.

The all plastic two piece build is not exactly the strongest possible shell but it is strong enough to withstand good amount of abuse. The recessed 2pin port gives the cable a secure fit. The nozzle is short but doesn’t feel shallow. There are no vents here.

To separate channels, NS audio is written on the right side and composer on the left.





CABLE:-

The NS audio NS2 comes with a good looking Litz structured silver plated copper (SPC) cable and has 3.5mm termination with chrome plating. There is a cable slider, both the slider and cable splitter are chrome plated.

It uses 40 core 4N OFC plated 0.8um silver copper wire, machine around process, plus 300D ballistic wire, PVC coating anti-winding and anti-discoloration. The coating is really nice, it doesn’t tangle much and is not bouncy either. There is no microphonics to worry about.



COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

I will have to give the NS2 full marks for comfort as the ergonomical design give a very plush and comfortable fit. Even with the slightly shallower fitment it feels secure and one doesn’t need to worry about it falling out.

I find the ergonomics for the NS2 to be one of the best, the inner shell design with that wing give it plenty of traction inside the ear and is not bothering even after hours of usage.

Seal is sadly not up to the mark, its average at best affecting the Isolation a bit.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The NS2 composer houses 2 BA drivers, it was not mentioned about the driver specifications, so I will have to consider that both the drivers work simultaneously for the whole spectrum as I cant point out a particular spectrum to be delivered by a single driver.

The SQ is farly balanced, its not lacking anywhere, its not as flat as the ER-4P and not as bassy as the 64audio U3. The overall SQ is very smooth and easy going. There is little to no coloration to worry about. As far as the Nature sound is concerned the timber is considerably natural and neutral.

The NS2 is properly burned in for 120hrs and I am using stock medium size tips for this review. The source is Plenue D + Sound Blaster E5.

The NS2 composer is a sensitive earphone, it needs more than average power (55ohm) so its recommended to use a dedicated AMP to drive it properly as most of the mobile phones will fall short in driving the NS2 to its full potential and making the NS2 sound less detailed.



BASS:-

The lower part of the spectrum is what give the NS2 composer its unique sound attribute. Its as I said earlier is neither flat nor is as thumping and deep as the TFZ king pro or the 64audio U3. It has good amount of presence with enough rumble to keep things juicy. The decay is slightly on the slower side and could have been a bit faster. The tonality gives it a very alive and organic feel (mostly because of slightly slower decay).

Sub-bass Depth is good and has good amount of rumble to it but it doesn’t have the reach of the EN210j which too houses two BA drivers. The mid bass is slightly more prominent compared to the sub-bass and is the most lively past of the lower spectrum with the upper bass being in the level of sub-bass. Its not mid-bassy, there is no hump to worry about.

There is good amount of air and slam is good for a BA driver, notes are very gentle and rounded without any edginess. The bass stage is on the smaller side, its much in the head.

Transparency and clarity is good and the level of details is better than the Lear kaleido.

MID RANGE:-

If I find the mid range lacking, I throw the earphone in my black hole but the NS2 composer is considerably good when it comes to mid range tonality and timber, it sounds very natural and melts in the ear with its very accurate vocal presentation. Male vocals sound very accurate, notes are meaty and throaty, where as females vocals lack a bit of energy and sound slightly cold but still accurate. The overall vocal presentation is very clear with plenty of separation and transparency. Upper mids are mostly calm with a bit more energy which helps the NS2 to sound more detailed.

Instruments lacks the amount of forwardness of the vocals by a small margin, it has plenty of details and separation without lacking micro details, details which is close to the level of the UE900s (thanks to the snappier/drier notes the EU900s is one of the most detailed earphone in this price range as far as the mid range is concerned). Notes presentation on the other hand is smoother, livelier and more engaging compared to the UE 900s. The NS2 composer doesn’t have uncomfortable peaks or sibilance like the q-jays either. Yes there is a bit more energy at the upper mid but it won't bother unless you are super sensitive.

Layering separation and spacing between the instruments is very good as the stage has good amount of space. The stage is nicely rounded with good width and height and just more than average depth.

