MANDATORY INTRODUCTION

Dear reader, please keep in mind that whenever there is an opinion in a review, it is my opinion, which may differ significantly from yours. We are all different from each other and have different tastes, and something that does not give me an accelerated heartbeat, you can have great fun, so I always recommend listening before buying if there is such an opportunity. I would also like to point out that in the evaluation of individual parameters, as well as the entire headphones, I try to relate to the price level that has been set for them, which simply means that any opinion I give should be followed by the thought “.... for its price”. I believe this is the only fair form of evaluation and best represents the value of the reviewed item.

INTRODUCTION

Today I would like to introduce you to the in-ear monitors from Kiwi Ears, model: FORTEZA. The headphones were given to me for the purpose of describing my true impressions. At no time was the direction of my review given to me and it is a 100% reflection of my feelings



PRESENTATION



The packaging of the headphones is quite sizable and looks pretty cool. The headphones can be purchased in three different color versions. The color of the model that was sent to me is “BLUE”, but the dominant color of the packaging is sea green which happens to go very nicely with the color of the package, as it is actually a mix of green and blue. In the package we find, of course, a pair of headphones, some paperwork, a cable, and several sets of tips. The cable is quite thin and rather not sensational, but also not the worst cable I've dealt with - it's kind of average, which, considering the selling price, is rather a bit disappointing, but not a tragedy – at least it doesn’t get tangled. The set also comes with a small, rigid fabric case bearing the manufacturer's logo. As for the appearance of the headphones themselves, it makes a very good impression. The shell of transparent, tinted resin, through which you can see the construction of the headphones themselves (2 DD+1BA), with a two-color front cover that shimmers like glitter and brings the look of it closer to jewelry than headphones, but in a good way.



TUNING AND SOUND:

Well, balance it is not

To my mind, it's a warm V tuning, especially with boosted bass, but also exposed treble. I was immediately struck by the observation that their shape allows for quite effective passive isolation, placing the listener in a kind of bubble, and cutting him off from external sounds.

A few words about the sound itself: it is dynamic, lively, and energetic. The bass is dominant and at times even overwhelming. Treble tones can draw excessive attention to themselves, by overemphasizing sibilants, for example. The midrange seems a bit withdrawn, maybe not a lot, but enough so that I, unfortunately, more than once encountered a situation where, in the calmer moment of a song, I would turn up the volume to a level that provided clear and pleasing vocals, only to turn it down a moment later, because suddenly the amount of bass, or the harshness of the treble simply began to bother me.



Well, let's go through the individual regions

Bass:

The bass is nice at times, so bouncy and fat, but unfortunately for the most part it's just too much and can tire you out. It also happens to rumble …. in a bad way. As a plus, I can report that it has texture and a significant portion of sub-bass, but I don't think it's sophisticated enough to consider FORTZA as a basshead set. I believe that a true basshead is not only a lover of the quantity, but also of the quality of the bass emitted, and with that, it is average.

Mids:

The vocals are not the strongest aspect of this set, because, on the one hand, the male vocals are at times drowned out by excessive bass and can grumble (Iggy Pop - Candy), and the female vocals sound quite unnatural, due to the boosted treble. Well, and it is this presentation of the vocals, characterized by a kind of harshness in the sound, that I consider one of the worst aspects of this set.

Treble:

When it comes to vocals, one has to reckon with local sibilants seeping in at the ends of words, especially when dealing with female singing. As for the sound of percussion cymbals, it resembles more the sound of a meshed snare drum tension than a vibrating cymbal. It often sounds like such a hiss, which occurs frequently and can be annoying - it's not the spark that trebleheads love. Although there is a lot of treble, it's not very disturbing, well, unless we choose songs exposing these registers, or if you’re sensitive to them, then we have a festival of crackle, sibilants, and general brightness from which one's eyes squint, but in 80% of songs, it was tolerable. This increased decibels in the high registers does give the illusion of purity of sound. The sense of clarity is being built by the fact that since we are hearing a lot of detail, the sound must be clean, but in fact it’s based on artificial sounds, and unfortunately, this action distorts the sound of instruments and vocals, making them quite significantly different from the natural sound.



PAIRING

Due to the rather sharp treble, it is recommended to use tips that will tame them a bit for us. Analyzing the EartipGuide database from the AudioReviews.org website, I was able to pull out a few tip models that will help us with this:

- Ostry OS3000 - the only example that significantly reduces treble, but also enhances bass, so if you want less bass, it's worth choosing something else

- Moondrop Spring Tips - as described, they take off some bass and sub-bass, bringing the midrange closer while being fairly neutral for treble

- SpinFit CP145 - by boosting the midrange, and leaving the bass and treble at the initial level, you can bring the sound slightly closer to balance

I just got on with the SpinFit CP145s quite tolerably, but I think the use of foams can also help.

As for pairing with the source, it's not easy, because, for example, pairing with KiwiEars Allegro (ES9028Q2M), is sometimes characterized by a rather dull and sluggish sound presentation, while with Moondrop Dawn Pro (CS43131) is overly energetic. Pairing went well with the SONY A55 DAP (Mr. Walkaman mod), with which the Forteza created the most natural timbre, but also the most spacious sound. Pairing with the MuseHiFi M1, or the TC35c from DDHiFi (ALC5686) admittedly provided improved holography, but also exposed this set's weaknesses in treble presentation.

Technicalities:

Despite the dark tuning, the presentation of sounds itself on the potential for holography, with a rather rich background, unfortunately often drowned out by over-exposure of low frequencies, or an annoying sound of, for example, a drum cymbal. As for imaging, there is nothing sensational enough going on in this area to mention. The separation of instruments is pretty cool and, for example, in the song Pearl Jam - Even Flow the guitars on overdrive were very clearly separated from each other and from the rest of the instruments. Well, all in all, one other thing that comes to mind is the very pleasant details associated with the dicing sounds on the rhythm guitar strings that the headphones were able to pull out of the tracks, probably by enhancing the treble, but nevertheless, they quite pleasantly enriched the perception of the tracks.

SOUND SUMMARY:

If you're looking for a balanced sound, the Forteza is not for you.

What we have here is V-type tuning, and that with the “corners” of the letter V exposed.

Of course, with this tuning, the Forteza will be suitable mainly for popular music, electronic probably, but also for rock. I think they can also be safely used for watching movies because with their low and substantial bass, they can shake the viewer at the moment of more spectacular scenes, which, by the way, made me think of the sound presentation used by some multiplex cinemas: “lots of basses, let it shake the viewer”. It may even be suitable for jazz, but you have to reckon that, for example, double bass at times may sound too .... majestic and thus unnatural. Similarly the sound of the piano, which when covered with so much bass loses its naturalness of sound, especially the keys in the lower registers. About the fact that female vocals sound quite unnatural, I wrote a little earlier.

