Reviews by BonGoBiLai | Page 2 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

@Sajid Amit

Disclaimer:
I am an audiophile and a reviewer who works with Mr. @Sajid Amit of Amplify Audio Reviews. Amplify generally covers high end IEMs, DAC Amps and Headphones with occasional reviews of budget products. Check out our video reviews at: https://www.youtube.com/@amplifyaudioreviews

Penon Bass was sent to Amplify in exchange of an honest and unbiased review. You can buy the Penon Bass at: https://penon-official.com/product/penon-bass/

Preface

Aftermarket headphone/IEM cable is a sensitive topic. Even the calmest discussions regarding cables often culminate into inevitable mud-flinging. I personally believe in the effect of cables and can find differences even in blind tests. There are no hard and fast rules though. Sometimes the difference is drastic and very noticeable (Sony IER Z1R + Dunu Blanche pure silver cable for example. Treble becomes significanly more extended compared to stock. The infamous 'dry' midrange of the Z1R gets noticeably weightier. Another prime example is the Meze 99 Classic headphones). Sometimes the difference is barely there or nonexistent. I will approach this review both from a craftsmanship perspective and a sonic modification perspective. I do not like fluffing up my reviews with nonsensical fillers and pointless poetry so this review will be an easy read for the audience hopefully.

Specs:

Sheath material: Cloth (Blue and Red mixed. ‘Spiderman’ pattern)

Conductor material: Copper Silver alloy (75 percent Copper and 25 percent Silver) + Oxygen-free copper/OFC

Termination options: MMCX/2 Pin, Gold plated 3.5mm /2.5mm or 4.4mm plugs

Price: $79.99

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IEMs used for testing:

Penon Fan 2
Penon Turbo
Kiwi Ears Quintet
Flipears Aether

Build Quality, Aesthetics and Comfort:

Many of my friends who buy aftermarket cables often buy them for ergonomic improvement and aesthetics, rather than sound quality improvement. Take the Quintet for example. Commendable IEM for the price but comes bundled with an extremely flimsy and cheap feeling cable. Subpar stock cables plague even the ToTL offerings from top manufacturers.

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Penon bass is an extremely well made cable with exquisite finishing from top to bottom. Good quality fabric sheathed cables in the sub 100 USD are rarities and Penon Bass is probably the best example of this particular cable variant. It is slightly stiff though so if you are looking for something uber-malleable then the two times cheaper Penon OS133 might be up your alley. OS133 is much thinner and tangles easily though, two annoying issues that are totally non-existent in the Penon Bass cable.

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Penon/ ISN cables generally do not feature cable guides and Penon Bass is not an exception. I personally like fabric cables without cable guides as they often mess with the comfort and weight balance. I had to make sure that my IEMs were in the right polarity every time while attaching the cable. A minor inconvenience that is easy to overlook once you get the hang of it.

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Penon has bundled extremely good quality connectors and termination with the Bass cable as they always do. Mine is the 2-pin 4.4mm balanced variant and the 4.4mm plug attaches to all my DAC Amps with a secure and satisfying click. The 2-pin connectors are of high quality and fit securely yet are easy to attach and detach. Aesthetics can be a mixed bag though. Penon bass has a rather unorthodox colorway which I have personally named ‘Spiderman’ and depending on the IEM attached, it can look really gorgeous.

Sonic properties and changes/improvements:

The spoiler is already in the name, Penon Bass does indeed increase bass. There is also some lower midrange uplift that adds extra heft to male vocals. With the Kiwi Ears Quintet, I immediately noticed the extra grunt in the bass, and going back and forth between the stock cable and penon bass only reaffirmed my perception. Treble is sweeter and less incisive, which might be a pro or con depending on the IEM the Penon Bass is being paired with. With the warm and bassy Penon Turbo, penon bass was not a particularly good combo, as everything sounded slightly muddier and more veiled. I also noticed that the soundstage shrinks slightly with the Penon bass cable. Separation is actually slightly better with stock Quintet cable as well though I’d pick the Penon Bass over the stock cable any day due to the added note weight and a far more palatable treble response that transforms the Quintet from a good to a great IEM.

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Pairing with the Flipears Aether (the best sub-1000 USD IEM in my opinion) was satisfactory. Aether already has very good-quality bass which is accentuated further by the bass cable. I would not call the bass cable outright better compared to stock (the stock Flipear cable is excellent) but the Penon Bass provides a nice middle ground between the stock sound and the 5 DB bass boost switch which I like and appreciate.

Comparison with the ISN G4:

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You can spend 20 USD more and get the ISN G4 from Penon which has a striking silver-gold colorway. G4 has a slightly different approach to sound. While the Penon bass cable veers towards bass and intimacy, G4 favors spaciousness and clarity. I much preferred the G4 cable with the Penon Turbo IEM but the opposite happened with the Kiwi Ears Quintet. Both were markedly better than stock though so either of them can be considered a win. If you find the Quintet (or similar IEM) too energetic and in your face then Penon Bass is the right choice for you.

Conclusion:
At 79.99 USD, Penon Bass is a strikingly well-made, affordable cable that can be a good match for your aggressive, overly clinical IEMs. It is worth buying even for the skeptics given the above-average build quality and ergonomics.

@Sajid Amit

Disclaimer:
I am an audiophile and a reviewer who works with Mr. @Sajid Amit of Amplify Audio Reviews. Amplify generally covers high end IEMs, DAC Amps and Headphones with occasional reviews of budget products. Check out our video reviews at: https://www.youtube.com/@amplifyaudioreviews

Fan 2 was sent to Amplify in exchange of an honest and unbiased review. You can buy the Fan 2 at: https://penonaudio.com/penon-fan-2

Specs:

Shell material: 3D printed medical grade resin
Driver config:

2 x 6mm biological dynamic driver for low frequency
1 Sonion BA for middle frequency
1 Knowles BA for high frequency
Impedance: 13 ohm
Sensitivity: 112dB

About Penon Audio:

Penon is a Hong Kong-based audio store that carries your usual chi-fi best-sellers as well as their own in-house developed IEMs, earbuds and cables. I have been aware of Penon for some years now but never got to try out any of their in-house products until Fan 2 arrived.

Unboxing, build quality, comfort:

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Unboxing Penon fan 2 was quite the unusual experience. The outer packaging is as barebone as it gets. It is basically a plain yellow box with Penon's brand logo printed on the top side. No mention of the IEM model or anything similar anywhere on the outer packaging.

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Inside I was greeted with a fairly substantial blue hard shell case with yet another Penon logo. I like this case a lot. It is spacious inside with ample velvet material cushioning to keep your IEM and accessories safe. There are separate cut outs for the earpieces so that they don't knock on each other while in transit.

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Inside the case you are greeted with the IEMs themselves, alongside two sets of silicone tips (blue wide bores and grey regular tips), cable winder, cleaning tool and a metal shirt clip. Penon did not cheap out on cable quality. The stock cable is an in-house Penon cable that is sold for 39 USD separately in their store (model name: OS 133).

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Build quality is solid all around and impressively so. The earpieces are made of medical grade resin with excellent fit and finish. I am particularly in love with the Fan 2 faceplate. It looks gorgeous in real life and in my opinion, easily trounces the likes of Dunu SA6 as long as outward beauty is concerned.

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The stock cable is sheathed in flexible black paracord material and I like the lightweight, malleable characteristic of it, which reminds me of high end gaming mouse paracords. It does not have any cable guide though so make sure both earpieces have identical polarity when connected.

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Comfort can be quite divisive depending on user preference and ear canal variations. I for one, prefer long and deep reaching nozzles personally(probably owing to being a longtime etymotic/Sony M9 user) and fan 2 was extremely comfy with the stock grey green tips for me. I did find the blue wide bores uncomfortable though.

TLDR: Build. comfort, accessories and aesthetics gets a solid A+ from me

Sources used:

Apple type c dongle (brief)
Meizu hi fi DAC (brief)
Jcally AP10 (brief)
Cayin RU7 (extended)
Aroma Audio Air (extended)
Earmen Angel (extended)
Sony WM1ZM2 (extended)

The Fan 2 is ultra-easy to drive with an impedance of 13 ohms and sensitivity of 112 dB. Scales significantly with higher end sources.

Sound:

Penon Fan 2 is a beautiful IEM. But beyond aesthetics, I am happy to report that Fan 2 sounds as beautiful as it looks. The first thing I immediately noticed was how thick and weighty the notes were. This approach is kind of an antithesis to the bass boosted neutral or harman neutral approach chi fi IEMs go for nowadays. Yes, that approach gives an apparent perception of clarity and drawn out details but often at the expense of tonal imbalance and thin, unnatural midrange. Fan 2 goes against that flow and puts timbre and tonal balance at the top of its priority list.

Although some reviews are labelling fan 2 as a warm neutral set I don't find it to be so especially compared to truly warm neutral IEMs, Sony IER M9 or Dita Perpetua for example. Fan 2 is a colourful, thick, warm and organic sounding set from my observation.

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Fan 2's bass has a vintage, thick vibe to it. It is not the fastest and decays sometimes overstay their welcome but I don't find the bass to be bloated or woolly. Well textured and similar to how final audio IEMs render bass. Sub bass extension and rumble are decent but the overall bass response is tilted in favour of midbass. This was quite evident in one my all time favourite tracks for insane crazy bass, Kanye West's Stronger. I don't think Fan 2 will satisfy devout bassheads though as the bass, while satisfactory, is not dominant in the mix, But if you value balance over a specific part of the frequency then Fan 2 might be your jam.

Midrange is easily the strongest forte of Fan 2. There are sets out there that are priced several times higher but will struggle to reach the midrange timbre of 280 USD Fan 2. Fan 2 has a thick and weighty yet superbly clean and lifelike midrange. Midbass grunt adds extra heft and body to the lower mids while upper midrange doesn't exhibit any scoop or odd suckout. Both male and female vocals sound equally good as a result. I am often put off by the nasal and shrieky/shouty BA handled midrange in this price range (moondrop stuff for example). Fortunately, fan 2 exhibits no such phenomenon.

Treble response, I think, will be a major divisive point for this IEM. Fan 2 goes for a super smooth, safe approach in the treble region. There is zero hint of sibilance,resonance/percussion compression or sharpness in the treble region but the absence of spice/shimmer did occasionally leave me wanting. Such occurrences are rare though and only happens when I pair the Fan 2 with low/mid low end dongles. With capable sources like Earmen Angel or Aroma Audio Air (basically any source that's transparent and revealing) the treble response has a marked improvement. I would happily choose a treble response that is ideal for long listening sessions over nails on a chalkboard treble that provides cheap thrill for thirty seconds max.

Staging and imaging both are excellent and I would say imaging is actually way above average considering IEMs in this price range. Coherence is brilliant and actually outperforms the remarkably coherent Kiwi ears quintet ever so slightly. I do find the separation and layering slightly less impressive though but that is most likely a by-product of the thick, smooth signature Fan 2 is going for. Detail retrieval is exceptional and competes with IEMs in the $600-700 range. I also find the way detail is presented to the listener to be quite tasteful. It doesn't spoon feed “microdetails” with artificially boosted treble and upper mids. It is a relatively easy listen compared to most 'technical' sub 500 USD IEMs without any form of sensory overload.

Comparisons:

Moondrop Blessing 2/Dusk: I did not like the blessing 2/ B2 dusk when they came out. I still don’t like them. White technically competent, I find both sets to be lean and kind of lifeless. I would choose Fan 2 over both all day, everyday.

