Shozy x AAW Hibiki - Black Bass (and Upper Midrange and Treble)
Preamble:
Originally posted on my German audio review site, the "Kopfhörer-Lounge" with a reference in the title that not everybody might have got (without googling), here comes my review of the Shozy x AAW Hibiki in-ear.
Introduction:
Shozy is a quite well-known audio company from Hong Kong that got quite famous internationally when they released their Alien digital audio player, a DAP that was made of brushed aluminium but didn’t have any screen, however it did have buttons for playback control and navigation wherefore it was somewhat like the first generation Apple iPod Shuffle’s extra-terrestrial, more premium cousin.
Shozy has not only made digital audio players (and DACs as well as portable headphone amplifiers) though, but also in-ears such as the Zero, an affordable single-driver model (~ $50) with housings crafted from rosewood. While not without any imperfections, mainly in the treble, it did and still does however definitely “punch above its weight” when it comes to technical performance, which is why it did indeed gain some fame and recognition around the world.
Next up were some other in-ears and earbuds, some exclusively released in Asia.
Now Shozy has introduced another affordable single dynamic driver in-ear, this time in collaboration with the Singaporean in-ear manufacturer Advanced AcousticWerkes (AAW). Being called “Hibiki”, it features a real carbon fibre faceplate and removable 2-pin cables, the latter of which is not really that unique but still great to see in the two-digit price range, considering that most better-known manufacturers do not offer replaceable cables for their lower-priced models.
How does it perform sonically aside from just looking nice? That is what I have summarised in this following review.
Disclosure: A good while ago, after their release of the Zero in-ears (that I was sent for review as well many months ago after having been contacted by them), Shozy told me they were about to release another new affordable in-ear monitor. It could well have been the Hibiki that I accepted to review (and then received free of charge for review purpose, be it positive or negative, without any restrictions) – mainly because I was in love with the appearance of the carbon fibre faceplates.
So here we go.
Technical Specifications:
MSRP: US$60
Drivers per Side: 1
Driver Type: dynamic (10 mm), titanium-coated
Sensitivity: 102 dB SPL @ 1 mW
Impedance: 18 Ohms @ 1 kHz
Delivery Content:
The white sleeve already gives away that the Hibiki is a collaboration product of AAW and Shozy.
Inside, one will find the in-ears, three pairs of silicone tips and a manual – nothing more. So a carrying case is unfortunately not part of the standard accessories, which is a bit sad although still somewhat bearable at the price point.
The included manual is actually quite nice and introduces the buyer to AAW and Shozy, and also describes the in-ear’s internal structure (that is however unfortunately not shown).
Looks, Feels, Build Quality:
There is a thing with carbon fibre faceplates – if done well, they can look fantastic and premium, but if executed rather badly (or if carbon fibre imitation is being used), the result can look cheap and tacky. For this reason, I personally don’t really like in-ears that have an artificial carbon fibre faceplate with paths of carbon fibre imitation with a spaced woven pattern that still exposes the acrylic behind – something that can sometimes be found on cheap in-ears that are sold on AliExpress.
Genuine woven carbon fibre with a clear paint coating however is very much to my liking – and Shozy just nailed it. For the Hibiki, they have used a real woven carbon fibre faceplate with a layer of clear coating lacquer, which turned out very nice and looks premium (and also sets it apart from other affordable sub $100 in-ears when it comes to the design). Nice!
The CNC-cut carbon fibre faceplate is surrounded by a shiny silver frame that seems like it is made of plastic – if that is indeed the case, I would certainly have preferred to see an aluminium frame, although that might have probably been a little too much to ask for the price.
The rest of the (fairly large and bulky) housings is made of plastic that is matte and has got a soft-touch surface – something you rather find on cheap headphones and products, although the Hibiki features a somewhat more premium and less scratch-prone surface.
The big, white side-marker letters are probably an advantage in twilight for some people.
The cable is rather special for the price as it quite premium and features four conductors that are twisted – something you usually don’t find in this price range often at all.
Flexibility is great and a chin-slider is incorporated above the y-splitter as well.
The Hibiki’s cable also features a three-button-remote control that is said to work with Apple and Android devices (the volume down and play button are however reversed compared to a traditional iOS remote).
Oh, and the cable is removable, too (the in-ears have got recessed 2-pin sockets).
