Introduction:
 
It can be hard to find the right portable player for your needs – there’s an absolute sea of them, and most audiophile manufacturers try their hand at making a DAP (Digital Audio Player) or two.
 
You have people swearing by Fiio’s products, others by Aune’s, yet others by Shanling, Ibasso, Astell & Kern, Shozy… the list goes on. When everyone shouts that their player is the best, how do you figure out which one really fits the bill?
 
You can, of course, go to a megastore and demo them all – but such stores that include DAP’s are pretty rare, and definitely are hard to find in rural areas.
 
But what most don’t realize is that some – if not most – of the research can be done without hands-on experience. It’s easy to just look at sound comparisons and pick the one that sounds best, but in reality there are many other factors that influence whether it’s a good match or not. Battery life, for one – let’s just say it’s difficult to go portable with a 4 hour battery life like the Calyx M. Specs and charts aren’t only theoretical – they either help or destroy ease of use and enjoyment of the product.
 
The Supermini is one of those DAP’s that not only promises to sound good, but also shows great promise when it comes to lack of complications. Battery life? 22 hours, way above average. Form factor? Tiny – even smaller than the AK Jr., which form factor caused a few issues. Outdoor screen visibility? OLED – the best there is for outdoor viewing. How about power? 320mw output at 32ohms, and I suspect enough for even 300ohm loads – in other words, plenty.
 
So unlike most DAP’s, that make me nervous before I even receive it, the Supermini covers and preempts most of the trouble areas. Now, it’s down to the wire – does it sound good? Let’s find out.
 
 
Packaging & Accessories:
 
 The Supermini comes in a minimalistic black box, with the HiFiMAN logo in white, as well as white borders along the edges. Take off the cover, and you have a great view of the Supermini, separated by a clear sheet of hard plastic.
 
There aren’t many accessories here, but there also aren’t many needed. Charging cable, a good pair of (unnamed) IEM’s, a pair of tips in addition to the ones installed on the headphone, and a screen protector were provided, along with a warranty card and a user manual.
 
I found the screen protector to be rather hard to apply, and even when applied correctly, it collects dust and moves around a bit. It isn’t a big deal, but something you should know. As for the headphone, it’s actually quite decent – something above the RE-400 level, but not quite the RE-600 model either. It pairs well with the Supermini, with a warm sound, yet still detailed and balanced. Vocals didn’t have as much clarity as I would have liked, but otherwise it’s great. Definitely great for people who are just starting their Hi-Fi journey, and want an all-in-one package that sounds good.
 
Another thing – the headphone is small, and I mean really small. Many IEM’s end up being too big or uncomfortable for the ear, but this one is snug and fits very well.
 
Unfortunately, the warranty card is in Chinese, but as usual with HiFiMAN, an English one should be in the works. The user manual is intuitive and easy to follow, and makes operating the Supermini a cinch – though it’s already quite easy to use even without instructions.
 
Overall, packaging is good, and other than the gimmicky screen protector, everything works quite well.
 
 
Build Quality, Design, & Form Factor:
 
The Supermini is a solid DAP – literally. The body is completely metal, while the three buttons in the center are made of hard plastic. No “hollow” sounding body here – it’s a brick in quality, without the size and weight. Same goes for the buttons; they have a satisfying click and are well placed.
 
The screen takes up half of the player, and looks quite nice. Large enough that you don’t need to squint, yet not a full length screen like some have been moving towards. Still, I don’t find there to be a lack of space on the screen during playtime, though I’ll come back to that later.
 
On the right hand side of the player are four buttons – volume up, volume down, return, and the power button. As someone left-handed, I feel the button placement is excellent for me. However, I’ve found that the power button placement was a bit tricky to get used to when using it right-handed. My thumb would always hover to where the volume buttons were, and not intuitively to the power button, located near the bottom of the player.
 
The bottom of the player is also packed with features – normal audio out, balanced out, microSD card slot, and a charging/file transfer port. The regular out is colored blue, while the balanced out is colored black – a nice and easy way to differentiate between the two.
 
The left hand side of the player is bare, along with the back of the player – besides for HiFiMAN logo and a bit of information, there’s not much here in the way of functionality. I would have preferred the power button to be located on the left side, near the top, but it’s a matter of preference – to each their own.
 
Form factor is absolutely great – I’m not sure I’ve even seen better on an audiophile player. This makes it easy to carry around, where it practically disappears into your pocket. This may not sound big, but besides for the AK Jr., practically every other player is a brick – heavy, bulky, and hard to carry around. To those that keep primarily their DAP’s collecting dust in their drawers, then this isn’t much of a factor. For those who actually use them often, this is practicality heaven.
 
Firmware is still being worked on, but the initial ones are quite developed – no more of the “I can’t get this stupid player to play” sort of garbage. The Supermini’s UI is smooth, easy to navigate, and without hiccups. While there is no scroll wheel, the left/right buttons in the center of the device allow for scrolling, when held down. Before getting the Supermini, I thought there was no way for that to work well. But you know what? It works really smoothly, and I actually prefer scrolling using the Supermini’s buttons, to the scroll wheel of the Aune M2. Scroll timing is something that so many companies get wrong, yet is so fundamental to easy navigation. And HiFiMAN nailed it this time.
 
Just something I’ve noticed after I finished the review, there have been a few comparisons to the Hisoundaudio Studio V/VI players, and I personally have to disagree with that sentiment entirely. The Studio VI I had couldn’t even play music in order – and here’s the Supermini, which does every function I’ve tried without a hitch. Whether it’s scrolling through a large collection quickly, skip forward/backwards to different songs, get out of the song screen back to the menu, to the options, back to the song playing – nothing was half baked, everything worked perfectly.
 
Volume works well, though 32 steps are more than I’ll ever need. Even the volume-hungry Pinnacle P1 was perfectly loud with the volume set to 8. I can’t imagine a headphone being non-sensitive enough to actually need even half those volume steps… perhaps it would be better to leave most of the higher volume steps out, and allow for more fine-tuning.
 
As for fast-forward/rewind, that’s the death of me on most DAP’s – it’s either too damn slow, or too fast to actually get to where I want. With the Supermini, it’s absolutely just right – The second I tried fast-forwarding, I was pleasantly surprised. This should be the benchmark for all other DAP’s to follow.
 
You’re probably thinking, “Well, it’s just fast forwarding, right? How important is it already?”
 
Speaking in terms of practicality, pretty darn important. Using the DAP’s I have, I very often want to move to other parts of the song, audiobook, or podcast, and a rewind/fast forward option that isn’t tuned well is just flat out annoying. I see people complaining about gapless playback like their life depends on it, while navigation, the real applicable factor, slips by unnoticed. Like I mentioned earlier, timing plays a large role in ease of use, and HiFiMAN nailed down the timing – again. I just wish more DAP’s had their rewind times down like the Supermini does.
 
On the main menu, there are a number of options. “Now playing” appears at the top of the list, an option I don’t see often enough on the main menu. After that there are sorting options, firstly a regular file explorer (sorts by folder), followed by sorting by artist, album, genre, favorites, and all songs. Last on the list is the Settings option, to which there are a plethora of sub-options that let you modify everything from backlight times to repeat, shuffle, and screen lock.
 
I should mention that there is no EQ option available at the moment, but personally I’ve found most EQ options to be very primitive and not well implemented – with the glaring exception being Cowon’s players.
 
On the playing screen, there is quite a bit of information, yet it all looks very smooth and not crowded. On the top bar, you can see the position of the song within the folder/album, followed by the shuffle/repeat signs (either on or off), then followed by volume level, finally ending with a battery indicator. Sounds like a handful, huh? It’s actually pretty clear to see, and very nicely shown.
 
Below that is the name of the track, followed by the artist and album name – quite nice. There isn’t any album art, but again, that doesn’t interfere with functionality, and is a bell/whistle that honestly doesn’t make using the player any easier. If the file name is longer than the screen, it’ll scroll through the rest of the name at a nice pace, showing exactly what you are listening to.
 
Under all this is a time bar, showing how far you are into the song. As if this wasn’t enough, it also displays the elapsed song time on the right, format under the status bar, and sample rate under that. What’s really nice about all this is that this is useful information that isn’t present in many other players – at least not on the playing screen. Sample rate is something I pay attention to, and having it there along with everything else makes it easier for me to enjoy what I’m listening to, without having to jump hoops trying to find information that is essential to the song.
 
There are a few minor software kinks that need straightening out, the most major of them being that the volume buttons turn the screen back on, when it should be locked. I don't seem to recall anything else that should be changed, other than the "return" button not going back to the album folder. However, a firmware update is very realistically in the works, so stay tuned.
 
All the way at the bottom are play, forward, and back symbols, each set above a physical button. Brightness of the display letters are just right, not too bright on the eyes, even in a dark room. As I mentioned before, this is an OLED screen – making outdoor viewing a piece of cake. I’m often on the go, and all too often have to squint to see what exactly is displayed on the screen – with OLED, that just doesn’t happen.
 
The Supermini supports practically all formats up to DSD 64, and I suspect DSD 128 will work as well. I did have an issue of the player freezing when playing an OGG file, but other than that it’s been pretty flawless. The UI is very quick throughout, with the only pauses being when selecting a song and switching to a second page of options on the same screen. No lag is indeed something to be happy about – there’s too many DAP’s out there that have enough lag to ruin enjoyment (I’m looking at you, AK Jr!), and cutting down on a color screen in exchange for a quicker interface with more information is a worthwhile tradeoff in my book. There are a few minor software kinks that need straightening out, the most major of them being that the volume buttons turn the screen back on, when it should be locked.
 
 
Sound:
 
What’s the first question when you ask about a DAP?
 
“Does it sound good?”
 
Okay, fine. What’s the second question when it comes to DAP’s?
 
“Does it pair well with my headphone?”
 
And that is exactly why I am a huge fan of the headphone chart HiFiMAN published for the SuperMini. I’ve personally spent a lot of time (too much for me to quote here without being embarrassed) trying to find the best synergy for my headphones and earphones. What’s synergy? As anyone who’s been in this hobby for a while would know, you can have a stellar headphone, and a fantastic DAC, amplifier, or DAP – and the two will sound horrible together.
 
“Why? Isn’t it just summing the two awesome parts together?”
 
No – and that’s where synergy comes into play. To make this short, a lot of it is a game of luck (and hardcore calculations) as to whether a certain headphone will sound good with a certain DAP.
 
That’s why the headphone chart provided by HiFiMAN on the SuperMini main page is so, so great – they do all the work for you. They compared 26 different headphones with the Mini, and rated how each of them performed with it.
 
It may not seem like much, but this should really be the standard for every DAP producer – instead of spending hundreds of hours and dollars trying to figure out if a pairing even works, the engineers should tell you their opinion, at least on the driving capabilities. This saves us all the heartache and sweat when buying equipment – just to check out whether it works in the first place! I can’t begin to say how useful this chart is – it’s a lifesaver, for sure.
 
I already hear the cynics saying: “Yeah, but they’d overrate every pairing with the Supermini, right? They have a vested interest after all…” – but the complaint simply doesn’t hold up. Testing the Supermini with the Sennheiser HD650 was the best portable pairing I’ve gotten out of the headphone – and that’s saying a lot, since the 650’s usually hate everything but dedicated tube amps. It paired very well with the HiFiMAN HE400S – with and without the HM5 angled pads. True to the chart, it had a bit of a harder time with the AKG K7XX and the HiFiMAN HE400i – it sounded great for a portable pairing, but not the same level of goodness as the HD650/SuperMini provided. While I didn’t go through all the headphones on the list, the couple I’ve tried were fair and accurate enough for me to recommend the chart wholeheartedly, and go by the information it provides.
 
Moving on to the sound signature itself, the Supermini is an interesting player – more musical than analytical, but there’s more to it than that. It’s different than any other player I’ve heard before – it has a thick sound, but doesn’t ever get muddy, and the frequency as a whole carries some wait.
 
Usually that’s associated with less speed, a “slow” player that can’t keep up with rock and metal music. That isn’t the case here – it’s full-bodied (more so than “warm” players like the Fiio X5), and doesn’t lack in any department because of it.
 
As you’ll soon see, everything’s pretty much on point – but the SQ is distinct, different, and although I can’t speak for most of you, it will most likely be a very appealing treat.
 
Just to emphasize this again: it pairs absolutely beautifully with the HD650’s. HiFiMAN wasn’t kidding when they said that this little guy has enough power to “drive them perfectly” – it’s the best I’ve heard the HD650’s from a portable, and believe me, it isn’t a compromise. You’ll get a lot from that pairing.
 
On to the individual aspects.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Bass: The bass is prominent – a tad elevated, but nothing that will overpower you even with bassy headphones. It seems bassy – but really, that has to do with the texture and rich thickness of it, not the actual quantity. Put on even your most headbanging subwoofer music, and it treats it the way it should – not too much, and not too little.
 
Bass slams hard, and gives a good “thump” to headphones when necessary. It’s not lean by any means, but it’s detailed, warm, musical, and great to listen to.
 
Mids: Vocals… the SuperMini is dead neutral here. There’s a slight veil going on, though I can’t pinpoint where exactly it is. It’s a slightly darker take on female vocals, though I wouldn’t call it ‘lush’ – there’s no sibilance, but I can hear the slightest bit of harshness creeping in at times. This is more apparent with pianos, but those still sound nice, and quite natural. Listening to Para Mexer (by Animals as Leaders), the guitars ironically don’t have that edge and extension that makes the track aggressive and exciting – I could fall asleep to the SuperMini listening to it. For those that prefer an inoffensive sound signature, the SuperMini has it.
 
Highs: Highs are very refreshing, and definitely one of the favorite parts of the frequency. They are crisp while not harsh, detailed, and have good clarity and decent extension. It’s slightly different than the rest of the frequency, so how it meshes with the midrange veil I mentioned earlier is definitely a point of discussion. It doesn’t do badly at all, however, due to the differences sonically, I believe this is what makes it sound so different than other DAP’s on first listen.
 
Detail: Despite being musical, there is quite a bit of detail to go around – not as much as an analytical DAP, but more than enough to see a large difference between the SuperMini and a standard non-audiophile DAP. Still, if I were to pin a weak spot, this would probably be it, as head-to-head with the AK Jr. (a DAP costing $100 more, without any bundled IEM’s) it lags behind just a bit. This isn’t a knock on the SuperMini – it’s noticeably smaller than the Junior (which is tiny already), it’s cheaper, and the Junior has a very, very capable grade of sound as well. It’s to be expected though – musical DAP’s often fall behind a bit in this area, but the SuperMini doesn’t seem to lag too much in this category.
 
Soundstage & Imaging: The soundstage is smaller than I would have liked, with spacious songs sounding like they’re in a normal-sized room. It is also wider than deep, with the DN-2002 not really getting the front/back cues it usually deserves. It’s a problem that plagues most DAP’s though, so I can’t pin this on the SuperMini in particular. It does seem to get noticeably better in balanced mode (with the included RE-X00 IEM), but without any other balanced headphones to test some more, I couldn’t say for sure.
 
Clarity: A bit above average, I would say. Nothing groundbreaking, but nothing muddies up either. With its warm sound signature, this was one thing I was paying a lot of attention to, as previous generation DAP’s struggled in this area, but the SuperMini seems to do fine. If anything, I think more clarity would take away from the musicality of the sound sig.
 
Hiss: This player is powerful – not only in terms of volume output, but driving power as well. It would be heaven if there were a gain switch in the settings. Unfortunately though, as it stands, it’s perfectly suited for headphones and non-sensitive IEM’s, and less so for sensitive in ears. The hiss isn’t bad even with my sensitive DUNU IEM’s, but it’s there.
 
The more relevant problem pertaining to sensitive IEM’s isn’t hiss though - even with 32 volume steps, it’s a struggle to fine-tune the volume on louder tracks. It was blisteringly loud with the AKG K7XX (not a sensitive headphone by any means) at the 20^th volume step, leaving lesser room to maneuver with in ears. For reference, some of my more sensitive IEM’s were too loud on the second volume step, with rock tracks.
 
Pairings: Obviously, this is a big thing going for the SuperMini. It can drive full-sized headphones, well? Now that’s something that most portable players can’t brag about. Like I said before, it drives the Sennheiser HD650’s astonishingly well. But like I also mentioned, it’s hard to get a good volume level with sensitive IEM’s, so regardless of whether they sound good with them or not, it’ll be hard to listen to comfortably.
 
HiFiMAN advertised the SuperMini as being more suitable for full-sized headphones than IEM’s, though I wish this was published before the SuperMini was released, from the get-go. I tried it with the Pinnacle P1, though while driving-wise the SuperMini wasn’t an issue, tonality was, and I didn’t find the pairing to be to my tastes. The DUNU DN-2002 and K7XX played better with it, with the HD650 coming out on top – a result that’s usually opposite of what most portable players provide.
 
Conclusion:
 
The SuperMini is an interesting device. At $400, with the included RE-X00, it’s a quite good balanced setup, and I would recommend this for people who don’t have an IEM to go with the SuperMini. For those that do, I’d still find this a great purchase at its asking price, if battery life, form factor, and high driving power are on the top of your list of priorities - or if you have a number of balanced headphones, to take advantage of that feature. If you have the HD650’s (or an equivalent headphone that pairs as well), the SuperMini is a no brainer purchase – it’s expensive, but brings a lot to the table.

Introduction:
 
HiFiMan has been in the scene for a long time – primarily known for their open-back headphones, much of their product line has been both highly praised and widely popular. Their recent HE-350 model is the most affordable open-back headphone on the market, while their HE-1000 is the cream of the crop, and highly regarded as one of the best headphones available.
 
But one thing they were not known for was closed, portable headphones. In that market, it’s very difficult to make a premium product that sounds significantly better than the lower-end range; closed back headphones haven’t seen nearly as much improvement with price as open back ones. So providing innovation in this area of the market is crucial for keeping it moving, and providing new products – which won’t get better without new technology.
 
For this exact reason, the Edition S should be turning heads as early as at proof of concept. HiFiMan really thought out of the box on this one – and came up with something so utterly crazy and yet so simple in concept, that I wonder if other companies never thought of this idea because of its sheer ingenuity.
 
HiFiMan engineered the first open-back closed headphone.
 
Sounds mind-blowing, right? But the concept itself is not too crazy. Essentially, they wanted to make a headphone that can be used as a portable, well-isolating, closed headphone, and also as an open-back that can showcase serious sound quality a portable headphone couldn’t have.
 
So how did they do it? It’s a pretty simple answer - they made a portable headphone with removable plates. But it really isn’t that simple, though – drilling holes or removing the back of your standard portable headphone will not result in a great sounding open-back. From what I’ve heard from people who’ve tried it (and RIP their headphones) they sounded absolutely horrible, worse than when they started. Loose and muddy bass, incoherent sound – it isn’t a good idea, is all I’m trying to say.
 
HiFiMan had to make the headphone sound good both with and without the plates. From what I understood from Mr. Hoagland and Dr. Bian, that was one of the most difficult challenges here. And to make things more difficult, each usage type alone (portable and open-back) had to be good enough to be a real contender in their own respective markets. It’s obvious now that this job is not easy at all – it’s one of the hardest I’ve seen. One headphone, two uses, each one has to be great on their own without sacrificing the other. How does the Edition S measure up? Let’s find out.
 
As a note, the review was written without any knowledge of other's opinions and impressions of the Edition S. Only after I wrote the review did I view and add my findings relative to the general view of the Edition S, to convey whether my views were an exception to the rule, or with the consensus. Thank you for reading!
 
 
Build Quality & Design:
 
When I first tried out a prototype of the Edition S a while back, I wasn’t too sure of this part. It seemed flimsy, too plastic-y for a $250 headphone. However, receiving the final product, I was happy to see that they decided to make it more durable, and stronger on a whole. While the Edition S’s headband may be made of plastic, the plastic is quite durable, and I never felt as if it would break under pressure – in fact, I mention later on (in the fit section) that I’ve seen quite a few owners of the Edition S bend the headband to have produce less pressure on the head. Not one of them broke it – despite the fact that some others would break under the same pressure.
 
They didn’t do plastic because it was cheap – they did it to keep the weight down, and that they have accomplished well. It does have some heft, weighing 248g, but most of that comes from the cups, which are fully metal as I’ll mention. While the headband doesn’t shout “premium” (though it does have a classy HiFiMAN model name on the top), it functions exactly as intended – it’s solid, despite what it may look like.
 
The headband also has a nice amount of memory foam padding, ensuring that you won’t feel the pressure up top – it’s soft enough that you don’t even feel the padding when worn. The cups themselves are made entirely out of metal, besides for the removable caps, which I’ll talk about soon. The hinges connecting the cups to the headband are metal as well, with the space inside made of plastic. It’s cleverly placed though, making the plastic in the hinges very, very difficult to see.
 
Extending the headband isn’t as smooth as I would have liked it to be. Depending on where you place pressure, it can be either really easy or really hard to do so – but remains difficult to do when they’re on your head. To be fair, most regular listeners only adjust them once, so it isn’t as big of a deal as people make it to be, but it is worth mentioning.
 
The earpads are impressive, a mix of faux leather and soft velour. The leather is on the outside (and is what most people will see), with the velour on the part that goes against your head, making it quite comfortable. Still, it looks high end, and if they were made to fit other headphone I’m sure people would buy them – like I said, they look impressive.
 
Next is the removable caps – the part of the ear cup that comes off. Each one is made of plastic, with the HiFiMAN logo in metal, to match the rest of the cup. Behind them is a view of the drivers, through a metal grill. The headphones look good both with the caps on and off, which is also not easy to accomplish. That said, I prefer them (design-wise) with the cap off, and here’s why:
 
The whole headphone seems to be a mix of two elements. We see a plain element, the sturdy plastic headband, but then moving down we see the cups and pads – totally a different breed. Those look like they were made with “high end” in mind, with attention to the way they look. And the caps seem to belong to the first category, good, but not great looking. With them off, the entire cup is metal, and there’s some well-needed consistency.
 
I’m just not sure how it meshes together. The metal is brushed, but the plastic is not. Design-wise, I can’t help but think it would look better if HiFiMAN brushed both design materials, so they blend together, instead of clash with each other.
 
It’s a shame; the cups look top-notch, and it’s a shame to have that married with just regular plastic. Brush it; give it the same amount of detail. Do this for at least the removable caps, and in my opinion, the headphone would look better. Do it for the headband too, and then you have a really stylish headphone.
 
The other thing I’m confused about is the way the Edition S was marketed. It’s advertised as an on-ear headphone, when the earpads clearly go around even large ears. While this seems harmless, someone who is looking specifically for an on-ear headphone and orders this will be in for an unpleasant surprise, and HiFiMAN is also missing out on the large crowd that can’t stand the pressure of on ear headphones – and won’t buy the Edition S, if they haven’t read any reviews stating the flexibility of that statement.
 
 
Fit & Comfort:
 
Unfortunately, I’ve personally had issues with this one. HiFiMAN made a note of their design, saying that they’ve distributed the pressure all around the headband, as opposed to just the top of it. While this is true, I’ve found the headband to be slightly too narrow for my head, making it uncomfortable on the sides.
 
The same goes for the earpads. While usually I feel a nice clamp along all the pad, by the Edition S most of the pressure is on the top part of the ear pad, having the pressure right above my ear – not a great place to have pressure on in the first place; it makes me dizzy quickly. Removing my glasses makes it a tad better, but it’s still a large issue for me. I tried stretching the headband, after hearing it doesn’t break so easily. Don’t worry - it didn’t. But neither did it help the issue much.
 
Comfort-wise, if the fit was good for me, I can see this as a very comfortable headphone, due to the very soft headband padding and excellent ear pad choice of materials.
 
I would like to note that most people I’ve met get a good seal with the Edition S, so I’m probably the exception here, with a weirdly-shaped head or something. I never did have fit problems with any other over-ear headphone, so this is still puzzles to me.
 
Isolation (closed back, obviously) is average, not blocking out as much as I want it to. However, this could very well be due to the lack of seal I had most times I used it.
 
Sound:
 
And here we have the most interesting part of the review. If you aren’t a fanatic about looks in general, and find these comfortable on your head, this is the part you’re probably waiting for.
 
The first thing I want to note, and this is probably the most important one of all, is that there’s very differing opinions about how these sound – and while the duality of the headphone contributes to this, the rest is almost certainly due to seal issues. While most people find these comfortable, when I took them to an audio meet almost all the people who didn’t like the sound afterwards found out that they missed getting a good seal – and there were a lot of those. This came up in measurements a friend took; nothing comprehensive, but I’ll put the details here:
 
Suffice it to say, a bad seal can make the Edition S sound absolutely horrible, so if your impressions aren’t matching up with mine (or someone else’s!), please do check the seal; it’s easy to miss, especially from the bottom rear of each ear pad. Personally, I didn’t get a good seal naturally, and had to maneuver these around until I did – most probably a consequence of the fit I had (or didn’t).
 
With that said, I would say the Edition S is U-shaped… except they’re not. There’s an elevated mid-bass, and are bright up top, but they have a number of dips and peaks that make it impossible to put into this category.
 
As one user mentioned mentioned, these do sound like Grado’s, and even though I didn’t have much listening time with any particular one, it easily reminded me of them on the first listen – more so closed than open, at least to me. If you’re a fan of that sound signature, chances are you’ll love the way the Edition S sounds.
 
One more thing before I start; I’ll be talking quite a bit about the Edition S paired with the Tralucent DacAmp One, and it’s important to know that the DacAmp One is a bit bright even with neutral headphones. I’ll mention often that things sound on the brighter side, and the tonality of the DacAmp contributes to that.
 
 
Bass: The subbass is clean and neutral, and the mid-upper bass has a reasonably large hump. With the caps on, it sounds a bit thin on the first listen, though it’s the type of sound which is very easy to get used to – give it a few days, and your brain should easily burn in to it.
 
With the caps off, the bass sounds fuller, and there’s less of a hump and more of just slightly elevated bass in general. Subbass is now elevated along with the rest of the bass frequency, though it’s the good type of bass – although it lack a bit of detail when open back, it has that rumble that’s always enjoyable to listen to. The slight lack of detail (and therefore slight bloatedness) takes away from it becoming the “perfect bass”, but for $250, the sheer quality of it makes up for it. All this is without an amp, straight from a smartphone. With the Tralucent DacAmp One as an amp and source, the bass detail is back in full force, no bloatedness to be heard. The mid-bass though is bit too overpowering for me, though only slightly more elevated than the subbass. I’m fine with the subbass, though this does fall into the “quality bass lovers’” headphone category.
 
With the Nuforce uDAC-2 as an amp/source, the bass is smoother overall, and more listenable – less shouty, slightly less midbass, and some more sub-bass. Because of the more confined sound of the uDAC-2, the elevated subbass sounds too close to my ears for comfort, though again, bass lovers will be thrilled with the results. Detail is top notch as well.
 
If HiFiMAN would have toned down the mid-bass even a db or two, it would have helped tremendously, fixing nearly all my gripes with the bass. As it is, unless you listen to very bass-heavy genres, and don’t have a tolerance for bass, you should be fine. People planning on using this closed-back should be aware of the elevated mid-bass, and thinness of sound on first listen. Grado fans should have no issues with any of this.
 
One thing is for sure – a good dac/amp makes a world of difference here when listening open-back. If anyone was wondering if the open back here was a “gimmick,” it is not. The amount of detail here is something no standard $250 headphone would come close to, but I’ll talk more about that later.
 
Mids: Closed back from a smartphone, these sound much better than I expected. There’s a slight dip here somewhere, though I can’t pick out exactly where. That aside, vocals sound outstanding – not constrained at all, very detailed, and placed a perfect amount of space away from your ear; you can hear every detail, yet it isn’t in-your-face like so many headphone (even high end) are guilty of. If you plan on using these closed-back for the majority of the time, and listen to mostly vocals, look no further – it’s pretty darn good. What surprises me the most is the clarity and detail of the vocals, both as good (if not better) than headphones even double its price – making a very powerful combination and producing outstanding results.
 
I’m also surprised that the “dip” doesn’t take away more from the vocals. Obviously, now we have a question – is the dip worth the clarity and detail? In my opinion, I would gladly take this package over a regular headphone that doesn’t have as much detail, clarity, or the dip. Vocals just sound magical – and this is from a smartphone, closed back. The only takeaway I can mention is that the frequency on the whole sometimes sounds thin, distracting you from the greatness of the vocals.
 
As for instruments, guitars sound very full and lively, closer to your ears than the vocals, but still a nice enough distance that it never becomes claustrophobic or in-your-face. Detail is quite good as well. Pianos sound a bit bright on some recordings, but not thin. On more well-mastered recording, pianos sound great, with no hint of there being a midbass bump. On others however, there are times where it sounds a bit hollow, and I would rather it be more full sounding at the expense of some detail, than detailed but somewhat wonky.
 
With the caps off, straight from a smartphone, the vocals sound closer to the ear, and the more elevated bass kills some of the potential it has. The vocal detail is now also lost, and the bass takes away from the clarity as well. It’s almost as if the volume is too loud, but when you lower the volume it just sounds as if it’s not being driven well. Pianos of all recordings sound fuller now, albeit somewhat heavy on the lower end, and very slightly recessed for middle notes.
 
Caps off, now with the Tralucent DacAmp One, the first thing I notice is the pianos – there’s a lot more detail now, and the whole frequency is a lot more balanced. I would still prefer some more body, as its still on the brighter side, but it’s much less of an issue now than it was before. I don’t like vocals that much on this combination, too wonky and sounding like it’s like there’s something between me and the vocals, causing me not to hear them fully; details seem held back as well. Guitars still sound very good, slightly bright, but very detailed.
 
With the uDAC-2, vocals sound slightly on the brighter side, but very detailed, extremely clear, and overall similar to the closed-back presentation. They seem closer to the ear, but again, not enough to feel claustrophobic. They never get sibilant, but they do become fatiguing after a while with this combination. Otherwise, they’re top notch, and much better than this price range would suggest. Guitars sound fantastic, brimming with details, and as long as there isn’t a heavy bass to counter it, it’s perfect balance between detail and fullness. Obviously, it gets better, but not for a headphone and low end dac/amp like this. Pianos seem to be lacking in the finer details, but tonality is good, balanced, and full sounding – but never to the point of bloatedness. Using one of my regular piano test tracks (Verdegrand’s cover of Positive Force), the piano sounds exactly how it should, and besides for the lack of details, it’s a perfect match. All my other tracks show the same – full sounding, great tonality, and overall very enjoyable to listen to.
 
I’ll speak more later about this, but I do feel that given it’s brighter nature, the Edition S should be paired with either a dead neutral or slightly warmer amp – not bassier, but warmer. This should give it the body it needs for most instruments and vocals, and explains why it didn’t sound great with the DacAmp – a bright and lean amp to begin with.
 
Highs: Closed-back, drums sound thick, but snares snappy – making for a weird combination, one that I’m not totally against but do feeling puzzled about. Violins sound a bit fatiguing, but full – though more mechanical than they should be.
 
Open-back, from the smartphone, the highs sound little darker, but violins sound great, with good balance and tonality. The darker take makes violins sound much more listenable, without sacrificing detail or having roll-off. They don’t have any hint of brightness, and sound detailed enough that I would be able and happy to listen to violin concertos all day with the Edition S caps off. Drums also sound a little bit darker, though it can be easily seen as “meat-ier”. They don’t sound wonky at all now, with the snares being sharp and drums quick – as they should be.
 
Pop in the Tralucent DacAmp One, and violins are snappy, sound full and great tonally. They’re present, yet not prominent enough to overtake the stage, and are placed a nice amount of space away from the ear, so it can be appreciated without fatigue. The highs from Aurora (Insen)’s weird instruments still sound too close to the ear, and therefore overly prominent and rather unpleasant. Listening to Autumn 1 – Allegro, the violins sound great, but the bass is too elevated on this pairing to really enjoy it. Drums sound too smooth for my taste (rolled-off impact), but are great to relax too and aren’t bad. To be honest, I was expecting this pairing to be an all-out screech war in the highs, due to the bright tonality of both of these, but weirdly, it sounds somewhat bright in every area but… well, the highs.
 
With the uDAC-2, violins are quite prominent, yet sound flatter than they should on a few recordings. On other, well-recorded ones, they sound much better, though still a bit flat. Other high-frequency instruments also sound quite prominent, compounded with the fact they sound very close to your ear. Drums in particular linger too long, and sound fuller and less snappy than they should be. Still, the uDAC isn’t a great performer in the highs in general, so this was pretty much to be expected.
 
Detail: Closed-back, the Edition S has a very nice amount of detail – more limited by the source (smartphone; laptop) than anything. Hooked up to an external dac/amp (still closed-back), it more or less scales up with the source. As I assume most people who will be using this closed-back will do so without a dedicated dac/amp, detail is nothing to worry about – the better the Dac in the smartphone, the more detail the Edition S will have.
 
Open-back, without a dedicated dac/amp, detail suffers a bit, but doesn’t take as much of a hit as I expected. The real test is with a dedicated source – and there, the Edition S scales in detail with the source.
 
Soundstage & Imaging: This is what initially drew me to the Edition S, when I first heard the pre-release model. Even with much bustling and many people talking, I was able to hear that – closed back – the Edition S had a much larger soundstage than almost any other closed-back headphone I’ve heard – putting it near or in open-back territory.
 
Listening to it now, caps on (closed back), it doesn’t suffer one bit from being closed-back – the soundstage is, frankly, huge. However, I can’t help but feel it isn’t as well-rounded as I thought. Imaging in certain places seem somewhat off, and it’s a weird shape of a room, and its Grado-like sound doesn’t help. Still, fans of soundstage should try this out even closed-back; it has an amazing sense of space, and is definitely worth a listen.
 
