Reviews by Brooko

[size=24.5699996948242px]INTRODUCTION[/size]

Anyone who’s followed my recent reviews will know that I’m a big audio fan of both desktop and portable rigs. As far as my portable rigs go, most of my listening has been with my iPhone 5S, or my Fiio DAPs – the X1, new X3ii, and the quite excellent X5.

I was intrigued (and also sceptical) when PONO first launched – seeing a lot of hyperbole and marketing speak. Once the first units started hitting purchasers, I began seeing both positive and negative reviews (and again both viewpoints often ridiculously polarised to one side or the other). Then my Head-Fi friend olddude was given a PONO as a gift from his son. He’s had similar gear and tastes to me (we both owned the X5, Altone200 and A83), and he’s part of the “mature” sector on Head-Fi (as am I), so we’ve hit it off with PMs over the last year – and it’s been an enjoyable pastime sharing thoughts and experiences. So when he started talking about selling his X5 due to his enjoyment of the PONO, I hoped that eventually I’d get the chance to hear one.

Out of the blue, I was browsing Head-Fi last week and noticed a very good video review from piksnz of his newly arrived PONO. Sayan and I have participated in the same tours recently – and he’ll be of the first to try my X3ii when it goes on tour next week – so I cheekily asked if I could demo the PONO for a few days. Sayan graciously agreed – so for the last few days I’ve been juggling my schedule to finish the X3ii review, spend as much time as I could with his PONO, and compare it to my own X5.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the PONO for a limited time trial from another Head-Fier piksnz, and it will be returned once I finish this review/comparison. There is no financial incentive from anyone in writing this review. I am in no way affiliated with PONO or Neil Young - and this review is my honest opinion of the PONO player. I would really like to thank Sayan for making this opportunity available. I owe you one buddy.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'.
(This is to give any readers a baseline for interpreting the review).

I'm a 48 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last few years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1, X3ii and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line). I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 48, my hearing is less than perfect.

My experience with DAPs in the past had been initially with some very cheap Sony offerings, then step-ups to the Cowon iAudio7, iPhone4, iPod Touch G4, iPhone 5S, HSA Studio V3, Fiio X5, X3ii and X1.

WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A DAP

I thought I’d list (before I start with the review) what I really look for in a new DAP.

Clean, neutral signature – but with body (not thin)
Good build quality
Reasonable battery life
Easy to use interface
Able to drive both low impedance and (within reason) higher impedance cans without additional amping.
Value for money
Enough storage to hold either my favourite albums in redbook, or my whole library in a reasonably high resolution lossy format (for me – aac256)

Would I get all of this with the PONO? Actually yes to most of the above I’m pleased to say. There are a couple of things I’m not overly fussed on, but there are others which are excellent. I’ll give you my impressions of the PONO in the brief time I’ve had it, and also a short comparison to the X5 and X3ii.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The PONO arrived in a cardboard box (evidently you can’t ship the normal bamboo display cases to NZ – so not PONO’s fault). I didn’t have all the original packaging – so the photos show what I did receive. Included was a moulded cardboard insert, the Limited Edition (Neil Young) PONO player, a nicely shaped leather case, a charging USB plug and wall-wart. Missing – but normally included – was the quick start guide, and 64Gb micro SD card (which presumably holds the gratis high-res Neil Young albums).


PONO packaged	The cardboard preformed box

It’s kind of hard to make a comment on the PONO packaging/accessories as I’ve seen videos of the bamboo case and it looks pretty nice. This cardboard case unfortunately just looks and feels cheap. I like the idea that they include a 64Gb card – so combined with the onboard memory, you have 128 Gb available out of the box – nice touch.

The leather case is really nicely constructed, there are pockets to store your micro SD cards, and it looks as though it will do an excellent job of protecting your PONO. It’s snug fitting too – so won’t bulk things up too much.


PONOs Leather Pouch	Slots inside for spare micro SDXC cards	PONO nestled in it's pouch

The cable and wall-wart are pretty standard fair.

Comparatively with the X5 – you don’t get the onboard memory or SD card, and the case is functional (but just silicone), but you do get screen protectors, a digital olut cable, and a micro SD card reader. At first glance – the PONO accessory package gives more practical bang for your buck.

Round one – PONO.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS / FEATURES

Unfortunately PONO is very light on what it has published – virtually nothing about power output or THD – which is kind of disappointing. So it’s really had to make direct comparisons – but I’ll list what I can compare and then try to subjectively compare what is missing later.

	PONO	Fiio X5
Dimensions	13 x 5 x 2.5 cm	11.4 x 6.46 x 1.56 cm
Weight	130 grams	122 grams
Storage Internal	64Gb flash memory	None
Storage – Expansion	Micro SD up to 128Gb	2 x Micro SD up to 256 Gb
Storage Total (current)	Up to 192 Gb	Up to 256 Gb
DAC	ESS ES9018M	PCM1792A
Battery	2950mAH rechargeable	3700mAH rechargeable
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours	Up to 12 hours
Screen	2.5 inch colour touchscreen	2.4 inch IPS
Headphone Out	Yes – can use 2 3.5mm	Single 3.5 mm
Line Out	Yes – 3.5mm	Yes – 3.5 mm
Balanced Out	Yes	No
Digital Out	No	Yes
Lossless Format Support	FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, DSD	FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, APE, DSD
Maximum Resolution	24 bit / 192 kHz	24 bit / 192 kHz
Lossy Format Support	AAC, MP3	AAC, MP3, OGG
DSD Support	Yes (fw 1.0.5) native (I think)	Yes conv to PCM
Output Impedance	Approx 5 ohms	< 0.26 ohms
Gain Switching	No	Yes +6 dB
Controls	Touchscreen + buttons	Mechanical wheel + buttons
Price	$399-$499	$349-$399

You can’t really compare anything because unfortunately PONO doesn’t include the really relevant technical specs – so I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

BUILD / DESIGN

The limited Edition PONO I have here is really nicely built with rounded edges, nice fit and finish. The screen is very clear and easy to read. The buttons are spaced nicely, and are very simple to use. They give a nice tactile response. The top and the bottom of the PONO are both plastic (instead of the brushed aluminium alloy of the rest of the unit) which is a bit disappointing. The jacks fit cleanly and snugly with no erroneous play. In the bottom of the unit is a lift up flap (again plastic) to get to the microSD slot. Again – this just feels a little flimsy, and I’d be concerned regarding overall longevity. The bottom of the PONO also houses a standard mini USB slot for data transfer and charging.


PONO front face	PONO Limited Ed signatures	Top - ports

On one face on the limited edition is the actual LE # and signatures from Neil and Crazy Horse. The bushed aluminium looks really nice – but with the light grey / silver colouring, I would be genuinely worried about marking or scratching he unit if it was mine.

The PONO feels very light in hand, and the shape is quite comfortable to hold, and very practical for sitting on a desk. It acutally sits nicely in my cargo pants pocket (no toblerone jokes please), but is less comfortable with jeans.


Bottom - USB port and cover for SDXC slot	SDXC slot - cover is pretty flimsy	PONO next to Fiio X5

Comparatively the X5 looks much more utilitarian, but somehow feels more solid and dependable. It also actually feels heavier in the hand even though it is in fact lighter (weird huh!). My X5 still looks virtually brand new – even after over a year of use, and the mechanical wheel has remained both functional and smooth. The buttons are brilliantly placed, easy to use and still have a nice tactile response.
For my own personal preferences, I’d give the win to the X5 on build – it just feels comparatively sturdier. Design would be a draw. The triangular shape of the PONO is actually pretty good for most uses, but I see it as no better than the X5’s more traditional shape.

UI / USABILITY

I’ll start with the easy one – the PONO buttons. The + and – are easy. They control the volume. The central button turns the PONO on (press and hold for 5 seconds), accesses the power menu (when on press and hold for 3 seconds) – so you can shut down, or put the screen to sleep. It also pauses, plays, and either advances to the next track (2 taps) or goes to the previous track (3 taps).
The rest of the functionality centers around the touch screen. For a full video presentation of the various menus – you can access this video created by PONO - https://vimeo.com/117612341. I’ll also try and cover the main choices here.


First boot screen	Scanning the library	Ready to go - note green battery indicator - line + battery

When first switched on, the PONO displays an intro / boot screen, then after another couple of screen flickers (including 2-3 library scan screens), and then the main menu screen (with a quick battery status summary). The battery status can be seen at any stage by how long the green line is at the top of the screen. Pretty neat. Boot is relatively quick at 33 seconds. The X5 in comparison was 12 seconds.
The menu options consist of Settings, Artists, Albums, Song and Playlists. Navigation is by tapping or sliding. Most of the time, the PONO has been relatively responsive. On the odd occasion though it has lagged badly and it does get a little frustrating. Because of the small size of the screen, navigation can be a little touchy for the larger fingered user – but after a couple of days I found navigating pretty easy (although I often “mis-hit” the wrong album / artist / track – and then had to back-track.


Settings options	Settings options	Settings options

The Settings menu includes options for Playback (volume levelling, and switching to balanced mode and line-out volume setting), Brightness, Sleep & Lock settings, Library Info, Rotation, Theme, and the FW Info.


Settings options	Settings options	Settings options

Artists brings a list of artists, then albums, then tracks. Double tapping a selection brings up a contextual mini menu with different options depending on what you’re browsing. Albums and Songs menus are likewise pretty self-explanatory. There is a fast search option – once you start scrolling a little slider appears at the far right of screen. Dragging allows fast scrolling and also brings up a letter in the middle of the screen so you know exactly where you are. Everything is done by tags – there is no folder play / browse. There are hidden things as well – tapping the screen during playing brings up meta-data. I do recommend (if interested) that you take a look at the vimeo video link I left above – it’ll give you a feel for how easy the navigation is.


Album screen	Album context menu	Tracks in the album - now playing bar at the bottom

After the first half hour, I found myself navigating around pretty quickly – and besides occasionally selecting the wrong menu (big fingers) – with very little mishap. The PONO was designed with the general public in mind and the overall interface is well thought out, pretty slick, and very simple to use.


Track playing - controls at bottom	Or just album art displayed	Double tap shows meta data

Scanning the library is automatic, and was pretty snappy. When you plug the USB, you get asked if you want to a access the library (add songs) – which then accesses the internal drive and memory card on your PC. Saying no means the drives aren’t accessed, and the USB simply powers the device.


Songs category	Songs context menu	Artists category

The screen (as I said earlier) is clear and easy to read. Comparing to the X5 IPS screen though, I do find the X5 screen is slightly better texture and tone.


Volume control	Scrolling (fast with the slider)	Slider use - letters show where you are

As far as navigation goes – the PONO’s touch screen is easier to navigate quickly but also more “twitchy” / liable to wrong pushes/selections. I find the X5 more accurate in its GUI – but speed (especially with a large collection) definitely goes to PONO.

FEATURES

Here is where the X5 leaps ahead of the PONO – at least in my view. The PONO does have some killer feature advantages that the X5 doesn’t have:

Balanced mode
Ability to use two headphones at one (share with a friend)
Quick navigation
Internal memory

But the X5 has the following that the PONO doesn’t. Depending on your needs – some of these may be deal-breakers:

Key lock setting options
Ability to format cards inside the device
Ability to use the device as a stand-alone DAC
Ability to use the device as a digital transport
Ability to set different resume modes, start-up volumes, volume caps
A high gain mode
Balance control
A folder play mode
Ability to select genre as a category
A graphic equaliser !

Based on pure features available – the X5 leads the PONO by a considerable margin.

POWER

Both the X5 and PONO have really good amplification circuits, although the overall details regarding the PONO power outputs is pretty non-existent. What I will say is that the PONO had no problems driving my HD600s (single ended – at between 40-50% on the digital volume). The X5 needed a little more than half the pot on low gain, but this dropped to just under half on high gain. Both also drove the T1 with no real issues, and it sounded pretty good to me.

The only way I could compare was to use my trusty 1 kHz test tone, SPL meter, and set the X5 to 60/120 on high gain and measure the output on the T1 = 73.1 dB. Doing the same with the PONO on exactly half the volume on the volume meter netted 78.4 dB with the T1. So crudely, I’d say that the amp on the PONO is slightly more powerful. But in reality, it would be more useful saying that both the X5 and PONO are capable of powering most headphones without need for additional amplification. Great stuff.

BATTERY LIFE

The PONO documentations says that the battery life should be around 8 hours – but in reality (in the week I’ve had it, real world testing would indicate anywhere between 6-8 hours (depending on how much you use the touchscreen). The X5 on the other hand says up to 12 hours – and I’ve regularly had 11-12 hours of fairly solid play between charges. The good news is that both PONO and X5 can be used while charging. But in this test the X5 is definitely superior, and not by a small margin either.

SOUND

OK – this is where the rubber hits the road. I’ve read a lot of articles about the PONOs sound, and also read threads here on the forums – some saying it is superior, some saying not.
For my testing during the week I’ve tried the PONO with most of my IEMs (inlduing the A83, Altone200 , Titan and Havi B3 Pro1. For full sized headphones, I’ve used the Fidelia L2, Brainwavz HM5, Sennheiser HD600 and Beyerdynamic T1.


Test gear full sized	Test gear - more portable

The PONO sounded spectacular on everything I tried it on. The sound is detailed, very clear, and crisp. It has an almost holographic quality to it at times, and this is quite captivating and I can see why those who have the PONO are regularly singing its praises.

But the real test for me was going to be in comparing it to the X5 – so I set about testing this as objectively as I could. I used both my A83 IEMs and also the L2 – and made sure I calibrated the volume to match exactly with my SPL meter. When testing tracks I used a combination of playing whole tracks, and also fast A/B switching.


Calibrating the X5 for volume matching	Calibrating the PONO for volume matching

Here is my subjective bit. Tonally the X5 and PONO sound similar except that the PONO is very slightly brighter and thinner, and the X5 is a little warmer fuller and richer. The other noticeable difference is that the X5 sounds very much like the normal stereo presentation I’m used to. But the PONO sounds slightly wider and more holographic.

Now I can understand why people were saying that they heard a difference with PONO and that it was more of a “live” feeling/presentation – but it’s also the bit that ignites the cynic in me. PONO relied heavily on suggesting that you would hear all the detail in the music, and what the artist really wanted to portray. But what “I think” the really clever people at Ayre have introduced is a little DSP or crossfeed into the presentation. My reason for saying this is that I’ve heard my tracks on a lot of different sources including some decent full sized gear. In every case (before PONO) the tracks have sounded consistent in their overall presentation. With PONO there is a spatial widening. I know it’s not in the recording – I would have heard it before on other gear.

Now I’m not going to slag this off though – PONO sounds really good, amazing really – but so does the X5, and overall enjoyment is going to come down to where your preferences lie.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

So I’ve concluded my 6 days with the PONO and tomorrow I need to send it back to Sayan with my thanks, and a real appreciation for having the chance to hear it. The PONO is a wonderful piece of kit – and deserves much of the accolades it receives – and a little less of the scorn from some quarters too I might add. It sounds clean, clear, with a detailed and spatial presentation which is a little leaner than what I’m used to – but ultimately sounds fantastic. The form factor is pretty good – and it is ideal for desktop use. It has a very good UI, and enough power to handle most full sized headphones, and harder to drive IEMs. It has great storage options and for the combo that it offers as a package is pretty good

But it is also a little weak as far as battery life goes, and ultimately to me its SQ is not superior to my Fiio X5 (different, yes – but not superior).

EDIT 15/4/2015
As has been pointed out to me (thanks Mink70) - I did not test the PONO in balanced mode. This is simply because I have no balanced gear to test with, and as the review period was very short, it was not worth while me rushing out to buy something for the sole purpose of testing a feature I am unlikely to be using again. Some may feel the review is incomplete because of this - I don't. I did state above that the review was "with my gear, my ears my experience". Also I note that from everything I've read about the improvement with balanced mode, I am yet to find a single person who has made a volume matched vs single-ended comparison (you'd probably need two PONOs to do it) after first volume matching with a calibrated SPL meter, and preferably blind switching. So my apologies - balanced mode not tested because I couldn't.

Despite being unable to test balanced - I still think the PONO is a wonderful piece of kit, and I am very comfortable with the rating I've given it.

Where the Fiio pulls ahead for me personally is mainly in its battery life and feature set. And for me personally the PONOs omission of a graphical equaliser is a deal-breaker.
Ultimately people will make their own choices based on their own preferences and needs / wants. All I can say is that we should all celebrate that there are so many fantastic DAPs available nowadays at very reasonable prices. Great quality audio has never been so affordable.

Oh I can understand why mate - there is definitely some "magic" in the PONO. If you get the chance at some stage, try the X5ii if you get the opportunity. Definite improvement on the original X5.

I think the zero feedback, or 'negative feedback' concept is what you are hearing in the ponoplayer circuitry.

Most amp designs purposely add small amounts of "good distortion" into the circuit at various points. The pono player is designed with the concept of "there is no such thing as good distortion in the playback device".

Distortion is best left to the artist and the producer and from what I've read the magic in the pono is between the DAC and the output amp.

If PonoPlayer is doing everything it can to remove distortions in the amplification process it stands to reason that the rendered sound is going to be cleaner and perhaps even wider. The discreet power running down the analog board also will keep that soundstage nice and wide.

No DSP, I believe it. There is def some filter-tuning by Ayre/Meridian on that DAC but I really doubt there's hidden DSP in the device claiming to be the purist choice.

IMO PonoPlayer was smart to use the recording studio monitoring systems as their target when designing the signal chain.

That keeps them out of audiophile debates (well tries to) and goes back to the pure source.

No studios put DSP or heavy EQ on their monitoring section. You have to have clarity and balance to mix music, to produce music properly.

Most of the garbage added to, or degradation of, sound playback is done by the consumer and the consumer formats, not the studio.

Going for the "recording studio sound" is code-word for flat EQ, no DSP, and master-purity. It avoids all known gimmicks past present and future.

Also I think it's important to note that AYRE engineers rely on their ears, hairs, and emotions when designing circuits, using long-term listening tests over any data or reading, or accepted practice. Whatever sounds better is right.

This is very different than many sound companies who use their ears only after most of the main decisions are made re: the circuit. Most use their ears to fine tune if at all, they don't use their ears to override known methods and parts.

I think the we do what we think sounds best, period attitude really drew Neil Young to Ayre.

To view larger images (1200 x 800) click the appropriate photo

INTRODUCTION

I’m a proud owner of the Fiio X5 and X1 – they’ve been my go to DAPs for some time now, and I use both daily. The X1 for when I want ultimate portability, and the X5 when I need a little more power, and also want the added level of refinement it brings. I’ve been using Fiio audio equipment for some time now, and have watched them evolve from a fledgling company to becoming a serious player in the personal audio world , with IMO some fantastic equipment that both sounds and measures impressively well, and gives incredible value for money.

When I heard that Fiio were looking at revamping their X3 DAP (the first DAP they released) I immediately contacted Joe to ask if I could be included in a tour “Down Under”. Joe went a step further, organising me one of the early review samples – and I’m very thankful for the opportunity. At the completion fo this review, I’ll be organising an Australia/NZ tour for this unit – so that other Head-Fiers can also get a chance to review and compare the X3 second generation. So far I've had the X3 second generation with me for just over 4 weeks.

ABOUT FIIO

Everyone on Head-Fi should know about the Fiio Electronics Company by now – but if you don’t, here’s a very short summary.

Fiio is still a relative newcomer to the audio scene when compared to the more established companies. Fiio was first founded in 2007. Their first offerings were some extremely low cost portable amplifiers – which were sometimes critiqued by some seasoned Head-Fiers as being low budget “toys”. But Fiio has spent a lot of time with the community here, and continued to listen to their potential buyers, adopt our ideas, and grow their product range. They debuted their first DAP (the X3) in 2013, and despite some early hiccups with developing the UI, have worked with their customer base to continually develop the firmware for a better user experience. The X3 was followed by their current flagship DAP (the X5) – which despite its reasonable cost (350-399) has been able to compete with models from other manufacturers costing hundreds of dollars more. More recently they released the X1 – an ultra low cost DAP (~USD 100) which has done even more toward bringing high quality mobile audio to those on a tighter budget. Fiio’s products have followed a very simple formula since 2007 – affordable, stylish, well built, functional, measuring well, and most importantly sounding wonderful.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Fiio X3 second generation as a review sample. It will go on tour once I have finished reviewing it. I gave listed the price as RRP of $200 - but it was sent as a review unit at no cost. There is no financial incentive from Fiio in writing this review. I am in no way affiliated with Fiio - and this review is my honest opinion of the X3 second generation. I would like to thank Joe & James for making this opportunity available.
Note - I later purchased the review sample from Fiio. I still use the X3ii most days.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'.

(This is to give any readers a baseline for interpreting the review).
I'm a 48 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last few years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1, X3ii and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line). I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 48, my hearing is less than perfect.

My experience with DAPs in the past had been initially with some very cheap Sony offerings, then step-ups to the Cowon iAudio7, iPhone4, iPod Touch G4, iPhone 5S, HSA Studio V3, Fiio X5 and X1.

WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A DAP

I thought I’d list (before I start with the review) what I really look for in a new DAP.

Clean, neutral signature – but with body (not thin)
Good build quality
Reasonable battery life
Easy to use interface
Able to drive both low impedance and (within reason) higher impedance cans without additional amping.
Value for money
Enough storage to hold either my favourite albums in redbook, or my whole library in a reasonably high resolution lossy format (for me – aac256)

Did I get all of this with the X3ii? Mostly – yes, and Fiio’s track record with firmware releases tells me that anything missing at the moment will get better with time (more firmware releases). So please, sit with me for a while, and let me relay my experiences with Fiio’s latest DAP – the X3 2^nd generation.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

From this point onward, I’m going to simply call the Fiio X3 2^nd generation the “X3ii” – as much for ease of typing and understanding than anything else.

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The X3ii arrived in a bright red and black box with a nice picture of the X3ii on the front cover, and some specification and feature info (in English and Chinese) on the rear. The box is labelled as the X3K – which will be changed at some stage to the new name.

[size=inherit][/size]		[size=inherit][/size]
X3ii comes fully sealed	Front of retail box	Rear of retail box

Opening the retail box reveals an inner box and lid (black) very similar in dimensions to the inner box from the X5 – just a little taller. Opening the lid reveals the X3ii, already encased in its silicone protective case (and also in a protective bag), cushioned inside a foam protective form fitting mould. In the top of the box was also a single card explaining the layout of the main features.

		[size=inherit][/size]
Retail box	Retail box and inner box	Inside the retail box - X3ii well protected

Underneath the foam 9which lifts out) there is a thinner secondary box which holds the accessories which include:

A USB charging / data cable (very well constructed and shielded)
A digital out to coax cable
2 spare screen protectors for the X3ii (plus one already fitted)
3 different patterned sets of stickers (for personalising your X3ii) – wood grain, carbon and USA.
A foldout warranty card
The Fiio X3ii quick start guide

		[size=inherit][/size]
Accessory box exposed	Accessory package - stickers, cables, screen protectors and documentation	USB/charging/data cable and digital out cable

The entire package is practical, covering everything you initially need for the player. Materials are all good quality.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The tables below list most of the relevant specifications, and because Fiio’s players are likely to be compared (a lot), I’ve included the relevant information on the X1 and X5 I have also.

