Jialai Carat

I would like to thank the NiceHCK for providing this review unit to Audio reviews Downunder, the Australian tour group.
NiceHCK JIALAI Carat uses a 10mm DLC Titanium-Coated Diaphragm. It is supplied with a practical leather case and has a 32 Ohm impedance.

Fit and comfort

The Carat is a fairly small IEM and as such is a comfortable fit. Experimentation with other tips to get a good seal is vital to extract the pull bass levels the IEM is capable of. The nozzle is moderately short and I actually had to use a medium tip to get the proper insertion.


Testing equipment.

I used my Hiby R3 2022 Sabre DAP both with the balanced outputs on high gain and also with two DACs, a JCally JM10 and Hidizs S9 pro Martha. I also used the DACs with my pixel phone in all cases with stored lossless music files.

Source and tip dependent. Wide bore tips are no no. Bass tips with a strong deep bore work best. I used Penon liquor black tips. The Hiby S9 pro DAC gave a clean sound but without a lot of body. Reverting to my Hiby R3 Saber with high gain and 46 volume level gave a better balanced sound with correct weight in the lower registers.


Distinctly V shaped, the Jialai Carat had a boosted sub bass and an elevated treble.
Tuning is unique. Very vocal centric. Male and female vocals are front and center with natural timbre. Space and air around the vocalist allow the lyrics to live in the air with the rest of the instruments placed around and across the space in a very realistic way. The soundstage is not expansive, but the airy tuning gives the impression of a spacious setting. There is no congestion or muddiness with this IEM. Just dynamic and vigorous sound that is quite unlike most earphones you will have heard.



Perhaps the best way to describe this Carat is to describe some songs I used to audition it. You can follow the links so you can hear what I’m about.

Psycho by Amy Shark.

Great snare. Tambourine in drum kit clear and clean. Bold bass line, strong sub bass. Breathy Amy vocal until she belts it out at the end of the song. Hiby R3. Pixel phone with JCally JM10. DAC is neutral and pretty powerful. Big bass boost. Tom drums punchier and more impactful. Less airy vocal, fuller, and more forceful. Treble is a little hotter with the JCally, balanced to some extent by the bass boost. A different sound balance to the Hiby R3 DAP. This IEM is quite source dependent.

Literally every track you listen to will sound different to any other IEM . Some Iron Maiden rocks pretty darn hard. Guitars cut thru cleanly and the bass guitar and drums go hard and yet the sound balance is clean and sharp and spatially large.

Aching to be by The Replacements

Sounds smooth, with Paul Westerberg's vocals well placed center stage with good timbre and the rest of the band surrounding him. Tamborine to the right, harmonica to the left, drum kit behind. Easy to locate everything.

Finally Beautiful Stranger by Halsey

Her husky voice with a clear and vibrant acoustic guitar as backing. When the full instrumentation kicks in there is a nice deep sub bass underpinning the song. Trebles are detailed, snares crisp without being overdone.

Cream by Prince.

The first thing is a forceful snare with reverb sounding great followed the slinky low bass line and Princes distinctive guitar flair. Again, great sense of air and space in this song and nice left to right panning across the soundstage.

Dreamer. By Supertramp

One of the best audiophile pop recordings gives a great range of macro and micro details again in a wide soundstage. Very enjoyable.

Some smooth EDM with Rufus du Sol in the track Alive https://tinyurl.com/3sp7u9zf

This track pumps strongly and engagingly with satisfying deep bass counterpointed with a sea of high frequencies that never get sibilant.


Summary


Refreshing different, the Carat stands out from a sea of single DD IEMS that are tuned similarly tuned. You need to be a bit of a treble head because Carat has great clarity and good details, but the boisterous top end coupled with a good bass and sub bass makes for a different listening experience. I found I needed to experiment with tips and sources to find the sweet spot (as detailed above) but when I did, I enjoyed listening to the Jialai Carat. Similarly, you might find it works better with some genres compared to others. Horses for courses, as they say. Take the Carat challenge and Vive la difference!

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank the NiceHCK for providing this review unit.

The Jialai Carat can be gotten here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006660245454.html (no affiliate links).




SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 10 mm titanium-plated DLC dynamic driver
• Frequency response: 10 Hz - 28 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ω
• Sensitivity: 106 dB/mW
• Cable: 2-pin, 0.78 mm; OFC cable
• Tested at: $69 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM, these are included:

- 3 pairs of wide-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L/)
- 3 pairs of narrow-bore silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- 3 pairs of balanced silicone eartips (S/M/L)
- Cable
- Carrying case

Other than the lack of foam tips, the provisions are very generous for a sub-$100 USD IEM. I've definitely seen pricier sets with stingier accessories.




We have 3 variations of silicone tips. The wide-bore ones boost treble and soundstage, whereas the narrow-bore ones do the opposite in increasing bass but compressing staging. The balanced ones are a midpoint between these 2 in terms of sonics.




The OFC 2-pin cable is braided decently, but has microphonics and is a bit tangly. There is a chin cinch for added grip. Not the best stock cable, but serviceable in a way.




Lastly, we have a leatherette semi-rigid case. This has a magnetic clasp, and is lined internally with velvet to cushion the contents.

The rest of this review was done with the stock cable and stock balanced silicone tips. No aftermarket accessories were used, so as not to add any confounders to the sound.


BUILD/COMFORT



Like its namesake, the Carat is gleaming and alluring, with a polished mirror-like finish. The shells are fashioned from aluminum alloy via 5-axis CNC machining, with solid build. These enchanting housings are however scratch and fingerprint magnets, so on a practical basis, it might behoof the user to baby this IEM during usage.



Comfort and ergonomics are good. The shells are light, with no awkward protrusions on the inner aspects to poke the ears. It can be used for marathon listening sessions without discomfort.

Isolation is average in view of the vented acoustics. I did not encounter any driver flex on my pair.




INTERNALS

The Carat's engine is a 10 mm titanium-plated DLC dynamic driver.


DRIVABILITY

I tested the Carat with the following sources:
- Apple dongle
- Cayin RU7
- Chord Mojo 2
- Fiio KA11 dongle
- Fiio KA17 dongle
- Khadas Tone Board -> Schiit Asgard 3 amp
- Questyle M15 DAC/AMP dongle
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW A-55 DAP (Walkman One Neutral Mod)
- Sony Walkman NW WM1A DAP (Walkman One WM1Z Plus v2 Mod)
- Smartphone

This IEM is easily driven, and amplification is not 100% necessary.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

Graph of the Jialai Carat via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

Tonally, the Carat sports a bright V-shaped tuning, with an emphasis at the top-end.

The Carat has a sub-bass preponderance, with decent rumble at the low-end. It doesn't exactly hit basshead levels, but is definitely north of neutral. Mid-bass is thumpy, with above average texturing and speed. Mid-bass bleed is thankfully mild.

As per the V-shaped profile, the lower midrange is recessed, and can come across as thin. Hitting nearly 9 dB in the ear gain region, the upper mids are forwards with some nasalness and shoutiness noted, especially at louder volumes (Fletcher Munson curve).

Continuing on from the upper mids, the lower treble peaks at around the 5 - 6 kHz regions. This provides lots of clarity, but there is some sibilance and fatigue, especially if one is treble-sensitive. Trebleheads will certainly like the tuning choices though, so there are pros and cons here.

In terms of timbre, while acoustic instruments sound quite accurately portrayed, the aforementioned thin note weight does bestow sterileness to the soundscape and nasalness to vocals.

I would grade the Carat as having above average technicalities. Soundstage is not compressed but not classleading either, going to just beyond the ears. Imaging while not exactly dead pinpoint, is still fairly well-localized. Clarity is emphasized by the feisty upper end, and instrument separation is acceptable. Micro-detailing is solid for a sub-$100 single DD.


COMPARISONS

The Carat will be compared against some other budget single DDs. Hybrids, pure BAs and planars are left out of the comparisons, as the different transducer types will have their own inherent pros and cons.


Simgot EA500LM


Graphs of the EA500LM via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

The EA500LM has 3 tuning nozzles to vary the sonics and provide more versatility, though all tunings still lie towards a brighter Harmanish tone.

The EA500LM has a thicker note weight, with a slightly more organic timbre. In technical chops, the EA500LM has a better soundstage, with more precise imaging, though micro-detailing and clarity goes to the Carat.


Kefine Delci

Graph of the Delci via IEC711 coupler. 8 kHz is a coupler peak.

The Delci has less treble and upper mids, thus bestowing a more relaxing upper end, with less fatigue and sibilance heard.

The Delci has a more natural timbre with a thicker note weight. In technicalities, the Delci trumps the Carat in soundstage, though the Delci has weaker micro-detailing. Imaging is about on par, though the Carat has sharper edge definition to notes.


