From an extended period of hiatus to two reviews within a month, I’ve been quite busy. This time around I’ve an iem from a company that has a history of providing some of my personal favorite products for, subjectively speaking, their warm and enveloping house sound just sings to my soul. But that’s the past, this is now, and this is the Fantasy that’s attempting to become reality. So without further adieu, allow me to share my thoughts on whether or not Cayin’s newest offering really had made my fantasy a reality.



The Opening Experience





Like all prior Cayin unboxing’s I’ve experienced thus far, the Fantasy is as beautiful, simplistic, and professional as one would ever desire. The large box itself entices me to experience the possibilities of what lies inside but never deters from a very sophisticated appeal. Opening the top I was greeted by the aluminum name plate which has, lately, been a staple with Cayin’s products (and on I personally hope they keep) and the two, stunning Fantasy iems. I usually try to open up the entire product before focusing on the main attraction but I couldn’t help myself in this case. The silver stainless steel casings were just too beautiful to not feel and admire. While writing this review, I checked out Cayin’s official page on the Fantasy and they state how their inspiration for the structure was from musical instruments and I can completely see it.
Actually getting on with the rest of the box, as you fold down the front flap (no the foam piece holding the iem’s don’t come up [without tearing it]) you’re greeted with two pull out drawers. The first one is where you’re provided with one of the most impressive assortment of tips that I can personally recall, like seriously, 12 pairs. These are actually impressively influential on the sound but I’ll touch more on that later in the review. Next to the tips, you’re provided a storage box for the faux leather storage pouch. In the bottom drawer, you’re provided with a storage box for the beautiful silver cable and also a box containing all the accessories (tweezers, brush, cloth, warranty and cleaning cloth).
My thoughts on my “handshake” that Cayin provided was definitely one that was firm and full of mutual respect. This is definitely not a product that was carelessly put in a box. Cayin put time and effort into their product's representation and it definitely shows.

Construction



So my “handshake” was definitely memorable but how is the product's actual construction? Well, if you recall from just a few paragraphs ago, very strong. Cayin forged their Fantasy iem from stainless steel and drew their inspiration of its form from musical instruments. As you’ve probably been thinking, ‘wouldn’t they be fairly weighty being stainless steel?’ And to that regard, you’d be thinking correctly. They do have a nice heft to them and really cements how sturdy the Fantasy feels in your hands and I’ve full confidence that, if treated properly, these will last you for many years to come. Moving down from the initial frame, the horns are on the larger side but not overly so, just enough to where your standard sized tips will be just too small to fit. Continuing downwards, the iem connects to its provided 3.5mm silver and OCC hybrid cable via a 2 pin port. Which is quite nice for if you’ve a cable you really enjoy, or prefer a balanced cabling, you can freely switch them.
My overall thoughts on the Fantasy’s build quality is that of a solid foundation. These things are hefty, elegant and very demanding of attention.

Comfort



Given the feel of these, I did admittedly have concerns about how they’d feel in my ears. Thankfully my concerns were quickly waived aside because similar to their younger siblings, the YB-04, the way they’ve softly curved the inside makes them fit so snug and comfortably in my ear I was easily able to wear these for multiple hours at a time. Additionally, the sound isolation, that does vary depending on your tips of choice, is really impressive. With the Fantasy in my ears, I pretty much heard nothing but the music/show I was listening to/watching.

Sound




My overall impression of the Cayin Fantasy sound is definitely one of surprise, to put it one way. Perhaps I’ve just been so sold on the Cayin house sound that I’ve judged this one a little harder but, subjectively speaking, it didn’t have that same magic that all the other Cayin products had when I experienced them. The sound, to me and my ears, of the Fantasy was definitely more cold leaning. I feel they really prioritized detail retrieval and reproduction over musicality and musical enjoyment that their other products have. Not saying it’s a bad thing or that these are bad, most certainly not, just something I wasn’t expecting. Apart from its general sound characteristic, the soundstage on the Fantasy isn’t very large but it is very detailed and pinpoint. Take the piece, He’s a Pirate by Klaus Badelt & Hans Zimmer. While listening to this piece you’re able to, quite easily, both hear and position each section of instruments and where they are placed in the orchestra. Or even Pentatonix’s Daft Punk; I was able to discern each vocalist from the other even when they’re singing together.
Now, as for my impressions on the individual characteristics of the Fantasy’s sound.

Treble

The highs, to me, could definitely be a bit too aggressive at times. A great example is that from Tobias Rauscher’s piece “Still Awake” or “BriansThing” saxophone performance of “Skyfall '' by Adele. There's a point in each piece that makes listening to the Fantasy very uncomfortable and unpleasant. Now, in general terms, the Fantasy’s treble presentation is stunning. The extension, as you’d assume, is very high and the ability to relay a piece’s energy is very well reproduced. Listening to violins and piano’s on this is a wonderful treat. Instead of just siting a single song/piece, just listen to the entire album from Your Lie In April (wonderful anime to watch as well).


Mids

The mids, though are beautifully clean and amazingly crystal clean, I do feel that their tones are edged slightly higher than they usually would/should be. Throughout my many hours and songs of listening over the past week and a half, I noticed this consistently but one of my favorites that fell to this was The Last of the Mohicans performed by Luca Stricagnoli. This is a very soft and calming piece only using acoustic guitars and is a piece I reference for many of reviews for how often I listen to it. But through the Fantasy, the guitar's pitch and tone sounded higher than I knew they should and though the music was still very beautiful, I just, personally, couldn’t fully enjoy it.
Switching gears to vocals. Vocals, though still share the same noticeable increase in pitch, are overshadowed by the amazing clarity that the Fantasy provides. A fantastic example is Skin by Rag’n’Bone man. This man’s vocals are, in my opinion, accented by the beautiful representation of the Fantasy. Additionally, remember how I talked about the tips earlier in this review? If you put on the memory foam (either the ones provided or of Comply’s [or similar]) you can soften the edge the highs add.


Bass

The bass was another surprise for me. After experiencing the mentioned coldness that the Fantasy’s have I thought the bass would be fairly light as well. However, the Fantasy can absolutely provide the impact and depth and that would satisfy, I’ll confidently say, the vast majority of people. From Eminem’s “‘Till I collapse” or “Godzilla” to Falling in Reverse’s “Popular Monster” or even INSAMIME (Crazy Train my Ozzy Ozbourne Remix). Each was very satisfactory for me to get pumped to before a workout (especially with the bass boost tips [also I did NOT work out with these and would recommend you not as well]). Also, and I’ll sum up the bass with this thought, the speed of the Fantasy’s bass hit without much decay was amazing.

Conclusion



My final thoughts on the Cayin Fantasy is that, though I personally didn’t care for the sound, I can completely see that these will very much make an audiophile's audio “fantasy” come true. These are beautiful, stylish, rugged and sound the part.





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

It seems this year I’ve been in a rather extended audio review rut. Not by there being a lack of offerings but for personal indifference. That is until I was presented with the opportunity to review a new product from a company I’ve immensely enjoyed everything from them I’ve had the honor of experiencing. Cayin has a new portable amp that offers many impressive qualities that sparked a little excitement in me that I haven’t had in a while. So, without further adieu, allow me to share my thoughts on the product that put some pep in my step; the Cayin C9.



The Opening Experience




Construction



As a product that costs 2 grand, one would naturally assume that the construction and build quality of said product would be premium, right? Well, at least with the Cayin C9, you would be absolutely correct. The C9, seemingly inspired by its DAP design, makes the C9 using machined aluminum along with a glass back to add a touch of elegance. Now, that also brings up the first negative and that is that glass, as I’m sure all have experience with, scratches. As seen in the pictures attached in this section, my tour unit has a fair few. I cannot comment on how long this unit has been on tour throughout its life, but still an unfortunate side effect of glass that users will need to keep in mind.
The top of the unit is beautifully simplistic with only the Cayin branding and 2 sight glasses showing off the lovely tealish hue of the 2 tube amps the C9 can utilize. The right side has nothing aside from a screw to remove the user replaceable batteries, but the left side has the preamp button which I’ll discuss further in the following section. The back of the unit has the LED battery level indicator as well as its type C charger (thank you). The glass bottom of the C9 too has the Cayin logo as well as the product model name, website, etc… The front end is where the business happens. From left top to right bottom, you have the mode indicator switch from line or preamp mode (which I’ll discuss further in the next section), high and low gain switch, headphone inputs (3.5 and 4.4mm respectively). The buttery smooth 4-channel ALPS potentiometer knob followed by the power button (which has a slight warm up (couple seconds) period before the C9 can be utilized. Following them are the Timbre (tube/SS sound) selector switch, the class A and A/B selector switch and then lastly the output jacks (3.5 and 4.4mm respectively).
So, in summary, the Cayin C9 is a wonderfully simplistic portable amplifier in terms of its construction but still offers the users many different options to fit their individual tastes. Additionally, it’s solid construction gives me no worries about its ability to last for many years of proud ownership.

Features



Lately a portable amp is absolutely weighted down by having every possible feature than anyone could even fathom they may want. Whether or not this is a good thing or not is definitely up for debate but at least with the C9, they’ve done a solid job and presented a quality portable amp that can just about offer everything sub bluetooth. The first feature that I personally would like to highlight is that the C9 has the capability of sounding like a tube amp as well as a solid state amp that is changeable by the simple flip of a switch. This allows users to get the audiophile grade accuracy in their music and headphones that allow them to be as analytical as possible though its SS mode and also the creamy lushness of a tube sound (personal favorite choice) when they just want to relax and enjoy the musical experience presented in front of them. Adding to that, the C9 can also operate in class A or A/b power mode which further changes the sound characteristic to further suit the listeners preferences (class A all the way). Next is the ability to have the C9 operate as either a pre amp or a power amp. By selecting the premode and holding the pre button down for a few seconds, the C9 will function completely as the power amp and the volume will be completely controlled by the source (MAJOR NOTE: Please don’t do what I did and have your source at max volume when switching over. It was painfully loud, in very much so, the literal and physical sense [obviously this is nothing on the C9 but an oversight on my part. Just wanting to warn others to not experience my pain]). The last and possibly the most appreciated feature that will add many years of longevity to the C9, is the ability for the user to replace the rechargeable batteries. Simply unscrew and slide out and replace with either new Sony VTC6’s or equivalent.
To conclude, the C9 offers features that I believe many audiophiles will greatly appreciate but also not feel intimidated as to not understand them or be confused on how to get the C9 into the desired mode of listening. Or, when I wasn’t critically reviewing the product and just experiencing it, being extremely satisfied leaving it on 1 setting. The Class A, tube timbre for me personally.

Sound




Similar to all Cayin products, that I’ve listened to at least, the C9 has an overall warm, musical and even somewhat “slow” sound to it. Whether I’m listening to my Empire Ears Hermes VI ciem’s or my Sennheiser HD650 this presentation has remained the same. I guess I should’ve started by saying that for the majority of my review time I utilized the C9 in tube timbre and Class A modes because they personally sounded best and I enjoyed that most. However, even in SS and Class AB modes the Cayin house sound was still there but was noticeably more tighter and even colder sounding.
The two main products I used throughout my review is my hyper sensitive EE Hermes VI and the renowned HD650 that neither is very difficult to drive, but the C9 was able to power them very easily ESPECIALLY when using the 4.4 cable from the HD660S, dear gosh the power this thing pushes. This is VERY evident when I’ve my EE’s in. While single ended, the C9 is pushing 1.2Watts into these extremely sensitive iems so I do need to make certain that the volume is minimized on both this and my source (this was critical when in pre mode). To further touch on my EE’s when using the C9, there was very little hiss I’ve become all too accustomed to hearing on just about any device. The C9 was all but a pitch black background, on both SS and tube timbre.
I will close this section by generally comparing the SS and Tube timbres. As stated above, the tube mode has a very warm and musical tonality, especially when paired to the Class A mode, and was the mode I personally prefer the most. I can understand “traditional” audiophiles not leaning towards this mode due to the music sounding a little slower and the bass especially being looser than what the SS mode is. I feel the mid range boost allows me to enjoy the music vs dissecting it. On the flip side, SS mode is very clean and the bass is noticeably tighter and one can really take in all the detail that your source can push through this impressive amp. I do, again, wish to warn about the volume levels. Even if you’re using this in pre mode, ensure that you’ve turned down the volume on both the source and the C9 to minimum just in case something happens and is switched to either mode and you’re blasted with a painful level of volume. But any further and I’d just be rambling. I really enjoyed the sound the C9 gave to my headphones and iems. Subjectively speaking, I seriously understand why this brick has the 2 grand asking price. It can give any portable rig on the market a serious run for its premium money.


Conclusion



My final thoughts on what is the Cayin C9 portable headphone amplifier is that it, very much so, lives up to the continued love I have for the Cayin products. From the build quality to the ease of use to the simplicity of its design to the warm and inviting Cayin house sound I have no qualms with it outside its very premium price tag, but that’s a subjective opinion. I also believe that the C9 is on the very borderline of being a reasonable portable option because it is quite large. But in relation to the ability to drive my portable headphones (which, I mean, seeing as my “hardest” to drive headphone is a HD650, wasn’t able to really be pushed) I absolutely have no complaints to offer. Also, I don’t think I mentioned this anywhere yet but the battery life on this thing is absurd. I listened to this all day (aprx. 5-6 hours straight in technicality) while writing this review and the indicator only went down half. Hot. Dang.





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all, please hit that thumbs up button! It really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

Over my years of reviewing products (going on I think 7 or 8 maybe) I’ve had the honor of coming across several companies, products, brands and the like. Many of which I’ve grown a particularly fancy of while others I can understand their appeal but just wasn’t for me. Cayin is definitely the former. It seems like every product I experience of theirs I grow to fall in love with. This does come to be a double edged sword because I also grow to be much more critical of them because of this. The most recent offering of theirs I’ve had the honor of experiencing is their N3 Pro DAP (aprx. $500). This little booger definitely has some special characteristics that set it apart from competitors but also a few down sides as well. But without further adieu, allow me to share with you my review of the Cayin N3 Pro.





The Opening Experience


The unboxing experience, which is usually represented by an unboxing video, of the Cayin N3 Pro is one that doesn't make me feel like they've cheaped out at all. You're given a very nice and simplistic box with a respectable amount of advertisement on it. As you open up the product, you're presented with the N3 Pro centered in a precut out spot for it.


Underneath that you have a clear protective case that Cayin provides so that your DAP will survive accidental drops and what have you's. If you want, Cayin does also offer the pictured green case for additional protection and, I'm sure to some, style.



As most all their products, Cayin doesn't beat around the bush in giving you the product that your wanting. However, they make sure to present your DAP in an elegant and professional manner that, at least for me, shows that they care about the customer who just spent apprx. $500.



Construction



The build quality on the N3 Pro is very high quality being a machined CNC aluminum frame and an elegant glass back. Additionally, included (at least with my review unit and if purchased from Musicteck [not affiliated]) is also a really tough feeling, albeit an interesting color choice, protective case that should protect it from most scratches, drops and many other of life’s unfortunate accidents.
While looking at the front of the device you’ve an apprx. 3” touch screen with an LED indicator light/home button on the bottom that I’ll touch more on later and a sight glass to view those beautiful vacuum tubes when you choose to have them on. Moving to the right side of the N3 Pro, you’ve the power button/volume knob, track previous, play/pause and track forward buttons. On the bottom, you’ve the type C usb charging port, a 3.5mm SE line out, a 3.5mm phone out and the 4.4mm balanced line out. Finally, the left side of the DAP is where you’ll find the, up to, 1TB micro SD card slot.
So overall, I don’t have any complaints to offer in terms of the Cayin N3 Pro DAP’s construction/build quality. Rather it be with or without the protective case I believe it to be a very well built and robust device.

Features

What would a modern day DAP be without an ample assortment of features, am I right? The Cayin N3 Pro is certainly of no exception. Starting with that LED indicator light I mentioned just recently, it turns 7 different colors depending on what application you’re putting through it *pictured below*. This is actually a pretty cool and under-appreciated feature because it allows the user to take a quick glance and know the quality of the incoming signal (make sure a MQA file is truly MQA etc…).

Next, is that the N3 Pro is both Bluetooth and WiFi enabled but only to your device i.e. phone. As I’m typing this, I’m listening to a pair of Sennheiser HD650’s plugged into the N3 Pro while streaming via LDAC from my LG V60. Though I have a large review playlist in the SD inside the N3 Pro, the availability of music on a streaming service, to me at least, will always trump what’s on a SD card and the N3 Pro’s ability to losslessly stream that from my phone is PHENOMENAL and very much appreciated. Now, a downside to this is that I would have personally liked to be able to just do all of that straight from the N3 Pro itself. Understanding that this would likely have required an implementation of an i.e. Android OS the convenience of only needing to have 1 device on your person would have been nice.
Moving on we have a feature that I find to be really cool and that’s that this device can either be operated via Solid State mode or in Vacuum Tube mode. This allows this device to fit just about any users preferences. Rather you’re like me and enjoy the smooth warmth of a tube or the accuracy and imaging of a solid state the N3 Pro has you covered. Additionally, when in tube mode, you’re given 2 more sub settings being triode and ultra-linear mode. Triode being my personal favorite for it emphasizes the mid range (surprise, surprise that’d be my favorite I know, right?) while ultra-linear bumps up the treble making the soundstage and detail retrieval more prominent.
Finishing up with the features is one area I’d like to subjectively add appreciation to but the battery life on the N3 Pro is really long. I easily get all day of listening to this when playing just through the DAP but even when LDAC’d to my phone the battery life still lasts me more than enough that I’d need it for. Plus, it takes Type C which is the same as my phone. Beautiful!
These built in quality of life features are each very much appreciated and ones I made sure to take much advantage of (especially the tube amp triode mode while streaming from my phone).

