HIFIMAN SuperMini review
Oct 2016
INTRO
Just some background on me with previous experience of daps and why I’ve arrived here at this point in time.
...In a Hi-Fi qalaxy far far away since a young age I’ve always had a Cassette Walkman of some sort and then in my teens in the early 90’s moved onto Sony Minidiscs format and went for the smaller top end models that were more compact and then when that had its day it became the HDD players into the mid 2000’s which again on the whole I stuck with Sony Walkmans due to back then there was not the explosion of all the specialist companies around now like HIFi Man for example.
Then after a couple of bad experiences trying early Cowon D2 model and an Ipod Touch 2nd Gen I moved to flash based players but stayed with Sony’s for the most part albeit each model was hit and miss with the sound but the most common theme was I always went with something that was a reasonable small size you could put in your pocket and forget it’s there when on the go commuting.
The last few years with portable daps trying to go for a high quality Hi-Fi sound or studio grade sound in your dap is they have got bigger, one of the reasons I have never really checked out something like the HM901 despite them been good sounding daps is the size to fit in the pocket without been bulky so it is not a annoying presence all the time.
The biggest I have gone so far was with the Sony ZX1 which I still like and fits in the pocket okay still but the battery is not what it used to be and have been looking at a player that also does SD card slot also. I have not been one for using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on my ZX1 either in three years I have had it.
So I have been in the hunt for a smaller on the go dap for a while now without compromising on the sound in a world where players seem to be getting bigger and heavier and see reviewers wanted for the Hi-Fi Man SuperMini thread and was not prepared I would be receiving not just the SuperMini but a MegaMini also, so I could not complain I had two players to try and demo in the comfort of my own home for several days (who was I to argue!) so this will be a unbiased and fair review as I am looking at potentially buying one so has to live up to a certain criteria personally in what I’m looking for in a small portable dap which is a good quality sound with plenty of power and ability to take an SD card with good battery life.
This review is for the SuperMini but there will be comparisons along the way with the MegaMini where relevant as I am treating each player on its own merits and will keep things in more perspective for each player in its own right.
So thanks to Fang and Ryne for making this possible and letting me try these out in comfort of my living room at home for several days to try them out.
Equipment tested with for this review:
JH16 Pro Ciem (with Whiplash Hybrid V3 cable)
RHA T20 iem
HiFiMan – Supplied balanced iem (RE600 equivalent?)
Meze 99 Classics (with original mrk 1 pads)
Grado GS1000e
Mr. Speakers – Ether (open back)
Sony MDR-7520 (modded with Whiplash Hynrid V3 welded to both drivers & Beyer Velour pads)
Sennheiser HD560 Ovation (300 ohms)
IN THE BOX
The SuperMini comes in a nice black box with foam housing to protect the player in the box and underneath is another compartment which houses the supplied USB data/ charge cable and the balanced iems that are included with warranty & Quality Control (QC) passed stamped card. It would be nice if it had a more comprehensive start guide booklet although it can be downloaded from their website via PDF document file.
DESIGN
The SuperMini comes in a understated black finish made from a block of aluminium for its chassis with a OLED screen which displays text information only but is easy to read and fairly bright but for some reason does not have a brightness control at all so stays at that brightness all the time which is fairly bright but just strange the option is not there which I am guessing is something to do with the battery life. The screen itself although looks the part is a finger print magnet but does come supplied with a Screen protector which in all honesty have not had the time to get around to doing at time of writing so cannot comment on how good that is with its application.
Unlike the MegaMini it sports smoother edges on the corners and has flat side bezels so is more comfortable to hold in the hand to the MegaMini is.
The layout of the buttons is the only thing here that I think could have been laid out a bit better as the MegaMini has the return button along the main buttons on the front so is right next to the other relevant buttons that are in the chain to use so makes it easy and quick to use.
But with the SuperMini they have made it look tidier having only three main buttons on the front which the middle one is the play/ pause button and the two buttons either side of that are the rewind and forward buttons which has left the back/return button located on the right hand side middle which makes it a bit more awkward to use when using player single handed in the right hand as I do and is a shame it was not like MegaMini and located on the front. The power/wake button is also located in an odd place on the bottom right hand side and should have been placed on top of the player or higher up on the other side as the volume buttons are on the top right hand side bezel.
It is a nice designed and lovely to look at and is well built dap but do question the logistics of the buttons for using this effectively with the best layout possible.
