Etymotic have always been known as "reference" in any way imaginable. Their IEMs have not only been a reference for price-performance-ratio, but the tuning or sound of their products has always been very close to what professionals and connoisseurs call "studio reference". And now I have a confession to make: Although I've always been well informed about Etymotic's place in the market and the performance of their products, I've never had the opportunity to listen to a pair of Etys myself.



Forum member @Zachik came to the rescue by organising the world tour for Etymotic's newest piece of work, the EVO. So this paragraph is dedicated to Zach and Etymotic as a thank you for making this tour possible!

Now that I've demonstrated my non-existent talent for off-topic fluff (and my terrible English language skills due lack of practise in the last couple of months), let's get started with my review!

Build & Design



The EVO's shells are made of metal and a covered with a matte-blue powder coating(?) that looks classy and gorgeous. The bronze "ETY"-lettering on the sides is an unobtrusive and classy statement that is also a nice piece of colour contrast. Due to the material choice, the shells have quite some heft and weight to them, which is a comically stark contrast to their hair-thin cable. The thought of accidentally having these shells dangling from the cable is making me very nervous, which never happened before in my life. We'll have a few more words on that later, let's talk about the elephant in the room first: Etymotic evolved their shell design to a more ergonomic fit that doesn't look weird in any way. In fact, their design team did hell of a job with balancing out sleek looks and comfortable fit. Kudos to these guys!

In terms of durability, I don't have any doubts that the EVO's metal shells will survive a lot of abuse, but their coating certainly won't. In fact, my review unit already came with a couple of minor scratches and imperfection, which might very well be just a result of small movements and friction during transport. The gaps in between the shells' individual components could also have smaller clearances for my taste. Dust and skin particles will certainly accumulate there over time, so if perfect looks are important to you, cleaning will become a regular task with these IEMs.


The Carrying Case



The case is made of plastic with a thin aluminium shell and a foam insert to hold the EVO snugly in place. It's very lightweight but still very sturdy and offers perfect protection from most every day perils. The case's design is sleek and unobtrusive with shiny engraved rims in the black aluminium shell. It doesn't look flashy or premium, but also won't get lost in kit bags or dim environments. Nice balance here.


Cable



The cable is weirdly thin. I could end the paragraph here, but for the sake of writing an interesting review, I'll go more in depth. I have never seen a thinner IEM cable before. Wait, that's a lie, I did. On some 15$ earbuds. That's of course an unfair comparison, because the Linum BaX T2™ cable is made of better, sturdier material and features a connector (T2 or smth… never seen that one) to make it exchangeable. The thing is, Only few people will have spare cables with this type of connector lying around, so you might want to order your EVOs with an additional cable or two. Reference-tuned IEMs like the Etymotics literally ask to be used in professional environments, but professional environments are rough. Delicate little objects like IEMs will slip from mixing tables, cables will get caught by tool belts and drunken musicians, they will be accidentally sat or stood on, beer will spill on them, they will be scratched and tangled up by other objects in untidy kit bags. I cannot remotely imagine the cable surviving in this kind of environment for more than two days.





The act of taking the EVO out of the case alone made my hands sweat a little. The heavy shells of the EVO are a really harsh contrast to the delicacy of the cable. Imagine being the first dude in a review tour and having to deal with a cable that starts developing a strange kink near the ear piece after one hour of use. Thank you for making me nervous!


Ergonomics



These IEMs don't only look gorgeous, they're also very comfortable. In fact, they're just as comfy and well-made as products that are more than quadruple the price. They sit perfectly flush in my ears and even the supplied double-flange ear tips look a little funny, I had zero problems with irritations or hot spots in or around my ears. The EVO can be worn hours on end without any problems, which cannot be said of most IEMs out there. The cable might be weird and fragile, but is very lightweight and adds to the "put in and forget"-experience. Only the cable's tendency to jump over my ears occasionally, is a bit irritating at times. Etymotic did well switching from weird alien antennas to ergonomically pleasant earpieces.

Sound



The Etymotic EVO's sound signature is pretty much how I've always imagined the manufacturer's house sound to be: A lean "reference"-style profile with restrained bass and the main focus on upper mids and treble. Fortunately, the bass frequencies are not as absent as I've expected them to be, so the EVO can also be enjoyed by other people than bass-despising grandpas and Singaporean elitists Still, the new Etys are not a proper consumer product but are rather catering to very specific audiences and needs. As always, for testing and characterising the EVO I've used my patented playlist, which is available for you all on Spotify



Before diving deeper into the EVO's sound signature, we need to talk about sources and amplification. With 47 Ohms of resistance and 99dB SPL, these are not easy to drive. You might be able to reach useable volume levels with a regular smartphone, but bass reproduction and soundstage vastly profit from plugging the EVO into a proper amplification device. That's why all my testing was done at my desk, plugged into a JDS Element.



We'll start our detailed sound description with the bass frequencies, which are overall very lean and restrained. Personally, I would describe the amount of bass presence as "a little less than neutral". The frequency response is tilted towards the sub-60hz-area and then slightly thins out towards the lower mids, which is a popular tuning choice for Harman cultists and studio monitoring equipment. That leaves us with an IEM that has enough of a foundation to properly reproduce any kind of music genre, but you certainly won't pump out some Nine Inch Nails or Run The Jewels out of them for pure enjoyment. Paired with their famous double-flange ear tips, the EVO isolate very well, but that also introduces a lot of microphonics. The famous sub-bass wobble in Hans Zimmer's "Why So Serious" is flawlessly rendered, but also completely drowned by any movement of my jaw or body. The same happens with Jay-Z's "Holy Grail". The EVO's bass armature digs deep, but won't bring you any sense of groove and excitement. Technically, the bass is impressive. Etymotic found a sweet-spot between natural decay and speed/attack, so the lower registers have a lot of detail and structure to them while still sounding somewhat natural and pleasing.



The middle frequencies are tuned in a typical studio-reference fashion, with a tilt towards the upper-mid frequencies around 2-4khz. The lower mids are rather thin, which robs vocals and stringed instruments of volume and warmth, but increases overall transparency and perceived detail. Although this kind of tuning is not my cup of tea, I cannot say anything bad about the EVO's midrange performance. The timbre shows a hint of nasality and warmth, especially when switching from more evenly tuned IEMs/headphones. Details aren't exactly pushed in your face, but there if you're listening for them and there is an excellent balance between instruments. In fact, the mids are the main strength of the EVO and would qualify them as great tool for mixing and monitoring purposes.

The treble tuning underpins my suggestion with a spike around 8-9khz, which is pretty important for screening out artefacts, clipping and sibilance in a mix. Unfortunately, that aspect makes some records borderline unpleasant when playing them back through the EVO. Consonants in Northlane's "Heartmachine" sound sharp and unpleasant, and I didn't like listening to Metallica's notorious "SSSSSS & M" recording with these IEMs at all. I have to point out though, that I'm particularly sensitive in this region. And despite me calling the EVO sibilant, it's nowhere near as abrasive and blunt as some Asian boutique IEMs from DITA or DUNU, for example. After the 9kHz spike, the treble abruptly falls away and doesn't keep much presence beyond 12kHz, at least to my ears. The effect is a rather dry and one-dimensional sounding treble that focuses on one particular kind of detail, but loses anything else. Cymbals, hi-hats and chimes lack shimmer and plasticity, which makes them sound dull and harsh in some instances. The glittery chimes in Daft Punk's "Lose Yourself To Dance" resemble something like boiling plastic and the cymbals on Eric Clapton's "MTV Unplugged" album sound strangely compressed and would be close to indistinguishable from each other, if it weren't for their different position in the stereo image.