Sound



Naturally, the sound characteristics are going to change depending on which different setting you’re currently using with the N3 Pro. So, to generalize, I will discuss it being in Tube mode-Triode mode (simplifying it to just tube mode) and Solid State mode.
In tube mode, despite it being a tube, isn’t as warm as I’m used to other Cayin products sounding (the i5 coming to mind). This doesn’t mean it isn’t a musical sound for it most certainly is but just not to the degree I will admit when I learned this had an available tube amp in it. The separation is very well defined as is the soundstage. On the note of the soundstage and basically most aspects of the sound, is naturally mostly affected by the headphone, but the soundstage through the N3 Pro is I would call a medium soundstage. Rather I play it through the HD650, Oppo PM-1 or Empire Ears Hemers VI. It seems like the soundstage was slightly smaller than when I played them through my home setup. Going back to the smoothness of the music, there is no going around without mentioning how smooth the N3 Pro sounds with its tube. Listening to Chopin Ballade Number 1 in G Minor (also known as the final performance from Your Lie in April) the piano and violin, despite being very high pitched instruments, sounded so smooth and musical to listen to with, for better or worse, an appreciated drop in the violin sharpness.
In Solid State mode the violin and piano immediately become more pronounced and forward (granted they’re the only two instruments but they’re MORE present now if that makes sense). They also, and I know it sounds weird but it’s rare I can A/B tube and SS to quickly between each other, but the instruments sound more accurate and like how they should sound. I knew that tubes altered sound a little bit but this was quite interesting (no it’s not a DRAMATIC difference despite how that statement sounded; just merely an observation). When listening to pieces with more “moving pieces” in solid state mode everything, to me, sounds just a little bit more spacious and individualized. Take the song “Some Kind of Beautiful” by Tyler Ward. You can very easily discern the vocals from the background instruments while everything is still synced into one beautiful piece.

Conclusion



My final thoughts on the Cayin N3 Pro is that it is a very solid DAP that has a lot of conveniences going for it. Though I personally find the UI a bit clunky, the N3 Pro performs to a very high degree what a DAP is supposed to do, play music.





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

This year has been a rather, dry one in terms of product reviews. Thankfully, the few that I’ve been able to participate in have all been some top notch offerings and this new one is no different. With this review specifically, I gotta give a give shoutout and praise of gratitude to @Todd for not only putting together this tour, but allowing me to take part in it. HEDD audios pulls no punches with their entry into the headphone market with their HEDDphone, well, headphone. This behemoth of a product is definitely something that you’re gonna want a comfy sitting chair when listening to. So, how about we actually dive into this meat and potatoes shall we?



The Opening Experience

HEDDphone Unboxing - YouTube



Construction










The build quality of this monster is, well, that’s actually a pretty good description of it. Monstrous. The HEDDphone is VERY large and equally bulky and stiff. The frame is made from very strong aluminum throughout with the padding being very soft leather. The cups have very minimal up/down and left/right movement as does the adjustment have minimal extension. However, with that last part said, the way these are designed I still believe they’ll fit most people's heads. Though there’s not much adjustment present, each step is very close to the previous one so finding that sweet spot shouldn’t be too hard.
Moving down, you’ve a wonderfully well build DETACHABLE, non proprietary cable that is very well shielded and, throughout my review period, never once have my any feedback or noise from it brushing against my clothes or interference from electronic devices, such as my phone and computer sitting on it as I’m typing this.

Comfort





When I first unboxed these and put them on my head I thought they were pretty darn comfortable; that was until I actually started wearing them for extended periods of time. The way that the HEDDphone distributes its weight isn’t enough to off put the heaviness of these monsters. At least for me personally, I was having to readjust these about every 20-30 minutes because they started hurting my head, which was the first that I could ever recall for me.I think if there was a little more weight placed on the ears instead of all of it on the head it may have helped it out some.

Sound



Before I start this section. It should go without saying but though I link YouTube videos when I’m giving examples, this is for convenience only. If applicable, I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to the music I’m referencing on as high a quality as possible to experience the fullest sound possible.

From the second I hit play on my first track a smile immediately hit my face. I’m about to say a very controversial statement but it’s the first thing that came to mind and a statement that remained throughout the entirety of my time with them. These are a direct upgrade, in my personal opinion, to the Sennheiser HD800S. To my ears, the realism of the sound, the airyness between the artists and instruments and the sheer imaging that the HEDDphone produces is something that I feel is better than the previous king. Yes, the soundstage on the 800S is still unrivaled but the actual realistic soundstage and depth that comes from the HEDDphone is just something I really can’t portray without putting these bricks on your head and letting you experience them. Also, like the 800S, these are a very neutral and analytical headphone that prioritizes detail reproduction and retrieval over all else. Though I’ll get into more detail in the following subsections, these are what I would call a traditional/stereotypical “audiophile” headphone. And a darned pinnacle one at that.

Treble

The highs on the HEDDphone are something reminiscent of a starry sky in the plains of Africa; clean, beautiful and unhindered by fog and veil. As I’m typing this, I’m listening to “O Come, O come, Emmanuel” by The Piano Guys and, well, first the separation is incredible. Yes, it’s only 2 instruments but you can very easily discern the Cello and Piano from one another and they each have their own space on the soundstage. Additionally, even during the peak notes, nothing becomes painful. Each note is soft yet full of energy, even in pieces like “The Storm” by Yanni, the Harp, Violin, Trumpet, everything is in its own place and never extends to a painful degree. I really can’t remark any negatives about the HEDDphone’s treble. My goodness is it beautiful.

Mids

The mids, as I’m sure is no secret to anywho follows me, are my favorite area of music. To me, this is where true emotion and the “soul” of the music is found. When a headphone subdues the artist's voice in favor of other, more “fun,” aspects I believe you take away the emotion the artist is trying to convey in their piece. Earlier I mentioned that these headphones immediately put a smile on my face, and with songs like “Some Kind of Beautiful” by Tyler Ward is a perfect example. Upbeat and happy and just hits you in the happy place (especially if you watch the AMV linked). Or, if you’re in a more down mood, “Hurt” by Johnny Cash or “Muddy Water” by Trace Adkins equally showcase the ability the HEDDphone has to produce true emotion in music. There’s so much body present that, especially vocalists such as Trace Adkins, really sound like you’re being sung to. If you’re listening to songs like “S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats, the clapping and hitting of the table, you can really hear that “fleshy” sound.
Now, unlike that of my beloved Oppo PM-1’s that’s where the HEDDphone ends, which objectively speaking is perfectly fine; everything sounds super real. But what differs a neutral analytical sound, such as the HEDDphone, from that of a warm musical one, such as the Oppo PM-1, is that level of warmth and extra musicality that is present in the PM-1’s that make them more enjoyable and relaxing. This is really hard for me to describe without letting you A/B the two but though yes the HEDDphone is more detailed than the PM-1, I can enjoy and just experience the music more on the PM-1 than making sure I’ve heard every fly on the wall that the HEDDphone showcases.

Bass

Here’s where the neutrality of the headphones can kind of get troublesome, but only from a subjective notion. The bass of the HEDDphone is wonderfully controlled and with tightness and speed to challenge even that or planars. However, unlike the aforementioned headphones, these don’t have much depth to them. Instead, the bass is what it objectively should be, an accent to the rest of the spectrum. Great examples of this are “Boom Lay/Diamond Eyes” by Shinedown the bass just accents the rest of the tract. As far as speed and control goes, “Oracle” by Timmy Trumpet. You’ve got your bass tightness and control, but not quite the depth or punch that I kinda want when I’m in the mood for this type of music.

Conclusion



To sum up my thoughts of the HEDD audio HEDDphone, they’re freaking fantastic. Though, subjectively speaking, I’m not a huge fan of analytical headphones these are truly something awesome, at least during the time you can stand them being on your head. These have the detail retrieval, depth and separation in music to satisfy any audiophile. Though the soundstage is a decent size it doesn’t sound at all artificial like, IMO, the 800S did to a degree. Other than my complaint of them being uncomfortable, the HEDDphone is a true summit-fi, endgame, analytical headphone. So, if you're thinking about getting one yourself, definitely check out TTVJ's website!

Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

Hello and good day to all of your beautiful weirdos! Been away for a long while, so a big thank you to Dudios to being one of the first company’s to start sending out review samples again. So anyways, the T8 is one of Dudios’ newest offerings to their entry level wireless earphone coming in at under $30. Seeing as I’ve reviewed a pretty nice amount of their products I’m rather excited to hear what their newest offering brings. So, without further adieu, allow me to share my thoughts on this budget friendly true wireless earphone.





The Opening Experience




Construction



Starting from the charging case, the build quality is admittedly pretty nice. Though it’s entirely made of plastic, it has a kind of rubbery feel to it which is great for holding onto. Additionally, the case is a rounded shape which, on a personal note, I didn’t care for. My reasoning for this is that, for me personally, it was often difficult to open the case to get to the earphones. On the front of the case, you’ve only a small lip to catch to open it so oftentimes my fingers or thumb would just slip right off of it for a couple tries. I feel if they were to utilize two, offset, lips this problem would completely go away. But, I digress. The case itself, as stated earlier, is a charging case that utilizes the Type C inputs (which I am immensely appreciative of and hope all company’s follow suit) that have an absolutely ridiculous amount of life and charging capabilities. Though I cannot give an exact number as to its life, during my time with this unit, I’ve put approximately 20 hours on the earbuds and I have yet to need to charge the case.
Moving onto the actual earphones themselves, the Dudios T8 true wireless earphones share the physical resemblance of the apple earpods in the sense they have the receiver and microphone on the elongated dongle that hangs from the bud. Similar to that of the charging case, the material is entirely plastic however it does not share the rubbery feel. The horn is that of the most common size I see on the vast majority of earphones/iems so finding aftermarket tips, if you so desire, will be very simple and easy. As for charging, simply place it back into its fitted spots in its case.

Comfort



Believe it or not, this is the first earphone that I’ve ever tried that has this type of elongated frame so I wasn’t sure how it would really feel, but, after a little over a week I can confidently say that these boogers are pretty darned comfortable, so long as you’re not laying on your side. The earlier motion about them being comfortable goes completely out the window when you lay on your side with these things. Continuing onwards, the entire weight, which is very miniscule, is supported by your tragus and ear canal but because it’s so light you don’t feel any pressure at all. The supplied tips are the regular run of the mill silicone tips which do provide relatively respectful isolation from the outside world and though I personally use and recommend Comply memory foam, as mentioned in the construction section, you can easily find and use your tips of choice to maximize your personal preferences. With that being said, though your mileage may vary, these didn’t have any problems with staying in my ears at all either, including a light workout.

Features



Other than the default ability to be utilized either in solo (only using a single earphone to listen to) or dual mode the Dudios T8 also has another, surprising considering its price point, feature that I’d like to share. The Dudios T8 is touch control and in a very interesting way too. Both Left and Right earphones control the play/pause & answer/hangup by double tapping either side and, at least with Android phones, activating the “OK Google” feature by triple tapping. The Left side controls the volume down by sliding your finger either up OR down on the face plate and a 2 second hold will make your music go to the previous track. The reverse is true for the right side; the right side controls volume up by sliding your finger either up OR down across the face plate and a 2 second hold will take your music forward to the next track.
Before I discuss a negative I have with this I also want to touch on that these earphones go into auto-pairing mode once they’re removed from their case and will auto connect to the most recent device it connected to if applicable. Now, the negative I have with the Dudios T8 is that, on a fair amount of occasions, while listening to music etc… the earphones will just up and randomly turn themselves off. The first couple times it did this, I thought the battery was just dead but I hadn’t been listening to them for more than a couple hours so I checked the battery indicator on my phone and sure enough they were still far from even low. Granted, this was easily and quickly fixed by simply putting them back in the case and taking them back out but the issue was still present.

Sound



So, we’re finally at what’s arguably the most important part, the sound quality. So, overall the sound is definitely tuned to be more V shaped but even as such, as is expected with a product at this price point, there’s not a very notable bass hit nor treble extension. These earphones are definitely one I would recommend for casual listening when you’re commuting to/from work, not while driving of course, or something to just pop in your ears and listen to while on your break.

Treble

So I mentioned that the Dudios T8 didn’t really have that great of treble extension but that doesn’t mean that listening to high toned music isn’t enjoyable. If you’ve read any of my other reviews or keep up with me you’ll understand how I’ve grown a taste for listening to the Koto after watching the anime and as such I listen to a fair bit of music with it. Listening to the T8, the Kono Oto Tomare sample playlist is still very much enjoyable and brings a smile to me each time. Also, despite the lower price point, the subtle nuances that I know are present in the background of the track can still be heard with these, so that’s actually a pretty solid point for the T8.

Mids

Now, I mentioned that the T8 is tuned to be more V shaped and as such the mids, which are my personal favorite area of a track, are going to be more subdued than the more “fun” areas to listen to. This sentiment is very true in the T8. While listening to George Ezra’s “Budapest” or Adele’s “Love in the Dark,” amongst many others, though I can still appreciate the artists vocal competency’s the T8 just, at least to me, doesn’t replicate the magic that their songs otherwise can.

Bass

Similarly to the previous sections, the bass, though of course present and a focal point in the tuning, still isn’t gonna make anyone whistle in impress. I will say however that of the three main areas of music the bass is definitely the most exciting thing to listen to with the T8. Checking out tracks such as Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike’s “Repeat After Me” I truthfully got pretty excited and ready to get to work. With respect to the roughly $30 price, I honestly can’t knock much on the bass of the T8.


Conclusion



My overall thoughts on the Dudios T8 is that they’re absolutely designed and catered to the casual, non audiophile/enthusiast, listener. The features, at least in my personal opinion, were the main areas that Dudios Focused on when they were designing the T8. And that’s fine; for the features are actually pretty cool and, again to me, set it apart from any other $30ish dollar true wireless earphone/iem that comes to mind. So if you’re just wanting an inexpensive pair of true wireless earphones to carry around and listen to while you’re at work on lunch or the like or would like a really cool gift for someone that I do believe they’ll appreciate, then I really recommend you check out the Dudios T8.





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

To date I’ve a very fond appreciation towards Meze products. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing 3 iems, 2 of which I see that they no longer offer, those 2 being the 11 Neo and 12 Classics respectively and their flagship, the Rai Penta. Their over ear model 99 Classics even won my Product of the Year award back in 2016 with how much they impressed me. Fast forward 4 years and I was given the honor of being invited to take part in a tour they established to review their flagship product, the $3,000 behemoth, Meze Empyrean also known as the highest part of Heaven.
Coming into this review, I had extremely high expectations considering Meze’s previous track record and considering this product costs 3 grand. Fast forward 2 weeks of very extensive listening and I must now complete this review for it’s time to send this product off to the next. So please allow me to discuss with you my thoughts on the Meze headphones flagship product, Empyrean.



The Opening Experience

*IMPORTANT NOTE* The default cable that comes with the Empyrean is ONLY the 3.5mm cable. The other 2, being the copper and silver cables, can be purchased as an optional accessory for $349 & $499 respectively.



Construction



The build quality of the Meze Empyrean is absolutely both beautiful and top notch. The framework uses machined aluminum that keeps with the traditional Meze elegance with the face plate being a very royal appearing copper color, but one can opt for an all black look if that’s your forte. The headband is made from ultra light yet strong carbon fiber with the support band being real leather. Also on the support band, Meze engraved the word Empyrean on the top along with a “L” and “R” to quickly discern which way it goes on your head. The ear cups slide up and down on a smooth cylindrical shaft which provide ample size options so just about anyone can utilize the Empyrean comfortably; additionally, they’re able to rotate a full 360 degrees however be mindful of your cable when doing that to prevent tangles and excessive twisting. Lastly, the cups themselves are easily interchangeable and even come with 2 sets of pads, one real leather and the other, a personal favorite, alcantara.
As for the cable(s) themselves. You’re provided the standard cable by default, that you can choose at time of purchase which termination you desire, but if you so choose you can opt in to purchase their copper or silver branded PCUHD cable(s) for an extra $349 and/or $499 respectably. With the above being said, it’s pretty much a given but the cables are detachable however, though not proprietary, the headphone connection is fairly specialized so finding third party aftermarket cables may take a little bit of work.
As far as the product durability is concerned though I did not personally test it, I honestly have no concerns about these headphones in the least. I feel that, heaven forbid, with what the Empyrean’s are made from and the overall craftsmanship, these headphones can most certainly handle a drop without issue and should serve you faithfully for the indefinite future.
So my final thoughts on the Empyrean’s construction is that it’s truly a top notch summit-fi quality product in both appearance and durability. Meze did not hold back when they were designing their flagship product and I for one truly feel like I’m holding a top of the line product which is very nice considering many other flagship and equally price tiered products claim they focus solely on sound so they cheap out on the construction.

Comfort



A great build quality is nice but that’s fairly null if the darned things can’t be comfortably worn for long listening sessions. Thankfully, that is absolutely not the case with the Empyrean headphone. Regardless if you decide to use the leather pads or the alcantara, at least with my own experience, you can comfortably listen with either and have absolutely no difficulties for in excess of 6 hours (though I can’t comment on the headphone head you’ll have though). The way that Meze distributes the weight makes these headphones, though not disappear, hardly noticeable.
The ease of use with the sliding cylinder makes finding that sweet spot very easy regardless if it’s on your head or not and once found, it stays and doesn’t drift. The clamping force also hits that nice goldilox zone of being just tight enough to feel secure but in no way constricting or forceful.