A shortcut I found with the play/ pause button is when playing if you press of the play button for longer whilst in play mode brings up the Repeat and shuffle options instead of having to go back through to the settings menu which is handy and quick to execute like this. The bottom of the player houses the 3.5 headphone jack which is next to the balanced plug socket with the micro SD card slot and USB micro USB port for charging as there is sadly no OTG function or digital line out for the USB on this player.
I cannot report on the SD card ability with higher cards at moment as I currently had my 128gb micro card go corrupt on me and only have a 64gb card to hand at time of writing but have had no issues with writing and using the card and transferring between this and the Supermini with the same card.
In addition there are some small quirks with the player at the moment with turning on power has quite a thump if iems are plugged in when the player is turned on or off (even with volume very low)
No auto cut off if 3.5 jack plug pulled out so potential for playing to keep playing and drain without you knowing about it until it is too late.
Only two bigger known caveat’s here currently is both the Supermini and the MegaMini do not support Ex-fat which Hi-FI Man have already stated they are working on rectifying before the year is out. The second is the player is not supporting gapless playback currently but they have announced they plan to release this with the official firmware update later on this year so hopefully these two points will be a irrelevant soon once they are updated…
The SOUND department
First thing I have noticed after coming from spending time with the MegaMini for a few days whilst I done a review for that was the Supermini immediately sounded more full bodied and filled out in the mids to the MegaMini and was showing more nuances with detail coming through like vocal resonation and trailing edge detail to instruments are and the overall signature is a slightly warmer feel in comparison to the MegaMini.
It still shares the top end presence and has a dynamic punchy side to its sound yet the bass is a little more seismic in the sub bass region and would say despite the MegaMini having less detailed sounds with a more flatter organic type of sound with the Supermini in SE mode also where the SuperMini is a bit more musical with its fuller bodied warmer and weightier with its lower bass presence.
They are not a million miles apart but there are some characteristics that set them apart to the point I enjoy the MegaMini still with it been leaner and more neutral airy sound.
The SuperMini still has a nice tight control of kick drums in the mid to lower bass but has a richer texture with the SuperMini. Everything still sounds transparent with a crispness to the top end with vocals been forward still like the MegaMini.
JH16Pro Ciems
With my JH16pro ciems they really went well together with good cohesion. With the MegaMini which paired well with most of my stuff it didn’t seem to match the best with my 16’s and was a bit of a mismatch. It didn’t sound bad at all but by experience of how I know the 16’s can sound this was not it. But with the SuperMini they shine and are at home with the frequencies matching in the right places to the way the 16’s are tuned and think it may just be the fuller slightly more warmer signature complimenting the 16’s warmer preference also.
Everything with the 16’s has a dynamic driven presentation with great lows through the combination of the SuperMini way of handling the lower end and JHA with the way they have tuned the bass on the 16’s which is about +5 db approx. Very well separated and clean still with a warmer timber to the mid bass and quite a lively treble still even with the sweeter treble drivers of my 16’s.
The SuperMini does not mess around here and shows of all frequencies equally without one overshadowing the other. It’s like I’m getting with a rock track like Nothing But Thieves all – Drawing Pins track the bass and treble info hitting me hard yet the mids are still floating around without been congested and can be heard easily so is quite a full on track but the HIFIMAN somehow manages to present a busy full on rock track in a balanced manner without congestion.
RHA T20 iem (using normal reference balanced filter set)
With the RHA T20 universal it went to show how tips can make so much difference as the tips I found that worked best with the MegaMini did not suit the SuperMini and gave it too much of a mid-bass hump making it sound off key yet it was just a different shape and size comply that done the trick that brought back a right balance to everything which just went to show always keep a varied selection of different tips available for such instances when you listen to a different piece of equipment.
I am now noticing the Supermini in SE mode is slightly narrower in soundstage width to the MegaMini enough it is a little noticeable so am wandering if this is to do with the different op amp/ dac configuration for balanced in the SuperMini playing a part. There is still plenty of headroom with the SuperMini is still transparent and tonally sounds natural with instruments like the MegaMini does even with the signature overall been a bit warmer with the SuperMini.
The T20 needs a little bit more volume than the 16’s even though both are 16 ohm but guess this is where the customs go in a bit further and do not need the extra volume so with the T20 I have it set to anywhere between 18-22 depending on difference for track volumes and combination of mood I am in and the JH16pro I have set anything between 15-19 depending again on each track recorded volume off sets and mood.
Compared to my Jh16Pro ciems which I have now owned and loved the sound of for last 4+ years I absolutely love the sound of the T20 and perform really well for the money yet they sound like they were made for the SuperMini as they complement the SuperMinis ability to show of each range in a very evenly balanced manner and suit the transparency of the Supermini.