	Fiio X1	Fiio X3ii	Fiio X5
Approx cost	USD 100	~ USD200 (RRP)	~ USD 349-399
Dimensions	~96 x 57 x 14mm	~96 x 57 x 16mm	~ 114 x 68 x 16mm
Weight	106g	135g	195g
Lossless file formats supported	APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, ALAC	APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, ALAC, DSF, DFF	APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, ALAC, DSF, DFF
Lossy file formats supported	MP3, aac, ogg vorbis	MP3, aac, ogg vorbis	MP3, aac, ogg vorbis
Use as external DAC?	No	Yes	Yes
Battery	1700 mAh 3.7V	2600 mAh	3700 mAh
Play time	11 hours+	11 hours+	10 hours+
DAC chip used	PCM5142	CS4398	PCM1792A
Main amp chip	ISL28291	OPA1642+LMH6643	OPA1612+LMH6643
S/N (H/O)	110 dB (A-Weight)	113 dB (A-Weight)	115 dB (A-Weight)
THD+N (H/O)	<0.004%	<0.003%	< 0.0015%
Output into 16 ohm	>100 mW	>224 mW	>460 mW
Output into 32 ohm	>65 mW	>200 mW	>255 mW
Output into 300 ohm	>8 mW	>24 mW	>28 mW
Highest resolution lossless	192 kHz, 24 bits	192 kHz, 24 bits	192 kHz, 24 bits
DSD/DSF/DFF support	No	Yes - Native	Yes – converted to PCM
Output impedance (H/O)	< 2 ohms	0.2 ohm	0.26 ohm
Line Out	Yes (shared with H/O)	Yes / Separate (shared with digital out)	Yes – separate port
Digital Out	No	Yes – 3.5mm to Coax (cable supplied)	Yes – separate port, 3.5mm to Coax (cable supplied)
External storage (current)	Micro sdxc up to 128Gb	Micro sdxc up to 128Gb	2 x Micro sdxc up to 256Gb
Screen	2in colour TFT, 320x240 px	2in colour TFT, 320x240 px	IPS 400 x 360
Shell / Casing	Aluminium (silver)	Aluminium (gun-metal)	Plastic shell over aluminium body

BUILD QUALITY

The build on the X3ii (IMO) is excellent for a DAP in this price range. The casing is a 2 piece high quality CNC aluminium alloy with a very nice brushed finish. The colouring is also really nice (gun-metal grey), and I have to admit I prefer this to the silver/metallic colouring of the X1. I see no blemishes on this unit – everything fits extremely well together, the corners are smooth, and the bevelling/champfering of the edges adds to the classy look. The body is essentially much the same as the X1, but the X3 is a little thicker.

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X3ii in the included silicone skin/cover	X3ii - bottom view	X3ii - right side view (micro SD slot)

The scroll wheel is the first point of difference with the X1 and X5. It still flows nicely, and is easy to spin, but on the X3ii it is a lot firmer, and each click is quite distinct. On this unit there is really no side-to-side mechanical play with this unit. Bravo Fiio – this was a point of contention with previous models, and this is a vast improvement. The wheel, like previous models is fairly sensitive, and takes a little getting used to – but practise makes perfect, and the buttons are also very easy for advancing and reversing through menu choices. Warning though – if you expect one click to be one step through each menu, you’ll be disappointed. The X3ii is still a little finicky with this – but I personally have no issues with usability. YMMV here.

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X3ii - top view	X3ii - right side view	X3ii - view of buttons and wheel

The buttons themselves are very well placed for one handed operation, and give a good tactile click. They are also clearly labelled (a now corrected critique from the original X5). Once you know the layout (easy if you’ve used and X1 or X5), they are easy to locate on the unit, and equally easy to use unsighted (or with the screen off).

The ports are excellent fitting – snug and secure for plugs. All connections feel very solid. There are two ports in the top of the unit – the headphone out, and a dedicated 3.5mm line out which also doubles as a digital plug (works with a 3.5mm to coax adaptor – which Fiio supply). The second port switches between line-out and coax-out by software switching (in the System Setting Menu).

There is a single micro SD port on the right hand side of the unit – and currently handles up to 128Gb cards – but Fiio is confident that this should have no issues handling larger capacity cards as they are released.

On the right hand side, there is a small reset hole between the on-off button and volume buttons.

The screen is a 2 inch colour TFT, basically the same as the X1, and is not as vibrant as the X5’s IPS screen, but is easy to read and is clear enough for easy navigation. It does disappear a little in direct sunlight (even turned all the way up), but this can be fixed by using your hand for shade, and I think better contrasting themes will also help

Overall – the build for me is a solid 5/5. The X3ii feels reassuringly solid in my hand, and in my time with it so far, it appears to me to be the most solldily built DAP Fiio has introduced yet.

UI (USER INTERFACE) / USABILITY

Please note that this is with the released firmware 0.18 beta.

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Animated start sequence	Main menu screen - easy to navigate	System Settings Screen - top half

Let me preface by saying that for me the overall usability of the X3ii is as good OOTB as Fiio has had with any of their releases to date. If you are used to the Fiio ecosystem – especially coming from the X5 or X1, you’ll have no problems finding your way around.

On starting the X3ii, you are greeted with an animated “welcome” screen – before moving to the menu. The menu can be navigated using either the scroll wheel or buttons. At the top of the menu is a status bar which shows (left to right) : volume, gain, current screen (or EQ status if in now playing screen) , play/pause status, sleep timer – if set, SD card in use, and battery level indicator.

		[size=inherit][/size]
Systems Settings screen	System Settings Screen	Theme Selection screen

The main menu choices include: now playing, category (or library access via tags), folder browsing mode, play settings, and general settings.

The general settings screen is very straight forward, and includes:

Update media library manually
Lockscreen settings
Screen timeout and brightness
Power off and sleep settings (including a sleep timer)
Software switch for line-out vs digital out
USB mode switch (USB or DAC mode)
Theme controls
Switch for in-line remote controls
Settings for file name display (title or filename), language, info about the X3ii and options to format the SD card plus totally factory reset your X3ii

The lockscreen switch includes 3 options which should suit most users.

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Play Settings screen	Play Settings screen	10 band graphic EQ

Theming has a choice of 6 preset themes. The good news is that the set-up is very similar to X1’s so theme modding will yield plenty of aftermarket options. When my own unit arrives, the first thing I will be doing is modding mine to use a carbon theme (which I’m currently using on my X1).

Updating the media library can be set to automatic or manual (I always leave mine on manual – as most of the time now I simply use folder browsing). To give you an idea of the time to update an entire library – I currently have 5795 tracks (in aac256) on it at the moment, and it takes 3 minutes and 43 seconds to update the entire library. Once again though – using manual updating means you update when you have the time. The rest of the time there is no scanning and the X3ii is always instantly ready to use.

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Folder browsing TF or OTG (on the go not tested)	My folder set-up for folder browsing	My external test track playlist

The Play Settings menu includes settings for:

Play mode (normal, shuffle, repeat track, repeat all). These can also be accessed in play mode with the upper left button.
Resume mode (off, same song, and same position in song)
Gapless play back
Setting maximum, default, and fixed volume
Gain switch (0 or +6dB)
Equalizer – 10 band, with 9 presets which can all be edited.
L/R balance setting
Play through folders setting

The equaliser is a step up from the X1’s 7-band EQ, and the option to edit each one of the presets is really handy – especially if you have multiple headphones. You can also custom rename these if you are familiar with modding the X3ii themes (it is pretty easy). Engaging the equaliser automatically drops the output by ~ 4dB to reduce the chance of clipping. The equaliser cannot be engaged when using the line out or digital out, and also does not work on hi-res tracks (DSD, or anything over 88.2 sample rate)

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Test track playlist opened	Artists in my folder set-up (P-R)	Category Selection Screen

The other settings all work well, and what I really like is the option to use set volumes (I default to around 30/120) on start-up, so there are no “accidents” with a sensitive IEM and using the last setting for full cans when you last switched the X3ii off.

Folder mode is brilliant and I pretty much use it as my default. Some people with large libraries have been critical of Fiio DAPs in the past (too slow navigating a lot of albums/tracks) – but I’ve found using a combination of folder mode and some smart folder organising makes things flawless. With my folders, I set up the first level using alphabetical first letters for groups of artists, then artist name in the next level, then album in the third level. For me (with over 450 albums on board) this makes navigating a breeze. Using folder mode also gets around the 5800 track limit for tagged libraries (this has been fixed with the X5 so hopefully an eventual fix for X1 and X3ii will be forthcoming). The other great feature with folders is the now implemented “play through folders” which automatically advances to the next folder after the last track in the last folder is completed. A suggestion for anyone using this method though – make sure your file names have the track number in them. X3ii sorts alphanumerically, then alphabetically. So for my album files – I use “01 name”, “02 name” etc. If I have a 2 disck album, I’ll use “1.01 name”, “1.02 name” etc then “2.01 name”, “2.02 name”. Again, a little forethought with library management works wonders.

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Artists (tagged) under category	Albums (tagged) when viewed under Artist	Tracks (tagged( when viewed under Artist, then Album

In category mode you can play by song, artist, album, genre, and there are also options for favourites and playlists. Choosing artist bring a natural hierarchy of album then track (works well). Likewise album brings in track underneath the album chosen. Selecting by genre collects all the tagged genres together, but then lists everything in one selection by number first, then alpha – so for me, all my “01 filename” tags get bunched together, then “02 filename” etc. Unless you plan on putting things in shuffle mode, it makes the genre selection useless. It needs to be sorted by artist and album first. Likewise, choosing by song just lumps everything (in the wrong order) into one directory. Good if you simply want to shuffle every track in your library – useless otherwise. This is why I primarily use folder mode.

I haven’t used favourites or playlists much as they have to be manually added track by track. I find this laborious, so I simply use an external database and editor to create external playlists. This takes some getting used to, but ultimately works very well. I save the playlists to my root directory – or you could put them in a single folder – then access them by folder mode.

The upper left button brings up a context menu (that is dependent on the menu you are in). When you’re in play mode, this is a quick way to access track playing modes (including repeat, shuffle, add to favourites, and delete). Holding the buttion in now playing mode brings up album, track and bitrate information. From the main menu it brings up the play settings options.

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All songs (tagged) under category - all jumbled	Now playing screen	Now playing screen with context menu enabled

The upper right button is a back button, and this is literally what it does – puts you back exactly to your last menu choice until you reach the main menu screen. Pushing it again from there will take you to the now playing track window. Pushing and holding will immediately take you to the main menu.

The bottom two buttons are forward, back / up, down / fast forward, rewind / next menu item / previous menu item – depending on your application.

The middle button is simply to select (i.e. action button). One thing I have found – if you want to change volume – hold this button in (when screen is active) and the wheel volume control is activated. Nice little touch.

The UI is reasonably responsive – but can sometimes have some small lags between button press and actual action (this includes the wheel). One way to make this better is to have no art in the tags, and just have a single album art picture in each directory.


Track paused	Shutdown screen

Overall – if the Apple (think latest Touch or iPhone) UI is a 10 (and that’s what I’d give it) – this initial release would come in about a solid 8 for me. It’s usable, has plenty of features, and I believe will get better with more firmware releases. It is miles better than some of the other DAPs I’ve used in the past (eg Studio Anniversary 3).

COMPARISONS TO X1 AND X5

I seem to have written a book so far, and I’m yet to state how good the X3ii sounds. I debated how to do this, and thought maybe the best way was to have a short comparison to the excellent sounding X5 and its younger sibling the X1, then give a short summary.

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Fiio's X5, X3ii and X1	Fiio's X5, X3ii and X1 left side view)	Fiio's X5, X3ii and X1 (top view)

So first vs the X5 (initially using the HM5 – easy load to drive and quite revealing):

The 5 is both larger and heavier. Both are built really well – and feel like serious audio devices to me. The screen on the X5, despite being bigger, is also a lot clearer and crisper. Tactile buttons on both units are very solid and feel firm.

The wheel on the X3ii is noticeably firmer, and it is easier to feel the mechanical ‘clicks’ when turning it. But the X5 wheel (at least mine is like this) is still reasonably solid and is quite easy to scroll with. Both wheels have the same issue – where a felt ‘click turn’ does not necessarily convert to a single menu movement. But I have no issues personally navigating with both devices.

A feature that the X3ii has that the X5 doesn’t, is the deep sleep mode. Basically it goes into this mode when not being used, but rather than turning itself off, it simply sleeps, without the normal battery drain. End result – when you click the power button – “instant on”. Both have the same volume steps (120). With the HM5 the X5 is at 50/120 and the X3ii on 53/120 to match. I used a 1kHz test tone and SPL meter to do the volume matching.

Direct A/Bing (sighted), and the two DAPs sound very similar to me – and I’d have difficulty (initially) telling them apart in a blind test. However, over time, the difference that manifests itself reasonably consistently is that the X5 sounds slightly more refined – has a softer smoother edge to notes, where the X3ii on the same tracks is very slightly sharper. It’s only noticeable when A/Bing rapidly (same track, same volume – so I can switch quickly – plus I also have both DAPs playing same portion of the song). The difference I’m talking here is subtle though, and unless you’re doing a quick switching A/B, I don’t think you’ll notice the difference. The X3ii by itself doesn't sound the slightest bit harsh or grainy (to me anyway).

Tonally – they are very, very similar (good thing).


Fiio's X5, X3ii and X1 (right side view)	Fiio's X5, X3ii and X1 (bottom view)

I couldn’t spot any differences in sound stage, and the bass weight sounds the same to me. The main difference is in the mid-range and lower treble – and again it’s just the X5 sounding very slightly smoother, more refined, cleaner.

I also tried both DAPs with a couple of DSF files I own (Quiles and Cloud). So the X5 playing converted to PCM, the X3ii playing natively. I personally didn’t notice a difference in playback – they both sound pretty incredible (they are Blue Coast Records recordings – recommended!).

OK – time for some fun stuff …..
HD600 – this time I had to crank the X3ii up to 75/120, and the X5 to 72/120 to volume match. Interestingly now, it was much harder to tell the two apart. Perhaps the HD600’s own tonality and laid back nature taking some of the edge of the X3ii? Anyway – the HD600 sounds excellent on both DAPs – I could listen to either one for hours.

T1 – I had to add another 5 notches to both DAPs. Again – both sound pretty good at first with the T1 (600 ohm be damned!). Again the added refinement of the X5 has become evident though. The other noticeable thing is that while both sound pretty good – they’re both missing some of the bass impact that’s usually evident with the T1 from my desktop amps. Interestingly – even adding the little E11K to the mix, and some of the dynamics return – more so with the subtle bas boost it also has. Still not as good as the NFB-12 or LD MKIV – but definitely enjoyable.

Next vs the X1 (again using the HM5)

So basically very similar looking units. X1 is skinnier and lighter. Subjectively – love the gun-metal aluminium finish on the X3ii. It looks stunning. On the hardware side, the X3ii gives you a better amp (more power anyway), use as a separate DAC, native DSD support, a separate line-out, option for digital out, and slightly better battery life.

The wheel on this X3ii feels tighter and sturdier than the X1. Some are still going to complain that one rotational click does not necessarily mean 1 movement on whatever menu you are on – but TBH, I’ve never had any issues navigating my X5, X1 or this X3ii – so really …… YMMV.

The GUIs are pretty much similar – which means that we should be able to mod the X3ii themes (a good thing). All the features of the X1 are there in the X3ii, with the addition of a couple that are worthy of mention (10 band equaliser and instant on).

No use comparing use as a DAC in this comparison, as X1 doesn’t have the option – so onto sound. This IS subjective – OK. FWIW the X1 at 37/100 with the HM5 needed the X3ii on 55/120 to match. I used a 1kHz test tone and SPL meter to match.

Direct A/Bing (sighted), and the two DAPs sounded tonally very similar to me. Purely subjectively, the X3ii does seem to have a very slightly blacker, cleaner background (but it is really marginal). Both sound crystal clear, dynamic, and the way they should as audiophile players. Soundstage on both appears to be the same. Bass quantity seems to be pretty similar as well – it’s just that added sense of clarity that comes in with the X3ii – makes it seem crisper, cleaner. Hard to put a finger on it.

OTHER FEATURES

The review wouldn’t be complete without a quick word regarding the other features the X3ii offers, and this is where (for the low RRP of USD 200) the X3ii really shows its value.

As a digital transport – using the 3.5mm to coax out – it works extremely well. This is ideal for anyone who is away from home (e.g. at a Meet) and wants to test an audio chain – but with their own music. I actually tried this feature going straight to my NFB-12. It worked brilliantly.

With line-out to an external amp. The line-out (to my ears) is essentially very clean, with no discernable noise or degradation of SQ. I used this feature going straight to my LD MKIV, and also to the E11K. The first thing I noticed was that the headphone out and line out essentially sounded the same to me. This is a good thing. The X3ii + LDMKIV + T1 was superb, and I ended up getting side-tracked for about half an hour with my new DSD Jazz album whilst I was evaluating. Always a good sign.

Note - when engaging either the line-out or digital out - as soon as either is plugged, the X3ii automatically pauses if it was playing.

As a DAC. The drivers loaded fine with Win7, and the overall operation was flawless. They also worked OOTB with Linux. Again the sound was superb, and after volume matching and then comparing the DAC on the X3ii with the NFB-12 (using easier to drive HM5 and borrowed Fidelio L2), the first thing I noticed was how alike the two units sounded. I didn’t feel I was losing any SQ with the X3ii. Both are full bodied and great sounding DACs.

The only issue I had with the X3ii as a DAC was getting DSD playback from within Windows. I eventually managed it by using jplay (Foobar was being remarkably unco-operative trying to play natively). Anyway – it worked, and the issues were more with my Windows set-up than the X3ii.

The killer new feature with the X3ii is deep-sleep mode (or instant on). Basically when its idle for a while, it switches itself into an extremely low power mode rather than switching itself off. When you go back to using it, simply tap the on button and its instantly awake and ready to go. This is brilliant. No slow restarting after being interrupted.

POWER

The X3ii’s amp section (like the X5’s) is a good one. The power output is listed in the specs earlier in the review. Basically I tested these with: HD600 @ 300 ohm, Havi B3 Pro 1, and even my T1 (all reasonably demanding loads). With the HD600 and Havi, at no time did I feel they were being under driven, or in any way lacking (compared to my NFB-12). Even the 600 ohm T1 was driven pretty well – just maybe lacking a little bass impact (we’re not talking a huge difference though – and still very listenable). Volume was on low gain – but around 90/120 though.


HS12 stacking kit and L17 interconnect	X3ii and E11K	X3ii and E11K

With the X3ii – for most headphones (except very difficult to drive full sized), there is simply no real need to have an add-on amp. So it becomes choice rather than need.

BATTERY PERFORMANCE

Fiio rates the battery life under current firmware at around 11 hours. I did a battery test earlier in the week on the X3ii - fully charged to fully empty. Stet-up was:

Continuous play
Havi B3 Pro 1 playing at reasonable sound level - so around 55/120
Redbook FLAC

Total playback time was 12 hours and 10 minutes continuous play before battery depleted. Recharge time from empty to full was 3 hours and 5 minutes.

FORMATS TESTED

During my testing, the following formats were all tested with the X3ii, and all found to work pretty much perfectly:

Aac256 (lossy) - there is a slight 'micro' gap with the gapless - which doesn't appear during playback of the same flac files.
MP3 (lossy) - (V0 and CBR320)
Ogg (lossy)
WAV (lossless)
FLAC (lossless) - 16/44.1, 24/88.2, 24/196, 24/192
APE (lossless)
DSD (lossless- native)

VALUE & SUMMARY / CONCLUSION


Testing with the HD600 and T1	Testing with IEMs (Havi, Titan and A83) and easier to drive headphones (HM5 and L2)

I tested the X3ii with a variety of headphones over the last 4 weeks - including:

full sized - T1, HD600, HM5, Fidelio L2
IEMs - A83, Titan, Havi B3 Pro1, Altone200, and many others (see profile)

With the IEMs, at no stage did I notice any hiss from the headphone out - but YMMV. I was unable to test with really sensitive customs (don't have access to any) - my most sensitive IEM is the A83. When using full sized headphones with the X3ii, the only headphone which may have been very slightly under-driven was the T1 - which was very slightly bass shy (compared to the output from my NFB-12), but this was only very slight, and I had great enjoyment with the T1 straight out of the X3ii alone.

Value is going to be very dependent on the features you require most for your DAP. Where I see the niche for the X3ii is that it bridges the gap between X1 and X5 – bringing high portability and brilliant form factor from the X1, and better overall SQ, driving capability, and total feature package (use as DAC, separate line-out / digital-out etc) from the X5. The fact that it comes reasonably close to the feature set, power and SQ of the X5, and achieves this at almost half the RRP is incredible, and really at this price range, I can’t think of another DAP that I’ve heard that comes close. I’ve had a PONO with me for the last few days, and to be honest I’d even take the X3ii over the PONO at half the money (and the PONO SQ is really very good).

This is an incredibly good sounding DAP, with an excellent overall feature set, and will definitely be getting daily use from me – possibly even more so than my X5. It won’t replace the X5 – simply because there IS the added refinement, power and storage the X5 possesses. But it will make a great companion, and I fear that now I will probably not be using my X1 very much in the future because of how good the X3ii is.

At USD200 this DAP deserves a 5 star rating – but I’ll give Fiio a 4.5 because I do think they can make further improvements on the GUI.

FINAL THANKS

Again – my apologies for the length of the review. I really couldn’t do it any other way without glossing over essential information. My thanks to Joe and James for the opportunity to be part of the early review team. I will genuinely miss this unit when I send it away next week on its Australasian tour.

As I've been editing this review prior to posting (so basically for the last 2-3 hours), I'm still using my T1's straight from the headphone-out of the X3ii - and it sounds phenomenal!

Hi Brooko,
If i want to use this device only for playing the mp3 tracks (320 kbps), which one would you prefer? (most important: sound quality)
1- Fiio X3 2nd Gen
2- iBasso DX50
3- another device to this price range
Thanks

Unfortunately haven't heard any of the iBasso players. Maybe try The Lab thread - there will be guys there who have heard a lot of the ~$200 players and might be able to give you a better steer. Personally I love my X3ii - use it all the time. Mine is solely aac256 though

Thanks Brooko, after you helped me, I found my lovely Headphones -----> Dunu 2002
if I could, i would give you 1000 Likes for each of your reviews

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

In my Head-Fi journey to date the one headphone category that remains unfulfilled for me at the moment continues to be the ideal portable headphone. For me personally, that means a mix of SQ, comfort, size, build and isolation. In my journey so far, I’ve tried a lot of different portable headphones, and owned (at one stage or another) the Momentum on ear, UE6000, and Beyer T51p. All of them are good headphones in their own right, but all of them have also had shortcomings which ultimately have led to me either selling them or giving them away.