Open-back, there’s actually a bit of a loss in soundstage, the room shrinking a bit. However, imaging is now spot on and it sounds more natural. Using a dedicated dac/amp further helps imaging and also improves the soundstage a bit, keeping it quite large and having a very good sense of space.
 
Tonality: This is where the Edition S doesn’t perform well. Closed-back, the mid-bass bump, along the peaks and valleys higher up in the frequencies, prevent it from sounding balanced, and become a take-it-or-leave-it type of sound. Using a good source mitigates this quite a bit, turning it into more of a unique sound than one that sounds weird.
 
Open-back, the bass is more balanced and the frequency on a whole sounds more natural. With a good source, it becomes a great headphone – albeit with an elevated bass.
 
Conclusion:
 
Honestly, this headphone needs a fairer treatment than a lot of people have been giving it. Is it an open-back? Is it a closed-back? We have to approach both in their respective categories, not comparing it closed-back to a pair of HD 650’s (yes, I’ve heard this exact comparison), and not judging it open-back without a dac/amp – where the detail and soundstage are bound to be limited.
 
Personally, sound-wise, the Edition S did a lot more than I expected it to. It’s the first headphone with this type of duality, and the fact it pulls this off alone is tremendous. The soundstage, amount of detail, and sheer vocals are top notch as well – and isn’t something that you can get by applying EQ. It’s a shame that there’s an elevated midbass – tame that, as well as some of the peaks, and you have a giant killer, plain and simple.
 
Build quality is great, though having a better-looking plastic headband –even brushing it would help- would greatly improve the Edition S’s looks. Making sure the standard person gets a good seal would drastically change people’s first impressions – many never gave it a chance because even a slightly leaky seal exaggerates peaks and dips much more than they actually are.
 
I do believe this has potential – the Edition S is great for a first shot, and provided you like the unique sound signature it provides, great overall – even better than much more expensive offerings in some areas. Most of these “issues” are easily fixed, and can radically change the perception of this headphone quickly. Obviously, some of this can be fixed by the users as well; if you’re planning on evaluating this as an open-back, you should do so with a dac/amp – just like every other open-back headphone out there. Common sense would go a long way here.
 
If you’re looking for a good open-back and closed back headphone, and don’t want to spend more money on two different cans, the Edition S should be high on your list – it’s significantly cheaper than buying two headphones with the Edition S’s performance in either category. If you’re a fan of the Grado sound, but also need something for work, or don’t want your sound to leak out into the world, this headphone is right up your alley. If you’re not averse to using EQ, you can turn this into a very lethal contender in the sub-$1k bracket – no matter your sound preference. And if I had to choose only one headphone to keep, with a dac/amp on hand, this would downright fit the bill.
 
It’s a shame that this headphone got so much stand off-ish behavior – all because people didn’t give it a chance. Change the headband, and balance the SQ (the same peaks and dips in both open and closed status), and this headphone will be the one to look out for.
 

Introduction:

There’s a certain thrill I get when I see the term “flagship”. The best a company has to offer, its very own premium, crème de la crème product. When it comes to sound quality, it’s the place we want to go to satisfy the perfectionist side of us all.

…But there’s also the feeling of “I can’t possibly afford this.” For some, that isn’t an issue – they have the finances to buy whatever they want. But what about the rest of us though?

Luckily, in recent years, there have been some outstanding products that joined the audio market, and those enabled us to get good (very good, IMO) sound for an affordable amount. You’re able to get a very decent open-back headphone home setup for under $200, fantastic portable amps for ~$100, and even DAPs have come a long way to show us that price isn’t always an indicator of sound quality – the Shozy Alien and Aune M2 are good examples of this.

But none of those are flagships. They are very good products, and well worth their price in my eyes, but they aren’t “the very best”. That’s a trade-off I think most of us have gotten used to though.

Then I saw the Pinnacle P1. I thought the price was a mistake – I mean, when do flagship models cost $200? Looking at some of the specs, impressions, and accessories, it all seemed to check out. I was a bit puzzled about that price tag though - So I asked MEE for a pair to review, to see what all the hype’s about. Is it another giant killer? I wanted to know. Here’s the rundown.


Packaging:

Unboxing the P1 was quite interesting - more so than other products I've reviewed. The front cover shows a great shot of the headphone, and the sides and back filled with useful information about the P1 itself, including impedance, sensitivity, length, included accessories, and more. So many times I’ve found specifications to be shoddy or hard to find; it’s good to see MEE Audio print it out neatly on the cover sleeve for it to be easily found.

After taking off the sleeve, you are met with a hard, black rectangular box. One thing that sticks out about this is that the split, or break, is not at the side of the box, but smack in the middle of it. My initial reaction was that it might be complicated to open up the box, but I was wrong – just flip both sides up, and you’re good to go. This sophisticated packaging impressed me: usually it’s the same old “open the box up”. This time it was a new take on the principle - call me superficial, but it's a nice box. Would be a shame if the product didn't measure up, eh?

After opening up the box, you are greeted by the P1’s in a foam cutout, a leather case, and two small boxes on the bottom; one for the cables, and the other for eartips. These are clearly labeled, and are arranged in a very neat fashion.

Underneath the foam cutout is a ¼ inch adapter, shirt clip, and manual.

Overall? A thrilling experience. I’m not one to get excited for packaging, but this is truly a flagship-status unboxing. Professional, unique, neat… honestly, I don’t think I could fault the presentation in any way. Well done.


Accessories:

Quite a few to speak of, actually. Starting with the leather case I mentioned earlier, it feels well made, premium, and one of the nicest looking cases I’ve seen, period. It flips open via a magnetic cover, and has a velvety interior. On the front is a polished metal piece with the serial number and “Pinnacle” name etched in. It’s a fantastic looking case, and has enough room to comfortably fit both the P1 and its cable. They also fit well in dress pants pockets – in other words, they’re “pocketable” as long as you aren’t wearing jeans. It isn’t a hard case though, so don’t go around stomping on it.

Moving on to the eartips - there’s a large assortment of them. They are arranged in its box by size, so there’s no concerns over mixing them up and the like. There’s small/medium/large pairs of regular silicone, two sets of bi-flange, one set of tri-flange, and three sets of Comply foam tips.

I’m surprised that MEE Audio got this one right – usually, I have to recommend a more diverse set of tips. Here though, they spared no effort to provide tips that are perfect for the consumer. Bi-flange? Check. Different sizes? Check. It’s rare enough to see one pair of Comply with headphones at this price, but three? That’s above and beyond what MEE had to do, and it’s well appreciated. I’m also always lamenting the lack of bi-flange and tri-flange tips, and these were provided as well. Well done – tips are quite important, and getting this right is essential to everyone having a good time with these earphones.

The ¼ inch adapter and shirt clip is quite welcome; these are standard in most headphones nowadays and seeing them here is a good sign.

The cables are the last sign of accessories, and the biggest surprise as well. Out of the box you get two cables, one black and the other silver. That isn’t the end of it, though – these cables are PREMIUM. The longer one is a 4-conductor copper cable with an in-line remote and mic, and the shorter one a silver plated pure copper audio cable. I found the in-line mic cable to be quite useful, despite the P1’s high impedance. Since the P1 still performs reasonably well with smartphones and other low-power options (more on that later), I feel the mic was a good addition.

On to premium – silver plated cables are considered quite prestigious, and run for quite a bit of money – many cost more than the P1 itself. Getting such a high-quality cable in (what audiophiles would call) a ‘mere’ $200 headphone is absolutely amazing. Companies rarely dare to include a silver-plated cable, because it will definitely raise costs.

Here though, once again, we see that MEE hasn’t spared any time or materials because of raised costs – and they managed to keep their flagship headphone at a very attractive price. Build quality and looks are fantastic, but I’ll hold myself back and save it for the next section. Suffice it to say that these look 100% boss, and I’ve rarely seen cables such as these that are such eye candy. Sound quality of both are excellent, with the silver-plated cable being a bit better, if placebo didn't get the better of me. I’m surprised to see that the first premium cable I’ve encountered wasn’t from an $800 or even $500 headphone; it was from the $200 package – the type that most entitled audiophiles would brush aside as ‘budget’ priced.

The accessories here should be a reference point for most companies. There aren’t any unneeded parts or pieces, and the choice of tips and cables make it easy to discard searching for aftermarket versions of either. While I didn’t see ear fins, hooks, or tuning rings, I personally think it doesn’t need any of them, as the comfort, stability, and sound quality are more than enough on their own.


Build Quality, Design, & Weight:

The housing of the P1 seems to be brushed zinc alloy. What does this mean? Well, from appearances alone, it looks almost as if it was polished and brushed; a non-reflective shade of metal that is appealing to the eyes. The "brushing" effect is equal throughout the entire housing, and there are no weak or unattended spots. In the middle of each housing, there is a clear "M" (or 'w' if you're looking at it upside down) for MEE audio. Normally I would say that the housing space would better go to L/R markings, but as the ergonomics of the P1 make it easy to tell which side is which, there is no need for that.

The housing shape is somewhat bean-shaped, not too unlike those of Westone, but with a few shape differences. The nozzle portrudes from the housing, but doesn't take much space, and looks completely natural with the tips on. The shells have a good heft to them, but aren't heavy - there's just enough weight to them to know they are solid materials.

The housing connects to the cable via standard MMCX, which means any cable of the type should fit without any issue. I don't see why you would want to though, short of breaking - the included cables, as mentioned before, are one of the best included ones I've seen, regardless of price. However, it is good to know that if both of them break (unlikely scenario), or you have a specific cable you'd like to use instead, that is a welcome option.

The connection itself is very durable - no wiggling at all. It isn't hard to remove the cable though - I was able to remove it with a bit of effort, and I've had trouble removing other manufacturer's cables. It was not, however, "easy" in the sense that it is flimsy. It is a solid connection, and I think they've made just the right amount of pressure able to remove the cable.

Both cables are thick, yet flexible. I don't have much patience for stiff cables, and I'm glad to say the P1 has none. It does not have memory wire near the connector, as it can be worn both wire up and wire down. Both are very comfortable as I'll mention later, but it's enough to say here that memory wire is not needed in wire up position when sitting or regular walking. When jogging or fast walking, I found the silver plated cable to be a bit difficult to keep behind my ear. But even the "thick" cables cause no issues with my glasses, nor the back of my ears - despite hours of wearing.

The L/R markings on the connector is a bit hard to see, and I don't pity those that like to switch between wire-down and wire-down; connecting it again correctly can be a chore. The wire is thinner above the Y-split, but is still twisted all the way down to the Y-split, and is braided quite nicely. The P1 has a nice weight to them, showing some heft but not enough to be “heavy”. I’ve had no issues with the P1 being too heavy or anything of that sort, so I’d say it’s a job well done in this regard.

Overall, the build quality is solid, and the brushed metal looks great as well. Unlike some other IEM's, the P1 looks its price, if not more so.


Comfort, Fit, & Isolation:

I’ll get straight to it; the comfort of this IEM is phenomenal. I’ve worn IEMs that are designed to be unobtrusive, and supposed to disappear when worn. The P1 has all that in spades – I usually wear it wire-down, and after 10 hours of continuous wearing, I never once needed to adjust it, to move it around, or anything of that sort to get a good fit. On top of that, after all that time, my ears didn’t even feel sore or tired – the most common symptoms even comfortable earphones cause.

Fit is the same – excellent; not shallow or deep, but easy enough to remove when necessary, unlike the Westone W40 which was a hassle to insert and remove. Even so, it stays in your ears despite vigorous shaking, head-tilting, or anything else which would indicate the fit is too loose. Isolation is also above average with a quiet background; with music playing, it isolates quite well.

Sound:

When I first listened to the P1, my first reaction was surprise - I was taken aback by how expansive and large the soundstage was. My primary complaint in IEM's are usually about how claustrophobic they feel, seriously limiting the enjoyment I can get compared to a roomy feel that an open-back can supply. The P1 remedies all that.

Many called the P1 "bright", but I haven't heard any of that. In a nutshell, the P1 isn't analytical, yet isn't sloppy like other IEM's which call their sound signature "fun" and "tuned for ___". The P1 has a very slightly warm feel, good detail, and a soundstage that is large enough to make you forget you're listening to an IEM. These aren't the end of the P1's strength’s, however.

Bass: The bass is rich and musical, and is quite enjoyable actually. Quantity-wise, it's only slightly above neutral - I don't like a bass boost, and the P1 doesn't give you that. However, what they do give is quality - there's a richness and fullness about it that is hard to explain, but easy to appreciate.

The levels between the lower, mid, and upper bass seem to be both consistent and natural - I haven't noticed any significant roll-off in the sub-bass, but I've said the same about the HE400S as well, so I may not be the greatest judge of that. What I can assure you though is that there is no mid-bass "bump" that too many other IEM's are famous for.

Despite its rich and 'full' feeling, it is quite clear, and doesn't bleed into the rest of the spectrum in any way. Texture is great, and detail is good as well. It isn't as quick as the bass in IEM's three times the asking price, but honestly, I only realized that after A/B comparisons, and it isn't evident from the P1 alone in any way.

Comparisons will come later, but with regards to this section, the Titan 5 is DUNU's shot at perfecting the bass department. While the Titan 5 has much more bass quantity, and is quite enjoyable as well, the P1 with its rich bass is much more preferable to me, despite it having less bass overall. This should show how you don't need an extremely elevated bass to enjoy it - even slightly above neutral, when done well, can give fantastic results.

Midrange: The mids sit in a nice spot. Female vocals are extremely clear with a good source… and I mean clear. It’s not the best IEM I’ve heard for vocals, since the insane amount of detail and clarity is just short of the full emotion and heart female vocals should ultimately have. They’re bloody good though, and whether I listen to Diana Krall, Celine Dion, Rebecca Pidgeon, or even Beyonce, I’m amazed by the amount of clarity the P1 can produce. Male vocals are quite nice as well, sounding natural and detailed too. Upper registers can sound fatiguing with music not recorded very well, so it’s best to feed it tracks mastered well.

Guitars sound great, detailed and accurate. Pianos too – except that with a brighter source, it leans towards the brighter side of things. Cellos sound smooth and detailed, and overall, instruments sound fantastic with the P1. In general, I found instrumental tracks to be excellent with the P1.

Highs: Honestly, I expected after burn-in that this would be bright. I'm just not hearing any of that though - the highs are present, there, but not any more so than the bass and mids. If anything, the highs are presented in such a way that it isn't the star of the show, but a coherent part of the spectrum. Listening to violin concertos, drum solos, and even Lindsey Sterling, the highs remained present. Detailed enough, airy enough, but not overflowing with either one, perhaps with the exception of some very satisfying drum tracks.

And that's the way it probably should be. Some people like bright signatures, sure. But to divide each part of the spectrum equally, without too much of a push towards a specific category, that allows you to appreciate the music in its entirety, without feeling fatigued or the need to take a break. Paired with even a bright source, the P1 remains very listenable.

Clarity: The P1 is great in this category. It isn't either warm or cold, but if I had to pick a side it's closer too, it leans towards the warmer, rich side of things. Despite this, it definitely doesn't lack in clarity, but it probably won't wow you on first glance either – with the exception of the mids with a more analytical source. Clarity takes a big leap forward with a good source.

Detail & Extension: Both are excellent in this IEM. These also take the biggest hit when listening to a source that doesn't drive these well - straight out of a lower-end smartphone these will sound good, but not fantastic when it comes to details. When listening through even a portable DAC/amp, it's raised to another level. Paired with the very detailed and semi-bright DacAmp One, the level of details were mind-boggling - directly contesting against even TOTL IEMs.

Soundstage: Tremendous. Absolutely tremendous. The roomy feeling you get from these is not like an IEM at all – until a few days ago, I would have said this scale was only possible in open-backs. Using the P1 to watch a movie is like upgrading to a full 7 channel surround speaker system – the sense of space you get makes the experience ten times more realistic.

And that’s from a smartphone, without the P1 even being driven properly. With a proper DAC/amp, the difference is then compounded. Music becomes a lot more enjoyable when you have a lot of “legroom,” so to speak, a lot like flying first class. One of the biggest complaints against IEMs is the lack of soundstage, or the claustrophobic feeling you get in comparison to an open-back. This resolves that complaint single handedly – I don’t know what they did here, but well done. Well done indeed.

These are in another league compared to most other IEM’s. ‘Nuff said.

Imaging: So if the soundstage is the crowning glory of the P1, what about the imaging? The imaging is spot on, provided that you have a good source and source files. I am easily able to tell where each instrument or voice is coming from, and in many cases it makes for a surreal experience.

Instrument Separation: I’m able to pick apart each part of the track, and focus on it quite easily. While it may not be as good as the DN-2000J in this regard, it’s certainly not lacking in any way, and for the vast majority of even audiophiles, the separation it provides should be more than enough.

Coherency & Flow: Despite having an excellent amount of detail, and fantastic soundstage, the P1 is quite the musical IEM. As such, the coherency is excellent, with every part of the frequency flowing together, and it’s actually extremely easy to get lost in the music. PraT is very good, and even as I’m writing this I’m having trouble – I keep on getting distracted by the P1 and how great the music sounds.

Immersion Factor: As I mentioned before, excellent, and quite a surprise for what is a resolving IEM. It’s easy to get lost in the music, yet at the same time I’m appreciating every part of the song. The soundstage makes everything sound that much better, and overall listening to music on the P1 is an immersive experience, provided that you have a good source.

Transparency: Despite having its own signature, I’ve found the P1 to take on many of the characteristics of its source. If you have a warm source, the P1 will sound quite warm. If you have an analytical source, the P1 will be loaded with details. It will also not mask a bright source, but it does make it a bit more tame.

Genre Recommendation: I’m sure the P1 is here to ruin my job – despite weeks of testing, I haven’t found anything the P1 isn’t good with. I’ve gone from hardcore EDM to Jazz, Electric Swing to Rock, anything with male vocals to anything with female vocals to solo piano, guitar to game soundtracks to anime soundtracks to violin to heavy rock to classical – and it handled every single one without a hitch.

Everything I tried with it, everything, sounded great with the P1. I literally went from Scorpions to Bach and it sounded great with both. The versatility the P1 with music is rarely present in any IEM. If I had to pick a best and a worst, I would say that Jazz sounded sublime on the Pinnacle, while heavy rock that had an absolute ton going on made the P1 slip a little. Other than that, it all sounds natural and accurate.

Source & Amplification: This is the only catch of the P1; it has an ohm load of 50 ohms, and without a DAC/amp it kind of shows. Most audiophiles already have a DAC/amp, which eliminates this issue, but for those with only a laptop, low-end phone, or a not-so-powerful DAP, those will limit the P1 in some way.

To be fair, smartphones almost always are a limiting factor, and the P1 actually sounded very good on mine (LG G3). However, it will only go up from there, and to really get the best from this IEM – and it’s worth it to do so in this case - a good source with a bit of power is needed. The difference is between sounding great and sounding phenomenal.

It would have been fantastic for the P1 to be efficient enough for all phones and sources, but there’s a positive side too – no hiss. Since most IEM users had to deal with hiss at one point or another, we’ve considered it inevitable. But with the P1, even my hiss-faulty LG G3 sounds dead quiet.

At 50 ohms, it’s at the threshold where it doesn’t sound horrible without an amp; on the contrary, I was quite happy how it sounded with my phone alone. But again, to really show what it’s capable of, feed it some juice.

When it’s not being driven properly, it retains a large amount of its soundstage, but loses some detail, clarity, and imaging, as well as some bass texture. Paired directly with the Aune M2, it sounded nice, but not spectacular. When I added the amp portion of the DacAmp One to the mix, even though it’s not a great one, I noticed an obvious improvement.

Pairings:




Comparisons:




Conclusion:

The P1 is an absolute steal – let me make that clear. I’m a very frugal spender, and the Pinnacle P1 is worth every penny. It competes against higher-end offerings without any effort, sounds closer to an open-back headphone than almost any other, and is polished not only in the sound department, but in every aspect I can think of – presentation, accessories, fit/comfort, genre versatility, cables, etc.

In an absolute sea of IEM’s, the P1 stands out as one of the best price/performance headphones I’ve seen. Is it a giant killer? That’s up to you to decide, but one thing is sure: the Pinnacle P1 is no joke.



- Avishai Zitron

Introduction:

Noble Audio is one of those companies that don’t mess around. The company, as well as the names of the members themselves, are famous in Head-fi circles – they’ve done amazing work not only creating products that sound good, but also bring something new to the table. Custom and Universal models? Check. 10 driver flagship IEM? Yep, and a whole host of other driver amounts too. You want the shell made out of exotic wood? How about honeycomb? Carbon glass? Pinecone design? Almost every cool design you can think of, Noble has up for sale.

From a consumer perspective, Noble has innovations in almost every area of the IEM market. Reviews are stellar, and the co-owner of the company, known affectionately as “the Wizard” Dr. Multon, is talked to and of around Head-fi often. His designs, along with his team’s help, support, and execution, raised Noble to a level quite a bit above what most would call a “normal” company.

So, why should you care? What am I giving you a history lesson for?

Some reviewers here feel that the reader should read the personal background of the company and another (usually longer) one of the reviewer himself.

I don’t.

As a consumer, I have no interest in Amazon’s history, nor Amazon’s reviewer. I want to know about the product, ‘cause that’s what I’m buying, right? So let’s cut out the fluff – here’s what you should keep in mind after reading about Noble:

• They’ve been around for a while, and are known to be good. The company’s confidence in their products (and your confidence in theirs) should be quite high now knowing this.
• Because of this, I’ll be reviewing this product with the assumption that the Savant should be, at the very least, really great. I can’t attribute mistakes to “beginner mistakes” or anything of that sort.
• The Savant is also advertised as “Perhaps the most subjectively balanced in-ear monitor Dr. John has designed,” so I’ll be rating it as such – you should too.
• Since they’ve done so much in the way of aesthetics, design, and build (all those materials on their portfolio I mentioned earlier, remember?), I’m expecting the Savant to have above-average build quality and looks.
• Lastly, and take this with a grain of salt, it’s important to know that, in my experience, large companies may not have as good price/value ratio as smaller, more subtly hidden companies. Also know that they usually have consistently better products, and make fewer flaws, but it does come at a price. Two examples that come to mind are Fiio and Sony – they make great products, but probably not at the absolute bargain low you could get from other companies. It's a trade-off.
• Because of this, I’ll keep the price/value ratio in mind – and make a note of it near the end of the review.

And now, with that in mind, let’s begin!


Packaging & Accessories:

The Savant comes in a pretty ordinary-looking brown box, with the Noble logo on it. When you open it though, the black box within looks a lot better. It’s also devoid of too many details, but at least it has a nice wavy design that contrasts a lot more nicely with the logo. On the back there’s a few specs, but nothing much other than that.

Open the black box, and you’re greeted by quite a few items. Firstly, and the largest item in the box (and the one that contains all the other), is the Pelican 1010 case. The case offers a nice amount of room for the Savant, and I can comfortable fit the IEM into the case without too much trouble – no worries about cutting the cable there. The case is also beautifully built, and has a sturdy clasp as well. It does seem fingerprint-prone, but as a headphone case, that shouldn’t factor in too much into value of the product. It functions very well at what it’s supposed to do, and is one of the better ones I’ve seen.

Opening the case, you’re greeted by all the other accessories. First of which, are the ear tips. Noble made a mighty effort to include tips that match everyone’s ears – there’s four different types of tips here, each one in a set of small, medium, and large. Two sets are regular silicone, which happen to be a bit stiffer than what I’m used to, one set is bi-flange, which is useful for those looking for a different/better type of seal, and one type is memory foam. While the memory foam tips aren’t from Comply, I wasn’t able to tell – they’re pretty well built.

One thing to note about the tips is that they don’t exactly come in a neat set or row like other IEM’s I’ve seen; these actually didn’t impress me on first sight since they came sort of scrunched up in little bags. No worries though; after taking them out, none of them seemed to be deformed in any way. Still, coming from Dunu and their neat set of tips, I was disappointed that they seemed a little more sloppily put together by the Savant.

The second thing I’d like to note is that the two sets of silicone are not the same sizes, even comparing small to small, medium to medium, etc. At least for me, the small ‘blue’ set of silicone was smaller than the red pair, and the same thing for the medium size; if you want to know what I mean, some of the pictures show the difference between the red and blue tips. I’m not sure if this was intentional, or just different sizes from different makers. Either way, you should be able to find at least a pair that fits your ears (more on that later).

The Savant also comes with:

- A cleaning tool/brush (very important for the way the Savant was designed, more on that later),
- Velvet carrying bag to keep in your pocket,
- Noble audio stickers (not exactly sure why they’re here, lol),
- Two Noble black bands for holding together a DAP/amp,
- A Noble ownership card (nicely made)

Overall, the set of accessories were quite nice – I could have used a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, but honestly, besides for that, I think they’ve given everything you need and left out pretty much everything you don’t. As for the packaging, it could be better at this price, and for the sake of first impressions I hope that it improves, but it gets the job done, and that’s what counts.


Build Quality, Weight, & Design:

Just keep in mind: I have the Wizard design as the review sample, so that is the version I will be talking about. It’s also the price range I’ll be judging by.

The Savant is solidly made – even though it’s made out of (ABS) plastic, and not metal, it remains well built, and should last a long time. It looks a tad large, but as an $800 IEM, all that magic sound has to go somewhere, you know? It’s cleverly shaped though – the nozzle projects out of the main body a bit, so it can sit in your ear comfortable. The nozzle has dual bores, which is a configuration that I haven’t seen before, but can appreciate. The dual bores make the cleaning tool very much in handy – although the tips should keep out all the earwax, in case some get into the nozzle, the cleaning tool should make it very easy to keep the nozzle clear.

The cable is a bit more interesting – attached in the beginning are ear hooks, as the Savant is clearly meant to go over the ear. It has a dual pin connection, and I actually found it a bit hard to pull out the connectors – I’d much rather that than the other way around though, at least I know it’s sturdy in the sockets. I don’t know what type of material the cable is made from, but it’s braided, looks very well made, and isn’t in any way stiff.

The cable jack is a straight gold-plated headphone jack, and strain relief is good there as well. I was hoping for an angled jack, since I’m always worried that straight jacks will bend in my pocket and break, but it’s not necessary. The Y-split isn’t as luxurious as I hoped it would be though – since it’s all one large braid, there’s only some shrunk plastic by the split. However, it does keep weight low, which in turn makes the cable incredibly light - something I’ll talk about now.

The weight of the Savant is one of its strongest points, in my opinion. Precisely because it uses a plastic shell, and a lightweight cable without any metal on it, the Savant is the lightest IEM I’ve ever held. The shells themselves are absurdly feather-light, and the cable doesn’t weigh it down either. This also helps in the sense that the Savant can be worn for hours without feeling the weight pull down on you – a constant struggle in the IEM market. Instead of finding a way to perfectly fit every part of the headphone into your ear, Noble instead found a way to make that unnecessary – and still keep stress off. It’s one of the things that I’m still surprised about now.

On the flip side of the coin, the design isn’t as great as I hoped it would be. The pictures convey a jewel-like object, and while it still looks good, it doesn’t look nearly as great as the pictures would have you think. It’s a hard thing to convey, since when I took pictures of it, it looked much better as well – I think the fact that it holds up better in any and all pictures I took of it is a feat of its own, but the fact remains that, even the Wizard edition, doesn’t look as good as I would have expected it to at this price range, and especially after the upgrade from the standard model. I won’t go into the specifics about price changes between the aesthetically different models, but suffice it to say that I’m not sure it should be that much of a price jump.

The second thing about the design I’d like to note is the look of the shell itself, without noting the design. While the plastic shell keeps the weight down, and does a whole lot for comfort, I can’t help but feel every time I look at it that it doesn’t feel its price. I had this problem slightly with the W40, but at $300 more, the Savant is the bigger issue. The plastic shell is underwhelming, and as the Wizard edition, I was hoping the look could be improved on.

So do I have a solution to this that I can suggest? Unfortunately, no, I don't. Making the shell metal, or any other better-looking material, would invariably raise the weight of the Savant, which wouldn’t be good for comfort and long-term listening. The only reason I bring this up is because Noble is known for their aesthetic design, and on that front, I’m a bit disappointed. I'll add a few suggestions in the conclusion that could possibly remedy this, but nothing definitive.

One could say that looks come at a price – I’m sure the Prestige models look a lot nicer. However, judging from a comparison point of view, I would have thought that the price of the Wizard Savant was enough to include impressive aesthetics as well.


Microphonics:

Unfortunately, even when worn over the ear (like it’s supposed to), the Savant produces some microphonics. Perhaps a shirt clip would reduce some of the rustling noise (hint: add one in the accessories), and I’m sure that swapping the cable out would help this bit. But while many head-fi’ers have replacement cables to spare, many don’t, especially after spending this much on an IEM. The microphonics aren’t too bad, but it’s noticeable (especially with zippered clothing). I’m sure this is due to the barebones braided design of the cable – if the cable had some sort of outer covering, I’m sure that this wouldn’t be (at least) as much of a problem.

Fit, Comfort, & Isolation:

The Savant is definitely comfortable – one of the most comfortable IEM’s I’ve owned. Unfortunately, when it came to fit, I had a bit of a rough time. Looking at other reviews, I seem to be the only one with this level of a problem, so you might want to check a second review about the fit and isolation before deciding anything for yourself.

I mentioned earlier that the Savant comes with 4 different types of tips. So, as usual, I tried the silicone ones. The first thing to keep in mind is that they are not soft – just to reverse the outer part of the tip (turning the round part inside-out, so to speak) took a darn long while – the stiffness of even the blue tips (which I believe are supposed to be softer) was stubborn enough that it wouldn’t allow me to do that at all.

Then I tried putting the tips on the IEM – there lay the first issue. While the biflange tips and red silicone ones didn’t take me very long to get up and running on the IEM, the blue silicone tips took me 20 minutes to put one – whether it was small, medium, or large. Just to show that it wasn’t clumsy hands that made it take that long, I was considering putting up a video of the process. However, I think that’s just a bit overkill, and I hope you can take my word for it that the blue-colored tips don’t seem to be very much compatible with the Savant. This isn’t only a problem with the blue silicone type though – the foam tips took me nearly as long to put on as well.

The only solution I can think of is that the nozzle sizes are not the same between the Savant and some of the tips. Adding in the fact that the silicone tips are quite stiff, and stretching the nozzle sizes to fit the Savant becomes a huge chore.

When I did get them on though, I realized after a few minutes that they kept on popping out of my ear – the seal seemed too shallow for the medium-sized tips, and too large for the large-sized ones, making it too hard to get a good seal for my ear. If the silicone tips were softer, I would have probably been able to get more or less a good mold in my ears, but as the tips are stiff, it would have to be a perfect size for the tips to stay in and not pop out at the first opportunity.

Surprisingly, I found that the large biflange tips, while still a hit-or-miss in terms of seal, did have consistently good results when having a good fit. I was considering using those for most of the sound section, but as the biflange lets the nozzle be closer to the ear than the other tips, I was afraid the soundstage and imaging would be affected, as well as the “forward-ness” of vocals, etc.

So I ordered two pairs of Jaben Spinfit tips, and one pair of JVC Spiral Dot tips. It took quite a bit of time to arrive, but once they did, I found much better results with them than with the stock tips. I stopped having issues with fit, and it showcased the comfort of the Savant as well. One thing I did find slightly better with the large bi-flange I was using was the seal – those tips, when inserted correctly, gave me one of the best seals and isolation that I’ve had in a long time – it even surpassed the W40 in terms of isolation, and that’s no easy feat.

Get a good seal, and the isolation is one of the best I’ve heard on the market, period. It’s easy to walk around in Manhattan (I’ve tried it) with these headphones, and not hear really anything at all; it’s perfect for commute, and loud places as well – something every portable IEM should strive for.

So overall? I got unlucky that most of the tips didn’t provide a good seal, but from what I’ve heard from others, I’m more the exception than the rule. When they do fit, though, the lightweight component of the Savant makes it easy to keep these in your ears for hours on end, and the isolation is top-notch. People with glasses may find different results with the Savant; while I myself didn’t have too much of an issue with the over-ear hooks, I know some do, so having a spare cable on hand or trying out the Savant first are probably the best ways to go about it. I just wish some of the tips weren’t so incompatible with the Savant; that alone gave me quite a bit of frustration.

Sound:

So this is the main part, huh? Well, for testing, I used all three of my DAP’s – the Cowon J3, Shozy Alien, and Aune M2. In addition, I tested the Savant with the Tralucent DacAmp One, Cozoy Aegis, and the m9XX, for the DAC/amp category. My views of each of the categories come from an overall assessment of how the Savant does for most part, as there are sure to be exceptions (you’ll see more of that later).

Overall, I would say the Savant has a very non-aggressive tuning – it seems pretty tame with top-end sources, and for those who really want to see how far on a limb the IEM can take the music, the Savant may not be the best option. For those who want something to listen and relax to, the Savant isn’t going to come with any unwanted surprises. I tried it with a few rock albums (The Joy of Motion being one of them), and while it didn’t fare too badly, I feel like it should have been showcased a little more freely. The Savant sure is balanced though – a nice departure from all those V-shaped IEM tunings we (at least I) had more than enough of.


Bass: The roll-off isn’t as bad as people make it to sound – while it does seem to have a roll-off by the deeper ends of the sub-bass, it’s still there, and audible. It’s not like many other roll-offs I’ve heard that the bass becomes virtually gone in certain areas. Other than that, the bass seems a little bit lower than neutral on certain tracks, but only slightly, and on others it’s downright neutral. As this is a balanced tuning, don’t expect much rumble, although the Savant does give a bit to you.

