INTRODUCTION Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to test and review AME's Argent IEM. It was a 6 driver Inner Ear Monitor featuring a combination of 4 BA drivers and 2 Electret (micro electrostatic) drivers. I loved the Argent, and if anything my only critique would have been that the bass was just a little “polite”. So Earl Chon of AME Custom Earphones in Korea contacted me again – this time about testing their 6 driver DD/BA/ET combo Radioso. Again (naturally) I jumped at the chance. How would the Radioso stack up, and could it match (or...

INTRODUCTION My first real quality IEM was the Shure SE420 (many years ago) and as such I’ve always had a bit of a soft-spot for multi-BA based ear-phones. The SE420 led me to Shures SE315,425, 535, and later to multi-BAs like the Alclair Curve, 64 Audio U6 and U10, Earsonics ES series, and the Fearless S8 (just to name a few). I like their speed, their mid-range tonality, and generally their fit / comfort. Because I travel a lot, isolation is also important to me – and the Shures were master of that. Fast forward to present day and Australian...

INTRODUCTION One of the IEM choices I’ve been looking for over the years is an all BA IEM which can maintain balance and tonality, whilst providing high isolation. This has been a difficult search for me, as there are many different ideas on what constitutes balance. As such I’ve tried many multi-BA IEMs which have come close, but not quite met the standards for my personal preferences. I was contacted earlier this year by Head-Fi’s “listen4joy” who sent me his pair and asked if I’d review them. Did they tick my boxes for balance and tonality? Lets...

INTRODUCTION I’m luckier than most because the (part-time) reviewing I do often exposes me to something new which I may not have been aware of. Such has been the case with the IEM I’m reviewing today. I received contact from Earl Chon of AME Custom Earphones in Korea asking if I’d like a listen to their Argent – a 6 driver Inner Ear Monitor featuring a combination of 4 BA drivers and 2 Electret (micro electrostatic) drivers. I’d heard about electrostatic drivers before, but never had the chance to try them, so this was to be an interesting...

INTRODUCTION Brainwavz seem to be on a roll just recently. Their last 3 releases (at least the ones I’ve known about) have been the B400 IEM, HM100 circumaural closed headphones, and now they have a first full sized planar headphone. The Alara is their latest release, and I have had a chance to take it for a test drive over the Xmas break. So what is different about a planar headphone (from a traditional dynamic)? Instead of using a moving voice coil (to pull the diaphragm in and out from one ring within the driver), a planar uses an ultra thin...

INTRODUCTION When I heard about the Brainwanz HM100, the first thing I wanted to know was how closely it related to the HM5. The HM5 was a Yoga OEM clone from the CD-880, which quite a few branded headphone manufacturers used as a base for their own models. This included Fischer Audio’s FA-003, and others from Lindy and Digitech. The Brainwavz HM5 was a real contender for a relatively neutral closed back headphone, and one which in many ways was akin to the lauded Sennheiser HD600 in tonality. When Marlon contacted me to ask if I was interested in...

INTRODUCTION My initial intro to LZ’s range of IEMs was the A4, and it was a truly remarkable triple hybrid IEM with a well though out tuning system. Since then I tried (and purchased for myself after the review) their flagship 7 BA Big Dipper. Recently they have gone back to design another hybrid – this time their new A5. Would it improve some of the A4’s minor issues, and more importantly, could it deliver a higher sonic fidelity and better value despite the higher price? Lets put it through its paces. ABOUT LZ LZ (Lao Zhong) was originally a...

INTRODUCTION Just on three months ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing Brainwavz’s B400 IEM – a quad BA in a 3D printed shell for $190-$275 (depending on your choice of cables and colour). It took me back to the days when Brainwavz were on a high with the B2 – a dual hybrid with incredible sound (an IEM I absolutely loved). The B400 was a different tuning – well extended, nicely balanced signature, but with a polite lower treble. For the price and its technical capability, I had no hesitation in grading it a 5 star IEM. Shortly after its release...

Picture are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION FiiO's roll with affordable hybrid IEMs continues with the third in the F series (following the release of the F9 and F9 Pro) – the new FH1. When I reviewed the F9 and F9 Pro recently, they were variations on a similar theme, with extremely similar overall signatures, and the main changes being both cosmetic, and some slight variation in the upper mid-range and lower treble. While both received an extremely positive reception, there were calls for a similarly...