Kiwi Ears Quintet: Quintet's party tricks are separation and layering and it handily beats Fan 2 in those segments. I honestly find both sets equally good, just differently flavoured. Quintet does exhibit some piezo zing and is even more source sensitive than the Fan 2

Final Audio E5000: Another similarly priced bassy set from Japan. The E5000 is incredibly difficult to drive and requires serious amping to make it sing. I don't like its bloated, slow bass though, even when being amped to the moon. Fan 2 embodies all its strengths in my opinion, but none of the weaknesses.

Aful performer 5: Should be named awful performer. I am not sure why this subpar D tier set is being put on a pedestal. It's not good tonally, not good technically, lacks any form of coherence, and I find the BA timbre on this set simply intolerable. Fan 2 is markedly superior on all fronts.

Dunu SA6: Controversial claim but I think the Fan 2 is better. SA6 didn't click with me. I found the bass response to be lacklustre and the overall sound signature rather non-remarkable.

Final words: Penon Fan 2 is a highly competent IEM that has that desirable mix in between great timbre and competent technical performances. For 279 USD, it hardly does anything wrong in my book. If you are a ‘fan’ of rich, warm, smooth sound signature but tired of all the technically inept options out there, Fan 2 might be your answer. Give it your attention.

What is the nozzle width?

@Sajid Amit

Kiwi ears is an in-house brand from Linsoul that has made quite the name for themselves within a short period of time. Their previous releases, Cadenza and Quartet was quite well received. Will the 219.99 USD Quintet continue that streak? I’d try my best to be as transparent as possible and not gloss over things that shouldn’t be glossed over. Let’s dive in.

Disclaimer
I am an audiophile and a reviewer who works with Mr. @Sajid Amit of Amplify Audio Reviews. Amplify generally covers high end IEMs, DAC Amps and Headphones with occasional reviews of budget products. Check out our video reviews at https://www.youtube.com/@amplifyaudioreviews

Kiwi Ears Quintet was sent to Amplify in exchange of an honest and unbiased review. You can buy the Quintet at: https://www.linsoul.com/products/kiwi-ears-quintet

Specs
Quintet is a quadbrid (4 driver types) featuring a DLC dynamic driver for bass, two balanced armatures for midrange, a micro planar driver for the high frequencies and a piezoelectric bone conductor for the very high frequencies (the piezo driver basically plays second fiddle to the rest). The driver setup is quite ambitious and unusual I must say, especially for a 220 USD IEM

Unboxing, Build, Comfort
Unboxing is very basic and doesn’t differ much from budget IEMs. Quintet comes packaged in a simple box and all you get with the IEM is a generic hard case with Kiwi ears branding and two sets of silicone tips in a ziplock bag. The case might not be as fancy as some of the competitors but it is decent enough and holds the IEMs well.

The stock cable is kind of disappointing. It is thin, looks cheap and tangles easily. It is pliable and lightweight though so didn't cause any particular comfort issue. I wish kiwi did a bit more for an IEM priced over 200 USD

Build quality is good, no complaints there whatsoever. Comfort is excellent. Although the nozzles are on the fatter side, being lightweight and not oversized easily counterbalances that. Isolation is great in quieter environments but won't recommend wearing them on public transport or environments where ambient sounds are unusually loud.

Gears used for testing

Earmen Angel (extended)
Aroma Audio Air (extended)
Sony WM1ZM2 with Brise Audio Tsuranagi (brief)
LG G8X Thinq (brief)

Track sources: Tidal HiFi, Spotify, Offline FLAC

Sound
My ears have been trained by listening to mostly higher end IEMs and headphones over the last few years therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to be overly impressed by ‘budget’ stuff. Among the ones that grabbed my attention were the Letshuoer S12 pro, Etymotic ER3XR and Sennheiser IE200. Despite the high voltage hype for the Kiwi ears Quintet, I approached this IEM with cautious optimism as I usually do.

My first impression of the Quintet was not positive. It sounded splashy, thin and hollow. Then I fiddled around with different tips and guess what, the culprit turned out to be the wide bore stock tips. With the regular narrow bore tips, things took a quick 360 degree turn. I’d describe the Quintet as a mostly neutral monitor with some bass boost.

Bass response is decent, above average for the price in fact. Quintet does struggle to reach the very low bass notes but that is expected from a sub 500 USD set. Bass has good texturing and rumble and can be authoritative when the track calls for it. Good examples would be Lorde’s 'Royals', NWA’s 'Chin Check',Ice Cube’s 'Gangsta rap made me do it' and Kanye West’s 'Power'. In all these tracks, Quintet demonstrated its bass capability to the fullest with commendable finesse. I am turned off by most budget IEMs nowadays as they either have poofy, anaemic bass or overpowering bloat that clouds everything. Quintet follows an approach that successfully balances between fun and control. I do wish for a bit more oomph and midbass punch occasionally though but overall the bass kept me satisfied.

Midrange on the Quintet is quite palatable. It's not particularly recessed, is lively and energetic but never veers on the edge of being shouty/shrieky. There was another IEM I quite liked in this price range for its natural midrange (softears volume) but that IEM had a 3k spike and lean lower mids that often made male vocals sound dry. I don’t find any thin/lean vibe here but I do find the male vocals slightly less impressive compared to female vocals. Don’t get me wrong, vocals on the Quintet are excellent. It's just that female vocals are specifically impressive compared to their male counterparts. Audiophiles who love expressive vocals and guitars will quite enjoy the quintet. But if your preference is laid back, tame kinda midrange presentation then Quintet can get a bit overwhelming.

Treble is a bit of a double edge sword. Quintet has some of the most extended and present treble I’ve heard. Even when compared to the masters of treble e.g.; Elysian Annihilator and Symphonium Helios, Quintet holds its own. There is one gripe though and that is the piezo zing that contributes to the slightly metallic timbre of Quintet on certain tracks. 'Love makes the world go round' by The Hollies is a prime example. It was hardly bothersome in most tracks though. I actually like the Quintet treble way more compared to the likes of 7hz timeless, S12/S12 pro and all Dunu/moondrop IEMs.

Technical performance is impressive and not just for the price. One of the first things I immediately noticed while listening to this IEM was the coherence. Coherence had every opportunity to go haywire in such a complicated quadbrid setup. While not at the Sony IER series or Helios level (well, not many things are, even in the kilobuck range) coherence is still commendable. Detail retrieval, layering and separation are excellent. On Sublime's 'Santeria', the detail and presence of background notes I get on the left channel are eerily reminiscent of my beloved Hifiman Arya Organic. I wish the stage was slightly more spacious and holographic though but it is fine nonetheless. Imaging is also fine, befitting of Quintet’s price tag. My daily driver IEM is the Sony IER M9 which is basically the god of imaging (and one my personal GOATs alongside the Aroma Audio Jewel, Sennheiser IE900,Annihilator and Dita Perpetua) therefore it generally takes a lot to impress me in this segment. Quintet is accurate enough and gaming is never troublesome with it.

Timbre is kinda similar to the Monarch MK1 (also a linsoul product, haven’t tried the other monarch variants). It's not as natural as Sony IER series or Sennheiser/Dita but I don’t find the timbre off putting like 99 percent of Chi Fi releases out there. Timbre gets a solid 7.5 out of 10 from me.

Conclusion

I like the Quintet, a lot. It offers a lot for a more than reasonable price tag. Other than the slightly underwhelming stock cable, I don’t find anything particularly deal breaking. All in all, it is a solid value for money IEM (And still an excellent one even when the value aspect is omitted) and worth keeping even if you already own higher end stuff.

It's not Santetia's Sublime, but Sublime's Santeria, just for the record.

oh lol yeah you are right, my bad

Disclaimer:
This review is on behalf of Amplify Audio Reviews run by Mr Sajid Amit. This unit was purchased by Mr Amit from the Singaporean dealer of Madoo, Wired for Sound. A shout-out to Sid for arranging this unit within a short space of time. A shout-out to Zeppelin & Co, the famed Singaporean audio store, for arranging an audition. Stay tuned to our YouTube channel for future video reviews of the TYP512.

About Madoo:
Madoo is from Japan and is a sister concern of Acoustune, a brand quite well known for their radical aesthetics and single-DD high-end IEMs. Instead of Single DD, Madoo generally focuses on hybrid setups. Before TYP512, Madoo released the TYP711 which follows a planar + BA design. For TYP512 however, Madoo has opted for a quite unusual planar + DD setup where midrange is handled by the DD and rest (Bass and treble) by planar.

Both drivers used on TYP512 are bespoke and developed in house. The micro square planar driver is very easy to drive yet produces superbly powerful, controlled and dynamic driver like bass. According to Madoo, the Belix diaphragm is a composite diaphragm consisting of a dome formed from a thin film of magnesium-lithium alloy bonded
to a beryllium-deposited edge. This driver handles the midrange and does it with amazing finesse. There are very few IEMs I am aware of that do midrange as beautiful as TYP512. The stock cables are custom made in house by Acoustune Custom, another Acoustune sub brand. The cable internals are supplied by Nippon DICS Japan (the very same company that makes the widely acclaimed Pentaconn connectors).

Specifications:

Name of Product	Typ512.
Type	Hybrid earphones (sealed)
Fit	universal fit
Driver unit	1 x Micro Planar Driver + 1 x UHD Dymamic "Belix" Driver
Housing part material	Aluminium + sapphire crystal
Maximum input	15 mW
Impedance	32Ω
Frequency response	20Hz-40KHz
Connector	Pentaconn EAR
Cable	[NAME] MRC011 1.2m, MRC023 1.2m [SPECIFICATIONS] MRC011 4-pin cable Pentaconn Ear Φ3.5mm 3-pole [specification]4-pin silver-plated copper wire cable with 4-pin construction, opaque black sheath (Japanese resin), 3.5mm 3-pin L-shaped gold-plated plug, Pentaconn Ear Connector, cable length approx. 1.2 m [NAME] MRC023 4-core cable Pentaconn Ear 4.4 mm 5-pole [SPECIFICATIONS] 4-core silver-plated copper wire cable with 4-pole construction, opaque black sheath (Japanese resin), 4.4 mm 5-pole L-shaped gold-plated plug, Pentaconn Ear connector. Cable length approx. 1.2 m.
Weight (including cables)	42 g
Accessories	Silicon earpieces (S/M/L), 1 set each, free-form tips, earpiece case, cable, earphone case (carrying case)
warranty period	Main body of earphones: 1 year; cable/accessories: 90 days

Build Quality, Accessories, Comfort:

TYP512 is built to absolute perfection. I would even go as far as to say that the build quality is akin to high-end luxury watches costing several hundred, even thousands of dollars. The entire chassis is made of lightweight Magnesium alloy while the Madoo branded faceplate is encased in genuine Sapphire glass. I like the stock cables as well (both 3.5mm and 4.4 mm cables are provided). They are thin and lightweight but do not tangle.

Skin-feel is great and there is no memory or kink at all. Madoo uses Pentaconn connectors like Acoustune so in case you are someone who cable rolls a lot, your options will be limited than usual. I LOVE the blue leather carrying case. I wish more manufacturers made such practical yet pretty cases instead of unwieldy, heavy paperweights that will never spend a day outside of the packaging box.

Comfort is great. People with smaller ears might have to spend some time adjusting to the fit though. A small issue I faced with the TYP512 is the quirky nozzle shape. It is rectangular/elliptical thus some aftermarket tips will refuse to stay on. Final E types are working well however and the stock tips provided are quite good as well!