Comfort, Isolation:
The Hibiki is definitely on the larger and bulkier side. This also means that people with small ears might not get a proper fit and seal at all, which of course limits the number of potential customers. The fact that the nozzles are rather on the short side does not really help with that either.
Having larger than average ears certainly is an advantage for the Hibiki’s shells – and I can report that I am fortunate enough to have large ears and that the in-ears fit me just fine and seal well, but as I just wrote, this will unfortunately and likely be not the case for a larger number of people.
The Hibiki is designed to be worn with the cables around the ears only – which is the more professional way anyway since it reduces microphonics (cable noise) and improves fit and security (with the choice of large and rather bulky housings, this was absolutely the right move).
The incorporated ear guides by the way do not have any memory wire inside at all but are made of soft tubes that are shaped to adapt well to the ears’ individual shape and radius.
Despite the tiny, inner-facing vent hole (that has pretty much no effect on the tonality at all), noise isolation is rather on the pleasantly high side when you can get a good seal. It is a little below an entirely closed in-ear’s level but still comes reasonably close.
Sound:
My main sources for listening were the iBasso DX200 (AMP1 module), Cowon Plenue 2 and HiFime 9018d although any source will be just fine as long as it outputs a flat frequency response under load and doesn’t give in too much in general when used with a low impedance load.
The tips I used were the largest ones that came included.
Tonality:
The Hibiki certainly presents a quite consumer-oriented sound with a big, bold, warm, cosy, bass-heavy bottom-end and a coloured overall presentation in general. To act as a counterweight against the really strong bass elevation and warm lower mids, the upper midrange and upper treble show an emphasis, too. Still I wouldn’t really speak of a v- or w-shaped sound and just call it “bass-heavy with some brightness as a (partially quite welcome) counterweight”.
While the lower treble emphasis works reasonably well to retrieve the midrange balance and clarity and doesn’t appear too strong, artificial, sibilant or overpowered in any way, the upper treble emphasis that is rather narrow and located quite exactly at 10 kHz can come across as a bit sharp at times – especially when a note hits it exactly.
Speaking sine sweeps, the lows’ elevation starts to gradually climb around 650 Hz, with its peak being formed around 60 Hz, with around 15 dB more presence compared to an in-ear that is tuned for a diffuse-field flat bass response, such as the Etymotic ER-4S/SR.
Below 40 Hz, towards 20 Hz, the Hibiki’s sub-bass slightly loses some quantity, although it couldn’t really be regarded as a real roll-off – instead, it leads to more of a midbass- than sub-bass-biased bottom-end presentation.
To act as a counterweight against the warm, full, but not bloated or muddy lower midrange, level climbs evenly from 1 kHz, the central midrange, up to 4.5 kHz. This emphasis is implemented quite well and isn’t that strong at all, wherefore it adds just enough clarity and upper midrange brightness to get the mids to appear more balanced without making the central midrange appear skewed, distanced or recessed.
Still, this is a coloured presentation here in the vocal range that does not exactly meet the definition of hi-fi, although it is a well-balanced one.
Above 4.5 kHz, level drops again, generating some headroom, with a small and inoffensive peak around 7 kHz and a stronger and narrower peak at 10 kHz. The latter leads to a splashier, somewhat more metallic and direct cymbal reproduction that can be a bit sharp at times despite the big, bold, warm bass. A pretty much exactly 4 dB lesser 10 kHz elevation would have been ideal instead.
- - -
Yes, the Hibiki’s upper midrange emphasis works quite well and the in-ear generally shows a quite smart tuning (with probably just a little too much sharpness at 10 kHz), although it will likely be too bold and bass-heavy for more mature and hi-fi listening preferences.
Then again, according to the manual, the Hibiki is especially described as a partner for commuting, so the heavy bass and the added warmth do indeed make sense in a busy, loud environment with many masking effects, such as a large city, especially at lower listening levels.
To summarise it, people with a preference for a strong, heavy and quite warm midbass elevation along with an upper midrange elevation (that works surprisingly well as a counterweight against the bass and warmth) and a rather bright upper treble will likely like the Hibiki while people who aren’t into a bold, big, heavy bass and prefer a smoother, more linear treble response are definitely not the target group.
Resolution:
While the Hibiki sports a smooth, mostly pleasant (<- which of course absolutely depends on personal preference) and mellow sound with plenty of warmth and some brightness and clarity as counterweight, it has only got an about average detail retrieval in the $60 to $100 class at best.
