Reviews by Barusu Lamperouge
What’s In the Box?
1 x 0.78mm IEM with Zinc alloy shells housing a 10mm Carbon Nano Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
3 x Bass Tips (Sony Knockoffs)
3 x Balance Silicone Tips
1 x Foam Tips
1 x 1.2m Silver Plated OFC cable
1 x Carrying Case
1 x Carabiner
1 x Shirt Clip
The box is pretty much self-sufficient with high-quality accessories that would suit both casual as well experienced hobbyists alike. I'm not attaching pictures as there are already tons of great quality pictures available on the forum and I'm not that great with camera.
How Does It Sound?
Heart Mirror have a neutral/neutral-bright signature which is very refreshing in the ultra-cheap category as only a handful of IEMs possess it and even fewer are actually good enough. If you are treble-sensitive or prefer a V-shaped sound or like Harman Curve then these IEMs are clearly not for you. You can stop reading further because even if you like this review, you will come back to curse me for peddling Fool’s Gold that didn’t sound like what will be mentioned in the upcoming paragraphs. And, if you are not from the aforementioned categories then let’s rumble.
If we’re rumbling now, then, only thing that can come to my mind is the bass. And, graphs will indicate that these are bass light in terms of quantity, well, they’re somewhat if you are using stock tips or shallow wide bore tips like Azla Sednas & JVC Spiral Dots. The quantity still will be less than most of the Chi-fi offerings but where they shine is in quality. With right fitting tips that ensure a slightly deeper insertion and a better seal, these mirrors slam, punch and roar with pristine clarity without any bleed whatsoever into the mids. Everything feels very natural as if one’s in a auditorium and listening to a concert. I would compare the bass with Muhammad Ali, floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.
Coming to mids, again, I hate to be repetitive but the word natural keeps popping up. Because in a way it sums up how these monitors are tuned. Male vocals have little more sharpness than required that’s because of brightness in lower treble region. Female vocals sound fantastic especially if one is into J-Pop, K-Pop, Anime music etc. For music that’s not so overtly auto-tuned, I found vocals to be very revealing. Similarly, the male vocals too sound better for tracks where auto-tune is minimal or absent. Whether that’s good or bad, totally depends on how one wants to listen to their music. I prefer to listen my music with maximum transparency and minimum coloration. I found them particularly refreshing. The treble is delicate and has enough air to add spaciousness to the presentation. I didn’t find any harshness or bleeding peaks in the treble, on the contrary, for once I found the treble I was looking for. Bright but not killing my ears with fatigue (I’m looking at you Tin Hifi T2!). Arguably, the best treble for a single DD that I’ve heard in the sub-$50 price bracket.
The technicalities are way above the popular choices in this price range. So far, I’ve not heard a single IEM be it a hybrid or single DD that can match Heart Mirror’s transient response and spatial placement in the this price category (Geek Wold GK10 I’m awaiting you
). The music flows organically into your ears especially if you listen to music which incorporates natural instruments and not synth or electronic music. Not saying that synth or electronic music sounds bad, albeit the natural instruments are bit more enjoyable for me. Probably, as musical genres featuring natural instruments dominate my music library. Soundstage is intimate like watching a performance on stage from the front row.
The drawbacks are that despite being cheap they’re not beginner friendly in anyway. Because, these are power-hungry and will need gear that satiate its lust for volts. They sound very okay directly via laptop, smartphone or any low powered gear. Also, they cater to a niche segment of consumers, thus, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Another thing that is probably Achilles’ heel of this splendid IEM is that, at times, string instruments sound too clinical, like pinpoint, even if they don’t have to. This takes away the joy factor for some tracks where such level of accuracy is less welcome. This also makes them brutal for recordings that are mixed and produced poorly. They immediately lay bare the flaws in the recordings of lo-fi music.
Unsurprisingly, it has made most of my gear pretty much obsolete. And, I’m happy with that. I purchased an IEM after almost 13 months and I’m elated that I found something that is a genuine step-up to what I already own.
Note: Everyone’s ears and comfort-levels are unique, so, it’d be great if folks tiproll with what they have in their collection. A tip that has a bore long and wide (4mm+) will be ideal, prime examples of such tips are BGVP S01 & KZ Starlines. I’m using BGVP S01. There might be other tips that fit the bill or give you more joy, so one can experiment to their heart’s content and would like to hear how their Mirrors are cooing.
