Introduction – Cozoy are quite the romantics, fusing sharp, daring styling with analogue tuning. They’ve always been a bit unorthodox with their designs, preferring tonality over specification and technicality. However, their recent products represents a shift towards the later while retaining the magic of models past. Cozoy’s new Takt Pro succeeds the Takt as Cozoy’s flagship ultra-compact DAC. It also best exemplifies this shift towards specification, implementing the renowned Saber ESS9018Q2C DAC chip combined with some intriguing tuning on...

Introduction – Though perhaps no longer popular opinion, Noble’s original K10 redefined the flagship for the vast majority of audio enthusiasts. Noble’s flagship wasn’t the first to sport a two-digit driver count, but its 10-driver setup and $1599 asking price were still very much oddities at the time of release, and it was the first to achieve mass recognition. Since then, Noble have released the Kaiser Encore, a retuned successor with a reworked design. However, though a pioneer of the current market trend with concurrent price and performance...

Introduction – 1More are perhaps most renowned for their triple hybrid driver in-ear, a model that offered stunning value with its chiselled metal build and warm, inviting sound. However, their popularity stems from numerous factors besides sound quality and build; 1More are also an immensely progressive company with a plethora of designs tailored towards varied use case scenarios from critical listening to travel to gaming. Their new Dual Driver ANC earphone exemplifies this as an in-ear that best suits portable use with a smart device. And, with a...

Introduction – Meze witnessed a rapid rise to fame with the release of their original 99 Classics; an over-ear headphone that won over no shortage of fans and critics with its sculpted wooden design, natural sound and outstanding ergonomics. But another, less coveted aspect of Meze’s headphone is their modular design that enables users to replace parts in the event of damage. However, modularity brings numerous other benefits and Meze’s new silver plated cable represents their first upgrade component. It’s certainly interesting to see such a product...

Introduction – Advanced Sound are a relative newcomer in the audio scene but one who have surprising presence and range given their age. Their products are wildly varied yet all that I’ve had experience with have been pleasantly surprising; well integrating smart features and well-executing innovations that we’ve seen pioneered elsewhere but fully realised here. To clarify this statement, the most outstanding aspect of Adv is their pricing, almost all of their models lying under $100 USD. So far, I’ve tested a few ANC in-ears around this price...

Introduction – Though undoubtedly a controversial sentiment, the earbud form factor has always been a kind of work-in-progress, as manufacturers struggle to balance a poor seal with adequate bass response and the physical dampening of foam covers with clarity and treble extension. It’s not a new market, but one that has been recently invigorated with huge customer interest and newcomers popping up at a lightning pace. Yet somehow, few are able to harness the strengths of the form factor whilst simultaneously balancing its complications. If anyone...

Introduction – Fiio have grown from a small manufacturer to an industry juggernaut in the span of just a few years due to their competitive pricing, eye-catching designs and consistent performance. Their myriad source devices played an integral role in their popularisation but with competition filling the market to saturation, it is clear that other innovations represent the next evolution of Fiio. The F9 was that essential Fiio in-ear for the vast majority, an earphone that thrived on clarity and detail presence. However, that earphone also had...

Introduction – New York City-based Master and Dynamic first emerged in 2014, making a big entrance into a market already crowded with portable headphones. Despite this, the company rapidly caught ground though their classic luxury designs and unique yet distinguished tuning. The company have since expanded their product line to include wireless and in-ear models, but the MH40 easily remains one of their most popular designs as the headphone that first popularized the company. And much of the MH40’s appeal stems from its fully-featured design that...

Introduction – Penon Audio are known as a wonderful portal for the wider world to access Chifi goodies of the East. However, they have since launched their own independent store with its own line of value-orientated products. At present, Penon only offer their BS1 earbud and the OS849 cable being reviewed today, though they have had plenty of prior experience as with cables as an OEM. That said, the OS849 is their highest end design to date and one that is impressively constructed considering Penon’s asking price. The cable comprises of 8 cores...

Introduction – Campfire have very quickly achieved mass popularity on account of their exceptional flagship earphones and unique designs realised through flawless manufacturing; something that extends even to their most affordable Orion. And like so many others, I hold their Andromeda and Vega in high regard, both are incredibly well-executed flagship earphones with distinct tonalities. However, Campfire’s midrange models aren’t quite so discussed and it brings me greater joy as a reviewer to evaluate these less coveted offerings that get...