Sound:

Madoo TYP512 is a thick, bassy hybrid that’s also balanced and coherent. The star of the show is bass fast and foremost and it's quite different from what ‘Basshead’ IEMs nowadays have become. Instead of focusing solely on the low subs like FATfreq or Thieaudio IEMs, TYP512 goes for the entirety of the bass frequencies, but with absolute precision and control. Crazytown’s Butterfly is a track where the consistent bass undertone plays second fiddle in most other IEMs. On TYP512, you can focus and feel that undertone consistently without losing focus on the rest of the track. TYP512 will make you rediscover tracks you’ve always known and love as the perception of bass it provides is second to none under $1000.

The midrange is another strong aspect of the TYP512. Here the midrange is handled by a bespoke single-DD developed by Madoo which effectively negates any sort of wonkiness which can be a common issue in planar headphones and IEMs. Midrange is mostly uncolored with equal emphasis on male and female vocals. Lower midrange is ever so slightly accentuated which adds a little bit of heft to baritone male vocals. Upper midrange is well restrained and any short of shout is completely absent.

Treble is where things get interesting. Madoo TYP512 is essentially a dark sounding set. It does not sound choked or limited in the upper frequencies but if you are expecting tons of air and sparkle, TYP512 might slightly disappoint you. There is some mid treble spice to keep things interesting but make sure to source-match correctly. On sources where low/mid treble is unrefined (some FiiO DAC Amps for example), TYP512 can sound slightly hot and sizzly in poorly mastered tracks. Final E type will annihilate any trace of treble hotness on 512 so I’d advise to fiddle with that option as well.

Technicalities are awesome. TYP512 is an extremely fast,dynamic and snappy set that does not lose control even in the busiest tracks. Another similarly priced Planar BA DD hybrid, Oriolus Szalayi, while being basshead and equally pleasant, sounds congested in extremely complex and busy passages. TYP512 on the other hand, handles them with commendable finesse.

Detail retrieval is on par with kilobuck sets. However, $2000 USD tier sets like Z1R, U12T and Final A8000 will still resolve more. Imaging is fantastic, directional cues are spot on while gaming. Soundstage is on the intimate side which works well with the intended tuning as per my observation.

Comparisons:

Oriolus Szalayi: Szalayi is even bassier than Madoo but not as controlled. Basically a mindless fun vs cautious fun type situation. Midrange quality is more or less equal. Szalayi is more subdued in the treble.

Shuoer EJ07M: The biggest difference between these two is obviously the bass. EJ07M is way less bassier and goes for a neutral response which doesn’t go well for casual listening that often. TYP512 is more exciting and fun in comparison.

IER M9: Similar observation as EJ07M. Precision vs fun. M9 is more coherent, detailed and precise but less fun.

Sennheiser IE900: Basshead compatriot from Sennheiser which costs almost 2X more. IE900 is noticeably more v-shaped. Bass quality is about equal but both have their own, peculiar flavour. TYP512 has a more physical bass response while 900 excels in tactility. Timbre is equally good.

IER Z1R: The legendary basshead gold standard from Sony is more resolving and has a cavernous soundstage as opposed to the intimate stage of TYP512 .Bass characteristics of these two IEMs are eerily similar. Z1R is a bit more midbass focused, loose and has more decay. Z1R wins in the treble section as well but loses out in midrange.

Conclusion:

Madoo TYP512 is a criminally-underrated IEM that is unfortunately not that well known internationally due to availability and exposure issues. It is only available in Japan and Singapore right now therefore getting your hands on one might be a challenge in certain parts of the world. I sincerely hope that this insanely good value IEM will soon get the love and attention it deserves from the audiophile communities across the globe.

How’s the stock cable? Cable rolling will be a bit tough as well. But if it’s well built and not horrible I’m cool with it.

Since its sealed. Does it have a driver flex . Does it need more power to drive for its full potential??

been using it for a year and never had any driver flex issue. Its also quite sensitive so a normal DAP can drive it easily.

@Sajid Amit

Disclaimer
I am an audiophile and a reviewer who works with @Sajid Amit of Amplify Audio Reviews. This unit of the Perpetua was bought by Sajid Amit from Dita Dealer, Project Perfection. A big shout out to Darren for this unit and superlative customer service. The Dita Perpetua can be purchased here. The YouTube review on Amplify below.

About DITA

DITA is a Singaporean boutique IEM and cable manufacturer founded in 2012. DITA doesn't not have a particularly big portfolio. Their previous releases include Answer, Truth, Dream, Dream XLS and Fealty. They also released a collab IEM with Final Audio, namely Shichiku Kangen, which featured A8000 style earpieces featuring intricate urushi lacquer finishing. DITA is one of the earliest proponents of the now popular modular plug system. They introduced their modular ‘Awesome plug’ cable with the ‘Answer’ model back in 2016

Perpetua: Tech Inside

Perpetua is a single dynamic driver IEM (DITA only makes single DD IEMs) featuring DITA’s bespoke PPT-D 12 mm driver unit. The driver unit is ultra rigid yet lightweight and paired with a titanium acoustic chamber tailored specifically for the driver.

Interesting note here, Perpetua was released to celebrate DITA’s 10 year anniversary. The entire internal wiring is done by Kondo Audionote, a very highly regarded stereo equipment manufacturer from Japan.

Unboxing

This is a parameter that weighs differently to different people. There are some who don’t care how plain or elegant the packaging is as long the product performs well. Then there are people who put as much value into prima facie impressions as the product itself. I fall somewhat into the second category. For me, a good unboxing experience is akin to how appreciative a manufacturer is of its customers especially when the IEM/Headphone in question costs more than $1000.

DITA went a little ‘too far’ as far as unboxing experience is concerned (not that I am complaining). It's absolutely lavish, elegant and reminds me fondly of the Sony IER Z1R unboxing experience. Perpetua comes in a fairly large box. Once you unlatch the two pull tabs, you’ll be presented with two cases, Eartips, cable featuring DITA’s awesome plug v2 modular system, a fancy keychain and a bunch of pretty postcards and stickers.

Both cases are very unique in their own ways. One is a very heavy and overly meticulously built metal case (T6 Aluminium 6061 grade) which uses air pressure to seal and unseal the lid instead of traditional circular threadings or magnets (ironically, the case looks a bit like pressure cookers as well ). The metal case super is super nice, quirky and all but is too heavy and bulky to carry around everyday. This is where the second case comes in. It's made of genuine Italian leather finished to absolute perfection and at a first glance, can be mistaken for a pouch for jewellery or a very expensive sunglass case.

Supplied eartips are fully transparent final E types. This variant is not for separate sale yet AFAIK (Final E oranges are not available for retail yet as well if I am not wrong). I like the stock cable a lot. It's beautiful to look at, built like a tank and aesthetically matches with the earpieces. I find the cable divider thingy a bit too heavy though. I am generally a fan of lightweight, supple cables so take my bias with a grain of salt.

Build Quality, Fit and Comfort

Flawless build. That's all I can say about the build quality of Perpetua earpieces. They are fully CNC’d out of titanium, PVD coated and the faceplate with DITA logo is coated with genuine sapphire glass. This is the sort of build you’d expect from high end luxurious watches, not IEMs. Comfort is great. Doesn’t feel heavy, fits like a glove and any sort of fatigue is non-existent.

Sound

Perpetua is a fairly neutral and well-rounded IEM with a warm tilt. Some might say it's laid back but I don’t find it to be particularly lacking in energy at all. I would say it has a balanced and super linear tonality overall with a mellow, buttery smooth presentation. Timbre is extremely organic and reminiscent of ZMF and Sennheiser HD6X0 headphones. The smoothness of the Perpetua does not come at the cost of precision and incisiveness however. Edges of the notes are sharp and well defined as expected from a 3000 USD IEM. This is partly enabled by a well-handed treble peak that shows a lot of tuning sophistication if you ask me. It sounds excellent on all sources but showed a particularly romantic and natural synergy with Sony WM1ZM2 DAP.

Perpetua is not a ‘basshead’ set but it is not bass-shy either. It will punch and rumble hard when the track calls for it but generally remains tight and well under control. Midbass and subbass have more or less equal presence. Bass quality is quite a bit better than HFM Svanar but less physical/visceral compared to IE 900 and IER Z1R. Perpetua follows a balanced and reigned in approach to bass that never muddles the sound or bleeds into lower midrange. I personally love this sort of organic, controlled bass as opposed to in your face, blown out of proportion bass response. It offers long term pleasure while the latter will sound ‘fun’ for 5 mins and will get bothersome later. Pictured below is the Perpetua with Noble Audio’s Prestige series copper cable.

Midrange is easily the most standout feature of Perpetua. Vivid and colourful yet extremely linear with no noticeable recession or sharp lift in any part of the midrange frequency. Female vocals are not favoured above male vocals and vice versa. Midrange is the part where the ZMF/Sennheiser comparisons come in, both of which are industry standards for exemplary midrange tuning. Vocals sound absolutely delightful and often ethereal bolstered by the insane staging capabilities of this IEM which I willl discuss shortly.

Perpetua is not a dark set in any shape or form but treble will be the weakest link for those who value treble extension and air above all else. I personally don’t mind the mellow, smoothened treble as it's an essential part of Perpetua’s tuning. But there are similarly priced sets that’ll resolve more or showcase more presence in the treble region. There is a small peak around the 5-6k region that might become accentuated depending on the source paired (generally non bothersome nor intrusive.)

Soundstage is massive. There are very few IEMs that can project a soundstage this engulfing and spacious and all of them cost significantly more (Perpetua is already quite expensive at 3000 USD). It is one of the few party tricks of Perpetua that's immediately noticeable after putting it on for the first time. Imaging is easy S/S- tier. Extremely accurate and precise. However there are certain peers that will image better, Empire Ears Odin and 64 Audio U12T for example.

Aside from the polite and polished treble response, Perpetua is a highly resolving set as one would expect from a ToTL IEM. It is just that some competitors are more resolving (albeit at the expense of inferior timbre and tonal balance in most cases). An Empire Ears Odin is still more detailed but doesn’t have the timbre nor naturalness of the Perpetua. If you are a raw detail-head then you may want to consider the Odin at a slightly higher price point.

Comparisons

Sennheiser IE 900: IE 900 is the single DD flagship from Sennheiser and costs considerably less, almost half to be precise. IE 900 has a similar level of resolving capabilities but it does not stage as wide or deep and is more V-shaped. The IE 900 also has a more ‘tactile’, more visceral kind of bass response while on the Perpetua, bass is just the right amount. Timbre is noticeably better on the Perpetua but IE 900 is no slouch either, especially for the price.

Final A8000: A8000 is more resolving but honestly, I don’t enjoy listening to this set much. It's not bad per se, just not engaging enough for me. Plus that treble is not the faint hearted; a love it or hate it kind of thing mildly put. I find the Perpetua to be a far more palatable experience.

Hifiman Svanar: An amazing single DD IEM that fits comfortably in between IE 900 and Perpetua in my opinion. Svanar has inferior bass quality wise but it's still quite good on its own. Staging and imaging is better on Perpetual. Svannar is already very pleasant and smooth but Perpetua is in a league above as long as tonal balance and timbre is concerned.

64 Audio U12T: U12T is more resolving and has sharper, more precise imaging. Personally I am not a fan of its soft transients but that won’t be an issue for many I presume. I am biassed towards Perpetua compared to U12T as it caters more to my taste.