And that brings us neatly to the next chapter, which is imaging and soundstage. Etymotic's products have always been known to have a very condensed soundscape and the EVO is no deviation. According to other reviewers, it's still better than its predecessors, but I cannot judge that. What I'm hearing is a very narrow and focused stereo image as well as rather poor instrument separation and spatial positioning. Most earphones I've listened to have wider stereo images and more precise imaging. This baffles me a little bit, because although the EVO's tuning would designate them as professional mixing and monitoring tools, you couldn't make any reliable spatial corrections in a stereo mix with them.


Verdict



All in all, the Etymotic EVO are a product that will satisfy people who prefer a "studio reference"-style tuning and don't mind a (literally) sharp focus on lower- to mid-treble. They're well-suited for critical listening, video editing and monitoring raw mixes.

I don't recommend the EVO to anybody doing some of the above in a rough environment, because the cable will possibly break in a couple of days. I also don't recommend the EVO to consumers who want a relaxed or fun listening experience. Etymotic IEMs won't make you bounce, dance or shake your head, but that's not what they're engineered for anyway.

I will give the EVO a solid three-point-five-star-rating. That's not bad by any means, I'm just not the type for overly polite ratings. There are five stars available to click and I will use them according to my opinion. These IEMs are a good and well-made product that has very strong competition, not only in its price range, but already starting around 200-300$.

So are 500$ a justifiable price for the EVO? Not for me, but as always, you decide. Read some more reviews, take a look at measurements and maybe even try them out.

Build & Design



Bowers & Wilkins already proved their knack for product design several times over and the PX7 is not an exception. The earcups and headband are covered in stainproof cloth, the skeleton is made of carbon fibre and although the pads are made of leatherette this time, the whole thing feels sturdy and of high quality. Unfortunately, the headphone is on the clunkier side of things this time, but due to its good design, it doesn't look ridiculous on one's head. In short, it's a gorgeous headphone, which is exactly what we expected from this manufacturer. A special mentioning of the supplied transport case had to be made, by the way. Just like the headphone, it's sturdy, good-looking and has the perfect shape to be stuffed in a bag or backpack. Nice!



Operation, comfort, isolation



B&W left the predecessor's control schemes untouched, honing the principle of "don't fix what's not broken". Volume and playback controls are handled by the same three buttons, a separate button handles ANC. And finally, you don't need the app anymore to switch between modes. Each press of the button jumps to the next ANC mode and a friendly voice will tell you, into which mode you just switched. Of course, seasoned users can replace the voice with a short tone signal via app. The aforementioned app is kept clean and simple, yet offers all the options you need. You can rename your headphone, manage paired devices (other manufacturers should take note!), switch between ANC modes and adjust a couple of other preferences. According to the manufacturer's philosophy, there is no equaliser function, which might be a bummer for some. One brand-new feature is "sound landscapes", which lets you play certain nature-sounds, for example a campfire in the woods or rain against a window. That might be not everyone's cup of tea, but if you're not in the mood for music and just want to isolate yourself from cabin noise or traffic.. Hell, why not? I actually can see myself using that feature while reading in the plane, actually.



One huge update over the original PX is the comfort. The PX was uncomfortable as frack and inflicted pain upon most users after one hour of wearing. People with glasses additionally had to suffer from a catastrophic loss of bass, because it was impossible to get a proper seal with those stiff earpads. Fortunately, all these flaws have been eradicated. The PX7 wears as comfortably as the competition now and I could find no flaws with its fit. Still, the headphone clamps firmly to your head, so short sprints to the station or ecstatic dancing in public are no problem with these.
Due to its solid construction, the PX7 isolates well, even with ANC disabled (Sony, take note again!). The original PX still isolated a bit better, due to its heavier weight.

Sound



The sound of the original PX was pretty much an exception in B&W's line-up and the PX7 once again has been tuned according to the brand's house signature: Strong bass-foundation, relaxed mids, accentuated details. Those who didn't like the predecessor's rather neutral and mid-centric tuning or had issues with non-existent bass due to a broken seal: Rejoice! The low-frequency department has called Sony and ordered its crown back. Bass quantity is quite comparable with the XM3 (which means there's a lot of bass), but much more controlled, well-structured and quite fast. The mid-frequencies sound rather relaxed, but not as laid-back as in most v-shape-tuned headphones. I'd almost call the PX7's frequency response "w-shaped", because there seems to be an enhancement in the presence area going on, which gives voices and stringed instruments some good presence in the mix. In general, the PX7's mids sound very good to me. Whereas Bose's mids sound a little thin/ artificial and Sony's are just dead and lifeless, B&W managed to retain emotion and body in guitar solos, strings and voices. Not to everyone's taste is the treble region. If put the PX7 on your head directly after listening to a reference-tuned headphone, it sounds quite muffled and dull (imagine coming from a noisy street into a well-dampened room). That's because the lower treble region is really laid-back. Technically, the PX7 is a very detailed headphone, but due to its tuning, that's not really apparent. I'm immediately reminded of the Audioquest Nighthawk, which is a very controversial headphone because of similar tuning choices. Anyway, back to the PX7: After the lower treble dip, we can hear an enhancement/peak around 10khz, which gives cymbals and hi-hats an extra portion of shimmer and brilliance. As a result, treble sometimes sounds a little artificial and metallic, but at least for my ears it's not fatiguing by any means. And that's a keyword to describe the PX7's overall sound signature: Fatigue-free listening. This headphone is by no means tuned for critical listening at home, but for enjoying music while travelling the world or enduring the daily commute. It's the kind of sound signature that lets you lean back and relax, giving you almost something like a float-tank experience, especially together with the ANC-function. And when speaking of floating: The soundstage is stupendously huge. There is not much depth or ultra-precise imaging going on, but the stage is really wide and roomy, making even some open-back headphones sound claustrophobic in comparison. I don't know how B&W achieved that effect, but it's definitely impressive.

Connection



The PX7 supports AAC, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive 24 Bit. With these codecs you can enjoy your music in very high resolution, which should be standard for headphone in this price class (but unfortunately it isn't). AptX Adaptive is particularly interesting, because that codec allows for the optimal balance between bit rate and latency, depending on the source file's bit rate. Unfortunately, there a currently no playback devices on the market that support this new codec, but at least the PX7 is equipped for the future. Just like the predecessor, the PX7 can also be connected via 3,5 mm jack and USB-C. In order to use the 3,5 mm connection, the headphone has to be switched on, which is a bummer. At least B&W improved the internal electronics in this generation, so you won't have any issues with hissing or interference when using a wired connection.

