Preamble:
Advanced AcousticWerkes, in short known as AAW, is a Singapore based audio product manufacturer best known for custom-moulded in-ear monitors (CIEMs). Not long ago, they have introduced a line of universal fit in-ears that are not universal models of their CIEMs, but an independent product line.
Some of those models belong to a product line called “Nebula” that currently consists of two in-ears that are using proprietary drivers developed especially for these two in-ears. One of them, the Nebula One, features one 10 mm titanium-coated dynamic driver per side, whereas the other, the Nebula 2, is a hybrid in-ear that is equipped with a Balanced Armature driver for the midrange/treble reproduction in addition to the 10 mm dynamic driver.
This review will primarily focus on the Nebula One (https://www.aaw.me/collections/universal-in-ear/products/advanced-acousticwerkes-nebula-one-universal-in-ear-monitor).
Before I go on, I want to take the time to personally thank Advanced AcousticWerkes for sending me a sample of the Nebula One in-ears free of charge for the purpose of an honest, unbiased test and review.
Technical Specifications:
Price: ~ US$99
Drivers: one proprietary 10 mm titanium-coated driver per side
Frequency Range: 10Hz-230000Hz
Sensitivity: 100 dB SPL @ 1 mW
Input Power: 3 mW
Cable Length: 1.2 m
Android/Apple dual mode inline remote control
Delivery Content:
Not the full retail package but just a plastic bag arrived in the review package I got that however included all of the original accessories which are: a nice carrying case, four pairs of black silicone tips (1x S, 2x M, 1x L), three pairs of black silicone tips with white stem, an airplane adapter, a 6.3 to 3.5 mm adapter and of course the in-ears.
Looks, Feels, Build Quality:
The in-ears are made of silver metal on the outside and semi-transparent plastic on the inside. I really like the design with the engraved “AAW” logo on the outside and the mesh that can be seen through the venting cut-outs on the faceplate.
The in-ears are puck-shaped and feature non-removable cables with memory wire. Speaking of the cable: it is the same as the one that is used for the inexpensive Knowledge Zenith in-ears, however I’ve mentioned it at least once or twice that this cable is better than what is used for many in-ears in the $200 range, so AAW has done everything right with it although it is a bit rubbery (and so is the Knowledge Zenith cable, too).
Strain relief is good at the angled 3.5 mm connector but sparsely implemented on the other transitions. Fortunately though the cable has got a chin-slider and even a three-button remote control with a built-in microphone, and is semi-transparent what I think looks really nice.
Besides the rather lacking strain relief on some transitions, the in-ears’ build quality is really good.
Comfort, Isolation:
Although I have got large ears, I was afraid that the fit might be problematic for me as this in-ear body shape along with the nozzle angle and length has proven to cause fit and seal issues in my ears with other in-ears that have got a comparable shape, which happens very rarely though. I am extremely happy that I can now report that the AAW Nebula in-ears fit me very well, also seal well and are super comfortable.
The cables are worn around the ears and secured by memory wire. I know some people don’t like this but I think that the memory wire works very well with these in-ears. The cables lack microphonics even when the chin-slider is not used, which is a good thing.
Isolation is weak – really weak actually. Probably as weak as with the DUNU Titan 1.
Sound:
My main sources for listening were the iBasso DX80, HiFime 9018d and Cowon Plenue M2.
For listening, I used the largest included black silicone tips.
Tonality:
The Nebula One (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “N1”), just as the Nebula 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “N2”), has got an inner-facing vent that is almost impossible not to be almost completely blocked by your ear due to the shape of the in-ears. Just like about all front vents, it affects the bass quantity, and unless you have some weird ear anatomy that makes it sit freely and
uncovered, the Nebula One might be a quite bassy not to say rather bass-heavy in-ear (the last bit of quantity will still depend a little on your individual ear anatomy and on how much the vent is really covered – in my case, it is almost entirely covered which I think is also the intention so that it leads to a strong bass presence).