So when Sennheiser suggested an Australasian tour, and Noisy Motel and our own White Lotus arranged for the Urbanite XL to be available, I was lucky enough to be included in the review tour. I’d like to take this moment to thank Sennheiser, Noisy Motel, and White Lotus for organising everything. It is this type of community interaction which makes Head-Fi such a wonderful community.

I received the courier pack with the Urbanite XL last week – and have already spent as much time as I could with the Urbanite XL. This has included using them at work, walking outside, and just generally playing around at home.

I’ve listed price at USD $190.00 (approx. current Amazon price at time of writing) – however as stated earlier, the pair I have is part of a demo tour, and will be returned to Noisy Motel at its completion. Australian RRP is listed at AUD 399 and NZ at NZD 449.

ABOUT SENNHEISER

The Sennheiser Group based in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, was founded in 1945 and has gone on to become a leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Sales in 2013 totaled 590.4 million euros. Sennheiser employs more than 2,500 staff worldwide and operates plants in Germany, Ireland and the USA. The company has a worldwide network of subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Germany, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hongkong, India, Singapore, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, and the USA. It also has long-established trading partners in other countries. Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin, a maker of studio microphones and monitor speakers, and Sennheiser Communications A/S, a joint venture making headsets for PCs, offices and call centers, are also part of the Sennheiser Group.

SENNHEISER’S QUOTES (from the Urbanite marketing campaign)

Sennheiser URBANITE headphones are for the generation of Millennials who know more and demand more. They love their tunes heavy and love to look good, but are smart consumers who won´t compromise on quality. They want bass but want it done right. The Sennheiser URBANITE is answering these demands.
Tim Voelker, Director Sales & Marketing Consumer, Sennheiser Communications A/S

We’re bringing something fresh and new that will finally meet the expectations of this tough audience, and will be building the buzz for the URBANITE range through an exciting social media campaign this autumn under the headline ‘Let your ears be loved’.
Tim Voelker, Director Sales & Marketing Consumer, Sennheiser Communications A/S

With the Sennheiser URBANITE series we´ve created a range of headphones that are incredibly robust, using durable high quality materials and metal parts that – alongside the sound – set them apart from other fashionable headphones. With a unique folding mechanism that makes them easily portable, the Sennheiser URBANITE headphones are truly ready for life on the streets.
Dr. Christian Ern, Director Product Management Consumer, Sennheiser Communications A/S

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Sennheiser Urbanite XL as a tour review unit (loaner) from Sennheiser. I am in no way affiliated with Sennheiser - and this review is my subjective opinion of the Urbanite XL.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last few years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1, X3ii and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line). I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Urbanite XL straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, X3 gen 2, and also from the X3ii + E11K amplifier. In the time I have spent with the Urbanite CL, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that I am becoming more used to the signature of the Urbanite XL as I use them more often (brain burn-in). This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES


Front of retail box	Rear of retail box

The Urbanite arrived in a very “Sennheiser-like” retail box (if you’ve owned any higher end Sennheisers in the past, you’ll know what I mean. It is very well built, attractive, and just a little conservative in the darker black with “Sennheiser-blue” accenting. On the front is a picture of the Urbanites, while the rear and sides give you information on the specifications and accessories.


Side of retail box	Inside the retail box - Urbanites nestled in their foam

The retail box consists of a box and lid (both really well built). Taking the top off the box reveals a foam padded interior designed to perfectly house and protect the Urbanites, and a compartment for the cable and the cloth carry bag.

Bundled along with this tour unit was also a press release from Sennheiser, and small fold-out feature / specification booklets.


Collapsed Urbanite - ideal footprint for travel	Travel bag and cable

For accessories, they include a cloth drawstring carry bag …. and that pretty much is it. For a headphone in this price range, I’d have preferred to also see a 3.5-6.3mm adaptor, spare pads, and perhaps a slightly longer spare cable – maybe without the i-device controls.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From Sennheiser)

Type	Sealed circumaural portable headphone
Driver	Dynamic full sized
Frequency Range	16 Hz – 22 Khz
Impedance	18 ohm
Sensitivity	110 dB at 1 kHz & 1 Vrms
THD	< 0.5% (1 kHz, 100 dB)
Plug	3.5mm gold plated 4 pole, low profile right angle jack
Cable	1.2m flat with smartphone controls on cable
Weight	312g (including cable)

FREQUENCY GRAPH

I’ve included the graph from Innerfidelity (thanks Tyll) - and this is the graph for the XL (thanks @depleted)

BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN

From the first time I saw them, the Urbanite XL physically “looked” like they were extremely well designed, and very robust. Closer inspection simply confirms what my eyes were already telling me.


Stellar designa nd build quality	Adjustment mechanism for earpieces

The Urbanite’s headband seems to be made of a sprung steel inner headband with denim exterior, and rubberised interior padding. It is very wide and extremely flexible. The padding itself doesn’t appear to have any foam internal – instead there seems to be a pocket of air. Anyway – despite its thin nature, I personally find it really comfortable, and have no problems wearing it for hours (no hot or hard spots). The band is also really robust and can be twisted and stretched with no signs of stress. The band is connected to a metal hinge structure which looks incredibly strong, is definitely metal, and has a smooth action. Both cups fold inward so that the Urbanite can be collapsed to save space while on the move.


The headband - denim outer	Flat inner section - air pocket rather than foam

The adjusting mechanism is metal, has a really smooth action, and manages to hold its position despite not having the usual clicky extenders. This is helped by the rubber suspension arms which recess into the actual cups (I understand these are connected to a robust spring mechanism). For more information on the internals, be sure to check out Tyll’s article over at Innerfidelity.


Extremely robust hinge	Build quality on the adjustment slider

The cups themselves are round, made of moulded plastic, and have removable circular pads (more on them in the next section). The cable is detachable, 2.5mm, has a proprietary locking mechanism (so finding after-market cables won’t be easy), and is standard 1.2m in length. It is a flat cable, rubbery but appears reasonably well built, and so far for me hasn’t tangled. The cable is attached single sided to the bottom of the left earpiece. The cable includes smartphone controls – including a central button (pause/play – single push, next track – two pushes & previous track – three pushes), and also volume up and down controls. It also includes a microphone for taking calls. The controls work really well with my iPhone 5S – and the quality of the microphone for making calls was brilliant. When I used this with Fiio’s X3 gen 2 (due to be released soon), the push button also worked extremely well with this device (play/pause, next, previous).


2.5 mm locking plug for the cup	i-device / smart phone control unit and mic

The jack is 4 pole, right angled and very low profile. For my X3ii and iPhone 5S – the fit was perfect (even with cases intact). But it is very low profile, so some owners of thicker cases may want to check for compatibility first.


3.5mm 4 pole low profile jack	Jack inserted into my 5S (fits perfectly - no issues with case)

Overall, the build quality is absolutely excellent – very robust, and I can now see why they only felt the need to include a cloth carry bag rather than a harder case. They come with a 2 year warranty – but really, you’d have to be abusing these pretty badly to break them IMO.


Amazingly good build quality is evident when stretching the headband	And twisting it!

FIT / COMFORT / STYLE / ISOLATION

Style is always going to be a personal thing – but what I do like about the Urbanite XL’s is the range of colour styles in the series (sand, olive, two-tone navy/red, denim, and black). On me (I’m bald by choice) the headband does looks lightly goofy, but on both my wife and daughter I have to admit they look pretty stylish, and modern. And to be honest, once I’m wearing them I couldn’t really give a toss how I look.


May daughter Emma modelling the Urbanites	She definitely looked better than I did wearing them

For comfort, I have absolutely no issue with the headband – but I do find the Urbanite XL earpads just a little too small. They are very soft (the material seems to be the same sort of alcantara used on the HD800), and have good memory foam.


Alcantera covered low profile round pads	Rear of pads

The issue for me is simply the internal size. They measure around 4.5 cm in diameter (circular) and approx. 1.6 cm deep. Compare this to the extremely comfortable UE6000 – with oval ear cups just over 5.5 cm long and only 3.5 cm wide and 1.8 cm deep. The difference is the length of all of our ears. Quite simply – no-one I know has round ears. Yes my ears do fit inside the cup, but to fit they have to conform to the round shape of the Urbanite XL – and this does cause contact points, heat spots, and for longer listening – minor discomfort. I think I’d get used to it over time – but I shouldn’t have to. It’s a pity really. They are not too bad on the comfort stakes – but they could have been perfect with a slightly different (oval) design.


Completely round pads - not a perfect fit to our ear shape	Brainwavz pads (top) are a much better shape for our anatomy

For isolation, they are pretty good. In an open plan office environment, whilst I could still hear those around me with music off, it didn’t take much volume to isolate myself. More importantly, there is not a lot of leakage.

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Urbanite XL. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X3 gen 2 and Fiio X5.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “clear”, “full bodied”, and “slightly warm”.

I have to admit, the first time I tried the Urbanite XL, the thing I expected was normal consumer type robust bass with an ample bottom end, and darkish boomy signature – which seems to be so prevalent with headphones for today’s younger generation. What I wasn’t prepared for was the really nice overall balance, quality of the bass, and clarity of the mid-range. For me personally, the only thing missing was just an occasional touch of upper end sparkle. The treble is present, but it is very smooth, unobtrusive, and laid back.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

Gaucho was quite simply stunning. The sax intro was smooth, yet not overly dark. Bass is really nicely matched with the mid-range (no apparent bleed), and it is surprising how detailed the Urbanites are with cymbals, little hits of snare – everything is there, I’d personally just like a tiny bit more sparkle.

Switching to Sultans of Swing, and once again, detail is all there. Knopfler’s vocals are forward and nicely balanced with the guitar crunch. Not too much to complain about really – this is brilliant. One nice thing is the quality of the bass – not boomy at all. Some really nice detail coming through too – cymbal hits are there – nothing seems to be missing.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from a closed can. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Urbanite has an intimate stage with this track compared to open cans like the HD600 and T1, but it does give some impression of space – just not hugely out of your head. More importantly directional imaging and instrument separation is very good. This is aided by the absolute clarity of the overall presentation.

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the Urbanite was once again very good with this track – it was intimate, but once again the overall imaging was really good. The vocals are quite close, very clear, and portrayal of the cello in particular is wonderful. The applause at the end of the track is immersive with my open headphones, and unfortunately the Urbanites can’t quite replicate that sense of actually being there – but it isn’t surprising (and too much to expect), few closed headphone cans. Overall a great presentation of the track though.

Lastly I switched to Amada Marshall’s “Let It Rain”. This track is recorded with a natural sense of space and separation (almost holographic in nature) – and I’ve even had IEMs convey space when playing it. The Urbanites are very good – still quite intimate, but once again the overall imaging continues to shine through.

Bass Quality and Quantity

Sennheiser openly advertises the Urbanite as “bass done right”, and so far I’ve been liking what I’ve heard.

First test track is always Bleeding Muddy Water by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is dark and brooding – and the Urbanites were brilliant with it. There was some visceral slam, yet Mark’s vocals were extremely clear, and although the track was dark (as it is supposed to be), it was eminently enjoyable.

Time to see how low the bass would go – so switched to Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” – and the Urbanites delivered – and actually knocked it out of the park really. Usually I find this track too boomy on many headphones (the T1 is an exception), but the bass is both effortless and fast on the Urbanite and once again Amy’s vocals come through crystal clear – no bleed. Next up was Lorde’s “Royals” (my sub-bass test) – and again I’m impressed by how much quality bass the Urbanites deliver – yet how clear the mid-range is. The bass guitar in this track is low, and extends well into the sub bass. The Urbanites handle it easily, and serve up the rumble I know is naturally there. Great job.

Female Vocals

Around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful headphone is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other headphones I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this can be a deal breaker for me.

My early litmus test is usually queuing Agnes Obel – as some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right. With the Urbanite, her vocals have almost a perfect tone, I’d just like a tiny bit of upper mid-range emphasis – but the overall magic is definitely there. The also cello has great timbre and tone.

Next up is my usual medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, and Norah Jones. The Urbanite handles vocals brilliantly – and every track I threw at them was impressively rendered. Ayla Nereo’s “Dawn to Flight” was incredible (breath-taking) and once again it is stunning just how well Sennheiser has tuned the mid-range on the Urbanites.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks – generally male vocal based.

Kicking off with 3 Doors Down “Away from the Sun”, and the vocal presentation is very natural – intimate, clear and very pleasant to listen to. Moving to Seether, and once again the vocal quality is very good – guitar crunch is excellent, as is the cymbal presentation. The bass quality is incredible for rock – impact and extension without the boom or bloom. I wouldn’t change anything for the rock music I’ve tested so far – everything just gels so well.
Time for my litmus test – Pearl Jam. Vedder’s voice is perfect with the Urbanites - plenty of clarity and emotion. And the overall balance in the track is magic. Once again, sonically I wouldn’t change anything with this track.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Rock – covered above. The Urbanites are a natural match for the rock I listen to.

Alt Rock – First up (in my usual test rotation) is Pink Floyd’s “Money”, and the Urbanite continues to shine. It delivers the needed contrast beautifully. Beautiful balance between bass guitar and other instruments, and the vocals are again stunningly clear. Porcupine Tree’s “Trains” is similar – Wilson’s vocals are fantastic. Surprisingly though, this is one of those tracks where I’d like just a tiny bit more sparkle (it’s almost too smooth). Bass is dynamic, clean, brilliant.

Jazz / Blues / Bluegrass – Portico Quartet’s “Ruins” was dynamic, clean, detailed – maybe missing just a little top end crispness, but enjoyable all the same. Switching to some Miles Davis - “So What” and (once again) more magic. Mile’s trumpet is smooth, the double bass has good timbre and presence, and the cymbals are showing nice touches of detail.

Onto Blues – and the combination of Bonamassa’s vocals and guitar work is magical. I’ve said this review that with the occasional track that I’d like a bit more sparkle – so I next tried Beth Hart’s “Live at Paradiso” album – which is mastered very hot (bright). For my personal tastes the combination of this mastering and the Urbanite’s natural tonality was really good – and it does reinforce that for me, just a little more upper end sparkle would be the cream on the cake for me. Funny thing is that for a lot of tracks I didn’t really notice it was missing – until it is introduced again.

Rap / EDM / Pop – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” is my go to track for testing contrast, clarity and bass impact for the Rap genre, and the Urbanite is perfect with this track. Again I’m stunned by the clarity of the bass and the lack of bleed. Bass done right Sennheiser? Absolutely! Switching to Pop, and it doesn’t matter what I throw at the Urbanites – it all sounds good. Jessie Ware, Lana Del Ray, London Grammar, Coldplay – the Urbanite XL seems to take it all in its stride.

Switching next to some Electronic / EDM – and Lindsay Stirling’s “Electric Daisy Violin” = dynamic magic. There is fantastic bass response, and crystal clarity and vibrancy with her violin. Next up is Little Dragon and also The Flashbulb, and even some Trance with Van Buuren. The Urbanites excel with anything bass heavy – but the magic isn’t just the bass quality, but the rest of the music contrasting with it.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The Urbanite is easily powered straight out of the portable devices I have, and although I tested it with both the X3ii – both unamped and amped with the E11K, I haven’t noticed any difference in dynamics. The Urbanite were designed to be efficiently run straight from a DAP or smart phone – and they shine without the need for extra power.

RESPONSE TO EQ?

This was an interesting one because as I’ve listened critically through the review, the more time I’ve spent, the more I’ve become accustomed to the Urbanite’s “polite” (slightly subdued) treble. The X3ii comes with a 10 band equaliser, so time to have a play. I lifted the 4K and 8K bands by around 3-4 dB and replayed both Gaucho and Aventine. It was a definite improvement for my personal tastes – and one I’d probably stick with for most tracks. Anyway – the Urbanites respond well to EQ – another plus.

WHAT ABOUT PADS?


Brainwavz pad fitted	Brainwavz pads fitted - much more comfortable fit for my ears

After the 3-4 hours critical listening tonight, and the sessions last week, I’ve noticed that there continues to be some discomfort – not outright pain, but enough physical pressure to notice that I’m wearing headphones.
So once I made sure the earpads were able to be removed, I set about looking for options. The first port of call was the HM5 pads from Brainwavz. The ones sent by Audrey for a previous review slipped straight over the outer cups, and fit snugly. Best of all – instant cure for the comfort issues. Added bonus – because my ears are now further away from the drivers, there is a little added sense of space, and due to the bass being reduced slightly, an added sense of sparkle.


Brainwavz pads fitted over rear of cup	Different height of the pads - drivers further away from your ears.

It does highlight (especially the comfort) what could be achieved with another pad option. I’m not sure if these are the absolute answer though – as I find myself missing some of the bass that has been taken away ….. but at least I can EQ that again if I need to.

QUICK COMPARISON – OTHER PORTABLES

This is simply going to be a very rough comparison with the portables I have on hand – the UE6000 and Momentum On Ears.

Urbanite vs UE6000
1. Comfort – no question UE600 trumps here
2. Build quality / strength – Urbanite by a large margin
3. SQ – comparatively both have very clear vocal range, slightly emphasised bass, but really nice balance. Urbanite has more quantity and better definition in the bass, and slightly more sparkle up top. UE6000 is just slightly less clear, and also slightly boomier.
4. Overall – I’d take the Urbanite on everything except comfort.
Urbanite vs Momentum OE
1. Comfort – long term I find the MOE painful whereas I just find the Urbanites slightly annoying – so Urbanites definitely the preference
2. Build quality / strength – tied on actual strength as the MOE are built really well.
3. But the Urbanites are collapsible and better for travel, so once again – Urbanites
4. SQ – this one is a lot easier. The MOE tend to be a little boomy downstairs, and a little thin and hazy up top (unlike their circumaural model). They are still a good listen once you adjust to their tonality, but for my tastes, I find the Urbanites, fuller, richer and more natural sounding.
5. Overall – for me the Urbanite wins on all counts

URBANITE - SUMMARY

The Sennheiser Urbanite XL is one of those headphones that comes very close to ticking all of my boxes when it comes to portable listening.

For starters, it is wonderfully built, and I would have no issues carting it around the World (during my global travels). Add in the absolutely stellar SQ, and very natural sound, and you have a headphone that has almost all of my bases covered. Their bass quality in particular is among the best I’ve heard in a portable headphone – and the magic is that it never encroaches on the quality of the mid-range. Vocals shine with the Urbanite XL – it is the thing I love most about it.

My issue with the Urbanite though is mainly around long-term comfort, and unfortunately I think this is the one area Sennheiser’s designers may have picked form/looks over actual function/comfort. Unfortunately for me – despite everything else being almost perfect – I’d have to pass because it really is a deal breaker.

If you’re already used to wearing on-ears, this isn’t probably going to bother you – and the Urbanites are likely to be exceedingly comfortable to the likes of MOE, T51p and Grado wearers. But I was expecting circumaural – and unfortunately they aren’t quite there.

But the Urbanites deliver in almost every other area – and for that I would give a definite recommendation. My kids - with their smaller ears – love them!

On the question of value – Amazon’s price of ~ 190 USD is actually a brilliant asking price for these, and they are well worth picking up at that level. I also see “used like new” on Amazon at the moment for USD 143 – and for this price they are a steal. If I was in the States, I’d pick up a pair right now. Unfortunately for us in Australia and NZ, we end up getting gouged at $300 and $400 respectively. For that price locally – I’d have to pass, as the value proposition simply isn’t there.

Finally – my thanks once again to Sennheiser, Noisy Motel and White Lotus. I’ve really enjoyed my time with these, and hopefully someday I can repay the favour. I’m going to miss these next week after I send them back.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SENNHEISER

My recommendations are pretty simple – and hopefully they may be addressed in future models:

Don’t change the SQ – unless you can very slightly lift the lower treble / upper mid-range without overly affecting the rest of the signature. Otherwise I’m fine with EQ, and I think you’ve probably hit your target markets’ preferences admirably.
Fix the earcups (comfort). Take a look at the UE6000 – small earpieces shaped to fit the ear. For a portable headphone, ultimate comfort is one of the things most people will not compromise on. It is the one area you fall short on.
At the current RRP, the accessory package is too sparse. For that I would expect an adaptor, spare cable and spare pads. Maybe reconsider the RRP (especially Down Under), or look at what you are offering compared to the competition.

http://www.head-fi.org/u/146072/rosmadi-mahmood

Hi Agito - good question and one I can't answer. The Urbanites were part of a loaner tour - ie they were returned. And my sons MOE have been "retired" because he broke the cable (he is quite hard on headphones). Maybe try asking the Sennheiser rep on the forums:
http://www.head-fi.org/u/146072/rosmadi-mahmood

Thank you, Brooko. I'll try asking him.

thanks to your pictures that i understood how to fit on the HM5 pads.. the original pads started flaking after a year of use...

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

My introduction to DUNU Topsound (over a year ago) was with their triple hybrid DN-1000, which rapidly became a hit with Head-Fi buyers, and was one of the first triple hybrid IEMs to show that top quality could be achieved at an affordable price. This lead to having the opportunity to review the Titan hybrid IEM/earbud (one of my picks for top earphone releases in 2014), and more recently the DN-2000. Each time I’ve reviewed a DUNU product I’ve been struck by the innovation they’ve consistently brought to the table – and this is continued with their new hybrid earbud – the Alpha 1.

Once again I’d like to thank both Vivian from DUNU, and also my friend from “over the ditch” djvkool – for giving me the chance to hear and review these.

For those who aren’t aware, DUNU Topsound was established in 1994 originally as an OEM supplier to other companies. Since then they have developed their own branded line of high quality earphones, and gone from strength to strength with each release. They currently have their manufacturing plant in China and head office in Taiwan. They now have more than 100 employees, and market their product range all over the world.
The name DUNU is simply an acronym of the principle design points that the company strives to implement in their product range

Delicate
UNique
Utmost

Once again I thought I’d quote this from their website, as it really does give an insight into what drives the company:

“With advanced technology and hi-end equipments, DUNU desires to be able to provide Delicate, Unique ＆ Utmost products for Hi-Fi embracers. Delicate means extremely quality demanding on product process, from every little component to product manufacturing. DUNU has complete production line and equipments, including precise equipments, B&K frequency machine, IMD sputter, CNC machine, anechoic room, etc. Concerning design of product, DUNU also devotes to create unique outer appearance and balance in all sound frequency.

Utmost is not only the expectation on products, but also the pursuit of an Earphone Manufacturer. The founder of DUNU, himself, has years of experience in OEM/ODM earphone products in which many worldwide famous earphone Brands are included. However, in order to create the most enjoyable earphone on his own, DUNU’s president establishes the brand “DUNU” and implants many hi-end equipments and hires talented employees. From then on, DUNU takes the lead in developing the first Chinese made metal earphone, developing 5.8mm Driver unit and produce the very first Chinese Balance Armature Earphone, in 2014 DUNU release China first triple driver Dynamic and Balance Armature Hybrid earphone, All these preparation are to step on the world stage and to challenge renowned earphone brands. The ultimate goal of DUNU is to provide worldwide HI-FI embracers our Delicate, Unique & Utmost earphone products.”