As for texture, it isn’t as textured and detailed as I hoped it would be, considering the amount of detail it has in the rest of spectrum; it seems to have a little less resolution than everything else, and is slightly thick in certain cases. Bass punch and slam is great, and is very enjoyable even if the texture and quantity isn’t so much. Overall, you get a “smooth” type of bass, not an aggressive (clarity-wise) one.

Midrange: Female vocals are great here; very clear, textured, a bit forward, but not in-your-face. It’s sort of like the Titan 3’s midrange, since its vocals are fantastic as well. Either way, the female vocals on the Savant is nothing short of fantastic. Male vocals have the same great traits, as far as I can tell.

Instruments are a little bit of a different story. I’ve gotten different results with the three different types of ear tips that I’m using, but they are similar in one aspect – the instruments don’t sound accurate. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not expecting them to sound as if I’m there, but I would at least expect a piano sound like a piano and a guitar sound like a guitar. Unfortunately, at least to me, they sound “off” and not accurate. I found this the fastest with the bi-flange tips, but then realized the same (on a bit more subtle level) with the Jaben and Spiral Dot tips as well.

This, to me, is somewhat of a deal breaker. It reminds me a bit of my previously-owned SA7, which had similar results with accuracy. It gets somewhat better with top-notch source files and a really good DAC/amp, but it’s still noticeable. As someone who listens often to instrumental music, it is a bit disappointing at this price point to find that guitars, violin, and piano don’t sound as they really should. It sounds good, IMO, but not exactly like the instrument they’re representing. I found this result across a couple of players and DAC/amps that I’ve used, so unfortunately that leaves the Savant to be singled out.

Highs: The highs are pretty decent; it goes for a smooth upper register, which takes off any notion of the Savant being “bright” – on the flip side of the coin, there isn’t much ‘airiness’ or sparkle, which for an IEM is pretty much a safe expectation. This reduces fatigue by a whole league, and makes the Savant listenable for hours on end. Despite this, the Savant does a pretty good job in the highs – not exactly what I was expecting, but it doesn’t disappoint either. Drums are accurate, and violins, while slightly ‘flat’ to my ears, sound good nonetheless.

Clarity: This is where the Savant pulls through very well – the clarity of this headphone is a league above everything I’ve heard in the lower price range.

Detail: The detail this IEM presents is also a very strong point, carried through by the amazing clarity it provides. Together, they make for a very good match and a great listening experience.

Soundstage: The Savant's soundstage is not all there in spades, but for an IEM, I didn’t expect it to be. It’s very slightly below average for its price range, but never feels too congested. Just don’t come in expecting an AKG K702 soundstage, okay?

Accuracy: This, along with a few gripes about the bass, is to me what really lets down this headphone. I’m not sure why it doesn’t sound accurate, or whether it has anything to do with the smooth presentation it provides, but it just doesn’t accurately represent various instruments. Cellos and drums seem to be the major instruments it works best with, although even there I feel the cello sometimes gets let down due to the bass. YMMV, of course, but these are my findings. The sound is quite tip-dependent though, so perhaps with different tips there’ll be a more accuracy.

Coherency & Flow: Due to the smooth presentation, the sound on a whole flows quite well, and is very easy to listen to.

Genre Recommendation: This is a tough one. The Savant’s sound, to me, is most suited to classical music, although there it’s pretty easy to run into the issue of accuracy. I found accuracy to be more of an issue with individual instruments more than with an orchestra, so it definitely is enjoyable with classical music. Surprisingly, the Savant works very well with electronic music – of pretty much everything besides for the EDM (dance music, and/or the usual ones put out by Spinning Records) kind. I feel it could be better in the bass area for that genre, but it doesn’t disappoint. Rock/Metal are two genres I wouldn’t recommend the Savant for, but for any vocal lover, the Savant is a really great choice.

Scalability: The Savant scales exceptionally well with sources – it’s easy to see the improvement between sources of higher caliber and “budget equipment”. Listening to the Savant with the Aune M2, it’s incredibly clearer than with, say, the Shozy Alien, even though it pairs well with both. I can imagine that it only gets better the higher end the equipment goes.

Pairings:

Savant/Shozy Alien: the Alien has this magical quality to its sound that many people like – it’s more of an entrancing experience rather than a technical one. While some headphones are picky with the Alien, I’ve found the Savant pairs really well with the it, and keeps that magical quality that so many like. While it’s still not the best pairing for rock/metal/anything aggressive, it works well with a variety of genres, particularly psychedelic and electronic music. It’s a very enjoyable pairing overall, and is a really great way to maximize the Alien.

Savant/Aune M2: This, too, is a fantastic pairing, although in a very different way. When paired with the M2, the sound is exceptionally clear, spacious, and involving. While the Alien pairing seemed to provide an enjoyable experience, the M2 pairing is well defined, analytical, and offers a whole lot of detail that helps get you engrossed in the music. I found myself actually focusing on the music itself a lot with the M2/Savant, and that’s not something that usually happens to me. Still doesn’t fix the “problems” the Savant has, but does ramp up the level of detail and coherency it provides.

Savant/Cowon J3: This is where I see the J3 struggling; it’s clearly not suited for the Savant, simply due to the fact that the Savant is limited in potential by the J3’s sound cap. The J3 is just not good enough for the Savant, especially after coming from other, better sources.

Savant/m9XX DAC/amp: This pairing isn’t as amazing as I would like it to be; the m9XX is a tad tame as it is, and I feel that the perhaps overly “safe” sound of the Savant could use something more aggressive as its source. It’s good for showcasing the Savant’s abilities, and while it doesn’t fix any problems, it doesn’t overstate them by much either.

Savant/Tralucent DacAmp One: The DacAmp One has a pretty aggressive and detailed take when it comes to sound – the Sabre DAC inside of it is part of the underlying cause. Paired with a smooth IEM like the Savant, it provides a perfect tuning for most genres. Unfortunately, the DacAmp One doesn’t have a massive soundstage to begin with, and it provides an intimate (perhaps too much so) presentation rather than an expansive one. I also felt that the Savant seemed a bit thin at times, as if the volume was too low (even though it definitely wasn’t).

Savant/Cozoy Aegis: The funny thing is, I didn’t expect this pairing to have much impact at all… yet it is the best pairing out of everything I’ve tried. Instruments sound somewhat normal now, refined, and very clear. I haven’t found any serious flaws in the performance of these two together at all, and while the soundstage isn’t massive, the tuning is very enjoyable. It doesn’t have the clarity or detail that the M2 pairing has, so no, I wouldn’t say it has $600 worth of sound (I would go for about two hundred and fifty), but the bass is normally textured, and I actually enjoy listening to rock albums on these. It’s like it got transformed into another headphone. One that perhaps is worth less, but at least is a good all-rounder. To me, I prefer that more.

Here’s the catch, though, and it has nothing to do with the Savant. The Aegis has an absurd amount of volume – I haven’t been able to listen to it with any of my IEM’s (which it’s meant for) in Windows on more than 6/100 volume, and even that’s pushing it. Since the Savant is quite sensitive, I actually have to set the volume down to 0/100 (yes, you heard me, 0/100. It still produces volume, I have no idea why) to get a very comfortable level of volume for the Savant. There’s also often static, and an audible amount of hiss. If you don’t mind these though, then the Savant/Aegis pairing is a very good one.

Conclusion:

The Savant is an interesting headphone. On one hand, it has the clarity and detail that this price would suggest from the Savant. However, there are a few quirks in the tuning, such as accuracy of instruments and the bass. Like I said before, I would much rather a good all-rounder than one that has brilliant pros but also pitfall cons. There’s also the issue of genre – if the accuracy isn’t spot on, then classical and instrumental music is out of the picture. If the bass isn’t top-notch, then most bass-oriented genres are out of the picture as well. The only genre I know that is unaffected is vocal-oriented music, which admittedly makes up a large percentage of the market today. Still, I was expecting the Savant to specialize in more than one genre.

When it comes to physical features, it’s the same story. Extremely lightweight, and with a fantastic cable (putting aside the few complaints I had about that). However, the Wizard design is fingerprint prone, and isn’t as impressive to me as the $200 premium extra would suggest, and while premiums are paid for premium products, the plastic shell design doesn’t exactly color me impressed. Same goes for comfort and isolation – those are great, but in return there are a moderate amount of microphonics, and fit hasn’t been the easiest for me either. Great selection of tips, but all 6 silicone pairs are stiff, and half the tips are downright annoying to attach to the nozzle. And on, and on.

What I’m feeling here is a good product – held back by some issues. Aside from the tuning, all other problems I’ve been facing could be improved on, quite easily. Tips are obviously the easiest to fix. The plastic shell could not have that glossy layer that perhaps gives it the underwhelming look. The wizard design could have an extra layer of gloss and more sparkle that does make it more gem-like in appearance. Give the cable an outer sheath – it’ll reduce microphonics that way.

At $800 (or $600 for the base model, either way), The Savant is at a very hard price to justify. The design and sound both left me feeling underwhelmed, but it does do its job well as an isolating headphone with a smooth sound. If you’re willing to dish out a premium for great comfort and isolation, and a balanced sound, then the Savant just might be for you. If you’re looking for your dream headphone, or one that’s a league ahead of lower-priced equipment, you might want to try the Savant out in person first.

- Avishai Zitron

 
Packaging:
 
The HM2's packaging is standard for Brainwavz - which is to say, very good. It comes in a stylish box, which has information and specifications on the side and back of the box. It also includes a summary on the other side, giving insight as to the mission Brainwavz set out for this headphone. Inside you have a first look at the case, which sports the headphone and its accessories.
 
 
Accessories:
 
The HM2’s accessories are actually one of its strong points. Ever since their S0 model, I understood how much effort Brainwavz puts not only into the product but also into the “side things” like cables and tips.
 
Although the HM2 doesn’t need any ear tips as an over-ear headphone, it does come with 2 cables, a regular one with an inline mic (that has a volume lever and talk/end button), and a flat, tangle free cable. This is something I really admire – and extra cable really doesn’t cost that much extra, and very much enhances the overall package. The inline cable mic is much appreciated as well – many headphones I have I can’t use in certain scenarios where a mic is a must. The second accessory is a small warranty card (with a 1 year warranty), in case something happens to the HM2. I am a bit disappointed with the warranty though; 1 year is definitely not short, but I was kind of hoping for more, to boost customer’s confidence in the build quality, among other things. Other than that, I’m happy.
 
That’s not the half of it though. Ever since the S0, I’ve become a really big fan of their mesh exterior, zipper operated cases. Many times I’ve used the S0’s case as a perfect example of a perfectly solid, easy to use case that works better (in my opinion) than most clasp-operated ones. I actually use the S0’s case almost wherever I go, regardless of the IEM I’m using.
 
…Then I saw the HM2 case. Boy, was I in for a surprise. It’s the exact same type of case as the S0’s – on a much larger scale. I thought there was no possible way that Brainwavz would actually implement the S0 case for an over-ear headphone – the cost would be ridiculous, given the sturdiness and overall quality of the case. Yet, here it is. An extremely solid, zipper case that gets points for being stylish too. If every headphone company started making cases like Brainwavz, I would definitely be a case collector by now. Overall, a big, enthusiastic thumbs up from me in this department.
 
 
Build Quality & Design:
 
Right away, it’s easy to see that the HM2 is a stylish headphone, not something I would be embarrassed to walk around in public. This gets easily overlooked in a place such as Head-fi, where style and looks get scoffed at, or at the least considered unimportant. However, and a “regular” headphone under $100, I’d say such things are pretty important to the typical user, so yes, it does get points for that in my book.
 
The outside of the HM2 is colored black, and made of some sort of plastic, although it has a rubber-like feel (i.e., unscratchable). The headphone expands via metal extenders, which are of very nice quality, I’m happy to see, and there’s a nicely typed Brainwavz logo on the top of the headband. Moving on to the inner side of the headphone, there are clear L/R markings against the light grey background. The headphone cups are unique in the sense that they move around semi-independent of the headphone itself – which is great, except that I’m afraid for the longevity of the hinges of the ear cups. As they’re holding fine up till now, I’m okay with them, but I’m afraid to see what would happen if I put a decent amount of pressure between the cups and the headphone itself. They are by no means flimsy though, so it could be I’m overly paranoid about that.
 
One thing basically all the reviewers mentioned was the lack of headband padding. I would like to say this isn’t as bad as it seems, since the HM2’s weight is wonderfully distributed onto the ear pads, and there is virtually no pressure from the top of the headband – due to its incredibly light weight. This does cause another problem in terms of sizing though, which I’ll mention later on.
 
The ear pads are simply fantastic – they are super comfortable, soft yet sturdy, and don’t produce earache even for long periods of listening (at least for me). As a portable headphone, the walls of the ear pads will probably touch your ears, although they’re still quite comfortable and cozy. The build quality of the pads are excellent, and seem like they will stay intact for longer than other pads I’ve had. The ear pads are removable and replaceable too, so in the unlikely event that you have to replace them, it’s hassle-free.
 
There’s a small hole on the left ear cup for the detachable cable. This might not seem like a lot, but I have seen quite a few headphones in this price range without detachable cables. The fact that the cable can be separated makes it much easier to replace the cable if you want, and it’s much easier to troubleshoot the headphone if something breaks – usually, it’s the cable.
 
So all in all, design is fabulous, barring the lack of headband padding and possibly the rotating earcup design, and most of the HM2’s build quality are superb as well.
 
 
Fit & Comfort:
 
The fit of the HM2 is pretty good, with the pads enveloping my ears completely. Like I said before though, my ears do touch the sides of the pads, like most portable headphones do. Even so, the quality of the pads ensure that I can wear the HM2 for large amounts of time comfortably.
 
The only potential problem I see is for people with smaller than average heads, in which case the HM2 could be too big altogether. My head is about average, and the HM2 fits just right without any extension. So I could only imagine that for smaller heads, even the default size could be too big. Some padding would actually fix this problem, lessening the space between the user’s head and the headband, thus giving a good fit even to smaller heads. I hope (preferably thick) padding can be implemented, so that Brainwavz can solve two birds with one stone here.
 
Besides for that, fit and comfort are spot on – thanks to the great quality ear pads.
 
Sound:
 
At approximately $50, the HM2 is in a tough spot when it comes to sound quality. On one hand, it’s not as cheap as some $20 headphone, so it can’t get away with cheap sound. It’s also not in the same price range as the Audio Technica ATH-M40 though, so it would be tough for it to go with a clearer, analytical sound.
 
To me, the HM2 is closer to the lower end in regards to its sound profile, I’m afraid. Most consumers looking to buy this will probably prefer the type of sound it provides though, namely a warm, full-bodied sound with a prominent bass.
 
This type of sound signature probably won’t satisfy the audiophiles out there, but it should be fine for most regular people looking for a $50 headphone.
 
Highs are tame, but not lacking. The product of this is a smooth, relatively clear high end that can be listened to for hours with very little sibilance or fatigue from brightness.
 
Vocals (male and female) are smooth too, but might be considered a bit ‘muddy’ even for this price range. However, they are full-bodied, which is better than a LOT of headphones I’ve tried. To put it simply, they disappoint in very little, and are fun to listen to. They don’t sound ‘thin’ or anything of that sort. They also get a nice helping hand from the bass, which is welcome and a nice mix.
 
Bass is strong here, and more geared to a typical consumer’s tastes. It’s great for popular music, but not so much for mastered recordings. It doesn’t bleed into the mids though, and rarely takes over the whole spectrum. Still, it lacks texture and quality to me, and I feel that the cheaper Monoprice 8323 does it just as well, if not better.
 
So overall, the sound profile of the HM2 seems to have been done from a consumer-oriented perspective, which is understandable considering the price range. However, I would have liked the HM2 to try to match the sound type of the category above it, rather than the one below it.
 
Conclusion:
 
The HM2 is a solid headphone (literally), and has a great sense of style as well. The headphone case is absolutely fantastic, and it conveniently comes with two cables. The sound signature isn’t its strongest point in my opinion, but it does deliver a decent tonality. While the HM2 can be worn comfortably without headband padding, I would like to see that added in the future, if possible. I’m sure Brainwavz will do everything they can to improve on what they know for their next model, so I hope this great headphone can be revamped to something even better. As it stands, if you have a decent sized head and are looking for a smooth, consumer oriented sound, this headphone is straight up your alley.

Introduction:
 
Most of you reading this review know of DUNU’s products already, so I’ll keep this short. DUNU has been making IEM’s (in ear monitors – basically in ear headphones) for a while, and their products have been absolutely fantastic every time. While the word “fantastic” and “great” have been overused in many reviews (even when the product is just alright), DUNU separates itself from the rest of the crowd with the sound quality and ease of use of the headphones they provide.
 
The last two of DUNU’s headphones I reviewed, the Titan 1 and current flagship DN-2000J, absolutely smashed it out of the park. The DN-2000J, for one, was technically capable of a lot more than the price suggested, and coming in to the review, I really wasn’t expecting that level of sound quality. Coupled with great fit/comfort, good isolation, and nice build quality, the DN-2000J was more than a winner for me.
 
The Titan 1 had a much lower price tag, but still surprised me with its usability and its smooth, open sound. Due to the Titan 1’s half-open design, soundstage was much larger than other IEM’s, at the expense of some isolation. However, this proved to me that DUNU was willing to be creative, and try something new. Even in relatively unexplored territory, they still managed to do really well.
 
The Titan 1 received a lot of great feedback from reviewers, and its unique shape was a success when it came to fit and comfort. Keeping that in mind, the Titan 3 and Titan 5 are the same exact shape, resting on the central part of your ear instead of inside your ear canal. The Titan 3 and Titan 5 also aimed to improve isolation, which unavoidably wasn’t so great on the Titan 1. The last physical change was the inclusion of removable cables on the Titan 3 and 5, which is new to Dunu IEM’s – while the build quality of their previous headphones were excellent, some people were worried that the cable might break, so Dunu responded by making them removable as well.
 
One thing is for certain – Dunu pays a lot of attention at the criticism they receive, and uses it to make the next product better. Although many companies do this to varying degrees, I haven’t seen too many of them really go the extra mile to please their customers – Dunu’s inclusion of removable cables was something I didn’t think I would see (because of the enormous amount of work involved), and the improvement in isolation was great to see too. It’s obvious Dunu is willing to do whatever they can to make it work – and even go out of their comfort zone to get things done.
 
Packaging:
 
The Titan 3’s comes in the same type of box as the T1 and T5. The box itself is of a stealthy black color, which also feels well made. It opens with a magnetic flap, and has more information in both English and Chinese about the Titan 3’s specific attributes. Unlike other headphone boxes, Dunu’s are entirely reusable, and are an efficient way to store your headphones if you wish. On the back, like the Titan 1’s box, it says a few things about the Titan 3’s, as well as the accessories it comes with. Opening up the second flap, we see the Titan 3, some of the ear tips, and the carrying case.
 
Dunu hasn’t changed the packaging much, if any at all. However, in my opinion, they don’t need to. The reusable box, build quality, and large amount of information about the Titan 3 on the inside of the first flap, make it a winner for me every time. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? 
 
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Accessories:
 
The accessories that come with the Titan 3 are slightly different than those of the Titan 1. Here’s the breakdown:
 
Let’s start with the tips. Like the Titan 1, there’s 3 pairs of translucent gray tips (small, medium, and large), and 3 pairs of Sony Hybrid-like tips. Unlike the Titan 1 though, the T3 does not come with tips with a larger nozzle size. Personally, I prefer the regular nozzle size, so to me, this isn’t much of a loss.
 
I noted by the Titan 1 that despite the wide arrangements of tips, I would have like either some bi/tri-flanged tips, or a pair of Comply foam ear tips. The only differences I noticed between the two sets was their aesthetics and cap firmness.
 
Again, though, for future products, I would love to see bi-flange and tri-flange tips, or foam tips, instead of only silicone eartips. Although some customers have their preferred tips on hand, many don’t, and providing a wider variety of tips would go a long way. Many companies have also started including foam and bi-flanged tips, so soon it may very well become the standard.
 
One new accessory I’m very happy about is the set of ear stabilizers – they will come in handy for those who feel that IEM’s always fall out of their ears. Great that they’re there, and definitely a step in the right direction. There’s also the standard shirt clip and 6.35mm headphone jack converter, which was uncluded with the T1 as well.
 
The case is the same as the one that comes with the Titan 1 – it’s made of plastic, and small enough to be pocket able. It’s a clasp-operated case, but I usually end up leaning towards zipper cases. Zipper cases seem to last a lot longer in my experiences, and clasp-operated cases have a tendency to pop open, which makes it easy to lose what’s inside if you’re not careful – especially on the bus or train, where movement isn’t as stable.. While DUNU got the size and form factor right, and I applaud them for that, like I said last time, I’d recommend to make it even better in the future by providing a zipper case instead.
 
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Build Quality & Design:
 
The Titan 3’s housing is constructed from metal, although it seems a little different than metal housing of the Titan 1. They are both very well made, though the Titan 3 is more polished than the Titan 1. One thing I noticed is that the Titan 3 is longer than the T1, probably due to the removable cable. The T3 still stays quite light, although it is heavier than the T1. When worn, the extra weight isn’t noticeable - the only time you would realize the difference is when carrying the T3.
 
Another difference between the two is the amount of vents on the inside of the housing. The T1, as you know, has a half-open design, which results in a larger soundstage, among other things. The secret to this was the large number of vents not only on the nozzle, but on the housing as well. The T3 only has one vent on the inner-side of the shell – resulting in a conventional design, increasing soundstage, and decreasing sound leakage by a large amount.
 
The T3 has a “3” on the back of the shell – which is the only distinction between the Titan 3 and Titan 5. While the implementation of the number is good, I sort of wish that the number font was a bit less cheesy; the font is similar to those used by Nascar, and I do think that a straight font, un-italicized, would look much better. Again, it’s a preference sort of thing, and I have a feeling most people won’t be too worried about this, so such a small thing shouldn’t be such a big deal.
 
Moving on to the connectors, it’s much sturdier than I thought it would be. I spent a nice amount of time with the Westone W40, which costs about four times the price of the T3, and I was always worried about the connector breaking from being loose. With the T3, it doesn’t budge – something I’m extremely happy about. There is also a nice amount of strain relief, which is something that may not be necessary but is well appreciated. For their first time with removable cables, it seems DUNU did a great job on the build quality of this one.
 
The T3 sports a MMCX connector, although I’m pretty sure they achieved the connector strength by using a slightly longer connector length. Although I haven’t tried any other cables with it, it might be a pain to find an after-market cable that fits the Titan, due to the non-universal connector on the T3.
 
The cable itself is well-made – not springy, but it doesn’t feel cheap either. It feels a little bit stronger than the T1 cable, but the differences are slight and it’s tough to tell which one is actually better. Later on, I’ll briefly discuss the microphonics, and the lack of a woven cable greatly contributes towards the success the T3 has in that category.
 
They Y-split is made of metal, and is jet black, unlike the T1’s sliver Y-split. It also appears to be even better made than the one on the T1 – and the T1 already was great in that aspect. There’s a nice stress relief leading up to the split, and overall it seems well done – it really adds to both the design aesthetics and build quality. The T3 has a right-angled 3.5mm jack just like the T1 – the jack is extremely well made, like its predecessor’s, and there is, again, a really good amount of stress relief. The only difference between the jacks on the two models is the color – the T3 sports a more classy black, while the T1’s jack is silver.
 
So all in all, the T3 definitely improves on the T1 when it comes to design, and the removable cable is a lovely addition too. I just wish Dunu could have made the connector as a standard MMCX model, so most after-market cables would fit. As it stands though, the connector is extremely solid, much more so than those of other headphones I’ve tried. The design of the T3 is also much classier, with the slight exception of the number font on the back of the shell. The T3 also leaves out the red/blue color-coded bands I liked so much with the T1. Why they left them out, I’m not sure – it gave the T1 a different look that always felt unique. Without them, the earpieces look a little… generic to me. Other than that small caveat, though, it looks really great. Dunu really did a great job here.
 
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Fit & Comfort:
 
Here in the U.S.A, we have a saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Dunu clearly went this route – the comfort and fit of the T3 is as great as the T1, which, if you haven’t tried the predecessor, is very, very good. The fit of the Titan series is relaxed, and unobtrusive – only the tip sits in your ear canal, while the rest sits on the outer ear. The fit is shallower than other IEM’s I’ve tried, and even shallower than the T5 (for some reason), which makes long-term listening easy for me, but does have only average isolation as the cost.
 
The ear stabilizers provide better fit for those who feel the fit of the T3 is too shallow (like me). For those who were wondering, the T3 works well both regularly worn, and over the ear; the stabilizers work both ways. You do have to switch earpieces to achieve the over-the-ear fit though, and some (like me) are a stickler for L/R sounds coming the way they are supposed to. However, it’s a nice option, and it does stay comfortable for me both ways.
 
The comfort is also as great as the T1’s. Because of the shallow fit, my ears have a little more “breathing room”, without sound leaking out. The T3 doesn’t have any foam or bi-flange tips, and I hope they can be included in future models. The default tips are quite comfortable though, and I’m happy with them.
 
Microphonics:
 
Another step up from the T1 is the microphonics – I hear very little noise when tapping below the Y-split, and even above the Y-split there isn’t much noise – ranking the T3 as one of the better IEM’s I’ve tried for negligible microphonics. One of my chief complaints of the T1 was the above-average microphonics – the T3 went and improved that a bit. I do think that with different tips, the T3 will have even less noise, but with the default shallow fit, there seems to still be some microphonics – not much though.
 
Sound:
 
So, the sound. The T3 and T5 mainly differ in this respect; the T3 is a mids-oriented IEM, which excels with vocals – any vocal-based music will greatly benefit from the T5. T5 went for a more bass-beefy signature.
 
Before I go any further, I’d like to point out that I’ve listen to both of these amazing IEM’s for about 3 weeks now – for those complaining about reviewers spending too little time with samples before they write on them. I’d like to say that my opinion on the T3’s sound has, in fact, stayed the same over the course of these few weeks, so I’m not sure what “brain burn-in” I was supposed to have. Regardless, I thought I should put it out there.
 
Bass is very close to neutral on the T3, with perhaps a slight roll-off in the very low end. Bassheads will probably find it a bit too neutral, so it’s important coming into this review that the T3 was meant for the vocal lover, with neutrality in mind. The bass is geared to those
Who don’t like the bass to be left out, but want a nice, clean, and unemphasized lower end. The roll-off is nowhere near what I experienced on the Brainwavz S3, and bass is there when called for.
 
Mids are the best part of the T3, and what is was made for, at least in my opinion. Vocals are absolutely SUBLIME on the T3; I haven’t heard better male or female vocals in a long, long time. Clarity of the vocals are as good as it gets, and they are very detailed as well – much more so than I’d expect from a ~$130 IEM. Just for a comparison, I haven’t heard IEM’s four times the price do this good of a job. If your music is mostly comprised of vocal music, the Titan 3 is as good as it gets for IEM’s all the way up to the high end. For those sensitive to sibilance though, I do have to say that the vocals are leaning to the brighter side, although with everything else the T3 brings to the vocals, it’s a “sacrifice” I’m very, very much willing to make.
 
Highs are leaning towards semi-bright to me, and that’s to be expected with such a powerful and clear midrange – nobody wants to take the risk that some vocals will end up tame, and I’m pretty sure this is what DUNU was thinking too. Either way, highs on the T3, besides for the slight sensitivity, are fantastic. Lindsey Stirling’s songs are clear, and the violins are nicely emphasized. They don’t sound compressed in any way, and there’s enough “air” to make it sound very spacious. This causes the T3 to lean towards a slightly brighter type of sound, although even though I’m sensitive to bright treble, the T3’s highs are fine for my ears.
 
The T3 is definitely mids-emphasized, with semi-bright highs and a modest bass. This is probably best for the vocal-lover, and very good for those who like a neutral and balanced sound signature.
 
Detail is also much better than all other IEM’s I’ve tried in this price range. The amount of the detail in the bass is also very decent, but it takes a bit of a backseat to the rest of the frequency, where it allows the vocals to shine.
 
Clarity is really, really good for this type of headphone too – vocal lovers shouldn’t have it any other way. Soundstage is another very strong point of the T3, with there being little to no difference in soundstage between the Titan 3 and Titan 1.
 
So overall, if you know ahead of time what sound signature the T3 is going for, and like the vocal emphasis, you’re in for pretty much the best vocal IEM in the price range – it punches much higher than said price tag. There’s not much else to say – DUNU really hit a home-run with this one.
 
Recommendations:
 
- The inclusion of the stabilizers in the accessories is very welcome. I do wish there were more different types of ear tips though, specifically a pair of foam and bi-flange ones. This would definitely help with isolation too.
 
- The connector seems somewhat different than the standard one. I understand this makes it much stronger, and I’m surprised by the stability of the connectors. Really, well done – I can’t emphasize this enough. If you can find a way to do this with the standard MMCX connector, it would be even better – this way, replacing the cable would be relatively painless.
 
- I’m not sure why the red/blue bands were removed. I personally like them, and feel without them, the IEM feels a bit generic. I understand Brooko thinks this is a smart move, but I’d have to disagree (?); for over the ear, just switch the colors in your head. If this was done to keep down budget costs though, I completely understand, and it’s in no way a deal breaker. No sweat on this one.
 
- If you could un-italicize the “3” on the back of the IEM, I think it would look even better, and more official. This is only my opinion though, and just a recommendation.
 
- A zipper case, instead of a clasp-operated one, would be fantastic. The ones Brainwavz uses is a great example, and much more useful to me.
 
- Maybe an extra cable to be included? This is definitely not necessary, but would be so appreciated by consumers, I can’t help but to add it in.
 
 
Conclusion:
 
“Is the T3 a step up from the T1?” many of you are probably asking. And the answer is heck yes – especially for those looking for a vocal-oriented IEM. Besides for the sturdy removable cable, which already makes it a worthy upgrade, the sound signature, for those looking for that general curve, is the best I’ve heard, little to no exceptions. The amount of detail is also very much improved from the T1.
 
I do think that at ~$130, the T3 is at a very competitive price point. However, it absolutely shines at its sound signature, and is a solid choice for an overall blend of great characteristics. Build Quality? Check, in full force. Fit and Comfort? Absolutely great. The sound? Excels at anything that has vocals, and a very balanced IEM overall – every genre I threw at it, besides for perhaps EDM, excelled – and yes, the bass can be quite potent too if asked for.
 
So yes, it’s very much worth the money in my opinion. DUNU is great at making sure there are no flaws, and I really have to nitpick before I can complain about the “3” on the back of the headphone – that’s how good they end up being. Most IEM’s you’ll hear of have a tendency to have a “it’s great, but…” - the T3 has very few to no 'but's. 
 
So that’s it! The T3 is a really awesome headphone, and I really enjoyed reviewing it. While I didn’t have to buy it, I’m sure those who do won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
 

Introduction:
 
Most of you reading this review know of DUNU’s products already, so I’ll keep this short. DUNU has been making IEM’s (in ear monitors – basically in ear headphones) for a while, and their products have been absolutely fantastic every time. While the word “fantastic” and “great” have been overused in many reviews (even when the product is just alright), DUNU separates itself from the rest of the crowd with the sound quality and ease of use of the headphones they provide.
 
The last two of DUNU’s headphones I reviewed, the Titan 1 and current flagship DN-2000J, absolutely smashed it out of the park. The DN-2000J, for one, was technically capable of a lot more than the price suggested, and coming in to the review, I really wasn’t expecting that level of sound quality. Coupled with great fit/comfort, good isolation, and nice build quality, the DN-2000J was more than a winner for me.
 
The Titan 1 had a much lower price tag, but still surprised me with its usability and its smooth, open sound. Due to the Titan 1’s half-open design, soundstage was much larger than other IEM’s, at the expense of some isolation. However, this proved to me that DUNU was willing to be creative, and try something new. Even in relatively unexplored territory, they still managed to do really well.
 
The Titan 1 received a lot of great feedback from reviewers, and its unique shape was a success when it came to fit and comfort. Keeping that in mind, the Titan 3 and Titan 5 are the same exact shape, resting on the central part of your ear instead of inside your ear canal. The Titan 3 and Titan 5 also aimed to improve isolation, which unavoidably wasn’t so great on the Titan 1. The last physical change was the inclusion of removable cables on the Titan 3 and 5, which is new to Dunu IEM’s – while the build quality of their previous headphones were excellent, some people were worried that the cable might break, so Dunu responded by making them removable as well.
 
One thing is for certain – Dunu pays a lot of attention at the criticism they receive, and uses it to make the next product better. Although many companies do this to varying degrees, I haven’t seen too many of them really go the extra mile to please their customers – Dunu’s inclusion of removable cables was something I didn’t think I would see (because of the enormous amount of work involved), and the improvement in isolation was great to see too. It’s obvious Dunu is willing to do whatever they can to make it work – and even go out of their comfort zone to get things done.
 
Packaging:
 
The Titan 5’s comes in the same type of box as the Titan 1 and Titan 3. The box itself is of a stealthy black color, which also feels well made. It opens with a magnetic flap, and has more information in both English and Chinese about the Titan 5’s specific attributes. Unlike other headphone boxes, Dunu’s are entirely reusable, and are an efficient way to store your headphones if you wish. On the back, like the Titan 1’s box, it says a few things about the Titan 5’s, as well as the accessories it comes with. Opening up the second flap, we see the Titan 5, some of the ear tips, and the carrying case.
 
Dunu hasn’t changed the packaging much, if any at all. However, in my opinion, they don’t need to. The reusable box, build quality, and large amount of information about the Titan 5 on the inside of the first flap, make it a winner for me every time. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? 
 