Sound




The first thing I experienced when I played the first track through the Meze Empyrean is how, as tacky as it sounds, liquid smooth the sound is. Like water, the Empyrean’s sound is so crystal and ambient that I find it hard to critically listen to them; I’m just so swept away in the music. The soundstage is intimate and personal while being impressively directional. The tonality is warm and inviting and musical yet still not heading any detail. A piece I use a lot and also one that really plays well with the Empyrean is the Koto piece called Tenkyu by Magiwa Hashimoto. Listen to it and you’ll notice just how calm yet authoritative the Empyrean can be without being aggressive.
Another major bonus note that the Empyrean employees over many other top of the line products is that they’re very efficient at 32ohms of resistance (31.6 to be specific) and also boast a 100dB sensitivity which means that they can be driven by just about any mobile device. Now, with that said, there’s a very notable drop in performance when driven as such. So though these can be driven mobile the entirety of my review is based off of them being powered via my home setup using their optional $349 copper cable.

Treble

The highs on the Empyrean continues my earlier motion of the crystalline smoothness I stated the Empyrean’s possess. Now, I will state that I can foresee some not enjoying the treble on the Empyrean not due to their sharpness but instead its softness. Though the musical enjoyment is wonderful and each instrument is unique and can be separated in the ensemble, it’s notably softer than what the instrument originally sounds like. I don’t believe that there’s a roll off similar to my PM-1’s for the treble does have impressive extension, it’s just much softer at standard listening levels. Two pieces that showcase what I mean are Crescent Moon Dance by Akito Matsuada and Winter by Paul Halley.


Mids

Imma just skip my usual spill about my feelings about the mids because good gosh are these some of the most creamiest and full bodied mids I’ve ever heard very much so rivaling that of my reference and beloved Oppo PM-1. The vocals are forward and take focus over the rest and are so lifelike and real that when I close my eyes I am being sung to. It makes no difference if it’s female vocalists such as Adele or Jane Zhang or male vocalists such as John Moreland or Johnny Cash they all come through true and lifelike and personal that you can not just experience but almost feel their emotion and/or sorrow. Listen to the songs Hurt by Johnny Cash and Love in the Dark by Adele and tell me otherwise. When it comes to instrumentals the same sentiments of realness and calm ambiance remain. Guitars really portray this as the piece Last of the Mocians performed by Luca Stricagnoli proves.
I can continue providing examples of how amazingly warm and beautiful the Empyrean’s mids are but I’d just be rambling. There’s very few headphones, at least that I’ve personally experienced over my 5 years of reviewing and 3 years of enthusiasm before, that compete so strongly with my PM-1’s and I hope that statement really nails in how stunning the Empyreans performance is.

Bass

Finally there’s the bassline. Since these are the world's first isodynamic hybrid array driver (I’m not an engineer so I’ve no idea what that all entails) I don’t have any past experience to compare them directly to but of course the same can be said for all of the sounds aspects listed previously. The bass on the Empyrean is very fast and very controlled. Similar to that of the PM-1 I can’t call these very impactful headphones because I never got that hit in my chest but in that same breath I was just about always very content with the level of bass I was given. My go to band and song to warm up my workout with is Jekyll and Hyde by Five Finger Death Punch. Though I don’t wear these when I’m doing a workout of course they’re great to get me warmed up because the bass attack and depth portrays all the adrenaline needed. If you like a real drum to be your reference then please look no more to another personal favorite of mine Fertility of the Sea as performed by the Senzoku Gakuen College

Conclusion



To conclude my thoughts on the flagship product of the Meze brand, I find these headphones to be truly every ounce of flagship and top of the line status they claim. From the strong materials put together in a beautiful and elegant finish to the breathtakingly warm and musical sound that is mastered by them, I yet again find myself awe stricken by what Meze is capable of. I compared the Empyrean to my ever faithful and beloved reference headphone the Oppo PM-1 many times throughout this review and for good reason, the Empyrean, as much as I’m surprised to say this, not only gives it a run for it’s money but, in some respects, even beats it. The largest downside with the Empyrean is absolutely the staggering price tag. A product costing 3 grand is plagued with that ever well known term called diminishing returns but for those who’re fortunate enough to be able to afford this masterpiece and truly want the most musical experience that I’ve personally heard, then look no further than the Meze Empyrean.


BONUS

I've also created a VS. video comparing these and my own beloved Oppo PM-1. Didn't think I'd ever feel I had to make one.





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

After recently coming off reviewing one of their newest products, the AF180mk2 iem, they asked if I would be interested in reviewing another one of their products; an over ear model titled the AF240. Being quite interested in their sound and wanting to hear more from them I very happily agreed. Additionally, a subscriber of mine commented on the AF180mk2 video about how they loved their own personal AF240’s and was interested in what I thought of them, so that coincidence worked out beautifully. But with that introduction out of the way, allow me to discuss with you my thoughts of Audiofly’s +/- $180 over ear offering, the AF240.



The Opening Experience




Construction

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The build quality of the Audiofly AF240 is quite expected for a headphone of this price range being almost exclusively plastic minus some, rather nice, faux leather accents on the headband and cups. The frame has an artistic narrowing to it that, IMO, not only looks nice but also serves as an insert into the cups so it can be rotated on a roughly 100 degree axis. One, interesting, aspect that the AF240 utilizes that I personally haven’t experienced before, is that the AF240 uses a spring recoil system on both the frame and the cups so that they always return to the starting, smallest, position. Only speaking from a personal point of view, I really didn’t like this feature in the least. I like to be able to set my headphones to a setting that works best for me and it stays there so all I have to do is put it on my head. Now granted, getting your ideal position really isn’t a big deal at all but still something I don’t wish to do, every single time.
The cups themselves have a cool retro look that also reminds me of the headphone you use when you’re getting your hearing checked (you know with the little clicker thing). The pads use a nice, firm, foam material that’s very easily detached if you ever need to replace them; simply push down on the top part and pull outwards.
The cable, which is, thankfully, detachable, connects to the AF240’s left cup uses a traditional 3.5mm jack on both ends (so you can even use it as an aux cable is need be) and also comes with a universal microphone that utilizes a single button with a play/pause when single pressed, next track with a double, and previous track with a triple press. My only complaint with the mic is that it’s really close to the headphone. I personally with it was another 3-4 inches further down. The cable itself is also very nicely made with a Cordura fibre that works pretty nicely as a shield against noise and, from my experience anyways, is rather tangle resistant. Lastly, Audiofly includes a pouch that’s, honestly, really nice (and I, traditionally, rather dislike pouches).

Comfort

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Being completely honest, I was legitimately concerned about the ear cup size when I first looked at these because quite frankly, I’ve some decent sized ears. Fast forward roughly 2 weeks and after several dozen hours, my fear was all but invalid. Though the tips and lobes did make constant contact with the pads, the level of give in them was enough to not make them ever uncomfortable; though I did need to adjust them periodically. Additionally, the spring headband also never really bothered me (in reference to it being on my head) either.

Sound

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So far, I’ve only heard 2 products from Audiofly so I’m still getting a feel for their house sound. But of the two products both of them fall into a category I call “Just enjoy the music.” So what I mean by this is that, specifically the AF240, they don’t really specialize in any category/genre of music but perform moderately at about all of ‘em.
Before I talk about the AF240 individually, the generalized sound is that of a smaller soundstage with decent instrument/musical separation and positional awareness. The “Pirates of the Caribbean Medley” performed by The Marcin J. Żebrowski Music School in Częstochowa, does a really good job at showing just what I’m talking about. Though you don’t feel like the performance is right in your face, it doesn’t sound like a live performance either; you always know you’ve headphones on. To continue, once there’s a lot of different groups playing, it’s really hard to differentiate them. But something the AF240’s do most certainly have going for them, is a non-fatiguing sound.

Treble

The eye’s of the music. Where detail and energy is showcased and presented. The Audiofly AF240’s treble is one that I enjoyed listening to but I definitely couldn’t fall in love with. To me and my ears, there was just no “magic” to it. One of my favorite pieces to listen to is “Tenkyuu” from the Kono Oto Tomare (Sounds of Life) soundtrack. This piece, especially if you listened to it along with watching the anime, is a very emotional piece and really vests you into the piece. However, through the AF240’s this piece just sounded meh to good. This sentiment continues with pieces such as “A Moon Filled Sky” by Tenmon and “Senbonzakura” performed by Lindsay Stirling.
Make no mistake, you can and do enjoy the music you listen to through the AF240’s don’t make that assumption, it’s just that, at least with me, there was just no staying power or any moments that gave me chills. Lindsay Stirling is a very energetic violinist but I never felt any of that through the AF240’s.

Mids

I likely don’t need to make much of an introduction as to my personal feelings with the midrange for I pretty much always talk about how much I personally love the midrange but coming off the treble I was a little bit concerned. First hitting play on Nathaniel Rateliff & the Nightsweats “S.O.B.” I wanted to test the “body” of the AF240’s or how well they reproduced the “fleshy” sound of snaps and claps. Right away I found myself rather impressed and truthfully, quite relaxed by them. I can’t call these headphones warm (though, objectively speaking, I’d say they would be classified) but I most definitely will call them vocally musical. From male vocalists such as John Moreland singing “Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars” or Donna Burke singing “Glassy Sky” I just couldn’t stop listening to and just enjoying the presentation that was before me. So very well done in this regard Audiofly, very well done.

*Side note* Something else I learned, completely unrelated to music, these headphones are amazing to listen to general youtube podcasts, lectures, instructional videos, etc... due to their vocal performance

Bass

The heartbeat of the music. Coming from a non-bassheads point of view, bass needs to be controlled but possess enough authority to be able to control the rhythm and pace of the entire track and not leave the listener wishing for more whilst also not overwhelming them. A selfish plug but, the music video I made “Army N.C.N.G. Firefighter’s. Always ready, always there.” that features music from Thousand Foot Krutch and State Of Mine, is a mash of rock songs that have a decent bass presence throughout the track and though yes, the AF240 does have a bass presence and it’s acceptable I never, personally, got excited or ready to “get some work done.”
From the aspect of just enjoying the track and not necessarily wanting that bass drop to make you wanna move mountains but still want to bob your head and tap your feet, then yes. The Audiofly AF240 most certainly can satisfy you in that regard. Check out the really cool “Crazy Train” remake from INSANIME. My head was bobbing throughout writing this section and I personally had quite the good time.

Conclusion

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In summary, Audiofly created another audio product that does a really good job at presenting music in a way that’s, well, musical. I can definitely recommend these headphones to someone who’s looking for a product in the middle tier range and just wants a “basic” headphone that they can just listen to whatever with and have a good time. I’m very confident in the AF240’s ability to take a few drops and not break and their size is pretty universal with practically any head and ear size.





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

For as long as I’ve been into this spiraling hobby, electrostats always come up in conversation as a top tier option to strive for. Recently I was finally able to listen to the legendary Stax SR-009 (paired with equally infamous gear) and immediately understood what made them special. Sadly, that was the end of my experience, the audio meet. Until Hifiman allowed me to take part in their Jade 2 tour. Finally, after being able to experience an extended listening period, using my music and equipment, I understand what makes not only electrostats but the Jade 2 a truly special piece of equipment.

A little about me
I would like to say that first and foremost I am NOT an “audiophile” but rather an audio enthusiast. I listen to music to enjoy it. Do I prefer a lossless source? Yes, of course. But I can still be very happy streaming from Pandora or even my YouTube “My Mix” playlist. I also prefer equipment that sounds the best to me personally regardless of what frequency response it has or rather or not it's “sonically accurate” and I always have and shall continue to encourage others to do the same.
I'm a firefighter for both the civilian and military sector and the cliché of wanting to do this since I was born couldn't be more present with me. I've worked hard over the last several years to earn this position and now it's time for me to work even harder to keep it.
I enjoy fishing and relaxing to audio products and then reviewing them to help others decide on what products would work for them. Few things make me as an audio enthusiast/review feel more accomplished than when someone tells me that I helped them find the type of sound they've always been looking for.
Now, the sound signature I personally favor is a relaxing, warm and sensual sound that just drifts me away in the emotional experience of the music being performed. Yes, accuracy is still important but I will happily sacrifice some of that if I'm presented with a clean, warm sound that can wisp me away into an experience that makes me yearn for more.
My ideal signature are that of respectably forward mids and upper bass range with the bass being controlled but with some slight decay. I like my treble to have nice extension and detail reveal with a smooth roll off up top as to not become harsh in the least. Examples of products that have given me chills and keep giving me the yearning for more feels are (in no particular order) Bowers & Wilkins P7, Oppo PM-1/2, Empire Ears Hermes VI & Zeus XIV, Audeze LCD-XC, Meze Headphones 99 Classics.

Equipment used at least some point during the review
-D.A.C.(s)
-PS Audio DigitalLink 3 w/ Cullan Stage IV Upgrade
-Sennheiser HDVD800
-Sources
-LG G8 Thin Q/HP Pavilion
-Playing Pandora, YouTube, and various format personal music

Disclaimer
I am by no means sponsored by this company or any of its affiliates. They were kind enough to send me a product for an arranged amount of time in exchange for my honest opinion. I am making no monetary compensation for this review.
The following is my take on the product being reviewed. It is to be taken “with a grain of salt” per say and as I always tell people, it is YOUR opinion that matters. So regardless of my take or view on said product, I highly recommend you listen to it yourself and gauge your own opinion.


The Opening Experience
Why I feel so strongly about the initial unboxing experience
Please allow me to explain why I feel so strongly about the initial unboxing experience with a product. Maybe it’s due to my southern roots in the hills of eastern Kentucky, but I’ve always been raised under the pretense of when you introduce yourself to someone for the first time you present yourself with confidence, class, character, pride, and competence. You greet the other person with a true warm smile, eye contact and a firm handshake. Anything less or short implies to other person that you either don’t care about them, are too full of yourself, too busy to be bothered by the likes of them, or worse, just generally disrespectful.
As a consumer, I take this same belief to when I open a new product. Why? Because think about it this way. How else can a company introduce themselves to their customers? How do they present their products? Are they packaged with pride and presented in such a way that makes the listener eager to listen to them? Or maybe they’re just wrapped up and placed in an available space. How about the box itself? Is it bogged down with jargon that says look at this, look what I can do. I’m better than anything on the market and here’s why read this and check out that. Or, is the package clean, simplistic and classy? As if saying to the customer ‘Good day, pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Please give me a listen and allow me to show you what I can do and allow my actions to speak louder than my words.’
This is why I feel so strongly about the initial presentation of a product, and I feel it’s truly a shame more people don’t. But with all that aside, let’s discuss how this product introduced itself shall we?



Construction



Starting with the amp. This thing is a brick with grips. The amp boasts a very solid and impressive feel, being made of all aluminum, with the weight and looks to complete its role of a power house. Boasting a power button, 2 electrostatic inputs, a source input selector button, and a volume knob with a set max and min (doesn’t free spin )on the front, it all stays simple and straightforward. Moving to the rear, you’ve the power input with the voltage selector switch right under it (a good implementation that allows personal sales to different countries), and then both balanced and unbalanced source inputs on the back. There’s really not much negative to say about the Jade 2 amplifier. It’s built, at least IMO, very well.
Moving to the headphones. The first thing I noticed about the Jade 2 headphones was how incredibly light they are, at least from memory, they’re the lightest headphones I’ve ever felt. The headband and grille is made of lightweight (obviously) but very sturdy aluminum with the head strap sporting what feels like faux leather. The headband adjustment and driver cups are the only parts that I’m not sure about. The website doesn’t mention any plastic being used but these two pieces feel very plasticy but that’s neither here nor there. The earpads use a faux leather and cloth hybrid (my personal favorite) that, at least to me, looks and feels like it can’t be user replaced (but I didn’t push/pull very hard on anything). The driver cups are connected to the frame using 2 bolts which only gives the pads an up/down range of motion but no side/side. A negative I do have about the headphones is that these things are HUGE, as in the headphones themselves and not just the pads. I have a decent size head and I have to put the Jade 2 on their lowest adjustment setting so for those, like my wife, who’ve a smaller head, it's not very practical to listen to these headphones.
Finally, moving down to the cable. The cable is not detachable, though it looks and feels respectively durable, if something were to happen then you’re going to be out a more than likely costly expense to ship them to Hifiman (or authorized/similar repair facility), pay their fee and then ship them back.
But in conclusion, my final thoughts on the construction of the Jade 2 system is that Hifiman did a very good job at making their $2,500 system both look and feel as premium as their price implies it should.

Comfort



The Jade 2’s comfort is, for those who can wear them, incredibile. The Jade 2 pretty much disappears on your head they’re so light plus the padding has the goldilox level of support and give. I don’t receive any microphonics from the cable when I move around in my seat and the strap doesn’t mess with my head/hair even after very long listening sessions (I do keep my hair quite short as well). I can see some having problems finding the sweet spot on their head due to the Jade 2 not having any side/side movement of the pads.

Sound



Before I start this section. It should go without saying but though I link YouTube videos when I’m giving examples, this is for convenience only. If applicable, I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to the music I’m referencing on as high a quality as possible to experience the fullest sound possible.