The strong, bubbly bass can create a nice illusion of texture with slower and average-paced tracks, however this is just a side-effect of the tendentially soft, slow decaying bass that doesn’t entirely reach the speed, control and tightness of the AAW Nebula One, Shozy Zero or Shure SE215m+SPE although it somewhat exceeds the final E3000 and SoundMAGIC E10 when it comes to tightness and speed, which is however not that difficult.
While the bass struggles quite bit with really fast and demanding recordings, it is still quite remarkable that it remains relatively well controlled considering the strong emphasis – I have heard other in-ears struggling more with such a hefty amount of lows (Beats Tour, NuForce NE800M, Sennheiser IE 80).
Midrange details appear rather somewhat flat - not really lacking, but certainly unfortunately not uber detailed either. This certainly is a side-effect of the bass’s masking effect that seems to strain the driver.
Although about similarly strong in the lows, compared to the Hibiki, the AAW Nebula One appears somewhat better resolving and not as flat in the mids when it comes to details.
The treble is on the softer side and doesn’t really have the most layered presentation or sharpest separation either. Notes seem a bit compressed as a side-effect, with differentiation only being average at best.
While definitely not bad for its price and features, the Hibiki definitely leaves some details, separation and differentiation left to be desired. It is just that high resolution and a heavy but still rather well-controlled bass rarely go well together hand-in-hand in the sub $100 price range, and the Hibiki decided to go for a very strong bass emphasis at the cost of some details and separation. Therefore it is an in-ear that works better with less fast recordings.
Soundstage:
The Hibiki is a quite open sounding in-ear with a wide and high soundstage, however not as much spatial depth.
Width is quite present and more than average with a soundstage that exceeds the base between my ears.
While there is some spatial depth, it isn’t really worth mentioning – the overall presentation appears definitely more wide and elliptical than circular.
The spatial presentation appears not exactly “in your face” but one or two rows in the background, at least in the midrange.
Instruments’ positions can be spotted fairly easily and separation along with placement are good, however not razor-sharp.
---------
In Comparison with other bassy Dynamic Driver In-Ears:
AAW Nebula One:
The quantity of the AAW’s bass emphasis depends more on how much its inner-facing vent is covered. Given my ear anatomy, I’m describing its sound with pretty much entirely closed vents which leads to a bass emphasis that is quite similar to the Hibiki’s.
The Nebula One then has got the slightly stronger sub-bass and slightly punchier, more “hammering” upper bass while midbass levels are comparable. Both carry about the same amount of warmth in the lower mids, the AAW just ever so slightly more.
The AAW doesn’t have that upper midrange elevation, is more pronounced at 5 kHz, and less bright/elevated at 7 and 10 kHz although it is still a little above neutral around 10 kHz.
Due to this, the Nebula One is definitely more even, natural and realistic sounding in the midrange and treble and has got the more correct timbre.
When it comes to bass, the Nebula’s is somewhat tighter and faster, with the somewhat better control when fast tracks are being played.
It also appears to be better layered and more detailed in the midrange and has got the cleaner separation and differentiation in the highs.
The Hibiki has got the wider soundstage while the Nebula One’s is deeper. Instruments are separated somewhat cleaner and sharper on the AAW’s side.
Shozy Zero:
The Zero has got a less emphasised bass but is a bit warmer in the root and lower midrange.
The Hibiki’s upper midrange is brighter, clearer (without really heading into the artificial direction, but it’s coloured nonetheless).
Between 5 and 8 kHz, it is the Zero that is brighter, while the Hibiki has got the more pronounced 10 kHz elevation.
Control and speed in the lows are higher on the Zero’s side. The same goes for speech intelligibility, midrange details and separation in the highs.
The Hibiki has got slightly more spatial width while it portrays less spatial depth compared to the Zero. In terms of spatial height, it is the Hibiki that is more pronounced.
Instruments are placed and separated more cleanly on the Zero’s side.
Shure SE215m+SPE:
The Hibiki is the bassier in-ear with just very slightly more warmth. It has got the more pronounced upper midrange that adds more perceived clarity to the upper midrange without making it sound too artificial.
The SE215m+SPE is a little more forward at 5 kHz but darker and rolled-off in the upper treble (yet hi-hats and the upper treble can still be heard, although clearly damped).
