You find a series of previously published photos of the Ikko OH1 HERE. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An earphone with a warm, deep-low end oriented, refined, V-shaped sound with treble adjustable according to personal preference. INTRODUCTION Ikko is an interesting new Chinese audio company and the OH1 is their first earphone. Taken from the Ikko website. You find more information on Ikko Audio’s product page. PHYSICAL THINGS In the box are the earpieces, cable, two sets of eartips (narrow-/wide-bores), and a soft, velvety pouch for storage. One of...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A well-resolving, mostly neutral (but never sterile) sounding earphone with a tepid low end. The Kinboofi MK4 have passed my test. Who may think the name Kinboofi rhymes on goofy will stop laughing soon when the company will be a household name. Kinboofi may not be as big as Knowledge Zenith but they certainly have a product in the MK4 that is arguably superior. In today’s world, where a $200 earphone has become as disposable as a bottle of wine, the beautifully handmade Kinboofi MK4 could be a good candidate for a go-to earphone...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Paiaudio DR2 is a superbly built, warm, bright, V-shaped bass gun with laid back mids and a good timbre. SPECIFICATIONS Housing: resin shell Driver: dynamic driver Sensitivity: 125 dB Impedance: 8 Ω Frequency Response Range: 10-30 kHz Connector: MMCX Plugs: 3.5mm line type Cable Length: 1.2 m Price: $49 (at the time of the review) Product Link: Penon Audio PHYSICAL THINGS In the box are the two earpiece, the cable, 5 sets of rubber tips, and a shirt clip. The earpieces are made of resin and the cavities are completely...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The nicely accessorized, well fitting/isolating Simgot EM2 impresses by its balanced, crisp, transparent, bright, neutralish sound. A more forward (lower) midrange would move it closer to perfection. INTRODUCTION I have seen a few reviews of the Simgot EM2 already, most positive, one negative. I was rather surprised when putting these in my ears as I could not remember anything this crisp and clear in the $100-150 class. These Simgot EM2 belong to yet another new generation of multi-driver earphones that sound sleeker, fresher...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Hill Audio Altair • RA is a superbly built, warm, bright, V-shaped bass gun with laid back mids and a good timbre. You find a series of photos of the Altair • RA on our blog HERE. Note: the star rating depends on opinion. A bass lover will give four stars but a midrange afficionado may award fewer. INTRODUCTION The Malaysian online audio dealer Hill Audio was established in 2016. They mainly sell budget earphones to the domestic market but they also partner with OEM & ODM under their own brand name: the previously...

INTRODUCTION I have to admit that my knowledge of earbuds such as the ISN Audio Rambo has caught thick layers of dust lately. Starting out my portable experience in the mid 2000s, the second generation Apple earbuds were my one-and-only go-tos…until I sadly lost them more than 10 years ago. A pair of low-end Sennheiser earbuds had to do as substitute, but they were soon replaced by in-ears and small, foldable headphones, that did the job for a long time…until affordable Chifi multidrivers appeared some three years ago. In-ears turned out to be...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Sennheiser IE 40 Pro is a warm and cohesive sounding single dynamic driver (DD) monitor earphone that excels by its natural tonal quality. The image is built on a solid but never overpowering low end. INTRODUCTION My first headphone was a Sennheiser: I picked up the HD414 with its bright yellow pads from a flea market in Germany in the late 1970s — and listened to the Clash and Graham Parker & the Rumour, of course on vinyl. Heavenly! And since then, I have acquired another 7 pairs of Sennheiser headphones and as many...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Brainwavz Delta is a well-built, good sounding earphone that thrives on the harmony of its average properties and its outstanding timbre. And it constitutes very good value. INTRODUCTION The single dynamic driver (DD) is a dying breed in the new age of balanced-armature (BA) driver earphones. Once expensive, manufacturers now stuff new generations of cheaply produced BAs into large, flashy shells and compete on the number of drivers as their marketing gimmick and price reference. These large shells leave enough space for...

SPECIFICATIONS Product Name: Original NICEHCK N3 In Ear EarphoneBrand: NICEHCKModel: N3Earphone Type: In-ear Impedance: 55 Ω Earphone Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW Frequency Range: 20-22000Hz Plug Type: 3.5mm L-shaped Cable Length: 1.2m±3cm Color: Gray Earphone interface: MMCX connector Remote: No Driver Unit: 10mm Dual Carbon Nanotube Dynamic Driver+Piezoelectric CeramicsDriver Hybrid 3 Units (3 driver units each side) Price: ~$60 Purchase link aliexpress: Here Purchase link amazon: Here INTRODUCTION The NiceHCK N3 is a beautiful earphone with...

