Being in this hobby has been full of ups and downs. I have seen planars like oBravo Cupids which were highly divisive at the time at their launch and I still have them in my collection. Then came the classic TinHifi P1, something that people still look for in the Pre-Loved sections. I have been lucky enough to have used mostly all of the Planars that i could have managed to get my hands on . Off-late, the S12 has been my favorite. However MP145 is here to lay stake to the top tier Planars that i have used and that is what i am going to explain in this review.

Before we go any further, the MP145 has been forwarded to me by Hidizs as a part of the India tour. The thoughts, however, are my own and are not, by any chance, influenced.

Build Quality:
Constructed with premium materials, the MP145 exudes durability and reliability. Its robust build ensures longevity, making it a worthy investment for audiophiles seeking long-term satisfaction.



Comfort:
Thanks to its ergonomic design, the MP145 offers a comfortable fit for prolonged usage. The included selection of ear tips ensures a personalized fit for every listener, enhancing both comfort and sound isolation.

Portability:
With its compact form factor and included carrying case, the MP145 is the perfect companion for music enthusiasts on the move. Whether commuting, traveling, or simply enjoying music on the go, this IEM delivers uncompromising performance wherever you are.

Source: FiiO M11S




Sound Signature
The MP145 boasts a balanced sound signature that caters to audiophiles seeking clarity, detail, and depth in their music. Let's delve into its performance across the highs, mids, and lows:

Highs:
The high frequencies on the MP145 are nothing short of mesmerizing. With its extended treble response and exceptional clarity, every shimmering cymbal crash and delicate string pluck is rendered with precision and finesse. There's a sense of airiness and openness in the highs that adds a layer of excitement to any track without ever veering into harshness or sibilance. The White filter is the one if you are a treble-freak.

Mids:
The midrange on the MP145 is where its true magic unfolds. Vocals are presented with a lifelike presence, conveying emotion and nuance with astonishing realism. Instruments come alive with clarity and texture, allowing listeners to discern every subtle detail in the music. Whether it's the warm timbre of a guitar or the rich resonance of a piano, the MP145 reproduces midrange frequencies with captivating authenticity. It also goes without saying that it hughe;y depends on the source as well. The rose gold filter is the way to go for Mids.

Lows:
In the realm of bass, the MP145 strikes a perfect balance between impact and control. The lows are deep, powerful, and well-defined, providing a solid foundation for any genre of music. From the thumping kick drums of electronic dance tracks to the resonant basslines of jazz and hip-hop, the MP145 delivers bass with authority and precision, never overpowering or muddy. The red filter offers you more bass slams but then mids also gets recessed so if you love mids, go for the Rose Gold Filter.



Included Filters:
One of the standout features of the MP145 is its customizable sound tuning system, which includes three interchangeable filters: Bass Boost, Reference, and Treble Boost. Each filter offers a unique sonic profile, allowing users to tailor the sound signature to their preferences: My Favorite is the RoseGold(Balanced) Filter

Bass Boost(Red): This filter enhances the low frequencies, providing a more pronounced bass response for those who crave extra impact and warmth in their music.
Balanced(Rose Gold): The reference filter maintains a neutral, balanced sound signature, faithfully reproducing the artist's intended sound without any coloration or alteration.
Treble Boost(White): The treble boost filter accentuates the high frequencies, adding sparkle and brilliance to the sound while maintaining clarity and detail.

With these interchangeable filters, users can effortlessly customize their listening experience to suit different genres, moods, and preferences, making the MP145 a versatile companion for every musical journey.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Hidizs MP145 IEM is a true masterpiece of audio engineering. With its balanced sound signature, customizable filters, and premium build quality, it sets a new standard for portable audio excellence. Whether you're a discerning audiophile or a casual music lover, the MP145 promises an immersive and captivating listening experience that will leave you spellbound.

Tin Hifi needs no introduction. Already a legend in the field with the evergreen Tin Hifi T2, they have been constantly churning out revisions/iterations on the famed T2. While others may have been a hit or a miss, T3 Plus has managed to hit the ball out of the ballpark.

Disclaimer:

The Unit has been sent by my friends at Hifigo.com in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. You can buy the same by clicking here and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M2QWLMZ/tin+hifi+t3+plus/

Build and Fit:

The shells are resin-made and the faceplates have some very nice textures to them and smacked in the middle is the logo for TinHifi.

This time Tin Hifi has gone for a more traditional approach for the shape of the iem and that has allowed the shell to be easier to fit and no-stress-build for a longer listening session. Also, there was no driver flex noticed in my unit.



Technical Specifications:

• Latest generation 10mm dynamic driver with LCP diaphragm.
• Double-cavity design.
• Built-in high-performance magnetic architecture.
• Impedance: 32Ω±15%.
• Sensitivity: 105±3dB.
• Frequency response range: 10Hz-20kHz.
• Termination plug: 3.5mm gold-plated plug.
• Rated power: 3mW.
• Max power: 5mW.
• Max distortion: 1%@1kHz.

Sources:

• Ifi Nano BL
• Avani Dongle DAC
• Abigail Dongle DAC
• Shanling M2X
• Samsung S10

Sound Impressions:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Mehram from Coke Studio 14 (
  )
• Chakora from Mirzya (
  )
• Pardesi from Dev D (
  )
• Bandeh (Times of Music Version) (
  )
• Gustakh Dil from English Vinglish (
  )
• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )

The first track is my current favorite. The heavy bassline and the Cello notes come out as they are intended to. Punchy and Fast. This track has excellent sub-bass and can be used to test any em that you want to. And believe me, the sub-bass was sweet on T3 plus while being run on Nano BL.

The second track can be used to test clutter in an iem alongside testing the bass response. I never felt that T3 plus was unable to do justice to the track.

The Third track, a classic in its own right, has excellent bass punches to it. The synths and the sitar in the track are a deadly combo and present an excellent picture of a fun track that has been mixed and mastered so well that T3 Plus just loves to play it. The Punch is hard and the decay is swift. Again, nice job Tin Hifi.

The Fourth track, is a reimagining of the famed Bandeh by the Indian Ocean, by Sneha Khanwalkar. The bass line of the track has been excellently covered by the T3 plus and I loved this track so much that I repeated the track at least five times.

The Fifth track and the sixth tack will say the same.



Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Tere Bina from Guru (
  )
• Jaane Kya Dhoondhta Hai from Sur (The Melody of Life) (
  )
• Ajib Dastan Hai Ye from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (
  )
• Alvida from D-Day (
  )
• Mehndi Hai Rachnewali from Zubeidaa (
  )

Mids are extremely comfortable on T3 Plus. They are balanced, engaging, and natural. The good this is that the mids are not too forward. They are placed just right to sound great on whatever track you throw at them. The vocals are lush and warm. Track 5 and track 3 are the best examples of the vocals.

Track 1 and Track 3, I use them to test male vocals. The Male vocals are covered excellently and they never were shouty for once and nor were they lean.



Highs:

Test Tracks:

• Bada Dukh Dina O Ramji from Ram Lakhan (
  )
• Beat of Passion from Taal (
  )
• Passenger Side by Wico (
  )
• Beautiful beat by Nada Surf (
  )
• (Nice Dream) by Radiohead (
  )

The highs are well extended, but they are not sibilant. This may be because of my primary source ifi Nano BL. The smooth treble allowed me to have long and fatigue-free listening sessions with T3 Plus. This does not mean the treble extensions are bad in any way. There is ample extension and ample air. However, the layering maybe is not that good.

Soundstage and Imaging:

The Stage is wide enough but it lacks depth. T3 Plus never feels congested and has sufficient air.



Comparison with Tripowin Mele:

Mele has been another sleeper hit in the circuit with people praising its tuning a lot. It is natural to compare Mele with T3 Plus.

The overall signature of Mele is Warmish with emphasis on bass response. The Slams are harder and punchier in Mele. The sub-bass is also better presented in Mele. But, T3 plus is no slouch either. It has a better balance going in its favor. The vocals are also better on T3 Plus. Highs are better presented on T3 Plus.

So…Chose as per your liking. My Pick... T3 Plus for its balanced performance.

Conclusions:

With so many good options under 100$, T3 plus had its task cut out, but I am glad to report that this is one of the very best options under 100$ that gives you ample bass, great balance, and natural timbre.

While I have owned and loved BQEYZ Spring 2, I never published a review for the same. Autumn is now in my hands and while I write this review, I must really commend BQEYZ for switching gears and opting for a totally unexpected Driver configuration (Spring 2 was 1DD,1BA, and 1 Piezo, while Autumn is a Single DD-based IEM). The switch has really worked wonders in this case.

The unit has been Provided by Elle Zhou in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Technical Specification:

• Large 13mm dynamic driver.
• Dual-cavity acoustic structure.
• Replaceable tuning vents with a magnetic structure.
• Professional tuning delivers pure sound with a wide soundstage.
• 5-Axis CNC machined metallic ear cavities.
• Ergonomic and comfortable.
• High-quality silver-plated and copper hybrid cable.
• Impedance: 46Ω.
• Sensitivity: 110dB.
• Frequency response range: 7Hz-40kHz
• Standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors.
• Available in three different plug options: 2.5mm/4.4mm/3.5mm

Build and Fit:

The Build is excellent. The shells are made of CNC and that gives Autumn a sturdy yet lightweight feel to it. I have used Autumn for long listening hours and never faced any discomfort.




