ADV.Sound M4

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Huge thanks to Aurem Fidelitatem for the iem that we’ll be reading about today, the Advanced M4. You can buy them at their facebook page at fb.com/auremfidelitatem or at the Advanced Sound Group official website at https://www.adv-sound.com/.

A few of you may have noticed that the ADV M4 that I have received came in a different packaging. Advanced confirmed that it was only the packaging they have changed. There is no version 2 of the ADV M4 (yet).

Disclaimer:

I am not affiliated with Advanced Sound in any manner. I do not receive any cash incentives, rewards, or anything from them. This review is my non-biased comprehension and appreciation of the said earbud.

The product we’ll be reading about today is one of the most prominent in the audiophile community, the ADV M4. The M4 is known to deliver amazingly detailed and transparent sound for the itsy bitsy price tag of 40$. Though most consumers will find the sound signature of the M4 as boring or lacking in terms of bass or whatever they are accustomed to listening to, audiophiles and musicians alike enjoy how balanced the tuning of the M4 is, considering its price to performance ratio.

I, personally, have owned the ADV M4 a year ago. It was sad news that I had to sell them for an upgrade. Thankfully, Aurem Fidelitatem had new ones sent to me late December, and I had a chance to have them back in my sweet arms again. If you ever decide to purchase this gem, do not – I repeat – DO NOT let go of this. The tuning is unique to the iem, though it is very far to be said as a collector’s material.

I’m getting too carried away here blabbing about. Let’s dive right in to my non-biased take at the ADV M4.

Personal Preferences:

• Packaging is important. First impressions can last a long time.
• I do not have a specific genre that I listen to. The songs I listen to differ greatly from billboard tops to old classics, pop, rock, edm, acoustics, alternatives, metal, and all of its sub-genres. I incline listening to metal music, specifically to power metal, death metal, and the likes.
• I enjoy variety of sound signatures, ranging from bright analytical, balanced with only a slight dip in mids, neutral warm, and neutral bright. I generally lean to neutral-bright sound signature, with a certain degree of analytical sound. I dislike over powering bass, as it is the least enjoyable, for me, in my experience listening to music.
• I prefer iems over earbuds, earbuds over headphones.

Source:

• Shanling M3s as DAC (PC)
• Shanling M3s as DAP
• Zishan Z1 + OPA1692 as DAC (PC and my phone) and dap
• Zishan Z1 + Muses02 as DAC (PC and my phone) and dap
• Sony NW-A45

Specifications:

• Divers: Titanium coated 8.5mm dynamic drivers
• Driver Unit: Custom-tuned Single Dynamic Drivers
• Impedance: 16 Ohm+/-15%
• Sensitivity: 92dB+/-3dB at 1kHz
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Rated Power Input: 1mW
• Max. Input Power: 5mW
• Cord length: 1.36M
• Plug 3.5mm: Gold Plated

Packaging:


Advanced ditched their old packaging which came in a much larger, slightly bulky, black box. They instead went for a simple, stout white box. At the front of the package is a picture of the actual iem, with the Advanced logo on the top left. At the bottom left of the picture, it says “M4 Naturally Balanced In-Ear Monitors”, and at the bottom right, “With in-line remote/mic”.

The M4 is clearly advertised as “naturally balanced”, with the tuning “designed for musicians”, as Advanced said in their packaging. The front of the box also says that it includes Comply tips, rather a generous accessory in the 40$ price range.

Whoever wrote what is at the right side of the box deserves a pat in the back. The right side of the box reads as follows:


At the left side of the box is a picture showing the in-line remote/mic which “control music playback” and can be used to “answer/end phone calls”. The in-line remote is also compatible with both iOS and Android devices, so the buyer is rest assured that there will be no compatibility issues, whatsoever.

The back side of the box contains hefty information about the product, including a seemingly piece-by-piece dissection of the driver unit of the iem, a frequency response graph, a list of what is inside the package, the unit’s specifications, Advanced Sound’s contact information, all of it in English and Japanese writing.