Empire Ears Odin: Odin is a technical powerhouse and surpasses the Perpetua as long as technical prowess is concerned. However the Odin suffers from some tonal issues and can be very source sensitive. In fact, Hugo 2 is the only source on which I find Odin palatable. It can be shouty and intense otherwise.

Conclusion

DITA Perpetua is a generalist set that was tuned to be pleasant and easygoing first and foremost while retaining satisfactory technical performance. It is not perfect (nothing is) and there are IEMs that will outperform it in certain categories. However as an overall package, Perpetua is one of a kind. There are not many IEMs as tonally balanced or natural sounding, not to mention the intricate craftsmanship and superb build quality. It is a keeper as far as I am concerned, and is the best single DD flagship I have tried to date.

@Sajid Amit

Founded in 2015, Symphonium is a relatively new IEM brand from Singapore. Currently they are offering only 5 models on their website, Helios being the flagship costing $1099. Since its release, Helios has been receiving lots of praise and accolades everywhere which is well deserved in my opinion. Alongside its strengths, it does have a few drawbacks that I will discuss as well. Let's dive in.

Disclaimer: I am posting this review as a co-reviewer at Amplify Audio Reviews, a passion project by my friend Mr. @Sajid Amit . You can check out his videos at https://www.youtube.com/@amplifyaudioreviews. Check out the video review of Helios - . Also follow our Head Fi thread for latest discussions - https://www.head-fi.org/threads/amplifys-headphone-ranking-discussion-ranking-in-first-post.958512/. There are no external incentives and all thoughts and opinions are of my own. Thank you!

Specs, Build quality and Accessories, Comfort:

Helios is a pure four driver multi BA IEM, designed in collaboration with Subtonic (the guys behind $5300 Subtonic Storm which took the ToTL IEM scene by storm a few months back, no pun intended). It has a four-way crossover and uses high quality components from Panasonic and Vishay.

Helios comes packaged in a fairly plain looking black cardboard box but I am impressed with the bundled accessory package. Symphonium provides two cases, a hockey puck styled metal case with brand logo CNC’d on top and a small leather pouch. The pouch is only big enough for storing tips and cable though. Although weighty and extremely well built, I wish the metal case had a wee bit more space inside. The 4.4mm 26 AWG copper cable is well made and feels high quality when wielded. Fairly lightweight and doesn’t tangle at all. Alongside regular silicone tips, Azla Sednaearfit tips are provided as well which I find quite generous.

Comfort is fine. Helios sports two heavy and large metal earpieces (T6 Aluminium shells) and the nozzle is on the larger side. I have large ears and rarely encounter comfort issues with IEMs (even IER Z1Rs are very comfortable to me) so Helios gave me zero headaches in terms of fit and comfort but I think they might pose potential comfort issues for people with small ears. I would suggest doing your own research before buying in case you are someone who generally has fit issues with large earpieces. Demo them from a friend first if possible.

Rating:
Build Quality - 5/5
Comfort - 4/5 (for medium large/large ears)
Accessories - 5/5

Sound (Basics):

Symphonium Helios is something that I would describe as sub bass boosted neutral. The people behind Symphonium are good friends with fellow Singaporean boutiques Subtonic and Nightjar acoustics and they share R&D. Helios actually has a lot in common with 5x expensive Subtonic storm. In supercar terms, if Storm is the Porsche 911 GT3RS then Helios is Carrera T if that makes any sense.

I want to draw attention to the bass response first because I think bass, especially sub bass, is actually one of the strongest points of Helios which is often overlooked/ not given enough attention in most reviews. Helios exhibits almost non-existent BA behaviour when it comes to bass response and most people will have a hard time distinguishing the bass from single DD sets unless they get very clinical or have generally discerning ears.

Rating: 9/10

Midrange is clean and detailed as opposed to being lush and meaty. People coming from thick and overly smooth midrange might perceive the midrange as slightly thin initially. The razor sharp notes give a sense of incisiveness and transparency to both male and female vocals. I find the Helios to be favouring female vocals over male vocals though. Male vocals are not bad or anything per se, they are still very good but I think the relatively leaner lower mids takes some grunt off them. I have observed no significant upper midrange shout but female vocals can get a bit gritty/shimmery in rare instances. Overall though, I am quite satisfied with the midrange of Helios.

Rating: 8.5/10

Treble is where Helios absolutely nails it and trades blows with IEMs costing several times more. It is smooth and linear with brilliant extension all the way up to the air frequencies. Every instrument in the treble region sounds sparkly and razor sharp without ever becoming hot or splashy. There is some peak around the low mid treble frequencies but that rarely becomes bothersome. If you are someone who likes classical music and listens to a lot of string/air instruments or a rock/metal fan particularly nitpicky about cymbals and high hats then you are going to absolutely love the Helios.

Rating: 10/10

Sound (Technicals):

Symphonium Helios is a technical powerhouse. If you are into raw details then Helios will not disappoint. However, almost all kilobucks in this range have very good detail retrieval anyway so I will not gush over it too much. Imaging is extremely precise and warrants at least a 9/10 rating. Timbre is great although there are IEMs in a similar price range that have better timbre such as IE900 and M9 for example but Helios is not too far off.

Separation and transparency is where Helios stands out the most in my opinion as far as technical performance is concerned but that comes at the expense of losing some note weight; can’t have ‘em all I guess. Soundstage is above average in its price range. In fact, I think only the UM MEST MK2 and IER Z1R have larger soundstage than Helios in the sub $2000 range and both of them cost significantly more. If you are planning to watch movies or play competitive shooters, Helios is going to be absolutely overkill, especially for gaming.

Rating: 9/10 (Detail Retrieval), 8.5 (Dynamics and speed), 8/10 (Timbre), 9/10 (imaging), 9/10 (Soundstage), 9/10 (Separation and transparency)

Source Pairing:

Helios is harder to drive than usual. Listening experience will vary greatly depending on the source you are going to pair it with. It sounded the best with Sony WM1ZM2 among all the sources I have tried. But 1ZM2 is a $3600 DAP and I do not think many will run a $1100 IEM from a $3600 ToTL DAP. I would suggest doing trial and error runs with different sources and find out which one works best for you.

Conclusion:

Helios is a prime example of how to make a good neutral IEM with solid tuning and technical prowess. If you are someone with a ~$1000 budget looking for utmost clarity and detail with above average soundstage and imaging, then Helios is easily one of the most compelling options out there, if not the best.

Uhm.. wouldn't want to be the one to notice but in your photos, you have the IEMs connected in reverse polarity.

Sharp eyes! Yes. I corrected them later though while cable rolling.

So, I have been using the Final ZE3000 for more than 20 days (About 90 hours in total) and whoo man, its been a tough week. The ‘Shibo’ finish feels premium. Both the buds and the case feel well built as well (except the lid mechanism. flimsy and cheap). While the case form factor is nice and pocketable, its an absolute nightmare as soon as you open the lid. The buds themselves don’t have any strong anchoring point when they are in the case and the lids don’t open enough to get them out comfortably. This is already a hassle when you are stationary and becomes an absolute nightmare when you are on the move. Wearing comfort is great and the passive isolation on it will rival even the nicest ANC implementations. However, the sharp edges begin to hurt after 10/15 mins and it hurts bad (by sharp, I mean very sharp. Cheap computer table corners kinda sharp). BT functionality is as basic as basic can be and swapping between devices is a chore. My unit also had intermittent connection issues and there were instances where the buds and even the case began to behave erratically or completely refused to work.

Now hardware and feature related Jank aside, they well, sound mediocre. While technicalities are decent as expected from final’s F core DU driver, ZE3000 sounds unpolished and incoherent just like it’s A series cousin, A4000. There is a lot of bass, but its mostly midbass bloat that bleeds hard into the lower midrange and clouds/veils the entire presentation (reminiscent of Final E5000). Subbass has very little extension or presence. Midrange sounds dull, honky and Just like the A4000, ZE3000 also has piercing lower treble spike resulting in splashy, ‘wince in pain’ kind of cymbal hits and consonants (S,Sh,Th) that sound very harsh. Snare hits sound plasticky and unnatural as well. However, there is little to no upper treble extension after that so the overall sound signature is warm, dark, muffled yet fatiguing. I found little linearity or coherence in the sound.

In terms of technicalities, details are good and soundstage width is above average for a TWS. Imaging and separation are decent but vertical imaging leaves a lot be desired. Overall, I am not particularly impressed by this TWS which is further accentuated by the absence of bog-standard features. Its not for me, but it might be for you if you like both Final A4000/3000 and E5000/3000 and crave for a w shaped mishmash of them all.

Questyle is one of those rare brands that is yet to release something that isn’t impeccable. They have a very small catalogue that offers only a handful of products but whenever they come up with something new, it's bound to be a guaranteed hit. I think this exemplary consistency correlates well with their very conservative product release practice where quality and polish takes utmost priority as opposed to flooding the market with subpar products every other week. I have tried and owned both their dongles (M12 and M15) and had long trial sessions with their previous flagship, CMA 12 Master. When I got the opportunity to try the new flagship, CMA 15, for a month, naturally my anticipation was sky high. I am happy to report that this new All in One unit from Questyle has far exceeded my expectations.

Design and Build quality:

CMA 15 is not a particularly humongous AIO which such devices often tend to be. It's roughly the size of a Blu Ray DVD player or twice the size of RME ADI 2, another compact DAC Amp unit. Feels substantial when held but the weight distribution is simply perfect therefore the unit is very easy to move around. Instead of a screen, inputs and file types/sample rate are indicated by individual LEDs. I very much appreciate the choice of using amber for indicator LEDs, as blue/green indicators can get irritating, especially at night. Volume knob implementation is very good and has a satisfyingly tactile resistance to it instead of being buttery smooth. This makes micro adjusting volume a cakewalk.

As for accessories, it's fairly basic and not extensive. You’ll receive a remote control, a power cord and a USB B data cable. I loved the remote control because of the nice tactile buttons and the extensive level of controls and functions it offers. CMA 15 also has a cool party trick. Whenever you adjust volume using the remote, the volume knob will rotate accordingly as well. I found this small detail very cool.

Specs and Input options:

Standard affair. Covers basically all viable input options including BT and USB type C. I won’t bother much with inputs/outputs as I prefer to avoid clutter and talk more about sound. I believe other reviews on head fi have covered it already . CMA 15 uses Questyle’s signature Current mode amplification which I am a big fan of. It's quite different from more ubiquitous voltage mode amplification therefore power specs can be somewhat misleading. Actual drivability is much higher than the numbers suggest. Contrary to CMA 12 Master which had an AKM chip, CMA 15 is sporting ESS flagship 9038 Pro. All the usual codecs are supported including MQA and DSD

Sound, synergy and drivability:

Like I mentioned previously, CMA 15 is using ESS instead of AKM which was present in the CMA 12 Master. However CMA 15 sounds fuller and more polite and linear in the treble region compared to its predecessor. I would describe the sound as hyper realistic and at the same time, dead neutral and precise. I found no sabre glare or supposed dryness that is generally attributed to ESS devices. Everything sounded smooth and linear throughout the frequency spectrum. Bass needs a special mention as well. The way Questyle devices do bass is truly one of a kind. It extends very very deep and has a visceral physicality to it.

It's generally difficult to describe uncolored DAC Amps for me as there is seemingly no special sauce setting them apart from the rest. In my opinion, what sets CMA 15 apart other than its realism and bass response is its spectacular, holographic imaging and how it churns out the best out of headphones, especially planars. I hooked my budget pair of Shuoer S12 planar IEMs to it just for the lols and I was struggling to believe what I was hearing. I have never experienced any IEM scaling so exponentially in my audio journey. It was as if I was listening to a 700/800 USD pair of IEMs, not a 129 USD one. I had somewhat similar experiences with two Hifiman Planars, Edition XS and Ananda Stealth as well.