Source:

• Shanling M2X
• Samsung S10
• Avani Dongle DAC
• Abigail Dongle DAC
• IfI Nano BL
• Sony Discman

Sound Impressions:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan by Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
  )
• Cold Heart By Elton John and Dua Lipa (
  )
• Levitating By Dua Lipa (
  )
• Marhaba From Janasheen (
  )
• I'll do the talking Tonight from Agent Vinod (
  )
• Naughty Naughty From Cash (
  )

Autumn is one of the best tuned IEMs for lows. On Normal Filter, the bass has textures and enough technical details aligned to it. If you need that overpowering Bass, all you need to do is switch the filters with Bass Filters and then play the tracks I mentioned above, and you will understand exactly what I mean. The Quality is more or less the same but the quantity…OOH LA LA…just too good. That rumble, that punch will pull you in and will never let you go.

In short, with a single swap of filter, you go from neutral sound to Basshead sound and quite frankly I have not seen this on any other IEM.



Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Kaho na Kaho from Murder (
  )
• Mann Tu Talbat From Super Star (
  )
• Chupke Se From Saathiya (
  )
• Hey Pillagaada From Fidaa (
  )
• Oo Chandruda From Hey Pillagaada (
  )
• Kallolam From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )
• My Lovely Lalana From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )
• Tum Itna Jo Muskura rahe Ho by Jagjit SIngh (
  )
• Shaam se Aankh Me Nami Si Hai By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Aasmani rang By Bhupinder & Chitra (
  )
• Pani Pani Re By Lata Mangeshkar (
  )

Mids… When used on Normal Filters, the mids are balanced in profile. They are not recessed or forward. Usually, with Basshead level sound, mids get a bit dulled out, but not here. The Vocals are lush with both the Female and Male vocals sounding as natural as they can. The upper mids are controlled as well and there is no bass bleed observed. Although the mids do lose some stage with Bass Filters. There is decent separation when you use Natural filters.

SO…Jagjit Singh and Bhupinder Singh sound as natural as they can. Autumn will take you on a journey of Ghazals for as long as you are willing to give your time.

On a side note, do listen to some ghazals. It will relax your emotions or maybe bring them out, depending on what emotional state you are in.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• In you Eyes (
  )
• Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins (
  )
• Hold Me Now by Thomson Twins (
  )
• True by Spandue Ballet (
  )
• The Funeral By band of Horses (
  )
• No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses (
  )
• Simple Song by The Shins (
  )
• Chasing Cars By Snow Patrols (
  )
• This Modern Love By Bloc Party (
  )

So about Highs… Autumn will be a pleasure to use for all those who are treble sensitive. The Highs have no sudden peaks and at the same time, they extend very nicely. You will not feel that Autumn has missed any notes in the higher frequencies. And All this, I have experienced on the Bass Filter. When I used the Treble Filters, the feel became a bit airier, the notes become clearer, the extensions reach a bit further. The Overall Experience of the highs is very coherent with the other bands and the Team at BQEYZ should be commended for the very exceptional job done here.



Soundstage and Imaging:

As I have already mentioned, the separation could have been better, but that is mostly nitpicking on my part. The Soundstage is decent enough, with instruments that have very well laid out placements. The imaging is also good, and it had sufficient air and micro-dynamics included. The soundstage had height and depth but what it lacked was width, but when the treble filter is used, the separation became a bit wider.

Comparisons:

With Yuan Li:

While Yuan Li is an excellent IEM and it has better tonality and vocals when compared with Autumn, I felt, Autumn, has a better separation and imaging when I did A/B test on the same tracks and on the same source. The bass response was also better on Autumn, So I rate Yuan Li a 4 out of 5, Autumn will be 4.5 out of 5.

With Ikko OH10:

With the same bass response and metal build, OH10 is an obvious choice for comparison. Autumn is lighter in weight, easier in fit, has a better cable included in the package. OH10 has better mids but in Highs, when I used the Treble filter, Autumn trumped OH10 easily. So I rate OH10 a 3.5 out of 5 and Autumn, 4.5 out of 5.

Conclusions:

Autumn has turned out to be the best product from the stable of BQEYZ. If you love:

• Matured Bass response.
• Great and Textured Mids.
• Well extended yet non-fatiguing Highs.
• Ease of really useful Magnetic filters.

Then Yes, I recommend Autumn.

Disclaimer:

S3 Pro was provided by folks over at Hifigo.com in exchange for my honest opinions. The following review is an amalgamation of all my experiences and thoughts on the Device. You can buy the S3 pro by clicking here.

Technical Specifications:

• Dimensions 20*10*90mm
• Net Weight Approximately 6g
• MQA Support X8
• Sampling Rate Indicator Light Supported
• D/A Chip ESS ES9281C PRO
• Sampling Frequency Up to 32Bit/384kHz
• DSD Up to 128
• Output Single-ended 3.5mm headphone port
• Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise 0.0008%
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio 117dB
• Channel Separation 70dB
• Frequency Response 20Hz-40kHz (±0.1dB)
• Output Power LR 55mW@32Ω 3.5mm SE
• Power Connector Type-C
• Supported Systems Windows 10, Mac OS, iPad OS, Android, iOS or newer systems.
• (For iOS users, the Lightning OTG cable has to be purchased separately)

Firmware:

Three firmware –

• Transparent treble, bright, clean, crisp, and detailed.
• Tonal balance with a pure pleasing sound.
• More prominent bass with incredible elasticity and a phenomenal depth.

LED indicator lights up in different colors, synchronized with the sampling rate of the currently played track:

• Red: 44.1k-48k
• Blue: 88.2k-384k
• Pink: MQA

Test Setup:

• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Shanling M2X
• Windows Laptop via USB-C port
• IEM: Fiio FD3 Pro, Fiio FH5, Kinera Skuld, Yuan Li

Sound Impressions:

Test Tracks:

Mids:

• Raavan by Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
  )
• Cold Heart By Elton John and Dua Lipa (
  )
• Levitating By Dua Lipa (
  )
• Marhaba From Janasheen (
  )
• I'll do the talking Tonight from Agent Vinod (
  )
• Naughty Naughty From Cash (
  )

Track One: My Favorite Track, the bass slams in the tracks were felt with a full-bodied quantity and punch. There was ample depth experienced when I used FD3 Pro for this track, with S3 Pro. The mid-bass was also more controlled and the overall experience for the tack was elevated. Although when compared with paw S1, you will feel S3 pro lacks the final punch that Paw S1 offers

Track Two: A classic by A.R.Rahman, this track never fails to amaze. Same observations as with the Track One. The Punch is present and will satisfy the needs of many but if you are running the dac on Profile 2 which is for Tonal balance then you will feel Bass slams are lacking.

Mids:

• Kaho na Kaho from Murder (
  )
• Mann Tu Talbat From Super Star (
  )
• Chupke Se From Saathiya (
  )
• Hey Pillagaada From Fidaa (
  )
• Oo Chandruda From Hey Pillagaada (
  )
• Kallolam From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )
• My Lovely Lalana From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )
• Tum Itna Jo Muskura rahe Ho by Jagjit SIngh (
  )
• Shaam se Aankh Me Nami Si Hai By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Aasmani rang By Bhupinder & Chitra (
  )
• Pani Pani Re By Lata Mangeshkar (
  )

The mids are natural and not forwarding sounding. At the same time, they are not recessed as well. Use any of the tracks above and you will feel that the mids are full-bodied and they present themselves with excellent textures.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• In you Eyes (
  )
• Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins (
  )
• Hold Me Now by Thomson Twins (
  )
• True by Spandue Ballet (
  )
• The Funeral By band of Horses (
  )
• No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses (
  )
• Simple Song by The Shins (
  )
• Chasing Cars By Snow Patrols (
  )
• This Modern Love By Bloc Party (
  )

Treble is well extended and transparent. Highs never became sibilant during the course of my review. There was enough resolution in the highs and the pairing was very decent, to say the least. The separation was also decent and instruments like Guitar or Cello sounded life-like.

Conclusion:

While S3 pro is one of the smallest dongles I have used, it does heat up at prolonged usage. It struggles to drive power-hungry IEMs or HP, but it unfolds MQA up to 8 times, has compatibility with multiple options and yes, it is priced very competitively. It should be more than enough to satisfy your cravings.

Disclaimer:

DH5 has been sent by BGVP in exchange for my honest opinions. The following review is a summary of my subjective thoughts and listening experience.



The First-ever BGVP that I experienced was the DM6, which I loved very much, then came DM7, again a good product, DN2 (a controversial iem at the time), and now DH5. This one has a hybrid setup with 4 BA plus 1 DD. On paper, the setup is good enough, but in the real world, how good is it?



