I took my sweetest time on this, but here I finally am with my first article about E1DA dongles. This one is about the two models called 9038SG3 and 9038D. A subsequent article will cover PowerDAC V2.1. 9038SG3 is E1DA’s latest iteration of the 9038S model, which over time went through 3 generations – this being G3 in facts. The 9038S project, like PowerDAC, have always been designed around a balance-ended-only option. In conjunction with this third iteration of the 9038S project, howeverer, following quite a substantial flow of user requests E1DA...

I borrowed an IT04 some time ago, and I spent quite some audition time on it – “time flies when you’re having fun” after all doesn’t it. This model has been released almost 4 years ago if I am not mistaken but it still holds the test of time as a very good mid-tier IEM pair, with some added uniqueness for extra measure. Test setup Sources: Apogee Groove + Burson FUN + IEMatch / Apogee Groove + iBasso T3 / Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman / Questyle QP1R – Acoustune ET07 tips – Stock iBasso CB12s cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks. Signature analysis...

Ikko OH1S are by the same makers of OH10 – one of the just two $200-IEMs stuck onto our Wall of Excellence, and my personal absolute preferred V-shaped IEM south of 3 times its price. This OH1S model is presented as an evolution of its previous siblings in terms of technology, and carrying a quite different intended tuning compared to OH10. Formally positioned at $199,00 list price, same as OH10, it benefits of an introductory price of $139,00 (more on this later) which makes it very appealing for a quick grab. And you can bet it’s currently being...

I’ve been adopting and enjoying final Sonorus-II and Sonorous-III as my preferred closedback mid-tier (€300-ish) headphones for a while now, but other stuff kept me from dedicating enough time to report my views on a article. Now that these babies have been stuck on our Wall of Excellence though… well, it’s time to act. Test setup Sources: Apogee Groove + Burson FUN + IEMatch / Apogee Groove / Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman / Questyle QP1R – Type-D pads on Sonorous-II, Type-E pads on Sonorous-III – Stock OFC cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks...

A sort of mythological entity guards the entrance of the over-kilobuck IEM market segment since 2016, and that’s Campfire’s ultrafamous Andromeda. For how odd it may sound I never got to audition those… In conjunction with the release of the new product revision, however, the gap has been filled and I’ve been provided a sample of the new product iteration named Andromeda 2020 (retailing at $1099). I’ve been auditioning them for quite a while now and to be frank I would need extra time to deliver an even more matured opinion. The reason is simple in...

I’ve been loaned a privately owned iBasso IT07 sample and here’s my experience with that, reported following my usual review format. IT07 is iBasso’s flagship featuring 1 DD + 6 BA, costs a pretty penny – $899,00 – and was released some 3 years after IT04 (1 DD+3 BA), which I also will publish a review for in the next days. I did not get the entire package so I couldn’t properly assess some secondary elements like the black and gold nozzles or the stock tips, but I reckon what I got is more than enough to form a solidly educated opinion on what we...

Irecently had the opportunity to audition one pair of Tansio Mirai TSMR-6 IEMs, which – I anticipate – I did like quite a lot from the technical standpoint, although their presentation is not my cup of tea as they say. We are talking about quite interesting IEMs, priced just above $500 and featuring a 3 DIP-switch mechanism allowing the user to fine-tune the presentation – up to a certain extent of course: SW-1 enchances midbass, SW-2 enhances mids and vocals, SW-3 apply a (further) boost to trebles. In the end I found myself preferring all 3...

I recently had an opportunity to audition a pair of privately-owned Oriveti OH500 IEM – 1 dynamic and 4 balanced armature drivers – for a week and here’s my personal experience with them. Full Device Card Test setup Sources: Apogee Groove + Liquid Spark + iEMatch / Questyle QP1R / Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman – Acoustune ET07 eartips – Linsoul LSC08 6N OCC single crystal copper cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks. Signature analysis Tonality When accurately paired Oriveti OH500 have a nicely calibrated warm, rich timbre. Their tonality is...

Ikko OH1S are the newest release by the same makers of OH10 – one of the just two $200-IEMs stuck onto Audioreview’s Wall of Excellence, and my personal absolute preferred V-shaped IEM south of 3 times its price. This new OH1S model is presented as an evolution of its previous siblings in terms of technology, and carrying a quite different intended tuning compared to OH10. Formally positioned at $199,00 list price, same as OH10, it benefits of an introductory price of $139,00 (more on this later) which makes it very appealing for a quick grab. And...

Today we talk about Tanchjim Darling, Tanchjim’s recently released flagship model which I auditioned with a lot of curiousity considering my appreciation for their direct predecessors Oxygen. Tested at $420. Test setup Sources: Apogee Groove + Liquid Spark / Questyle QP1R / Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman – Stock T-APB wide bore tips – Stock cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC tracks. Signature analysis Tonality Tanchjim Darling have a natural acoustic timbre. Tonality is bright-neutral, with successful care applied to avoid scanting into cold...