And what they will work well for: They will work well in dynamic, soaring music, but ..... as long as the amount of bass doesn't tire you out or give you a headache (which, by the way, happened to me a few times), and if the boosted treble doesn't constantly focus your attention on crackling, clanging drum cymbals or sibilant hisses. .

The best solution: EQ

If your music player or phone is Android-based, WAVELET will come to your rescue. A great app for changing the tuning of your headphones by applying various types of corrections, such as those generated on the squiglink website. For those who don't know what it's about, here it is in a nutshell: the squiglink site has several databases of headphone measurements, including FORTEZA and many, many others. After loading a few charts, you can use the EQUALIZER tab and the AUTOEQ function to generate a set of corrections to the base tuning to bring it closer to the target tuning. These corrections can then be exported to a txt file, which can then be imported in WAVELET. WAVELET is not a player, it's an application that captures the audio stream coming out of your device and applies the indicated corrections to it. That's it in a nutshell, as the subject of eq itself is a bit more complex. You can also apply corrections yourself, by adjusting the number of decibels at each frequency. For my part, I can suggest removing the sub-bass (20-60Hz by about 3db and 80-120Hz by about 1.5db), and making the low end from 2kHz - 16kHz also by about 3 db. This should calm the bass a bit and exposing the male vocals but also should make the female vocals more realistic. These are just my suggestions, but I think that if you dedicate some time and commitment, you will be able to adjust the FORTEZA curve to your liking.



SUMMARY

I think the initial expected price ($59) for these headphones is a bit overpriced compared to what the competition on the market offers. For those looking for a more balanced and natural sound, I recommend looking at the EPZ Q5, QoA Gimlet, or Simgot EW200 - they offer a more balanced and natural sound. Nonetheless, the Kiwi Ears Forteza, while not to my liking, is not unlistenable and also has some pluses, and with the proper application of EQ will easily achieve a rating of 4-4.5 / 5.

Kiwi Ears Forteza is a headphone that doesn't try to sound natural, just entertaining. The implemented tuning, however, even for an entertaining one, carries a number of color changes that may add dynamics, but at the same time they are very far from natural sound and in my opinion, will be suitable only for people for whom this is not an important issue.

INTRODUCTION

Let me start with the obligatory warning:

Dear reader, please remember that whenever there is an opinion in my review, it is my opinion, which may differ significantly from yours. We are all different from each other and have different tastes, and something that does not give me an accelerated heartbeat, to you can be a great set, so I always recommend listening before buying, if there is such an opportunity. I would also like to point out that in the evaluation of individual parameters, as well as the entire headphones, I try to relate to the price level that has been set for them, which simply means that any opinion I give should be followed by the thought ".... for its price". I believe that this is the only fair form of evaluation and best represents the value of the reviewed product.

PROPER INTRODUCTION

Today I would like to introduce you to the T5S headphones from, a well-known company in the market of in-ear headphones, TinHiFi. The headphones were entrusted to me by the manufacturer itself to describe my impressions, for which I am extremely grateful.



PRESENTATION AND CONSTRUCTION



When I took a look at the packaging, especially this sci-fi-inspired image made at a time when limitations on the number of processed colors were very visibly reflected in graphics, I had mixed feelings. However, everything started to change as soon as I unpacked the set. First of all: the set itself looks great - the metal casing of the headphones, without unnecessary embellishments, with one subtle joint, two tiny vents, and a gray back plate makes a premium impression. On top of that, from the first moments I got the impression that I associated the design with something, but at first, I couldn't realize with what. It was only after a while that I was reminded of the Gort, a robot character from the old 1951 sci-fi film "The Day the Earth Stood Still." See for yourself:



Simple, metal construction with rounded shapes, devoid of ornamentation - just like the T5S .



Included is a very nice, braided cable with a bundle of dark brown and silver, which I find very good. For storing the headphones, we get a very nicely finished white leather (or leather-like material) case, sized to fit a luggage bag rather than a backpack. In addition, a set of tips (several pairs look like Sony EP-EX11), including foam ones (light gray). The set also includes a set of anti-wax filters along with a pair of pliers, which is rather unusual, and while I personally don't see a use for the filters, the pliers themselves may come in handy . All in all, I find the T5S equipment to be rich and of high quality, and the presentation itself, reminiscent of 1950-1960s science fiction design, to be interesting and also very successful.



SOUND - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Already in the first minutes of listening to music through the T5S, I noticed quite precise and clean sound of high registers. The sounds of treble and the upper midrange are very fast and quite detailed, while at the same time, they are not shrill and piercing. The tonality itself is rather neutral, but if I had to pick a side, I'd lean towards a warm sound, due to the amount of bass and the treble not being particularly emphasized. The instruments sound natural, but also not overly realistic, that is, they just sound correct.

I must also add that it took me some time before I was able to properly evaluate the capabilities of this set. I don't know if the reason was the need to burn-in the driver, or maybe it was my brain that had to adjust to such a presentation of sound, but the fact is that my feelings changed with the time of interacting with this set, and it changed in their favor. I also noticed that the satisfaction of listening to music increased as the volume increased.

BASS

The bass is soft and there is a lot of it. It's mostly concentrated in the sub-bass area, but I can't say it’s overly boosted and that there's little of it in the mid-bass. The mid-bass provides a solid thump, so it also helps to add dynamics to songs, but it is unfortunately rather lacking in texture, so fans of the sound of the strings rubbing against the neck (in the case of bass guitar, or double bass) may feel unsatisfied sometimes. Here we are dealing more with a woofer-type bass: soft, warming sound.

MIDS

Male vocals sometimes seem a little less clear than I'd like, which may be due to that solid portion of bass, while female vocals sound quite natural and, in my opinion, pleasant. This is not a mid-centric set, so don't expect too much detail enriching this frequency range either. For fans of guitars on overdrive, or those who want an experience of ASMR, I can hardly recommend the T5S. Unfortunately, when listening to rock or metal, I found the guitars often lacked a growl..., a kind of claw that would speed up my heartbeat, instead I got a somewhat dry mass of guitar noise. The phenomenon of exaggerated sibilants (I call them exaggerated because they are a natural effect, which is a problem when certain frequencies are boosted), if it appeared, was rather unobtrusive, and I would not worry about problems with this issue, which I consider as an advantage of this set.