Technical Specifications and Features:

• Powerful five-driver hybrid configuration.
• 10mm beryllium-plated diaphragm dynamic driver unit.
• Four high-performance Balanced Armature drivers(2 from Knowles+2 custom BA units).
• Three-way frequency distribution for distortion-free, clean sound reproduction.
• 3D-printed medical-grade resin ear shells.
• Wooden face covers.
• High-purity 6N silver-plated OCC cable.
• Impedance: 19 ohm.
• Sensitivity: 119dB/mW.
• Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.
• Frequency response range: 10Hz-40kHz.
• THD+N: ≤0.5%.
• Rated power: 8mW.

Build and Fit:

The resin-built shells are lightweight and sturdy. The fit was good for me and the isolation was OK.



Sound Impressions:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan by Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Little Little From Atrangi Re (
  )
• Srivalli From Puspha – The Rise (
  )
• Tha Kar Ke From Golmaal Returns (
  )
• Bheega Bheega From Chocolate (
  )

So…the 10mm Beryllium Driver is responsible for the lows in DH5 and sadly, the lows aren't what I expected. I am not sure why, but the Beryllium driver is not tuned like one. The last BE driver that I heard was Kbear Believe and that was impressive.

Track 1 is full of hard-hitting Bass and the DH5 is unable to catch up with it. DH5 sounds hollow on this one. No Sub-bass, the decay is slow and the punch lacks the energy.

Track 2 current favorite these days and the same continues here. The mid-bass has the same feel as the sub-bass. I am not sure what tuning has been the target here. No Rumble at the near end of the tacks when the dhol comes into the play.

Tracks 3,4 and 5 have the same story.



Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Ek Taraf Uska Ghar By Pankaj Udhas (
  )
• Chandi Jaisa Rang (Live In India, 1984) By Pankaj Udhas (
  )
• Tu Nahin To Zindagi Me Aur kya By Chitra Singh (
  )
• Zindagi Jab Bhi From Umrao Jaan (
  )
• Aye-Dil-E-Nadan, PT 1 From Razia Sultan (
  )

Now… After Lows, comes the Mids. I felt these were muzzled and muddy. Vocals take backstage for me. The imaging is sub-par and Separation is also average. The whole tonality is weird and the natural tone which I look for in an iem, is missing on DH5. Micro-dynamics is also not here.

Mids, overall, have a weird tuning. They sometimes sound clear and sometimes, they are muzzled. The Bas responsible for the Mids are totally missing the point.



Highs:

Test Tracks:

Highs have energy present and so far the only good thing for me has been the highs…The extensions are enough. However, that is the only thing that is good. There was a lot more that DH5 could have accomplished.



Conclusions:

In 75$ range, I will pick TinHifi t3 Plus, or HZ Sound Heartmirror as they have a lot better things to offer despite them being a Single DD-based IEM.

Disclaimer:

The unit was provided was provided by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest opinions. This is not a Paid review. You can buy the same by clicking here.

Technical Specifications:

• Premium ES9281AC DAC Chip.
• Full MQA decoding.
• PCM up to 32-Bit/768kHz decoding.
• DSD512 decoding.
• Premium Crystal Oscillator.
• Compact and lightweight.
• Multi-color LED notification.
• THD+N: 0.0004%.
• Frequency response: 20Hz-40kHz.
• SNR: 118dB.
• Output type: 3.5mm single-ended.
• Output power: ≥30mW(16Ω), ≥62mW(32Ω), ≥7mW(600Ω).

The LED indicator details:

• Red: 44.1/48kHz PCM
• Blue: 88kHz – 384 kHz PCM
• Green: 705 – 768kHz PCM
• Yellow: DoP
• White: DSD Native
• Magenta: MQA

Build:

One Word for the Build…Excellent! The Body is made of steel and there is an attractive red coat on it makes it a fingerprint magnet as well. Rest…All is good.

Chain used:

Samsung Galaxy S10>UAPP/Neutron Player>Kinera Skuld/Kinera Norn/T3 Plus/Yuan Li and a few more.

Power:

Needless to say that all of these IEMs were relatively easy to drive and I have not tested any HP on Atom 2. I faced no issues while driving these IEMs.



Sound Impressions:

Bass:

The Bass is in great shape. Atom 2 adds Depth and Quality to the Bass response of the IEMs. The mid-bass is given a textured presence and also the bass doesn’t overpower the mids at all. So, there is that. Sub-bass became tighter as well. The rumbles were strong enough for me.

Mids:

The Mids are in balanced mode as well. Since there is no bass bleed, the vocals come out cleanly. The busy tracks were handled with ease and there was no congestion whatsoever. The separation was on point as well and the was sufficient air as well. Overall…Atom 2 has tight control over mIds as well.

Highs:

The Treble extension is handled diligently by Atom 2. This also depends on the chain that you are using but for all the IEMs that I used I felt that treble was well extended and non-fatiguing as well. So, a smooth presentation on the higher end.

Imaging and Technicalities:

As mentioned earlier, the imaging is great, the staging is wide, and the imaging is on-point.

Conclusion:

In the jungle of so many dongle dacs, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a separate identity. Atom 2 has managed to do that with an extremely compact design and enough zing to drive most of the IEMs. You can go for Atom 2 if you are looking for:

• Good addition in Bass.
• Clean Mids.
• Smooth Treble.
• MQA.
• DSD512

Moondrop has introduced their current flagship, Kato, after their last impressive KXXS. This new entry has many new things, like a new cable, a set of newly created Tips, Interchangeable nozzles. This is getting really interesting now.

Disclaimer:

The Unit was provided by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest opinions. You can buy Kato by clicking here.

Build and Fit:

Kato is a metal build iem and the shiny exterior is prone to fingerprints and scratches. But…they sure are a looker (when not touched!)

The fit was extremely comfortable for me and I had no issues while using the iem for longer listening sessions.




Technical Specifications:

• Newly Developed ULT Super Linear Dynamic Driver.
• 3rd Generation DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) Composite Diaphragm.
• Interchangeable Nozzle Design.
• 3rd Generation Patented Anti-Blocking Acoustic Filter.
• Newly Designed Spring Silicone Ear Tips.
• Professional Tuning Following VDSF Target Response.
• High-Quality Copper Thick Silver-Plated Cable.
• Gold-Plated 2-pin 0.78mm Connectors.

Source:

• Ifi nano BL.
• Avani Dongle dac
• Abigail Dongle dac
• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Sony Discman.

Please note that I was only provided with the Silver Nozzle and all my impressions are based on the same.

Sound Impressions:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan by Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
  )
• Cold Heart By Elton John and Dua Lipa (
  )
• Levitating By Dua Lipa (
  )
• Marhaba From Janasheen (
  )
• I'll do the talking Tonight from Agent Vinod (
  )
• Naughty Naughty From Cash (
  )

I mean…wow…The Bass…wow. If you get the Kato, please use the above tracks and you will get the feeling. The bass is just so yummy. It is not boomy but it is punchy. It doesn’t bleed but it elevates the overall experience of the iem but hits you with just the right quality of the bass. It is like getting high with the Manali Cream. The sub-bass is excellent, the mid-bass is great. The Decay is fast.

Overall, you will be impressed.




Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Kaho na Kaho from Murder (
  )
• Mann Tu Talbat From Super Star (
  )
• Chupke Se From Saathiya (
  )
• Hey Pillagaada From Fidaa (
  )
• Oo Chandruda From Hey Pillagaada (
  )
• Kallolam From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )
• O My Lovely Lalana From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )
• Tum Itna Jo Muskura rahe Ho by Jagjit SIngh (
  )
• Shaam se Aankh Me Nami Si Hai By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Aasmani rang By Bhupinder & Chitra (
  )
• Pani Pani Re By Lata Mangeshkar (
  )

Mids are warm and natural. The vocals have a full-bodied presentation, and they are a bit forward however they are not shouty at all. The male vocals shine and the female vocals are lagging a bit behind the male vocals. The reason may be the slight peak in the upper mids.

The Ghazal tracks that I have shared here sound exquisite on Kato and the female vocals are good but a bit of shine is missing here.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• In you Eyes (
  )
• Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins (
  )
• Hold Me Now by Thomson Twins (
  )
• True by Spandue Ballet (
  )
• The Funeral By band of Horses (
  )
• No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses (
  )
• Simple Song by The Shins (
  )
• Chasing Cars By Snow Patrols (
  )
• This Modern Love By Bloc Party (
  )

Highs are smoothened out as they are done in most of the Moondrop house IEMs. Despite that, there is ample energy in the treble region that helps in detail retrieval and micro-dynamics. The treble extends as well given the source is not a warm one. Some may feel a lack of energy in the upper treble region but seeing all the other good stuff that Kato does, it should hardly be of any concern for most of the users.

Soundstage and Imaging:

The soundstage is wide and deep. The height is missing but the overall soundstage is excellent. Imaging is very good as well and the instrument separation is on-point as well.

Conclusion:

I am yet to try Hana 2021, once I do I will add a comparison part as well, but for now, to conclude, Kato manages to hit so many right notes that I will be loved by one and all. The smooth sound of Kato is suitable for My playlist and should be enough for others as well and this one is a keeper.