Comparisons:
Blon BL-03: Well, this is a no contest. It is like a college football team facing Manchester United. BL-03 is not bad it’s just that things have changed since that boisterous summer of 2019. Heart Mirror trounces BL-03 in all departments except that musical low-end. But, the effort to make BL-03 make that musical is too much with an after-market cable and tips. Those who love BL-03, they love it for its smooth tonality that is not technical in nature whereas Heart Mirror is a different beast with its analytical tone. Both have different sets of connoisseurs but for those who like neutral IEMs Heart Mirror is hands down better than Blon’s miracle baby.
Smabat NCO: Although it is discontinued now, but to those who own them would be interested to know where these two similarly priced single DD IEMs stack up. For me, NCO is a cannon that guarantees a musical blast with its balanced signature led by scrumptious bass and expansive soundstage. In contrast, Heart Mirror is a sniper’s bullet, precise and to the point. But, for everything else, Heart Mirror is superior to NCO.
Tin Hifi T2 Plus: Now, this is a grand slam matchup in the sub $50 category. It is ironic because what folks expected from T2 Plus (especially after the debacle of T2 Pro), is exactly what Heart Mirror is. Precise treble, bass that you can feel when required, mids that don’t sound wonky in the upper registers and pristine technicalities. Instead, T2 Plus chose Harman way of nerfing the treble and cranking up the bass. T2 Plus is like water whereas Heart Mirror is umm, like a mirror. Both are transparent but their presentations are different. If you like a fun version of neutral then T2 Plus is the way whereas if you want neutrality with supreme technicalities then Heart Mirror is the way forward.
Setup & Test Tracks:
I'm using stock cable with BGVP S01 M size tips.
Gear: I don’t have any fancy gear and I like my setups minimal because I prefer mobility while listening to my music. But for all the gear I have, I find my sources to be more than adequate.
On-The-Go: Samsung S20 FE (Dolby Off)>Neutron>Fiio BTR5
Home: Samsung S20 FE (Dolby Off)>Neutron> Fiio BTR5>Walnut F2 (Pure magic setup)
Test Tracks:
1 x 0.78mm IEM with Zinc alloy shells housing a 10mm Carbon Nano Diaphragm Dynamic Driver
3 x Bass Tips (Sony Knockoffs)
3 x Balance Silicone Tips
1 x Foam Tips
1 x 1.2m Silver Plated OFC cable
1 x Carrying Case
1 x Carabiner
1 x Shirt Clip
The box is pretty much self-sufficient with high-quality accessories that would suit both casual as well experienced hobbyists alike. I'm not attaching pictures as there are already tons of great quality pictures available on the forum and I'm not that great with camera.
How Does It Sound?
Heart Mirror have a neutral/neutral-bright signature which is very refreshing in the ultra-cheap category as only a handful of IEMs possess it and even fewer are actually good enough. If you are treble-sensitive or prefer a V-shaped sound or like Harman Curve then these IEMs are clearly not for you. You can stop reading further because even if you like this review, you will come back to curse me for peddling Fool’s Gold that didn’t sound like what will be mentioned in the upcoming paragraphs. And, if you are not from the aforementioned categories then let’s rumble.
If we’re rumbling now, then, only thing that can come to my mind is the bass. And, graphs will indicate that these are bass light in terms of quantity, well, they’re somewhat if you are using stock tips or shallow wide bore tips like Azla Sednas & JVC Spiral Dots. The quantity still will be less than most of the Chi-fi offerings but where they shine is in quality. With right fitting tips that ensure a slightly deeper insertion and a better seal, these mirrors slam, punch and roar with pristine clarity without any bleed whatsoever into the mids. Everything feels very natural as if one’s in a auditorium and listening to a concert. I would compare the bass with Muhammad Ali, floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.
Coming to mids, again, I hate to be repetitive but the word natural keeps popping up. Because in a way it sums up how these monitors are tuned. Male vocals have little more sharpness than required that’s because of brightness in lower treble region. Female vocals sound fantastic especially if one is into J-Pop, K-Pop, Anime music etc. For music that’s not so overtly auto-tuned, I found vocals to be very revealing. Similarly, the male vocals too sound better for tracks where auto-tune is minimal or absent. Whether that’s good or bad, totally depends on how one wants to listen to their music. I prefer to listen my music with maximum transparency and minimum coloration. I found them particularly refreshing. The treble is delicate and has enough air to add spaciousness to the presentation. I didn’t find any harshness or bleeding peaks in the treble, on the contrary, for once I found the treble I was looking for. Bright but not killing my ears with fatigue (I’m looking at you Tin Hifi T2!). Arguably, the best treble for a single DD that I’ve heard in the sub-$50 price bracket.