TREBLE

On the one hand, in these frequency areas, the T5S performs best, because it is the richest, but at the same time, you have a certain sense of insufficiency. The headphones catch a lot of detail in the high registers, and you get a sense of high resolution, but at the same time sounds, such as drum cymbals, lack the flash, the spark that makes you want to listen to them more and more. The treble tones in this set have a certain sharpness, but they are also slightly withdrawn, so they do not glare and remain in the background, which just might appeal to people who like details, but don't like them to overwhelm with their forwardness. I still maintain that the most fitting term for the T5S sound is balanced.

TECHNICALITIES

Instrument separation is fine, that is, you can distinguish different instruments from each other, but it is not very accentuated or exceptional. The soundstage is quite okay, while the background sound is worth mentioning, richly supplied with details caught, especially in the high registers. I'm referring here to all sorts of choruses, sound spots, etc. elements of songs that do the job of background, and in listening through the T5s are audible throughout the song and create such an interesting effect of musical space, which was especially good in songs from live recordings, but not only.

For example, in the song Tina Turner - Golden Eye the background is built up by the violins and various kinds of bells, which accompany us throughout the song and are constantly heard in satisfying clarity. As for the sound presentation itself, at times I felt like I was listening to a concert, standing somewhere in the room, but not in the center. One has the feeling of high-precision sounds that are fast and coins quite sharp, but not hurtful or irritating. It's also worth noting that these headphones handle songs with a lot of sound congestion very well and, for example, some drum solos can amaze with their clarity.

PAIRING

The T5S is a very picky set. First, in my opinion, they need power to sound its best. Secondly, I got the impression that it does not unveil its advantages with every DAC and thirdly, it needs time to present its character (or for the listener to adapt to the sound presented). Fortunately, I had the opportunity to connect it to the Kiwi Ears Allegro, with which it created a coherent analytical sound presentation, and, in this combination, it performed best for me. When it comes to ear tips it's not easy either. The best fit for me was the Epro EP00s, which provided me with the right level of passive isolation while making sure the highs didn't interfere too much. The Sony EP-EX11s (I think), included with the set, also worked well for me, bringing an extra softness to the sound.



GOOD EXAMPLES

Always, during critical listening, I try to find examples of songs when the headphones showed their best side and the T5S managed to impress me too:


The Balek Band – Kesesam

• exemplary genre: electronic funk,
• the track as if created to promote T5S, seriously everything here plays beautifully.
• surprisingly wide stage
• sounds appear from different sides and at different levels of depth.
• good instrument separation
• bass fits like a glove to this style of song
• percussion elements and various bells enrich the sound of the background very well.
• the track brings out the best of the set.

Hiromi - Dancando No Paraiso

• exemplary genre: speed jazz
• everything sounds clean and fast, just like the song itself.
• very fast and dynamic percussion, but it does not get lost, and you can selectively hear each beat of the sticks.
• closing your eyes and listening to the individual sounds of the elements of the drum kit, the headphones build a picture in your head of the spacing of each element, which is especially audible during the drum solo around 4:05, and the selectivity of the strokes around the fifth minute of the song, just amazes.
• The bass solo, on the other hand, sounds somehow unimpressive.

Meute - Man with the Red Face

• exemplary genre: rhythmic orchestral music
• great reworking of a techno classic by Laurent Garnier
• all the instruments of the orchestra sound correct and spread around the listener's head.
• the low-sounding brass instruments bring a very nice warmth to the piece.
• as the piece picked up pace, my leg increased its amplitude of vibration
• sense of space and purity of sound
• trumpets and saxophones properly reproduced.

Matthew Halsall, The Godwana Orchestra - Journey in Satchidananda

• Model genre: melodic jazz
• The double bass sounds like such a wandering warmth with a sound that is not very clear, such a mist of bass.
• rich background of the piece, not disappearing under the notes of the main instruments
• delicate sound of the instruments, including the trumpet most beautifully
• in the background all the time audible sound of a stick lightly hitting a drum cymbal and drum transitions

Robag Wruhme - Tulpa Ovi

• exemplary genre: electronic music
• very clearly separates samples of bells and clicks from the main line of the song played on the piano.
• clean sound, lots of space
• percussion clicks, although quite sharp in timbre, do not interfere.
• rhythmic bass-like pulse accompanies throughout the song.
• I think that the headphones would also work well with the works of Max Cooper

It has probably become my habit by now that with every set I review, I look for some sound, an instrument, which is best reproduced by it, and in the case of the T5S it is the sound of small percussion drums and the sound of a trumpet. Some examples of the second can be found above, while for the former an example would be the track Eddie Chacon - Sundown, in which you can hear the conga, or bongos giving the rhythm to the song, that can be heard in your left ear throughout the song.

Summing up the listening experience, I must admit that I had a big problem with the proper evaluation of this set. Some of the tracks sounded very good, even amazingly good, but also others were as much as discouraging to listen to. In the end, I think it's just not an all-arounder and is best suited for certain genres of music. In my opinion, popular music, electronic music, and entertainment music with high dynamics are well reproduced by these headphones. Classical or film music too, whereby I would not set my mind on picking up the sonic nuances of individual instruments but listening to the pieces as a whole. With film or classical music, I enjoyed listening to the background sounds, which were practically always clean and rich in sound, and never intrusive. For Hip-hop they might be suitable, because of the amount of bass, but rather there are better sets for that. The T5S, on the other hand, didn't appeal to me for metal and harder rock, and I think that's not the genre for them.

Summing up the sounds the T5S emits, I still have to mention one more thing. Although sonically this set is balanced and nothing in it disturbs me, unfortunately, nothing in it captivates me either, or in the end, the sound presentation was simply not very engaging for me. I didn't feel a part of the music, wasn't moved by the sound of the beautiful vocals, or delighted by the naturalness of the sound of the instruments. Everything about it sounds correct and not artificial but at the same time a little .... emotionless. I did some reading, and it seems that the correct term for this type of sound presentation is low micro-dynamics. Maybe the fault also lies with me and my expectations of sound presentation, because lately, I've been leaning towards sets that expose the middle registers, focusing on vocals and macro details. No matter what the reason I believe that I should not overlook this observation.

To explain the title of the review a bit, this presentation of sound brought to me an association with a certain character, the robotic Tin Man (Tin(HiFi) Man), from the Wizard of Oz novel, who, along with the rest of the team, followed the yellow brick road to gain a heart from the Wizard and eventually become human, which unfortunately in the case of the T5S probably did not succeed.