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Accessories:
 
The accessories that come with the Titan 5 are slightly different than those of the Titan 1. Here’s the breakdown:
 
Let’s start with the tips. Like the Titan 1, there’s 3 pairs of translucent gray tips (small, medium, and large), and 3 pairs of Sony Hybrid-like tips. Unlike the Titan 1 though, the Titan 5 does not come with tips with a larger nozzle size. Personally, I prefer the regular nozzle size, so to me, this isn’t much of a loss.
 
I noted by the Titan 1 that despite the wide arrangements of tips, I would have like either some bi/tri-flanged tips, or a pair of Comply foam ear tips. The only differences I noticed between the two sets was their aesthetics and cap firmness.
 
Again, though, for future products, I would love to see bi-flange and tri-flange tips, or foam tips, instead of only silicone eartips. Although some customers have their preferred tips on hand, many don’t, and providing a wider variety of tips would go a long way. Many companies have also started including foam and bi-flanged tips, so soon it may very well become the standard.
 
One new accessory I’m very happy about is the set of ear stabilizers – they will come in handy for those who feel that IEM’s always fall out of their ears. However, as I’ll soon say in the fit/comfort section, the fit of the Titan 5 is as good as they come, so I doubt you’ll even need to use them. Great that they’re there though, and definitely a step in the right direction. There’s also the standard shirt clip and 6.35mm headphone jack converter, which was uncluded with the T1 as well.
 
The case is the same as the one that comes with the Titan 1 – it’s made of plastic, and small enough to be pocket able. It’s a clasp-operated case, but I usually end up leaning towards zipper cases. Zipper cases seem to last a lot longer in my experiences, and clasp-operated cases have a tendency to pop open, which makes it easy to lose what’s inside if you’re not careful – especially on the bus or train, where movement isn’t as stable.. While DUNU got the size and form factor right, and I applaud them for that, like I said last time, I’d recommend to make it even better in the future by providing a zipper case instead.
 
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Build Quality & Design:
 
The Titan 5’s housing is constructed from metal, although it seems a little different than metal housing of the Titan 1. They are both very well made, though the Titan 5 is more polished than the Titan 1. One thing I noticed is that the Titan 5 is longer than the T1, probably due to the removable cable. The T5 still stays quite light, although it is heavier than the T1. When worn, the extra weight isn’t noticeable - the only time you would realize the difference is when carrying the T5.
 
Another difference between the two is the amount of vents on the inside of the housing. The T1, as you know, has a half-open design, which results in a larger soundstage, among other things. The secret to this was the large number of vents not only on the nozzle, but on the housing as well. The T5 only has one vent on the inner-side of the shell – resulting in a conventional design, increasing soundstage, and decreasing sound leakage by a large amount.
 
The T5 has a “5” on the back of the shell – which is the only distinction between the Titan 3 and Titan 5. While the implementation of the number is good, I sort of wish that the number font was a bit less cheesy; the font is similar to those used by Nascar, and I do think that a straight font, un-italicized, would look much better. Again, it’s a preference sort of thing, and I have a feeling most people won’t be too worried about this, so such a small thing shouldn’t be such a big deal.
 
Moving on to the connectors, it’s much sturdier than I thought it would be. I spent a nice amount of time with the Westone W40, which costs about four times the price of the T5, and I was always worried about the connector breaking from being loose. With the T5, it doesn’t budge – something I’m extremely happy about. There is also a nice amount of strain relief, which is something that may not be necessary but is well appreciated. For their first time with removable cables, it seems DUNU did a great job on the build quality of this one.
 
The T5 sports a MMCX connector, although I’m pretty sure they achieved the connector strength by using a slightly longer connector length. Although I haven’t tried any other cables with it, it might be a pain to find an after-market cable that fits the Titan, due to the non-universal connector on the T5.
 
The cable itself is well-made – not springy, but it doesn’t feel cheap either. It feels a little bit stronger than the T1 cable, but the differences are slight and it’s tough to tell which one is actually better. Later on, I’ll briefly discuss the microphonics, and the lack of a woven cable greatly contributes towards the success the T5 has in that category.
 
They Y-split is made of metal, and is jet black, unlike the T1’s sliver Y-split. It also appears to be even better made than the one on the T1 – and the T1 already was great in that aspect. There’s a nice stress relief leading up to the split, and overall it seems well done – it really adds to both the design aesthetics and build quality. The T5 has a right-angled 3.5mm jack just like the T1 – the jack is extremely well made, like its predecessor’s, and there is, again, a really good amount of stress relief. The only difference between the jacks on the two models is the color – the T5 sports a more classy black, while the T1’s jack is silver.
 
So all in all, the T5 definitely improves on the T1 when it comes to design, and the removable cable is a lovely addition too. I just wish Dunu could have made the connector as a standard MMCX model, so most after-market cables would fit. As it stands though, the connector is extremely solid, much more so than those of other headphones I’ve tried. The design of the T5 is also much classier, with the slight exception of the number font on the back of the shell. The T5 also leaves out the red/blue color-coded bands I liked so much with the T1. Why they left them out, I’m not sure – it gave the T1 a different look that always felt unique. Without them, the earpieces look a little… generic to me. Other than that small caveat, though, it looks really great. Dunu really did a great job here.
 
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Fit & Comfort:
 
Here in the U.S., we have a saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Dunu clearly went this route – the comfort and fit of the T5 is as great as the T1, which, if you haven’t tried the predecessor, is very, very good. The fit of the Titan series is relaxed, and unobtrusive – only the tip sits in your ear canal, while the rest sits on the outer ear. The fit is more shallow than other IEM’s I’ve tried, which makes long-term listening easy for me, but does have only average isolation as the cost.
 
The ear stabilizers provide even better fit for those who feel the fit is too shallow. For those who were wondering, the T5 works well both regularly worn, and over the ear; the stabilizers work both ways. You do have to switch earpieces to achieve the over-the-ear fit though, and some (like me) are a stickler for L/R sounds coming the way they are supposed to. However, it’s a nice option, and it does stay comfortable for me both ways.
 
The comfort is also as great as the T1’s. Because of the shallow fit, my ears have a little more “breathing room”, without sound leaking out . The T5 doesn’t have any foam or bi-flange tips, and I hope they can be included in future models. The default tips are quite comfortable though, and I’m happy with them.
 
Microphonics:
 
Another step up from the T1 is the microphonics – I cannot hear any noise whatsoever when tapping below the Y-split, and even above the Y-split there is very minimal noise – ranking the T5 as one of the best IEM’s I’ve tried for negligible microphonics. One of my chief complaints of the T1 was the above-average microphonics – the T5 went in the complete opposite direction, making it a great workout or running IEM. With the included shirt clip, there is even less noise. I’ve never had an IEM excel so much in this category.
 
Sound:
 
So, the sound. The T3 and T5 mainly differ in this respect; the T5 went for a more bass-beefy signature, for those who listen to EDM, Rock, or a variety of other genres that benefit from a good extended bass.
 
Before I go any further, I’d like to point out that I’ve listen to both of these amazing IEM’s for about 3 weeks now – for those complaining about reviewers spending too little time with samples before they write on them. I’d like to say that my opinion on the T5’s sound has, in fact, stayed the same over the course of these few weeks, so I’m not sure what “brain burn-in” I was supposed to have. Regardless, I thought I should put it out there.
 
Bass is heavier than neutral on the T5. Neutral lovers will probably find it a bit too unbalanced, so it’s important coming into this review that the T5 was not meant for the analytical or classical listeners. The bass is geared to those leaning towards the “basshead” category, although some average Joe like me (who hasn’t had too much basshead training) also appreciates the lower end on bassy songs. Elevated bass, yes, but not enough to take over the rest of the frequency.
 
However, I would not call these a balanced IEM in the true sense of the word. The bass does not bleed into the mids, and clarity is surprisingly good for a bass oriented IEM, but balanced these are not. In all honestly though, the fun signature this IEM provides is something I do like on a daily basis with many songs I listen to.
 
Mids are nice, vocals sound a bit “compressed” of sorts. If you’re a vocal fanatic, you’re probably reading the wrong review – the T3 is the model that excels with that category. However, for the sound signature, the T5 does pretty well with most vocals. The compression I talked earlier is probably due to the slight U-shaped signature of the T5, but the clarity isn’t as compromised as recessed. The vocals are slightly fatiguing to me, and I wouldn’t use these as my main vocal IEM. Mids other than vocals (piano and guitar, for example) are nice, although also slightly recessed and a bit fatiguing. Guitars get a bit too much help from the lower end, at least more than I’m used to.
 
Highs aren’t bright to me actually. Lindsey Stirling’s songs are surprisingly a bit tamer than I expected. I don’t think there is enough “air” in the highs to make it bright. This causes the T5 to lean to a *slightly* darker type of sound, although they aren’t anywhere near enough for me to call it dark in good conscience. Flutes follow the same pattern, neutral except for the slight lack of airiness.
 
Because of this, I’m not sure which category to place it in. They aren’t U or V-shaped, as the highs aren’t elevated, but are leaning towards a bassy and slightly darker signature.
 
Detail is much better than other bass oriented IEM’s I’ve tried for the mids and highs. The amount of the detail in the bass is also very decent, but it takes a bit of a backseat to the quantity.
 
Clarity is really, really good for this type of headphone – if you’re wondering why a bass IEM has such a price tag, know that the quality of the sound is not compromised by the sound signature. The clarity helps a nice amount with that.
 
So overall, if you know what sound signature the T5 is going for ahead of buying it, and like the particular said signature, you’re in for a really good bass-oriented IEM that excels with many more genres than it’s geared for. Even classical music and vocals, which I thought it would do horribly with, are very enjoyable, even with the opposite type of sound signature. If you have a preference for songs that have a nice bass amount, the T5 will excel for you. And for when you’re not listening to heavy metal, and decide to listen to Bach and Beethoven, the T5 doesn’t compromise as much as you would think.
 
Recommendations:
 
- The inclusion of the stabilizers in the accessories is very welcome. I do wish there were more different types of ear tips though, specifically a pair of foam and bi-flange ones.
 
- The connector seems somewhat different than the standard one. I understand this makes it much stronger, and I’m surprised by the stability of the connectors. Really, well done – I can’t emphasize this enough. If you can find a way to do this with the standard MMCX connector, it would be even better – this way, replacing the cable would be relatively painless.
 
- I’m not sure why the red/blue bands were removed. I personally like them, and feel without them, the IEM feels a bit generic. I understand Brooko thinks this is a smart move, but I’d have to disagree (?), for over the ear, just keep in mind to switch the colors. If this was done to keep down budget costs, I completely understand, and it’s in no way a deal breaker. No sweat on this one.
 
- If you could un-italicize the “5” on the back of the IEM, I think it would look even better, and more official. This is only my opinion though, and just a recommendation.
 
- A zipper case, instead of a clasp-operated one, would be fantastic. The ones Brainwavz uses is a great example, and much more useful to me.
 
- Maybe an extra cable to be included? This is definitely not necessary, but would be so appreciated by consumers, I can’t help but to add it in.
 
Conclusion:
 
“Is the Titan 5 a step up from the T1?” many of you are probably asking. And the answer is yes. Besides for the sturdy removable cable, which already makes it a worthy upgrade, the sound signature, for those looking for that general curve, is among the best I’ve heard, and definitely the best in this price range. The amount of detail is also upped from the T1, due to the closed design, as well as the isolation.
 
I do think that at ~$120, the T5 is at a very competitive price point. However, it excels at its sound signature, and is a solid choice for an overall blend of great characteristics. Build Quality? Check, in full force. Fit and Comfort? Absolutely fantastic. Micorphonics? Near to none. The sound? Great with many genres, excels at quite a few.
 
So yes, it’s very much worth the money in my opinion. DUNU is great at making sure there are no flaws, and I really have to nitpick before I can complain about the “5” on the back of the headphone – that’s how good they end up being. Most IEM’s you’ll hear of have a tendency to have a “it’s great, but…” - the T5 has no real “but”. End of story.
 
So that’s it! The Titan 5 is a really awesome headphone, and I really enjoyed reviewing it. While I didn’t have to buy it, I’m sure those who do won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
 

Introduction:
 
Brainwavz has been a strong contender in the IEM market for a while, they don’t need any introduction. However, some of you may not be familiar with their “S”-type line: So far they come out with the S0 (which I had the pleasure of reviewing), the S1, and the S5. As you may have guessed, the higher the number, the better the product gets, and with it the price tag too. However, Brainwavz has stayed truthful to its intended market range, and even the S5 is extremely affordable compared to other company offerings.
 
So the S3 is a continuation of the already successful “S” product line, and with it Brainwavz has a few goals. The S3, as many head-fi’ers will be delighted to know, is intended for a more audiophile audience, with a wider soundstage, and more accurate sound production – keeping away from the “smooth and warm” sound so many IEM’s tend to fall into. At $80, an analytical-geared IEM is a bit of a stretch, but we’ll see how that works out later in the review.
 
It’s a bit hard to keep track of which model of which line has which type of sound signature – it would be awesome to see Brainwavz give more of a hint (in the name of a model) as to what type of IEM it is.
 
[This review is going to be somewhat shorter than usual, and I apologize for that. However, I’ll try to indicate the important things, and get to the point as efficiently as possible]
 
Packaging:
 
The packaging here is standard for the “S” line – which to say, it’s very good. The front cover has a flap that open to reveal the S3’s case, and a wealth of information. There’s plenty of information on the covers too, but on the inside cover… well, having that amount of detail before we even open the box is just amazing. Kudos to Brainwavz for that system, it’s working out fantastically.
 
On the back is a list of accessories, as well as specifications and compatibility. It notes on the back that there’s a 2 year warranty for the S3 – very good for an IEM, and that type of confidence foreshadows great workmanship of the headphone itself.
 
Build Quality, Design, & Accessories:
 
The build quality of the shell itself is simply fantastic. The housing is metal, and shiny too - so shiny it’s hard for me to take clear pictures ***. On one side of each shell, there is the Brainwavz logo, and on the other, an L/R marking. The markings are hard to see though, due to the fact that the shiny metal is reflective. As you can see in the pictures though, there is a red-colored stress relief connecting the housing to the cable, which is extremely solid and prevents any chance of tearing the cable near the housing.
 
The cable itself is flat, which prevents tangling, and has an inline remote. However, the cable is really stiff and springy (due to that it’s thick?), and I do find it harder to control than I would like. The cable ends with a straight jack, which is well-made too. Although I would like to see 90-degree angled jacks, as they are much easier to use, the build quality on the jack here is great, so no complaints here.
 
The inline remote/mic are placed pretty high up on the cable, which immediately makes it difficult to wear the S3 over-ear (will get to that soon). Other than that, the buttons feel solid, and a mic/remote is definitely convenient for everyday use.
 
The Y-split is built like a tank; I’m not kidding. Although it’s made of plastic (probably to reduce weight), it’s one of the best made Y-splits I’ve ever seen.
 
Moving on to accessories, the S3 comes with a nice assortment of tips, including bi/tri-flanged tips and Comply foam tips. In addition, it comes with a very nicely built hard case, and a shirt clip. A nice amount of accessories, and just the ones that are needed, in my opinion.
 
Microphonics:
 
There are above average microphonics here; when tapping the cable, it’s impossible to hear the music, and due to its springy nature, microphonics are more common than in most of my other headphones.
 
Fit & Comfort:
 
Here’s the section I really don’t want to write, yet I’m going to have to.
 
I can’t get the Brainwavz S3 to stay in my ears. I just can’t. I’ve tried all the tips, but the housing of the S3 is simply too large and heavy not to fall out when walking. Because of its size, comfort is an issue for me too, having most of the earphone leaning one way or another out of my ear for it to stay snug in my ear.
 
There’s not much else to say. I’ve tried wearing it over the ear, but because of the flat cable (and inline remote), that position is nearly impossible to get right, and even when I do, it doesn’t stay in my ear, going back to the first problem.
 
So overall? I hope the fit and comfort can be improved by the next product. Perhaps have a fin option to keep it snug in the ear, and reduce size and weight wherever possible to improve on the usability of the product. As it stands, I can’t use the S3 while moving in any way, which sort of defeats the purpose of an IEM. I can’t help but wonder how the other reviewers got by.
 
Sound:
 
This is a mixed bag as well. On the one hand, the S3 has some really detailed vocals, which may not be a sweet or upfront as vocal lovers would like them to be, but are still technically strong nonetheless. The sound is exceptionally clear, which is not something that’s found in every headphone. Highs sometime have a bit of an emphasis and can be quite bright, which is very fatiguing at times. Otherwise, I have no complaints.
 
At least no complaints on the stuff I can hear. Which singles out the part which I’m not hearing – the bass. My pair has a tremendous roll-off in the lower bass region. I’m not talking about a bit of a roll-off; the S3 has literally no sub-bass I can hear, and that’s coming from bass-light headphones like the KNS8400. Even the upper bass is very light, and makes it impossible to enjoy any genre that has a prominent bass role, such rock, techno/EDM, electronic music, jazz, metal, pop and basically everything except for classical music and pure vocals.
 
Conclusion:
 
The Brainwavz S3 does a lot of things right – the build quality and accessories, and in regard to sound quality, the vocals and clarity. However, fit and comfort are abysmal, due to the size and weight of the S3. In addition, the massive bass roll-off makes it hard to enjoy many genres, and downright impossible to enjoy any electronic music.
 
There’s also the issue of quality control – while people hear differently, the opinions on the S3 couldn’t have been further apart –some have a nice bass response, others have a bloated bass, and others still have no bass at all. Some have highs roll-offs, while mine had bright highs.
 
So if you’re looking to buy this headphone, proceed with caution – I cannot say which sound signature you will get. Do I recommend this headphone? Unfortunately, no.

Introduction:
 
 
 
 
Packaging (Pictures):
 
 
Build Quality, Design, and Features:
 
The build is solid, there’s not much to talk about here. The metal seems to be about half an inch thick, which not only makes it more solid than the competition, but reduces heat as well. It has a solid feel to it, and while it is a bit on the heftier side, it’s actually quite light for the amount of metal in this device. The volume knob is also nicely built, and is of a lighter metal than the case. Despite doubling as a button (and being made to turn 360 degrees), it doesn’t feel loose in any way. The power supply is really small for the amount of power it gives, and is a much better form factor than, say, the Aune X1S’s monstrous power brick. The two USB cables included feel nicely built, no problems here. If you’re looking for audiophile Moon-audio cables you’ll have to bring your own, since the m9XX uses Monoprice cables (as it says of the packaging). These are the higher end models though, and I’ve always been happy with their cables to begin with, so this shouldn’t be a problem for anybody.
 
The case is made of brushed metal, which never feels cold to the fingers (as other DAC/amps I’ve seen do). Instead of being a black box, like the ODAC, the top is rounded off on both sides, with the Grace logo and “m9XX” printed on the front rounded side, and the Massdrop logo on the back. The silver volume knob is on top, and sort of reminds me of the JDS Element, although in pure looks it’s a little behind the Element (barring the display, extra inputs, and features the m9XX has that the Element doesn’t). Overall, it may not look as impressive as Grace’s $2000 offerings, but it’s definitely a nice looking product, much more than the pictures convey.
 
As for features, this product comes stacked with them. I’ll do a quick rundown of the features that may not be so obvious, since all the other information can be found in the online m9XX manual, and is much better explained there than I can do here. Let’s go through the features other DAC/amps in this price range may not have:
 
 
 
DAC Filters:
 
This option is rarely included in this price range, with the exception of the Aune X1S, which I couldn’t hear the difference between filters anyway. I hear some differences between the 4 filters on the m9XX, but I’ll have to experiment with them a bit more before I come to any conclusions. Stay tuned!
 
Update: I haven't been able to find any clear differences between the filters to my ear, and I'm not sure if any differences I hear are real, or only in my head, so I will refrain from discussing them here.
 
Sound:
 
It’s very hard to describe in words the sound differences between DAC/amps, or the impact it has on a certain headphone – this is why there haven’t been too many critical sound impressions so far. The m9XX, as others have said, sounds very detailed (much more so than the “budget” offerings), yet also sounds musical, and not analytically dry. What do I mean by that? Well, it seems like with most headphones, the m9XX releases the full potential of the cans, as opposed to keeping it on the “safe” side. That’s how (you’ll see soon) the HE400i sounds very musical, and the m9XX almost goes out on a limb to deliver its full planar magnetic bass. It’s easy to get lost in the music with the m9XX, but not in a way that puts you to sleep – rather it lets you truly enjoy the music, while also giving tons of detail and accuracy. I find myself often technically enjoying the performance of a DAC/amp, but not really enjoying the music, and certainly can’t immerse myself in it. With the m9XX, I could do both.
 
The m9XX is very transparent, allowing the innate quality of the headphone to shine, rather than “fix” it with coloring like some others do. Headphones that scale well with equipment (such as the K7XX) should scale well with the m9XX, and might even become a completely “different” headphone. Paired with the K7XX, for example, it’s hard to understand how the K7XX costs only $200, when with the m9XX it’s technically capable of a lot more – things I never even heard in the K7XX until now.
 
So to quench the thirst for critical impressions and less-vague sound descriptions, I’ve compiled my conclusions on some pairings with the m9XX, as well as some impressions I’ve had during certain songs. Please note that I wrote more notes on less expensive pairings, as those had plenty pros and cons regarding the matchups. Moving on to more expensive headphones, it’s harder to take notes (since they are already technically very good on their own), but easier to hear the overall trend in tonality, and easier to comment on the pairing in general. These weren’t the only listening tests I took, but the ones I actually bothered to type down here. The conclusion was made after all my listening tests, not only the ones done here.
 
I'd like to give a huge thank you to Audio46 (also known as H & B Digital) for allowing me to demo the headphones needed to write this review. Due to their generosity, I was able to make this review as comprehensive as I could, and without them, it wouldn't even have half the information that it does now. They're by far the best headphone store I've been to in NYC, and I'll definitely be buying from them if the need arises.
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DUNU DN-2000J (on low power mode):
 
This is a fantastic pairing – if you’re getting the m9XX for your open-back headphones or CIEM’s, and have the DN-2000J in your collection, you’re in for a treat. The DN-2000J now sounds extremely musical, and the amount of detail in both the m9XX and DN-2000J complement each other extremely well without sounding dry or analytical. There’s a fantastic bass here that extends very low. Not anywhere near over the top, but still very welcome. Highly recommended pairing.
 
 
Sennheiser HD 650:
 
(Note: These were taken straight out of the box, no burn-in at all.) The HD 650’s bass would work better with the X1S, in my opinion. This is unfortunately a problem with the HD 650, not the m9XX. To me, there’s some things about the HD 650 that needs to be “tweaked” to sound good with rock, electronic, and even vocals. That’s enough for me to say I don’t like this pairing.
 
 
HiFiMAN HE400S:
 
The HE400S sounds a lot like the HD650, so it makes sense that they would have the same results with the m9XX. Although it sounds good, certain things like the bass and vocals sound held back and “veiled”. Even though the HE400S are planar magnetic, like Head-fi reviewer Money4me247 said, these are tuned like a dynamic headphone for the low end, so other planar magnetics will work much better than the HE400S in this regard. The HE400S (and HD 650) don’t really scale nearly as well as the K7XX does; if I had two compare the two using only the m9XX, I would say the K7XX is the better headphone by far.
 
 
HiFiMAN HE-400i:
 
The HE-400i is fantastic paired with the m9XX, and I highly recommend the pairing. The planar magnetic bass quality is definitely present in full force here, and I’m just in love with everything this pairing has to offer. The only downside I can imagine is that the highs can a bit tame at times. Other than that, there’s nothing I could fault it with.
 
 
AKG K7XX:
 
The m9XX and the K7XX make for a really great pair – the m9XX loads every song with detail, and with the K7XX’s large soundstage it’s a scary combo. If it seems like overkill to get a $500 DAC/amp for a $200 headphone, know that I thought the same thing before listening to this pairing. The K7XX scales very well with the m9XX, and you’d be hard pressed to tell this is a $200, or even $400 headphone.
 
 
Audio Technica ATH-R70x:
 
This pairing isn’t one that will wow you on first sight, but definitely benefits from the m9XX’s detail, and opens up the bass in the ATH-R70x. I would recommend it over pairings with budget dac/amps (i.e. ODAC/O2, DACport Slim, Aune X1S) – the even-handedness of the pairing and the detail brought to the table really opens the R70X up. If you want a pairing that is the jack of all trades, this one should do it, and everything well.
 
 
Grado RS1e:
 
These two are excellent for any classical or jazz lover, who doesn’t mind semi-bright highs. Not too much bass here, but this headphone isn’t meant for that. If you have audiophile recordings, this pairing will serve you well.
 
 
Grado GS1000e:
 
 
I’ve tested this headphone with many other songs, though there’s not much else to say. They all follow the same trend – rich bass (though not planar magnetic quality), extremely detailed, transparent, and very accurate; but there’s sometimes bright highs. I’m not such a fan of this headphone to begin with, but I can see from this pairing how someone might be. This pairing doesn’t leave anything else out for another DAC/amp to fill, in my opinion.
 
Beyerdynamic T90:
 
The T90 is a very analytical headphone, so paired with the m9XX, some may feel it needs some warmth, which the m9XX understandably doesn’t provide – the m9XX is more neutral than anything. However, this pairing is strong on all its technical aspects, though I can’t help but feel that the T90 would really benefit from a warm amplifier like the Beyerdynamic A20. Detail and imaging are very high throughout every song I listened to though, and for critical listening tests, it’s a very good pairing.
 
 
Beyerdynamic T1 2nd generation:
 
There’s a lot this pairing has to offer, although I can imagine a better pairing. Be careful when using songs with deep bass, as this will go so low it will start echoing back at you a little bit. Soundstage disappoints here, and I would probably suggest (ideally, anyway) a tube amp to bring out the richness in the sound; it seems that it would go better with the T1.
 
 
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m9XX’s amplifier compared to the Beyerdynamic A20 (a $600 standalone amplifier):
 
 
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DAC/amp Comparisons:
 
m9XX vs Nuforce uDAC-2:
 
 
m9XX vs. CEntrance DACport Slim:
 
 
m9XX vs. Tralucent DacAmp One ($400 portable DAC/amp):
 
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Conclusion:
 
$500 is not pocket change – it’s mid-tier for audio equipment, and a big investment. However, in terms of sound, it punches much higher than its price bracket. The m9XX simply brings a lot more detail, clarity, and accuracy to the table than all the other “budget” offerings I’ve heard (Aune X1S, ODAC/O2, Schiit Stack, etc.), and even compared to DAC/amps similarly priced to the m9XX it does very well.
 
The m9XX has many features that other DAC/amps in the mid-tier category leave out. It has a display, two headphone outputs, anti-aliasing filters, and many more that aren’t usually included in this price range. The m9XX is not only a desktop solution – it also has a portable option, and is quite small. Neither the ODAC/O2 combo, Schiit stack, or Aune X1S are portable by any means, and the first two aren’t much of an option for IEM’s and CIEM’s either. In addition to sounding very good with IEM’s, it was nearly dead silent with the hiss-prone DN-2000J until the 90th volume step.
 
In terms of driving full-sized cans, it had enough power for anything I threw at it, doing very well with both the 470 ohm Audio Technica ATH-R70x, and the 600 ohm Beyerdynamic T1.
Driving power is fantastic, and much better than I was expecting from the physical size of the m9XX.
 
So should you get it? If you have enough room in your budget to buy the m9XX, I would say yes, provided that your headphone pairs well with it. Common sense and Google should tell you if your headphone pairs exclusively well with a tube amp, and in that case every solid-state DAC/amp should be off your radar. I wouldn’t skimp out and by an ODAC combo or the X1S unless it’s specifically known to pair well with your headphone - there’s a large difference between the m9XX and the budget DAC/amps, all of which I liked a lot until I heard the m9XX.
 
To me, the m9XX is an upgrade that is well worth its price – the HE400i sounds better than I have ever heard it, and the K7XX is on a whole new level with this pairing. Even moving up to the higher-priced headphones, it paired well with all but the Beyerdynamic T1. Considering its versatility and all that it has to offer, the m9XX is one DAC/amp I wouldn’t want to miss out on.
 

 
- Avishai Zitron

 
The Kidwavz KV100 is a new child-oriented headphone. Just like any other product that has kids in mind, the KV100 is a safer, more comfortable, and more durable alternative to other headphones in this price range. I myself have a ten year old sister, and after hearing about this product, I jumped at the opportunity to review these – most headphones don’t fit my sister’s head well, and the ones that do either get tangled easily or sound horrible.
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that many children like listening to music loudly – I have plenty of cousins who are around my sister’s age, and my aunts and uncles all agree that they crank up the volume better than what’s good for them. Why? Because it is simply easier for them to hear what they’re listening to when the volume is higher than usual.
 
We adults take for granted the caution (most of us) have regarding volume when listening to music, movies, and other things requiring headphones. Many of us are very self-conscious about how loud we let the music go, and constantly adjust the volume to reflect that. We know that we can damage our hearing later on by listening louder than the norm, just like we can ruin our eyesight by wearing glasses that are sharper than what our prescription needs.
 
Kids don’t understand this though – to them, there’s no real reason not to blast the music, unless it instantly hurts their ears. So while we keep our ears in check, many children don’t protect themselves from this.
 
So keeping this in mind, what overall advantages did I see using this over a regular headphones? Here’s a few things that came to mind while using the KV100:
 

1. Comfort: The KV100 is extremely comfortable – most headphones under $40 are horribly uncomfortable, and are painful to wear after half an hour or so. The KV100 generous with headband padding, and the ear pads are made of more comfortable material than those stiff pleather “padding” most other headphones use.
2. Size: These are small; made especially for kids, they fall right in the sweet spot in terms of size – it fits my sister’s head perfectly, as well as my cousins’. Most headphones sag on their heads, and are heavy… which leads me into the next section:
3. Weight: The KV100 is really, really light. Children will have an easy time carrying these around, whether in hand or in a backpack.
4. Build Quality: The KV100 is sturdy and rugged; heavy use won’t wear this headphone out, and withstands drops easily. There aren’t any loose parts, so whether kids carry this headphone by the headband or the ear cup, there’s no harm done. Made out of rubber/plastic with no sharp parts, I guess these fall into the category of “kid-proof”.
5. Headband adjustment system: The headband adjusts through a slider system. While most slider systems are tough to adjust while on the head, the KV100 is very easy to adjust when worn, even for kids. I wanted to test this with my sibling, and she was able to adjust it to her head without even giving it a second thought. Very intuitive, and easy to use.
6. Bluetooth: For tangle proof performance, these can be used well in Bluetooth mode. All you have to do is press the middle button to connect (when pressed, it voice activates “Waiting for a connection”), and press the middle button again to power off (voice activates “Power off”). There are also four more buttons; the top/bottom ones are to increase/decrease volume, and the left/right ones are to go forward/backwards a track. However, you can circumvent the buttons totally by arranging volume and tracks on the computer itself. The most important thing to remember is that in Bluetooth, the wire gets eliminated from the equation, preventing tangling, and also eliminating wire breakage.
7. Other connectivity: If you aren’t a fan of Bluetooth, whether it be for practical purposes or health reasons, the KV100 also works in a wired fashion; just connect the cable it comes with to the KV100 and viola! You have a regular wired headphone. The Bluetooth is just there to avoid wire tangling – if you don’t want that feature, you can opt to use the headphone like any other.
8. Volume Limited: Okay, listen up, this is important. This headphone, unlike most others, is volume limited, to protect children from damaging their hearing. Like we said, kids are very prone to loud listening, which can impair their hearing later on. Now you don’t have to worry about that – as long as your kid is using the KV100 (in Bluetooth mode), he/she cannot listen loud enough to impair hearing. CDC recommends listening below 85db for extended periods of time, so know that your kids’ ears are safe.
9. Sound Quality: I don’t want to confuse parents with different sound categories, as I do with my other reviews, so to put it simply, it sounds great. The KV100 sounds clear, and a very big departure from other headphones in this category that just boost bass by an unrealistic amount. This headphone has reduced bass – what that essentially translates to is kids turning the volume down more often than not; if a headphone has a boosted bass, at normal listening volumes the bass will be very overpowering, damaging even. With a reduced bass, listeners can hear everything clearly at moderate volumes.
10. I’d also like to note that it’s very hard to find a good-sounding pair of headphones in this price range, and much harder to find one that is meant for kids. With all the features the KV100 has, its good sound quality should not be taken for granted.

 
 
Value & Conclusion:
 
At $40, many parents may want to turn this away as a luxury they shouldn’t be spending on. But I want to emphasize that this is not a luxury, rather a necessity – just as parents would spend hundreds of dollars on a doctor to keep their child healthy, I believe it is important to also spend money on a headphone that can (and probably will) prevent hearing damage. I’ve seen firsthand how loud children listen to their audio, and it makes me flinch every time. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is (at least in my opinion) for children to protect their hearing, and the KV100 can do just that.
 
Not to mention, with a ten hour battery life, the Bluetooth definitely comes in handy, and the sound quality is spot on too. Comfort, build quality and weight are tailor-suited for kids, and were well done throughout. So should you get the KV100? In my opinion, the $40 price tag is easily compensated by the amount of features and pro’s this headphone has. If I was a parent, and wanted to protect my kids’ hearing while still giving them an overall great headphone, I would most definitely buy the KV100. 
 

 

 
Introduction:
 
Aune Audio has been making affordable audiophile products for quite a while now – They have a number of desktop DACs and amplifiers, and recently made an entry into the portable world with their new Aune B1, which has received incredible praise on its sound quality, among other things.
 
The Aune X1S is not the product of a guessing game, as many new products are nowadays – the Aune X1 family has seen 4 generations since 2008, and the X1S is the 5^th. Rather than jump around new products and hope one is good, Aune has persisted, revisioned, and improved on previous models to help make the sound and design the X1S has today. Each time, people have expected Aune to improve on already what is a great concept, and each time Aune has responded with a better item.
 