Active Noise-Cancelling



The main reason to buy such a device is, of course, it's active noise-cancelling function. And this has been greatly improved over the last generation: The ANC doesn't affect sound quality (or -signature) and is way more efficient. It's still a small step behind the capabilities of Sony's magical ANC-Chipset, but it's really close. For me, the PX7 still pulls ahead for one particular reason: Due to the tighter fit, it doesn't wobble on your head during rocky bus rides or short sprints and is less prone the notorious popping noises or other ANC-artefacts. Alas, the external microphones are not optimally placed, so they'll pick up a lot of wind noise on the highest ANC-setting, which can be very annoying. By switching to the low ANC-setting, this problem can be resolved, though. By the way: The competition (especially Sony) struggles with wind noise, too. So this seems to be an issue inherent to the technology.

Verdict



Just like all the other ANC headphones on the market, the B&W PX7 has its weaknesses. Especially the sound signature, that won't appeal to audiophile purists out there. All in all, the Britons have managed to put together a very convincing package of build quality, comfort, sound quality, codec support and noise-cancelling. In my opinion, the PX7 is the most compelling product in this price class and gets a clear recommendation from me!

Intro



Hifiman sent me the Ananda BT as part of a review tour and I want to thank them for taking the pains of making such a tour possible! You will notice that despite being granted the generous opportunity to try this headphone for two weeks, I will not hold back with any criticism and will be 100% honest with you. As I already stated in the review tour thread: I sincerely believe that niche-manufacturers like Hifiman strife to make the best products they can and give their customers the best experience possible. But in order to do so, they are dependent on honest and constructive criticism, so they have a few sticking points to work on, in order to improve their next products. That's why I'm persistently pointing out the flaws and oddities that I discovered.

Now let's get this started!

Build quality and design



If you're familiar with Hifiman products, there are no spectacular news for you. The Ananda BT is made from the classical mixture of stamped metal, plastic and leatherette. If you've never tried a Hifiman product before: Think lower-tier Beyerdynamic headphones. That's not super-impressive, especially for a 1200€ device. To get one thing out of the way, the Ananda (BT) doesn't feel flimsy or fragile in your hands. The construction offers a certain heft and the metal skeleton (outer headband and the forks holding the earcups) seems to be sturdy. Unfortunately, the rest of the construction and materials cannot keep up with high-end standards. The Earcups housing the valuable drivers and even the metallic looking grille on the outside are made of cheap plastic. That might be helpful to keep the overall weight low, but I've never had the impression of holding a premium product in my hands. The headband adjustment is very stiff, the screw on the left earcup of my review model was too tight and the vertical swivel mechanism makes plastic parts rub against each other, scratching them in the process. The accessory pouch containing the cables is laughable and the Velcro parts of the transport case look like they've been stitched on by a 5-year-old. Dear Team Hifiman, I know someone of you is reading this. I really like your products, but please improve your manufacturing process and build quality. Thousand imperial coins are big-boy territory, where premium build and materials can and must be expected. Most sub-500€ headphones are built like tanks and come with sturdy and well-crafted transport cases. Hell, I think I could breach a door with the DT1770, but I'm terribly afraid of accidentally dropping the Ananda BT on my desk from 10cm height.



At least they don't look cheap. Quite the contrary: The giant earcups and the bold metallic grille are simple, but straight design language that tells about price tag and quality. The Ananda's design is neither daring nor very modern, but unmistakeably a Hifiman product and actually looks quite nice on my desk. Thumbs up for that!

Accessory



The Ananda BT comes in rather unassuming rubberized transport case, which contains the headphone itself plus the aforementioned accessory bag. The despicable little bag is filled with everything you need: A USB-A to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-C and a microphone with a 3,5mm connector. Wait, a microphone? This might be going to be interesting. But more of that later. Let's get to the practical part!

Comfort



There is nothing bad I could say about the Ananda's comfort. The oversized earcups should be a delight for big-eared people but will feel quite strange if you're not used to wearing big planars on your head. Anyway, I got used to that kind of fit very quickly and wearing the Ananda BT for several hours shouldn't be an issue for most people. One thing I noticed is the uneven distribution of pressure. In my case (average-sized head, I would suppose), there is a lot more pressure around the upper parts of the earpads, which translates to pressure against my temples. That didn't turn out as a problem for me, but big-headed people should take notice.

Operation and connectivity



I feel bad for giving harsh criticism to a loaner unit, but it has to be said: The Ananda BT very much feels like an experimental product or a pre-production model at best. I've tried and owned quite a lot of wireless headphones, but the Ananda is the first device I've encountered that proved difficult to operate without reading the manual. The Bluetooth pairing process as well as the connection can only be described as fickle and usually need several attempts to work at all. The good news is that once you accomplished the task of pairing/connecting, reconnecting the device works reliably and snappy. Another flaw of Hifiman's design concept is the fact that you have to press the dedicated charge-button in order to charge the Ananda BT's battery while connected to USB-C. Another Head-Fi user pointed out that this might be a feature to prevent the headphone from draining the source device's battery. But then again, the only places where you could use an open headphone like this usually have a power source nearby. The outlandish design choices don't stop here: There is no volume control on the headphone itself and the Ananda BT cannot be connected to an amp or other audio gear via analogue connection. There is a 3,5mm jack, but that's only for the microphone, which by the way I couldn't get to work at all. That's a really baffling caveat that is beyond my understanding: You pay 1200 imperial coins for a big-ass planar magnetic headphone, but cannot connect it to your high-end audio system. Basically every wireless headphone can be connected to an analogue source, so why not this one? For people looking at the Ananda BT as more versatile alternative to the original Ananda that's a huge disappointment. Maybe if Hifiman would have built in a powerful enough amp, that wouldn't be a major problem. Unfortunately, the internal amplification is underpowered, which I will discuss further in the next section.

One good thing I can say about the Ananda BT's connectivity is the lavish support of Bluetooth Codecs. AptX HD, LDAC, AAC and even Huawei's obscure HWA codec are supported, so the quality of your signal is no concern at all. Next bummer, though: The connection is not stable. Entering the adjacent room (in my case that's 5 metres) already leads to dropouts and weird signal artefacts, which is unacceptable in 2020. My Sony TWS earbuds won't lose their signal even until I'm leaving the house and I'm absolutely expecting this kind of performance from a kilobuck full-size headphone.

Sound



The harsh criticism is over, now we're talking about the Ananda BT's main quality and that is the sound. It's slightly bright with a warm-ish timbre, a good sense of air and space and a very well-balanced overall sound signature. As mentioned before, I suspect the built-in amp to be slightly underpowered, which results in a few deviations of the BT's sound signature from the original wired Ananda. In short: Rolled-off bass und slightly shoutier upper mids & treble. Let's dive into the details!

As always, I'm starting with the low end and in this case this is a "bad news first"-situation. Probably due to the underpowered amp, there is no sub-bass to speak of. Don't get me wrong, the extension into the lowest registers is definitely there. It just lacks the presence to enjoy genres like EDM, soundtracks and modern Hiphop. The famous "wobble" in Hans Zimmer's "Why so Serious" is there, but certainly not in its intended room-shaking fashion. Listening to artists like Banks, Jay-Z, Nine Inch Nails and Deadmau5 is also quite a lean and bloodless experience, especially when you're used to that "oomph" from the lowest registers.