It has good amount of resolution, definition and density, the mid range along with the accurate vocals presentation can easily make into any $300 earphone.

TREBLE:-

Treble in one line is far better than the similarly priced Lear Kaleido. It has the amount of details, energy and extension which the kaleido needs desperately.

And when on its own, the NS2 does have acceptable extension, not as deep as the ue900s though, has some amount of energy even if it lacks some bite. I will not call it good as the energy drops considerably as it goes deeper in to the spectrum, it's average at best.

Layering and separation is above average, instrument placing too is good but not as precise as the q-jays. The stage too gets narrower as it gets deeper.

All in all this treble region is average at best.

COMPARISONS:-

VS Lear Kaleido:-

The lear has slightly slower but considerably bigger bass impact and slam. It has good amount of sub-bass and slightly more mid-bass emphasis. NS 2 has far more balance but the decay is not much snappy either.

Mid range of the lear has similar thickness and notes presentation but it sounds darker and colder. Vocals on the NS 2 sounds more natural. Treble too is lacking in every aspect. Stage size of the kaleido is conical but slightly taller with bass stage.

The NS2 wins with amount of details, accuracy and timber.

VS q-jays:-

Q-jays have flatter bass but is far more snappier and detailed. Has better extension but quantity is not close to the NS2. NS2 feels more textured and cohesive.

Both mid and treble range are very detailed and has plenty of bite, let it be layering or separation it beats the NS2 hands down. only thing which goes against it is the presence of vocal and treble sibilance.

Notes sound slightly unnatural and dry, which can make the experience less engaging. Stage size of the q-jays is smaller.

VS LZ A5:-

LZ A5 houses 4 drivers, a dynamic and three BA drivers do the lifting.

It has a bass impact just under the Kaleido which still is far more voluminous than the NS2, decay is very good for this quantity. It has similar details but has slightly better sub-bass reach.

Mid range is slightly in the V and lack the natural vocals of the NS2, sounds slightly less cleaner, the LZ A5 tend to sound busier losing smoothness. Treble has better extension and is more lively with good amount of spark and energy. Layering and separation too is slightly better on the A5. Stage size too is bigger.

Another thing against it is the treble sibilance.

CONCLUSION:-

The NS2 is a very good earphone if you can feed it properly, It does very good but still has room for improvements. The smoother and cleaner presentation is enough to get my recommendation for those who don’t want much treble. And the natural timber is something rare to see on an earphone based on Balance armatures.

Buy the NS2 Composer if you think comfort and natural vocals with a cleaner presentation is what you want.

And, amp it to enjoy it, or just cuss your mobile phone.

That’s it from me on the NS 2 composer from NS audio.

Have a nice time, Enjoy!!

INTRODUCTION:-

Empire Ears need no introduction, its one of the most renowned brands in the market as of now. Those who have them feel they have got it, and those who doesn’t want a pair for themselves.

Let it be the Apollo Zeus or Legend X, Empire ears has always been desired by consumers and praised by reviewers. EE has been on top of the food chain with its exceptional SQ, build quality and fitment.

I am reviewing the cheapest earphone from their current lineup, The Bravado. It shells a single BA hybrid setup and has a 4 way crossover. Comes with Universal and Custom trims. Custom models have plenty of customization options. I am reviewing the universal version here and it comes with only one color, black. Priced at $599 it faces fair bit of competition from Nocturnal Avalon, Fibae 3, Campfire Jupiter, Westome W50 and many more earphones, as this price range is getting more crowded with every passing day.

I have The Avalon, the Fibae 3 and the DUNU DK-3001 to compare the Bravado with.

In their Words:-

“Pairing a single W9 subwoofer with a balanced armature counterpart, Empire Ears sets the tone for achieving perfect coherency between the best of both worlds: the naturalness of dynamic driven bass, complemented with the clarity and precision up top of a well-placed balanced armature. Designed for perfect neutrality, the Bravado's signature is intent on equality, providing perfect balance between the bass, midrange, and treble. Its entry-level position might be deceiving, for when it comes to performance the Bravado boldly holds its own; the precise imaging and separation one comes to expect from Empire Ears, yet at a friendlier cost.”