Pairing with DD headphones was also exceptionally good, especially on high bias. I don’t know what tweaks this mode does internally but It made my HD 650 sing with authority. However, DD headphones don’t scale as much as planars do on CMA 15. I would still recommend OTLs like Feliks Euforia AE or similar if you have the same budget and exclusively run DD headphones like ZMF Atrium or Focal Utopia.

Pairing with IEMs is well, complicated. All BA and hybrids sound slightly off for some reason. However planars and single DD IEMs perform incredibly well like their over ear counterpart. As I’ve mentioned before, Shuoer S12 was simply breathtaking on CMA 15. Sony IER M9? not so much.

Soundstage was fairly adequate for the price. Width is decent, depth is more impressive in comparison. Detail retrieval is as good as it should be for the price. Drivability is fantastic. CMA 15 can power every headphone under the sun including oddballs like Abyss AB1266 Phi TC, HE6SE and Susvara (except electrostatics of course)

Special note; BT sound:

CMA 15 has the LDAC BT option and it's honestly the best BT implementation I’ve heard of in an All in one unit. It does lack some body and detail compared to physical connectivity options but gets very close to the real thing nonetheless, which is still quite impressive.

Comparisons:

Matrix Element X : Element X has a lackluster amp section and is mainly viable as a DAC. It’s a massively different approach from CMA 15 being very sterile and even sandpapery at times. Therefore it only pairs well with warm Amps/Tubes or warm, dark headphones. CMA 15 is the better all rounder IMO

iFi iCAN pro: iCAN pro is a warm, colored amp and is a great complement to CMA 15. I won’t rank one over another if amplifier performance is considered. They are equally awesome just in different ways.

Feliks Euforia AE: Being an OTL, high impedance DD headphones will perform considerably better on the Euforia. However it is not suitable for planars and all BA iems due to very high output impedance and low current.

M15: What's a dongle doing here? Yes, the Questyle M15 is really that good. M15 and CMA15 are eerily similar and M15 actually has an advantage over CMA15. It doesn’t have any issue with All BA/Hybrid sets. However it’s a budget device after all compared to the 10x expensive CMA15 there not as refined especially in the upper treble. CMA 15 has massively superior detail retrieval and precision as well. M15 still remains damn impressive considering how close it gets to its older sibling.

Conclusion:

CMA 15 is almost perfect, almost because it does have some negatives (Hard to reach, odd positioned gain switches for example). But if overall sound quality and synergy with a broad spectrum of headphones/iems is considered, There is hardly any sonic flaw to be found, especially considering the price.

Thanks for the review.

@Sajid Amit

Dongles have suddenly skyrocketed in popularity after Apple decided to ditch the headphone jack in favor of airpods (which worked flawlessly as airpods generate unbelievably huge amounts of revenue and profit for Apple) and the whole smartphone industry followed suit. Initially there were only budget options; Cheap, decent but also rough around the edges and underpowered. But in recent months, we have observed a sudden boom in ‘premium quality’ dongles costing 150-400 USD that are somewhat blurring the line between ultra portability and mid fi desktop class sound.

That being said, Questyle M15 is probably the best all rounder in the premium dongle class right now. Questyle, although a bit obscure in the crowded Chi fi scene, has never made a product that isn’t great. Their first foray into the ultraportable dongle market was the underrated but amazing for the price M12, which I preferred to iFi Hip DAC even. M15 is the full fledged evolution from M12 to a far more capable, incredibly impressive little device.

Disclaimer:

This unit was sent by Questyle to Sajid Amit, reviewer at Amplify Audiophile Show. I work with Amplify and what follows are thoughts and opinions that are solely mine.

Unboxing, build quality and ergonomics:

Unboxing experience is great. Comes in a simple and minimalistic black cardboard box. 2 short USB cables are included. One USB A to type C and another is type C to type C. Build quality is as expected from Questyle, Sublime. Extremely good finishing all around, fabulous weight distribution and skin feel. Both 4.4 mm and 3.5mm connectors feel solid and premium.

Aesthetically M15 is probably the most unique looking dongle out there right now. Internals are entirely visible through the acrylic window on one side. This gives the M15 a very nerdy, over the top yet refreshing look (internals are neat looking as well, adding a massive bump to the overall aesthetics).

M15 is a bit bulky for a dongle but the weight distribution, like I’ve already mentioned, is excellent, therefore ergonomics was never an issue for me.

Important Features:

M12 was great but had a few feature flaws that have been addressed in M15. M12 had automatic gain meaning low sensitivity low impedance headphones and IEMs would trigger low gain when high gain is necessary. M15 has a manual gain switch that can be flipped anytime to make itself compatible with all the headphones and IEMs it can power. Another big addition is the 4.4mm balanced out which is incredibly powerful for a small form factor device (will discuss in detail later). M15 supports fancy codecs like MQA and DSD and it’s a proper MQA decoder, not a renderer. Therefore a good option for MQA believers.

M15 is also modular meaning you can use any compatible type C cable you like on a large variety of devices

Specs:

DAC Capability:

PCM: 32kHz – 384kHz (16/24/32Bit)

DSD64 (1 Bit 2.8MHz), DSD128 (1 Bit 5.6MHz), DSD256 (1 Bit 11.2MHz) MQA Full decode
Output Power:

3.5mm: RL = 300Ω, Po = 11.97mW, Volt (Max) = 1.895 Vrms, THD+N = 0.00045%

4.4mm: RL = 300Ω, Po = 22.60mW, Volt (Max) = 2.624Vrms, THD+N = 0.00057%
Frequency Response and THD:

Frequency Response: ±0.1dB (20Hz-20kHz)

THD + N: 0.0003%
DAC: ESS flagship USB DAC chip ES9281AC
Output Interface -

3.5mm standard headphone jack x1

4.4mm balanced headphone jack x1

Sound:

M15 is the most reference sounding premium dongle right now period. The first thing I noticed immediately was the sheer transparency and details it was pushing. I couldn’t believe I was listening to a dongle and not a full fledged mid fi desktop device. What's most impressive is that this transparency and neutrality doesn’t come at the expense of musicality. Yes M15 is high res and highly analytical but the common denominations associated with these qualities like sterile and dry don’t apply here, at all.

Bass is one of the best I’ve heard in DAC Amp regardless of price and really brings out the best from what your headphones/ IEMs are capable of. There is no exaggeration, no bump in any bass frequencies. Just full bodied, snappy and accurate bass with brilliant extension. For example there are not many DAC amps especially under 1k that can do justice to Focal Utopia’s bass capability. But with M15, the full potential of Utopia’s extremely dynamic and fun bass reproduction is unleashed. I had similar results in bass performance with every other pairing I tried.

Midrange is lush and full bodied but there is no coloration. This is a very hard feat to pull off but M15 does this effortlessly. This results in an even performance between male and female vocals. Instrument timbres present in the midrange also sound as they should in real life, accurate and natural.

The brilliance of midrange and bass continues further in the treble region. If I have to describe the treble in 3 words, those would be extended, precise and controlled. There is no unnatural boost to any region to pump in artificial air, no digital sheen resulting in plasticky, glassy edges all over the music. Nailing the treble region is what's missing from most dongles from my observation. They are often treble boosted in order to generate a sense of detail and air, or too polite making everything dull and boring. M15 is probably the only dongle that blurs the line between precision and musicality in the treble region with resounding success

Technical performance:

M15 is a monster in this regard. Imaging is stupendously good and so are separation and layering. I can pick up every single instrument, every single layer in the vocals and bass but it's effortless and never becomes a chore. Dynamics and speed is easily among the best I’ve heard under 1000 USD regardless of form factor. My only gripe here is the soundstage which is adequate but not very large but it’s a miniscule issue in my book and not noticeable unless you frequently AB between different DAC amps that sound wider.

Driving power. Heat management and battery drain:

M15 is an anomaly if power and battery drain is considered. It can power almost anything except outliers like Susvara, HE6SE Abyss ETC. On high gain and balanced out, I can hardly turn up the volume beyond 30/40 on Arya Stealth and Edition XS. And by driving power I mean driving properly, not just driving loud. M15 adopts Questyle’s bespoke current mode amplification tech which uses CMA modules instead of traditional OP amps. Therefore, actual driving power is much higher than the specs suggest. I also like how M15 doesn’t gimp SE out in favor of BAL. Both are equally good and the only difference is in power and to some degree, separation (barely noticeable).

Heat management is exceptionally good. It doesn’t get hot/warm at all on low gain and heat management in high gain balanced out is still impressive. Gets slightly toasty and warm but never alarmingly hot like many super compact DAC amps and dongles tend to do.

Battery drain is minimal despite its exceptional driving ability. This is a highly overlooked advantage that premium dongles often fail to nail. Minimal drain means massive boost in practicality and battery life of the host device. M15 does a fantastic job in this regard

Synergy:

Being reference sounding means synergy will be good with almost all headphones and IEMs out there. The way M15 handles and mitigates sibilance and uneven peaks bolsters that even further. Almost all my headphones and IEMs that could be powered by it sounded great. It performed extremely well with both Arya SE and Edition XS and every single I've thrown at it including IER M9 and Legend Evo.

My friend and mentor Mr. @Sajid Amit even tried his Abyss AB1266 phi TC on it and white it didn't perform to its full potential, performance was still more than satisfactory

Minor gripes:

1. Glass window is cool and all but glass is glass and glass breaks. You need to be extra careful. My personal solution to prevent fingerprints and scratches was buying a random hydrogel protector for smartphones (dirt cheap), cut it to size (6 cm * 3.2cm) and applying it on the window. There is a pre installed screen protector already present though but being cautious always pays.

2. No physical volume adjustment. Not necessary in my book though. Controlling volume from smartphone is more ergonomic and you can always control volume via keyboard or mouse side buttons on pc

3. Provided cables are very stiff albeit robust. Softer materials would’ve been more ergonomic

4. Too perfect to nitpick any further lol

Conclusion:

M15 blurs the line between ultra portable and mid fi desktop performance. I'd even like to hyperbole a bit and say its a proper high end Hi fi device. A true champion and breakthrough in the ultra portable Dongle DAC amp scene. Kudos to Questyle for making something affordable (relative to their serious stuff) and retaining their magic even in small form factors.

Yes M15 will be a significant technical leap. I generally run my Sony IER M9 off it and man, It sounds massive off M15. Like a full fledged kilobuck over ear. Also extremely good performance with Hifiman Edition XS and HD 650

I really like the way you describe what you hear here. Thank you for the review. I hope mine gets send soon.

Thank you for your kind words. Hoping you'll like it :gs1000smile:

Olina has been all in rage lately and is being commonly touted as the new sub 100 USD benchmark. Is it really though?
Olina is the 2nd collab between reviewer HBB (Badguygoodaudioreview on YT) and Tripowin. There are generally a lot of hype when a reviewer's name is involved. We have observed such hype after Crinacle tuned stuff had been released.

Well, my experience with Olina is a mixed bag to be honest. There are a lot of good qualities to it but also a few caveats that can honestly be quite jarring at times.