The rest of the Ananda's bass reproduction deserves nothing but praise. The mid-bass is slightly enhanced, reminiscent of the Sennheiser 600-series' hump, with all the speed and definition you would expect from an expensive planar. If you're not after that sub-bass wobble, the Ananda BT's bass will certainly make you happy. Modern Pop and Rock recordings, Metal, and even most Electronic music is reproduced with satisfying kick and a pleasant touch of warmth. Hell, I can even get over my sub-bass complaint every now and then and enjoy a round of Banks or Lorde with these.

The midrange is just as awesome. I cannot detect major enhancements or dips here, with exception of some added presence in the upper-mid region for that extra detail and sweetness for female vocals. Male vocals, guitars and cellos sound realistic with an ample amount of body and plasticity, greatly benefiting from the diaphragm's warm timbre. Female vocals, violins and guitar solos sound extra clear and detailed, but still sufficiently warm and organic, offering a stunningly hyper-realistic reproduction at times. One thing that the Ananda (BT) does particularly well is reproducing the sustain of electric guitars. It's probably one of the traits of big planar drivers to create this realistic sense of vibration and plasticity. Finally and unfortunately I have to point out a weakness: Probably again due to the slightly underpowered amplification, the upper midrange can sound slightly busy and compressed, if there is a lot of stuff going on there.



The slight loss of control continues in the treble, which sounds a little brighter and sharper than I would like. At this point I'm really curious to get my hands on the wired version of the Ananda, because its upper midrange as well as the treble seem to be a little more tame, at least on the measurement I've seen so far. Anyway, the Ananda BT's treble is good and I'm speaking of 1000-Dollar-tier good here. Drums, cymbals and percussion sound realistic, hit satisfyingly hard without ever sounding too artificial or metallic. The smacking of lips, hissing of air between teeth, screeching of guitar strings being pressed against the frets, everything is there in full splendour. The Ananda BT is a detail monster, serving everything on a silver plate without ever showing signs of sibilance or screechiness.

What it can become though, is strenuous over long listening sessions. Especially when you're enjoying a lot of poorly recorded Black Metal or other thinly produced music, the listening experience will become quite top-heavy over time and finally topple over, forcing you to exasperatedly put down the headphones.

Staging and imaging are very good. The stage isn't particularly wide or deep, but due to its very open construction and exemplary treble performance, the Ananda BT delivers a spacious, out-of-head listening experience. Instruments, vocals and effects all have their place in the stereo image with a good sense of air around them (with a few exceptions, when the upper mids get too crowded). However, imaging and spatial cues aren't remotely good enough for gaming, being easily outclassed by studio/gaming cans like the 139€ Tygr 300R.

Summarized, the Ananda BT is a slightly bright sounding headphone with a warm timbre, exceptional detail retrieval and very decent soundstage. It does have its quirks, but if you're asking yourself "does this sound like a 1000-dollar-headphone?", I can wholeheartedly answer with yes. I've been very critical towards many aspects of the Ananda BT, including a few parts of its sound signature.Higher price will always demand for higher expectations, after all. Nevertheless, the sound quality of this headphone is just short of convincing me to buy one and I'm awfully curious to find out what the wired Ananda can do.

Proof of concept



Wired headphones are a dying breed, although still here to stay for a long while. The Ananda BT is Hifiman's step into the future and it's an important one in my opinion. Due to current technical limitations and shortcomings, wireless HiFi headphones are still bound to a niche or dubbed "lifestyle products" at best. Hifiman's experiment clearly belongs to the former, revealing too many flaws and weaknesses in its construction, usability and design to be an easily recommendable product. However, there certainly is an audience for the Ananda BT who will appreciate the opportunity of using a high-end planar magnetic headphone around their house without dealing with wires and amps (don't stray to far away from your source, though). If Hifiman manages to improve on the aforementioned weaknesses, they might win this new market segment over in no time. I'm definitely curious and excited to see (and hear) more of them!

Conclusion



So should you buy the Hifiman Ananda BT? If you want the best sounding Bluetooth headphone on the market, yes you should. At the moment (February 2020), there simply is nothing on the market that comes close to the Ananda BT's sheer fidelity without using cables and amps. If you want a fully developed and well-rounded product offering intuitive controls, versatile connectivity and sturdy build quality, hold on to you wallets/kidneys and wait a little longer. The Ananda BT is still a couple of steps away from being a fully recommendable device.

Build and design



When you unpack the XM3 for the first time, you will first be surprised by its low weight. In your hands as well on your head, these headphones have a tendency to disappear, which is quite a respectable feat, regarding all the technology Sony has stuffed In there. Such a lightweight construction is, of course, a double-edged sword. Although the Sonys don't feel rickety or fragile, they don't give the impression of being built for eternity. The XM3 are all plastic and faux leather, which is a questionable choice of material in this price range. At least the headphones do not look cheap: Their stylishly sleek design and some well-placed copper accents give the XM3 (and its case) a pretty classy overall look.


Operation, comfort, isolation



As one would expect from a Sony product, the XM3 are smooth and easy to use. Vital functions are explained in the enclosed quick-guide or otherwise quite self-explanatory. The XM3 have a total of two buttons: An on/off/pairing switch and a button for turning the noise-cancelling on/off. The right earcup features a touch surface that adjusts the volume and skips tracks. This works even well while walking, which deserves a big compliment. Special gimmick: Holding your hand over the earcup reduces the volume and activates the ambient sound control, in order to have a short conversation or to respond to the environment in any other way.

In order to access most of the headphone's functions, installing Sony's app is an absolute must. Here, not only a fine-tuning of the ANC can be made, but there is also an auto-adjustment to air pressure and head-shape as well as many other useful settings. Sony even provides an equalizer, but it doesn't work with the LDAC codec. Instead, you have to be satisfied with AAC or SBC and therefore sacrifice some sound quality. Overall, the app is very clearly and simply structured and connects quickly and reliably with your headphones. Sony has done most things right with the app, only its constant presence in the notification bar is a slight disturbance.



In the category "comfort", Sony also earns a high score. The ear pads and headband cushion are soft and comfortable to wear. And due to their lightweight construction, the XM3 almost disappear on your head and can easily be worn for extended periods of time. At higher temperatures, however, Sony's decision to use faux leather fires back and you'll start sweating very quickly where the pads make skin contact. The isolation from outside noise without ANC is, due to the aforementioned weight and material density, pretty weak. As a result, you have to turn on the noise-cancelling already at very low external noise levels to enjoy your music without interference. Sony's countermeasure against this weakness is a bass-boost in non-ANC-mode, but that doesn't necessarily help.