As well as containing lots of eye candy through simplistic packaging, Advanced also advertised their product as “ideal for studio monitoring”, meaning that the ADV M4 is implied to produce a relatively flat or linear response, and that it does not give emphasis or de-emphasis to any particular part of the sound spectrum. It is advertised to accurately produce what is being recorded in the studio; surely a tough claim for a 40$ price tag, but nevertheless a successful claim at that (more on sound later).

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The package is opened by pulling the bottom part of the box. Here, the buyer is presented with a case that contains the iem and all of its accessories. Taking the case out of the way, there are three user guides in English, Japanese, and Korean writing. Advanced also took it to themselves to imprint “balance tuning” in the inside of the box, just to make sure the buyer knows what they’re purchasing in case they haven’t read the packaging yet.

Aside from changing their packaging, Advanced also upgraded the included case in the ADV M4. They ditched the small form factored circular case and went for a larger, rectangular carrying case. Though there is no change in material, the added space makes it so that you can carry the M4 and, presumably, another iem or some set of tips and still have good enough breathing room. Unzipping the case, the buyer is greeted with the iem itself and three set of tips; three sizes of black silicone tips, three sizes of white silicone tips, and three sizes of biflange tips. The ADV M4 comes standard with Comply tips (Isolation T-400). Here’s a little something about the included Comply tips that has been extracted directly from their website:

“Comply™ Foam’s Isolation 400 foam tips are tailored toward those who seek the solitude of noise isolation. From everyday listener to musician to athlete, these earphone tips are specifically designed to let you hear more of what you want—not what you don’t. Isolation Series foam tips are engineered to create a custom ear canal seal. The flexible core of the earbud allows for the tips to conform even better to your unique ear canal.”

I, personally, do not prefer using the Comply tips. Don’t get me wrong, they work as advertised; dynamic custom fit and noise isolation that cannot be beaten by silicone tips. It’s just that I prefer using the biflanges as it gives the best experience, for me.

In total, the buyer receives the following:

1. ADV M4 Iem with Comply tips
2. 3 pairs of white silicone tips (s/m/l)
3. 3 pairs of black silicone tips (s/m/l)
4. 3 pairs of biflange tips (s/m/l)
5. Carrying case
6. Shirt Clip

The good thing about Advanced is that they do care about the product’s packaging, and know that their buyers deserve a pleasant unboxing experience. The box does not feel cheap and is rather sturdy for its stout size. Also, ADV M4 managed to pinch in a case upgrade while making their packaging more cost efficient in terms of size. Kudos, Advanced.

Build:

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The housing of the drivers is made from robust aluminum. It does not feel cheap at all, and it doesn’t leave fingerprint marks when I touch them. The housing has a clear division somewhere in the half of it. On top of the housing, there is also a bass port to relieve pressure off of the drivers in busy tracks.

The M4 doesn’t feature a detachable cable design, but they compensated with a thick, fully braided cable that screams premium all over. On the down side, there is a lot of microphonics going on when I move around. Thankfully, this issue is resolved by tucking the cables under the shirt, or using the included shirt clip. The in-line mic/remote is located at the left channel, which seems unconventional because I am used to having the mic at the right side. This doesn’t really bother me but I would just like to put it out here for the information of the masses.

Continuing down the cable, the y-split has strain reliefs in both channels, as well as at the bottom. The thick, uniform braid continues down to a gold-plated l-plug that bears the ADV branding.

Advanced spared no costs in making and producing the M4. The build quality is top notch, and these iems will probably last the user a long time.

Comfort:

These are bullet type iems, so they can be worn down the ear notch or over the ear, whichever is more comfortable. The housing does tend to extend longer than I am used to. The drivers actually barely touch the ear, with the nozzle going way up in the ear canal. The stem doesn’t touch the ear notch, which might be a little bit uncomfortable for some.

Comfort will mostly rely on the tips. The included Comply tips are very comfortable and block out most sound.

Isolation:

Isolation will primarily depend on tips that are being used. The stock Comply tips offer the best isolation, but all the silicone and biflange tips fit very well too, considering the different sizes they came with.

Sound:

Tips of choice: I tried using the Comply tips for a little bit but rolled them for the medium biflanges as they have the best detail retrieval there was in the set of tips. I chose not to use aftermarket tips since the tips that are included are already enough. However, I do suggest using Symbio Wide Bores, Acoustune AET08’s, or JVC Spiral Dots if you feel that you lack bass but do not want to sacrifice detail retrieval.