P.S. I bought this unit with a small discount.

ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

All the EE earphones come with this standard packaging for their Universal Earphones.

Upon opening the box the first thing one can see it their name on the Aegis case, the box contains the Effect Audio cable, the earpieces, cleaning tool and Final audio style Tips. A few more things can be found under the protective case. There are couple of carry pouches, one for the Earphone and one for the transport. there is a cleaning cloth and some documentation to round up the long list of accessories.






BUILD QUALITY:-

The Bravado is totally made out of one piece of shell and a nicely infused back plate It's not the most beautiful looking earphone but it looks classy and the build quality is up to the mark. No need to worry about the build at all unless you want to damage it intentionally. On the inside it implements a two bore design, one for Bass and other for mids and highs.

Custom trim has plenty of options to chose from and can be totally customized according to preference.

There is a triple bore vent on the shell for the dynamic driver to breathe. Even though the shell is on the larger side its one of the most comfortable earphone, more comfortable than the Nocturnal Avalon and 64audio U3, or Earsonics ES3. Putting tips on the 5mm nozzle is fairly easy.






CABLE(S):-

Empire ears has the best possible variety of cables termination, 3.5mm, 2,5mm balanced and 4,4mm pentaconn to name them, you can chose one of these while placing the order, all of them are made by Effect audio and is of the ARES II type. It does ship with only one cable and it's understandable. I opted for the 2.5mm termination.

All the cables have plastic cable guides, which helps the earphone to hold its place, giving it a secure feel.



In their words:-

"Every Bravado in-ear monitor includes a bespoke, handcrafted Ares II cable by Effect Audio. The Ares II boasts a proprietary blend of 26 AWG UPOCC Litz copper with ultra-flexible insulation for maximum signal speed transmission, performance, and ergonomics. Each cable is terminated in an ultra durable 3.5mm, 24k Oyaide gold plated right angle plug. Alternatively, for our audiophile clientele, we also offer 2.5 and 4.4 balanced terminations at no additional charge.

Effect Audio’s extensive engineering and manufacturing background gives them the edge over all other cables. After extensive testing with numerous other cable manufacturers we’re proud to announce our official partnership with Effect Audio to bring you some of the finest cables in the industry and to ultimately defeat the weak link in IEMs."

COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

Once you get a hold of the cables guides, the bravado is one of the most comfortable earphone in the market. There is no discomfort thanks to the ergonomic design which has no sharp edges, no pointy ends and the little wing helps the earpiece get better traction. Fitment is not shallow thanks to the longer nozzle, giving the Bravado a more secure feel in the ear.

Due to the larger shell size it might not be the most comfortable earphone for people with small ears.

The fitment is not as deep as something like the Audiofly AF1120 hence the isolation is not the best, still above average, one does not need to worry about the passive noises in the background.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The Bravado is a very passionate sounding earphone, taking any type of dullness out of context. The hybrid driver really delivers one of the most engaging presentation.

The first thing that comes to my mind while listening to the Bravado is the amount of musicality and enjoy-ability it brings to the table without losing any details. The L shaped signature gives the Bravado a very fun and entertaining signature. The bass region takes the centre stage here as the mid range and treble play their part perfectly, none being aggressive at any point of the spectrum.

It is not tuned for accuracy for sure, it aims to appeal to the mass and does it flawlessly.

It is marginally colored, coloration is mostly at the lower end, with a darker but fairly neutral tonality, emulating a more mature ES3, ES3 which is a technically inferior earphone.

Properly burned in for 150hrs, I am using stock Effect audio 2.5mm cable for this review and the source is the Plenue R.


You can see the Drivers in this pic, can you?



TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

Nocturnal is not much keen on sharing the sensitivity figures or any type of technical values. None the less the Bravado is very easy to drive and is loud enough. No need to amp if your source is good, as amping does not help in any way, it just helps the earphone to get unreasonably louder.

You can drive the Bravado out of any portable device, it is very easy to drive, people intending to use it with their mobile devices might miss out on some micro details but it will still deliver plenty of details and the fun factor is still intact.