The Shure’s bass is somewhat tighter and has got the better control although details in the lows and lower midrange appear to be quite similar.
Speed intelligibility and midrange details are somewhat higher on the Shure’s side though, which is also true when it comes to treble separation.
The Hibiki sports the even slightly wider soundstage that has got a little more depth as well. Separation is almost on the same level on both in-ears but the Shure has got the advantage with fast and demanding recordings where the Hibiki’s bass leads to a less focussed and separation with the separation becoming a bit blurrier.
Conclusion:
The nice carbon fibre faceplates, removable premium cable and reasonable price are arguments that speak for the Hibiki.
Due to the heavy bass that is more on the softer side, masking effects appear though, wherefore midrange details appear a bit flat and separation and definition in the highs aren’t that precise.
Its tuning is definitely more consumer-, commuter-oriented with a heavy bass and some counteracting brightness in the upper midrange and upper treble. Although those colourations are smartly placed and make the in-ear gain more air to “fight” against the bass, the midrange and treble are what they are – coloured. More evenness and realism in the mids and highs wouldn’t have been a too bad thing.
As an example, the about similarly bassy AAW Nebula One’s midrange and treble are flatter and more even, which leads to a noticeably more natural and mature presentation in the middle and upper frequencies.
A turn-off for many customers with small ears might also be the Hibiki’s rather large housings with short nozzles wherefore the number of people who can achieve a good seal will be limited.
While the Hibiki is not really a bad in-ear in its price range, there are things that could have been implemented better for sure. Therefore it is merely an average performer in its price range when it comes to technical performance.
Those who can let go some of the noise isolation as well as the nice, twisted, removable cable but also want a heavy bass could save up for the AAW Nebula One that can have an about identically strong bass (depending on ear anatomy/tape-modding the vent) but is more even, mature and natural in the midrange and treble, along with a somewhat higher technical performance.
And those who want a strong and warm bottom-end but with a less heavy emphasis could look into the Shozy Zero that sports a higher technical performance.
And for those who do not want a more modest bass elevation, there are several higher performing alternatives in the same price range, too (e.g. Fidue A65, MEE audio A151 (2nd generation), Brainwavz B100, Havi B3 Pro I, final E2000 & E3000 and others).
Preamble:
Originally posted on my German audio review site, the "Kopfhörer-Lounge" with a reference in the title that not everybody might have got (without googling), here comes my review of the Shozy x AAW Hibiki in-ear.
Introduction:
Shozy is a quite well-known audio company from Hong Kong that got quite famous internationally when they released their Alien digital audio player, a DAP that was made of brushed aluminium but didn’t have any screen, however it did have buttons for playback control and navigation wherefore it was somewhat like the first generation Apple iPod Shuffle’s extra-terrestrial, more premium cousin.
Shozy has not only made digital audio players (and DACs as well as portable headphone amplifiers) though, but also in-ears such as the Zero, an affordable single-driver model (~ $50) with housings crafted from rosewood. While not without any imperfections, mainly in the treble, it did and still does however definitely “punch above its weight” when it comes to technical performance, which is why it did indeed gain some fame and recognition around the world.
Next up were some other in-ears and earbuds, some exclusively released in Asia.
Now Shozy has introduced another affordable single dynamic driver in-ear, this time in collaboration with the Singaporean in-ear manufacturer Advanced AcousticWerkes (AAW). Being called “Hibiki”, it features a real carbon fibre faceplate and removable 2-pin cables, the latter of which is not really that unique but still great to see in the two-digit price range, considering that most better-known manufacturers do not offer replaceable cables for their lower-priced models.
How does it perform sonically aside from just looking nice? That is what I have summarised in this following review.
Disclosure: A good while ago, after their release of the Zero in-ears (that I was sent for review as well many months ago after having been contacted by them), Shozy told me they were about to release another new affordable in-ear monitor. It could well have been the Hibiki that I accepted to review (and then received free of charge for review purpose, be it positive or negative, without any restrictions) – mainly because I was in love with the appearance of the carbon fibre faceplates.
So here we go.
Technical Specifications:
MSRP: US$60
Drivers per Side: 1
Driver Type: dynamic (10 mm), titanium-coated
Sensitivity: 102 dB SPL @ 1 mW
Impedance: 18 Ohms @ 1 kHz
Delivery Content:
The white sleeve already gives away that the Hibiki is a collaboration product of AAW and Shozy.