Disclaimer:

The Unit was provided to me by conceptkart.com in exchange for my honest opinions. You can get the same by clicking here.

Technical Specifications:

• Flagship Dual DAC chipset(2xCS43198).
• High-Gate-Count FPGA Chip.
• Low-power MCU chip.
• Super-Clean Output.
• Ultra-Low background noise.
• Dual high-power amplification chip.
• Balanced 4.4mm Headphone output.
• Single-ended 3.5mm headphone output.
• SPDIF output(3.5mm).
• Low-power consumption.
• Easy firmware upgrade.
• Output power up to 230mW @ 32ohms.

In The Box:

• USB-C to USB-C Cable
• USB-C to Lightning cable
• USB-C to USB-A adaptor
• Luxury and Precision W2
• Warranty Card
• Manual

Design & Build Quality:

The Design is more on the functional side. There is a volume control and function control on the right side. USB C-Type port on the top and two output ports (3.5 mm and 4.4 mm) on the bottom. There is also a screen smacked at the front and the back is plain. The build is top-notch.






Usability:

When you plug the device, the following things are visible:

• Volume Level.
• Format.
• Sample rate.
• The EQ was used.

Upon hitting the menu option, the first thing that opens up is EQ and I have always used “Normal” in the EQ. The Next click on the menu button gives you SDF Which has the following options:

• Beyerdynamic Xelento.
• Shure SE846.
• Sennheiser IE800s.
• Normal.

The Third click gives you Gain Setting. Two options:

• High.
• Low

The Forth click gives you FLT and the following options are available:

• NOS
• LL Slow
• LL fast
• Slow
• Fast

I always used NOS

The Fifth Click gives you SPDIF on the 3.5 connector. I had no use for the SPDIF options so cannot comment on the use of it.

The Sixth click gives you Display options. Two options: Manual or Auto Off.

The Seventh Clisck gives you HID On/Off. When off, the physical volume buttons on W2 controls the overall volume. When on, the phone’s volume control is responsible for the overall control

The Eight Click gives you Tune. Two options: Tune 01(Gentle) and Tune 02(Refined). I preferred Tune 02 as it was tighter and

Audio Specs:

• Impedance: 125mw @32Ω for 3.5mm & 230mW @32 Ohms for 4.4mm
• Sensitivity (dB): 131dB
• Source Jack: 3.5mm TRS and 4.4mm TRRS
• EQ profiles: Classical/Jazz/Rock/Pop/Bass/Movie/Game
• Filters: Fast/Slow/NOS/LL Fast/LL Slow
• Audio Formats Supported: MP3/WMA/FLAC/WAV/PCM/DSD/APE

Sound Impressions:

The very first thing to be noticed here is that W2 provides an extremely black background. A clean and consistent signal enhances the listening experience of the user. W2 also gives a full-bodied weight to the sound.

Bass:

Bass, as per me, is the highest-selling point of the W2. Not just quantity, but quality as well. There is a depth present with the bass and yet it never overpowers the other frequencies. Layering, that W2 gives to the IEM, is top-notch, it gives ample detail retrieval to the sound. The Sub-bass is nice and rumbly and of course it depends on the IEM that is paired with W2, if you have an iem that has a good low end, like the Kinera Norn or UM 3DT, you will feel what I am saying.

Mids:

Again, Mids are warm and lush. They have excellent details and layering present…enough to entice all the listeners. It is musical at the same time, it is natural. Vocals are full-bodied and both the female and the male vocals are fully done justice with.

Highs:

Treble has enough energy to it. However, this doesn’t mean the highs are sharp or peaky. It is easy on the ears and at the same time, they extend excellently. It is safe to say that treble is smoothened at the end and the overall treble signature will please everyone.

Conclusion:

W2’s warm and musical presentation will please everyone. It is also, at the same time, a great DAC which has:

• Great Technical prowess.
• Excellent Depth
• Excellent Layering.
• Excellent Detail Retrieval.
• Clean Background for sensitive IEMs.
• Under-powered for full-sized cans.

Who or What is TKZK you ask? Well, it is a new Venture of the Tin HIFI Brand, which needs no introduction. Wave is the first entry in the segment by TKZK and it is a solid one…Why do you ask? Read on…



The Unit was sent by the Brand itself in exchange for my honest opinions.

Features:

• Premium Dual driver hybrid configuration(1DD+1BA).
• Dual voice-coil dynamic driver.
• Customized balanced armature driver.
• Elegant UV Resin ear shells.
• Balanced sound tuning.
• High-purity silver-plated cable.

Technical Specifications:

• Impedance: 22Ω.
• Sensitivity: 110±3dB.
• Frequency response: 10Hz-40kHz.
• Max distortion: 3%@1kHz.
• Standard 0.75mm 2-pin connectors.
• Straight 3.5mm gold-plated termination plug.

Build and Fit:

Wave is made of Resin shells which are slight yet sturdy. The fit is excellent and I had no issues while using them for longer hours. The Faceplate gives an impression of being a raised waveform, but it is a smooth presentation here and the overall look feels premium.




Sources:

• iFi Nano BL
• Avani Dongle dac
• Abigail Dongle dac
• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Sony Discman.

Sound Impressions:

Lows

Test Tracks:

• Don The Theme (
  )
• Perpendicular Theme (
  )
• Hanuman Theme (
  )
• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )
• O Saya From Slumdog Millionaire (
  )

Bass has a nice punch to it. The speed and the decay are fast enough and that gives the lows a good feel to it. Some would say it has more mid-bass presence than sub-bass presence. However, with tips-rolling, the sub-bass made its presence felt. There was sufficient sub-bass rumble present when I paired the iem with nano-bl. There was no bass bleed and the quantity of bass is enough for the average listener, but it will not please a basshead.

Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Kaho na Kaho from Murder (
  )
• Mann Tu Talbat From Super Star (
  )
• Chupke Se From Saathiya (
  )
• Hey Pillagaada From Fidaa (
  )
• Oo Chandruda From Hey Pillagaada (
  )
• Kallolam From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )
• O My Lovely Lalana From Padi Padi Leche Manasu (
  )

Mids…The most important part for me… was not disappointing at all. The Pure neutral approach gives the iem a natural presentation. The Vocals are exact and not forced or over-emphasized at all. The upper-mids have a slight boost but they do not feel out of place or shouty at all. The above tracks…all of them…sounded excellent on the iem. This was the best part of Wave.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• The Funeral By band of Horses (
  )
• No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses (
  )
• Simple Song by The Shins (
  )
• Chasing Cars By Snow Patrols (
  )
• This Modern Love By Bloc Party (
  )

The Highs are extremely well-tuned. TKZK has utilized all their experience from Tin HIFI into tuning the Wave Excellently. The Treble has decent extension and sparkle and yet they sound so sweet and non-fatiguing. There was no sibilance observed at all. There is a slight roll-off at the upper-treble region but then again it was still not harsh. People with sensitive ears…relax…this one is going to please you.




Imaging and Separation.

The Imaging at decent. I felt it had micro-dynamics present as well. The Stage was intimate but it was decent enough for me to enjoy my favorite tracks.

Conclusion:

An excellent first entry in the IEM segment, Wave has many things going right for it:

• Natural Vocals.
• Smooth Treble Presentation.
• Decent bass performance.

Good Job TKZK. I recommend this IEM for new starters in this Field.

First things first…The unit was sent graciously enough by HiFiGo, in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. You buy the same by clicking here.

Now…in this day and age…having a Bluetooth connection…that too an LDAC capable one… is a feature which is very much needed. Xduoo XQ50 pro is one such little beast that will add this awesome feature to your chain.

Build:

XQ50 pro has a black metallic build with an OLED display smacked at the from alongside a power/play-pause button. Long Press the power button after you feed the device power through the USB-C type port at the back and it comes to life. You will also find Optical, COAX, and RCA out at the back and a removable Bluetooth antenna.



Technical Specs:

• Bluetooth V5.0 functionality.
• Flagship Bluetooth Chip From Qualcomm, CSR8675.
• Hi-Res Bluetooth Codecs support including, SBC, AAC, AptX, AptX HD, AptX LL, LDAC.
• High-performance ES9018K2M DAC Chip.
• High-performance CS8406 Conversion Chip.
• THD+N (Optical): 0.00087%.
• THD+N (Coaxial): 0.00087%.
• THD+N (Aux): 0.07%.
• Output Power (Optical): 0.5Vp-p.
• Output Power (Coaxial): 0.5Vp-p.
• Output Power (Aux): 2.5V.
• OLED Display: 128*64 Pixels.
• Size: 10.5cm x 7.6cm x 3.4cm
• Power Input: DC5V/1A.
• USB Input.

Functionality:

You can use XQ50 Pro as a standalone DAC or as a Bluetooth DAC which can be connected to your phone or your laptop. It supports all hi-res codecs including, SBC, AAC, AptX, AptX HD, AptX LL, LDAC. I used it connected as a Bluetooth DAC feeding the stream to my active speakers and I was so happy.

Sound Impressions:

I loved it. The screen shows little details like the track name, the quality of the stream, and the codec being used. There was degradation in the sound quality whatsoever and also there was no coloration noticed as well. The songs were streamed from apple music and the dynamics were on point. The stage was not reduced, and the overall presentation was gorgeous. Clean and good output.