So the X1S isn’t “another” dac/amp – this is the product of tremendous work and time, and there is heavy pressure facing this product regarding expectations. So with that said, let’s begin!
 
Packaging & Accessories:
 
The packaging is nice enough – I noticed the same type of packaging on the Aune B1, and it is as good here as it was there. A simple, but elegant looking black box that has the Aune logo on the front and back, and specifications on the side.
 
When you take off the cover of the box, you are greeted by a foam cutout containing a few items. One of them is, of course, the X1S, as well as the power supply, USB cable, 3.5mm to 6.35mm converter, Aune card, and user manual USB. Yes, Aune puts the drivers, as well as the user manual, on a USB. I’d love to see more companies do that – a USB leaves a smaller footprint, and there’s more versatility as to what can be shown to the customer. Nobody likes booklets (at least I think so), and USB manuals, when done as well as here, can and should be better than paper manuals that are hard to navigate through. There are separate drivers for regular playback and DSD playback, but the USB comes with instructions, and installing the drivers is a breeze.
 
It’s important to note that the power supply is quite heavy – even heavier than the actual X1S itself. This is common though in desktop dac/amplifiers, and a heavy power supply isn’t a con in my book, at least when it comes to desktop applications. It's also important to note that the power "brick" is in the middle of the cable, not in the end. This is great because it doesn't put any stress on the wall plug itself, nor does it take up 2-3 outlets when it comes to space - all the heft is in middle of the cable, not at the plug
 
Overall, it's nice and simple – the X1S’s packaging is elegant enough to show that this is a quality product, yet it doesn’t burden you with unnecessary accessories. The user manual/drivers USB is a brilliant idea, and gets a big thumbs up from me.
 

 
Build Quality & Design:
 
Just from the pictures, it’s obvious that the latest installment of the X1S is the best-looking one, aesthetically. Gentle curves and the black matching knob/cover/case makes this one a winner for the workdesk – it looks professional, and has a smooth finish to it.
 
Getting past the looks though, this dac/amp is packed with connectivity options – it obviously has USB input, as talked about before, but it also has optical input, coaxial, and line in as well – all in the back, which is a relief. There’s an indicator on the front as to what input you are currently using, and a button to shuffle through the options if need be.
 
The volume knob turns very smoothly, but not loosely – if you knock into it by accident, it’s highly unlikely that you will turn up the volume. There’s a clear volume indicator on the knob to tell you where you are in terms of volume – you can’t miss it. The X1S’s power supply connects to what looks like a balanced input, and I have no complaints there either; and the USB connection isn’t entirely “tight” fitting, but isn’t loose either. Both cables are sturdy and well-made enough to last, from what I’m seeing, and connect to the back of the X1S. In terms of heat, the X1S runs warm, but never hot to the touch – leaving it as a great hand warmer, not hand burner  .
 
The body of the X1S is made of brushed metal, from what I can tell, and has rubber feet on the bottom to prevent scratching of the device. However, it’s pretty inconspicuous looking - it looks “simple” enough that you can leave it on your work desk or at home, and people won’t give it a second glance. The “footprint”, or how much space it takes, is less than what I previous imagined – length and width are 6.7 inches by 5.5 inches, respectively. Assuming that you’ll leave the power supply on the floor, that’s pretty small for an all-in-one desktop setup, and fits perfectly beside your laptop or computer screen, blending in with the rest of your computer.
 
Build quality? Design? The X1S is built sturdy enough to last, and is designed to blend in with whatever setup you have running – not to stick out like a sore audiophile thumb. It’s also small enough to work well on most sized desks, and the ease of use is excellent. The quarter inch adapter provided is used to connect your headphones to the quarter inch input on the front, next to the volume knob – very intuitive, and doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
 

 
Sound:
 
DAC/amps in general are really hard to label sonically, since it’s so easy to mix up the dac/amp’s sound signature with the headphone’s distinct sound tendencies.
So all my sound impressions of the X1S were done through (somewhat careful) listening tests with the AKG K7XX, Hifiman HE400S, and Beyerdynamic T90. Through what I’ve heard from these three headphones with reference equipment, I will try to use their differences to pinpoint the sound profile of the X1S as best as I can. But, as always, YMMV.
 
Since this is a DAC/amp, splitting up the sound section to its regular sections like I usually do would be extremely hard.
 
…but I’ll do it anyway, since I’m one heck of an idiot  . Here we go:
 
Bass: The bass of the X1S clearly shows the HE400S’s planar power – planars are known for better bass, and this is the first time that I’ve seen that so clearly. The X1S produces clean, neutral bass – too many amplifiers have a raised low end, so it’s good to see a product which keeps the bass neutral – leaving the quantity to the headphone.
 
I personally was used to the standard warm sound signature, and it took me a little time to get used to the X1S’s clean and natural bass. When paired with the K7XX, it seems cleaner than usual, and almost lacking bass – but this is all because of most amps’ nature to boost the bass. Even just over the course of today, I’ve quickly learned to appreciate the natural quality of the low end the X1S produces.
 
Make no mistake – the X1S is a audiophile oriented dac/amp, and the bass, as dead neutral, is a clear indicator of that.
 
At the end of the day, the low end displayed will rely solely on the headphone – if it has quality bass, you will hear it, clearly. The X1S is not going to “fix” your headphone – it will just bring out the best of what’s there.
 
Mids: Guitar sounds as good as it gets with a good pair of cans – full-sounding, robust, yet clear, detailed, and not overpowering. Piano recordings sound ALIVE with the T90, and do really well with the other two headphones too – better than they usually sound. I do find though that recordings that aren’t up to par (or not perfect, in some cases), the piano’s “airiness” sound (echo, etc.) becomes a bit bloated, and can be annoying at first. That’s due to the revealing nature of this dac/amp though, so it’s to be expected.
 
Vocals are not forward, but aren’t recessed either – vocal lovers like having voices close and personal, but I'm afraid the X1S is more audiophile-like than that – the vocals are perfectly placed, and are as forward or distant as the recording intended them to be. Rather than dominating the spectrum, vocals here tend to be a beautiful part of the spectrum, but only a part of the spectrum – not the whole thing.
 
Vocals are also insanely clear and detailed – but not as “full-sounding” as crazy vocal lovers might like. The vocals are neutral here, not boosted and not reduced – similar to the bass in this regard. Vocal inclined headphones like the HE400S and the HD650 should still shine in this regard – the X1S won’t limit the headphone for vocals, it just won’t add much flavor to it.
 
Highs: The upper end is neutral, leaning towards semi-bright – if you have a bright headphone, the X1S won’t fix it, but instead will correspond with its bright signature and copy it. So the rule of thumb here is that pair the X1S with a headphone that is excellent on its own, because the X1S won’t fix your headphone – it will just display what is given. The T90’s have some hot treble with these, which (I think) shows that there’s no roll-off, since by nature with an absolutely neutral amp the T90’s treble is a bit hot.
 
Violins are great, albeit dead neutral, and really really clean. Not sharper and not brighter (like most amps try to do to make the sound seem more “high-resolution”), but definitely cleaner and absolutely clearer than other sources I’ve tried. The same goes for drums; even with open-back headphones, it’s as clear and crispas the high end closed back headphones, which many open-back’s can’t seem to emulate properly.
 
Coloration: Absolutely none, or at the very most, extremely minimal. These will make your headphones sound the way they were supposed to, without adding or detracting from any part of the frequency.
 
Tonality: As neutral as it gets. Not warm by any means, but doesn’t seem cold either. The “warm-ness” or coldness will only come from your headphone, so while you may not get a dead-neutral sound, you will get the sound truest to the headphone your using.
 
Soundstage: One of my favorite things of the X1S – the soundstage is HUGE. I mean, it even makes the Beyer T90 sound like it has a large soundstage – and it doesn’t, believe me. Paired with the K7XX… well, let’s stop there.
 
If there’s anything that X1S does to influence the headphones that’s not there before, one thing that is obvious is that it opens up the soundstage by a massive amount. So open-back headphones that… don’t exactly sound so open, will greatly benefit from the X1S in this regard.
 
Imaging: Totally unreal – with decent headphones, I can pinpoint where everything is so clearly it’s absolutely insane. With mastered recordings, everything is so 3D-like it’s like a mini version of the HE-1000. Okay, maybe not, but you get my point.
 
Hiss: I’ve found hiss past the 3:00 mark on the volume knob, but considering that I never get past 11:00 on the knob, I doubt there will be any problem.
 
Detail: The detail amount is good, but doesn’t overburden you like more analytical sources do. The moderate amount of detail lets you relax to the music, while still getting a very audiophile-like sound – the best of both worlds.
 
Coherency & Immersion Factor:  Considering that this is an analytical DAC/amp, the coherency is excellent, and it's extremely easy to get "lost" in the music without even realizing it.
 
Clarity: This may not seem like much, but to me, this is what makes the X1S amazing. Why? Because it takes open-back headphones, and provides a sense of clarity and refinement that most would look for in a closed-back headphone. Open-back’s tend to lose some sense of clarity here and there, because due to their open nature, sound leaks out, and the “crystal clear” clarity is lost. The X1S takes that level of refinement, and brings it straight to almost any open headphone I’ve tried, all the meanwhile providing such a great soundstage and imaging that you’re literally taking the best of both worlds.
 
Reveal Factor: Very revealing – you will hear it if you aren’t listening to a well-recorded track. Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy poorly recorded songs, just that there’s a distinct difference between well mastered tracks and songs that aren’t so lucky. This is why many piano recordings don’t sound as great as other dac/amps I’ve tried: other equipment “cover up” the mistakes and quality of recording, while the X1S opens your eyes to what’s there. Chesky’s recordings sound as great as it gets, so if you have audiophile recordings, and/or DSD/SACD tracks, believe me, you’ll hear a difference with the X1S.
 
This is an audiophile level dac/amp indeed – paired with the T90, there’s a frighteningly accurate and absurdly detailed sound – you will hear what’s there, no more, no less.
 
As a Standalone Amplifier:
 
As a standalone amplifier hooked up to an external source, the amplifier part of the X1S does a pretty good job. It retains the imaging, reveal factor, and some of the said soundstage I’ve covered in the review. There isn’t much coloration, although I might be hearing a hint of warmth when only using the amplifier.
 
The real magic though comes into play when using the X1S’s DAC and amplifier together, so while it works well as a standalone amp, I would recommend using it primarily as a DAC/amp, and a standalone amp on the side.
 
Comparisons:
 
I haven't had much time with desktop DAC/Amps lately, but I will tell you though that I prefer this a lot more than the Schiit Modi/Magni 2 stack I've listened to for a while. It is also miles ahead of my Geek Out 1000 (which most people agree is better than the Objective2 stack as well). So all in all, the X1S are far better than the three main contenders in this price range. Frankly, the X1S destroys any portable DAC/Amp I've tried, including more expensive stuff too. So I think it's well justified for us to call it a "desktop" dac/amp, because it definitely lives up to that name. To break it down, these were my listening experiences with the equipment I had:
 
X1S > Schiit Modi 2 / Magni 2
X1S > Geek Out 1000
X1S > Objective2 stack
X1S > Tralucent DacAmp One
X1S > Oppo HA-2 (duh).
X1S > Cozoy Aegis
 
So all in all, I think it's pretty straightforward  
 
 
Value & Conclusion:
 
For less than $300, the Aune X1S is truly a desktop “solution” – I haven’t heard a clearer, wider sounding, neutral, and accurate DAC/amp at anywhere near this price range. As an all-in-one piece of gear, this complements any open-back headphone, and really shows you the true nature of what’s on your head.
 
Are you an aspiring audiophile on a budget? Good, because the X1S is exactly perfect for you. Not on a budget? No worries, you’ll enjoy the X1S anyway - whether you're technical or musical, the X1S offers the best of both, so no worries.
 
I can’t find a single “con” with the X1S, sound or otherwise, as much as I would have liked to. Let the X1S show you that you can get truly audiophile (yes, I mean it) sound at an extremely considerable price. So enjoy! I know I will… Buy me a ticket for the hype train, because I want to be the new conductor.
 

 
Introduction:
 
Master & Dynamic has hit the market with a headphone that is as luxurious as a Lamborghini or Ferrari – not only in looks, but product quality as well. Some of us have been through headphones in the $400 price bracket, but mostly have experienced open-back cans. The MH40 is not – leading it to be top of the line in terms of closed-back quality.
 
Closed back and at $400? Why would I spend so much on a portable headphone?
 
Well, the same reason you’d get a Lamborghini, if you could afford one. Producing a headphone is not easy – designing the sound is difficult enough, but then the build quality, materials, and design for mass production limit the options somewhat.
 
The MH40 is an exception to this rule. When you take a look at it, you realize that the creators took every effort to create something beautiful, something unique, that stands out on its own – if I had a personal designer “renovate” one of my headphones, when all is said and done, it couldn’t look nicer than the MH40.
 
It’s the finest headphone I’ve ever seen, period – no matter the price range. So why would you buy a closed-back headphone at $400? Because it doesn’t really get better than this, both outside and in.
 
Packaging & Accessories:
 
The packaging is excellent; on the front is an enlarged picture of the MH40’s ear cup, while the back shows a summary of the MH40 and list of accessories, both in English and in French. Sliding off the cover and open the jet-black box underneath reveals the MH40 in a foam cutout, a round leather case (for the cables and adapter), and a few cards from the makers themselves – one for support, another with a longer explanation of the headphone, and a third with high quality pictures of the said product.
 
And just to go back to the round cable case, it is a fine case, let me tell you. I’ve received $500 IEM’s and the like, and I have never seen such a magnificent case – save Master & Dynamic, who now gave it to me… for the cables, of all things. The packaging exudes so much quality it’s astounding.
 
But we’re not done yet. If you remove the cutout to get to the bottom of the box, you will be greeted by a magnetic clasp, extremely high quality cloth carrying bag, and a very well designed user’s manual. When I say “high quality cloth”, I mean just that, and then some. The cloth is thick, very sturdy, and is better built by far compared to other carrying bags I’ve seen. There is also an extra pocket on the inside of the bag, presumably for cables and the like – a smart move, and one I would love to see implemented on other cases I own. The user manual is also of higher quality than others I own – leading me to think that Master & Dynamic took every single aspect of a headphone and the accessories that come with it, and raised the bar so fast it hit everyone else on the chin. More on that later, though.
 
Let’s talk about the cables for a second. We’re not talking about run-of-the-mill cables here, either – not even $400 headphone’s run-of-the-mill cables. Each of the two cables provided are braided (woven cloth) and have metal straight connectors. This is all standard for audio cables, but what’s not standard here is the design and quality put into the cables. Both looking stunning, and have an ergonomic grip on the housings – much more so than other cables I’ve tried. One cable is 1.25 meters long and has an inline mic/remote (for smartphones), the other being 2 meters long. Adding an extra cable is a nice touch, and well appreciated.
 
So overall? A smashing success, in my opinion. They showed me how much the quality can shine through even in boxing and accessories. To say everything is of high quality here is an understatement – from the carrying bag to the cables, case, and user manual, everything was excellent, and simply much better than what other headphones offer.
 

 
Build Quality, Design, & Comfort:
 
The build quality of the MH40 is something out of a dream. Every part of the headphone is made of the highest quality components I’ve seen – there’s so much of a difference it’s almost absurd. The leather headband is made of premium cowhide, while the ear cups are made of lambskin. Yes, lambskin – Master & Dynamic doesn’t kid around. The high-strain areas sport stainless steel, while the rest of the headphone is a forged aluminum body. We’ve discussed the cables before, but now I’ll say that they are OFC cables, and like I said, of high quality both inside and out.
 
The ear pads are very comfortable memory foam wrapped in lambskin leather, and are extremely forgiving to your head – at 360g, this headphone is not light, but the weight is solely from the high quality components they use – that you probably won’t get anywhere else. When on the head, the MH40’s weight is distributed very fairly, giving you the illusion that it’s lighter than it really is. The headband, while not heavily padded, is comfy as well, and I don’t have any complaints in the comfort department overall. On the contrary, comfort is excellent on the MH40, and I don’t have any suggestions as to how to improve it; that’s pretty much the best compliment I could give here.
 
The headphone adjusts through a slider system – not what I usually call by that name, but a literal “slider” system. It’s well implemented, looks fantastic, and works like a charm. While I have yet to see the long term effects on the adjustment system, from the time I’ve had it I feel confident saying it should hold up just fine. The MH40 sports a mute button as well on the right ear cup - this is the first time I've seen that, and I really like the functionality of it. It can be extremely helpful at work, when someone starts talking to you - instead of fumbling with whatever music player you have running, you simply press the button and begin talking. 
 
The design? While it’s hard to describe it in words, it’s the most stunning part about the MH40 – the look is jaw-dropping. Consider it like the Lamborghini of headphones, it looks that good. I’m going to stop here, because whatever more I say will limit the greatness of the design. But please do refer to the pictures, and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
 
Overall? I’ve used the word “fantastic” too much, and now I need a better word – because fantastic doesn’t cover it here. The MH40 is one of the most comfortable closed-back headphones I’ve worn, has components that outclass all my other headphones entirely, and looks so good I would consider this end-game for design.
 

 
Sound:
 
While I won’t be doing my 15 sound sub-sections like I usually do (since this is a closed back design), don’t let that take away from what I’m going to say.
 
After looking at the design and build components that they used, I though there must be a caveat. After all, companies have a limited budget, and if they spent most of it on the fabulous design and premium components, there wouldn’t be much left for the sound. Thus, I was afraid that the MH40 would be geared for a mainstream audience, and as such wouldn’t sound good/accurate to us head-fi’ers, who really care about the quality of our music.
 
Boy, I was wrong. Like “epic fail” kind of wrong. I was the one who failed, of course.
 
I plugged these into the Shozy Alien, and simply haven’t unplugged them since. Mainstream sound? I think not. Hip hop, rap, and the like are genres I pretty much hate with a passion, yet feeding it audiophile quality recordings did not disappoint me in the least. The MH40 has a smooth sound - yes, and isn’t a Beyer T90 in terms of detail – no. But the MH40 does so much right that even at this price range, the sound holds its own. The bass, while slightly above neutral (and I do mean very slight), is layered, detailed, and overall excellent, while the mids and highs are as perfect as can be. Instruments of all kinds sound excellent, whether it be piano, guitar, violin, drums, or cello. Electronic music sounds fantastic on it too – while the bass is hardly “boosted”, it carries a nice punch that isn’t anywhere near “basshead” scary, and the coherence of the sound spectrum is perfection – everything works together, not against each other. And while I’ve seen headphones where the bass, mids, and treble are over the place and devastatingly separate, all three on the MH40 are a whole, one unit. It has an addictive sound that is hard to stay away from, while staying very true to the source. The only potential downside I can think of is the average soundstage – but as a closed-back portable, that’s inevitable, and should be expected.
 
The MH40 is by far my favorite headphone unamped out of the Shozy Alien, and that says something important about this headphone – its sound is not to be underestimated.
 
Value & Conclusion:
 
It may seem that I'm overhyped about this headphone - and that's because it deserves it, every bit. Do I sound exaggerated? Good, because everything about this headphone is about as great as it can get. At $400, the MH40 is not cheap. But you get a heck of a lot of value, much more than is expected at this price range. They’ve not only done everything right, Master & Dynamic has gone way beyond that here. Looking for sound quality? You’ll get it here, absolutely. You’re looking for the best looking headphone money can buy you? I challenge you to find a better looking headphone. Workmanship that is second to none? You can stop searching – the MH40 is definitely the headphone you’re looking for.
 

I was actually going to do a quick summary on a thread about this, but now that I see it has its own section, I'll do a quick review.
 
*Please forgive the quality of the pictures. I did not have my regular camera at the time, and these were the best I could get of the substitute camera. Also, the Hengja under review was provided to me by Pandora of Brainwavz. I would like to thank her for the sample, and congratulate the engineers behind this. The Hengja is truly a job well done.*
 
Packaging:
 
The Hengja came in a small package, and didn't waste any space making it look bigger than it actually is. Despite that, I actually like the plastic packaging, and think it's fitting for the Hengja to come in that. It definitely looks more expensive that a $15 accessory, and looks nicer than packages I've received 3 times the price. Well done.
 

 
Build Quality & Design:
 
The build is all metal. Like ALL metal. For such a price, I was not expecting this level of workmanship. Each of the pieces fit well with one another, and completely avoids the problem of parts being loose, as is the case with many cheap accessories. I could literally play catch with this, and throw it on the ground a couple of times (although why you would want to do that, I don't know), and it would remain as intact as it was originally.
 
To tighten the Hengja on the bookshelf, you need a screwdriver or knife of sorts, but this is to be expected. I do think a tightening clasp on the bottom would be an easier option, but I'm fine the way it is too. Once in place, the Hengja barely moves, if at all, and could more than certainly support the weight of your headphone, despite its small size. The plate on which your headphone rests on is angled, to adjust to the headband shape of most cans. Out of the 4-5 headphones I've tried, all 4-5 fit well on the resting plate, and did not seem to be strained in any way.
 

 
Value & Conclusion:
 
I've searched all over the internet for a reliable (and non-generic) headphone stand of sorts, and many of them were very expensive. I just want something to rest my headphones on. And then comes the Hengja - at $15, it is as affordable as it can get, ergonomic, small enough to be portable, completely smooth and brushed metal finish, and works to a "T". It also can be placed on any reasonable sized bookshelf - a huge plus that saves a large amount of space.
 
At last, after years of waiting, we now have an accessory that properly mounts our headphones, at an extremely reasonable price, with many added bonuses as well. Should you get it? There is no question about it - YES.
 

Introduction:



HiFiMAN needs no introduction. As everyone knows, they’ve been one of the most active companies in the audio market, and have introduced some solid products, including (but not limited to) their acclaimed flagship, the HE-1000.



This HE400S model, however, needs a little preface. HiFiMAN produced the HE-400 in 2012, and many Head-fi’ers enjoyed its sound. Not stopping there, they released another model in the series, the HE-400i, in early 2014, and many praised its sound quality as well. However, price tags for the HE-400i run at about $450-$500, which is substantially more than the HE-400’s (now closeout) $300 standpoint.



Looking at the price discrepancy, HiFiMAN decided to come out with the HE400S, another revision on the original HE-400, providing even better sound than the original while keeping the price at a low $300. The HE400S takes a departure from the original by using beveled ear pads, a more comfortable headband design, and plug-in connectors – all the result of the new discoveries they’ve made with better technology and design. As such, there is much improved besides for the sound differences; at 22 ohms, it’s extremely efficient, and is lighter and more comfortable as well.



You may feel like I’m focusing too much on the price here. I’m doing so because of the major discussion regarding the “budget king” of headphones. Over the years, the Sennheiser HD 600 has been regarded as overall one of the best audiophile headphones with a relatively low price tag. While it isn’t cheap at $250-$300, many have decided to go with them as their primary headphone, and haven’t felt the need to upgrade further. Seldom do I find a HD 600 owner that is unhappy with it. As such, it isn’t surprising that many write great reviews of it, and it is actually rated the #2 over-ear headphone on Head-fi! I’ve had the pleasure of listening to the HD 600 in the past, and as arguably the budget king of headphones, it will be interesting to see how they fare against the new HiFiMAN HE400S, which can essentially be had at the same price.



The other “budget” headphone that has been garnering huge attention on Head-fi is the new AKG K7XX, the joint effort of Massdrop and AKG that was introduced only 8 months ago. At $200, it has a massive price/performance ratio, and over 2500 pairs were sold in the first week alone. While not always available, Massdrop has made every effort to list a few hundred pairs every 2-3 months. I myself got one of the first 400 pairs during the first week, and have been extremely happy with it as my primary headphone. While picky when it comes to equipment and power needs, with the right amplifiers it sounds phenomenal. It is no wonder that everyone recommends the K7XX when someone asks for a great budget headphone. Many believe that it goes side by side with the HD 600 when it comes to the budget king, yet others say it surpasses the Sennheiser cans. As it stands, the AKG K7XX is undisputedly the best open-back headphone at $200, and known as a “giant killer,” it would be wrong for me not to compare it to the HE400S.



Many great headphones are getting introduced into the market in the “budget” range, generally under $500. This only benefits us Head-fi’ers – now even us poor men can still get our hands on a good pair of cans. Because of this, it is all the more important to compare and contrast headphones, to maximize the opportunity we now have. So without further ado, let’s get right into it!



Packaging & Accessories:



The HE400S came in a light gray box, with a picture of the headphones on the front, and specifications on the back. When I opened the box, I was greeted by the HE400S, and the cable. If I had to describe the packaging in one word, it would be “clean”. There’s no frills or distractions on the box, and none inside it either. There’s no extra accessories to speak of, and frankly it doesn’t need any. It does, though, come with a warranty card, a HiFiMAN contact card, ¼’’ headphone adapter, and an owner’s manual. The warranty card and manual comes in both English and Chinese, so there shouldn’t be any language confusion there.



In short, the packaging is nice and simple, and while it doesn’t look as fancy as the boxes other headphones come in, I personally am not too bothered by that. I do wish though that they would have made a bit more of an effort in this area – many people spending $300 on this headphone want it to look good in the box as well as out. This is a minor nitpick though, and it definitely shouldn’t make or break the decision to buy these.






Build Quality & Design:



The quality of the HE400S is definitely one of its strong points. The headband arch is made of metal, and the headband itself of a nice leather. While the outside ring of the cups and the hinge are made of glossed plastic, it doesn’t by any means take away from the build of the HE400S. The look, though, suffers a bit from the glossed plastic in initial impressions, but you get used to it after a day or two. The back of the cups has metal grills, and I’m pretty happy with that.



The earpads are well made and soft. While they don’t look fancy, they do the job well, and that’s what counts - more on that later. The cable is also one of the best made cables I’ve seen in this price range. It happens to be braided, and has two ends that connect to the headphone, one for each side. It feels really solid, and is definitely better than my AKG K7XX cable by far.



Clamping force may be a bit strong for some – it definitely isn’t loose on the head. If I remember correctly from my time with the HD 600’s, the HE400S has less clamping force than the infamous Sennheiser’s though , so I would only suggest caution for those with large heads. The headphone adjusts using a slider system, which seems more solid than other headphones with this system I’ve tried. The leather headband at the top is thin and comfortable, and despite that, doesn’t feel flimsy at all.



Overall, build quality is really top notch – these will last for quite a long time. While there can be some things improved in the overall look, the design works very well, and I have no complaints there either. The parts seem to be built like a tank, and there is good potential for upgrading the pads if need be. Well done, HiFiMAN. The quality is well above what you’d expect at $300.






Comfort:



The ear pads are soft, and a mix of pleather and velour. While its looks don’t impress so much in person, and I can’t say what material they used as cushioning (it’s not memory foam), I can confirm they are extremely comfortable and can be worn for hours without fatigue. The pads themselves are sloped, to direct the sound properly, and I found it very comfortable as such. Do note that medium to bigger ears may touch the outer ring of the pad, but – surprisingly enough - it doesn’t affect the comfort, at least in my experience. I asked HiFiMAN whether they can reduce the width of the “outer ring” of the pads, to make more room for the ear, and will hopefully be back with an update soon.



Despite everything in the last paragraph, the HE400S is one of the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn in this price range, and is definitely the most firm. I had slight problems with the AKG K7XX headband that it seemed too loose while worn. The HE400S has none of that - the headband system is solid, and despite having slightly large ears, I had no problems with comfort when it came to the ear pads either. The design/look of the pads can be greatly improved with the HiFiMAN focus pads, but as a home-use headphone, I think we can all agree that function comes before aesthetics. And stay tuned for the next section – there’s some very good news there indeed.






Sound:



This is where the HE400S really shines. First off, before any testing, it’s already unique with being an orthodynamic/planar magnetic headphone at this price. I won’t go into the differences between planar and dynamic headphones, but suffice it to say that planar have their benefits. It is also incredibly efficient at 22 ohms. This is not a small feat - it means good results with portable players and phones, even without an amp – which is huge.



Equipment Suggestions: For this I would like to elaborate on that last point. Many people were not happy with the results from their portable devices, and started to blame HiFiMAN for deceiving them. I would just like to say that it is extremely important to have a good DAC for great results. The HE400S is a very unforgiving headphone – if there’s any limitations with your soundcard, DAC, or player capabilities, you will hear it with this pair of cans. There’s more of a need for the amplifier to bring out the details and soundstage, rather than “the cans need more power”. If your source sounds bad with the HE400S, chances are it is a bad source, rather than a headphone requirement.



So given all that was said, these headphones are demanding – maybe for power, but definitely for a great source. I found this out when I paired the HE400S with the Shozy Alien – one of the best sounding music players under $700, with and without an amp (the Beyerdynamic A20). Although it sounded much better with the A20, it definitely sounded great without it too. So to get the full potential? A smackin’ good amplifier is necessary. But even what is more required is a source that is nothing short of rave reviews, because I can promise you, that is where the true potential lies with these cans.



Bass: As a planar magnetic headphone, these are supposed to do bass better than dynamic headphone – and they do, quite well. The bass is solid on here, and a strong point of the HE400S in general. Coming in at full force, it is very layered, extended, and anything but tame. Some may find these slightly abrasive, because the bass is so strong; all others will enjoy what this has to offer. The lower end is also quite warm, but isn’t bloated – though any more would be categorized as such. It’s also pretty flat in terms of quantity – I don’t hear any bass “bumps” along the lower end. While it remains quite large, it stays evenly large to my ears, and no sub, mid, or upper bass surprises. Sub-bass is great on normal listening tracks, although lower than 30hz and it’s kinda hard to hear, but that’s expected. Sub-bass music tracks did quite well, so I’m happy with it. Just don’t expect this to be a subwoofer, and you’ll be fine.



The good thing about the HE400S is that the bass doesn’t bleed into the mids – ever. There’s always enough “space” for each part of the frequency to play out on its own, and not interfere with each other. When it comes to volume, it may seem like the HE400S is slightly loud– since when the mids and highs are at normal hearing levels, the bass is a bit stronger and louder than the other two, in my experience. Deep drums are absolutely fantastic, and there’s the “thump” everyone loves – not thunderously loud, like with bassy headphones, but there.



The thing is, if someone would call the HE400S a “bassy” or “bass oriented” headphone, I would vehemently argue. Yeah, there’s bass, but at the same time it’s done in a moderation where it becomes a part of the frequency, like it should, and not a summary of the overall sound. Think of the K7XX – sure, it has a bass bump, but the sound is so much more than that. I would say the same applies here.



Mids: I thought the bass was good, but oh boy, the vocals are even better. Listening to Sultans of Swing, their voices really shocked me the first time I listened to them. The only thing I can say is the detail and clarity are unreal- this is basically the next best thing after a live performance. If your equipment is good, then the vocals will really shine here, male or female. Vocal lovers will love this headphone, hands down.



Instruments don’t disappoint either. Guitars are fantastic and captivating, and pianos sound good too – albeit a bit “stronger” on the lower end than neutral because of the bass. While we’re on the subject, violins sound simply excellent as part of the high end. Cellos, as an example of the bass, sound much cleaner than expected, which is a relief, and are brilliant overall.



Highs: The high end here isn’t what I would call tame. However, since the rest of the frequency is so “forward,” it’s easy to see why someone might think so. It doesn’t get left behind though – not in the slightest. Highs are as present as ever, and may even be a bit bright on some electronic tracks. Everything else sounds neither bright or flat – but perfectly in middle, like I would want them to be. They sound great, too – drums leave nothing to be desired, and neither do violins. While I won’t write much else here, there’s not much else to be said – I enjoy the highs immensely, and it brings the entire sound spectrum together. It’s clear, spacious, and detailed – everything I could want for this section. They are more laid back than the bass or mids, but are in no way cold – the perfect place for highs, in my opinion.



Soundstage: Larger than average, but still snug. These have enough “legroom”, while refraining from sounding too spacious. Front and back have slightly more depth than left/right, but still sounds great nonetheless. These may not do justice to the orchestral stage, but are spacious enough with a good amplifier to enjoy orchestras too. Straight from a PC, these may sound slightly claustrophobic. Same goes for any other good headphone though, so to get the best out of these, use good equipment.



Instrument Separation: The separation is fantastic on the HE400S. With a slightly warm signature, you’d think this is lacking, but not in the slightest. While these cans are not reference geared, they put a mighty good effort in this regard.



Coloration: There’s not much coloration, if any, in the HE400S. However, it is darker sounding, in addition to having a planar magnetic signature, so it may take a bit of time to get used to.



Imaging: This is another strong point of the HE400S; imaging is done to a “T”, and there is a very 3D-like effect that is easy to enjoy. You can tell where each instrument comes from, and front-to-back differentiation is done very well here.



Detail & Extension: The detail aspect is the crowning glory of the HE400S, so to speak. Lows, mids, and highs are all loaded with detail, and it especially comes to play by vocals and the lower end in general. This will play a huge role in the HE400S vs. HD 600 shootout later, so stay tuned.



Coherency & Flow: It isn’t as great as some of the other headphones I’ve tried, but still decent nonetheless. The HE400S goes in the “audiophile” category, rather than the “smooth” or “enjoyable” category of headphones, at least for me, so that takes some impact on the flow of the headphone.



Immersion Factor: Despite what I just said, the immersion factor is actually quite good here. While it isn’t the usual get-in-the-groove type, it’s actually pretty easy to, well, get in the groove. You aren’t going to sleep to the HE400S, but you will block out other things and focus on the music.



Genre Recommendation: Electric guitars and otherwise “harsh” sounds will sound more abrasive on the HE400S. EDM is great here, dubstep is not. Classical music is interesting in that given the sound signature, I thought it would fail epic-ly, but to my surprise it did very well for most of my classical collection. Like I said before, most instruments sound fantastic with these set of cans, with the possible exception of piano pieces. Regardless, acoustic music performs well here. Electronic music will be an amazing ride on these – just don’t pair it with harsh songs and it should do just great.