For the complete picture, you find this review plus a complimentary second one on "Audio Reviews". INTRODUCTION A bit over a year ago, I read an article on the latest balanced armature earphones from Brainwavz and ordered the now discontinued B100. It had been lauded by headflux.de for its tuning details: for its good cohesion, slight warmth, relaxed sound, and particularly for his lack of a grossly exaggerated bass (rather rare in this price segment at the time). Apart from that, it is small and comfortable. I ordered them and found all to be...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A neutral sounding earphone with a dry and realistic low end and superb clarity, depth, and resolution appealing to “audiophiles” and purists. While it can be hard on my ears at higher volumes it is the technically best Chifi earphone (out of approximately 20) I have reviewed so far [...which is not a big selection]. INTRODUCTION When I was asked to review this earphone, I quite frankly had little interest, expecting a treble screamer overloaded with...

Executive Summary The NiceHCK P3 is a 2 BA/1 DD hybrid that produces a pleasant sound image but fails to impress in the details. You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Disclaimer The P3 was dropped off on my doorstep in the aftermath of the Canada Post strike. Ordering it at a strongly discounted rate had failed for technical reasons. Thanks Jim NiceHCK. Following the review, the unit was donated. You find the repetitive standard information here: Introduction The P3 is yet another ODM hybrid earphone...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary The EP10 is a comfortable, slightly bassy single dynamic driver (DD) with a surprisingly natural timbre, a clean but recessed midrange, and a smooth treble. Disclaimer I was asked by Jim NiceHCK to review this earphone and purchased it for $0.1. It is my goal to give you a concise, thorough, and accurate account of the earphone – and how it fits the big picture. Following the review, the unit was donated. Packaging and cable shape are of limited...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary The NiceHCK M6 is a warm-sounding, somewhat low-end-heavy earphone with a V-shaped signature that nevertheless excels by its excellent midrange (voice reproduction, natural timbre), soundstage, resolution, and layering. It is quite a step above the $40–50 earphone fare I have reviewed recently. Disclaimer I was asked by Jim NiceHCK to review this earphone and purchased it for $1. I thank Jim for our ongoing discussion, patiently accepting my criticisms and...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary The Hill Audio S8 2BA + 1DD hybrid earphones offer a slightly warm and spacious sound with good bass extension and no treble quirks. They excel by their quality midrange and superb resolution, separation, and layering. A selection of included filters as well as their tip sensitivity offers tuning options that make them palatable to a broad audience from bassheads to fans of classical music and jazz alike. Disclaimer I was made aware of the S8 by the...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary The Rode SC3 is essentially the only easy-to-get adaptor that creates compatibility between a TRRS device (e.g. Dayton imm-6 calibrated microphone) and a connected TRS device (e.g. Trond USB audio). Disclaimer I purchased the Rode SC3 from amazon.ca for $19.99 CAD plus tax [it was $15 USD on amazon.com at the time] as I had no other option. Because they wanted another $4.99 CAD for shipping, I intermittently joined amazon prime for a free test drive to save...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary The Lker i8 is a warm-sounding, mid-centric earphone with a healthy bottom end and a sweet top end. It has no sonic quirks and is an inoffensive crowd pleaser. Disclaimer I had purchased this earphone from aliexpress at $48.37 CAD in December 2017 and finally decided to review it because it deserved a Head-Fi review. Introduction The Lker i8 is a dual-dynamic driver similar to the Tinaudio T2. But whereas the T2 became a Head-Fiers’ favourite, the...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary The EZAUDIO D4 is a single dynamic driver earphone that excels by its well-dosed bass, clean treble, and its excellent sense of space. Disclaimer The EZAUDIO D4 were forced upon me by Jim NiceHCK in exchange of my free labour. Honestly, I had no desire to review them and once again failed to negotiate a financial incentive. And I was even charged 10 cents for them. But in the end I am glad I did the review as I really like them. This earphone is presently...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary The NiceHCK EB2 earbuds offer a slightly warm sound signature with excellent clarity, wide & tall but not so deep soundstage, very good resolution & detail and a focused but somewhat light bass with little sub-bass (owing to the physical limitations of an earbud in exchange for convenience: easy fit & comfort), a slightly recessed but realistic sounding midrange and well-extended treble. It provides a relaxed listening at low to medium volumes but the sound can...

You also find this review and much more on my blog audioreviews.org Executive Summary A relatively neutral sounding dynamic driver (DD) earphone with a lean and airy presentation and a good bass extension, of great build with a detachable quality MMCX cable and with the best case around included…and hit-and-miss ergonomics. Disclaimer Jim NiceHCK speculated I would love he EP35 and I agreed to take him on via this review. The main reason I did this is because the iem’s elegant looks were appealing to me and because of the generally positive...