The N1 has got a quite strong upper bass that is almost always present and might sometimes appear like a sledge hammer. While this probably sounds negative and/or judgemental to you, it really isn’t meant in that way – I am like a chameleon and can adopt to almost any sound signature and like it as long it isn’t too coloured in the midrange, while I mainly prefer a balanced and even diffuse-field neutral sound especially at home.
The upper bass is definitely strong, nonetheless it doesn’t bleed into the mids by too much considering the quantity, and doesn’t make the sound too warm or soft although it is more on the fuller and warm but definitely not mellow side. With bass-heavier tracks though, it can overshadow the midrange somewhat but vocals never drown or feel congested.
Around 650 Hz, the bass starts climbing and is already quite powerful in the upper bass. In the midbass, it gains even a little more quantity but not much. It has also got good sub-bass presence and drops only slightly below 30 Hz. Quantity is around 12 dB north of a diffuse-field-neutral in-ear.
Between 650 Hz and 2 kHz, the level is quite flat to my ears, and loses slight quantity between 2 and 3 kHz. Around 5 kHz is an ever so slight and broad-banded lift with the treble remaining flat and without any emphasis from there on. The highs start rolling off above 13.5 kHz.
The Nebula One is therefore a bassy in-ear with a warm-ish but not mellow bottom end and no sibilance in the highs. For my preference, there could be less upper bass in relation to the midbass and sub-bass, but especially on the go this is not necessarily a bad thing, and what I find really good is that the midrange keeps presence and doesn’t sound congested or unnaturally overshadowed by too much despite the strong bass. And the treble is also well implemented and neither sibilant nor peaky nor does it show any sudden dip or unnatural unevenness. Cymbals also sound natural and neither stretched nor subdued or accentuated.
While I wouldn’t mind somewhat less upper bass on the subjective side, I don’t really find any tonal flaw on the objective side – despite the strong bass, there is not that much bloom, the midrange sounds natural and a little warm but never congested, and the highs are relatively even and not peaky. The midrange and treble even sound pretty natural and quite realistic.
Resolution:
With a bass emphasis that strong, an in-ear often tends to sound overpowered, soft and boomy as well as bloomy. Fortunately though the Nebula One sounds rather quick and especially well controlled in the bass despite the emphasis, while the lows are on the softer side nonetheless but not muddy or mushy. The bass is not yet as fast as DUNU’s Titan series’ in-ears however about comparably controlled, and never becomes muddy or unrecognisable. There is some softness in the midbass attack, but decay is reasonably quick and the bass doesn’t struggle or sound boomy. Playing Metal and fast Electronic, the lows don’t struggle too much with control at all and can keep up without leaving a mess of something you won’t recognise anymore, which is sometimes the case with very bassy in-ears.
As already mentioned, the midrange doesn’t sound congested or dry despite the strong bass elevation. Details are good and speech intelligibility is also fine although not as high as compared to most BA-based in-ears.
The highs really don’t lack details or air either and sound detailed as well as nicely separated.
Soundstage:
The soundstage sounds rather open to me but not particularly large or really much larger than average. Depth is good although there is a little more width than depth.
Separation is good and the stage doesn’t appear blurry but it is not razor-sharp either, but there’s nothing really wrong with that at this price point.
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In Comparison with other In-Ears:
Let’s see how the Nebula One stacks up against some other comparably priced and more expensive in-ears.
DUNU Titan 5:
The DUNU has got 5 dB less bass with my ear anatomy (its bass quantity also depends on how much the vent is covered) and the less hammering but still present upper bass. Sub-bass extension is comparable with the DUNU staying slightly flatter below 30 Hz. The Titan 5 has got the brighter midrange and treble that is however also less even in comparison – here the N1 sounds somewhat more natural.
The Titan 5 has got the somewhat more nimble and faster as well as tighter bass while the control appears to be comparable. The DUNU sounds a bit more detailed in the mids while both are comparable in the highs.