From the time one presses the play button on their track of choice you’ll immediately understand what makes this Jade 2 system special. The level of transparency rivals or beats any other headphone that I can think of, they just disappear. Soundstage feels natural and accurate with the imaging quite pinpoint. The Sennheiser HD800 S comes to my mind when listening to the Jade 2. Minus soundstage, I feel like the Jade 2 is an upgraded HD800 S in most aspects but shares a similar analytical and stale sound, as well as a small treble spike and bass dip as well.

Treble

The highs on the Jade 2 are clean, controlled and have great extension. There’s also a presence of airiness that not many other headphones can relate to. A piece I found recently thanks to an awesome anime (Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life) called “Tenkyuu,” IMO really shows off the capabilities of the Jade 2 system in relation to treble as well as the treble peak it sometimes has. And if the Koto isn’t your thing “A Moon Filled Sky” by Tenmon is another great piece but really gets high on the sharpness.

Mids

The mids really are full of body and emotion being played through the Jade 2. Despite not really having any accent to the mid range, the Jade 2 makes the artists voices sound so real and true that I find it very difficult to listen to them and not have my eyes close to take in all the sound. John Moreland’s “Hang My In The Tulsa County Stars” is just one of many of his songs that really come to mind when I talk about experiencing emotion by the artist. Female vocals are also just as, if not more, impressive. Rebecca Pidgeon’s “Spanish Harlem” also sounds as if she’s singing right to you but when listening to that song while writing this, I really got full sense of how black the background is on the Jade 2. It’s hard for me to put that phrase into words but the only thing present was just her and the instruments to accent her. I didn’t hear any background noise floor, static nothing. Sad I can’t listen to other headphones through this because the Jade 2 amp’s noise floor really impresses me.

Bass

Hmm. So, the bass on the Jade 2 is what I would call audiophile quality but not enthusiast quantity. There’s bass on the Jade 2 in respect to control, speed, and minimal to no decay but there’s is not a slam or impact to them or at least to the degree that makes enthusiasts really get into their rock, metal, or house (etc…) music. I can insert as many different examples as I can google search but my overall thoughts about the bass will basically be repeated.

Conclusion



To summarize my thoughts on the Hifiman Jade 2 system, Hifiman, IMO, created a wonderful product that even when taking its price into consideration, performs very respectable compared to other TOTL products such as the Sennheiser HD800 S I mentioned earlier. The Jade 2 is $2500 for BOTH the headphone and amplifier. To me, when considering how well they’re built and how comfortable, though very large, the Jade 2 headphones are and, objectively, how analytically sound they are, I would not be surprised if the Jade 2 becomes a staple in many of electrostatic or rather headphones in general conversations about what a solid step towards an audiophile sounding endgame (though endgame is a rather ambiguous term that truly doesn’t exist).





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

One of the coolest things about being a product reviewer is having the ability to be introduced to companies and products that otherwise is highly likely one wouldn’t have. One of those is the company in which I’m reviewing a product for this week and that’s Audiofly and their AF180mk2 iem. After having them for 2 weeks, I have really found them to be an interesting iem and company with a sound signature that was new to me. But allow me to share my thoughts on that a little more specifically if I may?



The Opening Experience



Construction



The build quality of the AF180mk2 is quite normal for an iem within this price point (+/- $370). They’re almost entirely made of plastic with the only metal-like material being that of the MMCX connectors that the detachable cables clip into. The frames themselves utilize a concha style which, IMO, is one of the most comfortable with the horn sharing that of the Westone and Shure style with it being very small. My first, and truthfully only, complaint with the build quality of the AF180mk2 is that the horn just looks and feels really cheap and weak. When I was putting my Comply tips on, I actually had a bit of concern that the horn may break; now, not once did I hear and/or feel any kind of movement/sound that implied it would but just the appearance of it gave me that thought.
The cable is quite impressive IMO. The cable arrives with an unbalanced 3.5mm 90 degree jack and from the jack to the split is shielded inside a cloth wrap and then from the split to the MMCX termination they’re braided. From my couple weeks with them doing everything from mowing the lawn and pressure washing my back deck to simply listening to them for musical enjoyment I never heard any sort of interference from the cable brushing against my clothes and though to disclaim, Audiofly, to my knowledge, doesn’t say these are water/sweat resistance anywhere, I didn’t have any issues from them sliding, falling out, etc… during my physical activities.
So in summary, the Audiofly AF180mk2’s are built to what I would come to expect from a product costing roughly $350. They’re lightweight, can take a beating, minus the horn worries, and from what I can tell should last the user many years to come regardless of the activity or environment you’re listening to them in (within reason of course).

Comfort



Like most concha style iems, the AF180mk2 is incredibly comfortable. From my larger ears to my wife’s fairly small ones, the AF180mk2’s sat snug and didn’t cause us any discomfort. Now, to disclose upfront, I use, and swear by, Comply memory foam tips. So my entire impressions will be from the vantage of using those tips so if you prefer a different brand or material then YMMV.
Something that I personally do enjoy about iems is their ability to drown out the surrounding assault of noise on my ears and the AF180mk2’s do a very fantastic job at doing just that. The best example I have is when I was mowing my lawn while listening to these. I could still hear the lawnmower I was pushing sure but it was at a very tolerable noise and I could very easily hear, at a comfortable level, the youtube video I was listening to.
All in all, the AF180mk2 is a very well made iem that is not only, for the most part, durable but very comfortable, even during long listening durations. They don’t move around or slide out and do a great job at isolating yourself from the noise around you.

Sound



Before I start this section. It should go without saying but though I link YouTube videos when I’m giving examples, this is for convenience only. If applicable, I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to the music I’m referencing on as high a quality as possible to experience the fullest sound possible.

Before I go into this section I gotta say that coincidences are some of the funniest things. Just before I began writing this review, a subscriber of mine commented on my unboxing video stating how they owned an Audiofly product and really enjoyed it stating “...they are a unique headphone...the sound signature is different than anything I have. You have to listen to them to understand.” What’s funny is they hit the nail straight on the head. The Audiofly AF180mk2 really does have an interesting sound signature that’s fairly different from what I’ve previously heard for it, to me and my ears, is a musically cold sounding headphone. I’m not saying that they didn’t exist, I just haven’t yet heard one.
For an iem in the AF180mk2’s price range (+/- $370), the technical aspects are truthfully, impressive. While writing this very section I was listening to my “My Mix” YouTube playlist and a trumpet focused piece “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla and Øivind Westby and had to stop for a second because the AF180mk2 really shines when brass instruments are played through them; with the trumpet being its shining star. When listening to the “Crescent Moon Dance” by Mikadzuki no Mai, the sense of spacing and separation in between each instrument and section is incredible.

Treble

As I pretty much alluded to just a moment ago, Audiofly’s AF180mk2 is definitely colder sounding iem and as such, has a notable treble focus. Listening to pieces like “Tenkyuu” the airiness that the AF180mk2’s have is really showcased. Every Koto can be heard and each has their own space. There’s so much energy and extension that the only fault I can find is a hypothetical situation in which a person who is treble sensitive may find these to be a pit sharp at times. But my goodness, on a personal note I find the treble on the AF180mk2’s absolutely beautiful and listening to instruments such as the koto or trumpet really showcase what I believe these iems are meant for.

Mids

For any of you who have read any of my reviews or follow me at all you likely know how strong of a preference I have for a products midrange. To me, that’s where a piece's “soul” and emotion of the artist is conveyed to the listener which is something that always gives me chills when done correctly. A piece that I’m sure many have listened to is Nathaniel Rateliff’s “S.O.B.” I use this song a lot to talk about male vocals and especially body due to all of the clapping of the hands and snapping of the fingers in this song. Though the vocals are, for the most part, fine for they’re not too deep in pitch there is a lack of body to them. The clapping and snapping, to my ears, sound very unnatural and almost synthesised. Now, speaking in the sense of pure vocals, listening to Disturbed’s “The Sound Of Silence” or Adele’s “Love In The Dark” both of these songs sound very clean and true and accurate to what the artist sounds like. To my ears, when it comes to a person's voice, the AF180mk2 is a very pure and linear iem that can quite confidently be used as a reference material.

Bass

The heartbeat of the audio piece. Bass is what keeps everything together and maintains rhythm and pace. Too hard and it drowns out everything and sounds muddled and unrefined. Too little and your product sounds lights and untechnical. In my opinion, the AF180mk2 teters that line just enough to make the majority of people comfortable and content with whatever they’re listening to. I would still, overall, consider them a bass light iem despite what the graph shows due to the lack of impact and definitely not exaggerated but not tight either, decay. Listening to the song “Unravel” performed by Jonathan Young, this piece has become one of my go to songs to get my pumped for something. There’s a good bit of bass from the guitar and drums that are fantastic for i.e. a preworkout jam. But when played through the AF180mk2 the overall tonality of the piece is notably pushed towards the treble range. Another piece that shares the same sentiment but on the non rock side of music is “Into The Coals” by Buffalo Jones. This song is fairly deep in overall tonality but through the AF180mk2 it doesn’t sound how this piece I know does.

Conclusion



To summarise my thoughts on the Audiofly AF180mk2, I think that these are definitely geared towards listening to more instrumental music most notably of the higher frequency band such as the koto (generally speaking) and the trumpet (but any brass really). They’re built to an expected degree considering the price they’re marketing them in (sub horn) but they are top class in terms of comfort. On a personal, subjective note, I think that outside of instrumental music and vocal focused music these may struggle with many users. On an objective note, I find the AF180mk2’s a very technically competent iem that regardless of being a colder sound is still wonderfully musical to listen to. When listening to what I found the AF180mk2’s to really excel at these will surprise you with how well they perform considering the respectable price they’re asking.





Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

*To me at least, the format isn't showing my full review (even the HIGHLY shortened and edited one I had to post here thanks to Head-Fi's new 10k character limit). I have posted my full, unedited, review on the Cayin YB-04 forum page here.*


*Yes, I'm sure you've noticed but I used the wrong form of through in my video cover. Didn't even realize I did it until obviously too late. Oh well. We'll have a laugh at it together.*
The Opening Experience

The Opening Experience








Construction



I’m not really a Chevy fan but the old time commercial and song “Like A Rock” comes to mind when I’m holding the Cayin N6ii. Not only does this piece of art feel like a rock with its size but it also has the weight to join it. I rarely find myself saying this with DAP’s, and I adamantly do not recommend trying it, but in a worst case scenario and you were to drop the N6ii, I’ve a good feeling of confidence that the DAP would be just fine, especially if you’ve it placed inside its included, and very stylish, faux leather carrying case. Cayin built this unit to last.

As you look at the unit, you’re greeted with a very respectable 4.2” touch screen display on its front. Rotating the N6ii to its right side you’ve, from the top down, power button/ volume dial, track back button, play/pause button and the track forward button. Rotating the unit to its left side, you’ve only the micro SD card slot that, from Cayin, was tested to 512gb capacity (I’ve only up to a 200gb card to test). The bottom of the N6ii, from left to right, you’ve the I2S Type C mini HDMI port (I did not use nor test this component) and the Type C USB port. Finally on the top of the N6ii is where you’ll find the business end. The top of the N6ii is where you’ll find the replaceable motherboard that sits flush and contains, on the default A01 motherboard, from left to right, a 4.4mm balanced port, a 3.5mm unbalanced port, and a 3.5mm line-out port. The optional T01 motherboard is exactly the same except the 4.4mm balanced output is also a line-out

I’ve really nothing bad to say about how Cayin constructed their N6ii DAP, the thing’s a brute and feels every bit as premium as its $1200 price tag would suggest it should.


Features


I’ll get into the sound of the N6ii (of course) soon but don’t think for a second that just sounding great is the only thing the N6ii has going for it. Cayin stuffed this unit more than a person on a diet on Thanksgiving.

Right out of the gate Cayin made their N6ii an Android based DAP that comes equipped with 8.1 Oreo. What Android operating system would be complete without built in Wi-Fi? Exactly. Which is why Cayin included dual-band (2.4 & 5 ghz) capabilities. I greatly utilized feature this to listen to various YouTube amv’s but you know, there’s Tidal and all that other cool stuff too I guess.

For those wireless technology lovers, Cayin made the N6ii equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and also added LDAC to ensure everything stays lossless.

Finally, and I suppose it’s the biggest and most notable feature, the N6ii has the ability to interchange its motherboards with other Cayin applicable ones (tested the default A01 and the optional T01). This is a feature that, no isn’t unique to Cayin but is a concept that is fairly rare to see and one that, to me, adds a lot of longevity to a products life because what better way to make a player sound new again than to completely change the Dac, amp and inputs? And Cayin’s implementation with their N6ii is not only simple but darned stylish. To change the motherboard out is as simple as unscrewing two screws on the back with the supplied screwdriver and using the lip on the back to carefully change out the motherboards.


Sound





Here we are, arguably the most important aspect of a high end, or rather any end, Digital Audio Player, its sound. For this first bit, I will focus on the default A01 motherboard and then will switch to the optional T01 model. The first and most immediate thing I remember thinking when I first pushed play on the N6ii is hot dang, that’s impressive. The sound is that of a slightly south of neutral warmth that makes the N6ii very audiophile friendly in the neutrality department but musical enough to satisfy those filthy casuals such as myself. I fully understand that this unit is $1,200 and that is by absolutely no means, a small sum but the level of detail retrieval I got from this portable unit rivals that of my own desktop unit power supply is a different story however. A song I like to use to really check out the micro details is “Po Lazarus” by James Carter & the Prisoners. Around half way through the song, there’s a bucket that’s getting picked up and moved and it’s only quality products that you hear that but it’s only on premium and top tier products can you hear the little rocks move around inside.

Something that is difficult for me to explain but it’s the best way I can talk about with the N6ii and the A01 motherboard is just a very smooth sounding audio player. It doesn’t matter what type of music I’m listening to it’s just such an experience. To me and my ears, as I said at the beginning, the A01 is a just south of neutral sound that I could very easily see becoming a reference for many a audiophiles due to its detail retrieval and dynamic capabilities.

A note I will add for the A01, and the T01 as well, is that this unit (the N6ii) showcases its capabilities the best with iems (even hyper sensitive customs) and low powered headphones. Though they’ll power headphones like my Sennheiser HD650 & HD660 S, when you get to higher powered headphones the difference in desktop vs portable setups becomes much more apparent. The loss of dynamics and bass punch though doesn’t necessarily dissapoint (headphone dependent of course) you will definitely notice a loss of what you’re likely used to on your personal reference gear.

Moving on to the T01 motherboard module. I loved this module and immediately knew it would be my prefered module upon pushing play. The T01, whereas the A01 focuses on neutralness, takes on the musically warm approach and it does it well. Vocals immediately became more forward and the bass hit just slightly harder. Acoustic instruments such as the guitar became much more surreal sounding that I got lost in time writing this review because I just couldn’t stop enjoying my music. A perfect example is “The Last of The Mohicans” performed by Luca Stricagnoli. On the T01, the guitars resonance just becomes so much more palpable that I swore I was sitting in the room with him as he performed. Male vocals such as Johnny Cash and Trace Adkins had a lifelike body to them that you can really experience the emotion that otherwise, to me, gets lost of more neutral sounding products. Though treble isn’t lost, it is pulled back or rather rolls off sooner than the A01 sibling. I personally found no problem with this but objectively speaking you may find you missing resonances on high pitched instruments (such as symbols) making them lose their realism.



Conclusion




In summary, I greatly enjoyed my time with the newest summit-fi DAP from Cayin. Everything I could want in a DAP is present and done exceptionally well and competently. I don’t often use DAP’s but even so I can tell that Cayin’s N6ii is something special. It’s default abilities and features already set it apart from other summit-fi DAP’s; add the ability to upgrade the motherboard and you now have a virtually future proof product that will only increase its value per dollar investment. If you’re in the market for a top tier summit-fi DAP then I urge you to give strong consideration to Cayin and their N6ii. If it’s neutrality then their default A01 will more than satisfy you. If you’re like myself and enjoy full bodied warmth, then their T01 module, though an extra $330ish, has an amazingly musical sound that all but forces you to relax and enjoy your music.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

It’s not too often that I get to experience what an aftermarket cable can do to a products sound, there’s just not an opportunity to try them out on the gear I have. So when Effect Audio put forth a tour showcasing their new Vogue line of iem cables I definitely had to put my name in the basket because I even own their Eres II cable and greatly love it. Believe me, during my 4ish years of showing my ugly mug on YouTube doing reviews I hear both sides um *cough cough* passionate debates on their feelings of cables being snake oil vs actually improving a products sound and I for one am a firm believer that a cable does make a difference in the sound (the cost of some models is to each users own discretion as far as if it’s worth it or not). With that being said, let me discuss with you what me and my ears heard during my time with the Effect Audio Vogue series of iem cables.





The Opening Experience






The opening experience to the Vogue series of cables was as simplistic and straightforward as I’d like it to be. They each come in a white box with Effect Audio’s logo and name on it with a sticker on the side that tells what the model is and the selected terminations. In terms of its simplicity, I loved it. Effect Audio, to me, is telling their users to let the cables do the talking for them; Effect Audio has no need to bog down their boxes with jargon, their cables are more than competent enough to speak their own praise. The only thing I REALLY wish Effect Audio added, was a lip of some sorts so that you can open the box easier, sometimes it’s a real turd to get that air suction to let go.


Construction



The build quality of the 3 cables is beautifully braided together in a 4 braid configuration with each cable terminated in a multitude of possibilities that the buyer can choose from when purchasing theirs (my review sample each came terminated in 2pin-2.5mm balanced).The split is an aluminum divider that also comes with a plastic slider which can cinch down on the user's chin or behind the head for extra security is the user so chooses.