The tuning of the ADV M4 is indeed balanced with a slight bias towards the brighter side of the spectrum. It has an airy sound signature, with accurate imaging, even though the soundstage is not that wide. They are indeed very transparent, and much of the mids and highs are more upfront while the bass remains calm and behaved.

Bass –

There is nothing outstanding about the bass performance, other than that it is well controlled. Upper bass performance does not dig that deep, but is presented in a high-quality manner with natural tones, rather than being drowned by mid-bass and sub bass. There is a slight bump in the mid-bass, just enough to give the user the innate sounding timbre. Like I have said, the bass is well behaved. Actually, it is too behaved. It wouldn’t hurt if they added more sub-bass impact.

In terms of the lows, Advanced prioritized quality over quantity. The bass is not aggressive, rather, relaxed and well tamed, which gives the ADV M4 an airy, natural feel.

Mids –

The mids are easily the star of the show here. Everything is well done in this part of the spectrum, considering how natural the presentation of both the vocals and instruments are. Vocals are a little more upfront than the instruments. Both male and female vocal presentation is not exaggerated, but they are carefully placed in the right spot in front of the instruments. The vocals do not sound too thin, or too lush to the ear.

There is no sibilance in the upper mids where most of the instrument dwindle; only smooth and innate presentation awaits the listener. For a sub-50$ iem, layering of everything in the mids section is outstanding, the vocals and instruments sound very distinct from each other.

Highs –

The splash of cymbals doesn’t sound overlapped on busy tracks and decays very well. On calm and smooth tracks, the M4 produces distinct hits from stick to cymbal with outstanding accuracy. Electric guitar licks are natural and well placed. Overall, instruments in this region do not peak, yet they are felt just enough. They are humble yet well textured. The iem could also do with a little more detail retrieval because there is a noticeable sharp decline in the upper highs where several details might be left out.

Soundstage –

M4 has narrow sound stage, though there is adequate space between the instruments, which gives off an airy and all natural sound. There is medium depth and width. Imaging is fairly accurate with nothing special to note about.

Comparisons:

VS Tin Audio T2

I don’t have that much iems in my collection, and this is the iem that I know can immediately compete with the ADV M4’s tuning along the 50$ price range. Though the T2 has a little more price to it, it does feature removable cables, and a choice of wide bore and normal bore tips. Tin Audio also generously included blue foam tips, though they are not from Comply.

About the sound, T2 is warmer, with more laidback bass and highs. Both iems are great beaters in the 50$ range, with both being balanced tuned and has amazing, crisp details for the budget friendly audiophile. Its just a matter of compromise for the buyer, whether to choose between leaning to warm or leaning to the bright side.

Conclusion:

Advanced marketed the ADV M4 as “designed for musicians”. From build quality, accessories, and sound, Advanced did not fail in delivering an excellent product at the doorsteps of many. The ADV M4 may sound boring and unenthusiastic, but the sound it produces is organic and natural. While it may not appeal to the likes of most consumers, the other purists, musicians, and audiophiles in a very tight budget can always rely on the ADV M4 for their satisfaction.

The ADV M4 indeed punches way above its bracket. Since its release, it is still well known in the audiophile community. It stands its own ground against the continuing evolution of portable audio.

(Old rating 4.5 - New 4.0 : considering current competition in price bracket)
Simple Man’s review – Advanced M4 (39.99 USD);

This is called simple man’s review because they are based on the sound of these earphones directly from my mobile phone (HTC 10), using 320 Kbps mp3 tracks. No expensive gears nor lossless tracks,no EQ, and all that hi-fi stuff.