SUMMARY

In my opinion, the T5S does almost everything very well, but at the same time, it is not a particularly exceptional set. The main advantage of the T5S is the clarity and transparency of the sound, and although the reproduced sounds are precise, fast, and quite dynamic, and the extracted details nicely enrich the background, the presentation of the sound itself did not impress me. But to whom can I recommend the T5S? Well, I think I can wholeheartedly recommend it to someone who is looking for a set with a balanced and clean sound, or that will create a rich and unobtrusive background for the listener. I, for example, appreciated this set while reading a book, and listening to some soundtrack, and for that, it worked perfectly.

All in all, this is a very correct set, with fairly safe tuning, but also high sound clarity, which is why I think the right price for it is $100 and you can get it for that much on AliExpress during certain promotions. The starting price is about $130, which is a bit more, but if you take into account the rich accessories, is not overpriced. however, I am afraid that due to the rather intense competition in this price range, the T5S may have trouble breaking out in the market.

Below you can find some additional photos I took:

INTRODUCTION

The Nuo model is a budget offering from:

,a company that has been making a name for itself in the Chi-Fi world. The specimen I will present to you today was sent to me by the manufacturer himself ( thank you very much ) in exchange for an honest description of my impressions, which I do in the words below:



PRESENTATION



The headphones came to me in a small paper container, the smallest of all the headphones I had the opportunity to test. In the box is a mediocre cable, very rubbery, which after I tried to roll it up it unrolled by itself


.... very rubbery. It is still better than the cable we get with the iconic Blon BL-03 model, which with its tangling could drive the world's calmest man crazy. In addition to the cable in the box, you will also find a set of tips (S/M/L). During the period of listening and writing this review, I used the cable that came with the BQEYZ WIND, or some other upgrade cable made by the company whose name I just don’t remember now - both copper covered with silver crystals, and tips from the WHIZZER model SS20 (wide bore), or ePRO P00 which usually fit my ears very well. The conclusion that came to me while perusing the contents of the package was quite obvious: Ziigaat has taken the cost burden off the equipment, but has it shifted to the headphones themselves?

BUILD



The construction of the headphones is solid. The finish is simple and minimalist, with a total of only a white manufacturer's logo on a black background. The shape is ergonomic, and I had no problems locating them in my ear. I like such a minimalist finish.



SOUND

...That is what is most important. The very first sounds of the song being played made my eyes open wider. Full, clear sound, with great strength of notes. I didn't expect anything like this from a model in this price range. As I hadn't read any reviews before it was a very positive surprise. WOW! Well, it's now clear that the manufacturer has shifted most of the manufacturing costs from the accessories to the headphones themselves to deliver quality unparalleled in this price range, or at least to match the best in this range. I find the tuning balanced with a slightly forward midrange. The tonality is rather dark, so a rather warm sound is to be expected, but at the same time, I don't find the midrange registers bloated ( like the Blon Bl03, for example).

Moving on to the details:

BASS

The bass is focused on the mid-bass, which provides great dynamics to the sound and allows for a solid impact. The sub-bass, although a bit withdrawn, is there and reveals itself when the song calls for it. The Bass is not overly boosted and I have never had headache symptoms from prolonged listening (Footnote: I mention this because I just happened to have a Kiwi Ears Forteza to test, which caused such an effect). The bass guitar is textured and sounds mature and natural. This is not a set for bass heads, but I also don't think it aspires to be such. The bass is soft and doesn't buzz, and for the price, it's as satisfying as can be and can go low, which is great.

MIDS

The mids perform brilliantly, which is not typical in this price bracket. In Nuo acoustic guitars, classical guitars, percussion elements, crackling of e.g. vinyl records, and of course vocals, both male and female, sound natural and true. I am very pleased that the price range of about $24 has gained a set that can impress with the quality of reproduction of sounds of the middle registers. A few minutes with the ASMR recordings provided me with waves of chills running down my spine, so if you're looking for a set that will provide you with such sensations, Nuo might be a good option. Occasionally, but only occasionally, there may be slightly irritating sibilants in the female vocals, which is not something for which this set should be crossed out, after all, the sibilant phenomenon itself occurs naturally during speech, and the moments when they bothered me were very sporadic, and if it weren't for the increased attention, I probably wouldn't have paid attention to them.

TREBLE

Treble in my opinion is the least well-taken care of register in this set, which is not to say that there is anything wrong with it, no, it's just that they could be cleaner and sound more natural, because, unfortunately, sometimes they are just unspecified hisses and snaps, not resembling real instruments. It also happens that sometimes the sounds of for example drum cymbals sound strange, so a little..... crackling and unpleasant when you listen to them. So, if your heart lies with the trebles, you might want to look somewhere else, but also I don’t want to exaggerate: there is no tragedy. It's just ok.

TECHNICALITIES

Imaging is adequate, and for the price at which the Nuo is placed, it is simply unprecedented. Sounds appear from different sides and instruments stay in place. The sound is presented in a holographic manner, although the stage is not deep and the presentation is rather close. Instrument separation is very good, and during listening one could also hear the constituent layers of a song more than once, so in terms of layering it is also very good.

PAIRING

Pairing the Nuo with various sources, I can confidently confirm that they sounded best when I played songs from the Sony A55 DAP (Mr. Walkman firmware), not via Bluetooth, but directly from the DAP, because despite the use of the LDAC codec, the quality, especially of the treble, could have been better. Playback through the Moondrop Dawn Pro dongle or the Musehifi M1 also gave very good results. Unfortunately, I didn't like the pairing with the Kiwi Ears Allegro, which I feel took away some of the dynamics and I just didn't find this pairing good. As for the tips, it was very well matched with the ePro Pr00 (of course it did), Spinfit CP100, and Whizzer SS20, but with the KBEAR 07, for example, which are famous for enhancing the bass, here they darken even more the already quite dark sound presentation, which can reflect negatively on the presentation.