Conclusions:

One small device…one big leap for your chain. Add a good high-quality Bluetooth connection with an OLED display combined with OPT and COAX outputs

Moondrop Sparks has been provided by Hifigo.com in exchange for my honest opinions. You can buy the same by clicking here.

Techincal Specs:

• Bluetooth V5.2 connectivity.
• AptX high-quality Bluetooth transmission.
• VDSF(Virtual Diffuse Sound Field) tuning.
• Touch operation.
• Single/Binaural call.
• Magnetic charging case.
• Three-frequency adjustment.
• High-performance magnetic circuit.
• TWS+ dual transmission.
• Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz.
• Diaphragm: Beryllium-coated Dome+PU suspension ring.
• Coil: 0.035mm-CCAW Daikoku coil.
• Magnetic circuit: Improved high-flux density magnetic circuit+N52 Neodymium magnet.
• Acoustic filter: Patented anti-clogging filter.
• Battery capacity(earpieces): 50mAh.
• Battery capacity(charging case): 700mAh.
• Battery life(earpieces): 8 hours on a single charge, 48 hours with charging case.
• Bluetooth range: up to 10 meters.

Build Quality:

The complete build is made up of ABS/PC and feels very solid. The case is semi-transparent and there is a cool-looking indicator that illuminates it while charging and there is an indicator in both the earbuds as well.



Pairing:

I was unable to pair the TWS on the very first try and then I had to reset it. The second try was successful and after that I faced no issues. Once paired, the range was pretty good and I was able to roam around my house without any dropped connections.





Battery:

The battery life was around 7 hours with mixed usage that included music, movies and calls.

Sound Impressions:

As I said earlier, Sparks TWS has the typical Moondrop house sound which means…this is a natural-sounding TWS with something for everyone.

Lows:

The bass is for the masses here. You will enjoy it. It has a quality punch to it and there is no bass bleed at all. It has a good textured presence, and you will enjoy it with all your favorite tracks. The decay is fast enough and seriously anything that I will say that will bring it down will amount to nitpicking

Mids:

The overall Mids have a pleasing presence and that it does not have anything bleeding into it from the lower frequencies. Vocals are shining and engaging and with a little bit of EQ, it becomes a rockstar.

Highs:

As Coming with a Moondrop signature sound…which means smoothened edges everywhere…trebles were a no brainer for me. No sudden peaks. Guitar twangs are crisp and strong…not piercing at all.

Soundstage and Imaging:

Equipped with a decent soundstage, Sparks TWS will satisfy your cravings with a good clean and wide soundstage.

Imaging was decent as well with no congestions noticed on busy tracks.




Conclusion:

• Natural, clean sound.
• Smooth edges
• Big stage
• Balanced
• Little low on energy.

If you are comfortable with these points…go for Sparks.

See Audio is a relatively new name in the Audiophile game. The Yume, Kaguya, and Neo from them turned out to be excellent items. The following review is to assess where Bravery stands.

The Unit has been graciously sent by See Audio, in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

Technical Specs:

• Specially designed four balanced armature driver configuration.
• Premium range of Knowles and Sonion BA drivers.
• Clean, accurate, and smooth sound reproduction.
• Electronic frequency crossover for smooth distortion-free performance.
• Specially customized 6N OCC Hakugei cable.
• Premium Azla Xelastec Sednafit ear tips.

Build:

Bravery is made of Resin material. This gives them a lightweight feel, yet the iem is very sturdy in nature. The Right shell has the Bravery Logo on it and the Left Shell has See Audio’s logo imprinted on it. This is a 2-pin based iem and the connectors are very snug fit. You will also see an air-vent on the iem. Good Job See Audio on the build.



Source:

• ifi Nano BL
• Avani Dongle dac
• Abigail Dongle dac
• Samsung Dongle Dac
• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Sony Discman

Sound Impressions:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Rabba Rabba from Aks (https://open.qobuz.com/track/80327957)
• Saaki From Musafir (
  )
• Zara Zara Touch Me from Race (
  )
• Cash By Vishal-Shekar (
  )
• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )

The Lows are excellent driven by Bravery. Track 5 is my go-to track for assessing the bass and I was not disappointed at all. Although Bravery does miss the sub-bass rumbles but then it does so much more in the lows that it compensates for it. The bass has a good texture to it and that allows quality presentation. The bass is coherent and controlled and no Bass bleed at all.



Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Dil Ko Tumse Pyar Hua from RHTDM (
  )
• Haule Haule from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (
  )
• Piya From Tanu Weds Manu (
  )
• Khamosh Raat From Takshak (
  )
• Rishtey From Life in a Metro (
  )
• Saathiya From Saathiya (
  )
• Dil Gira Dafatan From Delhi-6 (
  )

Bravery as intimate mids, with natural timbre elevating the experience by multiple folds. Vocals are Lush and the overall tone is warmish. The upper mids have an energy to them and that lends the overall note a good output. Dynamics were excellent with Nano BL, although I felt, Bravery Missed a few macro-details but the whole mid-frequency body gives it a U-shaped presentation. Also... the vocals are not recessed and they are not smacked in the front as well. They are positioned just perfect for my taste

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• The Funeral By band of Horses (
  )
• No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses (
  )
• Simple Song by The Shins (
  )
• Chasing Cars By Snow Patrols (
  )
• This Modern Love By Bloc Party (
  )

The Highs are energetic yet smooth and non-fatiguing. No sibilance was observed at all with Bravery. The Upper treble has enough extension to give Bravery a nice coherent setup. There is enough detailing in the resulting output and ample air is present, still, the stage is somewhat intimate but they do not sound restricted at all. The busy tracks are taken care of, with an ease of a TOTL item and that left me impressed.



Soundstage and Imaging:

As stated earlier, the stage is somewhat intimate, which means the width is average however the height and the depth are good enough, at least what I could feel with my gear. The overall presentation is decent with a few in-your-face vocals.

The imaging is decent as well. It is precise and the details are excellent. Layering is excellent but since it misses those macro details, you may feel like it misses being the ‘fun” iem. But I don’t think, the goal was to be the fun-sounding iem, it rather wants to be the natural-sounding iem.



Conclusion:

With a U-shaped signature, Bravery offers you a world of relaxation and smooth transitions. The natural timbre and the lush vocal experience will ensure that your playlist is going to fed with good layers, details, and timbre. So can we go for it? The answer is…absolutely…I purchased a unit of my own and I am going to enjoy this.

Jumping right into Disclaimer…the Unit was provided to me by hifinage.com in exchange for my honest opinions and that is what you will get here. No Influence or sugar-coating whatsoever!

You can also buy the S8 by clicking here.

Technical Specifications:

• DAC Chip CS43131
• Supported sampling rate PCM up to 32bit 384kHz
• DSD up to DSD256
• Compatibility iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS, iPad OS
• Output options Single-ended stereo output on Jack 3.5mm (compatible with headphones with a microphone)
• Single-ended output power 2x 30mW @ 32Ω
• Single-ended output frequency response 20Hz - 50kHz
• Single-ended output THD+N 0.002% (1kHz)
• Single-ended output SNR 120dB
• Single-ended output channel separation 78dB @ 32Ω
• Single-ended output impedance < 1Ω
• Recommended headphone resistance range 8-150Ω
• Physical buttons.

In The Box:

• 1 x S8 Hi Fi Decoding DAC Amp
• 1 x 2.0 USB to Micro Cable
• 1 x Micro to Lightning Cable
• 1 x Micro to Micro OTG Cable
• 1 x Micro to Type-C OTG Cable
• 1 x Silicone Case
• 1 x User Manual

Build:

Hidisz S8 has a small minimalistic design with glass in the front and back of the body. The Chassis is made of aluminum. The Top has the infamous Micro-usb post and the bottom has the 3.5 jack. The front portion features the volume rockers. It would have been nicer if the micro-usb was done away with and USB-C type port was used.




Sources:

• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Laptop

Gears:

• See Audio Bravery.
• CCZ Plume.
• KZ ZAS.
• KZ ZEX.
• Tforce Yuan Li.

Sound Impressions:
Lows:

Lows are clear and detailed. If your IEM has sub-bass, S8 adds more punch to the same, while ensuring that there is no bass bleed while it enhances the same. So you will have a fun time while using this.

Mids:
Mids are also cleaner with natural tonality. Vocals, both males and females, have a sense of energy to them, and hence they sound more and more engaging.

Highs:
The treble portion is also well-pronounced while at the same time, I did not encounter any weird peaks. This gave me the micro-details I was looking for, in my playlist. But yes, I would not suggest using bight/neutral IEMs with S* as it may become too much sometimes.

Soundstage:

You will have a good separation between instruments. Throw a busy track to S8 and it will show you its prowess…there is no clutter observed at all. While the resolution may be top-notch, but it will still satisfy the needs of many.