Inside, one will find the in-ears, three pairs of silicone tips and a manual – nothing more. So a carrying case is unfortunately not part of the standard accessories, which is a bit sad although still somewhat bearable at the price point.
The included manual is actually quite nice and introduces the buyer to AAW and Shozy, and also describes the in-ear’s internal structure (that is however unfortunately not shown).
Looks, Feels, Build Quality:
There is a thing with carbon fibre faceplates – if done well, they can look fantastic and premium, but if executed rather badly (or if carbon fibre imitation is being used), the result can look cheap and tacky. For this reason, I personally don’t really like in-ears that have an artificial carbon fibre faceplate with paths of carbon fibre imitation with a spaced woven pattern that still exposes the acrylic behind – something that can sometimes be found on cheap in-ears that are sold on AliExpress.
Genuine woven carbon fibre with a clear paint coating however is very much to my liking – and Shozy just nailed it. For the Hibiki, they have used a real woven carbon fibre faceplate with a layer of clear coating lacquer, which turned out very nice and looks premium (and also sets it apart from other affordable sub $100 in-ears when it comes to the design). Nice!
The CNC-cut carbon fibre faceplate is surrounded by a shiny silver frame that seems like it is made of plastic – if that is indeed the case, I would certainly have preferred to see an aluminium frame, although that might have probably been a little too much to ask for the price.
The rest of the (fairly large and bulky) housings is made of plastic that is matte and has got a soft-touch surface – something you rather find on cheap headphones and products, although the Hibiki features a somewhat more premium and less scratch-prone surface.
The big, white side-marker letters are probably an advantage in twilight for some people.
The cable is rather special for the price as it quite premium and features four conductors that are twisted – something you usually don’t find in this price range often at all.
Flexibility is great and a chin-slider is incorporated above the y-splitter as well.
The Hibiki’s cable also features a three-button-remote control that is said to work with Apple and Android devices (the volume down and play button are however reversed compared to a traditional iOS remote).
Oh, and the cable is removable, too (the in-ears have got recessed 2-pin sockets).
Comfort, Isolation:
The Hibiki is definitely on the larger and bulkier side. This also means that people with small ears might not get a proper fit and seal at all, which of course limits the number of potential customers. The fact that the nozzles are rather on the short side does not really help with that either.
Having larger than average ears certainly is an advantage for the Hibiki’s shells – and I can report that I am fortunate enough to have large ears and that the in-ears fit me just fine and seal well, but as I just wrote, this will unfortunately and likely be not the case for a larger number of people.
The Hibiki is designed to be worn with the cables around the ears only – which is the more professional way anyway since it reduces microphonics (cable noise) and improves fit and security (with the choice of large and rather bulky housings, this was absolutely the right move).
The incorporated ear guides by the way do not have any memory wire inside at all but are made of soft tubes that are shaped to adapt well to the ears’ individual shape and radius.
Despite the tiny, inner-facing vent hole (that has pretty much no effect on the tonality at all), noise isolation is rather on the pleasantly high side when you can get a good seal. It is a little below an entirely closed in-ear’s level but still comes reasonably close.
Sound:
My main sources for listening were the iBasso DX200 (AMP1 module), Cowon Plenue 2 and HiFime 9018d although any source will be just fine as long as it outputs a flat frequency response under load and doesn’t give in too much in general when used with a low impedance load.
The tips I used were the largest ones that came included.
Tonality:
The Hibiki certainly presents a quite consumer-oriented sound with a big, bold, warm, cosy, bass-heavy bottom-end and a coloured overall presentation in general. To act as a counterweight against the really strong bass elevation and warm lower mids, the upper midrange and upper treble show an emphasis, too. Still I wouldn’t really speak of a v- or w-shaped sound and just call it “bass-heavy with some brightness as a (partially quite welcome) counterweight”.
While the lower treble emphasis works reasonably well to retrieve the midrange balance and clarity and doesn’t appear too strong, artificial, sibilant or overpowered in any way, the upper treble emphasis that is rather narrow and located quite exactly at 10 kHz can come across as a bit sharp at times – especially when a note hits it exactly.
Speaking sine sweeps, the lows’ elevation starts to gradually climb around 650 Hz, with its peak being formed around 60 Hz, with around 15 dB more presence compared to an in-ear that is tuned for a diffuse-field flat bass response, such as the Etymotic ER-4S/SR.