DUNU’s full product catalogue can be found at http://www.dunu-topsound.com/product.html - and their products are supplied through their own storefront (globally) on Amazon.

The Alpha 1’s arrived to me a few weeks ago, and I must confess that I haven’t used these as much as I normally would when reviewing equipment – simply because I’ve struggled with the fit. Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the DUNU Alpha 1.

DISCLAIMER

The DUNU Alpha 1 I’m reviewing today is a loaner unit from DUNU, and at the completion of my review will be returned to Australia – hopefully so others get the chance of sampling it. I am in no way affiliated with DUNU - and this review is my subjective opinion of the Alpha 1.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1, X3 gen 2, and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1/X3 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the DUNU Alpha straight from the headphone-out socket of my Fiio X3 gen 2. I did not generally further amp them (I did test them with my X1 and E11K), as IMO they do not benefit greatly from additional amplification (YMMV and it may depend on your source). In the time I have spent with the Titan 1, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), however to be fair, I haven’t personally had a lot of hours with them. I did notice that the more I used them, the better they did sound to me – but this I already know is a sign of brain burn-in. Fit also has a huge effect on the sonic signature of these earphones.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The DUNU Alpha 1s arrived in an approximately 205mm x 160mm x 50mm retail box. The box “screams” high-quality product to me with s simple picture of the Alphas on the front, product description on the rear, and specification information on the side.


Front of the retail box	Rear of the retail box

The box opens “book style” to show the IEMs, and on the inside cover gives some great information about the accessories included, and also the options for customising the fit through the use of the various fins and rings, and the effects they should have on the overall sound.

Opening a second inner cover exposes the carry case (new!), some of the fins and rings, and also the Alphas themselves. The actual retail box is extremely well made, very solid, and just looks like a high quality overall package to me.


Inside cover - displaying fit and sound characteristics	Book style box completely open

The carry case is a clam shell semi-soft design, and absolutely ideal for carrying in a pocket. I love it – even over the hard case for the Titans, and hope it is included in more of their future releases. It is more than strong enough to withstand day to day “living, is spacious enough for most IEMs, and has a handy inner pocket for spare fins etc.


Full range of accessories	I love the new clamshell zippered case!

The accessory pack includes 1 shirt clip, a standard 3.5 – 6.3mm adaptor, 2 sets of foam covers, 3 sets of thick rings, 3 sets of thin rings, and 3 sets (L, M, S) of the “fin” rings. The guide to fitting the various rings (as I mentioned earlier) is on the indie cover of the retail box.

All in all – a very good, quite innovative and well thought out accessory range.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
(From DUNU’s packaging / website)

Type	Single dynamic and single BA driver hybrid earphone (bud)
Drivers	16mm dynamic + single BA
Frequency Range	10 Hz – 30 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	125 dB (+/-2 dB)
Plug	3.5mm gold plated
Cables	1.2m, fixed
Weight	17g
Earbud Shell	Combined moulded plastic and polished metal

FREQUENCY GRAPH

At the time of writing, I haven’t been able to locate a frequency graph, but for the record I think that the frequency response is going to be very much influenced by fit. Rather than give a general view on the frequency response now, I’ll save it for the sound section.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Titan 1 appears to be extremely well made with a mostly hard plastic moulded body, coupled with a polished stainless steel metal cap or section between the stem and face of the earbud. The Alpha 1 is a large earbud with a diameter of 18mm, and a depth of approx. 20mm from the rear of the stem to the front of the delivery stem. The face of the Alpha has the usual perforated holes for the dynamic driver, but also has a separate ridge allowing the sound from the BA driver to be directed to your ear canal.


Alpha 1 - rear view	Alpha 1 - bottom view

The circular part of the body is designed to sit snugly in your ear between your Tragus and Anti-helix, with the raised nozzle directed toward your ear canal. It is designed to be worn cable down, and like all earbuds, is essentially an open design. The addition of various rings and fins is to promote a more stable fit, with various levels of seal to influence the overall sound.


Alpha 1 - front view	Alpha 1 - top view

The cable has a very smooth and soft PVC outer cover, and appears to be reasonably strong and supple. There is no real strain relief from the exit of the buds, but as the cable hangs straight down anyway, it’s not really required. The Y-split is metal with the top piece sliding off to form a cinch. The plug is a right angled gold plated 3.5mm plug, and is designed to be very friendly for portable devices. No issues with my 5S with fitted case. The cable shows good flexibility, with no real signs of kinking, and has excellent strain relief at the other required major points (plug, and Y-split).


Jack, Y split and the wonderful patented cable tie mechanism	Alpha 1 body

There is a very little microphonic noise present – and any remaining noise can be alleviated by using the included shirt clip, or tucking under clothes.

One of the most simple but innovative designs with DUNU’s cables is the inclusion of the rubber cable tie actually on the cable. When not in use it sits unobtrusively close to the plug (I never notice it). When you’ve finished listening to the Alphas, simply carefully coil the cable and use the tie. Simple, elegant, brilliant. I loved this with the DN-1000, DN-2000 and Titan, and it works equally well with the Alpha 1.

I can’t really fault the overall build and design too much at this stage except to say that it is a large earbud, and may be uncomfortable for people with smaller ears. There is a lot of innovation with this design though – as I’ve come to expect with every release DUNU makes.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

For most earbuds, you don’t have to do a lot about fit – just insert them and you’re good to go – a one size fits all idea. But here is where DUNU have broken the mould with the Alpha – recognising that people have different and unique anatomical ear features, and that a combination of fit and seal can influence the end sound.


From the retail box - accessories and how they affect sound	Accessories and fitting guides

So they included a variety of tips to help the user find the most comfortable fit, whilst also being able to change the amount of overall seal achieved. The design of the various rings is quite innovative with the fins designed to stabilise and lock the IEM while increasing overall seal, the straight rings simply varying seal, and the foam rings influencing both comfort and overall sound.

		[size=inherit][/size]
Large "fin" tips - note notch above the BA port (shows correct fit)	Large "fin" tips	Large "fin" tips - profile view

Fitting the various rings and fins takes some getting used to and was quite frustrating for the first hour or so – but became easier the more I persevered.

		[size=inherit][/size]
Thick rings - notch shows placement on the Alphas	Thick rings from the rear	Thick rings from the front

Initially I settled for the medium fins, as they gave me the best combination of seal and fit – but I definitely found the foams had the best comfort. Towards the end though I found that by far the best combination for me (comfort and sound) was the use of multiple sponge-foam covers. This helped greatly with the seal, and also tamed an overly strident mid-range. More on this will be brought up in the conclusion and recommendations section.

		[size=inherit][/size]
Foam covers - single layer only - quite thin	Foam covers from the front	Foam covers from the rear

Unfortunately throughout my period with the Alphas I was unable to achieve an ideal fit – and this did adversely affect the sound.

Isolation is average for an earbud – but it is what you expect – they are essentially an open design.

So how does the DUNU Alpha sound? Are the sonics as good as everything else up to this point?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the DUNU Alpha 1. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X3 gen 2 as source, a heavy (by my standards) EQ applied, and double foam rings fitted.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

The Issue With Fit

SQ with the Alpha is very seal and fit dependent. If you can get a good fit and seal, the Alphas are very energetic and mid-forward, with a fantastic bass response, and enough detail to impress most people. How do I know this – simple – uneq’d, I pressed the Alphas into my ears and held them there simulating a partial seal. And they sound wonderful like this.

Unfortunately for me – I can’t use this method for day to day normal living. So what happens (for me) in the absence of a reasonable seal?

I’m guessing here – but I think that what is happening is that I’m getting the full effect of the BA via the nozzle, and not enough lower mid-range and bass to balance it. The result is an extremely strident (at times painful) response – which invariably led me to remove them from my ears within a few seconds of listening. But being the persistent person I am, I stumbled across the multiple foam covers helping a lot, and then used EQ to fix the rest. For me this meant cutting almost 10 levels on Fiio’s EQ from the 1 kHz slider – I knew it was this range simple because of the sensitivity I had to vocals (normally the one thing I look for – now I needed to cut them – new ground for me!).

Once I had done this, plus balanced out some of the other frequencies, the Alphas were fantastic, and I’m still listening to them now, over three hours into typing the review.

Rather than do my usual sections in sound, I’ll simply say with the EQ applied and foams fitted, I’m still finding the vocals quite forward, but a much nicer balance now without the stridency. Bass is fantastic, reaches relatively deep (unheard of for most earbuds) and has good speed and texture.

There is plenty of detail, sufficient for enjoyment without being to glaring. I would say with the configuration I’m using though – DUNUs Titan still has better balance, and more natural clarity.

On the sound stage front, I was expecting overly expansive staging, but the Alpha is surprisingly intimate. I think this is due to the very forward mid-range. The Titan is much more expansive and airy. The Alpha for me is richer, fuller and darker (again – take into account the adjustment via EQ and foam covers). To me – the Alpha sounds more like a slightly expansive IEM rather than an open earbud.

As far as genre goes – I’ve pretty much enjoyed the Alpha with everything I’ve listened to but particularly Pop and EDM (the bass is pretty good). It was excellent in the new configuration with Pearl Jam – but I would still need to play around with EQ just a little more, as I still don’t have Vedder’s voice quite 100% - close but not perfect.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The Alpha is an interesting earbud. It is pretty easy to drive but despite its high sensitivity and low impedance you may want to consider amplification if you are using a weak source and do need to apply subtractive EQ. For my part, I’m running at around 45/120 on the new X3 and there is plenty of headroom. Most people won’t need to add additional amplification, and IMO doesn’t add anything to the overall sonics.

RESPONSE TO EQ?

As outlined above, I heavily EQ’d the Alpha and am very glad I did. It allowed me time with a very enjoyable earbud which before the EQ I was unable to listen to for long periods. For the record – my current EQ (and it isn’t quite right yet) involved me putting all 10 sliders at +6, then cutting 500 kHz to about +4, 1 kHz to -2, 2kHz to 1-, and 4,8, and 16 kHz in a gentle rise back toward +1. Radical, yep I know. Just remember though, this is due to my personal issues with fit, YMMV.

DUNU ALPHA 1 - SUMMARY

The DUNU Alpha is an incredibly innovative design, well built, and technically capable earbud. I continue to be amazed with how the engineers at DUNU are constantly able to think outside the square, and I genuinely think they have come up with something special with the Alpha 1.

If you get the right fit, you can look forward to a rich and full sound signature with really excellent bass impact and texture (for an earbud), quite forward vocals, and a slightly relaxed treble – which doesn’t harm the detail or clarity at all.

If you don’t get the right fit, and are open to EQing, the Alpha is still a very capable earbud, and can be tuned to take out any nasty peaks which remain from the less optimum fit.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone else who has tried the Alpha though, as it does interest me to see if I am just unlucky in my personal anatomy – or if this is a wider issue that perhaps DUNU could work on for an Alpha 2. If it is fixable OOTB – then I’d definitely be at the front of the line to try it out.

I've given the Alpha 1 3.5 stars for this review. I have the feeling if I had been able to achieve an ideal fit, the rating would have been a lot higher.

Once again I’d like to thank Vivian at DUNU and Vic for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO DUNU

Personally I’d suggest dialing back the midrange just a little – because even with my EQ (and love of vocals), I’m still finding the Alpha extremely forward. Also – a very easy fix for both comfort and seal would be to include some thicker sponge-foam covers – maybe even double or triple the current thickness. This could give another dimension to tweaking the sound whilst also aiding overall comfort, and may even negate someone like me having to use EQ.

@Brooko

@Brooko

Hi Paul,

how did you manage to apply the foam covers? Did you install the thin silicone rings first and pulled the foam covers over then or how did you do it?

Thanks in advance

Hi Chris - unfortunately I no longer have them. They were part of a larger tour, and they returned to Australia after I was finished. I'm pretty sure the foams were on by themselves though - no silicone rings.

Hi Paul, thanks for the reply.
After about 2 hours, I managed to install the foam covers. Surprisingly, they gave a very full-bodied, bassy and warm sound (not my personal go-to sound). For me, the thick silicone rings ("Balance/Musical") bring the subjectively best sound (with very flat lows (only 1 dB more lower ground-tone than the ER-4S), no edginess in the upper mids). But except for the foam and thick silicone tips, the others did not deliver the best experience (audible edginess in the upper mids).
Generally, the mids will definitely be too much for many (not for me though, I am quite adaptable). While I can say for myself that I like the Alpha 1, I guess they won't suit most people's preference. I think these are extremely capable earbuds, so I'd appreciate an Alpha 2 with dialed back midrange, but an overall identical signature (probably better upper treble extension would be nice as well).

Though, they are extremely fit- and seal-dependent (probably a side-effect of the BA driver in a more or less open sound field) and will only deliver a smooth experience if they fit well.

Anyway, I see that we have overall more or less the same thoughts regarding these earbuds.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

Because I’ve been involved with some review samples with my Australian brethren in the last couple of years, I’ve had the chance to hear some IEMs I’ve been curious about in the last year or so, but haven’t been able to (or inclined to) purchase for myself. One of these has been the DUNU DN-2000 – and I’d like to take the opportunity to thank my Ozzie mate Vic for the loaner over the last 5 weeks. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity immensely.

For this review – I have abridged it slightly (compared to my normal reviews) mainly because the DN-2000 arrived just as an IEM, with the old case from a DN-1000, and no tips – so I can’t evaluate the packaging or accessories. Also – I have grabbed photos from Penon Audio (to cover for missing packaging and accessory shots). I thank them for having the photo available – and duly give credit at this time.

My introduction to DUNU Topsound (over a year ago) was with their triple hybrid DN-1000, which rapidly became a hit with Head-Fi buyers, and was one of the first triple hybrid IEMs to show that top quality could be achieved at an affordable price. Recently I also reviewed DUNU’s new excellent Titan IEM.

For those who aren’t aware, DUNU Topsound was established in 1994 originally as an OEM supplier to other companies. Since then they have developed their own branded line of high quality earphones, and gone from strength to strength with each release. They currently have their manufacturing plant in China and head office in Taiwan. They now have more than 100 employees, and market their product range all over the world.

The name DUNU is simply an acronym of the principle design points that the company strives to implement in their product range

Delicate
UNique
Utmost

I thought I’d quote this from their website, as it really does give an insight into what drives the company:

“With advanced technology and hi-end equipments, DUNU desires to be able to provide Delicate, Unique ＆ Utmost products for Hi-Fi embracers. Delicate means extremely quality demanding on product process, from every little component to product manufacturing. DUNU has complete production line and equipments, including precise equipments, B&K frequency machine, IMD sputter, CNC machine, anechoic room, etc. Concerning design of product, DUNU also devotes to create unique outer appearance and balance in all sound frequency.

Utmost is not only the expectation on products, but also the pursuit of an Earphone Manufacturer. The founder of DUNU, himself, has years of experience in OEM/ODM earphone products in which many worldwide famous earphone Brands are included. However, in order to create the most enjoyable earphone on his own, DUNU’s president establishes the brand “DUNU” and implants many hi-end equipments and hires talented employees. From then on, DUNU takes the lead in developing the first Chinese made metal earphone, developing 5.8mm Driver unit and produce the very first Chinese Balance Armature Earphone, in 2014 DUNU release China first triple driver Dynamic and Balance Armature Hybrid earphone, All these preparation are to step on the world stage and to challenge renowned earphone brands. The ultimate goal of DUNU is to provide worldwide HI-FI embracers our Delicate, Unique & Utmost earphone products.”

DUNU’s full product catalogue can be found at http://www.dunu-topsound.com/product.html - and their products are supplied through their own storefront (globally) on Amazon.

Although the DUNU DN-2000 arrived to me around 5 weeks ago, I’ve had to split my time with various other review units, so I haven’t had as much time with these as I’d like. But they need to go back “over the ditch” this week – so at this stage I’d estimate around 15-20 hours total with them so far. Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the DUNU DN-2000. I realise I’m once again late to the party on this one. Does it improve on the DN-1000, and is it worth the heftier price tag?

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the DUNU DN-2000 as a loaner unit from fellow Head-Fier djvkool. I am in no way affiliated with DUNU and this review is my honest opinion of the DN-2000.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line). I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the DN-2000 straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, and X1. I also used my Beyer A200p and also the E11K amplifier, but IMO they do benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the DN-2000, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that my impression of their sonic footprint has changed over time with use (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

As I explained earlier, all I will document here is what the DN-2000 normally comes with, and include the pictures from Penon. I can’t comment further as I have not seen either the retail packaging or accessory package.


DUNU DN-2000 retail box (photo courtesy Penon Audio)	Accessory range (photo courtesy Penon Audio)

The DN-2000 are packaged in a black retail “book style”. Inside the box you should get (if purchasing from Penon):

DN-2000 in-ear earphone
10 sets of Eartips (inlcuing 1 set of foams, and 3 sets of dual flange tips)
1 pair of Earhooks
3.5mm Female to 6.5mm Male Adapter
3.5mm Female to 2-pin Male Adapter (airline adaptor)
Aluminum alloy box
6 pairs of metal adjustment rings
4 pairs of rubber fitting ‘fins’
1 Shirt Clip

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From DUNU’s website)

Type	Triple driver hybrid IEM (inner ear monitor)
Drivers	1 x 10mm dynamic and 2 x balanced aramature drivers
Frequency Range	10 Hz – 30 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	102 dB (+/-2 dB)
Plug	3.5mm gold plated (right angled)
Cables	1.2m, fixed
Weight	22g
IEM Shell	Metal– cartridge style

FREQUENCY GRAPH

The frequency graph above is copied from Innerfidelity’s excellent website, and thanks go to Tyll for his ongoing services to the audiophile community in providing these.

What I’m personally hearing from the DN-2000 (which doesn't quite match the graph) is a relatively flat but well extended bass (very good extension to the sub bass), a relatively balanced and quite clear mid-range, and very smooth treble with some roll-off . The only other thing I’d comment on would be that for me the upper mid-range can sound a little subdued (can give some of my female vocalists a slightly darker sound than I’m used to).

BUILD & DESIGN

The DN-2000 is extremely well made with a polished metal (matte) outer shell in two tone (champagne coloured mid section and silver bass and nozzle). It is very reminiscent of the DN-1000 both in shape and size. The main body is 12.5mm in diameter (slightly wider at the base), and 20mm from the rear plate to the tip of the nozzle. The nozzle itself has no lip (to allow fitment of the adjusting rings and is approximately 8mm in length. The nozzle itself is just over 5mm in diameter, and the tip is protected with fine mesh.


Side view - no lip on the nozzle	Front view and nozzle

On the rear exterior of each shell is Dunu's logo. L&R markings are quite small, and located on the protrusions for attaching the fitment “fins”, and IMO could have been more prominent / easier to identify. This is alleviated somewhat by a small bump on the left hand cable (at the relief exit) – making it also easy for non-sighted people to find left from right (top marks DUNU).


Opposite side view showing clip for stability fins	Rear view

On the side of each body (attached to the base plate) is a small metal “clip” to which you attach the fin for more stability (when worn cable down), or remove and wear cable up. More about this in the “fit” section below.

The cable is a very smooth PVC outer, and appears extremely well put together. I can't see this breaking any time soon - and it's pretty much tangle free as well. There is a short (but adequate) cable relief at the DN-2000 shells, Y split, and longer relief at the right angled 3.5mm jack (which is smart phone case friendly).


Excellent Y split and "hidden" neck cinch	90 deg jack & in-built cable tie (brilliant)

The Y split is rigid, metal, sturdy and practical. One of the great things about the Y split is that there is enough weight in it to keep the cable pulling down slightly. The other thing I love about this Y split is that the top section of it detaches to become the chin slider. The design is simple, very elegant, and works incredibly well. The other fantastic (to me anyway) design element in the cable is the inclusion of an 'on-cable' cinch (or rubber cable tidy) – the same as used on the DN-1000 and Titan. This is a really simple mechanism that is unobtrusive - but means that whenever it's time to store the IEMs, the cable is always tidily looped. For me (being slightly OCD), I simply LOVE this inclusion. So simple - yet so practical.

There is a moderately high amount of microphonic noise present with the upper portion of the cable when worn down – but this can be alleviated by using the shirt clip, or tucking under clothes. The microphonics are considerably lessened when worn over ear.


Brilliance of the cable tie - always a tidy coil	JVC FXD tips fitted - but note wide body and sharp front corner

Before we go into fit, I'll briefly touch on the inclusion of the coloured rings (or spacers). The DN-2000 is designed to allow you to fit one of three different sized spacers (or fourth option - use none at all) - that then allow the tips to be closer or further away from the body of the IEM. Changing this theoretically affects the frequency response, and also the insertion depth.


Sound tuning rings	Sound tuning rings profile

As Vic’s DN-2000 didn’t come with any rings, I used the ones from my DN-1000 which are exactly the same. Once again, I tried different settings and different tips - and whilst I like the idea (it definitely has tweaking options for the enthusiasts here), I wonder how effective it is. I tried all of the different rings, eventually removing them all together - but to be honest I found that any change in frequency response (for me) was marginal and I doubt I could tell anything in a proper blind test. It's also likely that the few mm change between rings would be nullified by the actual change in fit each time you use them (ie I guarantee that my insertion depth with the same rings will be different almost every time I use them). One other thing I noticed with the rings is that on tips like the JVC FXD tips, the inner sleeve of the FXDs would often slide right over the rings rendering them ineffective anyway.

Anyway - nice idea - but leads to one of the design issues I have with the DN-2000. By allowing for the change of rings, they can't accommodate a lip on the nozzle. Because of this - anyone trying for a really good seal / deep insertion with some of the tips may very well find themselves removing the DN-2000 from your ears, and finding the tips still in your ears. This doesn't happen for me with comply foams (they stick on the DN-2000 pretty well), but I found that with virtually any silicone tips (including the JVC FXD tips), I often had to go fishing (in my ears) for the missing tips. It happened often enough to be very annoying. If I was to have my choice between tip stability and tweakability with the rings, the rings would be discarded. Others may have different ideas.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. My normal go-to with the DN-2000 would be Comply T400s. I know they work, and they manage (most of the time) to stay on the nozzles. However I was recently given a set of JVC FXD tips (L) from another Head-Fier (Bram), and I have to say, these go extremely well with the DUNU earphones (DN-1000 and DN-2000), providing a fantastic seal, and very good sound. So for the remainder of the review I simply used these.


JVC FXD fitted - note protruding clip with fins removed	JVC FXD fitted - when they compress, sharpish front edge irritates this wearer

Either over ear, or cable down, they fit very flush, and would be OK to lie down with – but I couldn’t sleep for long with these. This leads to the second and third design flaws (IMO). First let’s talk about the fins. Brilliant idea – and works really well. Basically they tuck inside the antihelix and help stabilise the DN-2000 inside your ear. This works wonderfully for me, and the fins provide no discomfort for me personally. My issue with comfort is two-fold. Firstly the body is quite wide, and after an hour I begin to feel physical discomfort just outside the entrance to my ear canal. It is the large width that is causing it. Secondly, in my preferred cable up position – removing the fins allows the metal fastener to be exposed, and this causes some serious discomfort within a relatively short time (within the first hour). I understand the update to the DN-2000 (the DN-2000J) will address the issue of the girth of the body, and I’m really looking forward to the changes it makes.