GOOD EXAMPLES

In my reviews, I like to give examples of songs that caught my particular attention while listening in detail to the quality of the reproduced sound, in other words: when the headphones do something very well.

a. Francine Thirteen - Queen Mary

- Model genre: electronic music
- Female voice: penetrating and natural. You can hear wonderful speech sounds making the vocal sound more realistic
- bass low, very pleasant with a big (not too big) impact – these headphones can handle such low bass
- despite the strong bass impact, the other registers seem unaffected by it

b. Snarky Puppy - Grown Folks



- Model genre: jazz, fusion
- An example of good imagery: every 4 bars something new appears in a different place; sound fills the space around the head
- good separation of instruments; no feeling of sounds blending, even in the climax of the piece
- textured bass; you can hear the sound of the strings crunching against the frets; no buzzing - you can hear that this is a bass guitar
- Downside: sometimes the cymbals hiss unnaturally, but the cowbell and other bell-like sounds are clear and quite natural sounding

c. Bring me the Horizon - Sugar Ice & tea



- Model genre: rock, metal, etc.
- An example of a rather dense track, which Nuo handles quite well
- The drum cymbals are there, but rather muted and somewhere in the background
- added tracks can be heard slightly separated from the rest of the track - good layering
- bass as it should be in music of this type: audible and adding dynamics
- Vocal in the calming moment of the track (about 2:50 minutes) is intimate, but close and detailed - just the way I like them

d. Beastie Boys - Live At P.J.'s



- Model genre: instrumental hip-hop, the 80s
- Instruments beautifully separated and distributed around the head: guitar on the left, keyboard on the right, a little behind the bongos; Vocals and bass in the front; drums in the back
- All instruments audible and clear throughout the song
- Natural sound of instruments, good dynamics, and strength of notes
- Vocals here withdrawn a bit, but this is more a result of the way the track was recorded

e. Eugene Ruffolo - Poor Lonesome Me



- Model genre: Country, Folk, Acoustic guitars
- Two acoustic guitars, quiet but warm bass and vocals - everything sounds beautiful
- The vocals have warmth in them
- Clear and melodic guitars with natural timbre



CONCLUSION:

With practically every genre of music, the Nuo perform very well. In rock and metal music, thanks to the emphasis on the middle registers, the guitars do not lack claw, and the substantial bass adds dynamics to the tracks. In acoustic tracks, the sounds of metal strings shine through, and vocals sound natural and pleasant. In electronic music, the good dynamics and capabilities of the driver, which is capable of generating very low sounds without distorting the other registers, make themselves known. Only for those who like to sink into the sounds of clicks of drum cymbals, I would recommend looking for something else, such as the Tanchjim Zero, but if this is not your main area of interest, I think the Ziigaat Nuo can confidently serve as a budget entry-level - allrounder for any genre of music.

SOUND SUMMARY

As a summary of the sonic capabilities of the Ziigaat Nuo, they emit a balanced sound in which all registers are sufficiently audible. Reviewing the frequency graph and comparing it with the HARMANN curve, you can see that there are a few more decibels in the midrange registers (especially low), which results in a warmer presentation but also translates into increased strength of notes, which can be heard and is worth appreciating, as it is not common for this price range. If one were to add the HBB target curve to the graph, one can see that the Nuo almost perfectly coincides with it, so those familiar with the tastes of the Bad Boy from Hawaii can guess what to expect.

As for the objections I put forward above, especially regarding the treble, please note that they are the result of critical listening, i.e. the kind where I look for flaws in a product without paying attention to the price range, which in the case of the Ziigaat Nuo is nothing more than nit-picking, because the set itself is great in my opinion, and I can in good conscience recommend it as an entry point into the world of IN-EAR headphones.

In my opinion, Ziigaat has revolutionized the price range around $25, and by releasing the NUO, they have raised the bar well above what can be expected for such money.
Highly recommended.

DISCLAMER

All the impressions described below are my true feelings and I agree with them completely. The fact that I think something is special should be taken to mean that it is special to me, and not necessarily to you, dear reader. Please treat the admiration or disappointments I have expressed, with “a grain of salt” and remember that each of us is a little different, both in culture, and anatomy, as well as in preferences, experiences, and expectations. Please take this into account.



INTRODUCTION

I have to start by saying that at the time I had the MS3 to review, I also had two other iems to review and I was a bit upfront that the MS3 would suit me the least. Well, here is further proof that we should never be guided by what we think before our ears verify it. So when I started listening I was pleasantly surprised by the technical abilities of these headphones, but also by the powerfully energizing sound, far from boring. Admittedly, there were some reservations quite quickly, but it was still better than I expected. Once I had the review almost "written" in my head, another surprise happened, one I hadn't yet had the opportunity to experience - perfect synergy with the source. When I connected the MS3 to the SONY NW-A55 DAP (Mr. Walkman firmware) the headphones changed so much that I can't imagine not evaluating these combinations separately, so I decided to separate the review into one with the standard pairing and one that I personally consider exceptional - the synergy with the NW-A55. However, I won't hide the fact that I will devote most of the review to my observations of the MS3's cooperation with the A55, since the MS3 reviews already on Head-Fi largely coincide with my feelings about this set in the standard pairing. As for the headphones themselves, I had the opportunity to test them courtesy of HIDIZS, but at no point in the conversation was my review pointed in any direction.

PRESENTATION





The headphones came in a black, three-tiered package. Layer one is the headphones, followed by three sets of tips, with a set of sizes (S, M, L) and 2 sets of interchangeable filters for changing the tuning (plus a set already installed). By default, my set had gold filters, otherwise known as BALANCE, installed, but additionally included was a set of BASS (red) and TREBLE (silver). After seeing the sound that the headphones presented on the gold filter, and reviewing the frequency response graphs for the other filters, I decided to stick with the gold ones, since from what I saw the others offer an experience I'm unlikely to be interested in. Just in case, I also did a quick test, which confirmed my suspicions.



Layer three of the package is the cable (high purity, oxygen-free copper with four conductors, in a mixed braid (192 cores), in my case terminated with a 4.4mm jack. The cable is of good quality, with a solid feel, which is further enhanced by an addition that, in my opinion, works against the presence of the headphones. I am referring here to the strange fang, a plastic claw in the vicinity of the 2-pin connector. I suspect that someone wanted to add drabness to it, but unfortunately, it reached a level of cheapness straight from cheap plastic children's toys - unnecessary embellishment IMHO. The final pieces of packaging are a set of paperwork and a leather (or rather, imitation leather) pouch with a metal (weird) closure system, which I didn't use at all because I have a feeling it would quickly stop looking nice. I don't hide the fact that some kind of hard case would be more welcome, but without exaggeration, here it's all about the sound.

