Earnine EN210 Review: Same Company, Different Sound Earnine is a fledgling company with a very complicated company history. Originally they were a brand started by TSST ( Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology). However TSST went bankrupt, and the end seemed nigh for them. Thankfully, some of the employees of Earnine managed to revive the brand and continue developing their fully-original balanced-armature designs. I’ve previously reviewed the EN120 (which I absolutely loved), so I came into the EN210’s review with high expectations. But does it live up...

Kinera Earbud Review: An Impressive First Run You know what impresses me about Kinera? Not that they make great products, but that they can consistently do so in areas where they had previously no experience. They first caught my attention with the $ 100, “premium tier”, Kinera H3 — a triple-driver IEM that quickly made its way up to my favorite IEM for that price. Now they’ve done it again with the Earbud, a simple, yet effective, exercise in the earbud market space. The Earbud has a MRSP of $23 USD. Check out their Facebook page for more...

Auglamour RT-1 Review: Unapologetically Different Ever since I saw the Auglamour R8, the company’s first mainstream IEM, I was captivated by their design language. A seamless blend of organic curves and hard edges made me wonder why I’d never heard of them before. The R8 kept it simple with a metal shell and a single dynamic driver. This formula worked well and I really enjoyed the R8. However, Auglamour wasn’t satisfied with just that. They’ve aspired to larger and greater things and have now come to us with the RT-1, an IEM with a radical design...

Meze 99 Series 7N OCC Silver Plated Cable Review: Completing the Circle Meze has made waves in the audiophile community by releasing reasonably priced, durable, high-performance products. In particular, the 99 Classics and the 99 Neo are loved by the community. However many have been lamenting the availability of premium cables to pair with their fancy new headphones. So, Meze delivered. With me today I have Meze’s new silver cable for the 99 Series headphones. You can find the cable for sale here, on Meze’s official website, for $200. Be aware...

Audio Genetic AG2 Review: Subtlety is Key Audio Genetic started out as an aftermarket cable maker centered out of Hong Kong. They specialize in making cables out of precious metals, arranged in rather complex geometries. They’ve recently branched out from the cable market and have taken the plunge into the chaotic marketplace of IEMs. Debuting Audio Genetic’s IEM lineup is a dual balanced-armature earphone, the AG2. Featuring detachable 2-pin cables, a smokey black shell, and advanced ergonomics, it has the potential to compete well. But does it...

Plussound Bluetooth Cable Review: Perfect Paradox It’s not often I have the privilege of reviewing such a unique product. There’s something endearing about Plussound’s earnest attempts to blaze the trails of custom Bluetooth cables. It’s not easy, as there are a lot more parameters to deal with than when making standard analog cables, and there are a multitude of technical hurdles to overcome when designing it. However that hasn’t stopped them from creating a product that could very well have a place inside your collection. You can find Plussound’s...

EARNiNE EN120 Review: Wait, How Much Detail? EARNiNE (or just Earnine, which is how I’m going to write it from now on) has a very complicated company history. Originally they were a brand started by TSST ( Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology). However TSST went bankrupt, and the end seemed nigh for the fledgling brand. Thankfully, some of the employees of Earnine managed to revive the brand and continue developing their fully-original balanced-armature designs. Now they’ve brought us the EN120, a single BA earphone. But in a market full of...

Optoma NuForce HEM6 Review: Genie in a Bottle NuForce has been on my radar for quite a while now; their HEM series has had generally good reception from the audiophile community as well as the general consuming public. Multi-BA IEMs are the brand’s forte, and today I’ll be reviewing the HEM6, a triple-driver, three-way crossover IEM from the upper end of their lineup. You can find the HEM6 for sale on Amazon for $350 here. Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me free of charge for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Optoma beyond this...

Optoma NuForce BE6i Review: Hi-Fi Gone Bluetooth? The BE6i is a part of NuForce’s Bluetooth lineup. This particular model is an attempt to cash in on the freedom of wireless audio while maintaining Hi-Fi tuning and resolution. While Bluetooth’s low bandwidth is definitely a limiting factor here for sound quality, is it really all that noticeable? And does the experience you get from it justify the price? You can find the BE6i for sale here, on Amazon, for $80. As of the time of writing, there is also a $10 coupon available for Amazon. Disclaimer...

BS1 Experience Version Review: A Value Earbud The BS1 Experience version is an earbud developed and branded by Penon Audio. Featuring a silver cable, a 15.4mm dynamic driver, and a relatively low price-point, the BS1 has the foundation to become a high-value earbud. But does it pull it off? You can find the BS1 for sale on Penon Audio here, for $39. Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me free of charge for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Penon Audio beyond this review. These words reflect my true, unaltered, opinion about the product...