Fin stabilising system - works surprisingly well - very innovative	Fins and attaching clip

Isolation is above average for a hybrid (so far I haven’t seen a vent), and I’d be keen to try these out in an aircraft. They are not bad in a car with music playing – still some background noise, but not enough to detract from the music. Because of the isolation, there is a bit of bone conduction noise when walking.

So good marks on isolation, and OK on fit – but issues with long term comfort. Now how does the DN-2000 sound?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the DUNU DN-2000. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, no spacers, and JVC FXD tips in use with the cable worn down. For the record – on most tracks, the volume level on the X5 was around 25-30/120 which was giving me around an average SPL around 75 dB and peaks at around 85dB. I am hitting up to 40 though on tracks with better mastering (eg Tundra).

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the signature in a few words/phrases – I’d choose the words “balanced” , “clear”, “smooth” and “detailed”.

I’m finding the DUNU DN-2000 to have a nice coherence between bass, midrange and treble – with a quite nice balance overall – just a very slight V shape (mainly sub-bass emphasis). At the ‘sharp end’, I’ve been trying to put my finger on what is happening with the mid-range and treble, because even though it is very clear, and practically grain free (really smooth), I do find it lacking just a little in upper mid-range and lower treble for my tastes. This gives a very smooth presentation, but can make some of my female vocalists not quite as euphonic as they are on other IEMs (A83), and there is also less sparkle. On the plus side, male vocals are better, and there is absolutely no sibilance.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

With Gaucho, this would be quite possibly one of the best presentations I’ve ever heard of this track with an IEM. Sax is detailed, but smooth, vocals are to the front and tonally perfect, and the bass is punchy and well textured. Personally I’d like a bit more cymbal splash – but that is a small critique when the rest of the track is this good.

Switching to Sultans of Swing, and once again wow – this is dynamic and hugely enjoyable. Detail is very good. The constant background sound is again bass guitar – but it’s not overpowering anything. Snares are crisp and fast – and Knopfler’s guitar is crisp and compelling – with enough edge to keep things lively. Cymbals again are present and polite rather than emphasised. Best of all, Knopfler’s vocals are just wonderful – again tonally brilliant. A great start.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The DUNU DN-2000 has a good sense of spaciousness for an IEM, and whilst I wouldn’t call the stage overly expansive, it is providing reasonable width and some sense of depth with this track. Imaging is excellent – very clean and clear on positioning.

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the DN-2000 gives a nice sense of width, but again not quite the depth which is possible with this track. Again though – the overall presentation is hugely impressive, captivating, tonally brilliant, and with both piano and cello portraying excellent timbre. Directional cues are again very good (the cello is where it usually is to the right, and piano slightly off center). Loreena’s vocals are nicely centered – but quite intimate.

In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the DN-2000, I’m definitely there in the theatre, but maybe not quite in the audience – they are to the side and front of me. Still it is a very compelling performance, and one I’ve completely enjoyed.

Bass Quality and Quantity

I’ve been spoilt recently with impactful and good quality bass from my other triple hybrid IEMs (Altone 200, DN-1000 and A83), so I was looking forward to seeing how DUNU had tuned the DN-2000 Titan. The bass on the DN-2000 reaches impressively low (even with my hearing, I could easily hear 25Hz). The bass is very agile and well defined, and I’ve noticed no mid-bass bloom. Bass impact, texture and speed so far have been top notch.

Amongst my test tracks, one of my go-to test tracks is “Bleeding Muddy Waters” by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is dark and brooding – and exposes any mushiness or imbalance in bass cohesion. The DN-2000 was practically perfect with this track, clean and impactful bass, and the gravel in Mark’s voice comes through easily.

I wanted to see how low the bass would go in real music – so switched to Lorde’s “Royals” – and the DN-2000 definitely delivered. When the bass guitar kicks in, there is nice rumble, and the best thing is that the vocals remain sweet, clear, and well defined.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me personally, the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE were too forward/fatiguing with some tracks).

The one thing I’ve noticed so far has been how well the DN-2000 has handled vocalists like McKennitt and Lorde. But how would it handle some of the tougher artists like Agnes Obel – as some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right. With the DN-2000, her vocals aren’t as perfectly euphonic as the Fidue A83 or Altone200 (missing some of the upper mid-range maybe) – but the overall presentation while darker than I really prefer is still good enough to be enjoyable.

I then proceeded to play a medley of my other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, and Norah Jones. The DN-2000 portrays my female artists very well, again very slightly darker than I’m used to, but nothing onerous or uninvolving. Standout for me was Feist (The Bad In Each other) – the bass was just so dynamic, and the resulting contrast with her vocals was sublime. Quickly summarising, I’d say that while the DN-2000 doesn’t quite beat my Altone or A83 for female vocals, neither does it perform poorly. Respect from me for well-tuned BA drivers.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

The continued theme here was coherence, balance, clarity and impact. The only problem I normally have with my Altones is that whilst they are brilliant with female vocals, they sometimes aren’t so good with male vocals (just don’t convey the lower male vocal range). Here is where the DN-2000 shine, great tone and timbre on all my rock tracks – and that sub-bass impact just really helps rock overall. 3 Doors Down, Green Day, Breaking Benjamin, Seether – all sound excellent and the vocal quality is superb. When I played Diary of Jane (Breaking Benjamin), there was no guitar distortion (this track can overwhelm some drivers), and the DN-2000 remained clear and detailed.

My litmus test still is Pearl Jam (huge fan). Once again, wonderful vocal presentation, and excellent overall – but missing just a little more cymbal emphasis which I know is there with my HD600s (and definitely with my T1s). This isn’t at all bad though – I’d just love that last little bit of sparkle. I guess it’s a small price to pay though for the rest of the presentation.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Rock – Covered this one above. In a word, excellent.

Alt Rock – First up (in my usual test rotation) is Pink Floyd’s “Money”, and the DN-2000 delivers pretty good clarity but I’d personally prefer just a little more sparkle. Next is Porcupine Tree’s “Trains”, and this track is very good – not missing anything. The bass impact is wonderful, and the speed and definition of the bass is incredibly good. PT on the DN-2000 is a winner for me.

Jazz / Blues / Bluegrass – Portico Quartet’s “Ruins” is very good displaying nice dynamic contrast, and very good clarity. I did find the sax just perhaps lacking a little body (exhibited a touch of hollowness and stridency), and this was repeated with Miles Davis trumpet in the track “So What”. Otherwise though, the detail was very good, and the double bass presentation was fantastic. Classic Jazz gets a tick.

Switching to blues, and Bonamassa’s vocals and guitar have always been a favourite of mine. The DN-2000 is stunning with Bonamassa, perfectly blending the emotion of his vocals and the magic of his guitar. I then briefly played Union Station’s “Dust Bowl Children”, and it was very enjoyable. Once again for my own personal preferences though, I’d like just a smidge more upper mid-range and lower treble (a little more sparkle).

Rap / EDM / Pop / Indie – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” surprised me. I was expecting to maybe be left wanting on the bass impact, but the quality of the bass is so good that it just perfectly fits with this track. It is in’t bass head quantity by any means – but it definitely has slam. I’m again impressed. Sticking with the bass heavy tracks, and queueing some Trance (Armin), and EDM/Electronic (Linday Stirling & Little Dragon), once again the overall quality of the bass, and the fact that it is sub-bass oriented makes it eminently enjoyable.

Straight Pop is next – and the DN-2000 easily delivers wonderful renditions of Adele and Coldplay. The stand out once again though is Amanda Marshall’s “Let it Rain”, and (like the Titan) this was a genuine “wow” moment. This track has a holographic feel to it (the way it was recorded). The DN-2000 really does go nicely with Marshall’s vocals, and there is nothing in this track that feels out of place or contrived. I could listen to this sort of presentation for hours (comfort aside).

For Indie, I listened to both Band of Horses and Wildlight. The DN-2000 was brilliant with the former, and just a little short of perfect euphonic sweetness with the latter (close though).

Classical / Opera – I’ll keep this short as it is more of the same. Wonderful sense of space, dynamics, timbre and tone. Standouts for me – Kempff’s solo piano and Keating’s cello. Pavarotti was also extremely good, while Netrebko and Garanca (with the Flower Duet) were just a hint darker than I’m used to.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

I covered this in the introduction – but to me the DN-2000 definitely doesn’t need any extra amplification. They were easily powered out of all my portable devices. I also performed my standard test – volume matched, and then compared the X1 and X1+E11K. There was no real change in dynamics to these ears.

QUICK COMPARISON OTHER IEMS

I’ll make this quick as the review has already become overly long. I’m anticipating questions regarding the DN-2000 in comparison to my other triple hybrids (Altone 200, DUNU DN-1000 and Fidue A83), so here are my very quick (very subjective) thoughts:

DN-2000 vs DN-1000

Similar balance. But the DN-1000 actually sounds a little brighter in the upper end (more sparkle), whilst the DN-2000 sounds just as clear, but a little more refined and smoother. DN-1000 seems to have slightly more bass impact, but DN-2000 has more bass quality/definition.
DN2000 vs Altone200

Altone is much more V shaped, bassier and brighter. DN-2000 sounds fuller, darker, but overall more balanced. Altone has more comparatively bass impact, and sounds slightly clearer – but also thinner. The Altone is much more comfortable to wear – it isn’t close!
DN2000 vs A83

The contrast between these two is interesting. For overall balance I’d give it to the DUNU. The A83 is still full bodied, but you really notice the dip in the lower mid-range after listening to the DUNUs for a while. The A83 comparatively are brighter, and also bassier. When listening to male vocals, the DN-2000 sound more coherent and more realistic. When listening to female vocals though, the A83 are still stunning, and for my tastes the tables are completely turned.

DUNU DN-2000 - SUMMARY

I’d been looking forward to trying the DN-2000 for a while. I’d read some of the reviews when they first came out, and hoped to be able to review them, but up until now, the opportunity never presented itself. I’m so glad I’ve had the chance though, and my sincere thanks goes to Vic for giving me some quality time with them. Once again the generosity among fellow Head-Fiers (and within the Head-Fi community) is wonderful.

To sum up -

The DUNU DN-2000 is a relatively well balanced (both frequency and tonality) hybrid IEM. It has excellent bass quality and quantity, good clarity, and vocal presentation (both male and female), and exhibits reasonably good sound-staging, and very good imaging. Its treble is very smooth and grain free – but I personally find it lacking a tiny bit of sparkle. In short, it is a genre master, and very enjoyable IEM sonically to listen to.

Its build and innovative features are on the most part excellent – with very good implementation of the new ear stabilising fins, and I think everyone already knows that I love the attached cable tie.

Where the DN-2000 misses the mark for me is in overall comfort (too big, with a sharpish edge), and also with the nozzle having no lip. I love the sound of the JVC FXD tips on the DN-2000 but unless I’m very careful, they invariably stay in my ears if I’m taking them out in a hurry. Given the arguably insignificant benefits of the spacers, is it time to go back to something more conventional?

So big question – would I recommend the DUNU DN-2000?

On sonics alone – yes. It is one of the best sounding earphones I’ve heard in this category. The A83 and DN-2000 are natural competitors on this turf – with both having wonderful SQ performance. However for current long-term comfort issues, I’d be cautious – and I’m afraid even if I could currently afford the DN-2000, I’d be ultimately saying no. Others may not have this problem – but for me it is very real.

Thanks again to Vic for the opportunity to try them. 4 stars from me – based on sonics, build, and innovation. Only points off really are for my personal comfort issues and those darn nozzles.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO DUNU

I know you are currently working on the DN-2000J – with a smaller overall body, and titanium drivers (which will hopefully give it a little more upper end sparkle). I look forward to trying these when they are released because you have made a really wonderful sounding earphone with the DN-2000. If you did want a solution for the nozzles – can I suggest going with a screw in nozzle in 3 different lengths (interchangeable). It would give people the ability to tune the sound – but allow you to go back to incorporating a lip on the nozzle again. It also then gives you a chance to look at internal filtering options as another attraction. The combination of mozzle length and internal filter would be unique, and fit your Company motto well.

This idea given freely, and if adopted the only thing I’d like would to be to try the new release.

Hi Brooko, great review!
I have both A83 and DN2000, but now I'm looking for a better DAP (own the Sansa Clip Zip).
How does the two sound paired with the Fiio X1? And how much it improves on X5?
Thanks a lot!

Thanks

I actually don't think the X1 will be an improvement over the Clip which is a really good flat source. If you wanted a better option, I'd suggest the X3ii as the best value for money step-up.

Thanks for your suggestion.
I bought the X3ii on this blackfriday for $160, with a 64GB sdcard as toast. Such a bargain for this amazing DAP.

[size=24.5699996948242px]INTRODUCTION[/size]

Because I’ve been involved with some review samples with my Australian brethren in the last couple of years, I’ve had the chance to hear some IEMs I’ve been curious about in the last year or so, but haven’t been able to (or inclined to) purchase for myself. One of these has been the Havi B3 Pro1 – and I’d like to take the opportunity to thank my Ozzie mate Vic for the loaner over the last 4 weeks. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity immensely.

For this review – I have abridged it slightly (compared to my normal reviews) mainly because the Havi arrived just as an IEM, with the circular case, and no tips – so I can’t evaluate the packaging or accessories. Also – I have grabbed a photo from Penon Audio (to cover for missing packaging and accessory shots). I thank them for having the photo available – and duly give credit at this time.

Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the Havi B3 Pro1. I realise I’m late to the party on this one. Does it justify the huge hype it’s been given?

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Havi B3 Pro1 as a loaner unit from fellow Head-Fier djvkool. I am in no way affiliated with the makers of this IEM - and this review is my subjective opinion of the Havi B3 Pro1.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line). I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Havi B3 Pro1 straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, and X1. I also used my Beyer A200p and also the E11K amplifier, and IMO they do benefit from additional amplification, and in fact need it if you’re trying to run them from a weaker source. In the time I have spent with the Havi B3, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that my impression of their sonic footprint has changed over time with use (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

[size=24.5699996948242px]THE REVIEW[/size]

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

As I explained earlier, all I will document here is what the Havi B3 Pro1 normally comes with, and include the pictures from Penon. I can’t comment further as I have not seen either the retail packaging or accessory package.

The Havi B3 are packaging in a black retail box with red/orange and white text. Inside the box you should get (if purchasing from Penon):

A plastic box containing the Havi B3 and 3 sets of silicone tips
A zippered clamshell case
A microfiber cloth
Ear guides
Additional 3 pairs of black and 3 pairs of clear silicone tips
Cloth carry bag


Retail Box (image courtesy of Penon Audio)	Accessories (image courtesy of Penon Audio)

Clamshell case	Clamshell case with Havi B3 Pro1

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type	Dual dynamic driver inner ear monitor
Drivers	Dual 6mm micro-dynamic driver
Frequency Range	10 Hz – 20 Khz
Impedance	32 ohm
Sensitivity	95 dB at 1 mW
Jack	3.5mm gold plated, 90 degree or “L shaped”
THD	< 0.1% (1kHz/111db SPL)
Cable	1.3m OFC quad core with kevlar enforced outer sheath
Weight	18g

FREQUENCY GRAPH / COMMENTARY

The only graph I can find at the moment are one from Innerfidelity and another at another site – but both appear to measure Havi’s with some pretty obvious channel imbalances. So rather than post them, I’ll simply state my thoughts on what I’m hearing, and hope that someone else measures them later – so I can add a graph.

Update : I finally measured my new pair with a properly calibrated SPL meter - and I found channel imbalance on my pair also - ranging from 3dB at 125 Hz to 4db at 6kHz. Interestingly enough, they did match pretty evenly in the 1-2kHz range. Not sure if this adds to the spatial sense of soundstage or not. With music playing, I sometimes notice something doesn't sound "quite right" at first - but after my brain adjusts, I really don't notice any issues with the sound at all. Something to note though.

What I think I’m hearing is a relatively flat mid-bass, and slow roll off into the sub-bass (it extends OK but definitely rolls off), a hollow or recession in the lower mid-range, small rise in the upper mid-range, and reasonably linear and well extended (but not hyper ‘bright” treble).

To make sure I was hearing correctly I also measured them with a simple SPL meter and test tones, and the largest peak was centered at 4kHz, but dropped back by about 3-4dB either side. At 2kHz and 1 kHz (relative to the peak), there was steep drop – which is why male vocals can sometimes sound a little thin. I’ve included raw measurements I took – but haven’t included extremes of both frequencies as my gear simply isn’t that good.

Frequency	13 kHz	11 kHz	10 kHz	9 kHz	8 kHz	7 kHz	6 kHz	5 kHz	4 kHz	3 kHz	2 kHz	1 kHz	800 Hz	600 Hz	400 Hz
SPL (dB)	87	88	88	89	90	89	89	90	93	89	85	73	69	64	60

BUILD QUALITY

The Have B3 Pro1 has what looks to be a mostly moulded plastic light weight shell, with a gorilla glass face plate. It’s ergonomically designed to be worn over ear. The body is a perfect size for my ears measuring 20mm from front to back, and 6mm in height. From faceplate to end of the nozzle is 16mm, and the nozzle itself is angled forward and measures 7mm in length and 5mm in diameter. The Have B3 is all in black matte and the inner part of the body is nicely shaped to fit ear contours.


Rear plate - gorilla glass. Vent hole can be seen at top of gorilla glass	Side view

There looks to be a single vent or port – partially hidden by the Gorilla glass. The nozzle has a good lip, and is mesh covered to protect the driver. The Havi B3 has extremely good cable relief from the IEM body.


Front view showing mesh over nozzle	Side view - note the "R" marking and very good cable exit relief

The OFC cable is covered in a kevlar reinforced rubber sheath, is flexible, but does retain some memory. It is microphonic, but this pretty much disappears wearing them over-ear with the cable tucked inside clothing. The Y-split is rubber, has good relief below the Y, and has a cinch / chin slider. The most interesting thing about the cable is that below the Y it separates into 4 separate cables (1 L, 1 R, 2 separate earths). This would mean that if you reterminated the jack, it would be possible to easily run the Havi balanced.


Y split and cable cinch	Gold plated jack - note 4 cable arrangement

The cable terminates in a right angled or “L” shaped gold plated 3.5 mm jack with good strain relief. The jack has a small collar (or spacer) which allows it to fit perfectly into my iPhone 5S with case attached. The L/R markings are on the moulded rubber strain relief on the body of the Havi B3, and are very hard to see, however as the earpieces themselves are ergonomically designed, it is easy to tell left from right, even if not sighted.

Overall the build quality is really a very good standard for the cost, and I see no issues with the overall design or build quality.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I couldn’t try any of Havi’s tips – so I used Comply, standard silicones from my own collection, and also a pair of L Sony Isolation tips. All of these tips fit brilliantly and gave me an excellent seal (I must really commend Havi for the angle of the nozzle). For the review I used Comply T400 tips as they gave the best combination of fit, isolation and comfort – so they were used throughout the review.

Fit for me is excellent – the ergonomic design is wonderfully comfortable, and I have no issues getting a consistent seal each time. They are also flush (slightly recessed) with my outer ear, so wearing them lying down is easy and comfortable.


Ergonomic internal shaping	Comply sports tips - one of the many I tried

Isolation with a good insertion and correct seal (for me) is above average for a dynamic IEM, better than my Fidue A83 and Altone200. With music playing, most ambient noise is well and truly filtered out. Not sure about a long haul flight – but I think they would be worth trying.

So how does the Havi B3 Pro1 sound to me?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Havi B3 Pro1. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, and Comply T400 tips. Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the default signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “clear and detailed”, “relatively balanced” with a “good soundstage for an IEM” (good sense of depth).

The Havi B3 Pro1 has a signature which mixes clarity in the upper mid-range with a relatively neutral bass response, and a nice sparkle in the lower treble without getting too bright or sibilant. The only issue I have with them personally is a bit of a recession in the lower mid-range which makes some of my male vocalists sound slightly thin, but conversely really helps with female vocals. It also has a tendency to make a lot of my music sound quite airy and light.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

First up was Gaucho, and it is a geat presentation with everything from bass guitar, keyboards, vocals and sax nicely balanced. There is plenty of contrast especially in the upper registers. The impact from drums is quite a bit less than my normal hybrids (A83 and Altone200), but this is not a bad thing with this track. Cymbals are audible without getting too splashy. The overall tone is relaxed. “Sultans of Swing” raises things a notch with great capture of detail, but never appearing overly etched or splashy. Bass guitar matches perfectly with the vocals and lead guitar, and I just really love the overall balance with this track – and that includes Mark’s vocals.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Havi B3 however has an open and reasonably expansive stage for an IEM, and it is quite a surprise – especially for an IEM at this price point. The imaging is also extremely good with positioning appearing very precise. Sense of both depth and width is quite good – and if anything the stage feels perfectly natural rather than being overly done. I had read a few reviews talking about a massive sound stage – and thankfully this is not what I’m experiencing. There is enough space to go slightly “out of head” but not enough to make it seem unreal.

Next up was Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the presentation was again very good. Loreena’s vocals were excellent, the piano and cello are where they should be. If anything the cello is missing maybe a little of the depth of timbre I’m used to – but that is nitpicking. In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the Havi, the applause is slightly behind me, but washes around me and feels involved. A nice achievement for a $60 IEM!

As a final test I queued up Amanda Marshall’s “Let It Rain” which is recorded with an almost holographic quality to it. The Havi was excellent with this track – enough to bring goose bumps. Fantastic sense of space, and wonderful separation and imaging.

Bass Quality and Quantity

The Have B3 so far has had good bass response – if anything relatively flat with slightly more mid bass, than sub bass. The bass is also relatively quick with no signs of bloat. There can be slight decay (maybe the tiniest mid-bass hump?) when bass has a lot of impact – but this helps rather than hinders the overall presentation.

On tracks like “Bleeding Muddy Water” by Mark Lanegan, the bass impact is a little light, and the vocal presentation is not quite as gloomy and brooding as it should be. The bass is there, but the impact is a lot less visceral than normal.

Switching to “Royals” and the impact is a lot better, enough to satisfy – but again a little lighter than I’m usual. Lordes vocals are crystal clear though, and there is some sub bass coming through to add a little bit of rumble to the bass guitar (less so on the kick drum). Switching to Armin Van Buuren’s Trance track “This Is What It Feels Like” and this time the Havi is lacking again. It’s still enjoyable – but needs a bumb in the lower registers. We’ll revisit this one later when we try some EQ.

To get a further idea of quality this time, I next played Zoe Keating’s “Escape Artist”. The Havi presents Zoe’s cello reasonably well – not as deep as I am used to – but it’s different rather than bad. Lighter for sure – but the timbre still comes through.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward).

This was always going to be a key test for me with the Havi B3, and I had high hopes – especially with the combination of small bump in the upper mid-range, and vocals not being too forward. One of my first tests (for my own preferences) is how an IEM handles an artist like Agnes Obel (some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right). The Havi B3 presentation was brilliant – slightly euphonic and very enjoyable. Cello in the background had a nice contrast too.