BASS:-

As mentioned above the Bass takes the center stage and man does it impress. It's one of the best quality bass I have experienced in a while. If you want flatter bass response, All I want to say is, run away fella, this will kill the cat and won't even notify.

The quantity and quality is very good. It is full bodied and meaty without being slow, in fact decay is one of the best and delivers a fantastic timber and tonality, yes it is slower than other flat sounding earphones like the ER-4P or AF1120 but 4P and 1120 can only dream of this much of texture, details, and quantity. The Bravado moves plenty of air, has a border line huge slam, huge is TFZ king, this is slightly smaller but the details and accuracy the Bravado packs is just outstanding in comparison.

The Bravado has a very good balance of sub-bass, mid-bass and upper bass. None of these three take authority or get overly aggressive. With a very good extension the bravado has plenty of sub-bass rumble, and it doesn’t hold back while delivering a full bodied nicely rounded punch and the slam is one of the best. Mid bass arrives with very good decay speed, doesn’t bother much and doesn’t try to be omnipresent as it was the case with the Nocturnal Avalon. Upper bass to holds its ground but loses energy as it moves towards the lower mids.

The bravado delivers a very detailed and textured presentation with equally good transparency. It has one of the weightier bass notes and when it hits.. its blissful.

MID RANGE:-

The whole mid range and top end is taken care by single proprietary BA driver. Still it delivers like a champ.

The upper bass descends into the lower mind with some drop in forwardness or say energy at the crossover point, and from here on the BA driver takes charge. Even though the transition is not flawless the lower midrange is not lacking clarity or energy. The whole mid range maintains this amount of energy which is very smooth and delicious, can I use delicious for sound? Hell yeah I can.

Vocals are very very good with accurate thickness to them, sound very natural with both male and female voices with very good body to them, it is not as crisp as the Avalon but it has the smoothness which melts into the music and doesn’t try to bite. it sounds very transparent, resolved with fantastic texture.

First thing first, no this is not the most detailed mid range you can find for the price, look at something else if you want to analyze the music or are a details hog as it doesn’t attack like those tuned for accuracy and lacks a bit of micro details. The bravado is made to deliver very good amount of details with notes which are some of the cleanest, each note has its own space without overlapping another, with plenty of air between them. In front of this the Notcurnal Avalon seems a bit hurried and clumsy as the notes feel like fighting for air. ( you ga me ga me fight for air aeeaaa aa? anyone?)

Let it be layering or separation or spacing between the instruments, the Bravado easily beats the likes of ES3 and even the Avalon, with its clearer and more lively.

The thing which helps the Bravado shine is the stage size, which is very well rounded with plenty of depth height and width. The stage size is considerably bigger than the ES3, 64audio U3 and has better depth than the Avalon.

HIGHS:-

This treble is somewhere in between the Avalon and the Fibae 3. It maintains very good amount of spark and the extension too is equally good as the competition, and slightly better than ES3 and 64 U3. It’s the natural, uncolored smooth presentation which brings peace to my mind.

The transition from upper mid range to the lower treble is very good, needless to say it’s the same driver doing the lifting for both and it maintains very good amount of energy while transecting. The bravado puts forward as very smooth still lively sound signature, which I had not seen with many lately. It lacks any type of spikes and the notes are very well defined with plenty of texture to them. Texture which is barely there with earphones like ES3 and 64audio U3 and not this with the Avalon.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals the sharpness and the finishing of the note along with the presentation is exceptional as these instruments have better transparency compared to others. And the generous stage size makes everything sound very clear with plenty of air between instruments.

Let it be layering or separation or instrument placing, the Bravado is neck in neck with the Fibae 3. If it had the extra bit of transparency with the background tunes..

COMPARISONS:-

VS Avalon :-

The avalon lacks sub-bass rumble, air and body, the impact is considerably smaller. Mid bass is more aggressive. Upper bass and lower mid have thinner tonality. Vocals are cleaner and crispier but are unnaturally sharp. Upper mid sound very clear and is full with micro details.