The T20 keeps up with the pace and reflects the authoritative manner with drums staying tight and responsive and the treble is actually more natural in tone than through my 16’s and scales well with the low to high frequency’s and never gets ragged with songs that are becoming hectic with lots of information even in the upper frequency’s which must be down to the amount of Op-amps this Supermini has to drive with great control and authority especially with thee iems been so efficient anyway.
Despite the T20’s not been able to retrieve as much detail as the JH16’s at the end of the day can I can still sit happily listening to them on the SuperMini which is a testament to both the T20 and SuperMini here.
HIFIMAN supplied balanced iems
Straight away playing Fleetwood Mac Little Demons remastered is night and day to single ended mode here and the soundstage has opened up in balanced with more space and width with the harmony ghoul vocals on this track are more panned from the sides instead of congested in the central region.
The placement of certain instruments has changed and everything is given more air and space to breath. It makes timing better also and with something like Rodrigo & Gabriela’s Hanuman track it plays with more space to work feels like it is not so congested and flows easier now like when you hear a high end speaker to a budget speaker it sounds more natural with its ability to make music feel like it was sprayed with WD40 as it sounds more naturally free in movement and not forced which is what plugging in balanced sounds like after SE mode.
Another track that I heard in depth with both SE and balanced was Ryan Adams Live at Carnegie Hall in New York and this was transformed in balanced. It was almost as if it was made for balanced as it is just an acoustic set recorded very well to start with and Balanced mode really opens up space in the mid-range amongst musical notes in which Mr. Ryans vocals become even more clearer with instrument resonation echoes in the hall been more wider in the hall and more sense of depth to notes travelling with the bigger soundstage.
I must admit I was not prepared for balanced to be this much better over the SE way on a small player like this but it surprisingly is.
I just wish I had other balanced headphones or iems to compare it with but compared to SE in general on this particular machine was surprised how different it all became with sense of space and soundstage width and height as well as placement of instruments been better placed and separated.
In addition to the balanced effect how do the supplied HIFIMAN iems actually sound?
…Well they sound rather good in fact for a supplied pair and by all accounts as they do not have the model version stamped anywhere on these are meant to be good as they are their circa $80 pair but probably better as they are balanced compared to SE version. The sound with these is actually even more relatively flat compared to even my T20’s and adds not much coloration to proceedings and is perfectly balanced (pardon the pun) across the range and has a nice tone and delivery with vocals.
When you see how light and small they are with the fairly thin cable which looks like they have coated it to reduce the microphonics of which there is hardly none by the way with this cable the supplied iem really does sing with its own player that I will probably actually use these just as much alongside my other iems with the Supermini as it has a lovely organic no thrills synergy together. Whether the SuperMini could have been done cheaper as a standalone player is another thing but I’m glad they done it as there will be a lot of people who will not have balanced iems/Headphones when buying this and think it was the right call by HIFIMAN to include them. It might have been an idea to of maybe done a player only and one bundled with the balanced iem package for first time owners.
All in all I’m impressed not just with the balanced ability but the sound of these supplied iems from HIFIMAN.
Now time for some headphones...
Sony 7520 (with cable and pad mod)
I will start with my Sony 7520’s studio monitors which are modded to both drivers with a Whiplash Hybrid V3 cable SE termination with pad mod to Beyer Velour pads and the SuperMini drives them not too much different to my iems with volume around the 20-22 mark. The Sony’s sounds really nice with the SuperMini and have a really good combination both producing a timbre to instruments that show the mids with plenty of detail.
The 7520's are usually quite bass heavy but with the SuperMini it sounds refined and not overdone on the Sony’s and there is plenty of height with the soundstage yet normally the 7520 only major drawbacks has always been a closed in more narrow soundstage but yet here is an irony to the iems in SE mode with this the Sony’s are sounding fairly wide with good dispersion of sound from the sides. I found the MegaMini had a good soundstage with both iems and headphones but not so much with iems for the SuperMini until I used it balanced but is not the case with the SuperMini plugged into my Sony 7520’s. Do not know why but it is welcomed as the Sony sounds good with the Supermini with the mids really shining with this combo and a surprisingly more refined rained in lower bass on the 7520’s. MJ’s classic Dirty Diana track sounded epic with plenty of scope with a large dynamic presentation and mastered really well it made me imagine how the 7520's would sound if balanced now on the SuperMini.