Sound



With its V-shaped tuning the sound signature of the XM3 is targeted towards mainstream tastes: Bass and treble are raised, the mids are slightly recessed. This makes the headphones particularly suitable for hip-hop and electronic music, but fans of orchestras and acoustic guitars will not be happy with this kind of signature. The low spectrum as a whole has been enriched and sounds rather "fat," which gives bass-heavy tracks like Run The Jewels' "Legend Has It" an appropriate fun factor. For fast metal tracks like Trivium's reissue of "Pillars of Serpents," Sony's driver can't quite keep up with the pace and the entire bass foundation sounds rather uncontoured, inflated and sluggish. If we listen further to the same track, we notice the rather underrepresented mid-frequencies, rendering both Matt Heafy's baritone and the guitars with a lack of volume and plasticity. Luckily, a slight peak in the presence area prevents vocals and instruments from disappearing completely, but all in all, the XM3 are more focused on easy listening than on Hi-Fi-grade performance. The high frequencies are raised and show a peak around 9-10kHz and thus appear clear and detailed, but unfortunately also somewhat artificial. The treble is indeed the driver's big weakness because not only do hi-hats and cymbals lack plasticity, but also the spatial positioning of the instruments is rather vague and imprecise. Of course, I don't want to badmouth everything. Overall, the XM3 offer a very harmonic and coherent sound, which can be enjoyed on long trips without fatigue. However, in this price range, higher sound quality and more sophisticated tuning would be more than adequate.


Connection



The Bluetooth connection supports AAC and SBC as standard, as well as Sony's LDAC codec for high-definition sound. A 3.5mm jack is also available and I have to praise Sony here because, as opposed to Bowers & Wilkins' PX, the XM3 can also be driven passively! The point for utilising the USB-C port goes to the competition though: The XM3's port can only be used for charging.


Noise-cancelling



Sony has rightfully received a lot of praise for the noise-cancelling of the XM3. It works effectively and without significant deterioration of sound quality. However, even today, the technology is not quite mature. Although, with the latest firmware update, Sony got rid of the wind sensitivity issues, but vibration and sudden changes in air pressure (train driving into a tunnel) severely confuse the ANC system. While it works reliably and pleasantly effective on a plane or a long-distance train, it causes annoying distortions or even cracking during bumpy bus rides, short runs and anything that involves tunnels. That's sometimes so irritating and annoying that I simply turned off the NC for certain parts of my commute. The reason for these issues is ultimately not Sony's noise-cancelling system, but rather the XM3's radical lightweight construction, which makes it too shaky and unstable on the head. A bit of metal and real leather wouldn't have hurt. Despite this physical flaw, Sony's ANC is the best and most effective on the market. If noise-cancelling is your number one priority, here's your buying recommendation.


Conclusion



The Sony WH1000-XM3 is dubbed the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market in most reviews and that is correct for the average consumer. In terms of comfort, operation and noise-cancelling, Sony does everything right and most of the features seem pretty mature and reliable. Audiophiles looking for the absolutely best sound quality in a wireless headset won't find that in Sony's corner, but should instead consider trying out the Bowers & Wilkins PX (which is less comfortable though).

Read first!

Clear Tune Monitors two top-end monitors, the DaVinci IX and X are identical in shell design and box contents, but offer very different sound signatures. So if you've already read my other DaVinci review, you may directly skip to "Sound"

I've got to listen to these IEMs as part of a review tour, so this review is my own and completely unbiased opinion, based on my experiences with audio equipment and my personal taste. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments or via PM.



Build & Design



The first thing you'll notice when taking the DaVincis into your hands is their excellent build quality. The shells are completely made of metal with a nice satin black finish and screwed-on faceplates depicting the model number in roman numerals. Little spoiler alert here: The faceplates already give away the model's sound signature. The "IX" is kept in the shell's low-profile matte black, while the "X" is inlaid with a shiny chrome finish. The screw-thing seems to be inspired by Campfire's Andromeda, but the rest of the shells if fortunately way more ergonomic, its curves fitting perfectly into the ear. This semi-custom fit gained a lot of popularity lately and I'm happy to see that CTM have adopted it, too.

Accessories



The bundled accessories are exactly what you'd expect from IEMs in this price class, including a variety of silicone and foam tips, adapters, cleaning tool, carrying case, filters and two different cables. I'll go further into detail with the most important goodies of the DaVinci package:

The Carrying Case



Several things have to be said about the carrying case. First of all, the good thing: Once the IEMs are fitted into the case, you could basically play soccer with it. The DaVincis are held incredibly secure, with some extra foam padding holding the earpieces in place, no matter what you're doing. That's especially great news for professionals who are having these babies on tour with them, because tour equipment can be in for a rough treatment at times. There's also a "hidden" compartment which holds a small selection of eartips, a cleaning tool and an adapter, nice! Now the bad news: If you're a regular dude using your IEMs for the commute, you're going to buy another case. Balancing that thing on your lap while fiddling in the IEMs in the correct manner and then coiling up the cable correctly is one task nobody wants to attempt in a crowded subway at 7:00am.

Cables



CTM are supplying you with two cables. One standard cable with an angled 3,5mm connector and one balanced premium cable with a straight 2,5mm plug. Both cables are sturdy and sufficiently long, with securely fitting 2-pin connectors (MMCX haters will be pleased) and a protective transparent tubing for the part that comes in touch with your ears, thankfully without memory wire. The premium cable is a piece of art on its own, braided of pure copper and silver plated(?) wire and beefy plugs to underline the word "premium". It's not exactly designed for great portability, but the difference between a balanced and standard connection, let alone different cable types (if there is any) certainly cannot be heard in public transport or loud venues. So use the standard one for the go and the premium cable for your armchair or showing off at your local Head-Fi meet.



Filters



Besides the standard silver one, CTM are adding two different kinds of filters to the box, red and blue. And at this point I have to give the guys at CTM some more criticism. Nowhere on the box or in the instruction manual it's mentioned what the filters are supposed to do. Sure, by trying them out or simply searching the official Head-Fi thread you may find out. But undertaking in-depth research in forums or extensive A/B listening comparisons are not exactly the kind of experiences I'm associating with buying a premium product. Now back to topic: As CTM explained in the aforementioned thread, the blue filters are for taming the treble, the red filters are for enhancing the bass frequencies a little more. And they actually work like that; but the difference is, to be honest, very subtle. Changing filters takes a few moments, which makes direct comparisons difficult and you may end up not noticing any difference at all. But if you're treble sensitive or longing for these 3 decibels of extra-bass, the filters may be a nice addition. Offering these kinds of tuning options costs money and effort, so I'm giving CTM huge props for that anyway.

Ergonomics



You would not expect a very pleasant experience from plugging massive metal objects into your ears. But due to their ergonomically curved shape and short nozzle length, the DaVinci series feel very comfortable and secure in my ears. In fact, they're among the most comfortable IEMs I've ever tested and going back to my JH Angies made me realize that I should consider an upgrade soon. CTM's cables just add to the overall very pleasant experience; so wearing these IEMs for several hours is not a concern at all. The DaVincis are a true winner in the comfort category.