BUILD



The headphones strongly resemble the Fiio FH5 model, but nevertheless, the black color, with a gold band encircling the faceplate in my opinion adds to their mysterious and dark character, which I personally like very much. Despite the rather light weight of the headphones themselves, the construction is solid and does not raise concerns about excessive vulnerability. I won't reiterate here the information on the drivers used, but I would like you to pay attention to the relatively low impedance (18 Ohms), and high sensitivity (112 dB), which in practice translates into very easy driving of these headphones, even directly from a phone. Also at the right level is the level of passive isolation, which allows for comfortable listening. Although among the included tips I could not find a set that satisfied me in terms of fit and comfort, I have successfully used such tips on them as : Whizzer SS20, BVGP W01, or ePro EP01 (most recommended).

SOUND

As described in the introduction, I will split my impressions between:

1. based on standard pairing
2. based on pairing with the SONY NW-A55L (neutral tuning)

Ad 1. Standard pairing



The listening, which I'm calling standard pairing here, involves pairing with DACs such as the MuseHifi M1, Moondrop Dawn Pro (3.5mm and 4.4mm), Fiio e07k , and as a direct output of the Realme GT 5G phone.

Immediately, just after a few notes, it was noticeable that the headphones presented a lively sound, with a solid portion of bass and treble. I also liked the fact that the midrange is not recessed. I would call the tuning a solid “W”, with strongly exposed ends. The vocals sound great. The bass is strong and has a clear texture, and the notes have a lot of weight. It also became clear fairly quickly that the technicalities here stand at a very high level, exceeding the standard of the price range that was set for this set. The instruments are very nicely separated, and details I hadn't heard before appear as if out of nowhere enriching the listening experience. The stage is wide, but not somehow exceptionally deep (although at times, such as when Tom Waits, in the track "A Sweet Little Bullet From a Pretty Blue Gun" strikes the muffled strings with his hand, the sound of the strike flies...... until it disappears somewhere in the distance, like a stone in a well). Male vocals are close and clear.

My thought: this set sounds powerful!

Unfortunately, as I continued to listen, some inconveniences began to occur to me. The bass, which as I wrote is very strong, rather focused on the mid-bass, at times began to tire me with its weight and may even have been the cause of a slight headache after several hours of continuous listening. The treble and upper-midrange added claw to the energetic tracks, but also at times approached, or perhaps even slightly exceeded, the limit of my comfort. All those details pulled from the depths of the mix, those sounds of sliding fingers across the string, every time they appeared encouraged me to turn the volume up, so I could immerse myself in them, but unfortunately, as the dynamics of the song increased, the bass became too strong and the treble too irritating, and I was forced to turn the music down with regret. There were also times when the sound of the upper mids and trebles took on an uninteresting metallic tone, often attributed to balanced armature drivers.

I must add here that all the inconveniences indicated above, in no way disqualify this set. I still consider the MS3 to be a very good headphone, worth its price, and if I had to rate it within this subsection only, it would be 4.5 / 5.0, especially since a large part of these inconveniences can be removed by minor adjustments in any EQ program (for my part, I always recommend WAVELET).

To be honest, this is what this review was supposed to look like. I already had a rating established, my thoughts written down and the good and bad points written out. My SONY NW-A55 had been lying around unused for quite a long time because somehow it never showed exceptional pairing qualities with my iem, but one day I thought it wouldn't hurt to plug it in and see how it played.


Ad. 2 Pairing with SONY NW-A55l, with ePro EP01 tips and a replacement cable, with a budget cable from LS equipped with a single bundle of copper, with crystals, coated with silver (Since my SONY WN-A55L has a 3.5mm input).



HOW DOES IT PLAY? !!!!

I have never had any headphones change their characteristics so much when changing the source.

The first word that came to mind was: BALANCE.

The bass is no longer over-boosted, and the treble, or upper-midrange no longer irritated me at all. As time goes by, I'm inclined to say that the tuning is now a more balanced W (L even), with a slightly boosted mid-bass - quite warm, but not overly so. Detail, my beloved details, came out of the background to the front enriching every song I listened to - I no longer had to turn anything down as all sounds were at the same level.

Another thing I noticed was a significant improvement in the naturalness of the sound, which may be related precisely to making the details visible and moving them to the front. Instruments began to sound convincing and organic. Everything became so very real, tangible. It also became clear that we are dealing here with analytical listening. The mixes are breaking down on their own. Electronic music into samples, acoustic music into component instruments. Nothing was drowned out, each instrument/sample lived its own life.

When I heard this, I couldn't get it together. I fell in love.



...., but okay, one step at a time:

BASS

The bass focuses on the mid-bass. Sub-bass is there, but it doesn't dominate, appearing more when called for. The bass texture is strongly defined, but it's softer than with regular pairing, so it's also more pleasant. The extracted details wonderfully complement the sound of the bass guitar, as, for example, more than once I could hear the twitching of a finger on the bass strings, or the vibration of a string against the fret when releasing finger pressure (such a bassist's perversion, I guess). The analytical bass sound is so detailed that at times you can distinguish the type of strings, i.e. whether round wound or flat wound. I like this very much. Here I will immediately add that this is not a set for bassheads. The bass is there, even slightly boosted in relation to the other registers, but it is not the main star of the show.

MID

The midrange is not recessd. Vocals are close and both male and female vocals sound very good. Once again, I'll use the word balance here, because, to my satisfaction, the midrange registers are on par with the others (and maybe even slightly forward). Despite the warm tonality, I don't hear the bass bleeding over into the midrange either. There's no lack of dB in the high-mid area either, so guitars on overdrive sound powerful and clear, which especially in rock and metal works very well. At the same time, I don't notice an excess of energy here, which would translate into excessive harshness. The midrange is clear, but not exaggerated. In my opinion, however, the mids gained the most from the pairing with the SONY, as the extracted details enriched these very registers the most. This is where you can hear the vocalist swallowing his saliva before starting to sing, it’s where the string plucks, hands clap, and other snaps are. So rich and lush registry. It's great (IMHO)

TREBLE

Well, and here it is also very good. Thanks to great technical capabilities, the dance of the sticks on the drum cymbals can be easily followed and enjoyed throughout the songs. There is also no fear of some metallic sounds, because, as I wrote earlier, along with the great synergy came the naturalness of the sound of the instruments.

STAGE, SEPARATION, IMAGING

The stage is not very deep, but it is instead very wide. Sounds appear from many sides and at different depths, but the presentation should nevertheless be classified as close - a bit in the style of "in your face", but also " all around". Imaging and separation delighted me. The hybrid design of the headphones certainly helps with sound separation, but comparing the effect to other hybrids I've tested, the MS3+A55 does something special. I can track any instrument, from any range of the frequency spectrum, without the slightest problem. If one, like me, enjoys hearing how songs are built, one will fall in love with the sound of these Sony DAP-powered headphones.