Grado GS1000e
Once again, the SuperMini pairs quite well but maybe not quite as good in some respects to the MegaMini. The Super seems to give the mids a bit more body which the Grado’s love and vocals seem closer and the detail is definitely easier to pick out but overall tonality I actually think the MegaMini suits the Grado’s just a bit better than the Super all though I could quite happily still listen to the Grado/ SuperMini combo. The soundstage is much like the MegaMini with the Grado which is just football pitch dimensions with good imaging.
The volume for these I found I have around 20-24 which is the reverse to what I thought the Sony’s would be with the Grado volume. This is certainly the headphone for hearing all the micro details the Supermini has to offer and does it in a more delicate presentation to other headphones yet the Supermini or even better still the MegaMini both respect the Grado and compliment it which I was never expecting.
Meze 99 Classics
My newest fav headphone in many ways and goes to show you don’t always have to pay top dollar to get a good bit of kit. Granted not everyone loves these but for many who like me do the SuperMini is a turbocharged marriage made in heaven. The MegaMini is just as good with the Meze but the Super just does it differently and does what the Grado did for the MegaMini over the Super and just accentuates the already similar characteristics the player and headphone shares.
In this case the Superminis slightly warmer side with that extra little bit of more sub bass region and punchy mids just match perfectly together and the prominent treble of the Super also just brings out the Meze treble a bit more than normal although not recessed has always been the frequency that was just tuned to mix in more with the amongst the mids and bass information but already loving the Meze a lot I’ve found a perfect match player for it.
Even material that is usually maybe suited better for the Grado’s or even the Sony’s sound good on here even though they have a more warmer glow with the enclosed wooden cups I find even St. Petersburg Choir or New World Symphony and even Acoustic sets sound still transparent, big and spatial with drive and authority to the mid – low bass.
The Meze I have always said were a more of afun musical headphone that had the detail added to them where the SuperMini I would say had the detail with the musicality added in which makes them a good match. Usually too similar can be like added two slices of bread with a ton of peanut butter on each side, when put together it is too much! But this happens to be like jam on one side with a bit of mustard on the other! Ok, maybe not best analogy there!
Mr. Speakers - Ethers
Just like the Meze are they have followed suit and match the SuperMini just like a glove and just like the Grado’s the large soundstage and amazing imaging of the Ethers really helps the Supermini come to life with to die for mids and the treble really shines with the Ethers and gives a reasonable powerful low end on them even for a pair of magnetic planners.
The way the Ethers do imaging and micro detail is like having a magnifying glass put on the SuperMini in a washing machine as it gets all the detail information the SuperMini has to offer yet you hear instruments pan in and out with precision timing not even sounds like that on a pair of HD800S in that respect so the SuperMini is just at home as with the Meze here or even more so I dare say.
Finally with….
Sennheiser HD560 Ovations (approx 15+ year old classic open backs @ 300ohm)
Got to try these for a day with the Senn’s as they are 300 ohm and the Supermini was a great match for them again. The MegaMini was actually okay with to drive but the SuperMini drives them with more purpose and authority which brings out the Super’s dynamics much easier and lets it sing so can vouch it has enough juice and swing for 300 ohm but unfortunately do not own any 600ohm anymore for what would be the King Kong of Ohm testing with these for those who wanted to know.
I’m sure other reviewers will have some 600ohm in their collection though and report on that combo.
CONCLUSION
Different to the MegaMini for starters, not so different in many respects but different enough it does add up to enough by the end of the long day or week in this case!
Where the Supermini is tonally still sounding within the bounds natural timbre to sounds or instruments with a good balance across the range at all times it does sound step up in warmth and been more full bodied signature with the mids and has a slightly lower sub bass delivery that is more encompassing and then add in balanced which seemed to make quite a big difference on its own merit does make the Supermini an attractive proposition.
The MegaMini if you heard both might and if you didn’t mind the reduction a little bit on the micro details still like the more, what I call a little more reference & airy with an almost nuetral impression with the treble sounding more prominent to the SuperMini and was not bothered by balanced either could still be a player to consider very much.
Personally as I was looking for a smaller player anyway which took into account above average sound and power after hearing how they both are with my stuff am seriously contemplating both now but if it was just one it would be a hard decision with all the different factors to consider. Not as clear cut as first thought with the MegaMini if I’m been honest.
All I can say is really it’s been a while coming for someone to take more interest in making smaller players that just focus on sounding good as some of the bigger higher priced models and think HIFIMAN have pretty much pulled it off. Okay, they are both not totally perfect and a lot of that will hopefully be sorted out with Firmware update coming out before end of the year but really for the money and putting performance and quality of sound first with its weight and size is a major achievement.