Sound



Being the higher-priced model of the DaVinci range, the X gets overall the more positive reviews here. But don't be fooled: The DaVinci X sounds vastly different than its little sibling. Equipped with an additional armature driver for the extreme treble region and a leaner midrange, the X are sporting a very bright and detail-oriented signature with slightly enhanced sub-bass for tonal balance. The treble lift is not just a peak but starts around 7-8khz and stretches far beyond 10khz, exposing every detail and every weakness in the recording. Let's start at the bottom:

Silicone tips

The X and it's smaller sibling IX are sharing the same low-end DNA.
On bass-heavy tracks like Banks' "screw with myself" and Lorde's "Royals", the X pump out a decent amount of low end with a great balance between wobble and definition. There seems to be a dip in the lower midrange, so busy tracks like Trivium's "Until The World Goes Cold" or The Ocean's "Mesopelagic: Into the Uncanny" sound very tidy with pristine instrument separation, layering and positioning. Due to this little twist in frequency response, voices and guitars are lacking a little body and substance. This trade-off is not an unpopular choice in in-ear-monitoring, especially if maximum spaciousness and instrument separation are desired. Fortunately, the DaVinci X achieve this effect just perfectly. So while Tina Turner's voice in "Goldeneye" lacks authority, the orchestral arrangements around her sound very holographic with pinpoint accurate instrument positioning. The leaned out midrange is less apparent in Sam Smith's "Writing on the Wall", where the DaVinci X really shine, perfectly positioning his tenor/falsetto voice into the wide orchestral arrangement. Throw some fierce sub-bass lines into an orchestral mix, like in Hans Zimmer's "Why So Serious?" And the X really start showing off their impressive reach into both ends of the frequency spectrum and bringing out every detail. They handle Hip-Hop surprisingly well too, showing off their love for detail while giving a fun ride on the bass train. You've never listened to Jay-Z's "Magna Carta... Holy Grail" like this before! The X's narrow focus on particular strengths has a downside though: Certain Rock and Metal recordings, like Metallica's "...And Justice for All" or Vektor's "Terminal Redux" will quickly become top-heavy and topple over. It's still impressive to have cymbals and hi-hats thrown in your face with all details and nuances, but that's quite a fatiguing listening experience. Try a crushed or poorly mixed recording and the experience will become even unpleasant. So choose your genres, sources and file quality wisely.

Foam Tips

Tip selection is one underestimated possibility to influence an IEM's sound signature. The DaVinci X is one model that's particularly sensitive towards ear tip material. Like most other manufacturers who are aware of this phenomenon, CTM also add some foam tips to the package. With these, the X's treble dominance gets more tamed and transform them into a different beast altogether. At least for me: My hearing is very good and I'm quite treble sensitive, so usually my criticism towards enhanced higher frequencies is much harsher than most people's. So when I tried the X with foam tips on, I could finally enjoy its vast headroom and staging appropriately without bleeding ears. The mids are still tilted towards their upper spectrum, but the foams' addition of warmth and thickness does the overall signature some good. Revisiting problematic recordings like "…And Justice for All" or live recordings like Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged Album is a much smoother experience. Hi-hats and cymbals are still presented boldly with exceptional shimmer and fizz, but take a little step back, giving the overall mix a better balance and musicality. Of course, some resolution will be sacrificed in the process, but the DaVinci X are detail monsters that can easily afford this little trade-off.

TL;DR

TheDaVinci X are rather bright/analytical sounding monitors with an approximately U-shaped frequency response and a heavy focus on imaging, detail and treble extension.



Verdict



While I definitely can appreciate the technical capabilities of the DaVinci X, I couldn't quite warm up to the lean midrange and the forward treble presentation. If you're a treble-sensitive person like me, these IEMs are only usable with foam tips for many music genres, which is kind of a let-down for a 2,5k product. If you have an acquired taste for strong treble and want the maximum quantity and quality of detail and stereo imaging imaginable in a 2019 flagship IEM, the DaVinci X are definitely worth looking (listening) into. CTM's TOTL product has not only the highest requirements for treble tolerance/love, but also source quality and your wallet. If you can meet all three of them, the DaVinci X might be your audio-nirvana.

Read first!

Clear Tune Monitors two top-end monitors, the DaVinci IX and X are identical in shell design and box contents, but offer very different sound signatures. So if you've already read my other DaVinci review, you may directly skip to "Sound"

I've got to listen to these IEMs as part of a review tour, so this review is my own and completely unbiased opinion, based on my experiences with audio equipment and my personal taste. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments or via PM.

Build & Design



The first thing you'll notice when taking the DaVincis into your hands is their excellent build quality. The shells are completely made of metal with a nice satin black finish and screwed-on faceplates depicting the model number in roman numerals. Little spoiler alert here: The faceplates already give away the model's sound signature. The "IX" is kept in the shell's low-profile matte black, while the "X" is inlaid with a shiny chrome finish. The screw-thing seems to be inspired by Campfire's Andromeda, but the rest of the shells if fortunately way more ergonomic, its curves fitting perfectly into the ear. This semi-custom fit gained a lot of popularity lately and I'm happy to see that CTM have adopted it, too.

Accessories

The bundled accessories are exactly what you'd expect from IEMs in this price class, including a variety of silicone and foam tips, adapters, cleaning tool, carrying case, filters and two different cables. I'll go further into detail with the most important goodies of the DaVinci package:

The Carrying Case



Several things have to be said about the carrying case. First of all, the good thing: Once the IEMs are fitted into the case, you could basically play soccer with it. The DaVincis are held incredibly secure, with some extra foam padding holding the earpieces in place, no matter what you're doing. That's especially great news for professionals who are having these babies on tour with them, because tour equipment can be in for a rough treatment at times. There's also a "hidden" compartment which holds a small selection of eartips, a cleaning tool and an adapter, nice! Now the bad news: If you're a regular dude using your IEMs for the commute, you're going to buy another case. Balancing that thing on your lap while fiddling in the IEMs in the correct manner and then coiling up the cable correctly is one task nobody wants to attempt in a crowded subway at 7:00am.



Cables



CTM are supplying you with two cables. One standard cable with an angled 3,5mm connector and one balanced premium cable with a straight 2,5mm plug. Both cables are sturdy and sufficiently long, with securely fitting 2-pin connectors (MMCX haters will be pleased) and a protective transparent tubing for the part that comes in touch with your ears, thankfully without memory wire. The premium cable is a piece of art on its own, braided of pure copper and silver plated(?) wire and beefy plugs to underline the word "premium". It's not exactly designed for great portability, but the difference between a balanced and standard connection, let alone different cable types (if there is any) certainly cannot be heard in public transport or loud venues. So use the standard one for the go and the premium cable for your armchair or showing off at your local Head-Fi meet.





Filters



Besides the standard silver one, CTM are adding two different kinds of filters to the box, red and blue. And at this point I have to give the guys at CTM some more criticism. Nowhere on the box or in the instruction manual it's mentioned what the filters are supposed to do. Sure, by trying them out or simply searching the official Head-Fi thread you may find out. But undertaking in-depth research in forums or extensive A/B listening comparisons are not exactly the kind of experiences I'm associating with buying a premium product. Now back to topic: As CTM explained in the aforementioned thread, the blue filters are for taming the treble, the red filters are for enhancing the bass frequencies a little more. And they actually work like that; but the difference is, to be honest, very subtle. Changing filters takes a few moments, which makes direct comparisons difficult and you may end up not noticing any difference at all. But if you're treble sensitive or longing for these 3 decibels of extra-bass, the filters may be a nice addition. Offering these kinds of tuning options costs money and effort, so I'm giving CTM huge props for that anyway.