I then proceeded to play my normal medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, Feist, Julia Stone, Sarah Jarosz and Norah Jones. For me, it aced every track with no signs of hollowness or stridency. For my preferences I can say that the Havi are an easy choice for female vocals – perfectly capturing everything I love about these artists. Feist and FATM may have both been a little short on bass impact compared to the Altones or A83 – but for $60 the Havi is incredible. Standout for me was Norah Jones – I could have listened to her “The Fall” album from start to end several times.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

The Havi had good speed and claity with everything I queued. It was very clear in vocal presentation, and excelled with acoustic instruments, but a lot of the male vocalists I listened to sounded just a little thin. An example of absolute strength was with Lofgren’s track “Keith Don’t Go”, and also with Seether’s “Immortality” cover. These are both acoustic based, and the Havi really did shine with the guitar. But on both tracks I couldn’t help feeling that the overall presentation would have been close to perfect if it could capture just a little more of the depth in the vocals.

Time for what has become my litmus test with male vocals – Pearl Jam. Like the rest of the Rock tracks I’d already listened to, the Havi B3 was good with Pearl Jam – the overall balance in the track was very good – but Vedder’s vocals just weren’t quite as deep, the timbre and tone of his voice wasn’t quite as rich as I’m used to. Don’t get me wrong though – I enjoyed every track I listened to – but the Havi’s won’t be replacing my A83 any time soon.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

This is just very quick thoughts on where the strengths and weaknesses lie (for me) with the Havi.

Rock – already covered with the Male Vocal section above. The Havi does rock well for the most part – and especially acoustic rock. Just a little thin at times.
Alt Rock – very good. Floyd was great – especially the contrast. PT’s “Trains” was equally as good – plenty of speed and Wilson’s vocals were well presented (the higher register maybe). Bass was well defined and even the bass impact was pretty good.
Jazz / Blues – Great. Portico Quartet was fantastic – I think the sense of space around each instrument really helped. Contrast and clarity was fantastic – couldn’t really ask for more. Switching to Blues, and Bonamassa’s guitar work was equally brilliant. Unfortunately again his vocals were just slightly thin – but again I’m nitpicking. I could still listen to this presentation for quite some time.
Rap / EDM – The Havi struggles just a little with overall bass impact compare to what I amused to with the hybrids, but still does pretty well with Lindsay Stirling and Little Dragon – less so with Eminem. The bass impact on “Lose Yourself” just doesn’t have that visceral quality to it – and the track is supposed to use this to convey Mather’s anger and frustration in this track.
Pop / Indie – Pretty good with most pop depending on how much bass you like, and perfect for the Indie artists I follow. Wildlight’s “Dawn To Flight” was magically dreamy, and Band of Horses was smooth, mellow and thoroughly enjoyable.
Classical / Opera – Not so good with male opera (Pavarotti), but excellent with female (Netrebko & Granca). Does solo piano and cello passably well (would prefer a little more depth) – but very good with full orchestral pieces.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

I covered this a little in the introduction. The Havi B3’s 32 ohm impedance combined with a low sensitivity at 95 dB @ 1mW means that it needs more current than some portable DAPs are going to be able to deliver. With my iPhone 5S, where I’d be normally playing at around 30% volume with my Altones or A83, I’m actually using double that with the Havi B3. My iPhone though is a good source and it doesn’t sound lacking at all – especially after comparing amped vs non-amped (volume matched iP5S vs iP5S + E11K).

With both my X5 and X1 I’m also using roughly double the volume I’d normally use for most tracks. The X5 doesn’t need any amping on any tracks I’ve tested – but both the iP5S and X1 on really well recorded dynamic tracks (mostly classical) started to run out of room on the pot with really dynamically recorded pieces – and this was where the E11K came in really handy.

WHAT ABOUT EQ?

There were two things I wanted to try with EQ – lifting the bass and sub-bass for EDM / Rap, and seeing if I could lift the lower mid-range for male vocals. I tried the EDM / Rap bass boost first – using the X5’s EQ to lift the sub bass and lower mid bass by around 5 dB. It definitely helped and the Havi responded well – but I still couldn’t get it to the visceral levels that both the Altones and A83 are capable of. An improvement – but it’s not going to turn these into bass cannons.

Next up was concentrating solely on Pearl Jam – and this time adding my own hump from 125 hz, peaking at +5dB at 500 hz, and slowly dropping to normal again at 2 kHz seemed to do the trick – adding some needed depth and fullness.

HAVI B3 PRO1 - SUMMARY

I’d been looking forward to trying the Havi B3 Pro for a while. I’d read the hype, and my initial reaction when seeing it compared to IEMs 2 or 3 times its price was that it couldn’t be real – and that the Head-Fi hype machine was working overtime (and that eventually the budget “King” was going to be picked apart). To be honest, when I first tried them I wasn’t wowed, and it did take a while for their signature to grow on me. But once it did, I grew to slowly like them more and more.

To sum up -

The Havi B3 Pro1 is a relatively flat IEM with a larger than normal (for an IEM – let’s put it in perspective) soundstage. The idea (sometimes insinuated in discussion regarding the Havi B3) that this sound stage is massive and can rival full sized open cans is stretching things a lot. But I do genuinely like what I am hearing – this stage is believable (real) rather than overly expansive.

The Havi has excellent detail retrieval, very good vocal clarity, and reasonable bass speed and impact. It can be a little thin with male vocals, but conversely lends a sense of euphonics to female vocals. It excels with acoustic music, and responds reasonably well to EQ.

It is very comfortable to wear and appears to be very well made, and at $60 provides exceptional value for money

So big question – would I recommend it?

Yes definitely – but would suggest that it won’t suit:

Anyone with a weak source and no additional amplification
Anyone who prefers bass heavy music, and likes big visceral bass impact (bassheads avoid)
Anyone who listens to predominantly male vocal Rock and prefers a full rich warm sound

For everyone else, at this price it really is a no brainer. How much do I like it? Even though I don’t need one, and it won’t be my go-to IEM, I still bought one on-line earlier today. I figure at least it’ll be a standard that will be good for review comparisons – and I’ll still listen to it regularly because it simply is that good.

Thanks again to Vic for the opportunity to try them. Solid 4 stars from me – no regrets at all buying them, and can’t wait for my new pair to arrive.

Note - that with my new pair, there is minor channel imbalance - but it doesn't detract from overall enjoyment. YMMV

Picking up a pair very soon, will compare it to my IM70's. Once again an informative review Brooko.

Keep up the good work!

I've got my Havi b3 Pro 1 two days ago. But there is balance issue. Vocal slightly sounds from the left side. (From eleven o'clock) Is there such a problem in your headphones?

Not in the main vocal range - mine actually match pretty closely between 700 Hz to about 2.5 kHz. They do have imbalance at both extremes though - this shows up clearly when recording test tones. But when music is playing, I don't notice it.

[size=24.5699996948242px]INTRODUCTION[/size]
Because I’ve been involved with some review samples with my Australian brethren in the last couple of years, I’ve had the chance to hear some IEMs I’ve been curious about in the last year or so, but haven’t been able to (or inclined to) purchase for myself.

One of these has been the Ostry KC06 – and I’d like to take the opportunity to thank my Ozzie mate Vic for the loaner over the last 4 weeks. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity immensely.

For this review – I have abridged it (compared to my normal reviews) for a couple of reasons:

To cut down on postage costs, the KC06 arrived just as an IEM, with the soft cover pouch, and no tips – so I can’t evaluate the packaging or accessories.
I’ve spent a lot of time with other IEMs in the last month as part of planned reviews for other companies, so my time with the Ostrys has been minimal (I’d guess around 15 hours or so). So this just constitutes my general notes and impressions – rather than a full blown review.

Also – I have grabbed a photo from Penon Audio (to cover for missing packaging and accessory shots). I thank them for having the photo available – and duly give credit at this time.

Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the Ostry KC06.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Ostry KC06 as a loaner unit from fellow Head-Fier djvkool. I am in no way affiliated with Ostry - and this review is my subjective opinion of the KC06.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Ostry KC06 straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, and X1. I also used my Beyer A200p and also the E11K amplifier, but IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification (in fact it can cause issues as they are extremely sensitive so if your amp has balance issues at low volumes it would be best to avoid). In the time I have spent with the KC06, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that my impression of their sonic footprint may have changed over time with use (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

As I explained earlier, all I will document here is what the KC06 normally comes with, and include the picture from Penon. I can’t comment further as I have not seen either the retail packaging or accessory package.

The KC06 are packaging in a black and white retail box with foam inner compartment housing the IEMs. Included as part of the accessory package are 6 sets of silicone tips, 2 sets of earhooks, shirt clip, and soft suede type draw string pouch.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Type	Single dynamic driver inner ear monitor
Driver	10mm dynamic driver
Frequency Range	20 Hz – 25 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm +/- 15%
Sensitivity	110 dB at 1 kHz
Plug	3.5mm gold plated, straight
Cables	1.35m “environmental antibacterial TPU wire”
Weight	13g

FREQUENCY GRAPH

Borrowed (with due thanks) from Innerfidelity. This coincides a lot with what I hear – good vocal clarity (especially with male vocals), but a dip in the upper mids which does make some of my female vocalists sound hollow and strident. A mid bass hump, but good treble articulation / detail.

BUILD QUALITY

The KC06 has what looks to be a mostly metal light weight shell. It’s ergonomically designed to be worn over ear (I tried cable down and fit was troublesome – YMMV). The body is pretty tiny measuring 15mm by 13mm and 15mm in depth from the back of the IEM to tip of the nozzle. The unit I have here has a silver coloured faceplate and dark chocolaty coloured body. There are 2 vents or ports – 1 adjacent to the cable exit, and another one at the base of the nozzle. The nozzle has a good lip, and is mesh covered to protect the driver.

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KC06 shell - ports visible	KC06 - ergonomic shaping	3.5mm jack and y-split

The KC06 has extremely good cable relief from the IEM body. The TPC covered cable is shiny, and flexible, but does retain quite a bit of memory. It is microphonic, but this pretty much disappears wearing them over-ear with the cable tucked inside clothing. The Y-split is metal, looks like a letter Y, but has no cable relief at all. It does not have a cinch / chin slider either. The cable terminates in a skinny (smart phone case friendly) gold-plated 3.5mm straight jack. The jack has good strain relief.

		[size=inherit][/size]
KC06 - rear view	KC06 from the front	KC06 from the rear internal side

The L/R markings on the body are a little hard to see, however as the earpieces themselves are ergonomically designed, it is easy to tell left from right, even if not sighted.

Overall the build quality is a very good standard for the cost. I would have liked to have seen strain relief at the Y split, but the cable material does look pretty strong. The missing cinch would be my biggest critique so far.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I couldn’t try any of Ostry’s tips – so I used Comply, standard silicones from my own collection, and also a pair of L Sony Isolation tips. These gave the best combination of fit and comfort – so they were used throughout the review.

		[size=inherit][/size]
KC06 with Sony Isolation tips	KC06 - shallow fit, but for me a reasonably good seal	KC06 - solid build

Fit is actually pretty good – but it is shallow (due to the shape and design), and I have no issues getting a consistent seal each time. They are also flush (actually recessed) with my outer ear, so wearing them lying down is easy and comfortable.

Isolation with a good insertion and correct seal (for me) is average for a dynamic IEM, mainly due to the IEM ports. With music playing, most ambient noise is well and truly filtered out. These would not be my choice for a long haul flight though.

So how does the KC06 sound to me?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Ostry KC06. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, and Sony Isolation tips.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the default signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “clear”, “forward vocals” and “relatively balanced”.

The KC06 has a signature which mixes clarity in the lower mid-range with a bit of a mid-bass emphasis, and a nice sparkle in the lower treble. The only issue I have with them personally is a bit of a recession in the upper mid-range which makes some of my favourite female artists sound hollow and strident. It also has a tendency to make a lot of my music sound darker than it is with some of my more regular IEMs.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

First up was Gaucho, and it is a very nice presentation with everything from bass guitar, keyboards, vocals and sax nicely balanced. There is plenty of contrast, good impact from drums and nice detail from cymbals. Likewise, “Sultans of Swing” displays another excellent sonic presentation, and the KC06 represents Mark’s vocals brilliantly. Bass is really good, and actually reasonably fast and tight. Cymbals are there but not overdone. There is sparkle, but it is also smooth.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The KC06 has a very closed in stage with this track, and not at all what I am used to with my regular IEMs. I’m actually quite surprised with this because the actual imaging suffers accordingly with the instruments struggling to find their own space. The violin is a little wider – but overall staging and imaging (for me) is very intimate (and it shouldn’t be).

Next up was Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and whilst the presentation was still pretty good, Loreena’s vocals didn’t have their normal magic. Her vocals are pretty close through the KC06, but there is some width with the cello. Again the KC06 struggles with depth for me though. In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the KC06, the applause is behind me (instead of around me), and it feels detached/impersonal.

Bass Quality and Quantity

The KC06 so far has had pretty good bass response – maybe slightly elevated through the mid bass, but not unnatural or over contrived.

On tracks like “Muddy Waters” by Mark Lanegan, the bass impact is just right, and the vocal presentation (dark and brooding) is brilliant. There is no sign of bass bleed.

Switching to “Royals” and the overall impact is great, with enough sub bass to add a little bit of rumble to the bass guitar and kick drum. The bass delivery is copious but it is controlled, and the KC06 really does well with this modern pop track.

To get a further idea of quality this time, I next played Zoe Keating’s “Escape Artist”. The KC06 presents Zoe’s cello a little more forward than I’m used to, but captures the overall timbre really well.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward).

I was already fearing the overall “critical listening” results with these after listening to them casually for the first few days. Some artists sounded great (a little darker than I’m used to) but not unpleasant. One of my hardest tests (for my own preferences) is how an IEM handles an artist like Agnes Obel (some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right). Sure enough, the presentation was slightly strident compared to what I am used to, and not really to my personal tastes.

I then proceeded to play my normal medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, Feist, Julia Stone, Sarah Jarosz and Norah Jones. For me, it handled most reasonably well – but I couldn’t help feeling that their vocal presentation sounded darker than my normal preference and again that hollowness and stridency reared its head (especially with Perri and Jarosz). It was also pretty unpleasant with Netrebko and Garanca’s “Flower Duet”. I had no problems with Jones and Cilmi though – so it does seem to be a bit hit and miss.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

The KC06 was very energetic with everything I queued. Clean and clear in vocal presentation, and able to nicely contrast the crunch and edge of lead guitar with very good bass impact. Best of all male vocals sounded right – really natural and full.

Time for what has become my litmus test with male vocals – Pearl Jam. Like the rest of the Rock tracks I’d already listened to, the KC06 was very good with Pearl Jam – presenting Vedder’s vocals wonderfully. Cymbal hits are clear, the background bass guitar is complimenting. The KC06 do Rock well.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

This is just very quick thoughts on where the strengths and weaknesses lie (for me) with the KC06.

Rock – already covered with the Male Vocal section above. The KC06 does rock (particularly male vocals) well.
Alt Rock – pretty good. Floyd was good – especially vocals. Had the occasional stridency with the guitars upper registers though. My personal preference for PT’s “Trains” would have been for a little bit more brightness, but the bass impact was good.
Jazz / Blues – Hit and miss. Portico Quartet was mostly good, but the sax was slightly off (strident). Bonamassa on the other hand was excellent. Great timbre and tone and good contrast between guitar and vocal.
Rap / EDM – The KC06 shines with these genres for me. The clarity of the vocals along with the impact of the bass is very good.
Pop / Indie – Was very good with most pop, but a little dark for the Indie artists I follow. The KC06 was just lacking that little bit of upper mid-range euphonic sweetness that I love with artists like Wildlight. This is simply my preference at work though.
Classical / Opera – very good with male opera, but not (for my tastes) with female. Does solo piano and cello exceptionally well – but I prefer a slightly brighter IEM for full orchestral.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

I covered this in the introduction – but to me the KC06 definitely don’t need any extra amplification. They were easily powered out of all my portable devices, and with the X5 I was often below 30/120 in terms of volume. I did volume match and compare the X1 and X1+E11K, and apart from a slight change in tonality (minimal) there was no real change in dynamics. It was also pretty difficult doing this as I had to have the volume so low on the E11K I was in danger of channel imbalance. The KC06 is exceptionally easy to drive.

OSTRY KC06 - SUMMARY

The KC06 was a very interesting trial for me, and one I’m really glad I got the opportunity to try. At sub USD 60.00 I can see why they are so highly regarded by many.

They are very well built, comfortable to wear, and reasonably well balanced. Their strengths (IMO) are for most rock, and modern pop, EDM and rap / hip-hop. They provide very good vocal clarity, and a nice level of detail.

For me personally though, I had issues over time with the very forward nature of the KC06 vocal presentation, and also the rather small (depth) soundstage, and the stridency and hollowness of the upper mid-range (comparative recession in the 3-6kHz area). This may not affect a lot of people – but for me and my music tastes, I find it a deal breaker.

For the strengths it brings to the table (particularly for the value it offers), I give it 3.5 stars – but I’d struggle to go higher because of my own particular tastes.

Thanks to Vic for the opportunity to try them. Good IEM – but won’t be on my “to buy” list.

Thanks Tom - my favourites so far would be the A83 and Altone200. If you want a cheaper pair which are very good - then the Dunu Titan should definitely be considered, and a new discovery for me (review coming soon) - the Havi B3 Pro 1. These all have one thing in common - an elevated upper mid-range.

Great review Brooko! It mirrors my own impressions really well (and I also listen to a lot of female vocals) which makes me curious about your impressions on the B3's since they're one of my all time favourite IEM.

Lets just say it took a little while for me to warm to the Havis - but once I did, I really like them. Enough that despite all the IEMs I have, I'm actually considering buying a pair. Review should be up this weekend. They are a real sonic diamond.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

I’ve been working with RockJaw UK for the last 12 months giving feedback on their IEM line, and providing reviews as they get to release point. So it was with great pleasure that I received a courier pack from Bob containing the Arcana V2, Hydra V2, and also their flagship Kommand IEM. I’ve posted a review on both the Hydra and Arcana earlier – and for the past week and a bit I’ve been able to now concentrate on the Kommand.

RockJaw’s original flagship was actually called the Kontrol – and was supposed to be a dual driver IEM. Unfortunately, when I received them around a year ago, they looked stunning, were really well built, but they sounded pretty average. After a bit of discussion with Bob, he informed me that they were going back to the drawing board with a lot of their range, and would keep in touch with progress along the way. Fast forward to late 2014, and the Kontrol had been replaced by the Kommand, the dual driver had become a single driver with tuneable filters, and RockJaw was once again ready to see what we thought.

I won’t say too much until the body of the review – but yes, they’ve achieved most of what they set out to do. The Kommand (IMO) does have a sound signature worthy of its status in their product range.
For those who aren’t aware, RockJaw is an English based audio company which although relatively new to the Head-Fi scene, has already released four IEMs and a full sized headphone. RockJaw’s service and communication in that time has been exemplary, and I really like how they have been interacting with this community to develop their product range.

RockJaw’s philosophy (http://www.RockJawaudio.com/our-story/) is that really good sound shouldn’t be unaffordable, and build quality can be obtained even at budget friendly pricing. A fantastic example of this is their Alfa Genus (http://www.head-fi.org/products/rock-jaw-alfa-genus/reviews/11243), and Arcana V2 (http://www.head-fi.org/products/rock-jaw-arcana-v2/reviews/12330) IEMs – both of which I believe are very good at their price points.

The Kommand arrived almost 2 weeks ago, and especially in the last week, I’ve spent a lot of time with these in my ears – simply because they are a lovely sounding IEM. I’d estimate I have around 30 hours listening time with them so far.

Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the Kommand and who might find them to their tastes.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Kommand as a review unit from RockJaw. I am in no way affiliated with RockJaw - and this review is my honest opinion of the Kommand. I do want to take this opportunity to thank Bob – he exemplifies RockJaw’s excellence in customer care in every communication we have.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu DN Titan and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the RockJaw Kommand straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, and X1. I also used my Beyer A200p and also the E11K amplifier, but IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the Kommand, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that my impression of their sonic footprint may have changed over time with use (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Kommand arrived in RockJaw's new retail packaging, which has the same colour combination as the Hydra and Arcana, but a different design. The retail box (140 x 115 x 50mm) consists of a retail outer with a large window at the front, and an inner compartment. A quick note about the outer box – it arrived with a protective screen over the window, to keep it in pristine condition. RockJaw keeps surprising me with little touches like this. They understand about presentation.

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Front of retail box	Rear of retail box

It’s nice to see. The front of box shows (through the window) the Kommand nestled safely in its fitted foam inner, and the front print just simply states its name, and the fact that it is a hybrid IEM. The rear of the box has information on the specifications, and sound characteristics.


Box design - hinged lid with magnetic clasp	Foam top inset with Kommand, hooks and tips

Lifting the hinged lid on the outer box reveals a fitted foam insert holding the Kommand, tips and filters. Lifting the foam insert out, reveals a lower compartment which has a large felt RockJaw bag, shirt clip and instruction manual.


Lower compartment	Full package - Kommand + accessories

The included carry pouch is essentially a draw string felt type bag – but it appears well made and I’ve found a use for it – being around the right size for my X1 and E11K when they’re not in use. Sadly – it isn’t an ideal case for the Kommand – simply due to the ear-hooks. Whilst they are very sturdy and well made, they aren’t removable, and really need more protection than a soft case can provide IMO. Fortunately a standard Brainwavz case is a perfect size, so I’ve been using one since I received them.


Accessories included bag, filters, tips, clip and manual	Silicone tips

The accessory pack includes 3 pairs (S, M, and L) single flange silicone tips, a shirt clip, and of course the 3 filters (which I’ll go into more detail on later). The tip selection is very frugal – especially considering the price point (120 GBP or 180 USD). An opportunity missed.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From RockJaw)

Type	Single BA and single 8mm dynamic driver hybrid inner ear monitor
Frequency Range	20 Hz – 20 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	110 dB +/- 3dB
Plug	3.5mm gold plated, right angled
Cables	1.2m twisted and PVC sheathed, and includes inline mic + button control
Weight	18g
IEM Shell	Cartridge shape, tone wood and metal cap (for filters)
Other	3 tuning filters included – bass, reference, neutral

FREQUENCY GRAPHS

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Silver (bassy) filter	Black/grey (balanced) filter	Champagne/gold (treble) filter

I have included 3 graphs provided by Bob from RockJaw which detail the different tuning of the filters. I’ve combined the 3 into a single graph below so that you can see how they differ. Probably the biggest difference between the Kommand and Alfa Genus (which also has a filter system) is the targeted tuning of the Kommand.

I’ve preferred to call the 3 filters “bass”, “reference” (or if you like ‘balanced’), and treble – because that is how they appear to me. Rather than discussing signature in this section, I’ll do so in detail under the sound section below.

BUILD QUALITY

When I first saw the Kommand in person, what immediately struck me was an impression of quality and craftsmanship.