Like most braided cables, though they’re my personal preference over their popular tubular rival, they do have a problem becoming tangled in themselves and it’s an entangling that actually requires you to pull it apart and not just “flick it” like you often can with tubular designed cables. Guess that’s the cost of beauty, and again on a personal note I gladly pay that because goodness to braided cables look beautiful especially mesh cables such as the Grandioso.

My only drawback that I potentially have with these cables is one that I commonly have with my personal Eres II cable and that’s the aluminum cover covering the terminations, on both ends, often like to come off and slide down the cable. To stress, this issue did NOT happen with the tour samples I was sent but for the most part they utilize the same construction so the potential is very much there.


Sound



Before I start this section. It should go without saying but though I link YouTube videos when I’m giving examples, this is for convenience only. If applicable, I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to the music I’m referencing on as high a quality as possible to experience the fullest sound possible.


Maestro




Starting with Effect Audio’s entry level Vogue cable, the Maestro is a pure copper cable and as such has an expected boost to the bass and mid range. I personally prefer the sound that copper cables provide because they give an iem a, with me, very welcomed boost to warmth and IMO sense of musicality. Effect Audio’s Maestro is of no exception. The Maestro improved the bass on the Cayin YB04 by adding a nice amount of oomph while also accenting the already full mids. Treble is noticeably reduced compared to it’s stock cable but that’s to be expected with the removal of the silver that Cayin used in it’s silver-copper mesh cable.

I really commend Effect Audio for what they did with the Maestro cable. For the very reasonable price, in reference, they’re asking ($100), the Maestro gives a very nice nod to musicality that will either accent an iems already musical sound or tone down a little bit of unwanted brightness.


-A/B with Effect Audio’s Eres II cable. As Effect Audio directly mentions that the Maestro is evolved from their Eres II sound I only found it appropriate and befitting to compare the Maestro with my own personal Eres II cable. This was actually a quicker comparison that I originally thought it would have been (before listening) but to me and my ears, the only difference that I can hear is that the bass on the Maestro is slightly deeper than that of the Eres II while the Eres II is objectively better made and accented, which is to be expected for it’s $50 more.


Virtuoso




The “middle of the road” in the Vogue lineup. The Virtuoso is an all Silver cable that was inspired by Effect Audio’s very successful Thor model. The Virtuoso, to my ears, is an incredibly revealing cable that does a very surprising job, when considering it’s asking price, at accenting a musical pieces micro details. In the song “Glassy Sky” by Donna Burke the shaker that’s played throughout the piece is always present whereas in the previous Maestro cable, as well as other companies stock cable I review this song with, the shaker is very quiet and only an afterthought that you kind of need to focus on to be able to hear as cleanly as you can in the Virtuoso.Listening to the song “Po Lazarus” by James Carter & The Prisoners in addition to hearing the actual rocks being moved inside the bucket, which is a feat that very few iems and cables can claim, around the 45 second mark there’s a very faint “pick” metal on metal sound (gonna need the CD version or better for that, YouTube isn’t able to produce it) that I’ve only heard a few times before, but truthfully forgotten about because it’s so rare to hear.

Most of the time, when I equip a silver cable to my iems of choice I only do so to listen to classical music and the like because, traditionally, the bass and lower mids drop off a bit harder than I prefer, hence I like copper cables so much. As with the Virtuoso’s granted they do have a noticeable bass drop off when coming from the Maestro and/or Grandioso cable but it surprised me as not being as prominent as I’m used to (from upper bass higher, the mid bass and lower is quite dipped down still).

Finally, and I’ll end on my used in about every review piece, the piece “Fertility of the Sea” performed by Senzoku Gakuen College of Music really shows off the transparency that the Maestro before it just couldn’t come up with. I believe this is due to the Virtuoso’s tuning towards detail retrieval whereas the Maestro was much more musical sounding in comparison. The drums sounded incredible and hyper life like. There’s many other percussion pieces I listen to that showcase this aptitude in the Virtuoso cable but I reference that one most often because I personally greatly enjoy the performance.


-A/b with BTG Audio Starlight cable. The analogy I made above with silver cables traditionally toning down the bass is a problem that BTG didn’t incorporate as much as other companies do, similar to that of the Effect Audio Virtuoso. Both cables focus on the micro details primarily vs the musicality for compared to the Effect Audio Maestro and/or Eres II the sound is much tighter, including the bass, but much less impactful. Now, directly comparing the Starlight, the bass is much heavier and impactful however the treble is nowhere near as transparent and airy sounding as the Virtuoso’s. My beloved Fertility of the Sea, though yes still sounds beautiful lost some of that realistic sound in the micro details when the performers Bachi hits the drum itself and not the drumhead.


Grandioso



The flagship product in the Vogue series. The Grandioso, if you haven’t already imagined, is taking the best of both the Maestro and the Virtuoso. The soundstage is a fair bit narrower than what’s on the Virtuoso but the micro details with the drums is very much there as is their impact. On the note of the bass, though it is very much so improved upon over the Virtuoso, to my ears, the impact was still more present and enjoyable on the Maestro’s. As for mids, they were just as clean and as musical as any of the other cables I mention in this review Kevin Staudt’s “Dear Agony” has a wonderful sense of emotion and everybit of it is heard as true as if he was singing to you personally, all while the piano’s timbre can have its own performance and none would complain.

• A/B with Cayin’s YB04 stock cable. As it would just so have it, I was coincidentally reviewing Cayin’s wonderful iem, the YB04, which also includes a copper-silver mesh cable so I was able to A/B them and the Grandioso. The first thing I noticed is that the Grandioso’s treble is significantly more accented than Cayin’s stock cable while also having a lesser bass impact. The first song I listened to was “Into The Coals” by Buffalo Jones and “Fertility of the Sea” performed by Senzoku Gakuen College of Music. On the note of the Fertility of the Sea, it was very slight but, to my ears, I did feel like the soundstage was a little bit wider. The drums didn’t sound as close to me as they did with Cayin’s stock cable.
  

Conclusion




My final thoughts on Effect Audio’s Vogue line of iem cables is that the build quality and sound their provide for the respectable asking price they are showcasing, IMO, is a fantastic place to start for people who have always been interested in betting how their favorite iem sounds but is a little hesitant about forking over a small fortune on other brands cable. They’re beautiful to look at, and to my ears, accent the sound with respect to the cable material you decide to go with.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

Hifiman is one of those companies that isn’t afraid to push boundaries of price when it comes to their products; and their newest flagship offering, RE2000 (silver), is no exception at $1,500 ($2,000 for the 24k gold version). Though an iem costing $1,500 is something I’m not unfamiliar with, from memory, I can’t think of any that I’ve personally experienced that only utilize a single driver. I’ve now had these beauties for a week now and would like to share my thoughts and impressions of them with you.





The Opening Experience








Construction



The build quality of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) is adequate but not reflective of the premium price tag. From what I can tell, the entire frame of the RE2000 (silver), which is quite bulky, is made from a regular plastic material throughout. I fully understand that plastic is the way of today and it’s a rarity to find a product, regardless of price, to use more premium materials but I still feel an earphone costing approximately $1,500 is one that should . Regardless, the frame is well made with the only seperation of the plastic being the front plate that holds the innards of the iem in place. Though this is a small piece of the overall whole, I wish the seam would have been more seamless with the frame than the snap in front used. I feel if this would have been in place then regardless of the plastic frame the overall appearance would have been more premium.



Moving down, the cord is detachable which is a HUGE plus that I will continuously advocate for. Additionally, Hifiman uses a regular 2pin connector instead of a proprietary one which further allows the consumer to either upgrade their cable to one they prefer or replace the existing one if it were to become damaged. In regards to the cable itself, I don’t have any qualms about it. The RE2000 (silver) uses a tubular sleeve the encloses the cables from damage and from my time with them they’re fairly tangle resistant as well. Truthfully, other than the bland look, I actually don’t have anything bad to say about the cable.



To conclude my thoughts on the Hifiman RE2000’s (silver) construction, I find them to be moderately acceptable. I definitely can’t see myself bragging about the build quality for there's several examples, that are cheaper and much more premium (Beyerdynamic and RCA made it work beautifully with their Xelento and CL2 products respectably) but I don’t foresee RE2000 (silver) easily breaking either.


Comfort



So we now have the RE2000 (silver) in our ears; so how do they feel? Well, they’re big. As in my wife, who granted does have small ears, was completely unable to get them in her ears at all. I on the other hand have some pretty large ears so I was able to get them in fine but never forgot they were there. The cable that wraps around the ear usually found a way to not stay behind it which is solved by the sleeve that Hifiman included with the RE2000’s so if you don’t mind using that then you’re all good.

The horn is that of the most common size that I see on universal iem’s so finding aftermarket tips, if the 5 different ones included don’t suit your fancy, shouldn’t be much of an issue. For this review I utilized Comply memory foam tips so that the included tips remain new and unaltered for other tour users as well as for pictures. But during my time I found that the RE2000’s isolation was moderate. It toned out a lot of what was around me but I never had to struggle to hear my surroundings (still highly advise against wearing them walking where traffic is of close proximity to you).

In summary, I find the RE2000’s (silver) comfort to be acceptable but only to people who have average ear canal size and above average concha (the area immediately surrounding the ear canal) size.


Sound




We’re finally here, to the area you arguably care the most about, the sound quality. So how does the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) sound? Overall I say they have a V shaped sound signature that eaves more towards the cold side. The level of separation that the RE2000 (silver) command is incredible especially with them only being a single driver. When listening to larger orchestra pieces such as “Crescent Moon Dance” by Akito Matsuda or “He’s A Pirate” By Hans Zimmer, you can very impressively identify where each of the instrument sections are and, on high quality recordings, even where the individual instruments are to a degree.

Something that I immediately noticed when I first pushed play with these is the airiness sound that comes from them. Listen to the song “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble. Everything in the ensemble just sounds so open and free. When the trumpets come in especially the extension is unhaltered and just natural sounding that I couldn’t help but close my eyes and just enjoy the performance.

So overall, the sound quality of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) is the focal point of focus from Hifiman. But how about the individual characteristics of the sound?


Treble


The highs of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver) are wonderful. They control wonderful extension yet have a rolloff just before it becomes uncomfortable. When you also take into account the airiness of the sound I mentioned earlier, if your enjoy a more treble focused sound then I think you’ll greatly find yourself at home with the RE2000 (silver). 2 pieces that I found that I really enjoyed that I believe show my feelings are “Love’s Sorrow” by Rachmaninov and “Waltz (piano solo here)by Tchaikovsky.


Mids


As stated in the opening paragraph of this section, the RE2000 (silver) overall possesses a V-Shaped sound signature that edges towards the cold side. With that being said the mids are somewhat recessed; in particularly male vocals. A song that came up in my playlist that couldn’t have been timed better is “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins. When listening to this song, notice how though Atkins’ voice and instruments are very clear they sound like they’re somewhat take the background to the rest of the soundband. A similar reference but on the female vocal side is “Glassy Sky” by Donna Burke. Each instrument, from the shaker to the piano, sounds beautiful and clean, as does Burke, but comparatively she sounds like she’s not the focus when played through the RE2000 (silver).

Make no mistake, though the mids on the RE2000 (silver) is recessed with respect to the rest of the soundband, that takes no skill or merit away from them. The sense of body and fleshiness of skin is very much present. Look no further than “Grandma’s Hands” by Livingston Taylor or the incredible instrumental drums present in the Hu’s “Wolf Totem” and you’ll understand what I mean.


Bass


The heartbeat of the music. The rhythm and pace. And goodness does the RE2000 (silver) possess a strong heartbeat. Now, I wouldn’t call these bass heavy per say but I would certainly believe they’d satisfy the majority of peoples bass needs. The lows are heavy and impactful but not enough to have the sub bass feels. The speed and control is phenomenal. From Timmy Trumphet’s “Oracle” to “Rasputin” by SLC, the bass is fast with very little decay but still hard hitting.

I listed a lot of techno music for it’s representation of depth and speed but don’t think that the RE2000 can’t do true instruments as well. One piece in particular combines the bass capabilities as well as the body I mentioned earlier in the review, and that’s “Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo” by Bela Fleck And The Flecktones. The bass guitar hovers just under the RE2000’s subbass capabilities but still delivers the very low note and you can almost feel the plucks of the strings. So, minus the lack of subbass, I find the RE2000 (silver) to have a rather nice bass presence.


Conclusion



To conclude my thoughts of the Hifiman RE2000 (silver), I find them to be appropriate in their price range of $1,500. During my time with them I quickly realized that Hifiman focus their effort quite extensively on the sound of the RE2000 (silver) for, to me and my personal opinion, their construction quality and comfort fell quite subpar of the premium price tag they’re asking for. Also, the “carrying” case that Hifiman includes with the RE2000 (silver) is impractical at best for you have to remove the foam cutout to have the iems and cord barely fit inside it.

Aside from the disappointing handshake I initially received from the RE2000 (silver) once I actually listened to what they had to offer I found that they performed with the skill and competency that earns respect. From the positional accuracy to the airness highs to the tight bass the RE2000 (silver) perform to a degree that is appropriate of the Summit-Fi price tag.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

Since my first experience with Meze and their 99 Classic headphones I have found every product that they offer to hit a wonderful sweet spot for my ears. The warmth and musicality that I experience with Meze had rapidly shot them to the forefront of my personal favorite company’s. Now, they’ve entered the summit class iem category with their Rai Penta, or Heaven/Paradise’s 5 (5 drivers). Some rather big words to have the product to live up to and I was quite excited to take the reigns of putting them to the test.








The Opening Experience







Construction


Beautiful. Truthfully, I could’ve just left this section with just that one word because it truthfully describes the Rai Penta perfectly but that kinda feels like a cop out. So starting with the frame and working down. The first and unavoidable thing I think one notices about the Rai Penta is the sheer beauty and elegance that the all aluminum chassis bestows. Soft and elegant twists and edging not only makes this iem stunning to look at but wondrously comfortable (as I’ll talk about next).

The horn is also aluminum and differentiates itself from other iems by utilizing 3 individual bores, each being dedicated to their paired drivers respectably. Behind the horn you’ll see 2 ports that aren’t just there for looks. The ports are what Meze calls a Pressure Equalization System (PES) and are used to regulate the internal chamber pressures. Truthfully, I’ve no idea what benefits that offers for I’m certainly no engineer but it is something I can’t recall seeing elsewhere. Lastly and, at least in my opinion, one of the most important features that the Rai Penta possesses is that they utilize detachable cables, MMCX in their case. By default the Rai Penta comes with an unbalanced 3.5mm silver cable but you can purchase the upgraded balanced cable (terminated in 2.5mm or 4.4mm) for $150 from their site if you so choose. As for the quality of the cable itself, I must say that not only does it look stunning but it’s also, seemingly, very durable (I never pinched or did any real durability test during my review so I can only go by its outward appearance). The only thing notable I found is that the cable is fairly prone to tangling but in the same sentence it’s easily detangled so kinda cancels out.

To conclude, the Rai Penta, from horn to termination, is not only build incredibly solid but also elegantly as well. Rai Penta doesn’t just hold the part, it looks it as well. For those who’re considering purchasing this totl iem, in terms of its longevity of service, you’ve nothing to fear.


Comfort




The only other non custom iem that I’ve ever listened to with this level of comfort that I can recall from memory is the RCA CL2. Consistently I was able to have 4+ hour long listening sessions with the Rai Penta and not have the slightest of ear fatigue. The smooth edging that I discussed in the previous section goes a long way in making these able to be experienced for the long haul. Additionally, Meze included a massive amount of different tip styles and sizes so anyone could comfortably find their perfect tip and fully enjoy the experience the Heaven’s 5 presents to the listener. For those who follow me I’m sure it’s no surprise to any but I swear by the Comply memory foam tips so if using them is an option, it’s likely the route I would choose.

For those who like to travel or be active while listening to your music the Rai Penta also keep up with you there too. The isolation factor of these is amazing. When I listened to these at work I couldn’t hear a darned thing (which sadly had me taking them off because I kinda need to hear things in my line of work), so drowning out the world around you and isolating you to your own Paradise is definitely a perk of these art pieces. Now, for those active users, the Rai Penta also stays firmly in place when I went for a light jog (stopped before sweating). Now, I will say do use these for physical exercise at your own risk because Meze, to my knowledge, doesn’t state these being sweat resistant in any shape, form or fashion.

To conclude, Meze’s Rai Penta is one of the most comfortable pair of iem’s, non custom, that I’ve ever experienced. Also, even my wife with her rather petite ears was even able to comfortably wear these without discomfort of adjustments.


Sound





Before I start this section. It should go without saying but though I link YouTube videos when I’m giving examples, this is for convenience only. If applicable, I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to the music I’m referencing on as high a quality as possible to experience the fullest sound possible.


The part where I’m sure many of you care the most about, how the Heaven/Paradise’s 5 sound. Does the Rai Penta live up to the prestigious name? To me and my ears, they most certainly do, perhaps after I explain them you too will become excited to experience what they have to offer. My first impression when listening to the song “Castle of Glass” by Linkin Park is that these are definitely a Meze product. The musicality and house sound immediately became familiar to me but yet also a bit different. Though I would still qualify the Rai Penta’s as an overall musical sounding iem, they share the audiophile friendly analytical side as their bigger brother the Empyrean’s do.