So thankyou to HIFIMAN for not just bringing one small good dap on offer but actually two to choose from and look forward to getting one soon or maybe two!
An end to a Mega/Super Mini adventure…
Oct 2016
INTRO
Just some background on me with previous experience of daps and why I’ve arrived here at this point in time.
...In a Hi-Fi qalaxy far far away since a young age I’ve always had a Cassette Walkman of some sort and then in my teens in the early 90’s moved onto Sony Minidiscs format and went for the smaller top end models that were more compact and then when that had its day it became the HDD players into the mid 2000’s which again on the whole I stuck with Sony Walkmans due to back then there was not the explosion of all the specialist companies around now like HIFi Man for example.
Then after a couple of bad experiences trying early Cowon D2 model and an Ipod Touch 2nd Gen I moved to flash based players but stayed with Sony’s for the most part albeit each model was hit and miss with the sound but the most common theme was I always went with something that was a reasonable small size you could put in your pocket and forget it’s there when on the go commuting.
The last few years with portable daps trying to go for a high quality Hi-Fi sound or studio grade sound in your dap is they have got bigger, one of the reasons I have never really checked out something like the HM901 despite them been good sounding daps is the size to fit in the pocket without been bulky so it is not a annoying presence all the time.
The biggest I have gone so far was with the Sony ZX1 which I still like and fits in the pocket okay still but the battery is not what it used to be and have been looking at a player that also does SD card slot also. I have not been one for using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on my ZX1 either in three years I have had it.
So I have been in the hunt for a smaller on the go dap for a while now without compromising on the sound in a world where players seem to be getting bigger and heavier and see reviewers wanted for the Hi-Fi Man SuperMini thread and was not prepared I would be receiving not just the SuperMini but a MegaMini also, so I could not complain I had two players to try and demo in the comfort of my own home for several days (who was I to argue!) so this will be a unbiased and fair review as I am looking at potentially buying one so has to live up to a certain criteria personally in what I’m looking for in a small portable dap which is a good quality sound with plenty of power and ability to take an SD card with good battery life.
This review is for the SuperMini but there will be comparisons along the way with the MegaMini where relevant as I am treating each player on its own merits and will keep things in more perspective for each player in its own right.
So thanks to Fang and Ryne for making this possible and letting me try these out in comfort of my living room at home for several days to try them out.
Equipment tested with for this review:
JH16 Pro Ciem (with Whiplash Hybrid V3 cable)
RHA T20 iem
HiFiMan – Supplied balanced iem (RE600 equivalent?)
Meze 99 Classics (with original mrk 1 pads)
Grado GS1000e
Mr. Speakers – Ether (open back)
Sony MDR-7520 (modded with Whiplash Hynrid V3 welded to both drivers & Beyer Velour pads)
Sennheiser HD560 Ovation (300 ohms)
IN THE BOX
The SuperMini comes in a nice black box with foam housing to protect the player in the box and underneath is another compartment which houses the supplied USB data/ charge cable and the balanced iems that are included with warranty & Quality Control (QC) passed stamped card. It would be nice if it had a more comprehensive start guide booklet although it can be downloaded from their website via PDF document file.
DESIGN
The SuperMini comes in a understated black finish made from a block of aluminium for its chassis with a OLED screen which displays text information only but is easy to read and fairly bright but for some reason does not have a brightness control at all so stays at that brightness all the time which is fairly bright but just strange the option is not there which I am guessing is something to do with the battery life. The screen itself although looks the part is a finger print magnet but does come supplied with a Screen protector which in all honesty have not had the time to get around to doing at time of writing so cannot comment on how good that is with its application.
Unlike the MegaMini it sports smoother edges on the corners and has flat side bezels so is more comfortable to hold in the hand to the MegaMini is.
The layout of the buttons is the only thing here that I think could have been laid out a bit better as the MegaMini has the return button along the main buttons on the front so is right next to the other relevant buttons that are in the chain to use so makes it easy and quick to use.
But with the SuperMini they have made it look tidier having only three main buttons on the front which the middle one is the play/ pause button and the two buttons either side of that are the rewind and forward buttons which has left the back/return button located on the right hand side middle which makes it a bit more awkward to use when using player single handed in the right hand as I do and is a shame it was not like MegaMini and located on the front. The power/wake button is also located in an odd place on the bottom right hand side and should have been placed on top of the player or higher up on the other side as the volume buttons are on the top right hand side bezel.
It is a nice designed and lovely to look at and is well built dap but do question the logistics of the buttons for using this effectively with the best layout possible.