Treble with a lower treble elevation delivers more details and sounds clearer. Has slightly smaller stage depth and treble region suffer the most. Layering and separation on both is very good, but Bravado has the upper had with better air in between.

Fitting wise both are very good, Empire Ears has very good Accessories set.

All in all it has better details and better transparency.



VS Fibae 3:-

The fibae Has considerably smaller bass size, but has equally goods sub-bass. Details is similar with faster decay, stage is smaller here. Mid range is very polite and marginally thicker. It is more balanced than the Bravado which loses forwardness at the crossover. Has better micro details and sounds very involving. The resolving details and the projection keeps it ahead of Bravado.

The treble has better overall transparency, it sounds very vivid and clearer in comparison. Both are very clean. With better upper treble energy the Fibae 3 rules the treble region in this price range. Layering and separation is fantastic on both, none has the edge here.

Fitting and isolation of the Fibae 3 is mind blowing. The smaller form factor helps big time. Stage of both the earphone is equally impressive. the Bravado has better width and height but 3 has more depth.

The fibae 3 is ahead when it comes to details, but the Bravado has marginally more accurate notes thickness with mids and treble notes.

VS Earsonics ES3 :-

The ES3 has similar body and impact but is fairly slower with more dominating sub-bass. The bravado is more rounded and has faster decay, better details. Mid range of the ES3 is well in the V. The ES3 sounds veiled and clearly unclear in comparison. Both are very smooth but Bravado sounds lively.

Treble of the ES3 is similar extension but lacks clarity and micro details. Layering and separation of the ES3 is slightly inferior. Stage wise the Bravado is bigger in every dimension.

Bravado has far better accessories set.

Needless to say the Bravado is a more capable earphone.

CONCLUSION:-

When investing in an earphone, at this price point you expect nothing less than immaculate sound quality, and the Bravado delivers that without any hiccups. Yes the Bravado is not made for accuracy but a properly tuned BA driver can do very little wrong and the Bravado shows that with its very good mid range and treble accuracy.

And the best part of the Bravado is its very forgiving and smooth, with no spikes of any type. The tonality which is true to the nature wins my heart. If it had the extra bit details, it wound have shutdown shops of some brands.

Everyone wants a piece of Empire Ears, and EE is not for those with a smaller wallet though. They cost more than what 90% of us are willing to pay. But man.. does it delivers.. and how. I am impressed.

If you want a fun sounding earphone with very good amount of details, the EE Bravado will perform exceptionally. If you own a flat sounding earphone the Bravado will intrigue as a side kick to you unless you can't take this much of bass. I repeat again, it's not for detail hogs.

I hope you guys are enjoying your music. Have fun, Cheers.

INTRO:-

Nocturnal Audio is a Singapore based Earphone company, specialized in both custom and Universal earphones and cables. They have 3 earphones in their quiver as of now. First of them is the Gorham with 2 BA drivers, priced at $365, $435 for CIEM. 2nd is the Avalon it has 3 balanced Armatures, priced at $500, $570 for CIEM, and the totl is the Atlantis with a Quad driver setup, priced at $636, $706 for CIEM.

I am reviewing the Universal Avalon here, it houses 3 BAs, one for bass, one for mid range and one for Treble. Tuned with a mix of unique tuning and crossover technologies called "AEX", it also uses a solid capacitor for high pass filtering. It has a Dual Horn bore design.

In their words:-

"Avalon's unique performance was created with a combination of our unique electrical & acoustic crossover tuning technology we call 'ÆX'. With 3 balanced armature drivers working in sync, low frequencies reaches deep with incredible speed, highs are also layered and buttery smooth."

Customize and order your own earphone here:-

https://nocaudio.com/order/ciem/index.html

The Avalon goes head on with iBasso the IT04, Noble Savanna, westone W40 and many more. I am comparing the Avalon with the 64audio U3, EE bravado and Fibae 3.


Doesn't ship with this black cable.

This is the Stock cable.


ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

The Avalon doesn’t come with any retail box, it ships directly from nocturnal in a cruchproof, waterproof case. Nicely padded to protect the earphone from any type of damage. One will find a 2pin stock cable, cleaning cloth, cleaning tool, velcro cable wrap and 3 pairs of tips in the box.

BUILD QUALITY:-

In their words the Avalon has:-
Poisonous Design
"Gaze into the shells and the exotic tuning technology that creates ÆX will be on display. From solid capacitors, resistors to the specially treated low frequency sound tubes, each component coming together in a mechanical harmony. In short, Avalon possess an incredibly lively & energetic sound you will not get tired of."

There are many customization options available from Nocturnal, some are some are with extra cost, I stuck with a basic design (paid extra for the back plates). As far as build is concerned the Avalon feels very solid and sturdy. Its Acrylic and unless you decide to drop the earpieces on solid floor (deliberately trying to break them), I don’t see any problem with the build. On the inside it implements a two bore design, one for Bass and mid and other for highs.

There is no vent in the shell, a BA don’t need one any way. The bigger problem with the Avalon is its nozzle, mine is a universal demo unit and its nozzle is huuuuugeeee!! Biggest nozzle size I have ever seen on an earphone. Putting on the tips that came with the Avalon is not easy, but I am very very good at that..

CABLE(S):-

The Avalon comes with stock Nocturnal cable, it’s a 2pin silver plated copper cable, plenty good for average users, it's very supple and isn't bouncy at all, it comes with metal inserted cable guides and is reasonably comfortable and not microphonic at all.

But along with the Avalon I ordered a 2.5mm balanced Pure silver cable from their Acrux series with 4 cores. After all an earphone like Avalon deserves a special cable. It's one of the best sounding cables I own, sadly it's not supple and retains memory and is slightly microphonic too.

COMFORT, ERGONOMICS AND SEAL :-

Once you adjust it a bit, the Avalon even with a wider nozzle and fitment in the shallower side is one of the most comfortable earphone thanks to its exceptionally ergonomic design. it perfectly fits my ears, thanks to the small fin it gets even better hold inside the ear. The cable guides give it a very secure fit, far better than most of the earphones I own.

Due to the larger shell size it might not be the most comfortable earphone for people with small ears.

The fitment is not as deep as something like the Audiofly AF1120 hence the isolation is not the best, still well above average, one does not need to worry about the passive noises in the background.

CAUTION:- don’t use earphones where you have to be aware of your surroundings like driving and walking on the road, stay home and enjoy your music or at gym.

SOUND QUALITY:-

I find the Avalon to be very articulated, precise and accurate in other words.

In their words:-

"Our philosophy to do more with less drivers continues with the Avalon.

Packing 1 low, 1 low/mid and 1 high balanced armature drivers in a 3 way crossover design. Tuned in a "V shaped" sound signature, delivered with incredible agility and virtuosity.

If the reference sound is too boring the Avalon will thrill you."

The Avalon is tuned for a more fun kind of presentation with balance in back of its mind, with a laidback mid range positioning. In my books it still qualifies as a fairly balanced earphone, but against the ER-4P or the AF1120 its V shaped. The treble region takes the center stage here with plenty of lower treble energy.

The Avalon is one of my favorite earphone at this point of time, Along with the DUNU DK-3001 and Fibae 3. It has an inoffensive sound signature and is loaded with details at the same time.

It is slightly colored with a brighter and warmer tonality.

Properly burned in for 120hrs, I am using NOC Acrux 2.5mm cable for this review and the source is the Plenue R.









TECHNICALITY AND MATCHABILITY:-

Nocturnal is not much keen on sharing the sensitivity figures but with just 12.5ohm resistance the Avalon is very easy to drive and is loud enough. No need to amp, but amping helps with a bit more energy to the top end and the bass gains a bit more body.

You can drive the Avalon out of any portable device, it is very easy to drive it, people intending to use it with their mobile devices might miss out on some micro details but it is still very good.

I tested it with Plenue D and Shanling M2, it matches pretty well with them.

BASS:-

The Avalon's lower end is handled by one and half BA drivers, there is one dedicated Driver for bass, and another driver most probably shares the upper bass region with the mid range driver.