As far as overall characteristics, the Rai Penta has some very impressive separation that rivals, or even beats, many equally priced over ear models. A fantastic example is “Daft Punk” by Pentatonix. Throughout the performance I’m able to easily identify each different vocalist and not once did they mesh together (in the sense of being unable to hear them apart not musicality that they were going for). This video, though a good example, isn’t the best recorded but it came up on my playlist while writing this so bear with it. But the Rai Penta also has a great sense of depth and space. In the aforementioned video you’re sitting a few rows back from the stage and through the Rai Penta’s I’m aware of this fact with makes them even more so disappear in your ears and only leaving the music behind. I can discern the larger drum in the back left while also still hearing the smaller drums that take center stage. The Rai Penta, from my time with them, has shown me that they’re not out to make a statement about showing themselves off but instead showcasing the media you’re playing instead.


Treble


The eyes of the music, an audio products ability to reveal the slightest of detail while staying calm and controlled and never becoming harsh is something, to me, reminiscent of one's own eyes. As with the Rai Penta’s I think instead of eyes, gates would be more appropriate. Listen to one of my favorite pieces from an equally favorite anime, Your Lie In April, “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso” by Camille Saint-Saëns. My disclaimer I put at the start of all my sound sections definitely apply with this piece but my goodness do I get so much energy and detail and sheer enjoyment out of this piece and the Rai Penta replicates that absolutely flawlessly. Even at the sharpest peaks it never grows harsh nor does it lose control or become strained to obtain those peaks. I stated that the gates make a good representation of the treble on the Rai Penta and I stand by that because it’s only a taste of the rest of the paradise that lies inside their realm.


Mids


My personal favorite area of a musical track, the soul of the music. Here is where the artist, their vocals and their emotions lie. To me and my musical tastes I want a product to allow me to physically feel the emotions that the artist is expressing. Joy, sorrow, anger, anguish, I want to feel it in the music I listen to. This is where the audiophile part I mentioned at the start of this review comes into play. Though the mids are quite neutral, to my ears, they still do a very good job at portraying the emotions I so seek while still maintaining the neutrality that most audiophiles prefer. The songs “Sound of Silence” by Disturbed and, a new favorite of mine, “Glassy Sky” by Yutaka Yamada are wonderful examples of how the Rai Penta maintains its musical sound while staying within an audiophiles neutral standards. I use the song “S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliff to better explain this. Listen to the hands clapping as well as the fingers snapping. Yes you can hear them very well and very clearly but they, to me, don’t have that body and lifelike sound as real flesh hitting together has. This isn’t a pitfall of the Rai Penta’s but instead something that just about all audio products with neutral mids have.


Bass


The heartbeat of the music. Bass is what keeps the pace of the entirety of the musical track and without solid control and power the entire ensemble will die with it. Admittedly, when it comes to iems I rarely get excited with their bass. It’s nothing directly against them but it’s kinda hard to replicate the powerful bass full size cans can create when they don’t have near the size to work with. In regards to the Rai Penta I will say that they possess a very competent and fulfilling level of bass that never left me feeling that a song was empty; on the contrary, I was able to enjoy some fun house music such as Vigiland’s “Friday Night” and “Pong Dance.” What really impressed me with the Rai Penta’s bass wasn’t just the depth and respectable oomph that it had but its constant control and lack of decay. I really enjoyed listening to rock and house music because the Rai Penta provided the slam that got me the pump that I look for in said music.

To be able to drop to the level of depth that the Rai Penta can then immediately reach the peaks I mentioned earlier in this review doesn’t just showcase the dynamic fortitude but an overall full iem that should satisfy about any audio enthusiasts need.


Conclusion




My final thoughts on Meze audio’s flagship iem the Rai Penta is that it controls as much musical fortitude as it does design elegance. They maintain Meze’s musical house sound while also catering to the audiophiles desire for neutrality. The soundstage is as wide as the dynamics are vast and the fullness of the sound in between granted an experience that lives up to the Rai Penta’s name.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

Been awhile since I’ve made an appearance in the review scene and what better way to come back after an extended hiatus than with a product such as this wonderfully sophisticated looking Auris Euterpe (pronounced you-turp)? Before I jump into the review, allow me to give a heartfelt thanks to my friend Mshenay for bringing this product to my attention to review.





The Opening Experience



I was given this unit in a generic box after an audio meet. Therefore I will not include thoughts or review of the unboxing because I was unable to experience a “real” one.




Construction



The build quality of this rather petite combi unit is remarkably beautiful. Boasting real wood side panels that are hand polished, the appearance of the Euterpe will likely complement the design of any location it’s placed in. The body and base of the Euterpe is made from a black aluminum like material that only complements the dark wood sides. Though these are very premium materials, the weight of the Euterpe makes me strongly advise to place this in an area where the drop risk is minimalized (though I don’t recommend dropping ANY piece of equipment) because I don’t believe the Euterpe would fair well if an accident were to happen. An interesting part of the Auris Euterpe that I believe may go unappreciated is the separation of the unit and power supply unit (PSU). Auris deciding to go with this design not only reduces the physical size of the Euterpe but it also reduces noise and interference. Something that I’m personally happy to see is the power interconnect cable is respectably thick and seemingly well shielded to further reduce external noise and interference, it also looks pretty nice as well.

Going over the more specifics of the design and build, the top of the unit boasts only the 3 tubes (2 PL95 and 1 ECC81). Moving towards the front of the unit you’ve the amazingly buttery smooth volume dial, that’s as linear and responsive in its movement as any volume knob I’ve ever felt before, the brand and unit name, source & impedance selector switch, and the single ¼” heapdhone jack. Finishing off with the back of the unit we’ve the analogue input and output ports, another brand and model logo, misc warnings, the digital USB input port and finally the power input port.

Auris definitely focused on a simplistic and straight forward design with their Euterpe headphone amp. Focusing solely on a single headphone output as well as not offering a balanced configuration is definitely something I don’t see too much of today. Overall, the Euterpe is however built very solidly and representative of its $1,700 asking price.




Specifications (copied directly from the product website)






Sound



Probably the most important thing of an amplifier (or in this case a combi unit) is how well does it produce and transmit the information to your desired headphone device? The name Euterpe is derived from the Greek Goddess of music and the giver of delight as well as being one of the nine Muses. As with Auris’ interpretation I will say that I enjoyed my experience with it. Seeing the tubes on the top I was believing that it would share a typical tube sound but that’s not the case. The Euterpe is a very transparent amp that, at least to my ears, offered little to no coloration to the music that I was listening to. Despite the amp pushing out less than a watt of power, it has very impressive dynamics and control of the headphones. Now, to disclaim, I no longer have any really difficult to drive headphones with my most “hardest” one being my HD650’s but I don’t feel that the Euterpe had any difficulties allowing the HD650 the ability to perform its best.

The thing I was most impressed with during my time with the Euterpe was its DAC. The detail retrieval that I got was very impressive and could rival that of dacs costing almost this much by themselves or at the very least hold its own against $1,000 stand alones. Similar to the amp, I also felt that the dac was also very uncolored and did nothing but portray the source material as accurately as it could. Though that may not be what I personally seek out in my equipment it most certainly fits the bill of what traditional audiophiles seek.

Going back to the dynamics that I mentioned earlier, the Auris Euterpe, if I could only list one thing that it excels at, I would have to say it’s that. From the softest of whispers to the booming bass hits, the Euterpe’s ability to showcase them elegant and with such control certainly has impressed me. A negative I have noticed however is that the soundstage is smaller when compared to my AT-HA5000-PS Audio DL3 and/or Sennheiser HDVD800. It was by no means up and in your face but I immediately noticed that everything sounded a fair bit closer than what I’ve become used to from my personal rigs.


Conclusion




The Euterpe is named after the Greek Goddess of music and the bringer of delight. I was overall delighted during my time with the unit but I can’t say that I’m going to feel a yearning to experience it again, it just didn’t fit my personal tastes as to what I look for in an amp/dac/combi. Also, I fear that the very small amount of power output in respects to other products in this price range, and even much less, makes it a hard push especially when some users have reasonably stubborn headphones to power. The fact that the Euterpe doesn’t come with a balanced option didn’t make a lick of difference to me and I only need a single headphone output as well. The takeaway that will stick with me is the beautiful dynamics that the Euterpe entranced me with. The elegance that she presented and the finessing touch made this otherwise transparent combi almost an intimate experience.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

To start off with a disclaim, I have never been able to hold or see in person the original HE-6 so I am unable to provide any comparisons to the original and updated version both in terms of construction and sound.



It’s not often that you come across a headphone that openly advertises how absurdly difficult it is to drive. Traditionally, headphones strive to me easier and easier to power, and in some cases, can be driven quite efficiently through a cellular device. But that is certainly not the case with the Hifiman HE-6 and it’s newest revision, the HE-6se which is what I’ll be talking about today. This speaker wearing, headphone disguise only has 50 ohm’s of resistance but this headphone is a perfect example as to why only looking at that number is a bad thing. The HE-6se’s sensitivity is only 83dB and Hifiman themselves even state “The HE6se is hungry for power, so it’s important to pair it with an amplifier that feeds it substantial output, 2 watts per channel or more.”

God certainly smiles fortune on me because I was lucky enough to fall first in the tour which happened at the same time as our local Carolina CanFest 7 audio meet in which Schiit was kind enough to send me their Ragnarok/Yggdrasil and Mjolnir 2/Gungnir MB to showcase, so I was able to provide the HE-6se with all the fuel it desired. So after 2 weeks and over easily 40+ hours of listening, I’d like to finally share my thoughts and impressions on this legendary headphone’s successor.







The Opening Experience







Hifiman, from my experience with their products, has always taken care to ensure that the owners of their products are made aware that they’ve just purchased a premium product and the HE-6se is of no exception. Hifiman presents you with a beautifully simplified cardboard showcase that, on the front, only shows an outline of the headphone as its centerpiece, the company name and logo, and the product name. As you rotate to the back, Hifiman continues this with only showcasing the base specifications that the HE-6se has so the user can understand what’s required for it to perform it’s best.

As you slip off the cardboard slip you’re presented with a very luxurious faux leather box that opens up on a hinge with only the product and company name printed on the front in a soft, cloth like, material. Upon opening the lid, you’re greeted with that very distinct new leather headphone smell and the warranty and instruction manual laid on top of a foam protector (on a side, THIS is what I love seeing. Let the product speak for itself, if a box is bogged down with “lookatme’s”, to me, that says that the company needs to boast instead of letting its actions [sonic performance] speak for itself. So very well done putting everything inside a pamphlet that I can inspect if I so choose.) and then under that is the HE6-se comfortably placed inside a form fitting, silk covered, cut out. In the middle of the HE-6se is where Hifiman placed the medium length, balanced, cable and a balanced-¼” jack adaptor.

A great many of people truthfully couldn’t care less about how a product is packaged and presented to them; so long as the headphone sounds great, it’s all good. But I for one appreciate it when a company takes the time and effort to put some pride in their appearance, and IMO, Hifiman is dressed to impress.


Construction



The build quality of the Hifiman HE-6se is certainly something to be impressed with. They definitely took the effort to source premium materials throughout it’s build and it not only looks the part of an $1,800 headphone but it feels it as well. The frame/headband of the HE-6se is an aluminum or metal material and is very lightweight while providing, IMO, a goldilox level of clamping force. The adjustments for size I will say is VERY stiff. I’ll leave that as a neutral opinion because if you’re the only one using the headphone then once you find the adjustment that works for you I doubt you’ll want it moving any more, which it will NOT, but on the other hand you’re gonna need to give it a, surprising, amount of force to start adjusting it.

Moving down, the open back cans themselves are made of what I believe to be a very premium plastic material and the cups are a hybrid between leather and cloth, which is a personal favorite of mine, and a 3.5mm termination on each cup. The cable itself is an interesting tubular style that I’m personally indifferent about (but personally prefer a cloth shielded look).

As I conclude this section I want to take a specific look at the framework and cups lack of side-side adjustment. Though, to my honest surprise, this didn’t affect comfort, it did make it impossible to get a complete seal on the pads, there was always a small cap right at the front of each ear. Though the overall construction of the HE-6se I believe to be very top notch, and each user's experience may very, but I do wish I was able to have it touch my entire ear, so a side-side adjustment would’ve been an appreciated addition.


Comfort




As I said above in the construction section, I was quite surprised to find that the lack of side-side adjustment for the cans didn’t affect the comfort of the HE-6se’s whatsoever. I believe the longest session I had with these headphones was a little over 6 hours, with an average of 3-4 at a time, and not once did I ever need to readjust these at all. Not once did my ears become fatigued. Not once did my head become uncomfortable. Despite the size of these, the HE-6se, from my experience, kinda just disappears on your head when you’re really listening to and enjoying your music.

The hybrid leather/cloth pads provide a super nice experience that keeps the pads firm yet just enough give while allowing them to breath. The leather head strap, even though it doesn’t have any padding, never bothered my, fairly short, hair. Heck, even my big ole ears can fit nicely inside the pads without any issue and during the CanFest 7 meet, I didn’t hear anyone complain about the comfort either.

So to conclude, I find that Hifiman did a great job at the design of their new HE-6se headphone in terms of comfort. Though I still wish there was some side-side adjustment available, for the vast majority, these are super comfortable without any crippling complaints.


Sound

Before I start this section. It should go without saying but though I link YouTube videos when I’m giving examples, this is for convenience only. If applicable, I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to the music I’m referencing on as high a quality as possible to experience the fullest sound possible.



*Graph credit: Butterworth B. (2019), HiFiMan HE6se Headphones, soundstagenetwork.com*


From an objective standpoint, the Hifiman HE-6se is definitely a headphone that I can see why so many people rave so much about it. WHEN PROPERLY POWERED the level of detail, imaging, soundstage positioning, dynamics, and impact is amazing. Nandemonaiya (Kimi No Na Wa/Your Name) by RADWIMPS and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, shows transparency and explicit imaging and background detail that I’ve rarely heard on other headphones (sadly, I’ve only found this version on YouTube for you Tidal, etc… users). If there’s one takeaway I want to emphasize with the HE-6se to you is that the transparency and imaging of these will all but force you to close your eyes and experience whatever you’re listening to as if you’re there personally. The control and impact the HE-6se possesses over its bass make these terrific to listen to metal and hard rock tracks but also large orchestral music as well, Sanctuary - Anime Mix AMV does a fine job at showcasing the HE-6se’s ability to control rapid change in dynamics while never losing the slight subtle details present in a track. I know it’s not orchestral but you get the idea.

With all the above being said, I must say that the HE-6se does have a weakness that, at least for me, made me not too impressed with them for my personal tastes in music, and it’s the reason I attached a frequency graph at the top (which is something I rarely do). The HE-6se had a steep and notable dip in the upper mid range then an immediate spike in the lower treble. When I listen to these, especially with female artists such as Utada Hikaru and Adele, the vocals sound very distant from the rest of the track and then if the vocals are paired with highed toned instruments or beats then that leaves for a rough sounding transition that quite often catches you off guard. But allow me to talk about the individual aspects of the sound so that hopefully I can better describe what I’m referencing.


Treble


Believe it or not, many of Five Finger Death Punch’s music showcases the upper mid dip into lower treble spike I was referencing above quite well take “My Nemesis” for example. I know this is counterintuitive for what I just said about the HE-6se being wonderful for metal and hard rock music but with this band in particular, they just don’t mesh well. Listen to the powerful music video When the Seasons Change and I think you’ll get what I mean. It’s just not a smooth transition for the instruments. Also, Believer- RMX by Imagine Dragons/ PSY-TRANCE is another great example of this.

Now, when you’re actually into the mid-treble and higher, the HE-6se sound so darned beautiful and detailed. The piece A Moon Filled Sky by Tenmon, as I’m sure those of you who keep up with my reviews know, is one of my all time favorite treble pieces because it is just so emotional to listen to (and watching the anime sure doesn’t help). The violin especially is a key instrument I pay attention to because it, like the cello, has a special resonance to it that really puts my hair on end and when listening through the HE-6se, every fibre was at full attention. There’s a certain sparkle when listening to this headphone that is really something to experience. There’s no sharpness (again from the mid-highs up) and no painful peak. Though Hifiman claims the HE-6se can extend to 65kHz, there is absolutely no harshness, just complete mastery and pieces like Elements by Lindsey Stirling or “Until The Last Moment” by Yanni was so completely filled with energy and and excitement that I was mesmerized.

Despite having a lower treble sharpness (made worse by coming off an upper mid dip) the Hifiman HE-6se bestows some of the most beautiful and detail filled treble of any headphone I’ve heard.




Mids


The area that I pay the closest attention to. The mids are where the singers emotions are portrayed and we as a listener get a glimpse into what the song/piece is about. If you’ve any doubt, listen to the song by the late Chris Jones “Roadhouses and Automobiles” or “No Sanctuary Here.” Both tracks you can very easily and almost physically feel Jones’ breath on your skin as he sings. This level of body in the music is extremely rare, even rivaling my beloved Oppo PM-1’s, and really gives “texture” to the music, brings it alive. So long as you’re listening to the mid-mids and lower, the HE-6se is one amazing experience to behold. It tethers on that line between being a musical headphone and an analytical one. Now, as I’ve said above, the HE-6se is an unprecedented experience so long as you’re listening from the mid-mids and lower. If you listen to primarily female vocals, I fear you may not get the full enjoyment of the HE-6se because there’s a very notable dip in the upper mid range. Listen to Sanctuary (Opening) by Utada Hikaru is a great song to showcase what I’m talking about when I mention the upper mid dip. Utada is one of my personal favorite female artists but through the HE-6se the magic of her voice can’t be showcased like I know it can. Another great example of this is Love In The Dark by Adele.