Conclusion:

For day-to-day usage, Hidisz S8 is just a perfect offering. This is not something for very critical listening but if you like to have a good time with your music while traveling or while on a walk, this is the perfect fit. There are flaws to it like, no MQA support, or the presence of micro-usb port, it still makes up with its capabilities.

KBear has been playing this game far too long so let’s just jump into the review right away.

Disclaimer:

The unit was provided by HiFiGo in exchange for my honest opinions. The following thoughts are a result of my experience with the unit. You can buy the iem by clicking here




Technical Specifications:

• 10mm Titanium diaphragm dynamic driver.
• Bright Aluminum ear cavities depicting the aurora lightning.
• High-quality silver-plated copper cable.
• 3D-printed ergonomic cavity design.
• Clean & natural sound with a noise-free dark background.
• High-quality silver-plated copper cable.

Build and Fit:

The Shells are made of high-precision aluminum alloy. The shells are bright and shiny and there is a blue ring around it…hence the name Aurora

The fit is extremely ergonomic as were the other KBear IEMs. The cable is another good part of the package. It is an 8-cores SPC cable with minimal microphonics.





Sources:

• Ifi Nano BL
• Hidisz S8
• Avani DAC
• Abigail DAC
• Samsung Dongle DAC
• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Sony Discman

Sound Impressions:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Muqabala Muqabala By AR Rahman (
  )
• Marhaba (
  )
• Cash By Vishal-Shekhar (
  )
• Laila O Laila (
  )

The Bass is good but not thumpy…The quantity is present, but the quality is missing. The mid-bass has a stronger presence as compared with the sub-bass. Tracks 1, 3, and 4 are a testament to that…The sweet sub-bass rumbles are missing a bit. The overall sound signature is V-shaped so it gives the low-end a pleasing presence. The bass has quick decay with a good texture to it…but it still has the meat is missing.


Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Ranjish Hi Sahi By Mehdi Hassan (
  )
• Tumhe Dillagi Bhool Jani Padegi By Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (
  )
• Bhool Jana Tha To Phir By Anup Jalota (
  )
• Ye Jo Halka Halka Saroor Hai By Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ()
• Sochta Hoon Ki Wo Kitne Massom By Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ()
• Tu Nahi To Zindagi Mein Aur Kya By Chitra Singh (
  )

Mids have a warm presence to them. The vocals are lush and full. The lower and the upper midrange have an equal amount to it but the dynamics are missing, the micro-details are missing. The Tabla, the harmonium, the Sitar… all of them sound good but the shine is missing. The Male vocals, however, are exquisite. The female vocals are sweet as well. The Ghazals…all of them were good on this but the spark is still lacking.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• The Funeral By Band of Horses (
  )
• No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses (
  )
• Simple Song by The Shins (
  )
• Chasing Cars By Snow Patrols (
  )
• Wait By M83(
  )
• This Modern Love By Bloc Party (
  )

The Treble is smoothened and hence it lacks the required energy that makes this iem a great iem…had this energy been added to this…Aurora would have been the pick of the IEMs in the range. But this doesn’t make Aurora a bad pick. It still does many things correct in the High Frequencies…This has a non-fatiguing signature which suits the majority of the listeners and those who are looking for micro-details…they already know what they have to get…But for an average user…the non-offensive sound, the pleasing v-shaped signature…this is enough.



Soundstage and Imaging:

The soundstage is average. But feed it more power and the soundstage opens up but not by a huge margin. The imaging is average as well since the IEM misses treble energy.

Vs Tforce Yuan Li:

Yuan Li has been a recent favorite of many fellow audiophiles. When compared with Aurora, The Yuan Li has a better and more organic Tonality. While Aurora has better layering. The bass is tighter on Yuan Li and the treble is equally smoothened on Both.

Conclusion:

Aurora is a decent Single DD-based IEM that offers a smooth, non-offensive signature that is going to please the majority of listeners. The overall sound presentation is on a sweet V-shape curve and that is lovely for many of us.

Looking for more entries from KBear.

Single Planar-based IEM…this is one niche bracket of IEMS…not too many options. You can count them on fingers:

1.Tinhifi P1.
2.Tinhifi P2
3.Audeze IEMs
4.Monoprice M300, M350
5.Toneking P10
6.Simphonio P10
7.Harmonicdyne P.D.1
8.Dethonray Tender 1

That’s it…

So now we have Timeless. The following review is an effort to assess where does Timeless stands. The unit has been provided by hifigo.com in return of my frank views on this IEM. You can get the same by clicking here.



Technical Specifications:

• Large 14.2mm Planar Driver.
• Ultra-Thin Diaphragm.
• Powerful Double-Sided Neodymium Magnet.
• A custom-developed high-quality cable.
• Standard MMCX connectors.
• Available in both 3.5mm/4.4mm termination options

Build and Fit:

7Hz Timeless has a full metal build, utilizing aviation-grade aluminum, which gives it a sturdy yet light feel. The bundled cable is a high-purity cable made with a combination of single-crystal copper and silver-plated single crystal copper cores.



The cable has an outer shielding with silver-foil wire for a warm sound. This cable has standard MMCX connectors. Users can choose between two different termination options while purchasing, 3.5mm SE or 4.4mm Balanced.



The Fit is exquisite, and you will not feel the weight of iem over a span of large listening hours despite them being of bigger shell size.





Source:

• Ifi Nano BL.
• Samsung Galaxy S10 paired with Samsung dongle DAC.
• Nobsound TDA 1387.
• Sony Discman

Sound Impressions:

Lows:

• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) By Elton John & Dua Lipa (
  )
• Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
  )
• Spirit Of Rangeela By A R Rahman (
  )

The Bass on Timeless has a sweetness to it. IT has both the quality and the quantity aligned to it. The texture the comes out when you play the first track will hook you to it and you will start the endless loop of the song. The mid-bass has an accuracy to it. The decay is swift and hard. The sub-bass is a bit lacking but the overall bass texture compensates for it.



Mids:

• Bombay Theme by A R Rahman (
  )
• Wo Khat Ke Purze Uda Raha Tha By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Yeh Kya Jagah Hi Doston By Asha Bhosle (
  )
• Dikhai Diye Yun By Lata Mangeshkar (
  )
• Aye Dil-E-Nadan by Lata Mangeshkar (
  )

The mids are natural and magical with Timeless. The vocals are well-balanced as there is no bass-bleed observed. Although I noticed some peaks that was fixed by tips-rolling. Also, the unit was still not given the full burn-in period. The planar-timbre gives this item a bright feeling, although let me stress the fact that this is not a bright iem. But yes…the natural warmth will be missed. I would suggest using warm sources to compensate for this.

Highs:

• Aaromale By A R Rahman (
  )
• Sadda Haq by A R Rahman (
  )
• Naadan Parinde By A R Rahman (
  )
• In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel (
  )

Highs have a very good presentation…full of details and dynamics. The highs have extensions so good that you will hit your playlist on repeat mode. For me, the tracks mentioned above are amongst the best few to experience the highs in a track. The details are to die for and this is possible because of that sweet planar-timber.



Soundstage:

The stage is wide enough to surprise you. It has a depth present as well. SO overall a near holographic feel is there. The complex tracks do not get cluttered. No notes are missed. No frequency overlaps. The more you feed power to this the more you get the stage and imaging.

Conclusion:

Timeless is a very necessary entry in the Single Planar-based iem. The ease to drive…the ease of fit…the ease of cable termination…This one does so many things right. If you want a planar-based iem, this should be in your consideration.

Tforce is a new name in the audiophile game. Yuan Li is their first offering. Tforce has been the OEM for many IEM brands in the Game, this has enabled them to come up with a strong first entry in the market.

This review is a part of a review tour organized by Tforce in India and the impressions are based on my own sensibilities.

Specifications:

• Large 10mm Dynamic Driver with DLC Diaphragm.
• Premium Aluminium Ear Cavities.
• Rich Set of Accessories.
• Comfortable Ergonomic Design.
• Balanced & Neutral Sound Tuning With Bass Boost.
• Standard 2-pin 0.78mm connectors.

Build and Fit:

The shells of Yuan Li are made of Aviation Grade Aluminum, this gives them a sturdy yet light feel to it. The Design is ergonomically fit in nature and you will not feel the weight of the shells over longer listening hours.



Source:

• Ifi Nano BL
• Nobsound TDA 1387
• Samsung Dongle DAC
• Samsung Galaxy S10
• Sony Discman

Sound:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) By Elton John & Dua Lipa (
  )
• Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
  )
• Spirit Of Rangeela By A R Rahman (
  )

The lows on the Yuan Li sound balanced. There is not an extra ounce of bass felt while you experience

Yuan Li. And it is the best part, while the DD enables the bass to be fast and accurate, it also gives a punch to the bass. The presentation of the bass includes a tightly controlled bass that oozes with quality. Track number 1 is my go-to track to measure the bass response and I found it to be satisfactory. The “Spirit of Rangeela” Is a track by God himself, if has so much energy in it that it is hard to track it but Yuan Li does a decent job here as well.

Overall, the lower-end presentation is excellent.

Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Bombay Theme by A R Rahman (
  )
• Wo Khat Ke Purze Uda Raha Tha By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Yeh Kya Jagah Hi Doston By Asha Bhosle (
  )
• Dikhai Diye Yun By Lata Mangeshkar (
  )
• Aye Dil-E-Nadan by Lata Mangeshkar (
  )

Mids…O My love, how sweet art thou! The warmth enables the mids to be as sweet as possible. Both Male and Female vocals are presented in equally delicious manner. The ghazals that I have shared earlier…please give it a try, you will see what I mean. The texture…the instrumentation…the lush vocals…all of them come together to give you goosebumps.

Mids are the strongest point on Yuan Li.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• Aaromale By A R Rahman (
  )
• Sadda Haq by A R Rahman (
  )
• Naadan Parinde By A R Rahman (
  )
• In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel (
  )

Highs have a smooth presentation. There is a roll-off experienced in Yuan Li. There is no sudden peak, no sibilance. Since I mostly used warm sources, I did not experience any harshness as well. This however will vary from listener to listener and from source to source.

Overall…Highs are a safe bet on Yuan Li.



Soundstage and technical presentation:

The staging is pretty decent and for me, the perceived depth was more than the perceived height on Yan Li.

Imaging is also presented with sufficient details. There was no clutter observed and that surprised me very well…as this being a single DD, I assumed, this would be a task for Yuan Li to accomplish with a bit of work, but there was no sweat at all.



Closing statement:

Yuan Li is a very strong “first statement” made by TForce. The near “Reference-level” presentation took me with surprise and now I am looking towards the second entry from the company.

Kinera needs no introduction. They already have an impressive lineup. This is the second Kinera Product that I will be review after Norn.

Disclaimer:

Skuld was provided to me as a part of an ongoing Review tour organized by hifigo.com in India. The following review is a product of my honest experience with the Skuld. You can get the Skuld by clicking here.

Technical Specifications:

• 3BA Knowles Drivers + 2 BA Kinera Customize Drivers
• Impedance: 23 Ohms.
• Sensitivity: 120 +/- 2 dB.
• Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-50kHz.
• 8 Cores Silver Plated Copper.
• 4.4mm Termination Plug.

Package Contents:

• One pair of Kinera Imperial Skuld in-ear monitors.
• One Copper silver-plated cable with 4.4mm termination plug.
• Five pairs of Final Audio Type E ear tips.
• Six pairs ( RS-B45 & JH-FY009-B ) of Kinera Custom ear tips.
• Two pairs of Foam tips.
• Premium Storage Case.
• 4.4mm to 3.5mm & 2.5mm adapter.
• Cleaning Brush.

Build and Fit:

The Skuld is a beauty to hold. The shells are handcrafted and the attention to detail will catch you off guard. The Overall build of the shells is based on resin and that gives it a light feel to the whole body of the iem. The gold foils add a shining touch to the shells.

The nozzles are well thought of as well. The length is sufficient and if you are into tip rolling, you will have no difficulty while changing the tips.

The Cable is 8-core with 192 strands of silver-plated copper. The default termination is 4.4mm and you get adapters as well. I felt no microphonics while using the cable so overall a good quality cable.



Sources:

• Ifi Nano BL (Primary source).
• Nobsound TDA 1387.
• Samsung dongle Dac.
• Samsung Galaxy S10.
• Sony Discman.

Sound:

The overall sound signature is neutral. The overall flat signature gave Skuld the option to adapt itself to the sources it was used to play with.


Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (https://tidal.com/browse/track/157460324)
• Marhaba from Janasheen (
  )
• Jalwa (Original Remix) from Jalwa Dance Hungama (https://mega.nz/file/IxRWFDAY#t5rL2MDUzJRfDn3sGTDYTzYBmYOh1BW7eYKCuqRUG6M)

The Low-end performance is typical BA. The overall flat signature means the Bass has a flat response as well. This doesn’t means that bass is absent. The mid-bass appears neutral. The decay is swift. The sub-bass rumble…if that is your thing…it’s not there. The IEM is designed to compliment Kinera’s another superb offering: NORN and it does exactly that. While Norn is fun in the lower frequencies…Skuld is like the more serious big brother whose job is to do everything just right. In all the test tracks mentioned above, Skuld is able to bring out just enough bass. But it will still leave you wanting for more.

Mids:

Test tracks:

• Shaam Se Aankh Me Nami Si Hai By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Who Khat Ke Purze Udaa Raha Tha by Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Aankhon Me Jal Raha Hai Kyun By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Teri Khushboo Mein Base Khat By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Tum Hamare Nahi By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Pyar Zinda Rahe By Bhupinder & Mitali (
  )
• Apna Koi Mile By Bhupinder & Mitali (
  )
• Virah from Bandish Bandits (
  )

You can see by the test tracks…I feel that to test an iem for mid-range, Ghazals are the best bet. And so I referred to Jagjit Singh ji. If an iem can do justice to his voice, then it is a good one. Refer to any one of the tracks above and get back to me if you feel differently. Skuld has one of the best performances that I have come across, specifically, in the mid-range. The vocals are to die for… be it Jagjit Singh or Bhupinder Sing or Mitali.

Skuld has excellent presentation for both, Female and Male vocals. No Peaks…No harshness. Please note that I am not looking for micro dynamics in this frequency range as my test tracks are more for laid-back listening sessions.

Highs:

Test Tracks:

• Noor-Un-Ala-Noor from Meenaxi (
  )
• Naadan Parinde from Rockstar (
  )
• Sadda Haq from Rockstar (
  )
• Sindbad The Sailor from Rockstar (
  )
• Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Rock Version) (
  )

The Highs are smoothened. Like I said, Skuld is pretty much serious at its job, the highs have just about enough energy and because of that, it will not appear bright. So people with treble sensitivity…need not be afraid.

The detail retrieval is average and the treble extensions are rolled off. The microdynamics is present but they could have been improved a bit. But the overall performance is very organic and that is enough for me and should be the same for most of the users.



Soundstage:

The spacing is wide enough for most of the track and with nano bl, the imaging was on point as well. The soundstage has both wideness and depth present to it and that presents a holographic feel to the presentation.



Conclusion.
Skuld is a serious iem and Norn is fun-sounding and that is an intentional step taken by KInera. The main point of attraction for Skuld is its power to adapt itself to whatever source you throw at it. This makes Skuld a versatile IEM with lush vocals, smooth highs, and just about enough bass.

NiceHCK is already a well-established name in the audiophile circuits. The company has been in the business for years and offers a complete set of solutions for everyone…from a rookie to a professional. Lofty is their Flagship Offering with a rich Beryllium driver.

Disclaimer:

The unit has been sent by HiFiGo as a part of a review tour. I am not paid for my views and the review is based on my own sensibilities. The unit was give a burn-in time of 70 hours before it reached me.

You can buy Lofty by clicking here.

Features:-

• Large 10.1mm Dynamic Driver Unit.
• Pure Beryllium Diaphragm material.
• Professional Tuning For Smooth, Energetic Sound Quality.
• Five-Axis CNC Machined Ear Cavities.
• Aviation-Grade Aluminum Alloy Ear Cavity Material.
• Ship-Wave Texture Facepanels.
• High-Quality 6N OCC Cable.

Technical Specifications:-

• Impedance: 16 ohms.
• Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-26kHz.
• Sensitivity: 108dB/mW.
• Termination Plug: 3.5mm, 2.5mm, 4.4mm Optional.
• Connector: 2-Pin 0.78mm.

Build:

The shells are made from Aviation Grade Aluminum alloy and that gives it a sturdy yet light feel. The overall shape is very ergonomically sound, and you can use Lofty for long listening hours. The nozzle is a bit small and people with fat-fingers, like me, are going to struggle, while they change the Tips. As you can see in the pic below, the shells have a clear L/R marking, so that is a good touch.




The Cable is an excellent offering from NiceHCK. It is a fully-braided and sleeved cable which gives it a very premium finish. Because of the sleeves, these are not the softest cable but the same sleeves give them a sturdy build that will last a good long time.

You have an option to chose the cable termination at the time of buying, which is an excellent help for the buyer. Chose whatever is best as per your source.




Sources:

• Nano BL.
• Nobsound TDA 1387.
• Lotoo Paw S1.
• Samsung Dongle Dac.
• Samsung Galaxy S10.
• Sony Discman.

Sound:

Lows:
Test Tracks:

• Raavan By Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Boom Boom By Biddu (https://mega.nz/file/F14xlSIZ#HwJL_o4wDRJwTTkQqpWuUFyte8uXz0P-jQX-AEJQGv8)
• Summer Girl by HAIM (https://open.qobuz.com/track/115834764)
• Door Se Paas from Musafir OST (
  )

Bass... It is there...But...roll-offs are a bit slow. The decay is not as fas as expected. The overall quantity leaves you a bit lacking. The Beryllium drivers in the shells should offer more. I am saying this I own a custom-tuned Beryllium Earbud and that is an open-back and yet it offers a better bass performance.

The First track (Raavan) is my go-to track ever since I heard it for the first time and I am here to say that Lofty doesn't do justice to the track. Again, This is a Beryllium Driver IEM and it should do more in Bass.

However, when I switched to Foams, the response was improved by a big margin. So goes without saying, you will need Foam to improve the bass performance.