Even though the Avalon is a BA based earphone, it doesn’t sound like a typical BA earphone, It has a livelier and more organic feel to it. which is not the case with other earphones like the Audiofly AF180, AF1120 or the ER-4P. It's not linear at any point of the lower frequency region, but not as voluminous as the Bravado either.

It delivers a punchier and airier bass compared to most of the accuracy minded earphones I have, it doesn’t lose the accuracy with the punch and level of precision is very good thanks to aptly aiding decay. Perfectly balancing the speed, which is neither too fast to make it sound dry, nor too slow to make it feel heavy. The Avalon lacks a bit of sub-bass extension, it reaches audible range at around 30hz and rises steadily from there, giving mid bass most of the emphasis. This rise in energy gives the Avalon a fuller meatier feel. Sub-bass still makes it presence felt when there is enough energy in the track for that region. Mid bass is always present though, aided by decay, it doesn’t annoy thankfully. Upper bass too has good amount of energy and smoothly descends into the lower mids.

Even though the Avalon is a bit mid bass minded, it delivers a very detailed and textured presentation with equally better transparency and resolution. There is an excellent level of balance of wetness to it, where others tend to sound a bit dry or overly wet.

Those who found the flatter sounding earphones (i.e. ER-4P or AF180 or q-jays) lifeless, will find the Avalon more engaging and cohesive.

MID RANGE:-

Reading into the specifications reveals that the whole mid range is basically taken care by half a driver, a driver which is responsible for a part of lower frequencies too. Maybe that is the reason why the Mid range has taken the back seat here. It definitely lacks the level of forwardness exhibited by other accuracy minded flatter sounding earphones.

The mid range is projected marginally below the level of bass and treble. giving it a V shaped signature. Note thickness from upper bass reduces considerably as it arrives at lower mids giving the lower mid range a thinner tonality, it doesn't lacks energy but is more sharper with slight faster than required decay speed. There is not a single trace of bass bleed here, if you were worried about that at all.

Thanks to this sharpness all the instruments sound crystal clear and very crisp with plenty of air between them. At the same time it loses some juice and sound slightly less musical. The upper mid range do gain more energy and notes thickness. Some might find it on the aggressive side but for me, something without spikes and peaks is fairly comfortable.

Vocals sound very very clear and crisp, the decay as I said takes a bit of body away in exchange for outstanding transparency. Male vocals sound marginally thinner but female vocals are a delight with good amount of bite. Vocal notes are presented with slightly above average note depth and sharpness with plenty of texture, resolution and transparency, with this it aims for accuracy instead of trying to be pleasing.

Let it be layering or separation or spacing between the instruments, the Avalon easily beats the likes of ES3 and 64audio U3 with its clearer and more vivid presentation and has equally impressive Stage size too. It’s the shear amount of resolution, details and density which makes the Avalon outstanding. Most of the earphones produce really clear center acts but struggle to portray the background sounds (Micro details) equally impressively, the Avalon does it with ease

Even though the Mid range is in the V, it has a big chunk of the stage which is very wide and tall, the depth is good but slightly lacking in comparison to the depth oriented Fibae 3 or the DK-3001, which is the stage king in this price range.

HIGHS:-

Highs are a total delight with the Avalon. Most of the earphones try to go with a more smoother presentation resulting in less energetic and spark-less top end, making things sound veiled in the process. The Avalon doesn’t try any of these tricks. The higher end frequencies are full with energy and boost a lively and sparky notes presentation with plenty of bite to them. Extension too is very good, not as endless as the Audiofly AF1120 (that is an earphone to admire top end extension) but maintains good amount of energy till the end.

Transition from upper mid range to the treble is very good and with the extra energy intact, lower treble delivers some class leading clarity, resolution and details. It's not sibilant but if you like an inoffensive sound, you might feel the Avalon is charging at you, throwing energy which you might not be ready for. It can use a little less energy but its fine as far as I am concerned. It isn't overly aggressive but It's not as smooth as the ES3, 64audio U3 or the Bravado.