Product Specs :
Driver: Custom tuned 6mm Single Dynamic drivers
Impedance: 16 Ohms; Sensitivity: 92dB at 1Khz
Cable: Non-detachable, 1.36 m, with one button in-line remote/microphone

Build – 4.5/5
These earphones are built to last, clearly. It sports an extremely tough cord, twisted to avoid tangle, connected to strong and tiny aluminium housings. It also has a nice one button mic to attend calls, and these aren’t flimsy either. As a side effect these tough wires aren’t very flexible, but that’s no negative in my book. The wires are very, very similar to the massdrop Pinnacle PX cable with the same Y splitter and all. Only the M4 cables and remote are slightly thinner in comparison, sans the neck cinch and MMCX connectors. Great attention is given to the build. Deducting 0.5 for lack of detachable cable. Not that I expect these wires to break, but detachable cable would have given me the choice to go wireless.



Accessories – 5/5
Advanced has given us all we need, and then some.
We get one pair of Comply Foam tips,
dual flange silicon tips (3 sizes),
black single flange silicon (3 sizes),
and black single flange silicon (3 sizes).
Plus, a shirt clip.

That’s a lot of tips for rolling. It is very thoughtful of them to throw in white and black tips. I love it. And the silicon tips are of good quality with a tight stem and a decently broad bore (this is somewhere in between the Sony hybrids and the JVC spirals). These are compatible with 90 percent of the earphones.

Plus, we also get a premium spacious carrying case, the same as what they provide with the upper model Advanced Model 3. This pouch can accommodate any IEM in the market.



We don’t get any extra adapters for airlines or amps, but I have never found any use for them. And the Simple Man just doesn’t need it. Excellent value for money.

Isolation & Sound leakage – 4.5/5
Isolation and fit is very good. Sound leakage is almost nil.

Fit – 4.5/5
This can satisfy both of us: Those that prefer around-the-ears, and those that go for a straight-down conventional approach. And the earphones fit good, and stay there. The light weight housings of the earphones are also very commendable and adds to the comfort.

Microphonics – 4/5
When I wear them around-the-ear, touch noise never bothers me with the music on. Straight down, it is present when you are mobile.

Before we get to the sound:
You must know that i don’t listen to trance, EDM, or bassy stuff, no metal stuff, so, take my opinion about the extremes of the sound spectrum, and speed,etc., with a grain of salt, as they are just based on the kind of music I listen to- namely Jazz, blues, some progressive rock from the 70s/80s. However, to give a fair review, i include some of my favourite Daft Punk, Tool, NIN, and some Pop songs among my test tracks.




Sound –
I would call them exactly what Advanced calls them: Naturally balanced sound signature. It tends towards neutral – the mids and the “presence region”, 2-4 Khz, are brought to the front, with a very well behaved bass that is on the lighter side in quantity, with a very slight mid-bass hump to add to the natural quality and timbre. They are very transparent sounding. They are nice and easy to drive with my HTC10.

Tips: The eartips I choose for the M4 are the Audio technica silicon earbuds. These eartips, with short tight stems, usually enhance the bass a bit, which is why I rarely ever use them, and which is why it is very apt for the M4s slightly bass shy signature. This adds more body to the music. These M4s (and Ocharaku Chonmage 3) are the only IEMs where I use my ATH eartips, and I thank them immensely for making these eartips useful.

Bass:
With the stock tips, the bass, especially the sub bass, doesn’t show itself very easily. Although you can hear it playing down low with soft impact. However, this is remedied to a significant extent when using ATH tips. These enhance the bass and bring more sub-bass impact to the fore – meaning to a neutral level. The mid bass is ever so slightly above neutral with a little bump. This adds more body and musicality to the music without which the IEM would sound downright analytical and flat.

The bass is more about quality than quantity, and in short very well behaved. The drums sound great, with natural timbre. The detailing is not very aggressive, but very decent nonetheless.

Mids:
The mids are the main players here. They are up front. They display impressive details in the music and are very transparent. The vocals are perfectly done. Both male and female vocals stand out and capture the listener’s attention. In my experience, Advanced always does vocals well. You can perceive all the breaths the singers take, the sighs they make and what-not. You can easily perceive all the different instruments used in the song. They also show impressive instrument separation for a sub 40 dollar IEM.

Treble:
The lower treble is accented. The presence region throws a lot of details to your face. There is no sibilance whatsoever. The flute floats up high, the cymbals soar in the soundstage, and they splash about to satisfaction. Above 10 Khz they start dropping gradually. Nothing alarming. Although the micro details are there to a good level, they aren’t mindblowing like etymotic or some high-end stuff. It’s all very decent and very very nicely done, and it’s really awesome when you think they are less than 40 dollars.

