[blazer78]

Look what arrived!

 

 

 

The ES100 is HiFiMAN’s latest product in the earbud form factor. Judging by the threads in the “Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors” forums, earbuds are indeed live and well within the head-fi community. Being an old head-fier, I have been through the age of earbuds since their inception, popularity and slow demise (sadly). Fortunately, the trickle of new products has sparked continuous interest in this area.

 

Being HiFiMAN’s first entry into earbuds, I was curious to see whether they would be able to produce a product that raises the bar for the sound quality of mid-range earbuds ($69USD at the time of reviewing). In addition to this, of course, my opinion of where it stands compared to older high-end earbuds.

 

I would like to thank Chen from HiFiMAN who contacted me last week asking me to evaluate some of their earphones. Having accepted (no I'm not being paid unfortunately lol

), this review details the results of my testing. Below are some pictures of the un-boxing and the ES100 themselves.

 

 

A hard clear case protects the earbuds (foam for extra protection)

 

Back of the box
 

Owner's guide
 

The included accessories (packaged separately?)
 

The round hard case (included??)
 

The rear housing of the ES100
 

Thickness profile
 

The grill is made of a very fine metal mesh
 

Rubber rings around the earbud are notched for a secure fit
 

The y-split junction
 

The 3.5mm L-shaped plug
 

The spare round rubber rings that are included? (without the notched edge)
 

 

Packaging and Accessories

The packaging is quite impressive for the ES100. A thick and hard plastic cover protects the main box and product from being damaged during shipping. The earbuds are easy to remove from their foam molds. Separate from the ES100 box, I was also provided with a round black hard case as well as some additional accessories (I am not sure whether the shipped product will include these, or whether it is a “review special”, perhaps someone can clarify this). The case is simple and is an effective way to store and transport the ES100’s. The additional accessories include a replacement rubber ring without the notch (in case the original installed ring produces discomfort for your ears) as well as a plastic cable wrap. Having owned many earbuds in the past, I am surprised that no foam covers (foamies) were provided (I used some of my own for testing).

 

 

Build Quality

The earbud housings are constructed predominantly using plastic, whereas the grill appears to be made of a fine aluminium mesh. Using a minimal amount of force, the grill can be deformed, but will spring back into its original form. The plastic/rubber strain relief from the earbuds to the cable is somewhat short and moderately stiff. The Y-split junction is made of moderate density plastic and takes a moderate amount of force to deform. The L-shaped 3.5mm plug is high quality (made of high density plastic), and has a sufficient amount of strain relief.

 

The cable also appears to be quite durable with a higher than standard thickness. Strangely, the texture of the cable appears plasticky and glossy, although the cable itself is quite soft, and should have no problems with memory or kinks.

 

Overall, there does not appear to be any significant problems with the build quality, though I would have liked to see more substantial strain relief on the earpieces themselves.

 

 

Isolation

Isolation will never be a strong point for earbuds as they only rest on the outer ear, covering the ear canal, but not sealing. This can be improved somewhat with the use of foamies, however you will still find yourself turning up the volume significantly whilst on public transport.

 

 

Comfort and Ergonomics

Comfort of the ES100’s is very good. The notch on the rubber ring is a great improvement over the standard circular design on many earbuds and assists in keeping the earbuds firmly seated in the outer ear. There will be some slight pain after hours of wearing the ES100’s, though it is a small trade-off considering the benefits of a secure fit. Those with different ear shapes are also given the flexibility to replace the notched rubber ring with the standard round ring.

 

Ergonomics are excellent. The ES100’s are fairly light weight and do not put significant strain on the ear. Along with a lightweight cable, wearing and removing them is effortless. This is great in comparison to the Sennheiser MX985, where the large remote and Y-Split adds to the cable weight and tends to drag the earpieces downwards.

 

 

Aesthetics

The design of the ES100’s is somewhat basic and generic looking. In earbud history, we have many great examples of good design. Perhaps something more classy and appealing is worth some R&D into. Good aesthetic design in my opinion, is what separates the larger and famous brands from the smaller ones (ceteris paribus).

 

 

Sound Quality

As the ES100’s are rated at 150 ohms impedance, testing was performed using the iPhone 5S (representing the typical portable usage scenario) as well as using the headphone output from the Creative Sound Blaster Z (representing the higher amplification scenario). The default music player was used for the iPhone and Foobar 2000 with WASAPI (event) output was used for the soundcard.