The technicalities are way above the popular choices in this price range. So far, I’ve not heard a single IEM be it a hybrid or single DD that can match Heart Mirror’s transient response and spatial placement in the this price category (Geek Wold GK10 I’m awaiting you
). The music flows organically into your ears especially if you listen to music which incorporates natural instruments and not synth or electronic music. Not saying that synth or electronic music sounds bad, albeit the natural instruments are bit more enjoyable for me. Probably, as musical genres featuring natural instruments dominate my music library. Soundstage is intimate like watching a performance on stage from the front row.The drawbacks are that despite being cheap they’re not beginner friendly in anyway. Because, these are power-hungry and will need gear that satiate its lust for volts. They sound very okay directly via laptop, smartphone or any low powered gear. Also, they cater to a niche segment of consumers, thus, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Another thing that is probably Achilles’ heel of this splendid IEM is that, at times, string instruments sound too clinical, like pinpoint, even if they don’t have to. This takes away the joy factor for some tracks where such level of accuracy is less welcome. This also makes them brutal for recordings that are mixed and produced poorly. They immediately lay bare the flaws in the recordings of lo-fi music.
Unsurprisingly, it has made most of my gear pretty much obsolete. And, I’m happy with that. I purchased an IEM after almost 13 months and I’m elated that I found something that is a genuine step-up to what I already own.
Note: Everyone’s ears and comfort-levels are unique, so, it’d be great if folks tiproll with what they have in their collection. A tip that has a bore long and wide (4mm+) will be ideal, prime examples of such tips are BGVP S01 & KZ Starlines. I’m using BGVP S01. There might be other tips that fit the bill or give you more joy, so one can experiment to their heart’s content and would like to hear how their Mirrors are cooing.
Comparisons:
Blon BL-03: Well, this is a no contest. It is like a college football team facing Manchester United. BL-03 is not bad it’s just that things have changed since that boisterous summer of 2019. Heart Mirror trounces BL-03 in all departments except that musical low-end. But, the effort to make BL-03 make that musical is too much with an after-market cable and tips. Those who love BL-03, they love it for its smooth tonality that is not technical in nature whereas Heart Mirror is a different beast with its analytical tone. Both have different sets of connoisseurs but for those who like neutral IEMs Heart Mirror is hands down better than Blon’s miracle baby.
Smabat NCO: Although it is discontinued now, but to those who own them would be interested to know where these two similarly priced single DD IEMs stack up. For me, NCO is a cannon that guarantees a musical blast with its balanced signature led by scrumptious bass and expansive soundstage. In contrast, Heart Mirror is a sniper’s bullet, precise and to the point. But, for everything else, Heart Mirror is superior to NCO.
Tin Hifi T2 Plus: Now, this is a grand slam matchup in the sub $50 category. It is ironic because what folks expected from T2 Plus (especially after the debacle of T2 Pro), is exactly what Heart Mirror is. Precise treble, bass that you can feel when required, mids that don’t sound wonky in the upper registers and pristine technicalities. Instead, T2 Plus chose Harman way of nerfing the treble and cranking up the bass. T2 Plus is like water whereas Heart Mirror is umm, like a mirror. Both are transparent but their presentations are different. If you like a fun version of neutral then T2 Plus is the way whereas if you want neutrality with supreme technicalities then Heart Mirror is the way forward.
Setup & Test Tracks:
I'm using stock cable with BGVP S01 M size tips.
Gear: I don’t have any fancy gear and I like my setups minimal because I prefer mobility while listening to my music. But for all the gear I have, I find my sources to be more than adequate.
On-The-Go: Samsung S20 FE (Dolby Off)>Neutron>Fiio BTR5
Home: Samsung S20 FE (Dolby Off)>Neutron> Fiio BTR5>Walnut F2 (Pure magic setup)
Test Tracks:
05.vishal
I have got a ifi nano bl and I have got Heart Mirror on the way. Can't wait to post my review here.
PS:
I really liked your playlist
PS:
I really liked your playlist
Barusu Lamperouge
Thanks. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
I personally prefer them with long bore tips like BGVP S07 and KZ Starlines. But as @baskingshark mentioned even Final E type eartips are good to boost bass.