CONCLUSIONS



In a sea of weekly single DD releases, we hear a clean and bright tone in the Carat, coupled with decent technical chops and a good sprinkling of micro-detailing and clarity. Accessories are second to none at this price range, with beautiful mirror-like shells, comfortable fit and easy drivability. While the charming mirror-like shells are a looker, on a practical basis, the housings may easily get scratched or smudged.

Sound-wise, there are some tonal flaws - an overly thin lower midrange culminates in an exuberant bloom in the upper end - resulting in a sterile soundscape that is entwined with some fatigue in the upper mids and lower treble. Vocals can come across as nasal and the Carat is thus not one for the treble-sensitive. However, on the converse, trebleheads might be very at home with the tonality.

All things considered, the Carat is a diamond in the rough. This unearthed gem lies in the realm of average - it isn't an extraordinary jewel but isn't a bad set by any means. However, the competition in budget CHIFI-land is so cut-throat nowadays, that even average may sadly not be enough: next week promises a new shiny hypetrain to grab the attention of consumers! Nevertheless, for a pioneer release from the brand, the Jialai Carat is okay, and would be a potential bridgehead for further (hopefully) more refined and polished gems down the line.

Jialai Carat (A sideband of NiceHCK)
Redcarmoose Labs March 27th, 2024

Brand: Jialai
Model: Carat
Product Type: In-ear
Driver Unit: 10mm DD
Diaphragm: Titanium plated DLC
Shell material: 5 Axis CNC Aluminum
Sensitivity: 106dB/mW
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Frequency response 10-28kHz
Cable material: High purity OFC
Connector: 0.78mm 2Pin
Plug type: 3.5mm

Purchase link:
https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/3256806473930702.html?pdp_npi=4@dis!USD!US $125.45!US $63.98!!!125.45!63.98!@2167359c17115963850147034e6645!12000037949091148!sh!US!224701538!&spm=a2g0o.store_pc_allItems_or_groupList.new_all_items_2007598972224.1005006660245454&gatewayAdapt=glo2vnm




History:
This IEM sees itself being brought to market though a side project of NiceHCK. As such companies will offer different brands as a way to incorporate different house sounds. Where upon hearing a few of a new brands this house sound is found to be a new characteristic. Now because we have only the very first introduction, this nonsense about house sounds could be true, or could be not true. I have heard two other NiceHCK IEMs, and can probably say this Carat is a wonderful slight departure into new territory. Why?

Per o0genesis0o
“Jialai claims that Carat has been tuned according to Harman in-ear 2019 target, with flourishes based on the experience of their engineering team. To me, I found that the adjustments push Carat toward a V-shaped even more so than a “full Harman” IEM.”



I agree with o0genesis0o:
If you study the graph really, the 2019 Harman is maybe a starting point, yet everything I love (to a point) about this tune, may be a departure from the regular Harman. Though it comes through as primarily a bump to the lower midrange. As such there is a smoothing out of the pinna gain area and a boost from 40Hz to 500Hz. This low-end boost is much more pronounced due to the balance of the pinna gain being less than the Harman drastically from 2kHz to 5kHz. So the you combine both sides of the graph we are walking in thicker waters. Now what does this totally mean?

First off it would be dull if it wasn’t for 4.5kHz to 7.8kHz treble peak. When you add the peaks present now you can see why o0genesis0o was hearing and seeing by graphs how the Harman departure was going for more of a V response. The important thing to note is that this exact tune may not work out effectively if we did only the 40Hz to 500Hz. Or we also may find trouble with only the 4.5kHz to 7.8kHz treble adds? Yet together is seen balance, and that’s what the whole tune is based on. Of course it is debatable how this (drastic) bass and (drastic) treble is perceived. This thickness may be the exact route as to why NiceHCK decided to bring forth a new branding? The Jialai Carat probably is attractive to the non-purest younger crowd who gravitate towards this low-end energy adding thrust to Rock music and adding weight to even popular OSTs? I mean on the right file playback and with the right cable there is something here?

Can this weight add fog?
I mean that’s really the center of this entire review? That and at times the treble peaks can also add energy to Modern Rock, where there is an unnatural boost which makes the Carat a little less well-rounded than it could be? The only problem with modern Rock is the off tone guitar boost the Carat does? I mean sure this balance of sorts gets the job done, though at times there is a slight bit of unevenness even with Symphonic Metal………where it doesn’t sound totally natural, and this is a DD were talking about.