Micro iDSD Signature is the latest evolution of the iDSD series. Its predecessor Micro iDSD Black Label is widely regarded as a great device which contributed to building out on the expectaction regarding its evolution. I did take my sweet time on this one as I’m particularly sensible to the topic. If one thing I learnt of this hobby is that source quality comes ages before drivers quality. I won’t anticipate the conclusions but in a nutshell Micro iDSD Signature is a remarkable player, sporting some great and even some unique features. Physical...

I’m not the finest and most through connaisseur of the sub-$50 IEM bracket so I cant really offer a final word – and probably not even a semi-final one – about how BL05S fare towards their most direct competition. Limited to my direct experiences I must say I’ve been impressed: these things sounds very well, truth be told. They’re not perfect – their main technical flaw is the missing sub-bass rumble – and probably not “mesmerising” either, yet a special word is definitely deserved by their technical capabilities at space and imaging rendering which...

These drivers have been anticipated by an even denser than usual storm of hype-y marketing content. All sorts of information have been released before and together with the product, and the first “reviewers” spent nothing short of bold words about these. Alleged magnificent features apart, a major disclaimer is one way or the other present on all articles : “BE-LIEVE require huge amping”. Of course I checked on that. Long story short: BE-LIEVE do require an uncommon source in a sense, but this is not about power figures as (milli)Watts written on...

Here’s my consolidated experience with the first of the two most recently released final IEMs – A3000 and A4000 As always, final puts a significant research effort in its product in the first place. A3000 has been developed as an evolution of their A series, which started last year with flagship model A8000. Always last year, the B range was also introduced. Both these IEM lines are different stems off a single base-concept: instead of trying to develop a mythical (read inexistant) “perfect all rounder” earphone, final considered how different types...

Important preliminary note: Lark is a product in a sense “born twice”. Its initial release has been stopped after the first users reported a treble section output not in line with what originally wanted by the designers. KBEAR stopped distribution, fixed whatever needed to, and restarted it. This sample I’m reporting about on this article belongs to such second wave. Very simply put, with Lark KBEAR has marketed an improved version to their KB04, while keeping the same extremely modest price point. Sharing the same macro-architecture (1DD+1BA)...

The form factor is approximately that of a Chord Mojo, the weight is nicely like half as much, the battery is easily better – honestly difficult to make worse then Mojo on that… – and there’s quite some additional perimetral features too, all for less than half of Mojo’s price. How will this compare sound-quality wise? With this question I approached an ifi nano iDSD BL USB DAC-AMP, and this article is about how it went for me. Input nano iDSD BL is a USB DAC-AMP, and more precisely USB is its sole input. No SPDIF digital input option, nor...

It’s a crazily crowded market down there below the $50 mark and TRN VX compete in that segment. It does it with quite some authority, too: VX is not bad at all. Actually, its sole real tuning “flaw” is that excessive peak at 8 Khz which I doubt can be considered nice even by die-hard trebleheads (although you never know…). Anyhow… it can be quite effectively tamed down with some simple EQing, thus making the entire presentation more pleasant – at least on my score. It’s worth noting that some users found that applying some micropore tape on the...

I've had the opportunity to audition a privately owned pair for a few days to build my own impression upon. I tested them with my usual local-stored 16 / 24 bit – 44.1 / 96 / 192K music collection. Sources: Lotoo PAW 5000 Questyle QP1R Laptop -> ifi nano iUSB3.0 (w/ iPower PS) -> Uptone USPCB -> Chord Mojo Laptop -> ifi nano iUSB3.0 (w/ iPower PS) -> Uptone USPCB -> Apogee Groove -> iBasso T3 Key specs, and structural feedback Single BA 2 pin .78mm connectors Very low impedance: 6 Ohm High sensitivity: 118dB Extremely well designed and sized...

As many following my notes know already, I don’t believe in “all rounders” and P1 is definitely not going to change my mind. It excels – and phenomenally so – in delivering a supremely refined and relaxed acoustic experience. Every segment of the spectrum is rendered in an expertly micro-calibrated way: nothing is lush, nothing is too thin, rythm sections are rendered almost “gently”, although each single beat – bass and highs alike – is there and at the right time and evidence for me to feel it. Solo or small group classical music – especially...

In my direct experience BA8 is possibly the most capricious IEM I ever auditioned when it comes to source pairing. When it does not “like” the source, it reacts very badly. I discovered this the hard way: first source I plugged it onto has been my Questyle QP1R. Even before hitting “play”, I was struck by a very significant hiss, of a quite loud consistency, independent from the device volume setting. “Bad start”, I thought, “but let’s go on” and I hit play commencing my audition of my usual test tracks first. After no more than 10 minutes I was...