Unboxing experience was good. I liked the case. Its pretty and has a soothing blue theme going on. The earpieces are also built well and aesthetically hits the spot just fine. I also liked the soft and supple cable. Its nothing fancy but doesn't feel cheap and shoddy either. Supplied tips are average at best but serviceable. Comfort is amazing, very small and lightweight earpieces thus I barely felt their presence even in prolonged sessions.

Now moving on to sound, Olina is a W shaped monitor. The first issue I noticed immediately was the lack of bass impact. It wasn't reaching low and there was hardly any rumble. I switched between different sources but results remained consistent throughout.

Midrange is fairly clean and natural but upper midrange is untamed and can sound shouty at times. Many people suggest modding to resolve this issue (double filters on grill for example) but I am not a fan of fixing things in jerry rig manner personally. Lower treble, especially 8k is peaky and can cause fatigue. Upper treble is fine.

Olina is fairly competent technically. Separation and imaging are satisfactory, good detail retrieval for the price. I liked the overall timbre as well, didn't sound plasticky and unnatural like budget BA IEMs tend to do. Tonal balance was much better than Dunu Titan S in my book.

TL/DR: Good for the price. There are a few caveats but those are to be expected in this price range.

@Sajid Amit

Hifiman struck consecutive golds with the release of two high end planar magnetic headphones a few while back, Susvara and Arya Stealth. Both adopted Hifiman’s Stealth Magnet design which is supposed to provide clean and spacious sound, devoid of any sort of wonkiness resulting from magnetic interference. Both headphones have natural, lifelike timbre and class leading technical prowess to compliment that.

So when Hifiman released the Edition XS which adopts the same stealth magnet tech as its predecessors, that too for only 499 (literal half of what the original Edition X was priced at), there was a lot of anticipation and excitement . Were we going to get a ‘budget’ Arya S/ Susvara and a true midrange upgrade from Sundara? Fast forward and I can confidently say Edition XS managed to achieve all that, with resounding success.

Disclaimer: I am writing this article as a co-reviewer at Amplify Audiophile Show, a hobby project founded by Mr. @Sajid Amit . You can find our reviews and discussions here. To contact him, you can email: sh2367@caa.columbia.edu. What follows are my personal thoughts and opinions, and no one else’s.

Unboxing, Comfort, Build and Aesthetics:

Unboxing experience is standard Hifiman affair. XS comes packaged in a sizable black cardboard box that doesn’t feel cheap by any means. It can also double as a headphone case if you fancy as XS is humongous and might not fit in most storage cases. Packaging box has ample cushioning inside and the headphone fits perfectly in the cutout. TL/DR: Not extravagant but functional.

I was half expecting an extremely crappy cable followed by the PTSD from Susvara but to my surprise, it's actually somewhat decent. Pliable, Neither too long, not too short, doesn’t kink or retain memory, has good heft and thickness. It's only single ended though but aftermarket cables are pretty easy to come by.

Moving on to aesthetics, well, no Hifiman is going to win any beauty contest. XS is mildly put, ugly; plain and simple. It adopts the headband design from Deva while the cups are similar to Ananda/Arya.

Build quality is honestly quite good. My unit has no rattle or loosened parts. Headband adjustments are tactile and satisfying and being made out metal means a smaller chance of failing down the line. Build quality is not as confidence inspiring as, let's say, Sennheisers, Focals or Beyers. But XS is definitely not a badly built headphone, a definite step up from Sundara and He400se in my book.

Comfort can vary from person to person. Deva style headband in a comically big headphone like this might not fit smaller than average heads. I personally found the comfort and clamp to be just perfect and could wear it for hours without developing any fatigue (I have a medium big sized head)

Summarized verdict:

Build – 4/5

Comfort- 5/5 (For medium/large heads), 2/5 for smaller heads

Aesthetics- 2.5/5

Unboxing- 4.5/5 (function over excess)

Sound:

Here comes the most important part, how do they actually sound? First of all, It's nothing like the original Edition X. The sound profile doesn’t share much with the Sundara, Ananda or Arya V1/V2 either. I would call it the direct tonal successor of Susvara and Arya Stealth.

Edition XS is a bright neutral can and kind of suffers the same weakness in bass Susvaras suffer from. Yes bass is very present, has great texture and rumble but it lacks the visceral physicality or the slam that is showcased by the likes of HE6SE and Arya Stealth. That being said, bass quality is still considerably better compared to Sundara and HD650/600.

Now the midrange here is exceptionally good. Lifelike, doesn’t sound thin and shouty and tames the sibilance that can occur between 4-8k with great finesse. It's not as natural and engaging as Sennheiser HD6X0 headphones but gets close and very reminiscent of Arya Stealth and Susvara.

I love the treble on these. Yes XS is bright and boosted in the upper treble but doesn’t sound harsh and unnatural. That extra air up top gives XS a sense of transparency and details which is also quite prominent in the Arya Stealth. Upper treble glare can get sizzly in certain tracks though but occurs rarely so gets a pass from me.

Detail retrieval is price appropriate and fits right in between Sundara and Ananda. Imaging, while not as good as the Arya SE or Susvara, is excellent nonetheless and precise enough for movies and games. One standout feature of XS is the Soundstage. I find it amazing how the added transparency contributes so much to the already impeccable staging. There is this tantalizing sense of spaciousness that I dearly miss in my beloved but very intimate sounding HD650. Live music and unplugged sessions are aural bliss on this headphone. Separation and layering of instruments and vocals are solid A. Speed and dynamics are expected from a planar, snappy and super fast transients.

All of these sound good on paper but none of them matters if timbre is lackluster. I am happy to report that the timbre is excellent and suits all genres of music with ease. Of course the timbre is not as good as HD650/600, Utopia or Susvara but should satisfy even the pickiest of timbre aficionados.

Both male and female vocals sound great. Performance is equally good in heavy metal/rock and relatively easy going stuff like Jazz and classical. I yearned for a bit more bass impact on hip hop/rap tracks though. Like I said in the beginning, XS borrows a lot from its successful forerunners, Arya SE/Susvara and masterfully implements them to create the perfect sub 1000 USD all rounder.

Drivability:
Identical to Arya Stealth. Not a power hungry demon like the Susvara but requires a high current source to sound optimal. Without proper amping or source matching, it will sound thin, dry and lacking in bass. Only powerful dongles like iFi Go Bar, Questyle M15 work well on the ultraportable side of things.

In a nutshell, reasonably efficient and drivability is not a massive pain in the rear like some planar flagships out there.

Comparisons:

HD 600/650:

These legendary cans scale like crazy and will leave XS in the dust if paired with serious stuff like Feliks Euforia AE or any top notch OTL. But in an economically ‘sensible’, ‘plebeian’ setup, XS sounds cleaner and more detailed to my ears. It has far superior soundstage and imaging as well but 650/600 still has superior midrange, vocals and also more realistic treble. All in all a very good compliment to HD6X0 headphones, 6XX/650 more specifically.

Sundara:
Not even a competition lol. XS is superior on all fronts.

Arya V2:
Arya V2 is unfortunately wonky to my ears and I don't like the sound, at all. XS has far superior timbre but less capable technically.

HE6SE:
HE6SE has a hugely superior, endgame tier bass response. It's a fun headphone but peaky and shrill lower treble can be fatiguing (EQ is a must). XS is more forgiving in comparison. HE6SE is also much, much harder to drive.

Ananda:
Ananda is more resolving, more technical but loses out handily in tonality/timbre frontier. more shouty and thinner in comparison

Arya Stealth/Susvara:
XS basically trickles down what these behemoths are capable of. If Susvara is Porsche 918 and Arya SE is GT3RS, XS is the chill 911 model that’s still sporty and costs a fortune

Final verdict:
Excellent value

Looking for some portable sources to drive these currently getting a tanchjim space dongle ( 230mW at 32ohm) which ones would you recommend

I'd highly recommend Questyle M15 or iFi Go Bar with a balanced cable. Although space has more than adequate power to drive XS properly. Also look into Xduoo Link 2 Bal if you want slightly more refinement than Space. It also has the widest SS among all dongles.

I recently got the Titan S, a 79 USD single DD IEM from Dunu. I have tried and owned a few Dunu IEMs before. I used to own a DK 3001 pro which I liked and appreciated at that time. I don’t think it aged that well given the abundance of better options available now. I tried SA6 for a few weeks, which is still relevant and a good monitor. I had the Dunu Zen for a while and was not a fan, at all.

So given all the mixed prior experience, my anticipation for Titan S was cautiously optimistic. Titan S is not the first iem in the Dunu line up with Titan moniker. Titan used be a very early series of Dunu IEMs a few years back. Titan S is more or less a spiritual successor of those.

Build, Comfort and Aesthetics

The design and aesthetics of Titan S is radical, rather steampunk/ cyberpunk ish. This design language might appeal differently to different people but its undeniably striking and out of the box for sure. Being Dunu, the accessories are as usual, very impressive. I like the thin yet nice looking cable (it tends to tangle easily though) and the carry case is simply put, brilliant. Much higher priced iems often don’t come with a case that’s nearly as good as the one provided with Titan S.

Comfort is decent but not outstanding or anything, doesn’t isolate much either. So outdoor use while serviceable, will not as satisfying as something that isolates well.

Sound:

So the build and accessories are good and all but how does it sound? Well to my ears, it sounds just ok. Lets go into details. Its not as lush or full sounding as something like, lets say, Moondrop Aria or final E3000.

Bass is quite present but don’t expect much subbass or low end rumble. Don’t expect the texture and layering that’s showcased by higher tier iems. Its simply serviceable, and present. For 70 USD, I’ll probably be happy with the bass but there are iems in this range that do bass better.

Midrange is where things begin to get a wee bit hazy. Titan S might give an apparent sense of cleanliness but in reality, the mids are pushed back and there are peaks in the upper mids that can be a bit jarring at times. Its not unnatural or anything, I simply find the midrange to be lacking the energy and note weight that I’m generally used to.

Highs are good, not very extended but doesn’t sounds dark either. Occasional peaks are present in the lower treble and might cause fatigue. I think the highs are sufficiently price appropriate.

Timbre and Technical prowess

Moving on to technical performance, detail retrieval is average, or I’d say above average for the price. Soundstage could’ve been larger, its just adequate at best and imaging is simply ok. In a nutshell, good technical performance for the price, doesn’t kill any giant and doesn’t lag behind its competitors either.

All the little nitpicks could be counterbalanced by one ace of spade, timbre. Well, the timbre on Titan S is, Just ok I guess? It’s a bit metallic and lean but not unnatural as budget BA iems tend to be.

All in all, I found this iem to be a decent but sort of mediocre, 79 USD IEM. Its price appropriate, built well, comes with a gorgeous case and if you are on a strict sub 100 USD budget, Titan S can be a viable option.

refreshing non-hype mini review.

To be frank, volume's FR graph is a bit scary therefore I was cautiously optimistic. First time I put them on, I was impressed but not completely amused. Fast forward and now I am completely bedazzled and listening to it non stop.

Midrange on this is easily among the absolute best I have heard in terms of timbre, clarity and transparency, blows almost everything away under 500 USD. Lower midrange is not as full as HD650 or IER M9 and more emphasis is given to the upper midrange and lower treble (rest assured, there is hardly any shout or jaggedness in those areas but if present in the mastering, volume is not particularly forgiving thanks to that 3k peak).
There is a sense of air and cleanliness in the vocals especially in the female ones. Male vocals are no slouch either but female vocals stand out particularly well.