Let it be pianos, trumpets or cymbals the sharpness and the finishing of the note along with the presentation is very good.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys top end energy and spark, The Avalon will bring you plenty of satisfaction. It's just spectacular, for the price the amount of details, resolution and energy is up to the mark.

Needless to say that separation and layering is up to the class with good amount of air and space between instruments, with the complimenting stage size, the presentation of the Avalon's treble is nothing but a delight.

SELECT COMPARISONS:-

Vs Custom Art Fibae 3:-

The Fibae 3 is more balanced, has better bass extension, has more sub-bass and lesser mid bass quantity and body hence sounds a bit less engaging. Decay is faster, needless to say the slam is smaller. Mid range is more forward, slightly thicker and fuller over all with a bit juicier vocals. Avalon tends to sound more crisp.

Highs are totally different, the Fibae 3 has marginally better extension with a considerably smoother lower treble presentation, upper treble has more energy, thanks to more forward and energetic upper mid and lower treble region the Avalon sounds like it has more resolution but can be slightly uncomfortable for some at the same time. The Fibae 3 has better treble stage and is airier.

Stage wise the Fibae 3 has similar width, lacks a bit of height but has more depth to it. Isolation on both of these is very good. Both have similar type of accessories but Fibae comes with pelican 1010 case.



Vs EE Bravado:-

The bravado is not an accuracy minded earphone, it has fun in its mind. Has a huge bass response, has far better and deeper sub-bass, mid bass is not much prominent, upper bass lacks a bit of energy. Decay is considerably slower, everything sounds juicier and full bodied. Mid range of the Bravado too is in the slide. It sounds more natural with a fuller notes. Vocals are as smooth as silk, has equally good texture and sound more natural. It delivers a very inoffensive sound with more natural timber. In all this the Bravado loses micro details.

Treble is very different here, too, the bravado has equally good extension but loses energy as it goes deeper into the spectrum. It has very good transparency and clarity, equally good layering and separation, sounds more tingly with some instruments. The Bravado sounds very very smooth, lacks any type of aggressiveness and some micro details.

Stage wise the Bravado is bigger in every dimension but height. Isolation of the bravado too is equally impressive. It has far better accessories pack.

The Bravado has plenty of resolution, similar to the Avalon but lacks a bit of details. (just like 13mp sensors on mobile phones, which are inferior to the 12mp ones when it comes to details) But it is the most fun sounding, engaging, cohesive earphone of this lot.



Vs 64 AUDIO U3:-

The U3 is the all rounder of its class. With a similar signature, it has more rounded bass response with better sub-bass presence, slightly less emphasized mid-bass and calmer upper bass. Decay is slightly slower, it delivers a fuller and meatier bass, moves more air and has more slam. Has good amount of of details too.

Mid range takes the back seat but delivers more natural vocals and sounds slightly less cleaner. Details is good but lacks a bit of micro details. Cant compete with the Avalon when it comes to details.

Treble has similar extension and is somewhere in between the Bravado and Avalon when it comes to energy, no sibilance at all. Has better treble stage and doesn’t lose energy till the end. Separation and layering is a bit inferior.

Everything sounds slightly veiled when compared to the crispier and sharper sounding Avalon. No contest as far as details is concerned.

Stage is smaller in every direction.

The biggest problem with the U3 is it’s the least comfortable in this lot. Isolation too is below the Avalon. Has similar Packaging.



CONCLUSION:-

The Nocturnal Audio Avalon is one of the best earphone I have till date. It is technically a far superior earphone against the 64audio U3, Earsonics ES3 and many other earphones in this price range. It competes very well with top performers in its price and excels at resolution and details.

The Nocturnal Avalon has Accuracy in its mind and fun in its heart, it’s a very unique sounding earphone. With fantastic timber to upper mid and treble notes, it sounds very detailed and fun at the same time. If you are looking to replace your Old one with something around $500-600, I will recommend these without a single doubt.

Let it be fit, details, air, separation or layering, the Avalon performs admirably. Unless you are intolerant to upper mid, lower treble energy.

Enjoy your music, have a nice time. Cheers!!