 

Test Setup:

Apple iPhone 5S > HiFiMAN ES100 (without foamies)

Apple iPhone 5S > HiFiMAN ES100 (with thin foamies)

Creative Sound Blaster Z > HiFiMAN ES100 (without foamies)

Creative Sound Blaster Z > HiFiMAN ES100 (with thin foamies)

 

Listening in a quiet room ( < 25dB)

Sitting in an upright position

Combination of 320kbps MP3, ALAC and FLAC. Music genres include pop, rock, jazz, vocal trance, lounge, orchestral.

 

 

ES100 without foamies

 

Overall

The sound of the ES100 without foamies can be characterised as being in the neutral to slightly cold region. Without foamies, the ES100 does not create a seal with the ear canal, the lower bass response leads to a higher emphasis on the midrange and treble regions. Slightly more emphasis on the midrange in comparison to the treble region. The ES100’s are quite detailed across the range.

 

Bass

The bass quantity is lower in contrast to the midrange and treble. However, the bass is detailed, with tones in the mid bass and upper mid bass being easily distinguished from each other. Extension is lacking however, and an apparent rolloff is evident. The bass characteristics do not appear to change significantly with amplification from the Sound Blaster Z.

 

Midrange

The midrange is slightly forward, natural and detailed. Vocals of singers are placed at the forefront of the music. The tonality of the vocals is fairly neutral, albeit somewhat flat in dynamics due to the presentation of the treble region. Whilst the midrange does appear clearer and more dynamic using the Sound Blaster Z, I believe this is due to a change in the source rather than the result of increased amplification (based on my critical listening sessions with various other headphones and earphones).

 

Treble

The treble presentation appears to vary significantly depending on whether the iPhone or sound card was being used. On the iPhone at lower volumes (<50%), treble is smooth, natural with just enough sparkle to give the impression of detail and attack on string instruments. At greater volumes on the iPhone (70%+) the treble appears to break up, showing some unevenness throughout the range. Particularly, the mid-treble response is heightened causing some female vocals to appear slightly “shouty” and harsh.

 

With the sound card, treble response is smoother, requiring a higher amount of volume before the heightened mid-treble occurs. Strange, though it could be a sign that the ES100 is best used with proper amplification.

 

Soundstage

Fairly wide for an earbud. Stereo positioning along the horizontal plane is fairly easy to determine with a solid centre image. In terms of seating position I would say not too far away (very wide) and not too close either (intimate).

 

 

ES100 with foamies

 

Overall

With foamies, the sound of the ES100 changes to being warm. Due to a better seal being created with the ear canal, a heightened bass response (quite good for an earbud) is produced, balancing well with the midrange. However, treble quantity and fidelity is affected, with treble appearing to be slightly muffled.

 

Bass

Bass quantity now becomes well balanced with the midrange, along with a good amount of extension. Low end attack however is light, and the emphasis is more on the mid-bass. Detail is still retained in the bass region.

 

Midrange

The midrange is still slightly forward in the perceived frequency response. Some clarity is lost due to the presence of the foamies, however it remains acceptable. Tonality of the vocals is shifted to being slightly warm, with vocals having more body to them.

 

Treble

Unfortunately, treble is impacted significantly with the foamies on, causing this region to sound muffled. Whilst foamies on most earbuds do affect the clarity somewhat, the ES100 is affected more since the treble is already smooth (at moderate volumes) without foamies. It does somewhat tame the hard mid-treble response that occurs at higher volumes however. I suppose the original design decision for the ES100 was to be used without foamies (hence, why they are not part of the included accessories).

 

Soundstage

With the foamies, the soundstage does collapse a bit, with the music becoming more congested and intimate. This effect is produced due to the muffling of the treble and a loss in clarity.

 

 

Comparison with Audio Technica ATH-CM7Ti (subjectively volume matched, 12 iterations)

Having heard the ES100, I was reluctant to make this comparison considering that the CM7Ti costs some magnitudes more (and that was more than a decade ago). As to be expected, the CM7Ti is on a different level to the ES100, with even higher amounts of detail. Specifically where the CM7Ti succeeds is in its finely tuned treble that is very natural and airy. In addition, the use of thin foamies does not impact its sound significantly whilst improving upon the bass response substantially. The combination makes the earbuds very dynamic and a joy to listen to all the time.

 

The ES100 is to be commended however, as the amount of detail projected is close to the CM7Ti. However when considering the unified sound, is simply less refined (particularly in the treble region).

 

 

Concluding Remarks

HiFiMAN’s ES100 is a solid entry into the earbud market. Whilst it is not perfect, it does have many merits, particularly at its price point. Those seeking a fairly balanced, natural and detailed sound would do well to consider the ES100. I believe going forward, with some additional R&D on HiFiMAN’s part, they will be able to release a very formidable successor.

 

[blazer78]

Reserved.

 

[golov17]

Thanks good review.