Yet at the same time the Carat does bring about a wonderful style of its very own musicality.

Unique:
Over a month ago when I first heard the Carat I keyed into this uniqueness of sound and that separated it from many players in this crowded IEM marketplace. And what this finally adds up to is a dramatic and powerful sounding IEM that requires you to maybe pick and choose your music genres or song files. I say this because it’s easy to like what the Carat is doing half the time, though the other half the time it may be easy to find more credible replay at the same money or even less.

Timbre and tone:
Of all the things which are flexible in IEM analysis there is a good chance small changes can be perceived differently as to tone and timbre. What I’m trying to say is this can be a judgment where Monday’s timbre and tone were slightly more off than today. Of course all reviews are understood as subjective, yet we are looking for a style of consistent results about the characteristics that make-up replay. Let’s just say with the Carat there can be days where the tone and timbre sound more off than others. And of course whatever is found upstream can have an effect on such tonality and perception of timbre. This also goes ahead with the styles of music you choose, to see if there is a chance to promote this off-timbre, or find it respectable.

From a phone:
Here we are maybe in the Carat’s element. As I can see many users finding this style of basic playback to be maybe the main implementation of the Jialai Carat, and sure enough the sound is thick and relatively exciting. Where the Carat still parleys the tone talked about previously, but with phone use everything is smaller……..a smaller pond to fish in. Where really I’m talking about reduced clarity inside of the imaging. Where a Dongle or DAP will simply get you a bigger sense of grandeur and playback scale. Where points gets given for still at least promoting that bass that the Carat is known for, that and the lower midrange thickness which goes ahead and adds size to playback, only after listening with a DAP or Dongle such phone playback shows its faraway-ness. Still due to not sounding thin, I can imagine the Carat taking use straight out of a phone……..walking around, especially due to the little physical size they are, that they do well out of the house, staying in place wherever you go.

Comparisons:
This section could offer a style of confusion to some readers. Why? I don’t always pick comparisons which seem like the way to go? Here I’m testing the Carat against the Super TFZ Crown flagship and the NiceHCK F1 Pro Planar. Why? For one because I think the tuning is better with the Crown……yet the Crown is not as memorable as the NiceHCK TOTL Himalaya. Where I’m using the Crown to prove a point about tuning, and the F1 Pro is simply another IEMs that at $99.00 is simply a better buy than the Carat. Now some would say I’m comparing apples to oranges with all three of these side-by-sides……..and I will not argue. It is just that I don't see price as a totally determining factor and that is why I’m not comparing the Carat to other single full-range DDs at the exact same price. Sure some folks have under $100.00 to spend and are in that price bracket, there is no denying that logic. Only when I have been in actual IEM shops I would ask the counter person more about tonality and not really price. Sure price comes up, and they will note the price when pulling out a $1500.00 IEM to demo. Sure there is a range, but I feel the $70.00 dollar buyer could stretch to $200? What we are looking for primarily is sound and an attempt to objectively put a value on that sound. That and to try and describe the sound to the very best of our ability here.

$219.00 TFZ Crown
$99.00 NiceHCK F1 Pro
$70.00 Jialai Carat

I also will do comparisons this way because nothing is perfect, even going up the price scale we are often not greeted with more perfection, only a different sound. Better technicalities? Sometimes where sure there seems to be a common relationship between comparably priced IEMs and their overall sound? And the riddle here is to concentrate on features which enable you the consumer to find the features that are of value. As each IEM does vary in technicalities and tone, where ultimately the Carat has a few great features and some characteristics which are sub-par for the course.

TheTFZ Crown:
Laughably at times I’m not sure why I would what to interface a recent released $219.00 IEM against a $70.00 IEM, but I think beforehand that there are tuning and technical differences which will both delineate the Carat and kind of show what each is about, due to personalities. Also due to me always routing for the underdog, I want to test just where the Carat sits in relationship to the TFZ Crown. The Crown is TFZ’s flagship IEM, the best they know how to make. And the NiceHCK Himalaya at $329.00 is of course the best here today, as NiceHCKs flagship output, yet it will not be compared today.

Let’s find out:
The TFZ Crown:
Using the Sony WM1A and SIMGOT LC7 cable. All tests today will be with the Crown tuning switch in the on-up position which smooths out the tune and ended they only way I could truly enjoy the Crown.