Mids:
Test Tracks:

1. Ahista By Pankaj Udhas (https://mega.nz/file/xpZHhAzL#hARuoiFYKg7vH1bLfZY8tJa5dp6tk8I5VGsElm_GdHI)
2. Ahista Ahista from Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar (
   )
3. Ahista From Laila-Majnu (
   )

The good part: Mids. The mids are nice and rich in tonality. The Beryllium driver has sufficient separation for mids and the vocal...they do not sound muddy. The basic timbre is natural. Lofty was able to do the laidback signature of all the soundtracks that I mentioned above, justice. Be it Pankaj Udhas or Sonu NIgam or Arijit Singh...all of them sound heavenly. The First track's piano notes were exquisite. The second track's flute sounded good. And, the last tracks guitar notes were as clear daylight.

Highs:
Test Tracks:

1. Another One Bites the Dust (
   )
2. Don't Stop Believin' (
   )
3. Time After Time (
   )
4. Edge of Seventeen (
   )

The Lofty Being a Beryllium Driver IEM, the highs are a bit shy. Or Rather, I can say that Lofty is a bit Dark sounding. The included copper cable also impacts the overall dynamics. Once I changed the cable to a Silver Litz cable, the Impact was evident. The Cymbals, which were somewhere in the background, became more pronounced. The Upper treble also became more impactful. Stevie Nicks started to sound better and better. Queen's Another One Bites the Dust became wider and taller. Journey's Don't Stop Believing became more Believable.

Soundstage:
The stage is wide enough for an average user and the tonal depth is also present. Lofty can also do complex track arrangements as well. Although imaging is not at par.

Conclusion:
Lofty has good Potential provided you go with a cable change. Reason: Beryllium + Copper, not a good combo. Once you have that silver cable, it can do much better.

It goes without any saying that Lotoo is already a well-established name in its Audience group: “Audiophiles”. And after giving us gems like Lotoo Paw Gold and Lotoo Paw Gold Touch, they decided to do something for the normal guy: a USB DAC/AMP that is within reach of every one: The Paw S1 which uses the famed AK4377 DAC chip alongside with an independent OPA1622 chip.

Disclaimer:

Lotoo Paw S1 was provided to me as a part of the review tour by ConceptKart. You can buy the same by clicking here. The following review is an honest representation of my thoughts.

Unboxing and In-Box Contents:

The Box is small enough given that we are talking about a USB-C-based DAC/AMP. The following were the contents:

• User Guide
• Warranty details
• Stickers, and firmware instructions
• A USB Type-C to Type-C connector cable
• A USB Type-C to USB type-A connector
• A Lightning cable

Design Language:

The design language is simple yet elegant. There is a tiny OLED display smack at the front of the DAC with Two navigation Keys and one function key present on the right side. One 3.5mm SE and one 4.4mm Balanced port present at the bottom and one USB-C port present at the top.



The Display helps you navigate through several features like switching between gain modes or selecting an EQ. It also shows the active Bitrate, the present gain mode, and the volume level.

Source:

I have solely used my Samsung Galaxy S10 for this review

MQA:

Paw S1 also unfolds MQA on Tidal, if that is your thing. I personally prefer my local library.



Sound:

Lows:

Since the Paw S1’s overall signature is Natural, the bass is natural as well. The decay is good, the amount is excellent and the quality will satisfy you. Needless to say, you can toggle between different presets of EQ on Paw S1 and get the sound that you like the most.

Mids:

The Warmth of the AK chip is present and yet there is no coloration at all. The timbre is natural and the stage expands as well.

Highs:

Again, no coloration. The Highs extend just perfectly. No peaks observed…no brightness seen. The Paw S1 does everything so efficiently that you have to own one to experience it.



Pairing:

Lotoo Paw S1 + Kinera Norn:

Kinera Norn is an excellent IEM. The Paw S1 helps elevate the experience a lot. The stage becomes wider, the bass becomes nice (both quality-wise and quantity-wise) and the highs becomes even more pronounced without becoming fatiguing.


Lotoo Paw S1 + KZ ZAS:

ZAS is an underrated IEM. It does everything that one needs without causing a hole in the pocket. Paw S1 adds more zest to the overall performance. The stage becomes wider and higher, the bass becomes punchier and the treble goes further.


Lotoo Paw S1 + HD58X:

I use a Bravo Ocean amp to drive HD58X, so was very skeptical, how Paw S1 will drive this 150ohms HP. But my worries were cast aside when I paired them with Paw S1. The HP was driven although I had to pump the volume to 95 percent at high gain. But the result was sufficient. The sound was not muffled and the stage was good enough for a casual listening session.

Power drain:

I have a Samsung USB-C DAC amp that I use with my S10. That draws a very negligent amount of power. Compared to this...Paw S1 drains the battery faster…but what you get in return is a far more sophisticated sound with ample features for everyone.



Conclusion:

If you are looking for cheap DAP, then don’t for it. Go for Paw S1. You will get the ease of access, ease of using it with Tidal, Qobuz, and your local library. I will do the same.

Kinera is a known Brand in the Audiophile community. Their emphasis on beautifully crafted IEMs which sound equally majestic is their forte.

The Product which I will talk about is the NORN, which has a 4BA+1DD configuration.

Disclaimer:

This was sent by Hifigo as a part of a review tour. I will review the iem using my own sensibilities and experiences You can buy the Norn here.

Build:

As always, Kinera Norn is a looker. The shells are painted with red and white paints which bring out a beautiful color combo and enhances the overall presentation of the IEM. Although I did not see any L or R indicators on the shells. It has a good enough cable that has a 2.5mm termination and comes with 2 different connectors for 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm. SO overall, an excellent package.



Fit:

The shell may appear to be bigger in size, but the fit is exquisite.



Features:

• Premium Five Driver Setup (1DD+4BA).
• Titanium-plated PU composite high-poly fiber diaphragm.
• Front cavity 3-tube crossover.
• Reflective Mirror finish back cavity.
• Beautiful Hand-Painted design.
• Outstanding acoustic performance.
• Universal 0.78mm 2-pin connectors.
• High-purity cable.

Technical Parameters:

• Impedance: 32 Ohms.
• Sensitivity: 110dB.
• Rated Power: 3mW.
• Distortion: <3%.
• Frequency Response Range: 5Hz-40kHz.
• Cable Length: 1.2m.
• Plug: 2.5mm Balanced

Sources:

• F.Audio FA2
• Ifi Audio Nano BL
• Lotoo Paw S1
• Audirect Atom 2
• Samsung Dongle Dac.
• Samasung Galaxy S10
• Sony Discman.

Sound:

Lows:

Test Tracks:

• Raavan by Amit Trivedi (
  )
• Chandralekha By A R Rahman (
  )
• Cold Heart By Elton John and Dua Lipa (
  )
• Levitating By Dua Lipa (
  )

The Lows are the highlight of Norn. The Sub-Bass is excellently placed and the Mid-bass has a feel to it. The complete bass presentation has both quality and quantity. There is no bass bleed and yet the bass is more than enough to satisfy the needs of a basshead.

The first Track is an addictive Trance track that has an energy to it. If the lows in the IEM are not good then it becomes muddy and dark. But in this case, Norn had it covered and the result: a 60 minutes long session with the first track in repeat.

Those who know the Chandralekha, know it was a track built for this day. The awesome sound arrangement and mixing still rivals the tracks from today. I would suggest giving this a try on Norn and then you will know what I am talking about.

No matter what you throw at Norn, you are going to be impressed.

Mids:

Test Tracks:

• Tum Itna Jo Muskura rahe Ho by Jagjit SIngh (
  )
• Shaam se Aankh Me Nami Si Hai By Jagjit Singh (
  )
• Aasmani rang By Bhupinder & Chitra (
  )
• Pani Pani Re By Lata Mangeshkar (
  )

The mids have ample presence to them. The vocals are forward, and the timbre is natural. The mids have sufficient air to them and the complex tracks have been dealt with craft. No congestion felt whatsoever.

For me, Ghazals are the tracks to test the mids and vocals. So how does Norn perform you ask? The answer is exquisite. The laid-back nature of the ghazal tracks offers a very nice presentation. The vocals are forward and lush as well.



Highs:

Test tracks:

• In you Eyes (
  )
• Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins (
  )
• Hold Me Now by Thomson Twins (
  )
• True by Spandue Ballet (
  )

The highs are energetic and non-fatiguing. The feel is airy and real. The highs really extend a lot and still, they are non-piercing. The feel is so satisfying that I never felt like removing the Norn from my ears. The Cymbals and the guitar notes come out with precise placement and presence.


Soundstage:

Considering the overall sound signature, the stage is wide enough but the depth in sound is just average. The Height of the soundstage is also good and that rings out an overall good headroom experience



Conclusion:

I recently had AAW ASH for review and Kinera Norn Trumps it in every aspect. In the already crowded IEM bazaar, this is an item that will stay for a long time. This is an awesome pair that complements itself with a good enough cable that has a 2.5mm termination and comes with 2 different connectors for 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm. SO overall, an excellent package.