The Nebula One has got a little more spatial width while depth is comparable. The DUNU has got the somewhat sharper instrument placement and separation.
Fidue A65:
The A65 has got noticeably less bass but also rolls somewhat off towards the sub-bass. The AAW’s midrange is a bit warmer and the Fidue’s treble a bit darker.
The Fidue has got the somewhat faster bass attack and slightly faster decay, making it appear more nimble, however control is comparable. The Fidue appears a bit more detailed in the mids while the AAW has got the slightly cleaner upper treble rendering.
The Fidue’s soundstage is smaller in all directions but cleaner.
LEAR LHF-AE1d (upgrade nozzles):
The LEAR’s bass is adjustable and can be tuned to have even more quantity than the AAW’s. The LEAR has got definitely less warmth in the midrange but its bass bleeds more into lower vocals with that much quantity.
The AAW has got the faster, tighter and also somewhat better controlled bass out of the two, but the LEAR is in a noticeably higher league when it comes to overall resolution, minute details, authenticity and realism that no other dynamic driver in-ear in the same price range as the LEAR (ca. US$200) managed to achieve to my ears.
The LHF-AE1d has got somewhat more spatial depth to my ears and is also somewhat more precise and authentic when it comes to layering and the positioning of instruments.
Sennheiser IE 80 (screw fully opened):
Both have got comparable amounts of bass (the Sennheiser has got ever so slightly more) but the Sennheiser’s bleeds somewhat more into the midrange and sounds warmer and mellower. The IE 80 has got less presence around 5 kHz and more around 8.
The IE 80’s bass cannot really keep up with fast tracks – it then sounds overpowered, boomy, lacks some control and sounds soft as well as mushy. This is even more so true for the sub-bass. The Nebula One has got the noticeably higher bass control and does not sound mushy or muddy. As for the rest, the N2 also sounds more resolving and natural than the IE 80.
The Sennheiser has got the more expansive soundstage with more width and depth, but I really couldn’t say that it is more precise than the AAW’s, as rather the opposite is the case.
Advanced AcousticWerkes Nebula 2:
I was honestly expecting both to sound quite differently, however this was not the case to my surprise – the Nebula One sounds quite a lot like the Nebula 2 to me when it comes to tonality. The difference is that the N1 has got a little more than 2 dB more bass than the N2 to my ears and the slightly darker and fuller midrange. In the middle highs around 5 kHz, both have got an ever so slight lift whereas the Nebula One has got less presence in the upper treble which makes it an overall bassier and smoother in-ear. But the genes are definitely quite a bit similar and the Nebula One is kind of like its dizygotic twin (or at least a brother/sister that looks very similar) that is not identical overall but has a lot of similarities.
I would say that the N1 sounds a little more coherent because it is using only one driver per ear, however the N2 has got the less soft and better controlled bass, especially in the lower bass, that has also got the better control although the Nebula One is no slouch here either. In the midrange and treble, the Nebula 2 sounds more differentiated.
The difference is not that large, nonetheless the Nebula 2 is like a more refined version of the Nebula One.
In terms of soundstage, the N1 appears to have more spatial depth to me while the Nebula 2 has got a bit more width and the very slightly cleaner separation.
Conclusion:
When it comes to in-ears with a really strong bass and a price tag of around $100, the AAW Nebula One is definitely among the better if not best. While it is not perfect, it shows good control,
reasonable speed, not too much softness along with a natural midrange and treble.
Not much surprisingly though, it will not attract those who are not interested in bassy and bass-heavy in-ears that are already very strong in the upper bass range. It will also not be the right choice for those who want good exterior noise isolation.
If these aspects sound appealing to you, you should definitely have an eye on this in-ear that I consider as a good recommendation for those on the search for the properties and features I mentioned in my review.
With my usual 30% build and fit (92.5) to 70% sound/value/price (86) weighting, I come to a result of 4.3975 out of 5 stars.