Macaw GT600s Review: A Tentative Upgrade Macaw is an interesting OEM. They came out swinging with their debut IEM, and subsequently their flagship, the GT100s, a single dynamic driver IEM made from brushed stainless steel that was really difficult to drive correctly. That was early 2015. It’s been two years since then, and they’ve finally released a successor, the GT600s. No, it’s not another dynamic thoroughbred. This time Macaw (somewhat predictably) opted to go for a dual-driver hybrid setup. But does the addition of an extra driver do the GT600s...

TFZ Series 4 Review: Another Stellar Addition to TFZ’s lineup I’ve heard quite a few TFZ IEMs, but had the luxury of reviewing none thus-far. While their first-generation lineup didn’t wow me, their continued innovation and increase in quality has left me quite impressed. The TFZ Series 4 follows hot on the heels of the Exclusive 3 and Exclusive 5, but is actually currently more expensive. The nomenclature confuses me, but the sound sure doesn’t. Even at it’s $99 price-point it puts up one hell of a fight against other giants in it’s price bracket...

Kinera H3 Review: A Triple-Threat Underdog If you had told me two months ago that I would be seriously considering a Kinera IEM for my daily-driver I would have laughed in your face. After all, don’t they only make super-cheap budget IEMs? Well, not anymore. With their brand-new triple-driver hybrid IEM, the H3, featuring two balanced-armature drivers and a single dynamic driver in a three-way cross-over, Kinera has broken into the higher-tier market of portable audio. But is is special enough to be worth your attention? You can find the H3 for...

Toyeteam UFO Review: Well, at Least It’s Made of Metal Toyeteam is a very new OEM in the Chi-Fi scene. Their initial lineup consists of two single-dynamic driver IEMs, both of which sport a polished metal finish and robust cables. This review, however, will be focusing on the UFO, their $35 budget offering. But is an IEM at $35 any better than mainstream earbuds at that price? You can find the UFO here, on Penon Audio, for $35. Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me free of charge for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Toyeteam beyond...

Thinksound TS03 + Mic Review: Warm and Detailed; a Prime Example of How To Do Dynamic Right The TS03 marks the fifth Thinksound product to cross my doorway. I’ve been using their IEMs on and off for two years now; something keeps bringing me back. I don’t know if it’s the simplicity of the design or the comfortable sound signature Thinksound is known for, but either way it makes for a great experience. The TS03 follows that trend, but does that make it worth buying? You can find the TS03 + Mic here, on Thinksound’s official website, for $120...

Magaosi K3 HD Review: In Pursuit of the Perfect V The K3 HD is Magaosi’s third entry into high-end audio, coming in after its older siblings the Magaosi K3 and K3 Pro. It features the same high-quality build and tuning filter system as the K3 Pro but makes use of a dual-hybrid driver setup. Is this formula enough to make the K3 HD as much of a hit as its predecessors? Spoiler alert, yes. It is. You can find the K3 HD for sale here on Penon Audio for $120. Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me free of charge for review purposes. I am not...

Aedle ODS-1 Review: Luxury Brand Meets Audiophile Standards Aedle is a French mobile-audio company whose focus is high-performance luxury IEMs and headphones. They’ve really taken me by surprise, as I’ve seen an exceptional level of professionalism from them up until this point, more so than I’ve seen from many other companies that are well established. Even their products are like a breath of fresh air —their unique styling combined with their fully custom-tuned sound makes it hard to ignore them. The ODS-1, the hybrid IEM that I am reviewing today...

Meze 99 Neo: Budget and Performance: the Fine Line Meze, though a relatively young company, is well known in the audiophile world. With a solid IEM range and the famous 99 Classics under its belt, to audiophiles, Meze is a household name. After a brief break in releases, they are back to impress us again with the new 99 Neo, a more wallet-friendly version of the 99 Classics. Did they pull off threading the needle between cost cutting and maintaining performance? You can find the 99 Neo on pre-order here, on Meze’s official website, for $250...

Rose Mini2 Review: So Small You Might Loose It Rose is one of my favorite IEM makers. This small Chinese company has continually released IEMs that I found comfortable, stylish, and fun to listen to. This is their first attempt at a truly tiny IEM. However, is the Mini2 worth your time and consideration? You can find the Rose Mini2 for sale here, on Penon Audio, for $99 (fixed cable version) or $110 (MMCX version). Disclaimer: This unit was purchased by me with my hard-earned cash. I am not affiliated with Rose or Penon Audio beyond this review...

Magaosi K3 Pro Review: Triple Threat Magaosi is another Chinese IEM maker to burst onto the Chi-Fi scene. While its IEM portfolio is shallow, it is not without quality. Their new triple-driver IEM has been making waves in the audiophile community, and in some instances, has become a sub-community favorite. However, is the K3 Pro deserving of the praise or is this simply another instance of a hype-train going off the rails? Find the Magaosi K3 Pro for sale here on Penon Audio for $135. Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me free of charge for...