Ergonomics



You would not expect a very pleasant experience from plugging massive metal objects into your ears. But due to their ergonomically curved shape and short nozzle length, the DaVinci series feel very comfortable and secure in my ears. In fact, they're among the most comfortable IEMs I've ever tested and going back to my JH Angies made me realize that I should consider an upgrade soon. CTM's cables just add to the overall very pleasant experience; so wearing these IEMs for several hours is not a concern at all. The DaVincis are a true winner in the comfort category.

Sound


With silicone tips

When I chatted with a fellow Head-Fi member about our impressions of the DaVinci Series, he called the IX boring. And that is, in a very positive way, true.

The DaVinci IX are sporting a classic monitor sound signature, which means a mostly neutral (or "reference") frequency response. The DaVinci IX add a little lift to the sub-bass, a pinch of warmth to the mids and an extra portion of mid-treble (between 8-10khz) for extra detail. As a result, the IX perform very well for monitoring and casual listening to a wide variety of music. On bass heavy tracks like Banks' "screw with myself" and Lorde's "Royals", the IX pump out a decent amount of low end with a great balance between wobble and definition. Busy midranges like in Trivium's "Until the world goes cold" are handled with ease and the dual armatures are showing off their impressive layering capabilities. The enhanced Treble nicely articulates details, gives cymbals a little bit of extra sizzle and snare drums are hitting with a satisfying snap. Fortunately, the treble peak stops short of being sibilant, so CTM did a very nice job of balancing detail retrieval and smoothness. Imaging and spaciousness are just what you would expect from top-tier monitors. They don't sound exceptionally wide or holographic, but can certainly compete with the best: The MTV Unplugged versions of Alice in Chain's "No Excuses" or Eric Clapton's "Layla" are being reproduced in a very realistic way, with very clean instrument separation, positioning and natural sounding voices. There's a lot of room to breathe between the instruments and have I already mentioned how well the IX handles percussion? Couldn't ask for more!

With foam tips

Some IEMs aren't really influenced by tip selection at all, some are changing their properties completely. The DaVinci IX is falling in between those categories quite nicely. Foam tips, especially from Comply, usually thicken up the bass/lower mids a little and take the edge off the treble, also reducing resolution and attack in the process. For the DaVinci IX, this leads to a slightly thicker sound and an evened-out treble, reminding me a little bit of my beloved JH Angie. For most users, including me, this sound may be a little bit too dark and muddy. I personally prefer silicone tips for the IX.

TL;DR

The DaVinci IX offer a non-fatiguing, warm-neutral listening experience with some added treble/detail and very good imaging capabilities.

Verdict



At first, the DaVinci IX don't sound very spectacular or exceptional. But after a few days of re-exploring my music collection, I started appreciating it's laid-back sound and realised that the IX are the best in ear monitors I've ever tried. The sound signature is just spot on: Deep reaching bass with satisfying quantity and punch; excellent voice and instrument timbre; drum reproduction to die for; excellent detail retrieval and imaging. If I was to stick with exactly one IEM model, the DaVinci IX would be my top choice, currently. Due to its smooth and versatile sound, the IX are also a pretty safe blind buy recommendation (if you're into crazy stuff like spending 2000 bucks blindly).

Which should you buy? The DaVinci IX or the DaVinci X?

The price suggests differently, but the decision between the two CTM DaVincis is not one of better or worse. Both have mostly identical bass response, but each have their very own take on midrange and treble. So the choice will be solely dependent on intended purpose and personal taste. Want the classic non-fatiguing monitor signature? Choose the IX. Want a bright, analytical sounding monitor for that extra precision? Choose the X.

Build & design



Bowers & Wilkins are known for not skimping on material selection and build quality. This concept is also pursued with the PX. The exterior of the headphone is dominated by leather, metal and the trim elements of ballistic nylon. You'll rarely find that in this price range and the PX set themselves apart from the competitors simply by havong them in your hands. The leather ear pads are magnetically attached and can be replaced, exemplary! The controls are easy to reach and have crisp pressure points, only the on/off/coupling button is kind of excentric.

Operation, comfort, isolation



The PX are easy to use. Controls are done with 5 buttons and work almost intuitively. In addition, there is the smartphone app. It is practically mandatory, since only here the noise cancelling can be fine-tuned and the sensors switched off and on. But this is not a bad thing, as the app works very well and connects reliably to the PX. The carrying sensors that pause the music when you lift the earcups also work very well and reliably with the latest firmware and the most insensitive setting.



Now to comfort, which is a tricky topic. People with big heads should definitely try the PX beforehand. The pressure is quite high and the leather head band needs a while to become supple. In my opinion, however, that is fine. Raw denim jeans or Goodyear-welted leather shoes are also not supple and comfortable from the very first second, but want to be worn in, as do these headphones. However, if you wear the headphones for more than three hours at a time, you will definitely feel a pressure point on your head. The headband could use significantly more padding.

Sound



The real highlight of the B&W PX is its sound quality. I would describe the signature as slightly warm but surprisingly close to reference. The bass is slightly enhanced, but quite tight and controlled. Untypical for Bluetooth headphones! The mids sound full and pleasant, voices and stringed instruments have good volume and a lift in the presence area results in a very clear and transparent sound, which however never seems artificial or sterile. The British also nailed the treble: Lightly raised, but without disturbing peaks or discoloration. Very vivid, detailed and yet controlled. This, too, is quite exceptional for Bluetooth headphones! The Bose QC 35 in particular sounds very artificial and lifeless in comparison. The PX' soundstage and instrument separation are also impressive and any competing product can pack in this regard. Nice!

Connection



The best sound experience can be achieved through a Bluetooth AptX HD connection. Unfortunately, not all smartphones support this codec. The normal Bluetooth connection is, of course, already very good. With an AptX HD connection however, Hi-Fi level is definitely achievable here, very impressive.

If you don't have or are not allowed to use a Bluetooth connection, you can also connect the PX to your source device via 3.5mm cinch or USB (!). Due to the built-in amplifier however, the cinch connection is quite susceptible to noise and is more likely to be understood as a stopgap. The connection via USB is much better and particularly interesting for laptop users.

Noise cancelling



The noise cancelling can be adjusted in three stages. Office (low), city (medium), airplane (strong). An interesting feature is the adjustable pass-through function, which allows the wearer to perceive the outside world, i.e. conversations, honking, ringing… if necessary. While the sound signature in "office" mode hardly changes, the two highest NC settings already have a significant influence on the sound. The PX sounds much more compressed and less spatial. The noise cancelling is more of a compromise and should only be used if normal music enjoyment is no longer possible due to extreme noise. For example, on a plane or on a London main road. In these cases however, the PX performs very well and can still compete with any product out there. For normal operation in an average German city, passive isolation, i.e. without Active Noise cancelling, is completely sufficient. Only on the bus or other noisy transport I turn on office mode to filter out the deepest hum.