The Kommand has a tone wood body with a metal cap (at the nozzle end) and a rotating ear rest/clip at the back. The wood body is stunning – really beautiful finish, with a nice finish which accentuates the grain in the wood. It is very smooth. There is a single port/vent in the wood body adjacent to the cable exit.


Wood colour and texture is gorgeous	Looking down on top of filter/nozzle

The metal cap at the front has an internal thread, and this is where you screw in the adjustable filters. The metal is nicely polished, smooth, and melds well with the wooden body. The filters screw into the metal cap, and essentially become the nozzle of the IEM.


Cable exit and another view of the wood grain	Ear-hook mechanics are precision engineered

At the rear of the Kommand is RockJaw’s “ear-hook” assembly. This consists of a single arm from the back of the IEM, joined to another arm with an ear shaped hook (much like a pair of glasses). This is fully adjustable, very sturdy, and incredibly well machined. It screams quality.


Kommand body vent	Print (white on gun-metal) is easy to see

The actual body of the Kommand is approximately 12mm in diameter, and 20mm long from cap to base (without the nozzle/filter – which adds another 5-6mm).

There is a very sturdy metal exit for the cable, and this in term has good strain relief protection – however, I do wish RockJaw would affix the strain relief better to the metal (my right side has already pulled clear once, and will need to be glued - *side note* - I raised this with Bob and they are already looking into it). This is the only blemish I’ve seen so far with build quality.

The L/R markings are in white type on the gun metal cable exits and easy to read. The left ear piece is the only one to have the mic/button control which makes it even easier to locate the correct earpiece.


Side view of Kommand body sans filter	Filter removed exposing internals

The nozzles/filters have a generous lip, and are also meshed to protect the drivers. One of the things I love about RockJaw’s nozzles is that they are slightly tapered at the front – which means it is a little easier to get tips in place.


Included filters	Filter internals - only "balanced" filter has damping

The cable is brilliant, and again I wish more manufacturers would adopt something similar. It is a twisted pair encased in a smooth flexible PVC sheath which is very pliable, very non-microphonic, and appears to be very strong.
From the left earpiece there is a combined mic and single button control device (1 click pause/play, 2 fast clicks track +1, 3 fast clicks, track -1). This hangs (when worn over ear) about half-way between my jaw and shirt collar. The microphone is a good for audio and in my testing voice came through loud and clear. For those preferring a chin slider/cinch, the mic unit is the reason it is missing – but a shirt clip is included instead. Small note here – the button control works well with my iP5S, and (surprisingly) also with my Fiio X1 (although it was occasionally flaky with the X1).


Very good quality cable	Microphone and remote button

The Y-split is very generic / no frills, but has reasonable strain relief at the single exit.

The jack is right angled, 4 pole, very slim (ideal for smartphones with cases) and at my preferred 90 degree angle.


Jack and Y-split	Combination of modern style, and industrial precision

Overall the build quality is an extremely good standard. Apart from the strain relief issue, I can’t really fault them at all.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried the included large silicone tips, and couldn’t get a seal (at all). Because there are no other tips included by RockJaw, I immediately reverted to my large tip collection, and tried some large bore silicones, large dual flange, large Sony Isolation tips, and also some large Comply tips. The reason I was using large rather than medium was simple – the ear-hooks don’t allow (for me anyway) a deep seal. Anyway – the best seal (and sound) for me was a pair of Comply tips or the Sony Isolation tips – so I used these for the remainder of the review.

Comfort is actually very good and they are light weight, and easy to fit (once you have the right tips, and master the ear hooks). Surprisingly, I can wear these lying down, but they aren’t as comfortable as my A83 or Altones when lying on my side. Although I have slept with them in, a lot will depend on your ear shape and how well these fit.


Cable down and ear hooks engaged	Cable up and ear hooks engaged

The ear hooks for many are going to be a love ‘em or hate ‘em relationship. For a start, I found them cumbersome, unwieldy and frustrating. However, once I got my tip selection right and mastered the knack of correctly twisting the hooks over my ears, fitting became rapid, consistent and comfortable. It takes a little adjusting first to get the angles of the arms correct, but once you do, the set-up stays nicely and firmly in place.

The Kommand can be worn cable over ear or cable down – simply by rotating the nozzle to point the cable exit up or down. This is shown by my daughter Emma in the photos above. If you look closely at the right exit, you can see where the relief has come out of the exit tube – and it’s this that I need to fix with a little glue.

Isolation with a good insertion and correct seal is average for an IEM, mainly due to the dynamic driver port and shallow fit. With music playing, most ambient noise is filtered out, and there is not a great deal of noticeable leakage at normal listening volumes. These would not be my choice for a long haul flight though.

REMOVAL OF THE EARHOOKS

I asked Bob if it was possible to remove the ear hooks, and he showed me how (see photos). Effectively you’re breaking the screw into the rear cap – which then allows the arms to be removed. Because the screw is attached from the inside, the remainder is left exposed through the rear of the IEM. A small drop of hot-glue seals the hole, and effectively holds the remaining screw piece in place.

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Tool required	Engage at the base of the Kommand	Screw broken, hooks removed

The Kommand (for me at least) was then very easy to fit, very easy to get a deeper seal, and still sounded as good. Now please note – my Kommand (despite the photos) is still in one piece. I had a faulty earlier model which I removed the cap from to take these photos. I wouldn’t dream of doing it to the sample I have now because IMO the ear hook assembly (now that I am used to it) actually works pretty well. But the option is there if needed. Just remember though, it probably kills your warranty – and it is definitely non-reversible.

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Dab of hot glue to secure remainder of screw	Komamnd minus hook assembly	Hooked vs non-hooked

I have spoken to Bob about researching a design where the ear-hooks could be removed or reattached easily – and hopefully this might be a change coming for the future. To me it would definitely add value.

THE FILTER SYSTEM

Like RockJaw’s Alfa Genus, the Kommand comes with 3 different user-fitted filters. Just a small note here – RockJaw lists (on the plate inside the packaging) the black/grey as reference and the gold as neutral. The 3 filters are actually what I would call:

Silver = bassy, and most V shaped
Gold = very bass light, treble oriented – clearly the “treble” filter (I wouldn’t call it reference)
Black/grey = most balanced filter – still a little bassier than neutral, but not over-done.

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Silver bassy filter - no vent	Black/grey "balanced" filter - with damping	Champagne/gold treble filter - no damping but vented

On all 3 filters, the mid-range is very similar (this shows in the graphs too) with the biggest changes coming in the bass (mainly in sub-bass, but some effect in mid-bass as well), and also in the upper mid-range. On all 3 I have noticed a comparative dip in the lower mids (compared to other frequencies) and this has the effect of making vocals sound a little more relaxed or further back in the mix. This dip is least apparent with the gold filter, and occurs more with male vocals than female.

The bassy silver filter is actually one of the first bass filter systems I would have no problems living with. It just has a clear nozzle with no internal acoustic damping, and no vent. It effectively adds a lift in both bass (mainly sub, but some mid) and also upper mid-range. This gives a subtle nudge to bass impact, but also maintains a lot of clarity through the vocal area, and makes quite a V shaped sound, but one which sounds both smooth, and clear at the same time.

The bass-light gold filter is the one filter (this time) that definitely wasn’t to my taste. Like the silver filter, it has a clear nozzle with no internal acoustic damping – but this time has a small vent. It has very clear vocals, and sounds very fast. But the bass is just AWOL. I mean it’s still there, but it has no real impact, and kind of reminds me of the old ATH A700. You can get used to it – but it always sounds as if something is missing. For me (as a borderline treble-head) to not really like this filter is a telling sign. It just needs a little lift in the bass (a small adjustment).

The grey/black (sort of gun-metal) filter is the only one with a filling inside it. This looks like a convex membrane of some sort. It also has a small port/vent. It is a nice balance between the two other filters having a good bass presence, but also a little less peakiness in the upper mid-range. The sound is still mildly V shaped – but impressively clear.

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Kommand. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, and Comply tips. From this point on, all testing was done with the grey/black balanced filter.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

I already covered a little of the signature descriptions above in my filter summary – but if I was to describe the default signature with the black/grey in a few words – I’d choose the words “clear”, “smooth”, and “organic”.
The Kommand has a signature which mixes clarity in the mid-range with nicely balanced but impactful bass and a smooth top end. The resultant combination is a nicely balanced overall presentation which has plenty of detail and clarity, but is also quite smooth.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

First up was Gaucho, and what a lovely presentation. The sax intro is nicely detailed, and all the normal detail of the track is there, and more importantly separated nicely. Bass is very good on this track – perfectly balanced.
Moving onto “Sultans of Swing”, and once more the separation of instruments, clarity, and overall presentation of the Kommand is brilliant. The bass is quick, sounds natural and compliments rather than overpowering. Bass guitar is perfect. Vocals are clear – just slightly back a little – but easy to follow. Knopfler’s guitar sits out in front, and has good edge and crunch. Cymbals are there but not overdone. There is no evidence of smearing on any track I’ve listened to so far.

What I am noticing (after listening to Lofgren’s “Keith Don’t Go”) is how well the Kommand portrays guitar – especially acoustic. It’s certainly an organic sound.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Kommand has an average stage for an IEM, and with this track extends just out of head (not by a large margin though). There are good directional cues and both width and depth are represented well – just a little closer and more intimate.

Next up was Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the Kommand shone once again here. Not so much the impression of stage/space – because that was merely average / intimate. But the portrayal of piano, cello, and Loreena’s vocals together was captivating. Imaging in this track is OK, nothing stunning, but clarity and separation (without losing that sense of smoothness or refinement) remains very good. A beautiful and natural rendition of tone and timbre. In this track, the applause at the end can be so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the Kommand, I’m definitely in the crowd (the applause is around me). It is close, but it feels real, and it’s pretty impressive.

Bass Quality and Quantity

The Kommand has bass that is slightly north of neutral in quantity but quite agile and generally clean. It’s definitely not overdone, and hasn’t overpowered any tracks I’ve listened to so far. It does seem to present a quite natural sounding decay – especially in the very low bass, and this just gives it an added sense of realism – although it can make really bassy tracks a little boomy (this is pretty infrequent though). When the bass is present in a track though, the Kommand can go impressively low, and it has good impact (even better with the silver filters).

Amongst my test tracks is “Muddy Waters” by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is quite dark and brooding anyway – and is often a good test of bass bleed. The Kommand had impressive thump with a little bloom, but didn’t impact on Mark’s vocals (which had great timbre and plenty of the “gravel” he’s well known for). The bass delivery is controlled, and enjoyable.

Switching to Lindsay Stirling, and the Kommand is really good with this electronic/dub mix. This time the bass is tight and punchy with very good depth. And it really contrasts nicely with the clarity of the violin.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward).

This was always going to be an interesting test for the Kommand because whilst they have an upper mid-range bump, it also seems to have a bit of treble roll-off (perhaps this is why they are quite smooth), and I wasn’t sure how the recession in the lower mids would translate to some artists I have. Artists like Agnes Obel can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t presented quite right. With Aventine, her vocals were very good – but some of the opening background music (centered mainly on the lower mids) was a little hollow sounding. It is forgivable though as it is such a hard track to get perfect. Obel’s vocals weren’t quite as euphonic as my A83 or Altone200, but no problem to listen to overall with the Kommand.

I then proceeded to play my normal medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Julia Stone, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, Feist, and Norah Jones. In each case, the Kommand was a joy to listen to, though if I was comparing side-by-side with my big 2 for female vocals (A83 and Altone200), the Kommand would not beat either for my tastes. It is still a hugely enjoyable listening experience with female vocals though – and both Feist’s and FATM’s tracks were hugely enjoyable (mix of great vocal presentation and almost perfect bass contrast). Cilmi’s “Safer” was a standout though – great tonality, and so smooth.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

The Kommand was very good with pretty much everything I queued. Vocals were clean and clear, guitar had good edge, and the bass was fast and had some nice impact. With acoustic rock, the Kommand seemed to go into another gear, and once again with Seether’s “Immortality” I was struck by how natural and organic it sounded.

I went through my usual track list and even the faster paced Diary of Jane couldn’t upset RockJaw’s Kommand performance (excuse the pun). Smearing was nowhere to be heard, and that is quite an accomplishment with this often congested track.

Time for what has become my litmus test with male vocals – Pearl Jam. The Kommand aces it – great tonality, and the ability to convey emotion. Detail contrast is very good. Bass is there and in perfect proportion. This is definitely my kind of sound.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

My reviews have tended to get a bit long winded recently so I’m going to try and condense this section to very short summaries.

Rock – already covered with the Male Vocal section above. The Kommand does rock well. Especially anything acoustic.

Alt Rock – Very good with Porcupine Tree’s “Trains”. Great impact. Nice tone. Very smooth, but not lacking any detail. Bass was tight and quick – the way it should be. Floyd’s “Money” was good – but slightly hollow. Easily fixed by bumping the low treble a bit. Sax presentation was brilliant though.

Jazz / Blues – Both Portico Quartet and Miles Davis were very easy to listen to. Very good contrast and nice presentation of micro detail. Davis was exceptional, although when comparing the filters, Jazz was one of the genres I preferred the silver filter. With Blues, Beth Hart’s “Lift You Up” was raw, emotional and powerful – the way it should be. Really nice backbeat with this track too – and once again guitar was presented beautifully. Likewise Bonamassa’s guitar and vocals shone with the Kommand – enough for me to queue his entire “Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House” double album, and listen to it twice!

Rap / EDM – Absolutely shines with these genres – but again the silver filter was my preference. There is something about a V shaped frequency response and EDM. Little Dragon was magic – as was the Flashbulb.

Pop / Indie – Pretty good with mainstream artists like Coldplay and Adele. Norah Jones “The Fall” album was pure liquid joy for the ears. Yesper’s “Cannibal King” was equally as enjoyable, proving to me once again that the Kommand really does guitar stunningly well. The Kommand (like the Arcana before it) does Indie incredibly well. There is something about its mid-range which is captivating with this genre.

Classical / Opera – Not really surprising, but the Kommand aced this as well. Standout for me was Kempff’s piano solos and Zoe Keating’s cello. Both had amazing timbre, and very easy to lose yourself.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

I covered this in the introduction – but to me the Kommand definitely don’t need any extra amplification. They were easily powered out of all my portable devices, and with the X5 I rarely go above 30/120 in terms of volume for mainstream music. With classical I had to bump the volume a little – but nothing onerous (around 45/120 for Fischer), and even the iPhone was nowhere near maxed in all the time I used it. I also performed my standard test and volume matched, and then compared the X1 and X1+E11K. Apart from a slight change in tonality (minimal) there was no real change in dynamics to these ears.

WHAT ABOUT EQ

The Kommand don’t really need it, and most people will simply change the signature by changing the filters. But I did try EQ with the treble filter (lifting the 30-150 Hz range a little – more sub, a little less mid), and it responded well. Likewise, little adjustments when I thought it was needed (bumping the low treble for a little more contrast with “Money”) gave great response. In Kommand, RockJaw has a driver that copes really well with tweaking.

KOMMAND - SUMMARY & THOUGHTS ON IMPROVEMENT

Sonically, the RockJaw Kommand is a well-tuned and versatile IEM. It portrays most genres very well, and IMO excels with both acoustic and also EDM or other electronic based genres (especially with the silver filters).
It has a reasonably solid build and is stunning aesthetically (love that wood and metal combo with the ear-guides). It has a very good cable, fits nicely (once you master the ear guides), and is both light weight and looks to be reasonably durable in the long term.

The ear-guides are going to be a question mark for many – I hope people do give them a decent go though, because once you get the hang of the fit, it actually is pretty easy to maintain.

The “not so goods” are pretty minor, and exist more around what is missing rather than something implemented badly. First up – a hard case is needed – especially to protect those ear hooks. Next, at $180 USD I personally would expect a better tip selection – especially if you consider what RHA offers with their T10i for similar money. Of course I much prefer the Kommand’s tuning – but even with its superior sound, the accessory pack should be better. Lastly – please – glue those strain reliefs properly. I had the same issue with my Alfa Genus. It’s not something I should have to fix myself.

As far as future improvements go – it would be great to have the ear guides as both easily removable and re-attachable. This would add a measure of versatility that would definitely be ahead of the competition. Secondly – I’d look at slightly retuning the gold filter. I just can’t see anyone using it in its present form. It doesn’t need much – just a touch more bass.

Otherwise the Kommand is very good. Fix the accessory package and the strain relief and you definitely have an IEM that is worth the asking price, and is comparable to the competition.

Thanks once again to Bob and the RockJaw team for giving me this opportunity.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

Brainwavz is a now well established manufacturer of headphones in the value for money category – offering many different options that suit almost anyone’s sonic preferences. I’ve previously had both good and bad experiences with their headphones / IEMs. I’ve previously reviewed and owned their B2 IEMs and HM5 headphones, and both were stellar performers. I’ve also sampled their R1, R3, S0, S5 and R3 V2 IEMs – and whilst the R3 V2, S0 and S5 were also solid performers, the R1 and R3 originals weren’t quite as well aligned with my preferences.

I’ve had regular contact with Audrey from Brainwavz, and when she asked me to consider reviewing the M1, I was intrigued, especially as she hinted that these might be more aligned with my own sonic preferences.
I received the courier pack a couple of weeks ago – and have already spent as much time as I could getting to know the ins and out of these IEMs. As Audrey has hinted, it’s actually been a very pleasant experience reviewing these. I’d estimate that so far I’ve logged around 20-25 hours with the Brainwavz M1.

I’ve listed price at USD $44.50 (current MP4Nation/Amazon price at time of writing) – however this is not what I paid for them (they are a review sample).

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Brainwavz M1 as a review sample. I am in no way affiliated with Brainwavz - and this review is my subjective opinion of the Brainwavz M1. I would like to thank Audrey for making this opportunity available.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1, Sennheiser HD600, and Brainwavz HM5. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83 or A81, Dunu DN-1000 or Titan, and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Brainwavz M1 straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, and X1. I also used my Beyer A200p and E11K amplifier, but IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the M1, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that my impression of their sonic footprint may have changed over time with use (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Brainwavz M1 arrived in a bright and shiny orange and black retail box with a display window to see the M1 earpieces. The box is definitely eye-catching with its bold colour scheme. On the front of the box are 3 descriptions – “balanced sound”, “comfortable fit”, and “silver OFC cable”. IMO this is an honest and accurate representation of some of the attributes of the M1.

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Front of M1 retail carton	Rear of M1 retail carton

On the rear of the box is the sales blurb, list of specifications, contents and accessories.

As always with the sample Brainwavz sends me – they arrive completely sealed. I take this to mean that this particular sample has simply come straight from their warehouse – implying that they are very confident in their quality control (no need to hand pick samples).

Inside the retail carton is a plastic moulded tray, holding the M1 IEMs, and the by now well-known Brainwavz carry case – which holds the balance of the cable and accessories.


Inner sleeve - case and M1 IEMs	M1s and accessory package

The accessory package is very typical Brainwavz – very comprehensive, and quite exceptional, especially at this price range. It still amazes me that even in the sub $50 price bracket, they offer far more accessories than a lot of other manufacturers do with their pricier models.

First up you get the Brainwavz carry case – which is a hard fabric covered pouch – and easily carries all your tips and the M1. The case is really good because it does offer a lot of protection to the IEMs – but it is definitely more suited to transport in a jacket pocket or bag rather than a trouser pocket – simply due to its height. This is definitely a quality carry case though.

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Tip selection + shirt clip	Tip selection profile

Along with the case you also get a small combined instruction plus warranty information sheet (reverse side), a shirt clip, a generous selection of silicone tips, and a genuine set of Comply S400 medium tips.

The silicone tips include 6 sets of standard tips, and 1 set of bi flanges.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From Brainwavz)

Drivers	Dynamic, 10.7mm
Shell	Plastic moulded body + metal nozzle
Rated Impedance	32 ohms
Frequency Range	20 Hz – 20 kHz
Sensitivity	110 dB @ 1mW
Cable	1.3m, silver plated OFC copper cable
Plug	3.5 mm gold plated, approx. 60 deg angle
Weight	14g (with comply tips fitted)
Fitting	Straight down or over ear

FREQUENCY GRAPH

Unfortunately I’ve been unable to find a frequency graph for the M1 so far but will add it later if I can find one. For the record – I’m expecting a quite balanced overall frequency response with a relatively flat mid-bass (a bit of normal roll off in the sub bass though), flat lower mid-range, small peak in the upper-mids (centred around 5-6K) and clear and extended treble.

BUILD QUALITY

The Brainwavz M1 is a very diminutive IEM measuring just 4mm in diameter at its widest point and 21mm in length from the rear to the tip of the nozzle. The outer shell is smooth moulded plastic with no obvious sharp joins or corners. The front portion of the m1 consists of a metal “cap” with integrated nozzle. The fit to the plastic body is virtually seamless. The nozzle has a generous lip, and tips feel very secure once fitted. For the foam tip lovers, my T400 and Tx400 are perfect fits. There is a large port on the side of the IEM and a smaller one in the bass of the aluminium cap.

The design of the M1 allows for the IEM to be either worn cable down or over ear.

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M1 showing side bass port, minimal strain relief but robust build	Nozzles and small port / vent

The M1 is extremely light weight – weighing in at a meagre 14g – including cable and tips.

The one real issue I have with the M1 housing is a complete lack of strain relief at the cable exit from the housing. This is mitigated somewhat by the strength of the cable (more on this below) – but something to note.
L/R markings are printed in grey/silver on the black M1 shell and are not the easiest to read. But for me (and I guess most users) the markings become superfluous, as in my preferred over-ear fit, I know the body port always faces forward – so I can tell left earpiece from right even when not sighted.

The cable is a 1.3m silver plated copper cable (twisted pair) in an outer smooth plastic sheath. It is extremely solid and well put together, but is quite microphonic when worn down. This can be negated through use of the supplied shirt clip, or wearing over ear. There is no cable cinch which IMO is a real shame as this is a feature I always like to see for my preferred wearing method.

The cable is flexible but also has quite a bit of memory (assume this is because of the silver plating or the gauge of wire used). It isn’t enough to be annoying though – it just could be better. The combination of twisted pair, outer sheath encasing, suggests this cable will last the test of time. For the most part I like it. It would be perfect if it retained less memory (wasn’t quite so stiff).

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Generic Y-split - very sturdy cable	Angled jack - doesn't fit smartphones with cases very well

The Y-split is generic with standard cable relief. The jack is gold plated, and sturdy, set at sound 60-65 degrees (slightly angled above 90 degrees) and has good strain relief. My one critique of the jack is that it is a little bulky (wide), and won’t fit my iPhone with the case on (so most fo the time when using the iPhone I’ve either had to remove the case of use the A200p). Something for smartphone users to be aware of.

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No strain relief but cable is extremely strong	Very good build for a budget IEM

All in all though, an extremely well-constructed IEM, and especially if you consider it is only USD 45.00.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried the large silicone tips included, and they wouldn’t seal for my ears, a pair of my own did fit very well though, and the included bi-flanges also provided a good seal. I did find that the Comply tips provide me the most comfort and seal – so for the review I’m using a pair of my own Tx-400s.