Now, let’s do some interesting comparisons with Japan’s sub-50 super-stars.


Advanced M4 (~$39) vs Final E2000 (~$36)
Why? Final E2000 is the latest rage in amazing value for money. Let’s see how the M4 stands against the even cheaper E2000.

M4 isolates better because of its closed back design vs the open back of E2000. Both have light aluminium housings. M4 has better build and more durable wires. M4 needs a little more juice to feel the bass.

Switching from M4 to E2000, I can’t help notice the different approach they took in tuning their earpieces. The M4 is much flatter than the E2000. E2000 is warmer and bassier in comparison, but it manages to be bassy and still avoids bleeding into the midrange. The M4 doesn’t sugar coat the output and tries to present exactly what is produced.

Switching from M4 to E2000, it feels like a bunch of noise and sounds were eliminated in the E2000. It appears so because the background of the E2000 is black. This black backdrop is typical of Final earphones which makes their earphones so musical, IMO. With E2000, the sounds are so localised and the decay is so tastefully done that they have their own little space and time in the stage. They appear and disappear into the blackness that they spawned from. This gives a certain magical aspect to the E2000 making them immensely enjoyable. The musical nuances in the treble region are presented very subtly and delicately, which upon noticing fills the listener with awe and enjoyment. The highs have more shimmer as well. The timbre of E2000 is also spot on. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the E2000 chooses to sacrifice certain micro-details to achieve this presentation. The M4 is a more transparent phone in comparison, while the E2000 is a smooth operator.

The M4, as marketed, is tuned like a monitor. It presents as much sounds as it can reproduce, faithfully, to the listener so he can have a look at them. The soundstage of the M4 is similar to other monitoreque earphones, like Etymotic, where the music is presented in a two dimensional space. The soundstage of the E2000 is very dynamic and has more depth.

If you want musical enjoyment, with extra bass and subtle high frequencies, you must go for E2000. If you want use earphones for monitoring and mixing, go for the M4s. It doesn’t differentiate between different frequencies, you can’t go wrong with this.

Advanced M4 (~$39) vs Donguri Shizuku (~$39)
Why? Same price
Drivability is the same. Build quality is also pretty much the same. Advanced provides more accessories.

These 2 earphones sound much similar than different. Both are super transparent, have a similar overall signature. Donguri has more bass impact, it has a slightly bigger mid bass hump, very nicely done. And, the Donguri unit also has a more accented presence-region, throwing a lot of shimmer on the highs. This gives the Shizuku a taller stage, and a more fun experience. You can’t help falling in love with the bell-like quality of the highs. The Shizuku model also sounds clearer compared the M4.

Moving from M4 to Shizuku, it sounds like every instrument and sound has better definition. Not by a big margin, but you can perceive the extra clarity. Separation is slightly better in Shizuku as well. M4 has slightly thicker notes in comparison and has a more earthy feel to it. The male vocals are more authentic in M4, whereas in Shizuku (like all donguri models) they appear to have a higher pitch. Donguri is better suited for female vocals.

M4 is the more balanced and more linear phone, but Shizuku has its own advantages. M4 is better suited to monitoring as the highs aren’t exaggerated. Shizuku, if you’re predominantly listening to female vocals and if you you love some treble.

Advanced M4 (~$39) vs ATH LS50 (~$50)
Why? Let’s see how it stacks against ATH’s 50 dollar IEM.

Drivability is easier with LS50 compared to M4. Build is slightly better in the M4, but you got the detachable cable on the LS50.

These two are more different than similar. Switching from M4 to LS50, you perceive more bass in the LS50, and highs are also brought forward. LS50 is evidently a more towards a V shaped or W shaped tuning with vocals brought to the front. Some instruments pop up better than others in the ATH tuning. The sound is a little coloured. The highs in LS50 drops earlier than M4. Sound definition and clarity is slightly better with the M4. It also brings out more micro-details compared to the ATH unit.