Small addendum here:

I don't want to hype this set, any set.
I, for one, was enthralled by this synergy.
None of the sets I've had the opportunity to listen to so far have given me as much as the MS3+A55.
Why such a synergy? I don't know. Maybe the reason is the low impedance of the headphones, combined with the high sensitivity and low output power of the DAP ( rumored to be an almost legendary phenomenon at SONY). Maybe the sound, which is a result of the bright sound of the headphones and the warm sound of the DAP simply fits my preferences best. I don't know.

Back to the review:...

LISTENING IMPRESSION ON SELECTED SONGS

I guess that from the description alone it's hard to imagine what distinguishes MS3+A55 from other sets, so I figured I'd pick a few tracks and describe what I hear. Maybe if someone compares his feelings on the same tracks, he will understand me more.


The first thing that struck me was that the piece begins with a classical guitar. For someone who plays an instrument, it's pretty obvious when you think about it, but normally you don't think about it, and here suddenly....., out of nowhere a thought: those are nylon strings! You can hear that characteristic crunch. Then the piano and catch-ups of acoustic guitar. Vocals appear, with some affection, and after a while a bass. Slowly the percussion elements appear, the drum cymbal resounds, and in the bridge and chorus, when the instruments are playing all at once, you can hear those keyboards pressed in. A lot is going on, but nothing gets drowned out.


Separation is the word that immediately pops into your head. Every musician has their own to playing here. Guitar, Keyboard, maracas (?), bass, and of course Amy. All as equals. No one is too quiet, no one too loud, and everyone is in their place. I close my eyes and can, without the slightest problem, not only listen to the bass guitar line and, for example, catch the moment when the string pulls away from the neck and buzzes on the fret. For me, as an unfulfilled, no longer practicing bass player, this is a real feast for the ears.


There is no introduction, we are immediately presented with the main melodic line. Bass (probably played with a pick on muffled strings) and keyboard lead the way, accompanied by snare, hi-hat, and bass drum. In the background, on the sides, from time to time, alternating sounds can be heard from afar, as if pieces of wood were being gently struck together. Jamie's vocals lead the stanza, until a thickened hi-hat introduces the chorus. After the bridge, a new sound appears, as if some kind of guitar chord, but here I'm not so sure what I'm hearing anymore, because the sound makes for a background and at times it becomes a background. This time we are introduced to the chorus by the sound of bongos. I know it sounds a bit like a deconstruction of the song, but that's exactly what this set allows you to do, which personally gives me a ton of fun.


The piano leads the track, the electric bass plays its line, the electric guitar plays the overdubs, and the clarinet (I think) plays the main melody line. This track best demonstrates how the MS3+A55 handles the high registers, as the entire track is a constant avalanche of sticks hitting the drum cymbals. And how does it handle? And it handles superbly. The clicks of different tonalities can be heard around your head, and the placement of each element is according to the way they were recorded and is constant throughout the song. If you listen closely, you won't lose any sound. If you listen to the bass guitar, you can notice the effect of articulation on the sound, because at times, when the other instruments are also playing, the bass is clear and full, while at the end of the song, when everything quiets down, the bass is just the gentle tinkling of the guitar strings.

I could go on like this for a long time, and I wouldn't even have to particularly focus on the selected songs, because almost everyone discovered something before me, something I hadn't heard before, or hadn't paid attention to. , e.g.:

- Marcus Miller's "Power" - at one point you can hear a keyboard pretending to be a violin
- Pantera "Revolution is my name" - during the intro the bass on the "sustain" effect lasts a long time and does not mute, while the electric guitars sound raw and powerful
- Prince "When the light go down" - how those drums sound!

Here is a note: All percussion elements sound sensational on this set.

I have not been able to find a genre of music in which the MS3+A55 would not sound great.

... and here we come to an important question:

Is there anything to dislike?

Of course, there is.

Listening to music is based on satisfying one's preferences, and these vary.

The main element that can affect the different feelings of listeners is the sound characteristics themselves. A close, highly detailed presentation of a song may not appeal to every listener. Listening is very engaging and, because of the proximity of the sounds, quite imposing. This is not relaxing playing. Although I personally find this set melodic, the amount of detail may bother some people. Another thing you may not like is the fact that messily cleaned samples expose their imperfections and can spoil the listening experience. Situations of this type have usually occurred while listening to electronic music, but not too often (as far as I remember Mr. Norman Cook does not revel in high-quality samples) .

Okay, I think that's it.

Below I have still prepared a table with the main differences between the standard pairing and what I have called here "Perfect synergy":

Thank you for your attention and best regards

Please find few photos of this det below

INTRODUCTION

My experience with planars is not extensive. In fact, I only had the opportunity to test the Letsuoer S12, and while I even liked the tuning, I can't say I was thrilled. This time, courtesy of Letsuoer Audio, I have the opportunity to review their latest planar, the S15.

PRESENTATION







What is worth appreciating on first contact with the Letshouer S15 is the way the packaging design stays in harmony with the design. The packaging is nice, handy, and true to the color scheme of the headphones themselves. The composition of the package can be called richly equipped, as the headphones come with a modular cable with silver-plated copper conductors with 3.5, 4.4, and 2.5 mm terminations, and a set of tips (Vocal and balance) enclosed in a twist-off case covered with silicone plastic, also consistent in color. The headphones themselves look a bit plastic, and strangely enough, when inserting the right earphone you can hear a sound as if a component is peeling off, but I guess this is a coincidence only present in my copy.

SOUND



In the very first seconds of listening, two things emerge, an improvement over the previous S12 model: the strength of the bass and the amount of detail, especially in the high registers. As for the tuning itself, I would describe it as warm, a little bassy but also neutral (no basshead material), with no boost in the high registers. The S15 is a melodic set, with a fairly natural timbre, in which none of the frequencies are exaggerated, which makes for an enjoyable listening experience and is worth appreciating.

BASS:

There is plenty of bass. It is strong and springy. The emphasis is more on mid-bass, so the impact is clear. The problem for me, however, was that it's hard to get a clear texture. As a bass player, I was deficient in natural bass guitar presentation. I missed the "grunt" in songs with more jamming, but at the same time I can't say it's a bad bass, no, it's more like that woofer bass, filling the head, but also providing enough dynamics for most songs.