Below 40 Hz, towards 20 Hz, the Hibiki’s sub-bass slightly loses some quantity, although it couldn’t really be regarded as a real roll-off – instead, it leads to more of a midbass- than sub-bass-biased bottom-end presentation.
To act as a counterweight against the warm, full, but not bloated or muddy lower midrange, level climbs evenly from 1 kHz, the central midrange, up to 4.5 kHz. This emphasis is implemented quite well and isn’t that strong at all, wherefore it adds just enough clarity and upper midrange brightness to get the mids to appear more balanced without making the central midrange appear skewed, distanced or recessed.
Still, this is a coloured presentation here in the vocal range that does not exactly meet the definition of hi-fi, although it is a well-balanced one.
Above 4.5 kHz, level drops again, generating some headroom, with a small and inoffensive peak around 7 kHz and a stronger and narrower peak at 10 kHz. The latter leads to a splashier, somewhat more metallic and direct cymbal reproduction that can be a bit sharp at times despite the big, bold, warm bass. A pretty much exactly 4 dB lesser 10 kHz elevation would have been ideal instead.
- - -
Yes, the Hibiki’s upper midrange emphasis works quite well and the in-ear generally shows a quite smart tuning (with probably just a little too much sharpness at 10 kHz), although it will likely be too bold and bass-heavy for more mature and hi-fi listening preferences.
Then again, according to the manual, the Hibiki is especially described as a partner for commuting, so the heavy bass and the added warmth do indeed make sense in a busy, loud environment with many masking effects, such as a large city, especially at lower listening levels.
To summarise it, people with a preference for a strong, heavy and quite warm midbass elevation along with an upper midrange elevation (that works surprisingly well as a counterweight against the bass and warmth) and a rather bright upper treble will likely like the Hibiki while people who aren’t into a bold, big, heavy bass and prefer a smoother, more linear treble response are definitely not the target group.
Resolution:
While the Hibiki sports a smooth, mostly pleasant (<- which of course absolutely depends on personal preference) and mellow sound with plenty of warmth and some brightness and clarity as counterweight, it has only got an about average detail retrieval in the $60 to $100 class at best.
The strong, bubbly bass can create a nice illusion of texture with slower and average-paced tracks, however this is just a side-effect of the tendentially soft, slow decaying bass that doesn’t entirely reach the speed, control and tightness of the AAW Nebula One, Shozy Zero or Shure SE215m+SPE although it somewhat exceeds the final E3000 and SoundMAGIC E10 when it comes to tightness and speed, which is however not that difficult.
While the bass struggles quite bit with really fast and demanding recordings, it is still quite remarkable that it remains relatively well controlled considering the strong emphasis – I have heard other in-ears struggling more with such a hefty amount of lows (Beats Tour, NuForce NE800M, Sennheiser IE 80).
Midrange details appear rather somewhat flat - not really lacking, but certainly unfortunately not uber detailed either. This certainly is a side-effect of the bass’s masking effect that seems to strain the driver.
Although about similarly strong in the lows, compared to the Hibiki, the AAW Nebula One appears somewhat better resolving and not as flat in the mids when it comes to details.
The treble is on the softer side and doesn’t really have the most layered presentation or sharpest separation either. Notes seem a bit compressed as a side-effect, with differentiation only being average at best.
While definitely not bad for its price and features, the Hibiki definitely leaves some details, separation and differentiation left to be desired. It is just that high resolution and a heavy but still rather well-controlled bass rarely go well together hand-in-hand in the sub $100 price range, and the Hibiki decided to go for a very strong bass emphasis at the cost of some details and separation. Therefore it is an in-ear that works better with less fast recordings.
Soundstage:
The Hibiki is a quite open sounding in-ear with a wide and high soundstage, however not as much spatial depth.
Width is quite present and more than average with a soundstage that exceeds the base between my ears.
While there is some spatial depth, it isn’t really worth mentioning – the overall presentation appears definitely more wide and elliptical than circular.
The spatial presentation appears not exactly “in your face” but one or two rows in the background, at least in the midrange.
Instruments’ positions can be spotted fairly easily and separation along with placement are good, however not razor-sharp.