A shortcut I found with the play/ pause button is when playing if you press of the play button for longer whilst in play mode brings up the Repeat and shuffle options instead of having to go back through to the settings menu which is handy and quick to execute like this. The bottom of the player houses the 3.5 headphone jack which is next to the balanced plug socket with the micro SD card slot and USB micro USB port for charging as there is sadly no OTG function or digital line out for the USB on this player.
I cannot report on the SD card ability with higher cards at moment as I currently had my 128gb micro card go corrupt on me and only have a 64gb card to hand at time of writing but have had no issues with writing and using the card and transferring between this and the Supermini with the same card.
In addition there are some small quirks with the player at the moment with turning on power has quite a thump if iems are plugged in when the player is turned on or off (even with volume very low)
No auto cut off if 3.5 jack plug pulled out so potential for playing to keep playing and drain without you knowing about it until it is too late.
Only two bigger known caveat’s here currently is both the Supermini and the MegaMini do not support Ex-fat which Hi-FI Man have already stated they are working on rectifying before the year is out. The second is the player is not supporting gapless playback currently but they have announced they plan to release this with the official firmware update later on this year so hopefully these two points will be a irrelevant soon once they are updated…
The SOUND department
First thing I have noticed after coming from spending time with the MegaMini for a few days whilst I done a review for that was the Supermini immediately sounded more full bodied and filled out in the mids to the MegaMini and was showing more nuances with detail coming through like vocal resonation and trailing edge detail to instruments are and the overall signature is a slightly warmer feel in comparison to the MegaMini.
It still shares the top end presence and has a dynamic punchy side to its sound yet the bass is a little more seismic in the sub bass region and would say despite the MegaMini having less detailed sounds with a more flatter organic type of sound with the Supermini in SE mode also where the SuperMini is a bit more musical with its fuller bodied warmer and weightier with its lower bass presence.
They are not a million miles apart but there are some characteristics that set them apart to the point I enjoy the MegaMini still with it been leaner and more neutral airy sound.
The SuperMini still has a nice tight control of kick drums in the mid to lower bass but has a richer texture with the SuperMini. Everything still sounds transparent with a crispness to the top end with vocals been forward still like the MegaMini.
JH16Pro Ciems
With my JH16pro ciems they really went well together with good cohesion. With the MegaMini which paired well with most of my stuff it didn’t seem to match the best with my 16’s and was a bit of a mismatch. It didn’t sound bad at all but by experience of how I know the 16’s can sound this was not it. But with the SuperMini they shine and are at home with the frequencies matching in the right places to the way the 16’s are tuned and think it may just be the fuller slightly more warmer signature complimenting the 16’s warmer preference also.
Everything with the 16’s has a dynamic driven presentation with great lows through the combination of the SuperMini way of handling the lower end and JHA with the way they have tuned the bass on the 16’s which is about +5 db approx. Very well separated and clean still with a warmer timber to the mid bass and quite a lively treble still even with the sweeter treble drivers of my 16’s.
The SuperMini does not mess around here and shows of all frequencies equally without one overshadowing the other. It’s like I’m getting with a rock track like Nothing But Thieves all – Drawing Pins track the bass and treble info hitting me hard yet the mids are still floating around without been congested and can be heard easily so is quite a full on track but the HIFIMAN somehow manages to present a busy full on rock track in a balanced manner without congestion.
RHA T20 iem (using normal reference balanced filter set)
With the RHA T20 universal it went to show how tips can make so much difference as the tips I found that worked best with the MegaMini did not suit the SuperMini and gave it too much of a mid-bass hump making it sound off key yet it was just a different shape and size comply that done the trick that brought back a right balance to everything which just went to show always keep a varied selection of different tips available for such instances when you listen to a different piece of equipment.
I am now noticing the Supermini in SE mode is slightly narrower in soundstage width to the MegaMini enough it is a little noticeable so am wandering if this is to do with the different op amp/ dac configuration for balanced in the SuperMini playing a part. There is still plenty of headroom with the SuperMini is still transparent and tonally sounds natural with instruments like the MegaMini does even with the signature overall been a bit warmer with the SuperMini.
The T20 needs a little bit more volume than the 16’s even though both are 16 ohm but guess this is where the customs go in a bit further and do not need the extra volume so with the T20 I have it set to anywhere between 18-22 depending on difference for track volumes and combination of mood I am in and the JH16pro I have set anything between 15-19 depending again on each track recorded volume off sets and mood.