Mids of the LS50 are a little muddled in comparison. M4 comes across as the cleaner phone.
Overall, I would say the M4 is a better model (for my preferences)

Overall Sound rating of Advanced M4:
Vocals 4/5
Soundstage 4/5
Instrument Separation 4/5
Details 4/5
Timbre 4/5

Conclusion –
A great stepping stone to neutral signature. You cannot get better balanced sounding earphones for this money. Without much damage to your wallet you can check and confirm if your taste lies is towards neutral signature or not. I don’t know of any other IEM that ticks so many boxes at this price range. A very, very decent analytical phone that sounds natural. These have great build quality and comfort. I have a number of more expensive neutral earphones, but these still get a good amount of ear time because they are comfy, can take a beating, and they sound good enough. I truly appreciate Advanced for going for such a mature tuning in its first model. I can’t wait to get my hands on their next offering.

Video review:



INTRODUCTION

If you are someone that is on a strict budget but wants to experience high fidelity on the go, what I am about to reveal to you is a product made just for this purpose. It may not have the most detail or emphasis in the lows, mids or highs. It will not sound mind blowing or anything special but what is amazing is that, you can listen to your music without much coloration added. Without compromise….

DISCLAIMER

The M4 was sent to me by ADVANCED for review purposes. As usual my review will contain no bias.

ABOUT ADVANCED

Whoever wrote this obviously a poet or something because I almost cried. Mainly because it fell under what I am trying to bring to my viewers a lot more. They present themselves as such:

It was for the love of music. It was the respect for all musicians of the past, present and future. It was for the struggling instrumental buried under the heavy bass line. It was for the audiophiles craving that crystal clear and mind-blowing detail. We wanted to bring the ultimate aural experience in a package that is simply affordable for everyone - because we believe that everyone deserves good sound.

Our quest for the ultimate sound has just begun. We're working relentlessly with world's renowned audio engineers that have brought some of the best sound to the market as well as local and global musicians in different genres ranging from hard rock, hip-hop, EDM to jazz for that advanced sound.

We are fully focused in packaging and delivering this superior audio in the most durable and the most comfortable chassis.

SPECS

Divers: Titanium coated 8.5mm dynamic drivers

Driver Unit Custom-tuned Single Dynamic Drivers

Impedance 16 Ohm+/-15%

Sensitivity 92dB+/-3dB at 1kHz

Frequency Response 20Hz – 20kHz

Rated Power Input 1mW

Max. Input Power 5mW

Cord length 1.36M

Plug 3.5mm Gold Plated

BUILD QUALITY

This is where this IEM really shines. If the sound will not blow your mind for $40 then build quality certainly will. Let us look at the accessories first.

Accessories

1 pair of Comply Foam tips (TX-400 medium)

3 pairs of black dual-flange tips (s/m/l)

3 pairs of black silicone tips (s/m/l)

3 pairs of white silicone tips (s/m/l)

1 premium carrying pouch

1 cord shirt clip

you can see that they added the comply foams, which is a third-party foam that an individual has get after purchasing an IEM with crappy tips. Even the Noble x came with crappy tips and we had to do some tip rolling. Thank you for adding in the comply foams that work on most peoples’ ears out of the box.

Now, the cable is something you would see in a more expensive pair of IEMs. It is fully braided and THICK. It screams quality and I really hoped that it can be detached because I wanted to use it for other IEMs but…. It is not detachable. Anyhow, the cable is fantastic quality for the price.

The housing itself it soft and almost feels like metal or aluminum. Not 100% sure but it is almost hard to tell because it is too soft for a metal and it is too robust for it to be plastic. Whatever the case may be, it is going to last you sometime.

PRACTIALLY

This IEM would be something I would recommend my university friends that are not audiophiles because of its cheap price point and what you get for it. With the comply foams, there was much more isolation, however even with the normal tips included, the sound isolation was enough to be used in quiet places like the library and loud places like the gym. And of course, the design is very minimalistic.

SOUND QUALITY



Rather on the neutral side of things with I bit of boost in the vocal presence area. There is not much to talk about in terms of sound. The bass is there and so it the mids and highs but none of them is overly emphasized in audible terms.

Final Thoughts

Fantastic for the price. I could have not asked for more in this price range. Perhaps one of the best bang for the buck IEMs out there.