Vocals, like I said before, are simply sublime. So hip hop, rap, opera, etc. will sound fantastic. Rock music may fall into the first category, just given its nature, metal and heavy metal definitely do. Just think of the genres you usually listen to – if they seem “harsh,” be careful. All other genres I’ve tried do great.



Sound Summary: The HE400S offers a prominent but nuanced bass, excellent mids, and highs that don’t disappoint. While the planar magnetic sound may seem “bigger” to some compared to dynamic headphones, and the sound is of a darker nature, it doesn’t take much time to get used to, and after that you can treat yourself to a sweet audiophile-type headphone – the details it produces are well above what most headphones offer in this price range.



Now, let’s do some comparisons. I’ve used a variety of equipment for this, and good ones too, so no complaining :



HiFiMAN HE400S vs Sennheiser HD 600:





HiFiMAN HE400S vs AKG/Massdrop K7XX:





Value & Conclusion:



The HE400S probably isn’t a headphone that will “wow” you on the first listen - it has a dark signature, and as a planar, also has a unique sound that’s different than most dynamic models. But after a few days of listening, it’s clear that the HE400S is a solid contender, and worth much more than its asking price. It’s incredibly efficient, sounds freakishly detailed, and not only blew the HD 600 out of the water, but also outperformed the K7XX in many areas. So the two budget kings? In my opinion, there are now three.





- Avishai Zitron

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Introduction & Design:
 
Aiaiai isn’t a company often mentioned on Head-fi, and may strike you as one that doesn’t have enough sound to hold its own in the massive competition of the headphone world.
 
…Not exactly, though. Although there are more companies in the audio world than I can count, Aiaiai actually brings something incredibly new to the table. I’m not talking about a new look, a bass mod, or a new driver technology that would even change the way headphones work forever.
 
Nah. In my opinion, this is bigger. What they introduced is so genius, so innovative, I’m left wondering why other companies haven’t started going along this new route. But the bigger question is why they haven’t gotten recognition in the headphone world, if only for this idea they produced?
 
Enough already! What did they create that is blowing my mind? Well, to put it simply, modular headphones.
 
And before you start googling the word “modular,” let me explain. What I’m talking about is a system where each individual part is chosen from a selection of choices. Say you like the sound, but want a more comfortable headband? No problem, there’s 3 different headbands you can choose from, for your very own headphone. 5 different earpads. 4 different drivers. And even 6 different cables, for crying out loud (I’m not just talking about color here). What this achieves is a way to satisfy everyone, by letting you choose exactly what you want for your headphone, and switching parts when needed, or when you want to try something new.
 
As all we K701 and T50rp owners know, pads go a long way in changing the sound. So taking in the math, there are really 20 different sound profiles to choose from. And to save you the time of buying all of them and trying out the combinations yourself to guess which blend you like best, they did it for you.
 
Not only that, they also included a detailed sound graph, specifications, a concise sound profile for those fearful of graphs (like me), genre recommendations, and an overall summary including the isolation and soundstage of each one.
 
And when I say each one, I mean every combination of drivers and pads they have. So… what can clearly be seen here is a huge effort to cater to everyone’s sound profiles and to give a plethora of details, even the grumpiest sound engineer should be happy with.
 
But people not so knee-deep into details should also have a smooth time. Besides for the non-fearful looking sound profile and genre recommendations I mentioned earlier, there is another section of the website where you can choose the configuration you want from presets the sound engineers arranged themselves (i.e. studio preset, DJ preset, all-around preset, etc.).
 
There are, as well, choices based on artist configurations, functions, and music genres. So if you aren’t as technical as some of the other head-fi’ers out there, all you have to do is pick the genre you like and a headphone pops up that was built for the type of music you listen to.
 
Their design of the TMA-2 is a massive bonus in my book, and I have to compliment the marketing team for the obvious success this has yielded. Making 20 different sound graphs for the sound combinations alone is a feat I haven’t seen anywhere else before, but to then offer all the other options as well is just amazing.
 
So, in short, there are a few things I am really impressed with already:
 
1. The interchangeable parts on the TMA-2, as well as the wide variety of options for each part of the headphone. This makes it super easy and very cost-effective to change parts if one breaks, or if you want a new combination without breaking the bank.
 
2. The detail given to each component, as well as the many different ways Aiaiai caters to your preferences, each path thought out well, informative, and thorough, so you can gleam the best to get the headphone you want.
 
3. The way each part is priced differently, so that staying within your budget becomes a cinch. This may not seem like much, but as a college student, I can identify with a headphone being just out of my budget. With a modular system, that will only rarely happen.
 

 
Packaging, Assembly, & Build Quality:
 
The TMA-2’s box looks well made, and is a fitting option for the TMA-2 to come with. It has a stealthy black look, and doesn’t shower you with needless information that some manufacturers choose to opt for. On the side is some information about your preset, as well as some “tech specs” and a bit of the parts’ features. The back has a short summary of the usefulness of a modular headphone, and also has a simple, no-frills look. How the front of box looks will differ whether you chose a preset, or built the configuration yourself. If you chose a preset, the front of the box will show you a picture of the headphone on a black background; if not, there’s just a plain black cover. Either way though, it instantly gives an air of authority before you even open the box. The no-frills design is definitely a plus in my book.
 
When you take off the cover, you are greeted by a letter in a black envelope from Aiaiai that provides information on your preset, or a summary of the TMA-2’s goals, depending on the route you chose. It really has an official look to it, and is a really nice touch to the overall opening of the TMA-2.
 
On the other side of the letter, there is a set of illustrated instructions on how to assemble the TMA-2. Even if you miss this part though, assembly is very user-friendly, and if you didn’t see the instructions it’s easy to assemble as well. Many people missed this in their reviews (including me at first), and just proceeded to assemble the headphone with little to no difficulty, so the instructions were not even needed in most cases. They are there for your benefit though, so I’m glad Aiaiai included the instruction for a just-in-case scenario.
 
Each of the 4 parts are sealed within sturdy packaging of their own, which says the type of part as well as the model type on the outside. Putting the parts together is extremely intuitive and takes less than a minute. It also doesn’t matter which part you put together before the next, as it’s a simple process, and there’s no set order. The earcups slide into place with the headband, the earpads pop right onto the cups with little effort, and the cables snap into place easily, as well as lock when turned. I was expecting the pads to be harder to assemble, but I was surprised to see how easy it is to snap them on and off.
 
I just want to note that the earpads have cut-outs to make room for the cable plugs, so make sure you don’t block the connectors. In other words, line up the pads' indentations with the cable connectors and you’ll be fine. Other than that, there isn’t much to keep in mind while assembling the TMA-2.
 
Even though assembly is a cinch, there’s no issue of loose parts (at least in my configurations), and build quality is impressive for parts as interchangeable as these. While the earcups do move around a bit, this is intended as it helps provide a better fit later on, and is in no way an indication of shoddy workmanship. Since these are my primary portable over-ear I use, I carry them around a lot, and there doesn’t seem to be any wear or tear yet.
 
Overall, I’m happy with the build quality, assembly, and packaging – while Aiaiai is taking a risk by providing the parts separately instead of sending an assembled headphone, the process is easy to do and quite fun. However, some customers may find issue with the DIY process, and for the price might want a more official, assembled headphone. So if I would have any suggestions to Aiaiai, it would be perhaps to provide an “assembled” option on the website – although it would take away from the emphasis of a modular headphone, I think giving the option does little harm. However, they’ve done a great job already in my opinion, and this is a minor suggestion. I’m generally a bit picky with these sections, and they’ve satisfied me well here.
 
   
 
The Parts:
 
I’ll discuss the parts now for a little bit, just to give an overall idea of each of the 4 types, as well as an overall impression of each one. Each part comes in black, which is a fine choice of color in my opinion - picky customers are usually satisfied with black, lol. Each part is priced differently as well, so you can adjust the parts to your budget pretty easily.
 
Headband: There’s 3 types to choose from. I got the 2^nd and 3^rd choice, and both are holding up quite well. The H03 type (H03 = 3^rd choice) has a pretty thick padding that seems to have an emphasis on sturdiness and longevity rather than the memory-foam comfort I’m used to, but it’s quite comfortable regardless, and has lasted through quite a bit while I’ve had it without really any wear.
 
The H02 model (just a reminder: H02 = 2^nd choice) has a skinnier headband, and is easier to wear for me. Also sturdily built, I have no complaints about either headband. The H02 is slightly more portable, although I would have no problem wearing either one in the street.
 
I would just like to throw out that the H03 model is a thick headband, so it leaves less room for someone with a bigger head to adjust the earcups to. So I would recommend people with medium to large heads to be careful when choosing the H03 model, because you’ll be losing a lot of the adjustment to the headband.
 
The two short cable-ends come out of the cushions on both sides, and snap into place with the earcups. The cables and connectors are color-coded (red into red for one side, and black cable into black connector for the other), so there’s no concern over mixing up which side up the headband each earcup goes into. There are also large L/R marking on each side of the cushioning, which is a welcome sight, especially after the last few experiences with new headphones where the L/R markings weren’t so prominent. This saves a lot of headache, and I’m glad it’s there.
 
Earcups / Speaker Units: The earcups itself are solidly built, and has a smooth finish to it. It feels like it’s made from some type of hard rubber/plastic, although it actually feels nicer than both. The earcups slide onto the headband on either side - the way to adjust the TMA-2 is through a slider system.
 
Like I’ve said, the short cable plugs on the headband snap into the earcups, and the regular cable can go into either over-ear cup. This is really great not only for DJ’s, but is a useful feature for regular consumers too. In terms of portability, it helps for keeping the cable on the same side of the pocket your player/phone is in – I was looking for this feature for a while on my headphones, and am really glad that the TMA-2 utilizes it.
 
There are four different types of speaker units, and are geared towards different crowds, so more on that in the sound section.
 
Ear Pads: There’s 5 different earpads to choose from; 3 on-ear types, and 2 over-ear types. The 2 earpads I have are the 2 over-ear designs (E04 and E05), so I can’t comment on the on-ear ones, but the models I have are both very comfortable, well built, and nicely designed. Since the TMA-2 is a portable headphone (for the most part anyway), I was paying special attention to the earpads to see whether they’d be too large, or look funky. However, they both look fine, and are great for portable use. The ones I have are made from memory-foam, and you can feel that right away. While my ears do touch the sides of the pads, and it isn’t as comfortable as the huge over-ear types (where it leaves you with enough room for your ears to be completely free), it provides a great example of portability while staying over-ear at the same time.
 
Cable: 6 types of cable to choose from, geared for different types of use. The long, coiled cables are for studio use, where people often need more than the conventional 4-foot cable length. The braided types are great for DJ use, or even for regular day to day use – the braid ensures it doesn’t get cut, and gives extra protection to the cable. There’s also a cable with a one button inline microphone, which functions for a dual use – you can both control calls and control your music with this cable; there’s another cable for Apple devices. This has been thought out really well, and I’m really impressed they went the extra mile to give so many different options – it really helps when you don’t have to worry about replacing the cable because – well, it just doesn’t fit the situation you need it for. Well done, Aiaiai.
 
The cables are SOLID. I would have thought that with a mainstream-type headphone the cable quality would be neglected, but oh boy I was mistaken. I only have two of the 6 models of cables, but the two I have are built to a “T”; sturdy, but not stiff, and look like they can last at least a good couple of years. One of them are coiled – the coil was done well, and is perfect for studio use. The braided one I received was done well too – snags won’t tear this cable anytime in the future. Overall I’m extremely happy with the cable quality, and applaud the team at Aiaiai who thought this out – there’s certainly results.
 

 
Warranty:
 
This doesn’t usually catch my eye, but I took a look at the warranty and almost did a double take – in a good way. Aiaiai provides a 3-year warranty on all the parts! I’m always afraid my lower-end headphones will break after a year or two, and with a modular headphone that each part is separate, I was afraid even more. Fear not! If you aren’t sold on the idea, this should give you enough confidence to buy it. I really don’t know any headphones under $200 that have this long of a warranty. This just shows how much Aiaiai takes pride in their build quality and workmanship; if you’re worried about it breaking, which you shouldn’t, the 3-year warranty should have you relax.
 
Sound:
 
The sound section is a bit tricky on this one, because of the 20 different sound profiles, so I can’t really provide my normal sound section. What I will say though is that since these are geared to a more mainstream-music crowd, many of the configurations are quite bass heavy. I personally avoid the bassy stuff, as it’s not what I enjoy in music.
 
One of the configurations I received was the Studio preset. While I was on the fence because the description stated that it does have a large bass response, I ended up getting it. When I started listening to it, I realized that it isn’t “studio” in the conventional sense, i.e. flat sounding and neutral. These are for the hip-hop studios and such. So those looking for a more neutral sound should probably either choose drivers S01 or S02. I actually enjoy the S01 speaker over the S03, primarily because the S01 is more balanced in general, but then again I am biased against bass-heavy headphones, so just keep that in mind.
 
The TMA-2 absolutely NEEDS burn-in, and lots of it. It doesn’t amaze me out of the box, but after a good 40-50 hours of uninterrupted burn-in, it sounds much better. The sound works for me as a portable headphone, although you have to be careful on which type of sound you choose. The bass really shapes up after burn-in in the more bassy configurations, and the TMA-2 is easy to get into sound-wise.
 
I did get different results with different pads on the same driver, and it was really fun trying out the different sound profiles and options without dropping a huge amount of money. All of them sound quite fun, and is better-sounding than the average “mainstream” headphone, in my opinion.
 
Isolation and soundstage are earpad dependent – luckily they give you these on each configuration online, and you can choose which one is the best for your situation. I found the information to be very accurate in terms of soundstage and isolation, on my configurations, and would definitely rely on them.
 
Overall, you can get the exact sound you want if you spend a bit of time on the configurator. Isolation and soundstage, too, are different with each arrangement, and can be tweaked around too. If you don’t blunder by getting a bassy TMA-2 when you’re a more of a balanced guy, and don’t expect open-back sound from a portable headphone like this, the sound should live up to its expectations.
 
Value & Conclusion:
 
Aiaiai has brought us a truly unique method, one I hope will continue for a while. The system of interchangeable parts is nothing short of genius, and the detail invested into helping each customer make the right choice is unparalleled. I had an immense amount of fun choosing the configuration that would be the best for me, and the way Aiaiai designed everything is really fantastic. While a bit on the pricey side for its parts, looking at the 3 year warranty and the unique system I realize that it is well worth the price. I know head-fi’ers that spend hundreds or even thousands on equipment – this is an absolute must for your collection, if only for the design and the inherent “modular” quality of this headphone. For people who only need one headphone, this will fit your bill as well – and is incredibly easy to upgrade later if you want. I haven’t seen a more brilliant result of headphone marketing, and I’m glad to have experienced this ride. The TMA-2 is definitely a yes from me.
 
If there was one thing I would recommend to add to this excellent work, it would be to have an “audiophile” preset, and to perhaps cater a tiny bit more to those who are into the headphone world. Besides for that, I am genuinely impressed with what Aiaiai has done with the TMA-2. Enjoy!
 

 
Introduction:
 
Westone is definitely not new in the audiophile world; they have a large range of quality IEM’s that have been praised time and time again. Among these are the W40, a quad (balanced armature) driver IEM with a 3 way crossover. For anyone new to the concept of multi-driver in ear monitors, each driver focuses on a specific part of the frequency range. A triple-driver IEM might have one driver (speaker) for the bass frequency, one for the mids, and one for the highs. More drivers generally mean that each one can focus more precisely on the range they were meant to produce, so you could expect a smoother and cleaner sound.
 
Westone claims the technology of the W40 provides astonishing clarity, as well as extreme comfort. I’ve also heard rumors of up to 25dB of ambient noise reduction, which to my knowledge is considered outstanding isolation from a universal monitor. So although I’ll go through everything in detail, special attention will be given to these categories. Will they live up to their potential? Let’s find out.
 
Packaging:
 
The W40’s packaging is something you might expect from a flagship model – I was definitely surprised it here. There’s all sorts of interesting information about the W40 and its build quality on the back of the box, as well as technical specs and accessories on the side. When you slide off the outside cover, you get to see one of the best designed grey boxes you’ve ever seen. No jokes. I personally don’t care much for boxes and packaging in general, and this seriously, seriously impressed me.
 
Imagine there was a $30,000 Orpheus IEM? This is the box it should be put in, if my vote counts for anything. It literally screams “High end product here!” Just opening the W40 to this should bring a smile to your face.
 
Opening the side flap, we have a simplistic, yet elegant view of the W40, the extra faceplates (which I’ll discuss in a little bit), and a quick insertion guide. I’m personally relieved to see the guide there, as IEM fits can get quite daunting. Overall – elegant, and high quality packaging for a high quality product. Westone definitely did it right.
 

 
Accessories:
 
The W40 comes with a nice amount of accessories. Starting with the eartips, the W40’s default tips are quite comfortable – but if that isn’t enough for your sound tastes, feel, and comfort, Westone also provides a huge assortment of extra tips – 4 pairs of STAR silicon tips of different sizes (in addition to the pair that comes on the W40), and 5 pairs of Weston’s True-Fit foam tips in different sizes as well. Both of the variations of tips are Westone’s own products – a confident move on their part that worked well, and assures quality accessories.
 
The silicone tips are outstanding in terms of durability and comfort, and the foam tips are excellent in this regard as well. The different sizes ensure that you get the tip that fits best with your ear, no matter the shape or size. Foam tips are usually known to have more bass response than silicone tips, however, that also will depend on the tip and seal the tips have in your ear, so YMMV. The True-Fit foam tips also feel of great quality, and are softer, as well as smoother, than Comply foam tips some other companies opt for instead. All the tips are color coded, so you don’t have a confusion frenzy. The colors are nicely diverse, so there’s very little to no mixing up of the tips.
 

 
The W40 also come with an extra cable; one cable has an inline remote (for phones, playback, etc.) and the other is a braided, high quality cable. In the “build quality” section, I’ll discuss them a bit more, so hang in there until then! I would like to say here though that I like the idea of providing an extra cable, as it’s not uncommon for some customers to break one. If they do though, there’s another cable waiting for them in the box.
 
One set of accessories I’d like to focus on is the carrying case and cleaning tools. The case provided is a nice, vibrant, orange color, and is lined on the inside with foam. As for the build quality of the case itself, it is rock solid. It opens extremely smoothly, and although it is built out of hard plastic, I would take one of these any day over the metal cases I’ve seen. It is seriously built like a tank – very impressive on Westone’s part.
 
The case itself is moisture resistant, and even has what (to me) looks like an air seal valve. If there is a case you need to take with you on a long trip, this is the one I’d recommend. It’s small, yet built to survive most impacts and weather changes. It locks securely as well, yet isn’t a pain to open. I can’t even think of anything I would want to have improved, which is a first when it comes to earphone cases I’ve reviewed, so I’m very happy with the work they’ve done here. Westone really nailed this one.
 

 
The W40 comes with an option to change faceplates, as well as two pairs of extra faceplates – one pair red, the other

blue. Very convenient for those that want to have the two earpieces different colors to color-code the left/right earpiece – well thought out on the designer’s part. Of course, you could stick with the black plates that come by default on the W40 as well, if customization isn’t your thing.
 
Overall, I’m a big fan of the W40’s accessories – they included in premium quality the accessories that are used most often, and left out a lot of unneeded accessories that other companies may include to impress customers, but aren’t exactly practical or useful. The case – I’m a massive fan of. The tips? Done right, and that’s not easy to do. The customizable faceplates? A smart option for those who like to color-code their IEM’s. The wax cleaning tool is important for all sorts of customers – that doesn’t need explanation. And lastly, their choice to include an extra cable is well appreciated. Perhaps my only suggestion would be to have the better, braided cable on the Westone by default, instead of the cable that includes the mic – most customers buying in this price range will opt for the Epic cable, and so to have to change the cable is a slight nuisance that can easily be avoided. Besides for that, though, I’m thoroughly impressed with what accessories they’ve given to accompany the W40.
 
Build Quality & Design:
 
The housing itself is made of shiny plastic, but it’s still built well nonetheless. The W40 is meant to be worn over the ear, so the shape of the housing may look a little different than some other IEM’s you’ve seen, although it has a similar shape to the Shure SE846. On one side of the housing, you have the model of the IEM (W40, in this case) displayed, and on the other side, you have a nice, large left/right marking.
 
Because the W40 is all black, both the “W40” displayed and the “L/R” markings are easy to read and don’t cause you to strain your eyes. This is something many companies I’ve seen don’t do well; by those IEM’s I have to look all over to find which one is left and which one is right. Here, though, it’s quite simple, and should be effortless even for those who are vision-impaired. I just want to point out that the “W40” faceplate can be replaced with one of the two other faceplates, for those who want.
 

 
The all-black design provides a nice, sleek look to the IEM, although some may nitpick about the shiny coating not looking “professional enough.” However, I for one adore the design, and in my opinion looks a lot better than Shure’s “clear” design – to me, clear designs give the IEM a DIY look, while Westone’s look more professional, in my personal opinion. Each has their pros and cons though, so to each I must say YMMV. For those who want a little more variety in color, you can replace the black “W40” faceplate with either the red or blue faceplate, giving it a bit of a more vivid look.
 
The connection between the cable and the housing is quite strong, no matter whether you are using the iOS compatible cable or the EPIC cable. Moving on to the connectors themselves, there seems to be a bit of wiggle room, but not as much that it can be called “loose.” I personally had some trouble removing the default cable to replace it with the EPIC one, and I hope the wiggle-room isn’t a result from the strain I put on the W40’s connectors. However, no one else seemed to have this problem, so let’s leave it at that.
 
The cable I will talk about is the EPIC cable, because it is supposedly the better of the two. There is a thin line of memory wire near the connectors, which makes it easy for you to wear it over the ear comfortably, and once you mold the wire to the outline of your ear you probably won’t have to do it again. The actual cable is thin, but braided, giving it a competent look. I wouldn’t be worried about the longevity of the cable though – it looks sturdy enough to last a while. It is also thin, which is great because bulky cables are a nuisance to carry around, and thinner cable are more flexible in general.
 
The Y-split is made of plastic, and is very light. One thing that originally concerned me was the lack of stress relief leading up to the Y-split, but then I realized that the Y-split itself has some stress relief in its housing.
 
The 3.5mm jack is right-angled, and the housing is made of rubber. It’s not badly built by any means, but it doesn’t scream of $500 when you first look at it.
 
The build is solid enough, and the braided cable looks nice as well. I understand the lack of metal in the cable, as it is replaceable, but moving to metal shell housings in the future is something I’d love to see implemented. To be fair, much of the competition in its price range and even above also opts for hard plastic housings, so it isn’t something to blame Westone for in particular.
 

 
The build quality overall is nice and simple looking, yet doesn’t have much to really impress me. There isn’t much to be desired though, as all around they’ve done a great job. The design is sleek black as well, and that gets a thumbs up in my book. The fact they made the L/R markings so visible is also another thing I’m happy about, so overall I’m pretty satisfied with the way they’ve designed the W40.
 
Fit & Comfort:
 
I was paying special attention to this, as Westone claims that the W40 excels at comfort. After a few hours with the W40, I realized they were absolutely right. Because of the shape of the IEM, there is an extremely snug fit which is very comfortable to the ear; so much so that after a few minutes I forgot they were even there. I achieved these results with the standard silicone tips provided; however, the foam tips are very comfortable too. I’m not a big fan of foam tips in general though, so I stuck with the silicone afterwards, and my impressions are aligned with the STAR tips. Comfort-wise, I wore them for over two hours in the subway yesterday, with no need to tweak them around at all. The first try with these may have you feeling a bit awkward, but after a couple of times it’s easy to insert and remove them.
 
These were designed for the cable to go over the ear, and I’ve worn them that way since I got them. Because of the thin-like cable, there’s no discomfort to the back of your ear due to the cable, which is also important. The fit of the W40 makes it such that even if I madly shake my head from side to side the IEM stays snug in my ears – the solution for those who’s IEM’s fall out all the time.
 
Overall, the fit and comfort are outstanding – you can wear these for hours on end without discomfort, and the W40 most likely will stay in your ear no matter what you do.
 
Isolation:
 
The W40’s isolation is what makes it my favorite earphone. It blocks out 25db of sound, and astonishing amount for a noise-isolating IEM. In layman’s terms, though, this means that if you take these on the subway like I did, you will hear your music and your music alone. Voices, shouting, train rumbles etc. are all outside of the W40, and you can get to listen to your IEM in peace and quiet.
 
This is one of the top priorities someone on-the-go should have in terms of his headphone – noise isolation helps bring the music to the forefront, and everyone else behind. I cannot recommend these enough in terms of outside noise reduction.
 
I listened to these for 2 hours on the subway yesterday. Those two hours were the 2 most enjoyable hours I’ve ever had on the go. It’s shocking how much I was able to enjoy the music with everyone around me, and everything that goes on in Manhattan. I had the best time though – truly a blast, through the W40. I was actually able to listen to my music without compromising the sound due to the noisy environments I was in.
 
For the office, the same rules apply. You want a earphone that zones out everyone else, while still giving you that sweet sound you were looking for? The W40’s straight up your alley.
 
Even more shocking though, is the idea that the foam tips can improve isolation even more. I was only using the silicone tips, and had this unbelievable isolation. Combined with foam tips? Forget Manhattan, you’ll get premium isolation where ever you go.
 
Overall, this is one of the really impressive points of the W40. Isolation is often understated, or viewed as “another tech spec.” But for anyone in the workplace and on the go, you realize how important this factor is. And the W40? Deals isolation in aces.
 
Microphonics:
 
Due to the over-ear cable design, there are no microphonics to speak of. I have a few IEM’s that goes over-the-ear, and the W40 has less microphonics than all of them. I’ll keep this section short: if you hate microphonics, the W40 is the right earphone for you. It excels in this category, and I couldn’t be happier here.
 
Sound:
 
I would describe the overall sound of the W40 as smooth, lively, and dynamic. It doesn’t go for a “flat” signature; rather the W40 excels at bringing a fun but audiophile-like sound to the table. It’s also important to note that the sound is non-fatiguing, so you can use these hours every day without feeling tired of listening to them.
 
Bass: The bass a nicely textured, and quantity-wise is great as well. There seems to be a bit of a sub-bass roll-off; however, this isn’t too noticeable. There is a very slight mid-bass boost (2db or so?). The boost is very small, and helps the dynamic-quality of the sound.
 
I was initially confused, as some people were complaining about the lack of bass, while others said that these had too much bass for them. Although sound is subjective, there usually isn’t this much of a discrepancy between impressions of the same product. However, after listening to the W40, I understood where both sides were coming from.
 
If I were to group IEM’s into two categories, I would say there are the analytical IEM’s and the warm/fun IEM’s. Although there are variations of each, it’s pretty safe to say that most IEM’s try to score either one or the other type of sound. However, the W40 is not either. Instead, in falls somewhere in the middle of the two groups; no one will mistake the W40 as a flat-sounding headphone, but it isn’t the inaccurate “warm” and closed-in sound either. The W40 does indeed provide a sweet and addicting sound, but it isn’t blurry, bloated, or warm. Neither would I say it sounds “cold”, but rather it sounds spacious.
 
Those who heard an abundance of bass where probably coming from a headphone with a flat and analytical signature, so the mid-bass threw them off a bit. Those who complained about the lack of bass most likely came from the very warm types of IEM’s, and wasn’t used to a more balanced and less warm sound, as well as the “lack” of sub-bass - or, in other words, the lack of the warm sounding bass many lower-tier IEM’s have.
 
Although there is a slight mid-bass raise, I don’t desire much more in the bass region. If there was anything I could ask for though, it would be 2-3db raise in the sub-bass, to really show its true colors. I don’t want a bass-heavy IEM, but a tad more balanced bass would sound amazing. However, don’t think that the bass control, detail, or quantity is unbalanced or “off” on the W40; it sounds quite great how it is, and is really helpful for getting “in the groove”.
 
For those looking for a bit more sub-bass, fitting the W40 with some foam tips really helps there, at the expense of a bit of clarity/soundstage I’ll mention later on.
 
Mids: The mids are a bit of an interesting point – guitars get some nice help from the mid-bass I mentioned earlier, and pianos sound nice. However, these aren’t meant to be analytical IEM’s, so someone who is looking to reinterpret his classical music collection might want to look elsewhere. The detail could be a bit better in the mids all around, but it’s so sweet sounding it’s really hard to complain.
 
Although it may not be the last words on detail, vocals sound oh-so-sweet, and very natural. While not the strongest point of the W40, it definitely isn’t left behind in any way. While I wouldn’t call this a vocal-oriented IEM, it sure can be used to enjoy your vocal collection.
 
Overall, the definite quality I love about the mids is how sweet and coherent everything sounds. But that’s for a later section. It’s really important to note that the mids and highs will take a different form depending on what source you use – higher-quality sounding DAPs will show the true potential the W40’s mids have. Otherwise, you may get frustrated with the sound, as the W40 isn’t so forgiving of bad source equipment.
 
Highs: Again, this will greatly depend on your source files and equipment. I tried the same song on both the Cowon J3 and the Shozy Alien, and while the J3 is a pretty good DAP in its own right, the song on the Alien showed more vibrant and detailed highs. However, when paired with even a mid-tier source, the highs on the W40 don’t leave much to be desired. Drums have that “snap” I’m always looking for, and violins sound as clear as ever. The highs here are semi-bright, so for those expecting a treble roll-off, you won’t find it here.
 
Clarity: The crowning glory of the W40, in my opinion. Westone bragged of the W40’s clarity, and by gosh, they are absolutely right. I always hated the dread “veil” other IEM’s have, limiting the overall clarity, but the W40’s clarity is literally spot-on. It helps create the vivid part of the sound that puts the W40 in its own league.
 
Soundstage: Overall, the soundstage is wide, and doesn’t feel claustrophobic. If using the foam tips, you may find that the sound becomes more “centralized” and limits the soundstage a bit, with the benefit of a slightly smoother sound. As always though, YMMV.
 
Imaging: Great even for this price bracket, and the W40 actually shocks me sometimes with super-accurate imaging, although it doesn’t happen all the time. This too will get sacrificed if going with the foam tips, although not bad by any means. Even with the silicone tips though, most of the sound seems a bit centralized, which is common with IEM’s overall, so I can’t complain.
 
Detail: Detail will stay average if you’re using an average source – remember, this isn’t supposed to be an analytical IEM, rather an accurate yet slightly fun-sounding one. However, with good equipment, the detail really shines as well. Which leads to the next section–
 
Equipment & Reveal Factor: This is quite important, as the W40 is by no means a forgiving IEM. Although it isn’t in the “analytical” category, it just won’t sound as detailed with bad equipment, and won’t be amazing with badly mastered music. Highs don’t take a roll-off with any music though, and the sound definitely doesn’t lose its coherence with even average sources. Just that if you grab the most you can from the W40, try to use good equipment – although that really goes for any headphone.
 
Hiss: Many IEM's have hiss with certain sources - the W40 only had minimal hiss with my Shozy Alien, the source I use when testing for hissing.
 
Coherency & Flow: Wow. If there’s anything I can compliment the W40 on, it would be how coherent everything sounds. Everything flows very well, and sounds sweet to my ears, no matter what type of music I’m listening to.
 
Immersion Factor: The W40 sucks you into its own world and is extremely easy to relax to. The incredible isolation definitely lends a hand to this, and is crucial to my personal listening experience. In the office, or on the train? You can still relax and get sucked into your music using the W40.
 
Amplification: At 31 ohms, these can be driven from most sources without any problem - even smartphones are making moves towards more powerful amplifiers as one of their components. Like I've said though, you should use these with the best source equipment you have, and amplifiers are known for bringing out detail, soundstage, and range in low to mid-tier sources, so looking into amplifiers isn't a bad idea. However, it is definitely not necessary, and if you have a good DAC/DAP to begin with, an amplifier is unneeded in your setup with the W40.
 
Genre Recommendation: With the W40, you'll probably be most happy with music genres that are involving, and not analytical-oriented. Jazz, rock, electronic, psychedelic music, country, and acoustics are some things that pair well with the W40. Classical music, while sounding good, is more for the flat and analytical IEM's, not the sweet sounding ones. However, since the W40 is a nice bridge between the detail oriented earphone and the "warm" IEM (like I've mentioned earlier), these pair well with most genres, with a specific lean towards the ones that let you relax and enjoy the music.
 
Overall Tonality & Sound Summary: The W40 sounds quite balanced, despite its unique bass, and its slight V-shaped signature. It sounds sweet and lush, and is definitely more of a relaxing IEM that an analytical one. But for the purpose it set out to do, it did very well. It’s so effortless to relax to the sound signature the W40 has to offer, that this alone makes it a winner for me. A lush (yet not overly warm) sound, combined with outstanding clarity, should make this purchase a no-brainer for most people.
 
Value & Conclusion:
 
The W40 is not cheap. However, for those looking for a detailed, clear, and lively earphone with isolation that will help you enjoy your music everywhere, the W40 is an all-in-one solution I would definitely recommend. The lush sound simply lets you forget all your troubles, and is top-notch for relaxation purposes. So is it worth it? Absolutely. These are built to be listened to - all day and every day, and for that, these are phenomenal. If you're looking for a good investment that you'll be happy with for a long time, these should be near the top of your list.

Introduction:



If you're part of this site, you've heard of open-back headphones. Well, today I learned that over-ear headphones aren’t the only cans with different “open” designs; some IEM’s, less frequently, also feature a somewhat open shell - the DUNU Titan 1’s have a half-open, and half in-ear design.