MIDS:

When it comes to midrange presentation, I have rather mixed feelings. On the one hand, the low-mid is clear, as if brought forward, allowing for a very good presentation of male vocals. Male vocals are natural (this is probably the most natural-sounding registers of the S15). As for the registers of the female vocals, hooked up to the upper mids, while they mostly sounded clean and pleasant, for me, turning down about 2-3dB around 1.1kHz and adding up to 5dB around 3kHz, brightened their timbre and providing the “claw” that I find lacking in this set. Unfortunately, the deficiencies in these registers also translate into the perception of overdriven (on overdrive or distortion pedal filter) guitars, which are so important in rock and metal, and with default tuning give the impression of being offset and muffled.

TREBLE:

In my opinion, this is the best-sounding frequency area and also the most attractive, because it is rich in detail, which the S15 pulls out of songs with incredible ease. Because of its warm tuning, I wouldn't dedicate this set to trebleheads, but the treble is very good in this set, and listening to it is a sheer pleasure. Listening to tracks that I thought I knew perfectly enriched my memories with new, previously unheard details. There is no concern about sibilants or irritating harshness, which seems to have been the bane of S12 and S12 PRO owners who are also sensitive to these registers. Here, it is delicate but rich, clean, and transparent. Bells, cymbals, clicks, and the like appear in unexpected places, enriching the listening, and while they last, they don't disappear beneath other sounds. Once again, this is for me the best part of this set.

TECHNICALITIES

As I wrote, the S15 can effectively pick out hidden details from the high registers of the frequency spectrum, which makes for very pleasant listening to songs. Instrument separation is quite ok, but tracking any instrument throughout the song may not work for you. Although the instruments are separated, at times they blend and the overall clarity of the track is not a strong point of this set. Imaging is at an average level, although the instruments appear from different sides, I can't say that the sound surrounds the listener from all sides ( although some sounds, such as the delicate pings of percussion instruments happen to surprise me with their place of appearance)

ANALYSIS BASED ON A FEW SELECTED TRACKS

In this section I would like to describe how the S15s performed when listening to selected tracks from different genres of music - maybe based on them it will be easier for someone to decide on the purchase:

Foo Fighters - Everlong



This track by Dave Grohl's band is practically a classic of rock music already, and for me a track with the help of which I can easily judge how a given set handles dense lines of distorted guitars against dynamic percussion. The reception of the track is pleasant, although I must add that the selectivity in the sound of the guitars is lacking it for me. The dark tuning produces a muffled effect, with the result that individual beats on the guitar strings blend while obscuring other sounds, such as snare drum hits or kick drum, which creates a bit of a wall of sound effect. On the other hand, the vocal line can be heard clearly and transparently. As for the treble, you can effortlessly listen to the sounds of sticks dancing across the drum cymbals and on the hi-hat, which, along with the vocals, is the best part of the listening experience.

Soen - Savia



The stanza of this track mostly consists of a slightly distorted bass guitar playing simultaneously with the drums as a backdrop to the vocal line. It's worth mentioning here right away the sound of percussion elements heard somewhere on the sides, slightly behind, at the beginning of the song. These are the percussion elements that the S15 handles brilliantly, unfortunately, some of the other elements like the snare drum and toms, lack sound clarity. The main lead line - i.e. the bass guitar texture on the overdrive - is also a bit lacking in claw. A small change with the help of the EQ, shifting 3-4dB from 1.1kH to 3kHz brings the bass guitar closer, adding texture, like the string "burr" , while improving the presentation of the drums. Meanwhile, as with the previous track, the vocals sound very good here.

Rhye - Last Dance



This track showcases the best features of this set. From the well-presented vocals to the clear sounds of muffled guitars, trumpets, choruses, and percussion it's a well-played track.

Jaco Pastorius - Come on, Come Over



Like the previous track, this one seems to be suitable for demonstrating the S15's best capabilities. The instruments sound great, selective, and natural. There's plenty of space here, which is probably why the S15 performs so well. Bongos and other percussion elements have a great effect. The presentation is very pleasant: saxophone in the left ear, keyboard in the right ear, bongos somewhere in the background, percussion in the center and although a little quieter, the hi-hat is clear and not lost, and trumpet phrases at the end - it's a good listen.

I don't want to over-describe my impressions of the tracks I listened to, so I'll try to generalize:

... not all genres of music are handled equally by the S15. Basing my judgment on personal sound preferences (because how else), I wouldn't plug in the S15 when I want to get a boost from the sound of energetic wild guitar riffs and dynamic percussion. The texture of the guitars on the overdrive is not what I like, and I also lack energy in the snare hits, but remember these are just my impressions, maybe someone will have a different one and someone will like this sound.

PAIRING

This successor to the S12 Pro, features easier drivability, which thanks to its modern design is possible even with just a phone, although with no power reserve, but listening at the full volume potentiometer of my Realme GT 5G is just too loud. To properly appreciate the capabilities of these headphones, however, it's worth investing something to breathe some power into this nearly 15mm planar speaker. During the testing period, I connected the S15 to various sources, from the category of portable devices, because that's what I'm interested in. I got the best results when paired with an old Fiio e07k (Wolfson WM8740), which, in addition to providing enough power, offered the greatest clarity and naturalness of sound of instruments, and quite good dynamics (with gain at +12db). The Sony Nw-A55L DAP (mr. Walkman mod) also worked quite well, which, although not as powerful, was sufficient and allowed for pleasant listening, not devoid of dynamics. Disappointing was the pairing with the Moondrop Dawn Pro (2xCS43131), through the 4.4 output, which, for reasons unknown to me, weakened the strength of the notes, making listening boring and less engaging. As tips, I recommend choosing something that brightens the sound, such as the Whizzer ET100, which additionally dovetails nicely with the color scheme of the set itself, or, for example, the BVGP W01, which, while not brightening the sound, will slightly weaken the bass and improve the melodicity, while maintaining treble clarity and improving holography.

SUMMARY

I would be lying if I didn't write that I was a bit disappointed with the S15. On the one hand, it is a very precise tool for extracting details from songs, melodic, proving itself in certain genres of music and quite easy to drive, but unfortunately, it also comes with some flaws. The tuning of the S15 is, in my opinion, a bit too linear, with some shortcomings in the upper-mid, which leaves no impact on the so-called "claw", which I simply miss in this set, but also on the clarity of the sound of the instruments. I've never been a fan of planars, and like the S12, the S15 hasn't changed that. I still find it quite unengaging playing that doesn't make my heart beat faster. However, I take into account that my expectations of sound presentation may differ from those of others, so I allow for the possibility that if someone liked the S12 and S12 PRO, but was bothered by the harshness of the treble, they may find something for themselves in the S15.