Compared to my Jh16Pro ciems which I have now owned and loved the sound of for last 4+ years I absolutely love the sound of the T20 and perform really well for the money yet they sound like they were made for the SuperMini as they complement the SuperMinis ability to show of each range in a very evenly balanced manner and suit the transparency of the Supermini.
The T20 keeps up with the pace and reflects the authoritative manner with drums staying tight and responsive and the treble is actually more natural in tone than through my 16’s and scales well with the low to high frequency’s and never gets ragged with songs that are becoming hectic with lots of information even in the upper frequency’s which must be down to the amount of Op-amps this Supermini has to drive with great control and authority especially with thee iems been so efficient anyway.
Despite the T20’s not been able to retrieve as much detail as the JH16’s at the end of the day can I can still sit happily listening to them on the SuperMini which is a testament to both the T20 and SuperMini here.
HIFIMAN supplied balanced iems
Straight away playing Fleetwood Mac Little Demons remastered is night and day to single ended mode here and the soundstage has opened up in balanced with more space and width with the harmony ghoul vocals on this track are more panned from the sides instead of congested in the central region.
The placement of certain instruments has changed and everything is given more air and space to breath. It makes timing better also and with something like Rodrigo & Gabriela’s Hanuman track it plays with more space to work feels like it is not so congested and flows easier now like when you hear a high end speaker to a budget speaker it sounds more natural with its ability to make music feel like it was sprayed with WD40 as it sounds more naturally free in movement and not forced which is what plugging in balanced sounds like after SE mode.
Another track that I heard in depth with both SE and balanced was Ryan Adams Live at Carnegie Hall in New York and this was transformed in balanced. It was almost as if it was made for balanced as it is just an acoustic set recorded very well to start with and Balanced mode really opens up space in the mid-range amongst musical notes in which Mr. Ryans vocals become even more clearer with instrument resonation echoes in the hall been more wider in the hall and more sense of depth to notes travelling with the bigger soundstage.
I must admit I was not prepared for balanced to be this much better over the SE way on a small player like this but it surprisingly is.
I just wish I had other balanced headphones or iems to compare it with but compared to SE in general on this particular machine was surprised how different it all became with sense of space and soundstage width and height as well as placement of instruments been better placed and separated.
In addition to the balanced effect how do the supplied HIFIMAN iems actually sound?
…Well they sound rather good in fact for a supplied pair and by all accounts as they do not have the model version stamped anywhere on these are meant to be good as they are their circa $80 pair but probably better as they are balanced compared to SE version. The sound with these is actually even more relatively flat compared to even my T20’s and adds not much coloration to proceedings and is perfectly balanced (pardon the pun) across the range and has a nice tone and delivery with vocals.
When you see how light and small they are with the fairly thin cable which looks like they have coated it to reduce the microphonics of which there is hardly none by the way with this cable the supplied iem really does sing with its own player that I will probably actually use these just as much alongside my other iems with the Supermini as it has a lovely organic no thrills synergy together. Whether the SuperMini could have been done cheaper as a standalone player is another thing but I’m glad they done it as there will be a lot of people who will not have balanced iems/Headphones when buying this and think it was the right call by HIFIMAN to include them. It might have been an idea to of maybe done a player only and one bundled with the balanced iem package for first time owners.
All in all I’m impressed not just with the balanced ability but the sound of these supplied iems from HIFIMAN.
---Intermission---
Now time for some headphones...
Sony 7520 (with cable and pad mod)
I will start with my Sony 7520’s studio monitors which are modded to both drivers with a Whiplash Hybrid V3 cable SE termination with pad mod to Beyer Velour pads and the SuperMini drives them not too much different to my iems with volume around the 20-22 mark. The Sony’s sounds really nice with the SuperMini and have a really good combination both producing a timbre to instruments that show the mids with plenty of detail.
The 7520's are usually quite bass heavy but with the SuperMini it sounds refined and not overdone on the Sony’s and there is plenty of height with the soundstage yet normally the 7520 only major drawbacks has always been a closed in more narrow soundstage but yet here is an irony to the iems in SE mode with this the Sony’s are sounding fairly wide with good dispersion of sound from the sides. I found the MegaMini had a good soundstage with both iems and headphones but not so much with iems for the SuperMini until I used it balanced but is not the case with the SuperMini plugged into my Sony 7520’s. Do not know why but it is welcomed as the Sony sounds good with the Supermini with the mids really shining with this combo and a surprisingly more refined rained in lower bass on the 7520’s. MJ’s classic Dirty Diana track sounded epic with plenty of scope with a large dynamic presentation and mastered really well it made me imagine how the 7520's would sound if balanced now on the SuperMini.