To sum my thoughts on the Hifiman HE-6se’s mid range. There’s so much body that, so long as you’re listening to music in the mid-mid and lower range, you can almost physically feel the artists breath. The headphones just disappear into your music and all you’re left with is an experience. However, if you listen to female vocals or music that plays around a lot in the upper-mid and into the lower-treble, think you’ll find the HE-6se’s rather unimpressive.



Bass


Though I wouldn’t recommend the HE-6se to bass heads, they most certainly have a level of bass quality that is hard to match. There’s a very impressive level of speed and control with almost no decay and the track “Oracle” by Timmy Trumpet, is not only SUPER fun to listen to but shows the levels of speed and depth that the HE-6se has. For those of you metal heads the song “Jekyll and Hyde” by Five Finger Death Punch (FFDP I know what I said earlier but you’ve a few songs that work with this headphone [and I really love their work]). I can list several more EDM, trap etc… music but the bottom line is that the HE-6se has both quality and depth in the bass that not once, regardless of the music I was listening to or the mood I was in, did I wish for deeper bass. No, I’m no bass head and actually get turned off by bass that’s too deep but I’m quite confident that the vast majority of listeners will be quite satisfied with the rumblies that the HE-6se provides.




Conclusion




My final thoughts on the Hifiman HE-6se is that it’s, overall, an outstanding headphone that is one impressive experience. You MUST be aware that you NEED to have a LOT of power to bring out my results I’ve experienced because the difference in sub 2-3W amps is quite substantial, so please be aware of this if you intend to buy one please ensure you’ve the correct power. Additionally, even if you do have the power, the large dip in the upper mids followed by a steep spike in the lower treble can really catch you off guard and make certain tracks quite enjoyable and rough sounding. But, other than those 2 setbacks, the Hifiman HE-6se is a headphone that gives the listener an experience that justifies its legendary status for all these years and likely many more years to come.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

After the annual winter-early spring dry spell, leave it do my friends at Dudios/SoundPeats to save the drought with one of their newest offerings, the Dudios Zeus Ace. If that name sounds familiar to you then it should. I reviewed their original Dudios Zeus last year and still, to this day, utilize it as my primary workout iem because how great it is. So how does the newest and coolest “true wireless” version perform? Is it a worthy upgrade or a different flavor of the same ice cream?







The Opening Experience





The unboxing’s of Dudios products, from my experience, has always been very respectful especially for the MSRP of their products. Starting from the front of the package you’ve a beautifully simplistic presentation. The only thing you see is a picture of an opened case of the product, the company name, and the product name. Rotating to the back is where the Zeus Ace returns to what I expect to see in a product of this price point, a cluttered back of “look at me’s.” I’m a big proponent of a product “speaking” for itself, and a box full of catchy phrases and whatnots takes the voice away from the actual VIP.

But moving on, as you open up the cardboard box, you’ve the Dudios Zeus Ace charging case centered in a cutout greeting you and all but asking you to open it up and try it out. Setting the case aside for a moment, for under that you’ve the warranty paperwork and instruction manual, micro USB charging cable (was really hoping for a type C), and a few extra tips (NOTHING compared to the wonderful supply the original came with).


Construction



Starting with the charging case, it’s made of basic plastic and opens on a rear facing hinge. Inside you’ve the 2 independent Zeus Ace pods placed inside a form cut out of their frame with the charging pins towards the middle of the case. Lastly, on the rear of the case you’ve the micro USB charging port.

Moving onto the actual pods themselves, each pod in roughly the width of a thumbnail and shares the height of the tip of that very thumb. The horn is that of the most common size I see on the majority of iem’s (I do not know the actual measurements) so those with a favorite third party tip brand will likely be able to use them with the Zeus Ace (I was able to utilize my beloved Comply). Each pod can operate and be connected either individually or as a pair and sync’d to the other by simply holding down the single button on the face. On the note of the single button, it is responsible for the off/on/sync, play/pause, answer/hang up commands to the pods. This means that if you’re wanting to control tracks or volume that must be done from the connected device.

All and all the Dudios Zeus Ace keeps everything as simplistic and straight forward as possible. Something I didn’t touch on earlier is that these immediately turn on and go into pairing mode as soon as they’re removed from their charging slit (and reversed when placed back) which is AMAZINGLY convenient and a feature that I personally cannot speak highly enough about loving. Though they’re built using basic materials, expected of a product in this price point, I can unfortunately personally attest that they can not only survive a drop but being thrown across a room when trying to catch them from said drop and accidentally smacking them instead. Dudios has made a very budget friendly workhorse of an iem in relation to its construction.


Comfort



The Zeus Ace is a pretty small pod but I do feel that those with very small ears may have difficulty getting them completely inside their concha thus causing it to protrude outwards somewhat, this doesn’t affect much but a something to note nonetheless. They’re also incredibly light weight and do a fine job at staying in place in your ears, especially if using Comply memory foam, thus wearing these for long durations shouldn’t cause any discomfort. On the note of that actually, these have really good sound isolation properties that I learned first hand when using them to mow my lawn comfortably while listening to a youtube video at my normal listening levels.

The Dudios Zeus Ace can also be utilized as workout iems due to them being IPX4 sweat resistant. I can only speak for myself when using them to workout in so YMMV, but when I used them with weight training and basic cardio I had no issues with them moving or falling out, admittedly to my surprise considering I am a sweater to put it lightly. Now, from my personal experience, when going for a run they did often start slipping loose causing me to have to push them back in every few seconds and often hitting the button pausing my music thus causing me to have to reach up again to rehit the button. As I said, YMMV especially if you don’t sweat as much as I do but so long as you are doing weight training or basic cardio you shouldn’t have any issues with the Zeus Ace causing you any discomfort.

To finish this section, though I personally prefer the corded version (just a personal preference) these are very comfortable to wear, even more so than the corded version. Though these can be worn to sleep as well, from personal experience, the blanket/pillow will often push in on the button causing your music to pause; something to keep in mind.


Sound





So thus far, like the younger sibling, I’ve been incredibly impressed by the Dudios Zeus Ace but how does it sound? Is it an upgrade from my beloved Dudios Zeus or is it just a difference in flavor?

From the first track I played through the Zeus Ace I immediately felt at home with a familiar, fun, sound. The Zeus Ace is certainly no audiophile iem that’s for sure, but it is one that is very fun to listen to when wanting to workout or just get your groove on. Though not as over the top bassy as the original Zeus, it is still the focal point. As for soundstage, it’s certainly an in your face variety which is fine for music but for those wanting to watch tv etc… things may sound claustrophobic and cluttered together. But let me talk more about the individual aspects so that hopefully you can get a better understanding of the overall sound that the Dudios Zeus Ace provides.


Treble


Though, as stated above, the Zeus Ace focuses more on the bass, the treble is still fairly enjoyable as well. From the piano to my oh so enjoyed Violin, the Zeus Ace does a respectable job at reproducing the magical peaks that those instruments create. A piece I’m sure many of you are used to seeing in my reviews is “A Moon Filled Sky” by Tenmon. It’s such an enjoyable piece and though the Zeus Ace doesn’t completely reproduce the magic of that piece it does still make it enjoyable to experience.


Mids


The mids are the are of music that I pay the most attention to because, to me, this is where the soul and emotion of the music is. When listening to just about anything through the Zeus Ace, you can easily tell that the mids are very recessed to highlight the more “fun” aspects of the music, “Into The Coals” by Buffalo Jones or “S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliff showcase this quite quickly. When you’re listening to music or movies or the like though you can most certainly hear the vocals and people talking, instrumentals and background sound effects are what’s going to draw your attention. If I had to put my finger on the main thing about the mids that turn me off, it’s that there’s no body to them, it’s just words without that fleshy sound to make them alive.


Bass


The heartbeat of the music that keeps everything else in time and rhythm, and the Dudios Zeus Ace has a very strong heartbeat. The bass hits surprisingly hard, especially considering the price point, and even has an impressive sub bass quantity. A few songs to highlight my points, and I think you’ll discover why yourself once you hear them, is “I Need You” by Sebastian Ekstrand, this song, though has a disappointing upper bass range, likely to do the recessed mids, showcases a very strong mid bass to sub bass punch “Guitarmass” by Infected Mushroom also does a fine show at showing this. “Oracle” by Timmy Trumpet shows how well the Zeus Ace performs when you’re wanting the sub bass feels.

Though I give kudos to Dudios for giving a very fun headphone that hits surprisingly hard, the downfalls become apparent when pairing them against products that would be considered direct competitors (that also cost almost 3x the price). The bass, though IMO harder on the Zeus Ace, there’s certainly a notable amount of decay present and a lack of control that muddy’s the sound of drums when really listening. Though technically that is a negative for sure, for an iem that costs just over $30 (depending on where you shop), the features and overwhelming positives you get for that price tag MORE than make up the shortcomings.


Conclusion




To sum up my thoughts on the Dudios Zeus Ace, I find that Dudios did an outstanding job. The took everything that made their original Zeus model great and turned it into the ever popular true model version without losing much of anything. If you’ve neither and are looking for a great, budget, iem to workout in or just listen to something fun on your commute then either would do you great so go with whichever model you would like more. If you’ve already the original Zeus and are wondering if it’s an upgrade, then I say no, you’re just getting a different flavor of the same ice cream brand. Myself, I like the corded version, just a personal preference.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

An awesome technology that, at least to me, has infinite potential is the planar magnetic genre. Before now, I’ve only experienced them in full sized headphones and have always been interested in hearing them in other applications, namely the iem. Thanks to RHA, my time has come with their RHA CL2 planar magnetic iem. Coming off the high praise and recommendations of their ever popular T10 and T20 models, to say I was overjoyed to try out their top end model would be an understatement. So how did my first experience with not only a RHA product but also my first planar magnetic iem go? Allow me to share my experience will you.







The Opening Experience







The outer box is that of a nice cardboard material that I thing is almost exactly what I love seeing. The front has an enlarged picture of the CL2 iem, their branding, and special wired/wireless feature it has. Nice and simple, exactly what I love seeing. As you rotate the box you’ve a side with a couple features but nothing to deter away from its simplified appearance, until you get to the back of the box. The back has a picture of the wireless neckband, the cables, the connectors, and a lot of “look at me’s (repeated in multiple languages) that I personally believe doesn’t need to be present on a product of this price range. The CL2, if given the chance, WILL prove its own merit. I know I’m foreshadowing the rest of this review a little but it doesn’t need to gloat about what it can do, all RHA needs to do is let the CL2 speak for itself and I’m quite confident people will understand what they’ve just been received.

As you open the package you’re back on track with a premium product being showcased as such. The interior box is a tri-open box that on the left most tab holds your silver coated 2.5mm balanced cable (which I was unable to test during this review [couldn’t find my DAP that has balanced capabilities]), the copper unbalanced 3.5mm cable and lastly and absolutely incredible assortment of different tip sizes and styles that I strongly doubt someone won’t find their perfect tip with (unless maybe you’ve SUPER small ear canals). The center tab is where your magic is. You’ve the front and centered RHA CL2 iem placed in their cutout foam casing and surrounded by the wireless neckband. On the right is where you’ll find the warranty and instruction manual (on the outer sleeve), the TYPE C charging cable (THANK YOU RHA for implementing this for your flagship product, I hope other companies follow your lead), airplane adaptor and two carrying cases. The two cases provided are a soft pouch meant to carry the iems (in whichever mode [wired/wireless] you have equipped) and perhaps the charger or so while the hard case is able to carry just about everything (but it is a bit larger). And then lastly, a list of everything included in the container.

I must give RHA well earned applause. They did a fantastic job with their flagship product and though I felt like I was originally going to get a “handshake” from someone who’s trying way to hard, they turned out to deliver a very nice and memorable “handshake” that was both firm and full of confidence and competency.


Construction



Continuing down the line of solid impressions is the RHA CL2 build quality. The CL2’s frame is made from beautiful ceramic (injection molded) that gives is a truly premium feel and weight that’s very respective of its $900 price tag. RHA decided to go with the concha style with the CL2 and personally, I’m very happy they did, but I’ll talk about why in the comfort section next. The horn is that of the most common size so finding aftermarket tips should be very easy, however with the outstanding selection that RHA provides I strongly doubt you’ll need to. Lastly, RHA engraves each iem with their logo on the outside and the product name and ear location on the inside of the ceramic frame.

The cables are DETACHABLE. To one up something that I already love seeing, the cables that RHA provides are built very well and feel truly premium. I honestly can’t tell you how many product, some costing multiples more than the $900 asking price, that simply provide an “it’ll do” cable but no, RHA provides not one but TWO high quality cables, one copper cable (terminated in traditional 3.5mm) and one silver coated (terminated in balanced 2.5mm [which I was unfortunately unable to test due to me being unable to find my only DAP with a balanced port]).

From top to bottom RHA has constructed their flagship CL2 iem expertly and with competence that is not to be overlooked. I for one can only speak from my point of view but when I hold the CL2 in my hands I can feel a lot of pride that was placed in the creation of this iem and give RHA their due respect because a product of this price tag should be representing as so and RHA most certainly provided this.

The wireless neckband it about as simple as you can get for a neckband. It’s made of soft, flexible rubber with all the controls on the right side (signified by the red dot and “R” on the MMCX connector tip). To be more precise about the right side you’ve the power button on the thicker part in which you simply hold down the button to turn it on and continue to hold to put it into pairing mode (about 5 seconds total). On the cable itself is where you’ll find the microphone and volume/track control module.


Comfort



As mentioned above RHA decided to construct the CL2 in the concha style casing which I am VERY glad they did. I’ve tried a many of different types and styles of audio product means to go in ones ears and none have ever been as comfortable to wear for long duration and in various positions as the concha style has. I have worn these for several hours on end on multiple occasions and not once have I ever felt the need to readjust them let alone take them out, I’ve literally slept in them on my side. Now, I do have larger than normal ears so that may play some factor but the CL2’s are flush in my ears and, though holding in your hand they have a premium weight to them, they practically disappear. I honestly can’t think of a single complaint towards the comfort of the CL2’s, RHA did a fantastic job.


Sound



Before I start this section. It should go without saying but though I link YouTube videos when I’m giving examples, this is for convenience only. If applicable, I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to the music I’m referencing on as high a quality as possible to experience the fullest sound possible.



A key difference between this iem and others is that, well yes it’s a planar magnetic instead of a traditional BA or dynamic, but it also comes with its own wireless neckband. Originally I thought that it was simply a means of making the Cl2 wireless but after listening to the CL2 back and forth from wired to wireless I immediately discovered that the sound becomes quite different from a wired and wireless experience. Though yes I’ll talk about it more individually, the overall difference that I’ve noted is that when going from wired to wireless the soundstage becomes notably smaller and the biggest change is the increase in bass response. So from here forth my standard reference for my review will be using the supplied copper cable (so a wired connection). If I believe there’s a notable difference when switching to a wireless connection, like I did above, I will point it out within the same section.


The overall sound of the RHA CL2 is definitely a brighter and analytical one. The first thing I noticed when listening to them is the focused upon treble which does shift the spectrum towards that end of the spectrum. Soundstage isn’t the largest, and gets even smaller when using it wireless, but it most certainly has an impressive level of imaging, separation and the ability to locate individual pieces in an ensemble. So with this being said, when listening to classical music, especially horn instrument, my goodness did the CL2 shine brighter (in the good sense of the phrase) than about any other product that comes to mind. But so I don’t mx up my sections, please allow me to further elaborate of the RHA CL2’s individual musical characteristics so that I, hopefully, can better describe them.


Treble


As I touched on in the above main section, the CL2 performs so darned beautiful with horned instruments. When listening to them, and even writing this review, an anime I loved, Sound Euphonium, immediately came back to me as being a perfect showcase for what I’m talking about. Most specifically their (I believe, it’s been a while since I watched it) final performance of “Crescent Moon Dance (also a “better” non anime version here).” Each horn sounds so lifelike and real that it’s quite difficult to not believe I’m at the performance when I’m closing my eyes and allowing the music to overtake me. Sadly, when using the wireless format, though it’s still wonderful, it doesn’t have that same magic as they’ve toned down the treble to increase the bass.

Though, in my personal opinion, these show their true merit with horn instruments, classical as a whole really sounds fantastic on these. Take “Spring Waltz” by Chopin shear or “He’s a Pirate” by the Auckland Symphony Orchestra. For an iem the level of detail retrieval and separation and depth are terrific. To add to this, though yes, he CL2 is, IMO, quite treble biased, not once did it ever become piercing or unpleasant to listen to. The roll off up top is soft enough that, unless you’re very treble sensitive, I don’t believe you’ll have any issues with these.

On a personal, subjective note before moving on, I really can’t speak higher about these in terms of classical music and especially horn music enjoyment. RHA did a truly beautiful job.


Mids


Coming from what I hope was a well showcased love of the treble abilities of the CL2 I admittedly had strong doubts that it would be near as good coming down the frequency band. Oh how I was wrong. My goodness does the CL2 have some magical mids, especially if the artist you’re listening to had a mid to mid high tonality. Of all the songs/artists I’ve listened to during my time with these none have resonated more magically than Michael Buble and more specifically his song “Feeling good.” Not only does it REALLY show how good Mr. Buble sounds but you also get those luscious horns to experience as well. If you can only listen to ONE song through the CL2 to experience it PLEASE let it be that one (and wired if I can also encourage). But continuing onwards, and a note as well. IMO the CL2 showcases its midrange and vocal capabilities much better through a wired connection. The reduced soundstage and bass increase, IMO, though still sound fantastic, just doesn’t do what the CL2 overall specializes in and does very well through its supplied copper cable.