Introduction – The $100 iem market is saturated with offerings, all carrying different flavours of sounds within varying form factors. However, a few models stand above the rest, either through exceptional technical ability enabling responsive eQ or tonal refinement, the latter being notably lacking. And among them, the EN700 Bass was one of my favourites. It was an impeccably built and natural sounding earphone that demonstrated maturity well beyond its asking price. However, like anything, that model wasn’t faultless with notable issues such as a...

Introduction – My first experience with Phiaton was with their noise cancelling in-ears way back in 2012. While they weren’t the greatest audiophile masterpiece I had heard, the earphones were ergonomically designed and well featured, I was pleased with their value and construction considering Phiaton’s asking price. So when Phiaton contacted the site, I was more than happy to review their new Bluetooth enabled headphones, the BT460. From a glance, Phiaton’s newest creation is a compact, nicely designed headphone that is feature rich and well...

Introduction – Shozy are a beloved Chinese audio manufacturer with a reputation for daring and experimental designs. A constant endeavour to reconnect with the mentality of retro audio through the lens of modern technology acts as the driving force behind the company. As such, Shozy have produced some truly innovative products such as the Alien DAPs that boasted delightful musical tones but also a questionable screen-less user interface. However, the company is quickly reaching maturity, bringing the same charming sound within increasingly...

Introduction – Though best known for their sources, Fiio have augmented their new devices with a line of accompanying in-ear earphones that each offer sensational value at several conservative price points. I’ve personally reviewed them all, from the humble F1 to the excellent EX1 and F5. And, through aggressive pricing and partnership with audio guru Dunu, none have failed to impress with excellent price/performance ratios combined with build quality that belies their meagre asking price. The F9 is the latest extension of Fiio’s F-series in-ears...

Introduction – While many listeners choose their ear tips purely based on ergonomics, they can actually have a direct impact on the overall sound of a particular earphone. And depending on the model, these sonic changes can vary from minute to immediately noticeable through a combination of material, bore size and level of seal. Silicone tips are most popular as the standard tips that come with most earphones while foam tips are a little less orthodox but more common with higher-end monitors. The general rule of thumb is that silicones are...

Introduction – Fiio have transcended a lot of other Chinese manufacturers not only through their wide range of products but also through their consistent performance. And while products like the X7 II may not epitomize frugality, a sense of value underpins every product. The original Q1 was my first dedicated source and one that marked an entry point into the hobby for many listeners. However, even considering its meagre price, it was not a device without its flaws and perhaps not one that is best suited towards modern uses. With the very...

Introduction – Meeaudio have received no shortage of acclaim, achieved mainly through their very affordable sports orientated in-ears and their flagship Pinnacle P1 that really shocked reviewers. The P1 was an ace example of a budget flagship done properly with gorgeous metal housings, class-leading ergonomics and a clear yet refined sound. However, even that model came with some caveats; namely, their heavy shells weren’t perfectly stable during activity and their high-impedance and brighter tuning really mitigated portable use. Moreover, their...

Introduction – Rose is perhaps most renowned for the Mojito, their flagship earbud that sat atop many multi-earbud comparisons and remains one of the most talked about models in the hobby. However, as we’ve seen from their Mini 2 in-ear, there is more to the company than premium products, they actually make some fantastic budget offerings too. The Masya exemplifies this as a $100 earbud that retains much of the same quality offered by Rose’s higher priced models. It instantly draws numerous parallels to their flagship Mojito with the same delicious...

Introduction – I’ve always had a somewhat bittersweet relationship with Final Audio’s earphones. I love their unique and quirky designs like the Piano Forte in addition to their more conventional models like the FI-BA-SS. Furthermore, their tuning methodology is totally unique. Many companies levy that their earphones sound “unlike anything else”, but for Final Audio that was always genuinely true; they are a company that is unafraid to take daring moves in both tuning and form factor. However, this challenging ethos was always juxtaposed by very...

Introduction – Newcomer Ourart seemingly came out of nowhere; while audio enthusiasts are frequently bombarded with promotional material on social media, Ourart’s unique designs really drew some positive attention. Their new Ti7 earbud turned heads with its original metal design, 8-core cable and accessible $59 USD asking price. In addition, Ourart promise high fidelity audio through the earbud’s 14.2mm titanium drivers and the Ti7’s removable cable will drastically extend their lifetime when compared to fixed models. Let’s see how Ourart’s sharp...