So what's the benefit? Think about a semi-open IEM the same way you would regard a semi-open headphone – An open design allows for a more spacious, larger sound (more "3D", binaural, etc.) while sacrificing isolation. If there was a choice between the closed and open for sound quality, open-back will win almost every time.

So it’s a bit refreshing to see that DUNU’s tried to go take a bit of a risk here and attempt something new. In addition to the aspect of the Titan 1’s being open, there’s also the “half in-ear” design. This allows for a bigger driver, encased in the half of the IEM that isn’t in your ear - this makes the Titan 1 bigger than most other general designs, as the other designs... have to fit to your ear, and this one doesn't. Generally IEM's run into the issue of having to cram one (or five, or ten for bragging rights) drivers into each ear, and try to replicate something about... ~30x bigger? Any headway on keeping IEM's comfortable while allowing for more space to get the drivers correctly is a win for me.

Does the open design raise the sound quality here to be above market? Let’s find out.



Packaging:



The box itself is of the same type of that of the DN-2000J; it’s a stealthy black box that feels sturdy and well made. I'm happy DUNU’s not only willing to put money into the headphone, but also into the external presentation as well - it just looks neat. On the back, like the DN-2000J’s box, it says a few things about the Titan 1’s, as well as the accessories it comes with.

Opening up the first flap reveals more information about the Titan 1’s, specifically the titanium coated diaphragm DUNU implemented here. Opening up both flaps gives us a sneak preview at the Titan 1’s, as well as some of the tips and the carrying case.




Accessories:

First off, the tips. There’s 3 pairs of translucent gray tips (small, medium, and large), 3 pairs of (what appears to be) Sony Hybrid tips, which are well known for their comfort, and 3 pairs of all-black tips with a noticeably larger nozzle size,. I cannot say whether the Sony hybrids are real - the ones I have from my own collection are knockoffs to begin with, so someone else will have to elaborate on that one.

The different nozzle sizes for each pair of tips probably make a difference in sound, although I like the sound the way it is – with the default pair of tips that are on the Titan 1’s (Sony hybrid – medium). One thing that I noticed was that there wasn’t any Comply tips. Call me crazy, but I’d rather have 6 pairs of regular tips and one pair of Comply than 9 pairs of tips certain consumers will never use if they’re a foam-tip fan. I can’t really fault DUNU for this though, as they did provide 9 pairs of tips.

However, for future products, I would love to see the different nozzle sizes supplemented with bi-flange and tri-flange tips. Some guys only get a good fit with bi/tri-flange, and there's always the customer who’s a sworn fan of Comply (there seems to be many of them recently). By taking out the larger nozzle tips and providing even one pair of foam, and one pair each of medium bi-flange and tri-flange, there’s minimal extra cost but potentially more happy customers.



Note: Although there are 5 sets of black tips in each picture, the 2nd and 3rd rows from the top are the Sony hybrids, as well as the pair of tips that came on the Titan 1 (not shown here).

The case itself is made of plastic, although it is definitely more pocketable than the one that comes with the DN-2000J. It’s a clasp-operated case, and as a hardcore zipper case fan, it just doesn’t appeal to me as much on the go. Just to give it a bit of though – imagine you’re on the bus or train and want something from inside the case. Popping open the case through the clasp could be risky; if you’re not careful, everything inside the case could fall out. That is why I’m a zipper-case fan – it doesn’t give you any surprises when opening, and is generally longer lasting. While DUNU got the size and form factor right, and I applaud them for that, I hope a zipper case can be a consideration in the future.



The Titan 1's is the black, small case. The metal DN-2000J's case is on the right.

The last few accessories are a shirt clip, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, a cable cinch, and the warranty card. The shirt clip can be used to reduce microphonics, as I’ll elaborate in the microphonics section later on. The cable cinch is a brilliant way to keep your cable wrapped up without it being a mess, so it’s an idea I definitely approve of.



The accessories have been thought out well; as I can see, DUNU doesn’t skimp here. I do think though that a few switches in the types of accessories, while not costly, can really give this product a major boost in this department. However, it would be wrong for me to say that it didn’t do well here, only that I can see it going from 'great' to 'amazing' with little effort.

Build Quality & Design:

The housing of the Titan 1’s are cast out of metal, and DUNU lives up to its good name in build quality once again. The easiest way I could describe the shell is that it gives the appearance almost exactly of an earbud, with a round and symmetrical shell, except that is has a nozzle protruding at an angle for the tips to be on. I won’t go into the science behind it, but all you have to know is that the design provides a very snug fit in your ear. But more on that in the fit & comfort section later.

While there are L/R markings on the housing of the Titan 1, they are hard to see, as they blend in with the shiny metal of the housing. Well, DUNU went with color coding on this one - around the shell there is a red/blue stripe, depending on the earpiece. The red stripe is for the right earpiece, and the blue is for the left. While it may be a little hard to remember at first, as the colors don’t exactly have any connection to left/right, it’s easy to get the hang of, and a very efficient way to tell which earpiece is which. No need anymore to squint at the housing to tell whether it says ‘L’ or ‘R’, now you just have to look at the color. A very clever idea, and a point in DUNU’s favor here. I certainly like it.



As you can see from the pictures under this paragraph, the main housing of the Titan 1’s have two rows of holes punctured into the shell, and one hole on the back of each housing. To my understanding, this is what makes it “semi-open”. While you won’t be listening from these vents (not that I know of anyway), they do let out air, which removes some of the reverb and provides a more spacious feel to the sound – I’ll continue speaking about this in more detail in the sound section.

There is ample stress relief where the cable meets the housing, and for this price range, there’s not much else I could ask for in that regard.



The cable itself is braided before the Y-split, and regular (unbraided) after the split. I like the look of this thin, but braided wire; I just wish though that it would provide more protection from microphonics, as that’s what I thought braided cables are meant for. Either way, it has a nice, classy look that I really like, and that’s what counts.

The Y-split feels nice, and also is very light, so you don’t have to worry about the split weighing down the earphone too much. There is also stress relief leading up to the Y-split, and it seems overall well made.

The Titan 1’s have a right-angled 3.5mm jack, and has nice stress relief there as well. I like the fact that it is made out of polished metal, and that DUNU completely opted for the right-angled jack in many of their products – it’s definitely more efficient with music plays, tablets, and smartphones, as the stress relief stays parallel to the device, rather than perpendicular to it, so including this practice greatly reduces the risk of breakage near the cable.

TL;DR – the jack is nice, neat, and unobtrusive. A thumbs up from me here.




Overall, the build quality is top-notch, and this is a hallmark or DUNU’s workmanship. It certainly seems long lasting, so potential buyers should not be worried about breaking the headphone, or tearing the cable. The design, while looking somewhat quirky, really works in your ear, and that’s what counts.


Fit & Comfort:

Like I was saying earlier, the unique “half in-ear” shape of the Titan 1’s really provide a great fit in your ear. While only the tip goes into your ear canal, the Titan 1’s remained in my ear even when I tried shaking it out, and I’m able to wear it for over an hour with no discomfort. I’ve went with the default tips, as they are the ones that worked best for me straight out of the box. I’m sure that using foam tips will probably provide a better seal, but I can’t say how and in what ways they will affect the sound signature. Probably more bass with a slight sacrifice in detail.

Comfort wise, I have no complaints. The tips are comfortable enough in my ear for long listening sessions, and because of the snug fit, I’m more prone to using these on the go than other earphones I have – just pop ‘em in and let them stay. I have no problems with the metal housing touching the back of my ear, but YMMV.

The tips go more into my ear than usual IEM’s do (for me, anyway), so people who like a shallow fit will probably have to compromise on a deeper fit for this one. Keep in mind that the deeper fit affects microphonics, and I’ll touch on that later.

It is important to note that the Titan 1’s can only be worn down, due to its design, so around-the-ear IEM enthusiasts should make note of it before buying the Titan 1’s. However, it doesn't seem to budge from my ear worn down, so I'm not sure there's much reason why someone would want to wear it around the ear to begin with, besides for reduced microphonics.

Overall, I’m really digging the fit the Titan 1’s provide, and I’m more than willing to sacrifice the looks when they are on the table for a really snug fit in my ear. In the ear, other people can’t really notice the “half in-ear” design, so these actually look very normal when being worn.

Isolation & Microphonics:


As a semi-open earphone, there is inevitable sub-average isolation. This is a tradeoff for the sound it provides; BUT it's still something that potential buyers should know about. You won’t be using these to block out noise on the bus or train, but it is great for more quiet places on the go, where you can’t always bring a bulky over-ear headphone with you. The form factor of an IEM makes it a great choice to just chuck-and-go, and the Titan 1’s are no exception.

Unfortunately, the Titan 1’s cable (or the deeper fit of the tips, I’m not really sure) does create considerable microphonics, even with the braided cable. Since the Titan 1’s can’t be worn over the ear, there’s no getting around it. However, DUNU does provide a shirt clip, which reduces the microphonics overall. I would have still liked there to be less, as not everyone likes using a shirt clip. Since this is a problem central to many, if not most IEM's (especially those which have the tips deeper in the ear canal), I can't fault DUNU here, or any company in particular. I just hope we find a good way to solve this problem with IEM's soon.

Sound:




Bass/Lows: The Titan 1’s have a punchy lower regions that is quite layered. It does have a bit of a boost, primarily in the mid-bass region, however in the long run you’ll actually want this, and does not by any means obstruct the rest of the frequency. The lower end of the frequency ends up being nuanced, and has nice “thump” like sound. It’s controlled quite well, although I did hear from many people that a large amount of burn-in (which I unfortunately was not able to do yet) most definitely improves the bass control even more.

Think of it like an AKG K7XX type of bass – true, it has a boost, but because of the open back design, the lower region helps create an enveloping sound that is the envy of many headphones. The same goes with the Titan 1’s; it’s semi-open design helps it smooth out, so to say, and it never feels too much, only large enough to give life to the music.

I’m happy with the bass. It’s not every day where you have an IEM with an elevated bass that is this enjoyable. And by “enjoyable”, I don’t mean “fun”, because that’s a term used to describe bass-heavy headphones that any non-basshead feels overpowers the frequency. No, the Titan 1’s are enjoyable, and I mean that coming from a balanced listening perspective. I am by no means a basshead, so feel confident that you’ll enjoy the lows if you’re a balanced listener too.

Mids/Vocals: I’m not much of a vocal fan, so I can’t comment on the “magic” certain vocals have. However, on the Titan 1’s they have a nice amount of clarity, and although they take an ever-so-slight beating from the elevated bass, they are as enjoyable and as detailed as ever to me. However, on a few tracks, they due sound *slightly* thin, but nothing that’s very noticeable to me.

Pianos sound SO good on the Titan 1’s – I can listen to them for literally hours on this little IEM, and probably will. Gosh, the musical sound of the Titan 1’s will make this one a winner for me. I could not even tell from pianos the slight V-shape frequency that the Titan 1 has; piano performances sound incredibly balanced, and are full of emotion. I would ramble on and on about this, but I now have to re-listen to Final Fantasy 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10-2, and 11 piano collections, so pardon me, but I have a lot of listening to do in the next two days.

Reluctantly moving on to guitars, they also sound well done, and definitely feel fuller due to the capable bass. They have a musical feel, which is definitely a strong suite of the Titan 1’s. They also have a good amount of clarity, despite the helping hand from the bass.

Highs: The highs definitely don’t seem bright to me – they are well-refined and textured though. Drums sound great, and well as violins. They are just short of crisp – but they are clear, and I enjoy them a lot as well.

Clarity: The Titan 1’s, I’m happy to say, don’t sound “closed in” like many other IEM’s I’ve tried – this is probably due to its semi-open design. So if you’re looking for an IEM while looking to stay away from the dreaded “veil” that very often comes with it, the Titan 1’s should be near the top of your list.

Soundstage: Very spacious, due to the semi-open design. The sound is wide as well as deep, but I can’t help but have the impression that the sound seems to be coming from a slightly “taller” place than I’m used to, and the left/right sounds are a little bit behind center – but this is a refreshing take on the sound, and by no means bad. Just a little different is all.

However, the sound definitely doesn’t seem to feel closed in at all, and soundstage here is bigger than most IEM’s I’ve experienced, price range or not. Definitely one of the strongest points of the Titan 1.

Detail: Despite being quite detailed, it is at the end of the day a $115 IEM, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that. The detail is good for its price range, but isn’t the crowning glory of this IEM. However, I have no complaints with it, so do not take this as one.

Frequency Shape: I would say the Titan-1’s are slightly V-shaped, but the midrange definitely does not take the backseat in my listening experience with these. Think V-shaped in slight quantities, but not in how laid back the sound is.

Overall Tonality: The Titan 1’s are quite balanced, and really good sounding in general. They are a very "musical" IEM In my experience, and give “life” to the music, so to speak. It has a little bit of a warm sound, but the open design makes sure it’s only slight, and keeps a nice distance so whatever you're listening to isn’t exactly in your face. I would say that the open design transforms “warm” to “lush”, and if I had to describe it, that’s the word I would use – a word that I’ll probably never use in real life, but it’s the best I can do to describe the Titan 1’s.

Separation: I would have thought that the instrument separation would take a little bit of a beating due to the Titan 1’s musical take on sound, and that it’s inevitable with the type of tonality it wants to produce – but it surprised me here with being quite decent, despite its musicality, and especially despite its price. I was very happily surprised when finding this out. Guitars/orchestras/pianos/vocals etc. are all able to be parsed out. Definitely something I’m a fan of here.

Coherency & Flow: Excellent. The musical nature of the Titan 1 makes this top notch, and has a beautiful flow that is very hard to match. The crowning glory of the Titan 1 in my opinion - just sit back and listen, you'll forget this is in your ear at all. ‘Nough said.

Hiss: I really don’t get hiss with this, even on the Shozy Alien, which is quite hiss prone with sensitive IEM’s. These don’t seem to be sensitive at all, and because of this, my volume is slightly higher with the Titan 1 than with, say, the DN-2000J.

EQ: Don’t. Just… no. It sounds so great without, I’m skipping this section.

Genre Recommendations: Piano, piano and piano, of course. And violin, and guitar. Frankly, all instrumental music I’ve tried with the Titan 1 was nothing short of amazing in this price range. Classical (violin) orchestras performed much better than what I thought it would; the elevated bass is not showing at all with my classical music, which is strange, but works. In short, I would be very comfortable using this for classical music, and it has the slight treble clarity that is integral to this specific genre. Standard electronic music sounded great with these. EDM specifically is a bit too bassy for my tastes at this point in time, but I have a hunch this will improve with ample burn-in, so this isn’t the last word on this genre. Hip hop, and other vocal-centric genres, aren’t exactly the strong suites of the Titan 1, but they don’t sound bad by any means. Rap sounds great due to the Titan 1’s elevated bass, and male rappers have a nice edge to their voices here. Jazz sounds good here as well, but due to the near-crisp highs, they can sound a bit harsher in this genre than what I would want them to be.

Basically, acoustic music is its strong point, although it performs well with a variety of genres. This IEM is more geared for the musical listener rather than the analytical one (looking at you DN-2000J), due to its musical flow, but it has enough for attentive listeners to enjoy as well.

Sound Summary: The Titan 1’s sound amazing for its price, and it’s just so easy to recommend these. They are geared towards a more musical perspective - however, they tick off all the right boxes and then some. The semi-open design gives this a really refreshing sound that I could listen to for hours. They are simply great sounding, and I am very interested to see how these will change for the better with the churn' and burn-in. If there would be one section would say gets a bit left behind the others, it would be the vocals. This is YMMV though, and as an instrumental listener, I’m not really qualified as other head-fi’ers to comment on this.

Amplification:

At 16 ohms, these don’t really need amplification, and are well-driven by most source players. While I did not see a positive difference with my Fiio E12 (and actually I preferred the sound without it), I have to tell you though that the Shozy Alien -> Meier Corda HA-2 -> Titan 1 had me drooling. The most noticeable differences were primarily in a bigger and more realistic soundstage (standard amp pros), and a buttery smooth bass. However, amplification is really not a necessary factor here, with its output impedance, and if you are going to use an amp, make sure it’s a decently transparent one.

Value & Conclusion:

At $115, this IEM is an absolute steal. Its buttery and smooth sound is way above its price range, and has me forgetting time and time again how relatively cheap they are, given their performance. The build quality is top notch, and the innovative design definitely brings many benefits to the table, in terms of both comfort and sound. As a drawback of this otherwise wonderful design, one thing to keep in mind is that they don’t isolate very well, so don’t buy these thinking that they will block everyone else out. Keeping that in mind, though, for someone who wants both amazing sound and phenomenal comfort in a pocket’s reach, I cannot recommend these more at this price range.



- Avishai Zitron

Introduction:

IEM’s have always been the little brother to full-sized headphones. Always have, and many believe always will be. But many companies are taking strides to close that gap, or at the very least providing something truly unique to the IEM market. DUNU is on the forefront of those companies; their DN-2000 and Titan 1’s have been widely praised on the IEM market for their build quality, and more importantly, their sound. IEM companies have to struggle with not only the sound tuning, but also with the small size allotted to them as expectations for IEM sizes grow demandingly small. DUNU is no exception, and although I do not envy the demands that are made of them, I do envy the results.

Why does this matter? Because above all things, it’s comforting to know a company you’re buying from knows its mistakes and is willing to learn to avoid more. A company that’s willing to learn from its customers is one I’d feel most comfortable to rely on.

So what’s the DN-2000J? I’m not sure whether to regard it as a large revision over the DN-2000 or an entirely new beast altogether. I think it deserves to be recognized as both. The DN-2000J looks similar to its predecessor, with a few improvements. While I’ve heard of DUNU applying titanium to the diaphragm of the DN-2000J to improve sound, the main difference I was interested in was the reduction in size compared to the DN-2000. Indeed, looking at pictures of both, I can say that DUNU succeeded in provided a small package in an even more compact shell – something that should not be taken lightly, given how hard it is to meet size demands.

Other differences include an upgrade to the wiring of the cable, which besides for sound benefits, allows it to be easily terminated to a balanced output with just a soldering job, something that’s a definite hit for those who want to use it for the new flagship players, and know the benefits of a balanced output.

Okay! Now we got that out of the way… but wait! There’s more –


Packaging:

Boxing and such usually isn’t my thing, but for those that can appreciate a good boxing, the DN-2000J definitely brings a nice amount to the table. It comes in a sturdy black box that doesn’t feel at all cheap - definitely a good start. On the back of the box it has a few details about the DN-2000J, as well as its accessories.



When you open the front flap though, you get a much more detailed explanation of the DN-2000J in both Chinese and English – a great way to give people something to read about the product they bought without having to search for it online. Opening the second flap, you get a view of the DN-2000J, the carrying case, and some of the many tips it comes with.

DUNU did not neglect the boxing at all – I don’t care much for packaging in general, but good boxing sends a message to the buyers that “hey, we care.” It’s nice to see that here, and it’s something to keep in mind.



Accessories:

The DN-2000J comes with a great deal of accessories – definitely something for every buyer here. First off – the tips. There’s 6 pairs of regular black silicone tips – 2 pairs of small, medium, and large, respectively. Then there’s 3 pairs of white silicone tips, small, medium, and large again (plus a pair of medium-sized white silicon tips that came on the DN-2000J).

I could not find any differences between these tips, either in nozzle size or in build, so I think it’s safe to assume that the other pairs are spares, not different types of tips to go crazy over (“am I using the right ones? Perhaps the nozzle size of this one will give me more soundstage…” etc.). The tips themselves are of better quality than your average tips; the feel more solid and less flimsy than normal tips, which lends a hand to the isolation aspect of the DN-2000J, as well as comfort and fit. More on these two later, so stay tuned.



In addition, DUNU provides you with 3 sets of Comply foam tips, models T-500, Tx-500, and Ts-500. In English, the first pair is the standard Comply eartips for isolation, the next is a pair even more geared for isolation (Isolation Plus), and the last is modeled for comfort. Each can be quite expensive on their own, so it’s nice that DUNU decided to be all-inclusive here and include them for the customers.



The DN-2000J comes with a metal case, which is velvet on the inside. The case is sturdy and solid aplenty, and has plenty of room for both the IEM’s and the plethora of accessories it provides. The one thing I would think about for the future though would be the size of the case. While bigger cases cost more, and provide more room for accessories, I find the DN-2000J’s case to be a bit on the larger side, and isn’t one I could put in my pocket; only in my jacket/coat pockets and backpack. A lot of customers are more on-the-go though, so if there was one tip I could give here, it would be to perhaps provide a smaller, even cheaper, case just for the IEM’s themselves for people who don’t want to use larger cases. Other than that, I have no gripes here.

Then there are the accessories for your ear – ear hooks, and two different types of stability fins (to help keep the DN-2000J in your ear). There’s one pair of ear hooks, and two pairs of each type of fin. The fins feel sturdy, but I’ve gotten a great fit without the fins, so I don’t personally use them. But when I did try them I understood how they help keep the IEM in your ears; definitely a good move for those who have trouble with IEM fits. The ear hooks are great for those who want the DN-2000J around the ear, instead of being worn down – these need no introduction, as it’s a no-brainer for what they do.



Then there are the tuning rings – two pairs of rubber bass rings, and 3 other types of tuning rings (2 pairs of each, color coded for each type). Each type has a different width, and can be placed to determine how far the tips are (on the nozzle) from the housing. While I didn’t personally test the sound differences between them, I can definitely say these will come in handy in decided how long they should be for your ears – people with larger ears may want the tips sitting further away from the general housing, while people with smaller ears, like mine, would probably want the thinner tuning rings or none at all.

The bass rings could be used for (obviously) more bass, and (not so obviously) more isolation, but I found that the DN-2000J has enough of both for my tastes to warrant the disuse of the bass rings. However, when I tried them, I did notice an increase in bass, as well as in isolation.

Along with the tuning rings are the rear IEM covers, to prevent scratching of the housing, better grip, and possibly for preventing irritation to the ear (by having rubber touch the back of your inner ear, rather than the metal of the housing). However, I found that the rubber covers make the DN-2000J a little too bulky for my tastes, so for personal use I keep them off the IEM. Why is this in the same section as the tuning rings? Because I was an idiot and initially thought that these were tuning rings as well, so the pictures have them together. I should have read the manual, ja?


First Picture: Color coded rings on the left (for spacing), Bass rings in the middle, and IEM rear covers on the right.

Finally, for the last group of accessories, you get a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, a shirt clip to reduce microphonics, an airplane 2-pin adapter, and a cable tie, for lack of a better word. To me, the airplane adapter is unnecessary, but the cable cinch is a lot more useful than people might think. Gone are the days when keeping cables wrapped was a pain – the cable cinch makes that a - okay fine, I won’t make the pun.



Overall, the DN-2000J comes with a profusion of accessories – I can’t find anything more I would want here. DUNU did a great job on this one, and besides for the questionable size of the metal case provided, I’m happy with what they’ve done.

Build Quality & Design:

The housing of the DN-2000J is solid metal, just like its predecessor. The back of the shell has the DUNU logo, which is a nice touch, and on the shell itself, there is a small protrusion for the fins. Also on these are the L/R signs, although an unintended benefit is that it’s easy as pie to tell which one is left and which one is right – whenever you see/feel the protrusion facing towards you, you know the earpiece is facing the right way. It’s as simple as that, and now I don’t even need the L/R markings. It’s brilliant, and an effective way to tell the left/right from each other, even without much light. Kudos to DUNU on this one.

Moving on, the next point of interest is the connection between the cable and the shell. The stress relief there is a small, rubber piece that more of a sturdiness to the connection than looks may seem to indicate. It’s small, but provides ample stress relief so that you don’t tear the cable near the housing. A firm wiggle test seemed to confirm this as well. However, at this price range, I would expect a detachable cable, because accidents do happen. If not, then I would hope there would be a big and rough stress relief piece to calm customers. People new to DUNU may take a look at the connector and decide right there that they won’t buy the product, because it looks like it could break easily. While DUNU’s small connector is sturdy enough to confirm that it won’t, I would keep in mind that many potential customers can’t actually feel how strong it is before buying it. Although DUNU’s secret formula included non-detachable cables, since so many companies have implemented a detachable cable, I would perhaps give thought to the possibility of providing one in the future, especially given the price. If not, then implementing a stronger & bigger stress relief near the housing would be a great idea. However, the stress relief is ample, despite the looks of it being weak.

Next is the cable itself. Before the Y-split, it is on the thinker side and sturdy, without being springy, a hallmark of a good wire. After the Y-split, it’s thinner, probably so that it doesn’t feel too bulky when you wear it. Either way, the wire on both sides is of high quality. The only request I would have for this would be to provide a braided cable, like the one found on the Titan 1’s. The fact that they didn’t implement it for the new DN-2000J is a bit of a bummer, as I really liked the braided cable on the Titan 1. If they would have used it for north of the Y-split, they probably could have eliminated most of the microphonics as well, as I’ll get to later. Either way, if a braided cable can be put on the newer DN-2000J’s from now on, it would provide a lot of benefits, in my opinion.

The Y-split itself is made out of metal, and has ample stress relief leading up to it. Despite its build, it is actually quite light, so it doesn’t weigh down the earphone too much. Printed on it is the model name, and it has a great feel to it overall.

The 3.5mm jack is right-angled, and – surprise! – it’s also built out of metal. I haven’t seen too many metal jack housings (for lack of a better phrase) so this really shows build quality to me. There’s a large amount of stress relief leading up to it – no breakage worries there. The right angled jack is definitely more useful than a regular jack with music players and phones, as it lies parallel to the device, eliminated many potential bending accidents.

Overall, the jack is solid, as well as the rest of the build. DUNU has been well known for their products’ build quality, and this is no exception. The DN-2000J is one of the sturdier IEM’s I’ve handled, and doesn’t leave much to be desired. However, I would love, if possible, for there to be a detachable cable in the future; to me that would give ample stress relief (no pun intended) to buyers who are worried about breakage. The design is brilliant, especially given the L/R protrusions, and the housing makes the DN-2000J look really classy – even non-headphone gurus can tell from the looks that it’s a well-priced item.



Fit & Comfort:

The comfort factor is excellent straight out of the box – I wore these for over an hour straight and had no problems whatsoever. In fact, these are so good, after a few minutes I forgot these were in my ears altogether. Part of this success may be attributed to the quality of the tips – as I mentioned before, even the silicone tips provided were of high quality, and are much less flimsy than your standard tips. Due to the firmness of these tips, once they’re in your ears, they create a snug fit that is very comfortable. Using the Comply tips instead can also be very comfortable, if you like foam better. Worn straight down, the back of the housing, although it is metal, did not create any comfort issues for me whatsoever. If blind tested, I would not be able to tell that the housing is metal. I dunno how they did this, but it deserves a very enthusiastic and slightly confused thumbs up from me. Using the DN-2000J over the ear also produced very comfortable results; the DN-2000J’s performance in this department is excellent, and I’m not even sure how much better than this it can get conceptually.

The fit is also excellent, due to all that I’ve mentioned above. It is important to note the since everyone’s ears are different, your results may vary. In the off chance that the standard fit is not good enough for your tastes, the included fins and ear hooks make it very easy to give DUNU a nod of approval for the fit of these.

Isolation:

Going back to the tips, their high quality blocks out sound quite efficiently; I asked one of my friends to talk to me so I could gauge how good these were in isolating sound, and with no music on, I got very cross with my friend that he wasn’t willing to talk to me. –Only he was, and since I couldn’t hear him I was convinced that he wasn’t. Point made; and although I can’t guarantee these specific results for everybody, the isolation on the DN-2000J is quite good for an IEM.

However, if you find the standard isolation isn’t enough for your busy environment, the Comply foam tips (especially the “isolation plus” model) can definitely help improve on the good isolation it already provides. I personally found the regular tips to provide more than enough isolation for me, and I’m not one for foam tips, so I didn’t bother testing the Comply tips, but Comply is one of the biggest and highest rated manufacturers for quality isolation foam tips, so I wouldn’t expect anything less. Another way to boost isolation would be to use the bass rings, but it will have an effect on the sound, so if you want the bass boost, and also would like the added isolation benefit, great. Otherwise, you should be able to find good isolation without them.

Overall, a great IEM for a busy environment, as these isolate quite well, in my opinion. Bass rings or not, there’s enough opportunities through tips (to improve on the already good isolation) to satisfy most customers.

Microphonics:

There are some microphonics when worn down, however, this only occurs when tapping the cable north of the Y-split. The main cable produces no microphonics when tapped or otherwise rustled. The noise can be eliminated altogether when worn over the ear, with or without the hooks DUNU provides. However, I am somewhat disappointed that there are microphonics when worn in the standard fashion. This is a problem central to most IEM’s, though, so it’s not something I could specifically fault the DN-2000J on. In addition, the DN-2000J comes with a shirt clip, which is supposed to be a great solution for reducing microphonics. However, since the problem lies north of the Y-split, I’m not sure how effective the shirt clip would be in solving this ancient problem.

If DUNU could implement a braided cable on the future DN-2000J’s, like one that is on the Titan 1’s (with the addition of the cable being braided also north of the Y-split), I think this problem could be almost entirely eliminated, even when not using the shirt clip. This is more of a suggestion than a con though; I’m not even sure if the science behind the braided cable would help here, or whether it’s an easy thing to implement. This is just an idea, and a quasi-idea one at that.

Sound:

The DN-2000J leans toward the analytical side of things, rather than taking a more “musical” approach. The V-shaped nature of the headphone though makes it very interesting, though; the result is a slightly fun but comprehensive sound that is incredibly detailed throughout. I’ve never heard this combination before, and actually originally thought it was inherently paradoxical, but after listening to it for the first time, I’m definitely opting for this combination over completely analytical or a totally “fun” sound; this falls right into my need for a combination of a cohesive/musical sound, and at the same time, a detailed and accurate presentation. While it is near-impossible in my opinion to fully keep the characteristics of both, the DN-2000J manages to grab the best of both worlds in my opinion.


Bass/Lows: The control the DN-2000J has here is very remarkable; the bass is very tight while still having a punchy impact. It is also very textured and detailed, which came as a surprise given the slight boost the DN-2000J has in the bass regions. The bass as a whole is slightly elevated, less so now than out of the box. I would like to note though that the elevation feels natural, rather than artificial, and that it is not elevated by much. Rather than having a “bump,” I feel that these are steady throughout the bass region, and that the lower region alone seems perfectly balanced, and almost flat on its own, so to speak.

This is why I was surprised with the control this IEM wields on the bass. Anything less than amazing texture here would automatically leave me with the impression that the DN-2000J is bloated, given the slight elevation. However, I’m finishing this section please with the bass performance – slightly elevated to give it more “oomph,” but outstanding nonetheless.

Midrange/Vocals: Acoustics sound great; piano and guitars are what I listen to most often, and performance-wise the DN-2000J does a great job. Guitars are detailed well, albeit just slightly laid back, and the pianos sound natural. For the great performances of the DN-2000J, I think this may be its weakest link; acoustics sound great, but doesn’t have the “amazing” edge the rest of the frequency has going for this IEM. Vocals also are very detailed, and are less laid back than the acoustics, but it isn’t as in-your-face as other IEM’s.

Personally, I’m a big fan of this, as not everyone wants such forward vocals; the DN-2000J does great in this regard. Keep in mind though that the DN-2000J isn’t a vocal-centric headphone. It does justice to them as an IEM, but doesn’t focus only on them; the vocals become more as a part of the entire frequency than as the front-and-center of the song.

Due to its analytical nature, I believe this is something that is inevitable, but you’ll either love it or hate it, depending on your tastes and whether you prefer a more analytical and “correct” sound vs. a musical one. Some may find certain songs sounding slightly “thinner” than what they’re used to in this regard, but as someone who doesn’t listen to vocals very often, I can say that in my opinion, it sits between “laid back” and “forward,” although I’m not sure what term to use for that. I think I may be taking that last sentence from someone I heard a while back, although who I’m quoting unfortunately I do not know.

Even though the vocals aren’t exactly forward more than anything else, the cohesiveness of people singing with the other music in the background is truly impressive. That really goes a long way in helping the midrange overall.

Highs/Drums: The DN-2000J is a bit bright here, less so than out of the box, but still (what I would call) between semi-bright and bright. Highs have a satisfying “snap”, and an attack that isn’t often seen, while staying very detailed – more so than the rest of the frequency, in my opinion. Be aware, though, that any tracks that are already somewhat bright will have that revealed and forwarded by the DN-2000J; if you want a resolving IEM for your bright music, I would look elsewhere. However, barring that, the highs are slightly forwards, due to the “attack” it has. This may result in people with sensitive ears having to lower the volume by certain song – which then have to be raised again by songs without naturally bright highs. Violins are slightly less forward than the drums – I don’t exactly want those in my face so often, so I’m glad the exactly way they are.

However, if these things aren’t a problem for you, you’re in for some really refined highs; the only comparison I could here is to a really, really juicy steak, versus a dried piece of meat. The highs here are the juicy steaks, obviously.

Clarity: The DN-2000J is taking strides towards bridging the gap in clarity between IEM’s and over-head headphones – more specifically, the dreaded “veil” sound many find in IEM’s. While it doesn’t completely get rid of it, it is better than any other IEM in this price range I’ve tried – and if what I’m hearing could be relied upon, steps over the previous DN-2000 in this regard. The “air” I’ll elaborate on in the next mini-section also helps in this regard.

Soundstage: The DN-2000J has an “airiness”, and feels much less claustrophobic than other IEM’s I’ve tried. The sound is spacious, and the presentation very 3D-like. If you want more of a sense of space to your music, this IEM is straight up your alley. One of the strongest points of the DN-2000J (along with separation, imaging, etc.), the soundstage is really an improvement over other IEM’s. The refined highs definitely add to this. I think it’s more wide than tall, but this is just speculation on my part.