E-Mantra
Cinematica VOL1-“Secluded Trails”
Mysterious Murmur through the trees
44.1kHz - 24 bit
Here we are greeted with wonderful Crown separation and sparkles. Where in side-by-sides the tuning and technicalities went ahead to truly itemize the synthesizer images flowing into and out of the stage. Where the Carat still offered a vibe with this style of music, yet the stage was not as separated, nor was the imaging as vivid. Different than you may guess, I have been comparing these two IEMs off-and-on for a few days now, taking short listens of songs. And while at times during those tests the Crown showed a slightly synthetic character (showing the Crown has its own issues) yet with this style of music the Crown is in its element. Reason being the imaging and separation. When the bass drop hits with a prolonged note from 04:27 to 04:30 both IEMs show promise. And while sure the Crown was definitely more separated and vibrant even seeming louder in the same volume level there was still a remarkable cohesiveness that the Carat did, a simple easy going and more fluid take on this style of music. Now the thing is, neither IEM is right or wrong, yet the Carat was the still entertaining yet easy going example of replay. Also I had to ask myself questions personally……as sure the Crown was more technical, yet this technicality resulted from a more brash and pushed character to the point………I truly asked myself if the Carat was acceptable and while offering less detail and separation, offered a relaxed and still focused idea of playback. I mean sure much of the time the added realism of the Crown would take the cake, yet there was a fully entertaining reality off to the side with what character the Carat brought to the table. Even with more late into the night listening here, this more cohesive and really tonally perfect listen of the Carat may be the preferred choice at that time. Maybe it is just this style of music which pulls out the drama here? Meaning this music seems to be made for both IEMs, even working out with additional IEMs, that the music is both well recorded and lacking any style of off timbre, being it is direct to soundboard, synthetically made? Since no real instruments were used, it’s anyone's guess if the timbre and tone are truly correct.

Ending notes:
In many regards this song was just too easy of a job. With this style of music gaining mainstream acceptance in the early 1970s due to bands like Tangerine Dream going forward to introduce a style of music which was ultimately perfect on early headphones. As such this is a continuation (so to speak) of the same ideas yet expanded further by a new (modern day) artist with his own ideas of just how it should go. In the early 1970s this quiet sonic meditation of experiencing the soundscapes provided with this sub-gene became known as Headphone Music and paved the way to really all styles of music heard on headphones later down the road. And surely it can be remembered that audiophiles early on argued that some (orchestral) styles of music were fully incapable of being reproduced by simple headphones……..being the elitist snobs they normally are at times. Truly this next song will be more of a difficult challenge.



Theatre of Tragedy
Assembly (Remastered)
Episode
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
Here is still the challenge of the Carat against the Crown. Yep dealing out a treble fiasco for the Crown we will determine if by chance the Carat will be preferred? Note this is one of the brightest songs I know, plus it incorporates the standard recording studio ideas for actual singing with effects of both (recorded) room reverbs and obviously rack mount effects in action.

Testing:
I’m now switching to the Sony WM1Z, a more V shaped response holding almost infinitely deep low end of a round and physical character contrast with the V shape of a pushed treble creating a treble halo around your head. Here there is simply more information for the taking produced both forward and back, top-to-bottom and side to side. Plus a lot of imaging projected into the stage creating differences in positioning, yep all from the DAP. The talk on the forums is that the images the WM1Z puts out creates a style of IEM ear-candy with many lower-priced monitor examples. Yet here there could be no more of a definitive difference shown by both the music and DAP chosen. While this here can be thought of as showing the true lack of treble details created with the Carat. It is what it is where yes, the Carat plays a better tonality in replay, though it is also projecting a warmer and less separated form of treble. Where the Crown is borderline off timbre, yet going for it with separated and itemized revelations of detail. Really at this point I see this is not in any way a fair match, though through IEM contrasts found here I do hear the differences between the two. Where the Carat is almost dull showing a vastly less detailed rendition, when it was given every opportunity to soar? Probably the 10kHz dip the Carat is known for.