Bass, while not elevated and neutral in character, exudes quality as expected from a Be plated driver. Excellent texture, layering ,definition and can reach the lowest of frequencies with ease. Treble is flawless and has no weakness to speak of (maybe a bit soft in the top end for those who prefer otherwise)

In terms is technical prowess, Volume is at kilo buck level. Yes its that good. Extremely accurate imaging and detail retrieval is almost on par with IER M9 and ER4XR. Separation and layering of instruments is nothing short of amazing. Soundstage is sufficiently spacious.

Comfort wise, among the absolute best especially with final audio tips. Earpiece ventilation is simply perfect and can be worn for hours without fatigue. Suppiled cable while understated, is actually very pliable and lightweight unlike the garden hose like heavy cables manufacturers often provide. Also photos cannot justify how beautiful they are.

TL/DR : 9/10

Comfort and Build quality:
Despite its odd shape, timeless is actually extremely comfy. I can wear them effortlessly for hours without any discomfort. The cable is honestly, quite mediocre and tacky and tangles easily. Provided carry case is made entirely of Aluminum thus heavy and impractical. Also it'll often catch on my thumb skin while attempting to close the lids (very sharp edges). the earpieces themselves are well built as well.

Sound:

Timeless is probably the most perfect people pleaser IEM under 300 USD. Its comfy, has authoritative midbass heavy bass response, a well executed midrange without the wonkiness that many planars tend to have and a flawed but decent treble response. Very strong wow factor.

That being said, there are a few caveats. Imaging is not nearly as good as its similarly priced competitors (Blessing 2 and Softears Volume for example). It occasionally fails to pick up finer details from music (where Volume, B2 and er4xr excel and are at the level of IEMs costing twice/thrice as much). Layering and instrument separation are decent but not remarkable. There is an overly smooth and safe characteristic to its overall sound (with occasional rough edges in the lower treble). Timbre is excellent and handles all genres with ease (which Volume doesn't. Unforgiving to poorly mastered stuff).

TLDR: Excellent IEM. Unhateable tonality with some minor technical setbacks. I think the pricing for this IEM is just perfect.

@Sajid Amit

FiiO started relatively small, mainly manufacturing small, inexpensive portable dac-amps and amps and occasionally in ear monitors. But the brand has grown considerably larger since and now they have quite the portfolio to showcase, ranging from people’s favorites like BTR5 to full fledged desktop dac amps like K9 pro. (they have a large portfolio of iems as well but our experience with fiio iems is limited and sort of a mixed bag). FiiO’s digital audio players have been quite popular and some of them were genuinely brilliant, M15 being a prime example.

With FiiO M17 however, fiio probably has outdid themselves, along with many of their competitors. Let's find out how and why.

Disclaimer: This DAP is a personally bought unit and belongs to Mr. @Sajid Amit . He also has a YouTube Chanel, Amplify Audiophile show (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9EqdhwdpmxZxzNxEC42FOg) that he runs for fun and it generally features his thoughts, impression and reviews on high end gears.

Unboxing experience, general build quality and design:

Unboxing the M17 is quite the experience and quite opposite of what's generally considered to be ‘minimalist’. You’ll get the M17 itself, a superbly made dock for dc use (DK3) and a very high quality real leather case alongside other typical accessories like cables, manuals and a screen protector. You’ll also get a switching power supply for DC use. FiiO probably could sell all of these separately and charge exorbitant prices like many of its competitors do. But instead decided to give the buyer their money’s worth and bundled everything together. This in my opinion, deserves a massive applause for being pro consumer

M17 is one massive device. It’s the biggest and burliest DAP in the market right now (DMP Z1 doesn’t count as a portable audio player IMO) weighing in at a massive 610 grams. The screen is pretty big (7 inches) thus navigating through it is quite the breeze. It also hosts a massive 9200 mAh lithium ion battery inside which is almost as big as flagship samsung/Apple tabs so battery life is never an issue and longer than most smartphones. The screen quality is quite nice and it’s a 1080p ips screen so videos and texts are quite sharp and clear compared to 720p options available in the market.

On the OS side of things, FiiO has moved on from archaic android 7 which still many DAP manufacturers continue to use. It's currently using Android 10 which is much more recent and the UI is not loaded with junk or bloatware like some of its competitors do. It’s a fairly simple and intuitive, easy to use interface.

Another massive improvement has been made in the SoC powering it. M17 is not using pathetically underpowered low end SD 430 or Exynos chips anymore. It boasts Snapdragon SD 660, a fairly competent mid tier chip from Qualcomm which in turn, makes M17 the snappiest, most fluid Digital audio player in the world. Button placements are ergonomic and I love the smoothness of the volume knob. If I gotta score M17 from a UI experience point of view I’ll probably give it a 12 out of 10, that's how far ahead it is of its competition.

Build quality is exquisite as expected from a 1700 USD DAP. The choice of including LEDs as an aesthetic touch can be divisive for many but I think it's youthful and kind of cool.

SPECs:

DAC	2 x ES9038PRO 32-Bit
Amplifier	1 x THX AAA-788+
External DAC Functionality	Yes, DSD512 up to 22.5792 MHz / 1-Bit PCM up to 768 kHz / 32-Bit
Audio Resolution	PCM: 384 kHz / 32-Bit DSD256: 11.2896 MHz / 1-Bit
Frequency Response	5 Hz to 80 kHz -3 dB
Impedance	16 to 300 Ohms (Balanced) 16 to 150 Ohms (Unbalanced)
Gain Settings	High1, Normal, Low
Volume Control	Analog (120 Steps)
THD + N	0.0007% at 1 kHz
Audio Power Output	1.5 W at 16 Ohms 3 W at 32 Ohms 500 mW at 300 Ohms
Maximum Output Voltage	27.7 Vp-p
Signal to Noise Ratio	123 dB
Crosstalk	75 dB at 1 kHz
Balance Control	Yes
Custom Equalizer	Yes

I/O:

1 x 4.4 mm Balanced Headphone / Line Output

1 x 1/8" / 3.5 mm Headphone / Line Output

1 x 2.5 mm Balanced Headphone Output

1 x 1/4" / 6.5 mm Headphone Output

1 x RCA S/PDIF Input/Output

1 x USB Type-C USB 3.0 Input/Output

1 x USB Type-C USB 2.0 Input/Output

M17 has all the output options you need except xlr. This minimizes the need to use adapters which might otherwise add bulk and weight to cables

Sound:

FiiO has used dual flagship saber 9038 pro chips and two thx AAA+ 788 amp modules. This sort of setup can spark the preconceived notion that M17 would sound sort of dry and sterile. But M17 has made me re-realize how cliches and unfounded assumptions can be wrong most of the time.

M17 is anything but sterile. It is in fact, probably the smoothest and most lush sounding DAP in the market right now. But thanks to the THX tech and extremely capable DACs inside, it’s a technical monster as well. I’d say it's as detailed, transparent and dynamic as similarly priced full fledged desktop setups.

It is not, however, neutral per se in the traditional sense. Like its predecessor M15, M17 has some hint of warmth and authoritative yet a bit laid back midrange presentation. This results in a dense, slammy bass response and accentuation in vocals and other midrange instruments while snubbing out unwanted annoyances like lower treble fatigue or any hint of upper midrange glare.

I’ll describe the treble on M17 as calm,rounded and even. While it has superb extension and air, it doesn’t have the sandpapery/ ice pick characteristic that some players or DAC amps have.

M17 has several amplification modes. On DC power mode a separate gain mode is unlocked that pushes whooping 3 watts per channel. This means M17 is capable of driving all headphones available In the market to their full potential except estats. It drives Susvara and Abyss 1266 phi TC perfectly well which are rather hard to drive planars and requires very high end equipment to churn the best out of them. It may not be as good a solution as an endgame tier setup like Holo May+ Accuphase combo or May + oor and hypsos but remember, It’s a portable digital audio player pushing these heavy hitters. If that is not impressive, I don’t know what is.

Pairings with comparatively easy to drive Headphones and IEMs are impressive as well. Both Focal Utopia and Sennheiser HD 800s sound brilliant. In fact, both of these headphones sound better than any other sub 1000/1500 USD setup on M17. This might sound ridiculous to the uninitiated. I probably wouldn’t believe it so as well if someone told me but M17 is that good. Another thing to note here is, FiiO didn’t gimp the SE out in favor of balanced. Both sound equally competent. The only difference I feel is in power output and separation.

Going back to technicalities, imaging prowess of the M17 is an unreal level of good. Extremely precise and accurate. That added with the clean background, laid back presentation and note weight makes everything sound big and voluminous. When I am listening to iems for example, It doesn’t sound trapped in my head but extended in all directions. I have not experienced this phenomenon in any other DAPs

In terms of speed and dynamics, I’ll say it's more than sufficient but lags ever so slightly behind Astell and Kern SP2000T. SP2kT has a bit more upfront presentation and sparkle which gives it a clear advantage over M17 in speedy genres like heavy metal. On jazz, funk, classic rock or anything with some form of vocal emphasis through, M17 strikes back and takes the crown.

In my opinion, M17 is a very complete sounding device. It has the technical chops that’s generally reserved for high end desktop DAC amps, Has a snappy and intuitive UI, Musical, weighty sound that synergizes well with every headphone/iem I throw at it and power for days.

1700 USD isn’t cheap. But for what it offers I believe it’s the best value DAP in the market right now and a must buy.

Indeed, M17 hangs out with the big boys aka desktop setups

@MrWalkman

Im not gonna lie, I can't run a DAP without THX on it...once you do, there's no going back. Either is has to be baked in or an amp with it. THX brings the dark background and clarity much like the @MrWalkman 'Midnight' mod for the Sony Wm1A

..."sound better than any other sub 1000/1500 USD setup on M17". I think you can safely double that sum and the statement is still true.

Audeze is a staple for planar aficionados and has released hit after hit over the last decade. LCD i3 and i4 are successors to their isine lineup and improves upon them even further. i4 is the 2500 USD in ear Audeze flagship while i3 is priced at a modest 900 USD.

Packaging, Build quality, Comfort:

LCD i3 comes packaged incredibly well. The overall presentation is a treat to the eyes. As accessories you get two different sets of tips (slick and groovy), different sizes of ear hooks and a pair of ear fins. Audeze’s proprietary cipher v2, regular 3.5mm cable and cipher BT module are bundled in as well. The huge chonky ass carrying case and foam storage thingy for the earpieces are excellent as well.

As for general build quality, the earpieces are built entirely of magnesium so fairly lightweight despite their size. I find the comfort good enough. It doesn’t seal like traditional in ears but gently rest on the ear canal opening. Planar drivers used here are pretty big, stay outside of your ear and the sound is delivered via some sort of waveguide mechanism. On prolonged use, some wearing fatigue might develop at places the ear hooks anchor on. They are open back and have zero isolation but outside noises won’t bother in quite environments when music is playing.

Sound:

Fit is very crucial for optimum sound on i3. With slick ear tips, sound is wonky and bass lacks definition and impact. However things change dramatically with groove tips and ear fins. I’ll describe the sound as natural, lively and upfront. It retains that Audeze house sound so expect loads of bass slam and lower midrange warmth. Treble response is excellent. Strings and wind instruments sound incredible. I like the vocals on this especially male vocals. They are not as natural and effortless as Sennheiser HD 600/650/800s or Sony IER M9 but very close and that is a commendable fit for a planar as planars generally struggle with vocal rendition from my observation (ToTLs like LCD 5,Susvara and D8000 being exceptions). Another impressive thing to note is that there are very smooth sounding and there is no listening fatigue as upper midrange shout and sibilance are completely absent.