Separation: I’ve never heard instrument separation this good for any other IEM’s I’ve tried; not even in the same league. Each instrument, while being cohesive with each other, is easily distinguishable. It gives you the impression not of a muddy IEM, but a truly capable analytical headphone.

I wasn’t even keeping this in mind before I started my listening tests, because, you know, IEM’s sound more like a wall of sound. A detailed, textured, wall of sound, but a wall of sound nonetheless compared to competent over ear (especially open-back) headphones.

Not here. It was the first thing that hit me when I started listening to the DN-2000J, and something I want anybody reading this review to keep in mind. It’s been a stereotype with IEM’s, but the DN-2000J sure does a lot to distinguish itself from the rest of the lot in this regard. The soundstage and imaging (mentioned next) definitely lends a hand here, but still a phenomenal feat nonetheless.

Imaging: Imaging is good for an IEM. As mentioned earlier, the sound is 3D-like, and provides a good sense of where everything is. Over-ear headphones will still be better in this regard, but for an IEM, it does a good job.

Detail: Another one of the elite benefits of the DN-2000J. Throughout all the frequency range (lows, mids, and highs), the detail is especially good, but really has a slight upper hand in the higher regions. Keep in mind the contrast between the highs and the rest is “very good” and “even better,” so the detail retrieval throughout gets a thumbs up from me from every part of the spectrum.

Frequency Range: I took a quick glance at the specs and was surprised to see that the response goes all the way from 4 Hz to 40 Khz, a considerably larger range than what headphones usually produce. I did some listening tests, and with the volume raised, I definitely felt/heard it producing sound from the 15 Hz range and up; that’s where my frequency testing tracks start from lol. So I give credit to DUNU for having the frequency response extended more than the original DN-2000’s. Yes, DUNU, that isn’t going to go unappreciated. Well done there.

Frequency Shape: The DN-2000J would be closer to V-shaped than anything else I could describe. With a linear boost to the bass, and a somewhat bright treble, the midrange takes a bit of a back seat here, although I wouldn’t call it laid back.

Coherency & Flow: While being analytical, it still stays quite cohesive, especially after burn-in. Not leading class compared to top-notch over ear headphones, but probably as good as it can get while being an analytical IEM. I have no gripes here.

Overall Tonality/Balance: Despite being V-shaped, the DN-2000J is very balanced, without any frequency drowning out the others. No part of the sound seems artificial or unnaturally boosted in any way. The DN-2000J forgoes the warm sound many IEM manufacturers have gone for, and instead decided to take on the analytical and technical side of sound. It wouldn’t be correct for me to say that’s it’s laid back, though, just not particularly forwarded.

Hiss: The DN-2000J hisses quite loudly with my Shozy Alien player, which leads me to believe that it is quite sensitive, and prone to hiss. Something to keep in mind, depending on what source component you generally use.

Genre Recommendation: Music that is one-dimensional or vocal-centric may not seem to do great with these IEM’s, although those two will do great as well, if you’re looking for a more analytical sound.

To get more to the point, genres matter less here than the type of music listener you are. If you’re the analytical one, paying attention to detail, but also likes to get in the groove, the DN-2000J is a perfect choice. People who like a very musical presentation might not be totally happy with this IEM, although the V-shaped signature provides something to those as well. To those who are completely devoted to analytical sound, the DN-2000J is much better than most of the IEM’s out there in the analytical sense (in my opinion), so it’s definitely something you should try out.

Sound Summary: The DN-2000J definitely brings quite a bit to the table. Extremely detailed, precise, and wide sound is the game DUNU plays. Although the midrange is not as forwarded due to the frequency’s V-shaped nature, nothing is left behind.

Although I would love to continue to praise the DN-2000J, I think that about sums it up. DUNU’s product here is definitely topsound (you knew that was coming).

Seriously though, the DN-2000J’s sound is quite analytical, and excels at what it set out to do, so it more than earned its price tag. While it may not seem as impressive out of the box, over a short amount of time you may find, like me, the sound of the DN-2000J to be unique and completely addictive.

Amplification:

While it sounds better with amplification in my experience (the Meier Corda HA-2), it’s definitely not needed. With an impedance of only 8 ohms, this is one of the easiest IEM’s to drive. Although there is a slight improvement to my ears, amplification here is more to help your source player bring out the nice details rather than for the DN-2000J to be driven better.

How much of a benefit in sound you’ll get from amplification is dependent on what your rig is, but I can say with surety that you’ll be fine without one, provided that your source component is capable enough to produce the sound you want on its own.

Value & Conclusion:

The DN-2000J is definitely not a cheap IEM. However, it does more than enough to justify its price. The sound quality of the DN-2000J is like fine wine; the more time you spend with it, the more you appreciate what it has to offer.

The difference between non-summit-fi IEM’s and over ear headphones has been a hard one to bridge. Many companies have simply given up, and are of the opinion that it’ll never change. However, DUNU’s new offering makes breakthroughs in this price range – you simply cannot get a more 3D-like, airy, and balanced sound for the price, from what I’ve seen. No, the asking price of $350 is definitely not cheap, but is it a worthwhile investment? Yes, in my opinion, and more. The fact that this IEM tried going head-to-head with the K3003, an IEM 3 times the price, shows a level of quality that DUNU’s willing to push the limits here.

Disregarding its somewhat bright presentation, the DN-2000J stays quite balanced. As an overall IEM, it does an amzing job at what it set out to do. The DN-2000J has enough detail and separation for anyone’s analytical tastes, and complemented by outstanding build quality and accessories for all types, the DN-2000J makes a very compelling case for a long term, well-tuned IEM.

Hi-Res indeed; DUNU has done well on this one. I'd like to express a huge thanks to DUNU for sending me this review sample; it is truly a great IEM and I will enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

- Avishai Zitron

PreIntroduction:

I am in no way affiliated or work for Brainwavz. For this review, I’ve received the S0 as a review sample courtesy of Audrey from Brainwavz.

Introduction:


I remember when I got my first $30 IEM; this was before I was fully invested in sound quality and high end audio. Rather than going to head-fi to check which ones are valued for the price, I went to Amazon instead and looked for the highest rated IEM’s at the time. So I bought one. Wasn’t too impressed. Bought another one, and it broke; etc. Pretty much every time I tried to get my hands on a budget IEM, there was always some massive qualification that prevented me from liking it.

So a year later when Audrey told me she could give me the S0 to review, my expectations for this new ~$40 IEM weren’t too high. From my experiences, budget headphones always sounded muddy, didn’t fit, or had something else which completely spoiled the experience for me.

But when I started listening to the S0’s, I was quite surprised. Clear sound that even $80 headphones sometimes gets wrong was present on these IEM’s, and an overall sound that is well above the $40 tag.

I was afraid I would have to give my first mediocre rating to a budget IEM, but I can say with confidence that rating is clearly not meant for the S0’s. Let’s begin.

Packaging:

The S0’s box had a magnetic flap on the front, and on the inside it has a few neat surprises. First off, there’s a history of Brainwavz and the company’s primary goal. A nice touch in my opinion, and a good way to inform buyers of the company behind the product without being over-the-top. Also on the inside flap is a detailed part-by-part explanation of the S0, comply tips, and wire – this provides an air of seriousness that shows that Brainwavz puts hard work into its products, not just ‘whatever’ing the more budget end - like so many other companies do for their less-costly IEM’s.




Accessories:




Speaking about putting hard work, Brainwavz really outdid itself here; the amount (and usefulness) of accessories they provide makes me grin. Starting off with the IEM case - it’s really sturdy and small as well, one of the better cases I’ve seen overall. Definitely using it over the other IEM cases I have. Moving on to the tips - gosh, there’s really something for everybody here. A pair of comply tips for those who like foam, a pair of bi-flange, a pair of tri-flange, three pairs of good quality silicone tips (small, medium, and large), and three pairs of translucent red silicone tips (again, small, medium, and large).

The difference I found between the translucent and the regular tips was the nozzle size – although how that exactly affects the sound is up for grabs. For the listening tests, I used the default tips that were on the S0 out of the box – the medium pair of translucent red/gray tips. These actually look quite cool, and are visually a nice break from the standard tips that we’ve seen over and over again.

Overall, you get nine pairs of tips – something I definitely wouldn’t expect from this price point. Remember that the case + tips alone could cost quite a bit of money if bought separately, so Brainwavz is taking that hit for the buyer and providing everything you’d need in one package, and at a ridiculously good price point to boot.

3 other items included are the 1 year warranty card/manual, a Velcro strap, and a shirt clip, which helps reduce microphonics a lot for those who have that problem. This is definitely good foresight planning by Brainwavz, and a smart move to make. More on this later though.

Basically, you get much more than your money’s worth in accessories. From a nice hard case to a huge arrangement of tips, at this price point the amount of effort put into this is truly amazing.



Build Quality & Design:

At first glance, the housing looks like it’s made of hard plastic – not so. The shell is made out of metal – definitely a good sign, especially at S0's price point. The second point of interest to me was where the cable connected to the shell; I’d expect it (like so many other IEM’s in this price range) to be flimsy or have minimal protection. But Brainwavz did well here too, molding a thick rubber piece to protect that weak spot where so many of us have broken our cables. The cable itself is flat, which avoids tangling, and it is quite strong, which is good because many flat cables aren’t. The Y-split seems of good quality to me – doesn’t seem like any breakage will happen there either.

The S0 can be easily worn straight down or over the ear, whichever you prefer. I kept mine over the ear from the start, as I’ve gotten a good fit that way. You know what they say – “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

And from this build quality the S0’s definitely won’t be broken anytime soon – it has a solid build quality that is much above the standard in this price range.

The S0 also has a sleek look – one that doesn’t scream “fancy” but at the same time doesn’t look drab or dull. The red rubber that I mentioned before (to strengthen the part of the cable that connects to the housing) matches well with the red/gray translucent eartips. The shell itself looks smooth and simple – which is why so many were surprised with the metal shells. Combined with the red and black case it requires a moment to appreciate the effort Brainwavz took to make everything match. Simple and elegant – design is a definite winner at this price range.




Fit & Comfort:


I only tried one set of the included tips, but I can confidently say that you won’t have too much trouble as the average man trying to get a good fit on these IEM’s. The S0’s is very comfortable whether worn down or over the ear, and for the 45 minute session I listened to them, I experienced no fatigued or tip annoyance. The ergonomics of the shell is quite simple, and doesn’t leave anything to be desired. Honestly though, with so many different tips you can try, I’m not sure there’s any possibility for the S0 to be uncomfortable to begin with; this section gets a huge thumbs up from me.

Isolation:

Isolation is pretty darned good at this price range – It blocks most outside noise when I first put them in. For the average outside use, these isolate quite well. This will be dependent on your fit though, so YMMV.

Microphonics:

I wear the S0’s over the ear, which eliminates most of the microphonics altogether. However, if you’re finding the flat cable or whatnot to produce too much noise when you rustle the cable, the included shirt clip (when used) will eliminate most microphonics that way. I don’t know exactly how it works, but shirt clips are the #1 best homemade cure for microphonics without tampering with the actual wire of the headphones – I’m not kidding around. Brainwavz was clever enough to preempt the problem before it materialized – so overall I’m giving a nod of approval to Brainwavz for making this smart move. However, for all those that where it over the ear like me, there’s no noticeable microphonics to speak of.

Sound:

For listening, I used a Cowon J3 with various tracks of different genres (to gauge what genres the S0 is a good match with), without an amp. Most portable devices have plenty of power for the S0, the amplification is not necessary.

This is definitely a fun section, and one I was quite surprised in. The only slight caveat (to me) of the S0 lies here, as well as its biggest strengths. Shall we begin?

Highs: In general, I don’t usually care if there’s a slight treble roll-off, as long as the treble's there. I liked the clarity the S0 had at the upper regions, although some might say it’s slightly laid back. For my tastes though, it’s perfect – I don’t need the highs in my face at all times, but I do want it present. And present it is on the S0. Drums sound great, as well as violins. For an IEM, it does a great job. Details on the higher end don’t leave much to be desired either. In short – a great job, and one I wouldn’t expect from this price range.

Mids: Instruments/acoustics sound good, albeit not the best I’ve heard. Again, we’re dealing with a $40 IEM though, so for the price range I have no complaints, which is actually a compliment considering how many in the price range get it wrong.

Vocals though – here’s where the S0 really shines. Female vocals sound musical and sweet – if I were to blind test the female vocals on the S0 I would put it in a much higher price bracket. Definitely gains favor in my opinion of the sound quality, and for those who listen to a lot of hip-hop and such – I’m just going to cut to the chase and say buy the S0 right now. You’ll enjoy it enough for it to be a great investment on the go. Daft Punk by Pentatonix, Burn by Ellie Goulding, and Samantha Jade’s “Firestarter” were but a few of the first tracks I used to listen to the S0, and it just went to replay from there. ‘nough said.

Bass: Sub bass is nice, quantity and quality have no complaints from me. Again, clarity is a big bonus to this section, and I’ve been so sick of muddy bass on budget IEM’s that I was really glad when the S0’s held up. However, there is a noticeable bump in the sub-bass region. Not enough to overpower the rest of the frequency, or spoil the sound even to a small extent, but it’s there. I personally like my frequency flat, but I do have to appreciate the fact that this is the only caveat in the whole review. After a few minutes of listening, I found myself ignoring the slight bump and just enjoying the music. So it’s really not a big deal, especially given that the rest of the frequency is quite balanced.

Clarity: The crowning glory, in my opinion (vs vocals? I’d still give it to the clarity). The clarity of the S0 is just amazing given its price, and helps provide a well-balanced sound that is great for everyday listening use. I’m really, really glad the clarity of this headphone pulled through, and it did so quite effortlessly. All the frequencies are quite clear, with the mid-bass lagging slightly behind due to its small difference in quantity.

Imaging: I thought the good parts were done, but Brainwavz managed to squeeze in one more – the imaging. Or, more precisely, the 3d-ness of the sound it presents. Gone are the days where budget ‘phones sound like a block/wall of sound going in your direction – the S0 manages to provide a more 3d sound from the back and front as well as left and right. Obviously, jump up a few hundred bucks and it will get much more refined, but for a $40 IEM the S0 provides a nice effort that pretty much succeeds in this regard.

Soundstage/Detail/Coloration/Separation/Accuracy/Immersion Factor: Most of my other reviews have these sections, but due to the nature and price range of this IEM, I’m going to jump over these, as there’s not much to say. Consider performance in all these sections good for its price bracket, and don’t expect it to be a HD600.

Overall Tonality/Balance: The S0 is quite balanced, barring the bump in the mid-bass. The bump doesn’t ruin the balance the rest of the frequency provides though, and just gives it a bit of extra oomph for people who are a bit more bass inclined (which in the audience for this price bracket, seems to be quite many). The overall tonality seems to be a hint of warmth, without the quantity which makes you feel “woah, Fiio house sound alert.”

Frequency Shape: Many say the S5 (which the S0 is modeled after, to my understanding) is V-shaped. The S0 is definitely not V-shaped to my ears. The mids are present in full force, and like I said earlier, there is an overall balanced sound. I would say these have a basically flat frequency with a bump somewhere in the bass region.

EQ: I know most audiophiles don’t like using EQ, but c’mon, a budget IEM for on the go – how can you resist? The S0 responded well to the EQ presets I used on my Cowon J3, with the exclusion of the bass presets – giving a bass boost to the S0 made it overpowering to my ears. However, it is not rocket science that you don’t add bass to something that has a bass boost already. All the other presets worked fine with the S0, and I would recommend using them on whatever device you have – whether it be android, iOS, or other – to maximize your enjoyment with these headphones.

Genre Recommendation: I would definitely recommend anything that is vocal dominant, whether it be Pentatonix, Chris Brown, or other mainstream artists. For instrumental listening such classical music, or even modern instrumental music like the Piano Guys and Lindsey Stirling, I wasn’t as happy with the S0 – but then again, it’s a budget IEM, so I can’t judge this by audiophile standards. EDM/ electronic music also performed well with the S0, due to its clarity and boost in the bass region.

Basically, anything genre that benefits from a good quantity of bass and shining vocals – the S0 excels. Any genre that flails when given a boost in any way – the S0 should only be used for with proper EQ, which every android device has; so no worries there.

Sound Summary: The sound of the S0 is clearly (no pun intended) enjoyable, and very well suited for both mainstream audiences and those who’ve been listening to music for a while as well. Definitely a winner for the listener of mainstream music, and for the classical listener too with proper EQ. I believe that since EQ is so integrated with mainstream devices today (phones, tablets, music players) that it is very reasonable to buy the S0 and play around with the unique things that it brings to the table, even if you’re not a fan of the genres mentioned above. The clarity throughout the frequency, as well as how it treats vocals makes the S0 definitely a keeper in the sound department. Is the mid-bass bump a deal-breaker in my opinion, especially given the things the S0’s good at? No. I’d prefer to say this is what makes the S0 “human,” so to say. But if I had to compare it to a human, I would consider the S0 a person who’s reached many milestones, and has little left to work on. Bainwavz definitely knows what they’re doing when it comes to the sound of their IEM’s, and if they can find a way to remove the slight bump in the mid-bass, I would easily say this is the best IEM under $50, hands down.

Value & Conclusion:

There’s so much value here at this price point I’m pretty much at a loss for words. The accessories themselves would probably cost $20 separately, and for a $40 price tag, the build quality and comfort of the S0 are phenomenal. Regardless of all that, the S0 delivers a sound that is definitely well-suited for the average consumer and the music lover alike. Clear and enjoyable sound makes the S0 a winner to me; for all those looking for an IEM on the cheaper side that will sound good and last for quite a while, the S0 is a bargain for the price, and it should definitely be on your list.

 

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

There haven’t, erhm, been too many Class A portable amplifiers on the market, so introducing this as part of a group is quite difficult. The Lear FSM-2 V2 may be one of the only other ones I’ve heard of, and even then only fleetingly, and at more than double the price point of the B1. In terms of power, though, there has been a few budget amps that pack a punch, including but not limited to the Fiio E12 we all love at its price point.

 

So, the point? That Aune’s B1 is quite interesting before we even start, by doing something almost nobody else had the guts to do – a fully portable class A amp, for all those that don’t want to be glued to a wall outlet (anybody? Any takers? Well, me for sure). Yeah, you could go for the E12, but what if you’re past budget-fi, and want to do justice for your more power-hungry headphones, and your X5/dx90/A&K player to boot? I was recently put in that situation, where I was blessed enough to be able to get both the AKG K7XX and the Shozy Alien. So then all I needed was an amp.

 

How hard could it be already?

 

Hard enough. I went through 5 or so amplifiers, the E12 the only one powerful enough in my opinion to drive the K7XX to a fuller sound (none had problems with volumes, but then again, volume isn’t everything, right? Quality is the beast we’re discussing here), and couldn’t help but wonder if it was limiting the wonderful sound my other two pieces of equipment were capable of producing. So I jumped at the chance to get a B1, hoping that class A was what I was looking for, while also hoping power wasn’t the only good thing the B1 was good at.

 

It’s good alright. Very, very good. But more of that in the review. Let’s begin!

 

Packaging:

 

I’m not a fan of this section in general, but while I’m at it, I am a fan of the B1’s packaging. Nice an’ simple, just the way I like it. Comes with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, as well as an usb charging cable – standard, not a feared proprietary cable like Cowon’s.

 



 
Build Quality & Design:

 

Tank certified, in my opinion. Much better built than the Schiit Magni 2 Uber I’ve owned, though that wasn't too shabby either. Made almost fully out of metal, and, although I have no idea how I know this, it feels like the metal is thick as well. No hollow-ish sound I’ve had when the components didn’t exactly fit the case they were assigned to; the B1’s case feels like it was made in Germany, ja? I would be afraid of dropping it though due to the fancy see-through glass, although through my rigorous tapping tests I’ve decided it’s pretty sturdy as well. Don’t drop this though – well, make that don’t drop any of your audio equipment, unless it’s created by Apple.

 

Speaking of the see-through screen, it gives this amp a look of authority. Man, I’m usually scared of anything see-through – it reminds me of the components inside and how they could break. But with the B1, I don’t have this problem. It’s really weird, I was expecting to treat this like a vase, but instead I’m treating it like a Swedish Volvo, carrying its own weight and build quality plenty. I’ve never seen a sturdier built amp around, even with the partial see-through screen, and that’s saying something. The symmetrical led lights the amp gives when powered on is classy to the max. My initial impression when I took this out of the box was that I could probably convince my roommates it had a built-in wine flask.

 

The leather backing on the other side only confirmed my wine-flask theory. Soft and comfortable, this is another point for the B1’s classiness.

 

The volume knob is the only thing that people may take up for debate. It is made out of hard plastic, not metal. Now before people start arguing that the E12 has a metal knob and thus better, I just want everyone to know that the plastic Aune used here is just fine in this case. The knob moves smoothly, and it doesn’t appear to shake or wobble no matter how hard I try. So will it stay working for 3+ years? I couldn’t tell you, but it seems well-built enough to stand the test of time, in my opinion. Although a diamond knob would have completed the classy setup, there’s only so much you can expect for $200, you know?

 

My, they really had a wonderful designer when they made the B1; it looks like it just came out of fine dining, with no way to argue otherwise if I had even wanted to. It simply just looks really, really good all around. Sturdy and elegant, more well-designed than any other piece of equipment I ever handled. Well done, Aune, seriously. I just wish the volume knob could have been outta diamond/platinum, ‘cause that’s really the only thing that anyone could ever nitpick about.

 

Basically, Aune did well in this department. Not only is it built like a tank, they managed to add the see-through-glass/led-lights/leatherback for a classy, well designed look.

 



 
Buttons/Switches:

 

I’ve already discussed the knob, so moving on one side there’s the power switch, current switch, and gain switch. On the other side there’s the power indicator 


button. All of the first 3 seems well done, and doesn’t look like they would be switched on/off accidentally, which is what I was hoping for, especially given the fact that so many got it wrong in that regard. At the same time, though, they’re also not hard to use if you try, albeit a bit on the safer/heftier side in that regard. I’ve been furious for a while that the E12’s side buttons (gain, crossfeed, etc.) are meant to be used with a toothpick, and even when 3 inches from my nose is incredibly hard to use. Fun fact: I actually thought when I got the E12 that the buttons fell off and I was seeing the mechanics behind it. Like, yeah. So all I’m saying is I’m happy the B1’s buttons are very useable.

 

The power indicator button works fine, and I’m glad Aune incorporated it, as it’s a brilliant way to check and see how much battery is left.

 

As for the switches themselves, the power switch is self-explanatory, so I’ll continue with the other two. The gain switch provides a 10db or so volume boost, which works well for the K7XX, but isn’t a shocking jump, when using full-sized headphones. With IEM’s, such as the SA7, it’s a bit of a jump if you hit it by accident, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. The current switch goes between 20MA and 40MA, although even with power-hungry headphones like the K7XX I could barely hear a difference; I think the 40MA current provides slightly more authority to the sound, although the difference is so small I’d be more than happy if I had to live with only the 20MA. The reason why I’m saying this is because the battery gets halved (more on that later) when under the higher current, and many of you are probably wondering if it does well on the “low” current as well, for more portable uses. But fear not; both sound amazing, and the 20MA doesn’t sound thin in the slightest. If I understood correctly though, both of them are class A currents, so there’s no real “low current” here, only high and higher.

 

It is important to note that Aune strictly advises against switching the current when powered on, so many might nitpick with that. But to me, if it’s not prone to accidents, and you have the foresight to keep Aune’s warning in mind, there’s nothing to talk about.

 

Battery:

 

Let’s take a step back and consider what current this lion is giving us. Fully class A. Now taking that, let’s consider its battery life; 10 hours for the 20MA current and 5 for the 40MA. At first glance, this would make people recoil. But after you consider the wattage we’re getting here, it suddenly turns into a gem. 13 hours on the Oppo HA-2? No problem, we’ll get you a Schiit Asgard current in a portable package straight away.

 

Seriously, though, if you know what we’re dealing with here, 10 hours should raise eyebrows. And especially since you probably won’t even need to use the high-current when you go outside (unless you’re using 300 ohm IEM’s,) you'll only have to worry about the ten hour battery, not the 5 hour one. I’m usually not a fan of current switches, as they’re usually an indicator that the low current is not enough, but with this I’m keeping it in low current and taking the 10 hours with me. Low current still powers my headphones like a boss. For a Class A, truly a remarkable feat.

 

*Now, I wish Aune told us whether the 10 hours is in low gain or in high gain, but I should be able to find out soon enough. Get back to you guys later on that.

 

Heat:

 

Since this is a Class A, can you fry eggs on it, as with many other infamous Class A amps? (I’m talking to you, Schiit Asgard 2!)

No, and a big relief at that. I’m happy to say that when using it all of today, the Aune B1 only gets slightly warm, never hot to the touch. A potential issue that many were worried about, Aune seems to have found a good lid for heat control on this one.

 

Size, Weight & Portability:

 

Size is small enough and at a good size, being exactly the same size (L x W) as the E12, while being just a tad thicker. Weight, though, is quite hefty. Obviously it’s liftable, but it may not be what you have in mind for your ultra-light setup. This is probably due to the components inside, so it’s all for good cause. Just thought I’d make a mention that this is not a featherweight amp by any means, and as a class A amp I wasn’t expecting it too. It should be great in backpacks and in inner coat pockets, but not in jacket/pants pockets, and definitely not while jogging. However, if you could get past the weight, portability is fine. Pictures:

 



Note: On the left is the Fiio E12, on the right is the Aune B1.
 

Amplification & Volume:

 

Volume is quite plenty, especially if you keep it in high gain. As far as amplification goes, my main IEM gains massively from high gain, while with the K7XX it’s not that much of a difference. If I had to point it out, high gain gives more of an edge to things, which in turn makes it feel more refined. With my KRK KNS-8400 and the Bang & Olufsen H6, though, low gain is also quite fine, although high gain still has a *slight* edge. So it seems that the SA7 at 50 ohms is the only one who doesn’t like low gain. It does beautifully on high gain, though, so there’s nothing to worry about here. As I have said, volume is not a concern with the B1, and the B1 works fantastically with everything I’ve thrown at it.

 

As I'll mention later on, the B1 is way ahead of the Fiio E12, especially when it comes to detail retrieval, clarity, and overall balance, all of which I will discuss in the sound section. As for the Schiit Magni 2 Uber (from memory; I haven't had the Magni in a good month or two), the Magni 2 has absolutely no viable edge to my ears when it comes to power because let's remember yet again that the B1 is a Class A amp. So besides for the fact that the B1 is powerful and portable, the B1 sounds yet better to my ears; Detail and musicality probably being its winning factors, but really the B1 -portable or not- is a step ahead of budget-tier amplifiers to me. The overall sound of the B1 is more than I could ever ask out of the Magni 2 Uber, possibly excluding the soundstage, which may or may not have been better on the Magni 2 (I can't really remember all that well now). In all other respects, though, I'd pick the B1 any day.

 

When comparing the B1 to the Heir Audio Rendition 1 amp ($330) - by memory, it seems that the Heir wins by a small margin when paired with IEM's, as that's the only thing it's geared to do. However, the B1 is not lagging far behind, and definitely takes the cake when it comes to over-the-head headphones, whether they be closed back like the KRK's or open-back like the K7XX. It's not really a fair comparison to begin with, as there's no reason to buy a Class A amp just for IEM's. The B1 has a lot more going for it than the Rendition 1, unless your entire collection is built entirely of IEM's, like @ClieOS .

 

Hiss:

 

The B1 has a very black background, and there's not much hiss at all unless I strain my ears to hear it on the highest volumes with my IEM, and even then I’m not sure if I’m imagining things. So no worries for your IEM’s here.

 

Sound:

 

Here’s the good part of the review, it’s as good sounding as it is classy. Much of the E12, and it should be, at its price point. Much more controlled in the lower end, detailed in the highs, and overall balanced. Here’s the breakdown:

 

Lows/Bass: Exactly where I want them, quantity and quality, like an iron arm. Doesn’t overpower my K7XX’s like some other amps do, and keeps everything quite even. I wouldn’t call this lacking in bass though, as when the song requires it to pack a punch, it does very well. Details on the low end are done very nicely, no uncontrolled bass lows on the K7XX’s anymore, which is more than I could ask for. The bass is very fast, which is the first time I’ve ever been able to pick that up on a piece of equipment, so I may be off or hearing something else there. I’d like to emphasize here that although I’m usually not quite impressed with the lows, the bass here really give definition and balance to the music.

 

Mids/Vocals: Vocals have no complaints from my end, especially when so many have failed me there. Guitars and other instruments are at its prime here, though. I’m savoring everything from the good ol’ Sultans of Swing up to my OCRemix albums that came out last year. Chrono Cross’s OST, when I played that game at 5 years old, doesn’t fail me here either, which makes me smile. Overall, mids are a beast, and instrumentals are glory with this one.

 

Highs/Drums: I was expecting some kind of roll-off here, as what can be perfect? But, contrary to my expectations, highs are as crisp and detailed as they come, without being bright to my opinion. Not emphasized, but with a strong presence, as they should be. I should remind everyone again that the B1 is very balanced, so it should go without saying that the highs don’t overpower anything, or even feel bright. I just came from a treble roll-off amp and my ears don’t feel fatigued at all, even after 3 hours, if that helps. The highs sure are precise, though.

 

Coloration: None. Sound is very natural, and is as good as your source DAC/DAP, so however that’s supposed to sound you’ll get it.

 

Tonality: A warmer sound, though at no time muddy; the B1 stays extremely detailed for its price even with its warmth. It creates a very inviting and comfortable sound that you just want to sink into, though sacrificing a big soundstage.

 

Soundstage: Well-defined, although I do have to say it’s a tad on the smaller side, due to the B1’s warmth; but within the presentation it gives, it remains very 3D-like. I’m left satisfied, and frankly I’m fine with the way it is. Coupled with a big soundstage from the K7XX, it stays comfortably large, albeit not huge. With the KRK KNS-8400, it has no indication of being small though. So whether you want to use this with open-back headphones or closed-back ones, they’ll both sound wide enough for leg room.

 

Imaging: Well done; whatever the soundstage may lack, the imaging more than makes up for it. The components of the song are all around you, not only front and center, and I can tell where everything’s placed.

 

Separation: The separation would be the only non-strong point of the B1, if I had to pick one. The B1 is more of a musical amp than an analytical one. As such, components tend to blend together musically than staying completely separate where you can pick them out. However, due to the nature of the B1, this helps the amp stay musical and the music flow. This isn’t an analytical amp though, as I’ll mention soon.

 

Frequency shape: Flat, but doesn’t have a flat-ish sound. Every part of the spectrum is lively. Does that make sense?

 

Detail: Very detailed in highs, mids, and lows, I’m proud to say. I’m quite pleased with the amount of detail it presents overall. Detail is definitely one of the B1’s strongest points.

 

Accuracy: It’s hard not to love the accuracy the B1 provides, especially given its detail. Sound is fast and on point to my ears, and being both very accurate and detailed just makes the B1 a deadly competitor and a king in this department.

 

Balance: Also great; I wouldn’t have imagined that the sound sig could be the way it is without having something boosted in some way. But I have to say, the balance of this amp is near perfection, especially compared to the amps I’ve tried before. Definitely makes my K7XX and KNS-8400 sing.

 

Coherency & Flow: A very musical amp, this is the type that makes you want to sit back on your couch and sink in. It doesn’t sound unnatural though, and doesn’t blend in together too much. It flows just right to me.

 

Reveal Factor: The B1 is quite revealing, something that’s going to be coupled with any very detailed amp, I’m afraid. To illustrate, I was a bit shaken when I was hearing recording mistakes in my songs I had no idea existed, even with any of my other amps. However, feed it quality stuff, and it’s very rewarding.

 

Immersion Factor: I have to mention that this isn’t a very analytical amp in the sense that it sucks you in, so don’t expect to be paying attention to every little detail, because in the end, you’re going to space out and have to rewind. That’s why reviewing this is so darn hard; I have to listen to each song 3 times until I can finally pay attention to how good it is. That’s the immersion factor to you.

 

Sound Summary: It sings. That’s the best 2 words I can use to describe it. You won’t be analyzing your music anytime soon, as the B1 will invite you in and shut the door behind you, until you realize you’re not doing much analyzing and rewind back 3 songs later. Very musical, detailed, and 3d-like presentation, all the while keeping a steady coherency and flow that won’t leave you disappointed. The most important part of this review -the sound- the Aune B1 excels at, especially given that it’s a portable amp.

 

Value & Conclusion:

 

The B1 is a serious threat to other amps, even just given it’s features, which, let me remind you once more, is fully Class A in a portable package. Yet Aune didn’t stop there; the B1 excels at sound given its price range and looks wonderfully classy to boot. Quality heating control, and battery life is very decent given its specs. Size is in a great form factor, although the B1 is on the heavy side. Almost all definite positives, while having very little that there’s not to like.

 

I would recommend this completely to those who don’t want to be glued to wall outlets while powering heavy voltage-needy headphones at home, and also want an extremely potent portable amp for their daily travel with portable/closed-back headphones. For those looking for a sole IEM amp, I’m not sure why you would look at a Class A amp to begin with, but hey, it does well with those too.

 

All in all, the Aune B1 really packs a punch given everything it has going for it. If I had $200 to spend on a portable amp that could double for desktop headphones, I’d most certainly buy the B1 in a heartbeat. I couldn’t find anything wrong with it if I tried.

 

-Avishai

 

P.S. – the B1 sample I just reviewed is going on tour in a week or two; the application thread is open here http://www.head-fi.org/t/768275/aune-b1-usa-tour-application-thread for those that live in the U.S.A and want to give the B1 a try. Good luck!

 

Video review:

 



 

A few other Pictures (that didn't make it to the review):