Grado GS1000e
Once again, the SuperMini pairs quite well but maybe not quite as good in some respects to the MegaMini. The Super seems to give the mids a bit more body which the Grado’s love and vocals seem closer and the detail is definitely easier to pick out but overall tonality I actually think the MegaMini suits the Grado’s just a bit better than the Super all though I could quite happily still listen to the Grado/ SuperMini combo. The soundstage is much like the MegaMini with the Grado which is just football pitch dimensions with good imaging.
The volume for these I found I have around 20-24 which is the reverse to what I thought the Sony’s would be with the Grado volume. This is certainly the headphone for hearing all the micro details the Supermini has to offer and does it in a more delicate presentation to other headphones yet the Supermini or even better still the MegaMini both respect the Grado and compliment it which I was never expecting.
Meze 99 Classics
My newest fav headphone in many ways and goes to show you don’t always have to pay top dollar to get a good bit of kit. Granted not everyone loves these but for many who like me do the SuperMini is a turbocharged marriage made in heaven. The MegaMini is just as good with the Meze but the Super just does it differently and does what the Grado did for the MegaMini over the Super and just accentuates the already similar characteristics the player and headphone shares.
In this case the Superminis slightly warmer side with that extra little bit of more sub bass region and punchy mids just match perfectly together and the prominent treble of the Super also just brings out the Meze treble a bit more than normal although not recessed has always been the frequency that was just tuned to mix in more with the amongst the mids and bass information but already loving the Meze a lot I’ve found a perfect match player for it.
Even material that is usually maybe suited better for the Grado’s or even the Sony’s sound good on here even though they have a more warmer glow with the enclosed wooden cups I find even St. Petersburg Choir or New World Symphony and even Acoustic sets sound still transparent, big and spatial with drive and authority to the mid – low bass.
The Meze I have always said were a more of a
Mr. Speakers - Ethers
Just like the Meze are they have followed suit and match the SuperMini just like a glove and just like the Grado’s the large soundstage and amazing imaging of the Ethers really helps the Supermini come to life with to die for mids and the treble really shines with the Ethers and gives a reasonable powerful low end on them even for a pair of magnetic planners.
The way the Ethers do imaging and micro detail is like having a magnifying glass put on the SuperMini in a washing machine as it gets all the detail information the SuperMini has to offer yet you hear instruments pan in and out with precision timing not even sounds like that on a pair of HD800S in that respect so the SuperMini is just at home as with the Meze here or even more so I dare say.
Finally with….
Sennheiser HD560 Ovations (approx 15+ year old classic open backs @ 300ohm)
Got to try these for a day with the Senn’s as they are 300 ohm and the Supermini was a great match for them again. The MegaMini was actually okay with to drive but the SuperMini drives them with more purpose and authority which brings out the Super’s dynamics much easier and lets it sing so can vouch it has enough juice and swing for 300 ohm but unfortunately do not own any 600ohm anymore for what would be the King Kong of Ohm testing with these for those who wanted to know.
I’m sure other reviewers will have some 600ohm in their collection though and report on that combo.
CONCLUSION
Different to the MegaMini for starters, not so different in many respects but different enough it does add up to enough by the end of the long day or week in this case!
Where the Supermini is tonally still sounding within the bounds natural timbre to sounds or instruments with a good balance across the range at all times it does sound step up in warmth and been more full bodied signature with the mids and has a slightly lower sub bass delivery that is more encompassing and then add in balanced which seemed to make quite a big difference on its own merit does make the Supermini an attractive proposition.
The MegaMini if you heard both might and if you didn’t mind the reduction a little bit on the micro details still like the more, what I call a little more reference & airy with an almost nuetral impression with the treble sounding more prominent to the SuperMini and was not bothered by balanced either could still be a player to consider very much.
Personally as I was looking for a smaller player anyway which took into account above average sound and power after hearing how they both are with my stuff am seriously contemplating both now but if it was just one it would be a hard decision with all the different factors to consider. Not as clear cut as first thought with the MegaMini if I’m been honest.
All I can say is really it’s been a while coming for someone to take more interest in making smaller players that just focus on sounding good as some of the bigger higher priced models and think HIFIMAN have pretty much pulled it off. Okay, they are both not totally perfect and a lot of that will hopefully be sorted out with Firmware update coming out before end of the year but really for the money and putting performance and quality of sound first with its weight and size is a major achievement.
So thankyou to HIFIMAN for not just bringing one small good dap on offer but actually two to choose from and look forward to getting one soon or maybe two!
An end to a Mega/Super Mini adventure…