As for technical performance, easy S tier. Extremely resolving and has awesome soundstage that makes them sound like a full sized open back planar. Supreme in ears for general digital content consumption and gaming.

Now, all these goodness can be achieved only via the included Cipher cable that implements Audeze’s proprietary DSP. With the regular cable, sound is ok but kinda meh. Bluetooth cipher cable is an abomination and produces worse sound than fake Sony buds. It’s a good freebie but kinda useless. Cipher cable uses lightning connector so its limiting for non iOS/windows users but fortunately both ugreen and anker has compatible adapter (Albeit a bit expensive at 30 usd).

Comparisons:

HD 650: 650 sounds better overall to me. Its not as bassy but there is an effortlessness in the Sennheiser sound that has not been replicated by any other brand yet (They have been relevant for decades while hype beasts died after all). But 650 is difficult to drive and i3 doesn’t need any DAC amp as you get the cipher cable so from a convenience standpoint i3 is the optimum one. I3 has way better bass as well.

IER M9: M9 sounds 100 usd better than it. More natural, more effortless. But i3 is very close

Dunu ZEN/ SA6/ Oriolus Isabellae: i3 is significantly better on all fronts

Sony WF 1k XM4: Timbrally and tonally very close but xm4 loses out handily in technicalities due to Bluetooth limitations. XM4 still keeps up though and remains an anomaly with Sony EPEX 11 tips

Final A4000: A4k has larger Soundstage. But gets slaughtered by i3 on every other front.

Value:

Worth 900 usd? Absolutely. These are well worth their price tag and a very safe purchase

Great review. Keep 'em coming!

How is the M9 better?

M9 has significantly better midrange (i3 sounds a bit wonky in comparison). Also more coherent and effortless sounding overall. M9 to me is the best IEM under 3000 USD. I prefer it to U12t (bland) and EE Legend Evo (thinner midrange, driver flex)

Thats about it. There are already numerous reviews down below. I love this IEM and its a good complement for warm neutral headphones/IEMs like Sony IER M9 and HD 650

I tried the Isabellae briefly a few months back and was highly impressed. Now that I have it with me for a few days as a loaner (courtesy of Sajid Amit bro) I think I have tried it enough to give a final verdict. I will write everything in points in order to make things as concise and ambiguity free as possible.

1. Extremely fun bass. The kind of bass that can only be achieved with a kickass DD. Punchy, tight, physical, fluttery and well separated from the remaining FR. A+ Bass. Just the perfect amount of midbass decay
2. Very good midrange tuning. Chi fi IEMs usually fall short when it comes to midrange tuning (Japanese and German IEMs do midrange best from my observation). Oriolus is Jap brand but Isabellae is technically Chi fi afaik as its a co-branded release with Jaben. Midrange here is on par with Sony/Sennheiser/Final stuff. Lifelike, Clear and very energetic in the upper mids but not shouty/shrill. Lower mids have good body and warmth contributing to lush sweetness in the vocals, both male and female. It however, doesn’t have the M9 magic that somehow makes the worst of masterings sound awesome so strident tracks will sound strident.
3. This one is very impressive. Isabellae actually does treble really well despite its warmish, chill tuning. It doesn’t have that choked feeling past 8k that iems like Dunu dk 3k1 pro and zen have. Very good extension and sparkle.
4. Personally, the best stock cable I have found in an iem, at least from an ergonomic perspective. Feels weightless and as supple as mouse paracords. Looks beautiful as well.
5. Acrylic earpieces have very good finishing and feels solid yet lightweight
6. Kinda disappointing packaging for a 600 usd iem. Doesn’t even include carry pouch/case
7. Fatass nozzles thus tip rolling is limited (JVC spiral dots and Azla sednaearfits might work though especially sednaearfit shorts, crystal and xelastec)
8. Shallow fit might not suit everyone, especially people with OCD. I personally find it pretty comfy though thanks to its lightweight nature
9. Fit is crucial. Without proper fit/seal will sound shouty, distant and lacking in bass
10. Intimate staging. Not a con in my book though as its mandatory for this tuning to work. Not boxy or congested at all though
11. Impressive technically despite its target to be a timbral/tonal masterpiece and not a technical powerhouse. Imaging and layering of instruments is really good. Excellent separation and impressive detail retrieval. Makes it an allrounder even in the busiest of tracks

COMPARISON:
Dunu SA6 and Zen: I personally prefer it to both. Isabellae sounds like it has taken the strengths from both Dunus and blended them together. Zen and SA6 has better detail retrieval and technical performance though but slightly worse timbre. Dunus come with much better accessories and packaging. All three IEMs are very close contenders
Monarch: I like Isabellae just a wee bit more. Monarch is slightly leaner sounding but incredibly fun in ears nonetheless. A tie in my book
Wf1000xm4: What is a TWS doing here? Because xm4 is that f’n good. I never sounds incompetent even when I come back from much higher tier stuff. XM4 with Sony hybrid tips is even safer and smoother sounding. If you don’t have the budget for Isabellae get XM4 aka baby m9 if you fancy fun, warm neutral tuning like me
CA Andromeda: Not a fan of CA sound so bias is unavoidable. Andro 2020 is technically more competent but loses out in tonality
IER M9: The 1000 usd holy grail which is the epitome of sounding just right. M9 is way more coherent, natural and does both treble and midrange significantly better. The only front where it loses out is the bass but not by much (M9 has a more neutral and subtler bass approach and despite being a 5 BA iem the bass sounds like full fledged DD bass). It also have TOTL tier technical prowess especially in imaging and layering so competition there as well
I am sure there are much better ones but haven’t tried those so won’t comment ( IE 900, Vision ears, Softears, empire ears, Shure kse ,QDC etc)
TLDR: Fantastic IEM and a 500 bucks range benchmark

I want to chip in to highlight the fit/seal importance for anyone trying these. Isabellae sounds completely different without a proper seal - and out of the stock tips only the double flange tips did it for me - they are quite comfortable though.

Also when tip changing I had to exert a lot of force due to the fattened lip & found it quite impossible until I inverted the tip flange first.

yep, seal is very very crucial for these.

Thanks for the comparisons! Very, very useful

WF 1000XM4 is the latest TWS iteration from SONY following the success of XM3. While I am not a fan of the over ear version (WH moniker), SONY has knocked it out of the park with the TWS. Its not underrated by any mean. Sony products are popular as ever despite their weird naming schemes but their wireless stuff might not be taken seriously by audiophiles. Well, XM4 kicks ass and it deserves every bit of attention from audiophiles as well.

I will be talking about only the sound as tech stuff and battery life of XM4 is pretty much the best out there so not an issue. Another big thing to note is the stock tips.
Sony, being the weirdos, has decided to bundle in some foamies that'll ruin the sound and irritate the heck out of your skin. Throw those away, put on some aftermarket silicone tips and you are in for a treat.

XM4 has an overall warmer presentation but its not v shaped per se. Mids don't sound recessed and they are prominent in the music. Vocals sound exceptionally good and rivals/outperforms wired IEMs in the similar price range. Bass is actually pretty well done. Its a consumer focused product after all. SONY has opted for an elevated but precise bass presentation here which I really like. There is very little to no bleed in the lower midrange, keeping everything nice and clean. Treble response, while being smoothened out and polite is not muted or dark at all. It can be sparkly and airy when the track calls for it and you can always EQ the treble. TLDR: Exceptional tonal balance and coherence, a direct trickled down tonal successor SONY's absolutely awesome IER lineup of IEMs . Once of the best timbres you can find in an IEM under 500 USD

As for technical performance, XM4 performs far better than expected. Very precise imaging and good soundstage. Detail retrieval is also commendable especially with LDAC on. Sony's previous mode, XM3, had a prototype feel to it. XM4 is a far advanced and competent model. Totally worth the price and highly recommended

Disclaimer
The headphone is a personal unit owned by Mr. Sajid Amit.
His Head fi profile: https://www.head-fi.org/members/sajid-amit.536395/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9EqdhwdpmxZxzNxEC42FOg
I'll occasionally post reviews as a Co Reviewer of Amplify. This is a hobby project and there are no incentives involved as always.

Build and Comfort
Focal is French and their headphones are generally the epitome of French elegance. Radiance takes that up a notch. Radiance was made in Collab with British luxury automotive manufacturer Bentley and it successfully portrays the design philosophy of both brands. The mesh like pattern on the cups resembles modern Bentley interior while the overall headphone design is unmistakably Focal.

Radiance is closed back yet incredibly comfy rivaling even lightweight open backs. Stock leather pads has just the right amount of softness and pretty easy on skin. Also happy to report that the stock cable supplied is decent and not janky/stiff as focal stock cables usually are (Still leaves a lot to be desired). Supplied carrying case is beautiful.

Specs

Impedance: 35 Ohms
Driver: M-shaped, inverted-dome, full-range driver measuring 40mm
Weight: 435 gm.
Sensitivity: ~101 dB/mW

Radiance is extremely easy to drive. You can run them off your smartphone or dongles just fine. They will sound their best with dedicated desktop setups though. My listening session was done via Holo May+ Accuphase e380 (headphone out) combo.

Bass, Midrange and Treble

Radiance has hard hitting fun bass with ample slam and rumble. The bass texture is however not as detailed or layered as its open back cousin Clear but definitely more in quantity. This can be a double edged sword. I personally love bass but bass here is not slightly elevated from neutral but quite a bit elevated (not bass head level though). This will appease moderate/ slightly enhanced bass lovers but can be too bassy for people used to neutral/clinical bass.

I loved the midrange on these. Lower mids are full and while upper mids are a bit snubbed it effectively eliminated the trouble involving shouty/shrill vocals. Overall the the midrange is smooth and natural with a slightly warm tilt. Radiance favors female vocals a bit more but overall the midrange is a strong reminder of Sennheiser HD 6X0 series.

Treble here is right up my ally. Clears are clearly superior in treble but I like Radiance's treble presentation more. The treble here doesn't feel jagged or uneven. Its very rounded and soft with enough extension/air. Not a dark sounding headphone by any mean. This is the type of treble you can listen to for hours yet it'll never feel dull or muted.

Technicalities:
Detail retrieval while good isn't exceptional especially considering the price. However I like the way details and minor nuances are presented. I retains the excellent dynamics of Focal Clears all across the frequencies.

Soundstage while not very wide is mostly accurate and thanks to extremely good imaging, It sounds three dimensional. There are no weird blobs and every single instrument can be pinpointed in the soundscape. A very ethereal experience indeed. Separation is excellent as well and every single instrument can be picked apart no matter how complex the music is.

Conclusion
Is Focal Radiance worth the price? Hell yes it is. There ain't many easy to drive closed back headphones that have both the build and look to match the sound. This is the second headphone after the venerable Meze 99c that made my jaws open in pleasant surprise. If you want to chill in the balcony with just a DAP and a pair of headphones, This is it.

Specs, Build quality and Accessories, Comfort:​

Sound (Basics):​

Sound (Technicals):​

Source Pairing:​

Conclusion:​

Unboxing, Comfort, Build and Aesthetics:​

Sound:​

Comparisons:​

Build, Comfort and Aesthetics​

Sound: ​

Timbre and Technical prowess​

Attachments

Specs ​

Specs, Build quality and Accessories, Comfort:

Sound (Basics):

Sound (Technicals):

Source Pairing:

Conclusion:

Unboxing, Comfort, Build and Aesthetics:

Sound:

Comparisons:

Build, Comfort and Aesthetics

Sound:

Timbre and Technical prowess

Specs