To me, the mids are where the soul of the music are. This is where the vocals and emotion of the artist really reach out to the listener. When listening through the CL2, though some artists tonality is SLIGHTLY shifted higher, you really can feel just what the artist is portraying. “I lived” by One Republic (cover by Anthem Lights) is a wonderful example of this. A very good feeling song and though the AMV linked kinda steers you into an experience as well the song itself and artist singing is a great experience and the CL2 plays is so clean and real sounding that it’s almost like I was the one being sung to.

I know I stated above that the artists overall tonality is slightly shifted higher due to the bass bias but I really have nothing bad to say about the vocal representation of the CL2. They’re so beautiful to experience. Even if the song has some deep throated parts like what’s in “Muddy Water” by LP or like all of “Arlington” by Trace Adkins, though, to me personally, they sound better on a warmer product the CL2 is no slouch and portrays great body in its presentation and I for one have no complaints.



Bass


My trusty ole “Blah Blah Blah” by Arwin van Buuren, or “Oracle” by Timmy Trumpet if you want a deeper sub bass hit; despite being a treble focused iem this song has been a great bass test song for me (that’s also quite fun to listen to) and proves that the planars inside the CL2 can give you those rumblies you like (to a degree [and really only via wireless mode]). As my personal tastes prefer a more warmer sound (mid focused with a small bass nudge) the CL2’s, for me personally, never really satisfied my tastes for overall musical enjoyment. The classical genre, as I’m sure I’ve proven by now, is a fantastic experience through the CL2’s however my other favorite genre of hard rock/metal never got the same love.

Planars are known for their speed and control with bass and the CL2 is NO slouch to this belief. The attack and minimal decay competes with any other planar I’ve heard regardless of price however perhaps due to tuning or even its size limitations there not a very full sound. If you are by chance familiar with the Oppo PM-3 headphone, there’s remind me very closely of that overall sound. Quick, controlled, but bass light (though if played through wireless mode the bass is increased a respectable degree but not enough to change its overall sound).


Conclusion




To conclude my thoughts and review of the RHA flagship CL2 wired/wireless iem, I am honestly blown away by them. Though overall their sound isn’t to my personal tastes as a whole that is only meant as a personal input. Objectively speaking this product is something I give my wholest and fullest recommendations to if you’re a lover of classical and vocal focused music. These shine brighter that MANY other product, some costing several times these, and should strongly be considered if you mainly listen to the genres said above. RHA really did a wonderful job. I will sincerely miss these.








Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

I must say, 2018 has been a fun year for me, strictly speaking from the reviewing standpoint it has been a year of discovery. Several different companies and brands have reached out to me requesting for me to review a new product of there’s and I’m definitely glad I did because I’ve found many new product that have earned more spotlight than they are getting. And this reigns true with BlitzWolf and most specifically their BW-HP1 headphone they sent me. And just as a teaser for the rest of the review, if you’re a fan of the Beats sound but don’t want to spend the price on them, I think you’ve found a solid alternative.






The Opening Experience






I think I’m one of the few people who pay any attention to how a product is packaged for it seems many consumers only care about the final product. And speaking truthfully it is most certainly the most important part but there’s also many people out there who say foreplay is important before you jump into the fun stuff. With the BlitzWolf headphones, the three products I’ve reviewed from them as of recently, have each been packaged the exact same way in their very simplistic packaging that really only has the company and products name printed on the front, and I personally LOVE seeing this. To me a simplistic exterior packaging is the company, in this case BlitzWolf, telling the consumer that they’re confident in their product and don’t need to bog down the packaging with “look at me’s,” but instead let the product speak for themselves.

Now, sadly USPS yet again drops the ball and delivers the package in a crumpled up state so it didn’t look at nice as a freshly bought package but thankfully the interior was undamaged. As you open it, I will say I felt a bit let down because they HP-1 headphones are just placed inside the box inside of a plastic baggy as were the instructions. To say that this was a hollow unboxing would be a good summary, fantastic exterior and bland interior. But the HP-1 does come with the micro USB charging cable and an aux cable so you’re able to listen to them if they were to die.


Construction


The build of the BW-HP1 are almost entirely made of high gloss plastic, with the only aluminum I was able to find is the adjustment hinges on either side. With that being said one would imagine these would feel very light and cheap however on the contrary they have a nice weight to them and feel just like a pair of older Beats headphones do but for almost 1/10th the cost. The headband has a respectable amount of flex to them as well the underneath padding has some good density to it (which I’ll talk about more in the next section).

The ear cups should be able to accommodate just about any size ear up to and including my above average sized ones. With that being said, my ears to rub against the driver housing (also to be talked about more in the next section) so those with ears larger than mine may in fact find these potentially irritating. Speaking of ear cups, on the right is where you’ll find the volume up/track forward, volume down/previous track, and the power button. I personally didn’t really like how BlitzWolf formatted their buttons to be honest. To turn the volume up/down you have to hold the corresponding button down for about a second. If you simply tap the button it will go to the next or previous track respectively and to turn the HP1 off you have to continue to hold the power button down until the voice informs that the headphones have been turned off for her first dialog instructs that the headphones have been disconnected and have reentered pairing mode. But continuing on from that, on the bottom of the right cup is where you’ll find the standard 3.5mm aux port and then on the left cup you’ll find the micro USB charging port.

Overall, for the very reasonable $30ish (depending where you search through) I think that the BlitzWolf HP-1 headphones are built respectably well and, so long as one doesn’t throw it around, it should last you for the foreseeable future. Before I end this section I do want to input that these headphones are definitely geared towards the larger head sizes. At its smallest setting I can just about get it to fit, I’m usually around 4-5 clicks so it should be too difficult to imaging how these may not be able to fit on smaller heads.


Comfort




So the build on the BlitzWolf BW-HP1 headphones are quite respectable for their asking price but how comfortable are they once they’re but one your head? Not bad I must say. The padding on the headband is soft with a fair amount of density to keep the plastic from your head but also not pull your hair back (though to disclaim I can’t speak for those with longer hair for mine’s quite trimmed). The ear cups also share this same sentiment of softness but do have much more give to them, though I’m not sure if it would change much of my ears rubbing the driver housing if it were denser. The HP1 has an above average clamping force that, at least to me personally, is a Goldilocks level of firmness. They’re tight enough to stay put if you’re to bend over/back but at the same time not tight enough to become uncomfortable, I’ve worn these headphones for periods of 3+ hours and I can’t say I was ever uncomfortable. Despite the reasonably low asking price of the BW-HP1, I think BlitzWolf did a fine job in making a respectively built headphone that’s also comfortable to wear (assuming you’ve not a really small head).


Sound



In my unboxing video I motioned that these share a striking similarity to the original Beats Studio headphones and after being able to listen to them I must say, I was spot on. The BlitzWolf BW-HP1 headphones sound very similar to how the original Studio’s sounded (can’t really comment on any models past their second generation). The HP1’s have a very heavy bass bias that plays very well with rock, metal etc… style’s on music genres.

In terms of soundstage and imaging the BlitzWolf BW-HP1 won’t be winning any awards for the soundstage is quite small but I will give it credit for respectable imaging. If I close my eyes and focus strictly on the music then I can respectably forget about the headphones and visualize the violins or cellos or pianos being played and I will give due credit for that because not many headphones in this price range can claim this. But how about the individual sound characteristics? Well, allow me to talk about those as well.


Treble


Starting with the highs, the treble presentation on the HP1 is a solid mid ground. I was neither impressed nor disappointed in the highs for though they performed above expectations of a headphone in this price range, being able to discern background details and the like, there’s also not much special about it either. Now, though I said this is neither good nor bad, when taking the bass bias into consideration, the fact that the treble wasn’t too affected, I think is a good thing.


Mids


…….Mmm. Well, for those who follow my reviews and are aware of my sound preferences, you’re likely already of what I’m already going to say but for those who do not. I strongly enjoy a warmer sounding product and personally find the mids to be the most important area. To me, the mid range represents the soul of the music and it’s where you both hear and feel the artists words and feelings and I find products that don’t possess a good midrange sound quite hollow and bland to me. This is very present on the BW-HP1 for the V-shaped sound signature is VERY prominent and the mids are very reduced and dull to the point that I personally could not find a good genre that these sounded good with vocals (and note that I’m only talking about vocals, not instruments, beats, etc…). There’s really not much else I can say about the mid range.


Bass


Hootenanny here we are (I know I’m not using that word in its correct denotation but it sounded cool/funny so I wanted to use it), the area of the headphones that I’ve specifically mentioned several times, the bass. And I think bass heads on a budget will rather enjoy the BW-HP1 because they, to me, sound just like the oh so beloved bass head Beats Studio headphone. But I will not that it’s not all just boom boom, bass drum in particular I found sound really good through these. Take the song “I Lived” by One Republic or “Mmm yeah” by Austin Mahone, they’re not what I would call bassy songs but its bass drum is very refined through the HP-1 and that is just an example that I put a spot light for the review but it keeps its consistency with others as well. Like more electronic music? “Blah Blah Blah” by Armin Van Buuren or “Oracle” by Timmy Trumpet will grant you solace in bass satisfaction.
So the HP-1’s have some oomph to them but they also share the other infamous trait that Beats products do, and that’s a very decayed and loose bass. The bass notes take a notably long time to go away and in such bleed heavily into the other notes (see why I think the treble not being one way or another is kinda a good thing now?). Here is where I think it’s appropriate to stress to you my reader that these are NOT an audiophile headphone. BlitzWolf never intended them to even remotely by that. What the BW-HP1 headphones are is a fun “party on your head” experience that, when played with thumping electronic, house, trap, etc… style of music, you’re all but hopeless but to start bobbing your head with the beat and really get into it. For what the BlitzWolf BW-HP1’s lack in the other areas of the audio spectrum, I’m looking at you midrange, its bass is definitely not one of those deficiencies.


Conclusion




My final thoughts on the BlitzWolf BW-HP1 headphones are that they’re a really solid choice for those who really enjoy the Beats Studio style and sound but don’t want to fork over the $300ish asking price (to disclaim I have NOT heard ANY Beats product after the series 2). They’re super fun to listen to and have the bass punch that beats out headphones costing MUCH more, BUT, if you’re not one who enjoys turning the bass knob up on every single song then I do have withdrawals about this headphone for that’s exactly what they do, to everything. They also have a really impressive battery life (I never timed them but they’ve lasted, at least ME PERSONALLY, over 7 hours when I stopped counting [which the website claims 13 hours of none stop listening so it appears I still had MUCH longer left too]) that can utilize the use of an aux cable to continue listening if they were to die. Another cool thing is that these CAN continue to play in Bluetooth mode WHILE they’re charging, which I found quite cool.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.

Freshly coming off their quite impressive price/quality earbuds I was delighted to try out their over ear A2 model and see just how it compares. I’ve said it many of times but the sub $100 range of audio products are, in my personal opinion, the most competitive of any others so I like to see these do something that makes them stand out from the rest. So how about the Soundpeats A2? Well, allow me to explain my thoughts during my time with them.







The Opening Experience






For the most part I found that the unboxing experience with Soundpeats A2 to be of normal headphones around this price. Very showy box with a lot of “look at me’s” that are meant to attempt to set it apart from others of this price. As you open the box the headphones are placed inside of a cheap generic plastic holder so nothing great about that either. Soundpeats did provide a carrying pouch which I will say was nice. Then finally you’re given the warranty and instruction manual, micro USB charging cable and 3.5mm aux cable.

A very short and straight to the point section I know but this is was a very straightforward and simple unboxing that, at least to me, didn’t really stand out from any other general headphone around this price range.


Construction



Similar to the unboxing, the construction is of expected cheaper plastic throughout and general foam padding. The headband has a generous amount of adjustment to I’m confident that the vast majority of people won’t have an issue wearing these at all. All the controls for the bluetooth function are on the right cup. The top button is the noise reduction setting that also works like an amplifier for the already powerful bass so when it’s on, whewy, it’s potent, does a meh job reducing noise though. Below that are the track forward/volume up, play/pause/answer/hangup, and back/volume down buttons with the micro USB port and aux port finishing up the extras.




Comfort



As is no surprise or news to anyone who has followed me or watch me on YouTube know that I’ve some good sized ears. I do have to keep reminding myself that most people don’t have ears as big as mine so most won’t have the issues that I find myself having. As with the A2, I find their ear cups to not fully encapsulate my ears and thus puts pressure on the outside of my ears and causes a bit of discomfort in relatively short time frame (like 30-45min). Now, for those with regular sized ears, I don’t think you’ll have an much of an issue because the padding should fit nicely on your head. My only withdrawal is that the padding itself isn’t that dense and does have a fair amount of give to it.

But other than the ear cup, I think Soundpeats did an acceptable job in the A2’s comfort. They’re very lightweight and don’t pull my hair pack (what little I try and keep) and also stay put on my head and don’t slide at all. The isolation is alright. I have mowed my lawn in these and though I’d rather use a pair of in ears (like the Q32 model they sent me to review previously) I was still comfortable with the overall isolation level these provided.


Sound



The Soundpeats A2 is most certainly a darker fun sounding headphone. There’s a lot of bass that’s more than enough to go around. But it’s still an enjoyable headphone to just sit back and enjoy some music and especially movies with. They do have a smaller soundstage and I never felt the desire/drive to close my eyes to fully enjoy the music so the imaging could’ve been better. Now, for those who enjoy a strong bass punch but don’t want to spend a lot of money and/or need something inexpensive and quick, I think you should, at the very least, check the Soundpeats A2 out. But allow me to talk about their individual characteristics so that maybe I can explain how they sound a little bit better.


Treble


This is arguably where the excitement and detail of a headphone can reveal itself. I for one and very subject to the chill bumps when a lovely violin piece gets really amped up and the headphone/speaker I’m listening to makes me feel the energy and emotion of the artist. Unfortunately, that’s not that present in the A2’s. Though there’s treble representation, at least to me and my ears, I never got excited over listening to any in particular pieces. From my current favorite and go to tracks “Ballade #1 in G minor, Op 23 (violin version)” by Chopin in the “Your Lie In April soundtrack and “A Moon Filled Sky” by Tenmon, for those who keep up with me and my reviews are likely tired of seeing these same tracks brought up so many times but they’re just so beautiful to listen to and, to me, do a fantastic job and showcasing an audio equipments ability or deficiency in producing an enjoyable treble experience.

When listening through the Soundpeats A2, even though these are definitely a V shaped sound headphones, the treble doesn’t showcase itself anywhere close to the bass power. The strings of the violin don’t present the resenance of the strings (which I really can’t expect it would at this price range truthfully) and to not beat a dead horse, just really didn’t have any magic to it, the A2 played treble notes.


Mids


The mid range. Where I personally take the most enjoyment and pay the most attention to. My favorite part of listening to music is hearing the artist’s voice and hearing their emotion being portrayed in the song of music they’re expressing themselves in. When listening to music on the Soundpeats A2, though the vocals come through fairly nice, albeit a little recessed, they are notably being influenced by the powerful bass that bleeds into the mid range territory. Listen to the song “Rise” by Boyce Avenue (Piano Acoustic cover). The AMV attached to it certainly helps the emotion but the vocals to a fantastic job on their own. And for the most part the A2 portrays the males voice just fine but you can definitely tell the bass has lowered his voice a little bit. This becomes more evident in many female focused tracks as well.

Now, with that aside I personally think that Soundpeats did a pretty good job with the midrange cause I can get an impressive sense of body in these headphones especially for these to only be around $40ish. These also do respectably well when listening to string instruments. One of my favorite instruments to listen to is the Cello and though the A2 doesn’t do the best of jobs are showcasing the beautiful resonance a cello has, it still expresses the soft melody of the instrument itself and, at least for me personally, provided a very musical experience. BabyMetal also sounds really good too.


Bass


My my my my my are these a fun headphones to get your thump on with. I know I’ve brought it up a couple times but these are quite V shaped and geared toward the mass of people, especially those who like some hard bass. Check out both “Oracle” and “Punjabi” by Timmy Trumpet. The Soundpeats A2 has some seriously impressive bass that punches right along with these very heavy bass tracks, and I mean even in the subbass range as well. Now, for audiophile listening I’m not quite certain you’ll get the same level of enjoyment because there’s a lot of bass decay that does bleed the bass notes into each other. Hence audiophile will likely not like these if they’re wanting a critical listening pair, but for those just wanting to enjoy their bass punch private party side, then, at least from my experience, you’ll be in for a wonderful time. So in other words, Soundpeats did a FANTASTIC job in the bass in the A2.


Conclusion




My overall thoughts on the Soundpeats A2 as a whole are that they’ve made a all round good headphone that fits well in it’s requested asking price. It has great battery life and has a really fun sound to listen to. The comfort issues that I personally had may make these difficult to listen to for long periods for some but shouldn’t be any issue for those looking for a quick, relatively inexpensive, pair of wireless cans to listen to for a flight.






Also, make sure to check out my unboxing and review videos. They’re pretty awesome AND you getta put a face to the Army-Firedawg name. If this review helped you out at all please hit that thumbs up button for it really helps me out a lot. Till next time my friends, stay safe.