Picture are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click (photos in tables) to view larger images. INTRODUCTION If I mentioned Campfire Audio, chances are that most Head-Fier's will know who they are, and be able to list 1 or more of their IEMs. And thats quite a feat considering they've only been on the scene or two years. I've been fortunate to be able to audition most of their range by participating in tours organised by Ken Ball and facilitated by our own d marc0, and the range is pretty impressive. Ken has a vision and its slowly being realised...

Pictures in tables are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION When I first joined Head-Fi, I can remember that portable amps were all the rage – whether you needed one or not. And very popular amongst the amp market were CMOYs – which essentially were battery powered portable amps in an Altoids tin or similar. Strangely enough I never got to try one in the last 7 years, although I was always curious. Then earlier in 2017, Head-fier xrk971 from XRKAudio contacted me and asked me if I’d like to take his amp design...

Pictures in tables are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION Its been my week to catch up and finish a couple of reviews on ultra-portable devices, and also to write up one which has arrived very recently. The first couple were the FiiO K1 and i1 – budget offerings from FiiO – entry level pricing and pretty good value for money. The third one is at the other end of the scale, but still similar usage. In terms of price it's 7 times more expensive than the K1 – could the Cozoy Takt Pro prove its worth? And...

Pictures in tables are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION With the advent of the new Apple iPhone 7 and later models, they have slowly but surely been removing the 3.5mm audio socket, and forcibly moving people to use either Blue-tooth, or earphones / headphones which can be used straight from the lightning socket. This of course requires an adaptor or rewiring. FiiO saw this as an opportunity, and this year released the i1 – an Apple certified micro DAC/amp with lightning port. So let’s put this $40 device...

Pictures in tables are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION There has been a plethora of different budget friendly smart-phones, tablets, and ultra-portable laptops which may not have a lot of money invested into the audio portion of the hardware. So what do you do if you're not satisfied with the audio – even though you may love many other factors of your portable device? The solution of course is a USB DAC/amp which you can plug and play to gain an increase in sound quality. And there have been a lot of...

Picture are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION FiiO have been expanding their earphone range recently, and I've been fortunate enough to be part of their journey – testing and reviewing their very early releases, and watching them mature in a very short time period. The difference with FiiO is the speed at which they've advanced, and also the quality of their products (given the very short time they've been in the earphone game). I reviewed their F9 in September, and it was a real game changer. Permanent...

Picture are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click (photos in tables) to view larger images. INTRODUCTION DAPs or Digital Audio Players are pretty hard to review (in my humble opinion anyway). Everyone wants to know about the sound – how is the sound stage, is it bassy, bright, noisy, clean background? Unfortunately I've found the differences in sound between DAPs are often very minute, and more about tonality than anything else. The real differences (to me) are usually in the features, the power and battery life and the ease of use. So if...

Picture are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION Reviewing is often a double edged sword. It can be exciting trying something new, and the advantage of being sent a sample is that if you don't like it – it really doesn't matter. I guess my single mission statement (which is quite often hard to stick to) is “be completely honest”. That can be hard when you're first starting out reviewing, trying to break through with manufacturers, and worried that if you're negative, they may cut you off further samples. The...

Picture are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click (photos in tables) to view larger images. INTRODUCTION I think by now, most people on Head-Fi will know who Campfire Audio is. They've released a range of IEM's which have become incredibly popular in the comparatively short time Campfire has been in the earphone game. I've been pretty lucky to be included in the Australasian tours organised by Ken Ball and our own d marc0, and for the most part have come away thoroughly impressed with the products they have delivered (the Jupiter being the...

Picture are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click (photos in tables) to view larger images. INTRODUCTION I can still remember the headphones and the IEMs that got me into the hobby. The IEMs were the Shure SE420s (later to become the SE425's following some issues with the cable cracking). They were an IEM I still remember fondly, and I even remember the reason for eventually upgrading. They were nicely neutral, but simply didn't have the lower end or upper end extension. Since then I've been on a bit of a quest of discovery, not only about what...

Pictures in tables are default 1200 x 800 resolution - click to view larger images. INTRODUCTION I genuinely like my iPhone. I have the iPhone SE (based on the 6 internals but with the 5's body dimensions). The SE is very linear (tonally flat), has low distortion, and is incredibly easy to use. Mine has 64 Gb of memory (so with aac256 files I have a lot of music on it), can drive most portable earphones well and has good Bluetooth and wireless capability. The biggest thing though – its virtually always with me, so as a music source it gets...