---------
In Comparison with other bassy Dynamic Driver In-Ears:
AAW Nebula One:
The quantity of the AAW’s bass emphasis depends more on how much its inner-facing vent is covered. Given my ear anatomy, I’m describing its sound with pretty much entirely closed vents which leads to a bass emphasis that is quite similar to the Hibiki’s.
The Nebula One then has got the slightly stronger sub-bass and slightly punchier, more “hammering” upper bass while midbass levels are comparable. Both carry about the same amount of warmth in the lower mids, the AAW just ever so slightly more.
The AAW doesn’t have that upper midrange elevation, is more pronounced at 5 kHz, and less bright/elevated at 7 and 10 kHz although it is still a little above neutral around 10 kHz.
Due to this, the Nebula One is definitely more even, natural and realistic sounding in the midrange and treble and has got the more correct timbre.
When it comes to bass, the Nebula’s is somewhat tighter and faster, with the somewhat better control when fast tracks are being played.
It also appears to be better layered and more detailed in the midrange and has got the cleaner separation and differentiation in the highs.
The Hibiki has got the wider soundstage while the Nebula One’s is deeper. Instruments are separated somewhat cleaner and sharper on the AAW’s side.
Shozy Zero:
The Zero has got a less emphasised bass but is a bit warmer in the root and lower midrange.
The Hibiki’s upper midrange is brighter, clearer (without really heading into the artificial direction, but it’s coloured nonetheless).
Between 5 and 8 kHz, it is the Zero that is brighter, while the Hibiki has got the more pronounced 10 kHz elevation.
Control and speed in the lows are higher on the Zero’s side. The same goes for speech intelligibility, midrange details and separation in the highs.
The Hibiki has got slightly more spatial width while it portrays less spatial depth compared to the Zero. In terms of spatial height, it is the Hibiki that is more pronounced.
Instruments are placed and separated more cleanly on the Zero’s side.
Shure SE215m+SPE:
The Hibiki is the bassier in-ear with just very slightly more warmth. It has got the more pronounced upper midrange that adds more perceived clarity to the upper midrange without making it sound too artificial.
The SE215m+SPE is a little more forward at 5 kHz but darker and rolled-off in the upper treble (yet hi-hats and the upper treble can still be heard, although clearly damped).
The Shure’s bass is somewhat tighter and has got the better control although details in the lows and lower midrange appear to be quite similar.
Speed intelligibility and midrange details are somewhat higher on the Shure’s side though, which is also true when it comes to treble separation.
The Hibiki sports the even slightly wider soundstage that has got a little more depth as well. Separation is almost on the same level on both in-ears but the Shure has got the advantage with fast and demanding recordings where the Hibiki’s bass leads to a less focussed and separation with the separation becoming a bit blurrier.
Conclusion:
The nice carbon fibre faceplates, removable premium cable and reasonable price are arguments that speak for the Hibiki.
Due to the heavy bass that is more on the softer side, masking effects appear though, wherefore midrange details appear a bit flat and separation and definition in the highs aren’t that precise.
Its tuning is definitely more consumer-, commuter-oriented with a heavy bass and some counteracting brightness in the upper midrange and upper treble. Although those colourations are smartly placed and make the in-ear gain more air to “fight” against the bass, the midrange and treble are what they are – coloured. More evenness and realism in the mids and highs wouldn’t have been a too bad thing.
As an example, the about similarly bassy AAW Nebula One’s midrange and treble are flatter and more even, which leads to a noticeably more natural and mature presentation in the middle and upper frequencies.
A turn-off for many customers with small ears might also be the Hibiki’s rather large housings with short nozzles wherefore the number of people who can achieve a good seal will be limited.
While the Hibiki is not really a bad in-ear in its price range, there are things that could have been implemented better for sure. Therefore it is merely an average performer in its price range when it comes to technical performance.
Those who can let go some of the noise isolation as well as the nice, twisted, removable cable but also want a heavy bass could save up for the AAW Nebula One that can have an about identically strong bass (depending on ear anatomy/tape-modding the vent) but is more even, mature and natural in the midrange and treble, along with a somewhat higher technical performance.
And those who want a strong and warm bottom-end but with a less heavy emphasis could look into the Shozy Zero that sports a higher technical performance.
And for those who do not want a more modest bass elevation, there are several higher performing alternatives in the same price range, too (e.g. Fidue A65, MEE audio A151 (2nd generation), Brainwavz B100, Havi B3 Pro I, final E2000 & E3000 and others).