The F1 Pro v the Carat:

Hans Zimmer
Inception OST
Old Souls
44.1 kHz - 16 bit
Here I’m using the Himalaya stock cable and WM1A. Somehow we are finding the perfect song to use. Really making both IEMs shine here. The Carat is moderately easy to drive, but almost maxes out a phone. Yet here it is once again obvious the F1 Pro is harder to drive than the Carat. There is this thing with the lower midrange that the Carat does that it adds a thickness and romance.........that simply adds to this song. Where the F1 Pro has it beat in technicalities all over the place……….I mean still the bass with the Carat is DD bass which just by its nature is going to have its own individual charm, yet slower and almost lumbering yet relatively detailed and cool with a song like this. The bass with the Carat is softer and holding special positioning and even texture detail, yet when the midrange tries to compete, the midrange in a song like this comes off slightly Carat murky? I mean sure the violins are of great timbre and inside of a great stage, yet not really separated and holding their own as far as imaging…….held down with this lower midrange glue. Where physically in size these two IEMs both share a reduced form factor. Incredibly small yet both metal in construction with the Carat made completely out of aluminum. Both IEMs hold their nozzles right at the almost too small place in life, yet can get correct fitment with a slightly longer length ear-tip and really I find the nozzle on the F1 Pro to fit even slightly better allowing for more ear-tip choices. Though both fit great, I mean how can small not fit good? The F1 Pro shows a more normal tuning offering up treble details into slightly more vivid contrasts. And maybe not surprising both the F1 Pro and the Carat did the piano notes with correct timbre, though there was a phenomenon where the Carat notes were slightly buried and of less entertaining consequences. All and all I would say skip the Carat and get the F1 Pro, simply the F1 Pro is the better IEM and holds a better tune and better technicalities in the end.



DCD
Anastasis
Kiko
44.1 kHz - 24 bit
I have a longstanding confession to make……….here in use with Kiko is some of the very best music to test IEMs within in my history. Why? Actually I’m not totally sure why, except it is well recorded and holds a darn big stage, the instruments and vocals are well illustrated into the file, as well as holding a form of dramatic contrasts……..not with 5 or 6 IEM……..but every IEM I have ever tested. The song is so good I almost feel guilty using it as in this one instance of Kiko we are rewarded with an unusual exciting sound regardless of the IEM tested. So we all have challenges for IEMs, well this song is not one……..it makes every IEM ear-candy. And just as expected the Carat is no exception to this rule at Redcarmoose Labs. In fact the Carat sounds even better than I thought? I mean with this song playing........it keys in on the clarity and bigness brought form from the Carat, and somehow underplays any issues previously spoke about?

The drums are big, when the world guitar comes in at 00:38 it is of totally correct timbre and even positioned into great contrast in the stage. At 01:13 Lisa Gerrard makes here entrance and while it is not the most forward rendition I have heard, it is absolutely fine. The thing that needs to be noted that regardless of the drawbacks to the Carat, the Carat has great reverberations, and just how the Carat follows through with the reverbs here is something of a charm. To sum up the Carat replay here it is totally great and holds both vivid contrasts, correct timbre and seemingly problem free tuning all coming together to promote wild reverberations…….in the end. In contrast to the Carat the F1 Pro was showing a more open and spread out stage……..going forward and while sounding slightly more digital (whatever that means)……..there was simply better imaging and separation into the stage here. Yet I could taste a tinge of Planar timbre which the Carat of course held none. Yet this F1 Pro tuning was better and it held better technicalities throughout. Yet the bass was not as thick or (maybe) even not as emotional here. It is noted that the Carat was really deeper and more illustrative into bass replay. Where the F1 Pro was faster, it didn’t hold whatever magic I heard with the Carat. Strange as I was not expecting this style of outcome. What it does is almost makes the Carat complementary in union with the F1 Pro, offering up a rounded, and smoother, more alive bass, where the F1 Pro is getting in and getting out……as planar IEMs do naturally.

Build:
Gorgeous really……..just look at them? As you might guess this is the ultimate fingerprint magnet. That and the nozzle tip ends do hold tips on surprisingly well, only they are maybe on the borderline of too short? Nothing that an extra long ear-tip can't rectify. There are two vents, with one being near the base of the nozzle the other off to the side right under the faceplate. The interesting thing comes from the black screens, as I have never seen such material, maybe even plastic?


Packaging:
There are a nice set of extras, especially the case included at this price point.



Cable and cables:
I used a number of cables, and primarily due to enjoying the refreshed openness found with 4.4mm.


Sources:
As such the Carat responded well and even transparently with an arrangement of sources.