Conclusion

With the PX, Bowers & Wilkins have exceeded all expectations. They play in the same league as Sony and Bose, but trump them significantly with build quality, high-quality materials and sheer sound quality. Only regarding comfort, the competition pulls ahead. If you are looking for the best possible sound quality in a wireless headphone, you will find it here. If you really want to wear the headphone for a long time on your head (longer than 3 hours), you should maybe look at Sony!

LZ A4 Review
 

 
 
Disclaimer
 
I bought this one for myself, so there are no commercial interests behind this review. I'm spending the time for this review only because I can and as a contribution to the community.
 
Introduction
 
I discovered the LZ A4 on Massdrop and then did some research in the Head-Fi Forums to see if they're any good. Besides the usual hype, I finally discovered some serious and trustworthy positive reviews so I decided why not!  For the price of approximately 195$/€, the A4 is a very attractive offer and a very strong competitor. And I will explain now, why.
 
Overview/Packaging
 
As far as I understood, the LZ A4 sports a dynamic driver for bass and two balanced armatures (one for mids and one for highs) in a hybrid setup, which is the a current trend among mid-fi IEMs these days. I won’t dive into further technical details about the setup here, because it should be common knowledge for the interested crowd already. The most distinctive feature of the A4 is the customizability of the frequency response. This is achieved by various back and nozzle filters. Three pairs of back filters allow the adjustment of the bass frequencies and six pairs of nozzle filters take care of the upper mid and treble frequencies.
 
The rough guide to filters goes something like this:
 
Bass quantity: red>black>blue
Treble quantity: blue>black>green>red>gray>pink
 
I won’t do detailed descriptions of the different filters, because tastes may vary here and everyone should try out their favourite filter combinations. The A4 has a base frequency response with distinctive peaks and dips which persist, no matter which filter you apply. The filters rather accentuate or soften these characteristics by pushing or lowering the volume of a certain frequency range. Exceptions are the red back filter (pushes the bass volume, but sacrifices definition) and the green front filter (causes strange peaks in the upper mids).
 
My review is mainly based on the black/red filter combination.
 
Aside from that, LZ supplies a vast selection of eartips, a removable cable and a carrying pouch, which is too big for my taste.


 
Build quality/Ergonomics
 
The earphones and filters are both made of metal and make a very solid and durable impression on me. These aren’t the most ergonomic earpieces and can cause some discomfort for people with smaller ears, but personally, I haven’t had a problem with hot spots yet. Because of the shape, insertion depth may also be an issue for some people and they are certainly not the most securely sitting earpieces out there. Certainly not useable for sports!
 

LZ A4 worn with cable down vs. cable ip
 
 
Because of the filter system, the LZ A4 could be considered a semi-open system and yes, they neither isolate very well nor would I trust them to be moisture resistant. You’re not going to wear them on stage, in the gym or in a very loud working environment, so keep that in mind before purchasing! Also be warned that the filters are equipped with rubber o-rings that can fall off if you're a bit clumsy.
 
The cable is really good. A little bit too long for my taste, but there is a handy velcro strap attached to take care of that. Microphonics are pretty much nonexistent.
 
For the price, I’m very impressed about the package LZ delivers here.
 
Sound Signature
 
The A4 have a rather v-shaped sound signature with pronounced bass, laid back mids and articulate treble. The mids don't disappear in the background though, so voices and string instruments still sound natural and detailed. Like  mentioned above, the signature relies significantly on the filters you've screwed on. You can go from an extreme v-shape (red back, blue nozzle) to almost neutral (blue back, pink/grey nozzle) according to your preference. Overall I really like the A4’s signature. It's not for the extreme bassheads (they still can take a lot of EQ abuse) and not for people looking for a mid-centric IEM. Personally, I am coming from mid-centric ear- and headphones and fell in love with the A4 anyway. In the following chapters, I will tell you why!
 
Stage/Imaging/Naturalness
 
I'm not sure if it's because of the semi-open design or the signature, but the sound stage of the A4 is huge. It actually competes with full-size open back headphones. The rendering of depth is rather average, but the sheer width of the stage is mind blowing, especially considering the price range we're looking at! The size of the stage changes a bit with your filter choice, but not that much, imo.
Naturalness and timbre are also very good, at least with the black, red and grey nozzle filters. Some minor coherency issues can appear with very fast tracks, when the balanced armature drivers outpace the dynamic one. I'm emphasising the word “minor” here, because most people won't notice, especially with the smoother front filters in place. In general, the drivers and crossovers work very well together and paint a very pleasing and coherent audial picture. A very solid performance here.
 
Bass
 
Bass is probably the most prominent feature of the A4. The dynamic driver does a very good job here, reaching very deep while delivering a satisfying rumble in the sub-bass region and a tight and powerful mid-bass punch. The bass decay is very fast (not BA-fast, though) and the lower frequency regions in general are nicely detailed and structured. What I really like about the A4 is that the bass never ever bleeds into the midrange, no matter what you throw at it. For scientific purposes, I tried some unspeakable things with equalizer abuse and Skrillex. The A4 passed the basshead test with flying colours and proved that the crossover is really well done in these. Little filter knowledge: Black back filters are the recommended choice for the best compromise of speed and quantity. Blue filters tighten up the bass but deliver less-then-neutral quantity, while red filters are the basshead’s choice, but with less control, obviously.
 
Mids
 
Due to the v-shaped sound signature, the mids appear rather laid-back. That doesn't mean they disappear, though! In fact, the mids are very well done. Smooth (velvety, if you want) but well-defined and more detailed than you would expect at first. Tonal accuracy is very good and voices as well as stringed instruments sound very natural and mostly uncoloured. Due to the laid-back nature, there is no midrange congestion to be found even in busy tracks like Trivium’s “Until The World Goes Cold”. Instruments and voices are always nicely separated. That doesn't mean the A4 is the best choice for the discerning midrange lover. For my taste, the mids could be a bit more lively and forward. Still a very good performance! Filter knowledge: Most filters dont affect mids much, except for the blue and green front filters. Blue pushes the treble forward and some upper mid frequencies are pulled with it. The green one causes some strange spikes in the midrange frequency response and sounds very telephone-ish for me. Immediately dismissed.
 
Treble
 
Treble is the frequency region that is affected the most by the filters. Like described above, you can basically adjust the amount of treble to your liking. Certain peaks will stay completely untouched though. And unfortunately, this also applies to the peak around 9khz, which emphasises sibilants too much for my liking. Fortunately, there is no information loss in the sibilants. I don't have much to complain about the rest of the treble spectrum, though! All in all, it's a very pleasant and detailed experience. I wouldn't call it airy, the A4 don't extend well enough, but certainly light, feathery, detailed and with a very fast decay. This also contributes to a very good sense of space and separation that is absolutely untypical in this price range.
 
All put together
 
The LZ A4 is a very enjoyable and musical sounding IEM. If you enjoy a spacious and relaxed sound with enhanced bass and treble, you will have a hard time finding something better for 200 bucks. The customisability and the fully packed retail box are huge cherries on top. My conclusion of this review is a huge thumbs up and a very clear recommendation. Really curious what LZ will come up with next.