Sony WW1A
Sony WM1Z
HiBy R3 II
ifi GO bar

The Sony 1A and WM1Z:
Interestingly I used the Sony WM1A for most of this review. As such the 1A has a trim and fast bass, plus an enhanced midrange which just by its nature promotes a wild big stage……….offering a style clarity and romance found with a gambit of IEMs. While the WM1Z you would think could rectify the uneventful (10kHz) treble roll-off at times………it still wasn’t enough to brighten things up?




HiBy R3 II:
Where of special intrigue was the HiBy R3 II results. The M response of the HiBy R3 II seemed to align the Carat and make it simply more than it was with some styles of music, as a new found big stage and romantic in separation?

Lovely strings:
At times bringing the strings up and out of their hole? The further display of treble separation, it could really make you wonder what kind of synergy was present here with the HiBy R3 II? Of course once again your choice of music was important, where all of a sudden the wrong style of tuning could present a notable departure from a known and understood style of playback. Never was this more apparent than with pushed Metal guitars, making them slightly thinner than wanted or needed……where the tone/timbre was found off too.

ifi GO bar:
Here is the thing, the GO bar is slightly different than anything own. And while the smoothness and analogue tone of the whole made this un-even guitar slightly more down to earth, the 4.5kHz to 7.8kHz peaks were still there and you could not avoid noticing them. Luckily the stage of the GO bar was also introduced with the Carat, showing itself to be my third favorite source in use, right behind the WM1A and WM1Z on a regular use basis.



Conclusion:
Discovering what the Carat is and what it is not is fun. While under $100.00 only gets you only so much IEM, that so much has multiplied many times over the last few years. When I started in this IEM hobby buying only budget IEMs, I became smitten with their low cost listenability. This Carat price point is a very competitive arena to jump into……some would even call it a bloodbath. With a new IEM introduction almost every other day we are truly looking to understand where the value lies with something like the Carat? While actually my most favored attributes come from timbre and stage size, there were really good reverberations which took place all time. And while you would think this style of tune would be good with Modern Rock, there were still sonic attributes that were reason for concern, mainly the uneven tuning. Where this style of tune could almost be regarded as experimental, it does two things. One, the Carat doesn’t sound exactly like other IEMs you have heard, and two…….the Carat has both good and bad features. As such there was a romantic bass and reverberations to the bass, also an even texture that allowed me to smile on many tracks. Yet a strange lower treble tune that made tonally of guitars on Symphonic Rock sound off.

So I have to say if you're listening to electronic music late at night and want a totally correct sounding low-cost IEM the Carat is actually a special buy. Just the size of playback allows this style of music to be both dramatic and fun…………it kind of enhances the separation at hand to make the Carat special. The Carat build is great, the fit is superb, and in that specific usage task of electronic music with a smooth top treble, we are fine. Where depending on your source, truly you may find an exquisite home here, regardless of the deficits. But if you were out looking for an IEM that will playback all genres well.......you need to look at other IEM choices. Sure the Carat can sound pretty good from a phone, as if you add the style of thickness here, it almost adds the harmonics required to enjoy simple phone use……..as it is no way thin sounding.



Final conclusion:
It is what it is. What that means is sure the Carat offers-up maybe half your library in correct tonality? And after-all this trash talk you would probably need to try the Carat to be sure how gorgeous it plays the style of music it goes with. Don’t ask me why, but this style of (good) music seems to be whole albums by a particular artist, and even whole catalogues of music found? It’s just if you cross the railroad tracks off into a music genre the Carat doesn’t favor you will be instantly notified as such. And sure if you only listened to specific genres the Carat liked you would be (unbelievably) smitten with the total outcome, regardless of imperfections.....those imperfections sitting just out of hearing range.

Because when the Carat is good it is really good, and I almost want to say perfectly good, but I won’t! It’s surprisingly good at times none-the less. I have had the Carat on-hand for 5 weeks and spent way more time than needed on this review, yet I did because I care about my readers and I sincerely care about the NiceHCK company.

Disclaimer:
I want to thank Vivian at NiceHCK for the love and Jialai Carat review sample.

Disclaimer:
These are one person's ideas and concepts, your results may vary.

Equipment Used:
Sony WM1A Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony WM1Z Walkman DAP MrWalkman Firmware 4.4mm
Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC/AMP Firmware 1.03
Electra Glide Audio Reference Glide-Reference Standard "Fatboy" Power Cord
Sony Walkman Cradle BCR-NWH10
AudioQuest Carbon USB
HiBy R3 II DAP in 4.4mm balanced
ifi GO Bar Dongle in 4,4mm balanced
Samsung Phone 3.5mm output