All tips stayed intact with the M1 during insertion and removal, so the design of the nozzle definitely gets thumbs up from me. Isolation with the Comply tips is average for a ported dynamic IEM. They won’t get to Ety or Shure levels of isolation, but good enough for daily use (although maybe not for train/plane travel).

The comfort is very good though, and for me personally, they don’t protrude past my ears, and I can sleep with them in (I did last night actually).

So what does the Brainwavz M1 sound like? Did Audrey really find my ideal signature?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Brainwavz M1. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X1 or Beyerdnamic A200p as source.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

I like these. I really like these. If I was on a limited budget, I could happily live with the M1 and a Fiio X1, and simply “get lost in the music”.

When I first heard the M1, my first reaction was “wow” – very clear, quite balanced, maybe slightly warm in the bottom end, but good balance overall. As I’ve grown more accustomed to them I’ve come to realise that the warmth I thought I heard is my brains way of compensating for a slight lack of transparency compared to other brighter IEMs I own (which have higher overall resolution). What I think I’m hearing now with the M1 is a nicely balanced overall frequency with:

Soft roll-off in the sub bass (not steep)
Occasional bloom in the mid-bass, but otherwise nice speed, and not overly boomy.
Very good mid-range with a rise from about 3K peaking about 5-6K – which is really assisting the clarity of vocals.
Reasonably extended treble with not much roll-off, even going strong at 16-17K

Just in case you want to know how I got the above measurements – I used test tones and an SPL meter app to measure the entire frequency response. Not exactly accurate due to the limitations of my measuring devices, but better than “by ear”.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I used both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

The M1 is a joy to listen to on this track for me (Gaucho) with very clear vocals, bass sitting in the background (complimenting rather than dominating), and overall reasonable detail with nice clarity. Sax sounds brilliant, and the only thing missing is a small bit of upper end resolution. With my A83 or Altone200 the cymbal splashes are detailed enough to hear a normal slight decay after the cymbal hit. With the M1 this is truncated ever so slightly – but not overly noticeable (unless critically listening). The M1 beats the Altone 200 for tonality though – sounding much more natural and balanced – quite a feat for a budget IEM!

Switching to Sultans of Swing, and once more this is a fantastic rendition. Everything again is in balance with vocals and guitar being up front and focused. Snares and cymbals are easily heard. This track is crisp, clear and dynamic. The mid-range is just gorgeous.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I used Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I used this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Brainwavs M1 for me is a typical IEM in this regard. The sound – while extremely clear is just on the periphery of being “out of my head’ – but definitely enjoyable. Directional cues are really good (positioning of all of the instruments was as good as my more expensive IEMs) – so for a value priced IEM its imaging is quite excellent really.

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the M1 again delivered a detailed and tonally vibrant and captivating performance. Again the stage is intimate, not really having a large sense of width or depth, but it is a presentation you can close your eyes and lose yourself in (that tonality!)

In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the M1, the clapping does not wash around me (most IEMs don’t achieve this anyway – so it wasn’t expected).

Curious on how Amanda Marshall’s “Let it Rain” would sound (the track is recorded with an almost holographic quality), and the M1 was very good. Not the wow factor of the A83, Altone or Titan – but a presentation I could listen to for hours none the less.

Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Bass Quality and Quantity

As you’ll guess from my earlier comments, the M1 has bass that is relatively flat, and a bit of roll-off through the sub-bass. The bass is relatively quick and agile, but doesn’t quite have the sub-bass power or impact that I’m used to with the triple hybrids I use mostly. Occasionally there is a little bloom through the mid-bass but the M1 exhibits this very seldom.

Amongst my test tracks is “Muddy Waters” by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is quite dark and brooding – and is often a good test of bass bleed. The M1 was very good with this track – Mark’s vocals were presented wonderfully. I did notice that some of the raw power from the lower bass wasn’t there (at least it had less overall impact than I’m used to). Still a great presentation though. Switching to Amy Winehouse, and again – good beat, great vocals, very clear – but not as subteranneously deep as I would normally expect.

To get a further idea of quality this time, I next played Zoe Keating’s “Escape Artist”. The M1’s rendition of Zoe’s cello was wonderful. Maybe not quite the overall depth – but it captured the timbre of Zoe’s cello pretty well.

Female Vocals

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward).

I expected the M1 to cope well with female vocals, and it didn’t disappoint. First up was the torture test : Agnes Obel (some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right). I needn’t have worried – the M1 immediately handled the track with aplomb. The vocals were sweet, euphonic, captivating.

I then proceeded to play my normal medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, Feist, and Norah Jones. The stand-out for me was Cilmi’s “Safer” – the emotion conveyed was wonderful, and it was as if she was in front of me in a small jazz venue. Wildlight’s “Dawn to Flight” was also exceptional, and the M1 also seemed a natural match with Adele.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

The M1 was not quite as energetic with a lot of my rock tracks – still a great listen, but once you’re used to a little more sub-bass, when it’s missing you notice it. Don’t get me wrong though – for a budget earphone its presentation is still extremely good. Very clean and clear in vocal presentation, and able to nicely portray the crunch and edge of lead guitar. If I had my choice though – just a little more targeted sub bass would cap things off nicely.

I went through my usual track list and really had no issues with most tracks (even handling Diary of Jane reasonably well – and this can be a brutal track for overloading a driver. Acoustic rock in particular was sublime (Nil’s Lofgren’s Keith Don’t Go was brilliantly articulate).

My litmus test for male vocals though is Pearl Jam. Vedder’s vocals were handled easily. Great timbre, cymbal hits are clear, the background bass guitar is there (but quite a bit in the background). A little different to what I am used to – but perfectly happy to listen to this presentation for hours. Winner.

Other Music / Genres
The M1 with its clear mid-range handled virtually all of my music with ease – from Jazz and Blues to Classical and Opera. It was particularly strong with my Alt.Rock tracks – handling Floyd and Porcupine Tree with great dynamism and contrast.

With Rap and EDM the M1 was competent, but lacking some of the low-end impact that these genres sometimes need. Eminem’s Lose Yourself was catchy but didn’t have the visceral thump that it normally has. Lindsay Stirling’s Electric Daisy Violin was similar – but the violin was the star here, and still the track was catchy and enjoyable. Perhaps most telling was Lorde’s “Royals”. Beautiful vocals – but that very low bass guitar, and deep kick drum was just too far in the background.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The M1 is very easily powered straight out of virtually any portable device, and I didn’t experience any issues with any of the DAPs or amp/dacs I tested.

RESPONSE TO EQ?

As you can guess from the above comments , the one area I wanted to see if I could get some more impact from was always going to be from about 100 Hz down. So using Foobar2000 together with the A200p, I dialled in about 8dB into the 55 and 77Hz sliders and about 6dB into 110 hz. Wow – the M1 handled it without breaking its stride (no distortion either), and suddenly EDM, Rap, Dub, Trance and Trip Hop were really shaking things up.

REALLY QUICK COMPARISONS

At the time of writing, I’m lucky enough to have a few IEMs which whilst not exactly in the same price bracket, are close enough to quickly compare.

The M1 (at time of completing the review) is actually on Amazon at USD 40.00, so we’ll use Amazon where possible for pricing comparisons. These comparisons are with no EQ, volume matched using an SPL meter at 3 kHz – and are based on my preferences.

Vs Rock Alfa Genus $45 – With gold filters the M1 and A-G are tonally very similar. A-G has a little more bass, but both have good balance, very good detail and tonality. These IEMs are probably more similar than different. Alfa-Genus would win on overall versatility (filter system).

Vs Brainwavz S0 $45 – S0 is a lot bassier. Both have a forward and pleasing mid-range. M1 sounds cleaner and quite bass light comparatively, but also leaner – where the S0 is a lot fuller sounding. Both have pretty smooth treble. My preference would probably lean towards the M1.

Vs Rock Arcana2 $47 – Both are reasonably balanced with Arcana lending a lot more towards bass and warmth, while M1 is leaner and more purely mid-range oriented. M1 is brighter through mid-range where Arcana is more earthy. Both have nice sparkle in upper registers. Arcana has slightly more V overall where M1 has more balance. My preference = Arcana, but could go either way.

Vs Ostry KC06 $58 – Similar tonality + bass / mid-range / treble balance. Vocals on M1 are a little more forward. M1 slightly thinner and clearer especially in the mid-range. KC06 slightly warmer. I’m on the fence here – would probably go with KC06 for slightly fuller overall tone.

Vs Havi B3 Pro1 $62 – M1 is a lot clearer and cleaner sounding. Havi sounds thicker, vocals sound more distant, and there is both more bass impact, and slightly more upper end detail emphasis (cymbal). Overall M1 has more balance. My preference = M1

Vs HSA BA-100 $79 – M1 is similar tonally but has fuller mid-range and slightly more bass. BA-100 has more sizzle in upper end. Both are very clear. My preference = M1

BRAINWAVZ M1 - SUMMARY

The Brainwavz M1 is like a breath of fresh air in a budget category often dominated by bass heavy or quite V shaped signatures.

It is (for the price) well built, easy to fit, comes with a very good accessory package, and sounds very detailed with a neutral and balanced signature (if a little bass light). Some may find the cable a little troublesome (unruly) but I could live with this simply for the build. A little more flexibility and the cable would be perfect.

The Brainwavz M1 will likely suit:

Fans of a balanced or neutral sonic presentation
People who value clarity
People who listen to a variety of genres, and do not tend toward mainly bass heavy music

The Brainwavz M1 may not suit anyone who:

Prefers a darker, warmer, bassier presentation
Prefers vocals more laid back / prefers a more V shaped presentation
Listens to a lot of bassier genres – rap, dub, trance, EDM etc

The litmus question again for me would be “would I buy these for myself”, and “would I recommend them to my family”. The answer to this question is YES – and with EQ applied, the M1 even offers the additional bass that some may be missing at first listen.

At USD 40-45, they are an incredibly well priced IEM with few flaws. I do acknowledge though that many may not have my preferences. For those who do though, a Fiio X1 + the Brainwavz M1 make perfect partners for the budget conscious music lover.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRAINWAVZ

I can’t really recommend a lot at this price point – as they are already great value. But if I could change anything …..

Add a neck cinch. This should be standard on all models without an in-line mic!
Change the jack to something more “smartphone + case friendly”
Maybe raise the AWG on the cable for more flexibility (or lose the silver plate?). Keep the twisted pair and sheath though!
Add a simple strain relief to the M1 body.

Thanks once again Audrey – I’ve really enjoyed reviewing these.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

I’ve been working with RockJaw UK for the last 12 months giving feedback on their IEM line, and providing reviews as they get to release point. So it was with great pleasure that I received a courier pack from Bob containing not only the Arcana V2, but also the Kommand and Hydra V2. I posted a review on the Hydra a little earlier (not a big fan) and will be reviewing the Kommand in the near future.

The original Arcana was supposed to be a dual driver IEM. I did get to sample the first version, and although the build was brilliant, I wasn’t overly enamoured with the sound, and after discussion with Bob, agreed not to review it as changes were in the wind. The new Arcana arrived just before Xmas, and the changes were readily apparent. The original body was gone, as was one of the drivers, and the new Arcana now looked more like the existing Alfa Genus – but more importantly, sounded infinitely better.

For those who aren’t aware, RockJaw is an English based audio company which although relatively new to the Head-Fi scene, has already released four IEMs and a full sized headphone. RockJaw’s service and communication in that time has been exemplary, and I really like how they have been interacting with this community to develop their product range.

RockJaw’s philosophy (http://www.RockJawaudio.com/our-story/) is that really good sound shouldn’t be unaffordable, and build quality can be obtained even at budget friendly pricing. A fantastic example of this is their Alfa Genus (http://www.head-fi.org/products/rock-jaw-alfa-genus/reviews/11243) IEM which I still believe is one of the best and most versatile IEMs at its intended price point.

The Arcanas arrived almost 3 weeks ago, and unlike the Hydras, I’ve spent quite a bit of time with these in my ears – simply because they are a lovely sounding IEM. I’d estimate I have around 25-30 hours listening time with them so far.

Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the Arcana 2 and who might find them to their tastes.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Arcana V2 as a review unit from RockJaw. I am in no way affiliated with RockJaw - and this review is my subjective opinion of the Arcana V2. I do want to take this opportunity to thank Bob – he exemplifies RockJaw’s excellence in customer care in every communication we have.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83 or A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the RockJaw Arcana straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, and X1. I also used my Beyer A200p and also the E11K amplifier, but IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the Arcana, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that my impression of their sonic footprint may have changed over time with use (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

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Front of retail sleeve	Rear of retail sleeve

The Arcana V2 arrived in RockJaws new retail packaging (essentially the same as the Hydra V2), and consists of a retail sleeve which is windowed front and back, and an inner compartment. When the outer sleeve is removed, it reveals a foam insert holding the IEMs and tips, and hinged lower compartment containing shirt clip, manual, and carry pouch. The packaging is solid, easy to handle, and IMO looks really nice (I personally love the slate, grey and orange combination).

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Sleeve and inner	Inside the compartment - carry pouch and clip

The included carry pouch is essentially a draw string felt type bag – but it appears well made and is ideal for carry the Arcanas in your pocket. It won’t offer a great deal of protection, but given the very good build quality, it should be sufficient and is appreciated as a great solution for avoiding cable disarray.

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Included accessories	Tips in profile

The accessory pack includes 4 pairs (S,M x2, and L) single flange silicone tips, and a shirt clip. Fairly frugal – but considering the price point, understandable.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From RockJaw)

Type	Single dynamic driver inner ear monitor
Drive	8mm dynamic driver
Frequency Range	20 Hz – 20 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	108 dB +/- 3dB
Plug	3.5mm gold plated, right angled
Cables	1.2m twisted and sheathed, and includes inline mic + button control
Weight	13g
IEM Shell	Bullet shape, aluminium and cherry wood

FREQUENCY GRAPH

At the time of writing, I do not have a frequency graph – but at a guess I would suggest a small bump in the bass, very slight recession in lower mids, and small bump in upper mids, and larger bump in lower treble.

BUILD QUALITY

The Arcana V2 has a very lightweight aluminium top and bottom plate with a cherry wood enclosure around most of the body. The IEM is a classic bullet cartridge type shape. It measures 9mm in diameter at the base, and has a length of 20mm from bass to nozzle tip.

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Aluminium and cherry wood chassis - very well built	Rear port

The colouring of the wood is much lighter than the wood used on the Alfa Genus, and clearly shows the grain. Bob tells me that it is a cherry wood, but actually has more of a rose wood colouring. RockJaw’s name is nicely engraved into the side of each shell. The aluminium upper and lower is very clean, and looks spectacular against the wood. There is a very sturdy (better than the Alfa Genus) aluminium exit for the cable, and this in term has good strain relief. The L/R markings are in white type on the silver, and hard to read – but this doesn’t matter as the left earpiece is the only one to have the mic/button control.

There is a large vent/port at the rear of the Arcana, the nozzle has a generous lip, and is also meshed to protect the driver. One of the things I love about RockJaw’s nozzles is that they are slightly tapered at the front – which means it is a little easier to get tips in place.

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Arcana - gorgeous wood tone, well built with good strain relief	Microphone/button control

The cable is brilliant, and again I wish more manufacturers would adopt something similar. It is a twisted pair encased in a smooth flexible plastic sheath which is very pliable, very non-microphonic, and appears to be very strong.

From the left earpiece there is a combined mic and single button control device (1 click pause/play, 2 fast clicks track +1, 3 fast clicks, track -1). This hangs (when worn over ear) about half-way between my jaw and shirt collar. The microphone is a good for audio and in my testing voice came through loud and clear. For those preferring a chin slider/cinch, the mic unit is the reason it is missing – but a shirt clip is included instead. Small note here – the button control works well with my iP5S, but surprisingly also with my Fiio X1 (although it was occasionally flaky with the X1).

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90 degree plug	Y split

The Y-split is very generic / no frills, but has reasonable strain relief at the single exit. The jack is right angled, 4 pole, very slim (ideal for smartphones with cases) and at my preferred 90 degree angle.

Overall the build quality is a good standard for the cost. I can’t really fault them at all.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried the included large silicone tips, and whilst they fit OK, I was unable to maintain a seal. So I reverted to a slightly wider set of single flange silicone tips of my own which also have a very wide bore. I could also try Comply tips – but the ones I’m using now worked so well with the Hydra, they are a natural fit for the Arcanas as well.

Comfort is very good and they are very light weight, easy to fit (once you have the right tips), and also fit quite flat to my ears – so can be worn lying on my side. The Arcana can be worn cable over ear or cable down.

Isolation with a good insertion and correct seal is average for an IEM, mainly due to the rear exterior port. With music playing, most ambient noise is well and truly filtered out. Again (like the Hydra previously), I’m not sure if these would be my choice for a long haul flight though.

So how does the Arcana V2 sound?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Arcana V2. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, and silicone tips with a wide bore.

Test equipment - X5, X1 and Arcanas with wide bore silicones

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the default signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “clear”, “punchy” and “fun”.

The Arcana V2 has a great signature which mixes clarity in the mid-range with energetic bass and a nice crisp top end. The resultant combination is a very lively forward overall presentation which has plenty of detail, and is very engaging.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

First up was Gaucho, and joy of joys all the detail is there, and it is brilliant and vivid. The sax intro is forward and everything just gels together nicely. Vocals are clear and lively. Bass matches nicely on this track – the bass guitar is perfectly balanced. I love this presentation! Plenty of contrast – and I really don’t think there is anything I would change.

Moving onto “Sultans of Swing”, and once more the overall balance of the Arcana is just stunning. The bass is fast, but sounds natural – just enough to compliment rather than overpower. Vocals are crystal clear – and more importantly sound natural. Knopfler’s guitar contrasts nicely with his vocals, and the overall coherency of the track is wonderful. Detail is definitely there – the subtle hits of snare and cymbal – and while it may not be quite as vivid as some of my more detailed IEMs, the overall combination of detail and tone (for my tastes) just resonates. Separation of instruments is excellent, and there is no evidence of smearing on any track I’ve listened to so far.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Arcana has an average stage for an IEM, and with this track extends just out of head (not by a large margin though). There are good directional cues, and both width and depth are represented well.

Next up was Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the opening piano notes almost took my breath away – a beautifully natural rendition of tone and timbre. Whilst the sense of space is more intimate than spacious, it still delivers very good imaging within the intimate stage it sets. Loreena’s vocal delivery is compelling – I’m definitely sitting very close to the stage – but my goodness it is captivating. In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the Arcana, the applause is slightly behind me, but it feels real, and I am very impressed.

Bass Quality and Quantity

As you’ll guess from my earlier comments, the Arcana has bass that is quite forward and a little north of neutral. What I like about it so far is that it is quick, agile, and only there when needed. It can be a little loose in the mid-bass with bassier tracks (longer decay). When the bass is present in a track though, the Arcana can go impressively low, and it has stellar impact.

Amongst my test tracks is “Muddy Waters” by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is quite dark and brooding anyway – and is often a good test of bass bleed. The Arcana dutifully pumped out a thumpingly mournful back-beat (the way it should be), but didn’t impact on Mark’s vocals (which had great timbre and plenty of the “gravel” he’s well known for). The bass delivery is copious but it is controlled, and it really is lively and fun.

To get a further idea of quality this time, I next played Zoe Keating’s “Escape Artist”. The Arcana’s rendition of Zoe’s cello was a little more forward than I’m used to, but it was really captivating. One thing I’m noticing with the Arcana is that it isn’t a relaxing IEM – it is very vivid, very alive, very compelling.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward).

This was always going to be an interesting test for the Arcana because whilst they have a small upper mid-range bump, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be enough to cope with artists like Agnes Obel (some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right). I needn’t have worried – the Arcana delivered very well. Not as euphonic or sweet as my A83 or Altone200, but very enjoyable. The cello in the background also featured well – with good timbre and tone, although probably a little more forward than I normally hear from my hybrids.

I then proceeded to play my normal medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, Feist, and Norah Jones. It would be hard to pick a stand-out as the Arcana really did well with all of my tracks. FATM and Feist’s tracks were unbelievably dynamic – with the bass thumping viscerally, but the vocals nicely layered, forward and vivid. Perri’s “Human” was stunningly clear, and soared majestically in the chorus. Cilmi’s “Safer” was tonally beautiful, and delivered with emotion. In each case the delivery is ever so slightly warmer than what I am used to – but it is very, very enjoyable.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

The Arcana was incredibly energetic with everything I queued. Very clean and clear in vocal presentation, and able to nicely portray the crunch and edge of lead guitar. At times the bass might have been a little thick and loose – but it doesn’t matter when the rest of the track gels so nicely.

I went through my usual track list and probably the only track I had minor problems with was Diary of Jane, where there was a bit of congestion, but this can be a brutal track for overloading a driver, and the smearing was actually pretty minimal. Everything else was dynamic, fun, but also clear, and articulate.

Time for what has become my litmus test with male vocals – Pearl Jam. Like the majority of tracks I’ve already listened to, the Arcana just takes it all in its stride. Vedder’s voice conveys the emotion of the track easily. Cymbal hits are clear, the background bass guitar is there but not overpowering anything. A winner in my book.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

My reviews have tended to get a bit long winded recently so I’m going to try and condense this section to very short summaries.

Rock – already covered with the Male Vocal section above. The Arcana does rock well. Hotel California was a standout – tonally beautiful.

Alt Rock – really good. Both Floyd and Porcupine Tree. My personal preference for “Trains” might have been for a little bit more brightness, but the bass impact was stunning.

Jazz / Blues – Portico Quartet was a joy to listen to – brilliant separation and detail. Very good contrast between the double bass and cymbals. Likewise Bonamassa’s guitar and vocals shone with the Arcana – the right amount of edge, the right timbre – very active and engaging.

Rap / EDM – Absolutely shines with these genres. The clarity of the vocals along with the impact of the bass is compelling and captivating. Little dragon could get a little boomy at time – but The Flashbulb was another absolute standout.

Pop / Indie – Very good with mainstream artists like Coldplay. Stunning bass impact with Lorde (reaches really low). One of the highlights (on the Indie) front was the portrayal of Wildlight and Band of Horses. For my tastes the Arcana does Indie incredibly well. There is something about its mid-range – euphonic but detailed. Captivating.

Classical / Opera – Not really surprising, but the Arcana took this in its stride as well. Netrebko and Garanca was very good – probably the first time I’d heard the Arcana sounding slightly less energetic (more relaxed), and Kempff’s piano solos were great on timbre, and really did convey some of the emotion he brings to Beethovens piano sonatas.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

I covered this in the introduction – but to me the Arcana definitely don’t need any extra amplification. They were easily powered out of all my portable devices, and with the X5 I rarely go above 30/120 in terms of volume. I did volume match and compare the X1 and X1+E11K, and apart from a slight change in tonality (minimal) there was no real change in dynamics to these ears.

ARCANA V2 - SUMMARY

It was an absolute joy to switch from my review of the Hydra to the Arcana. As Bob suggested when we first talked about the retuning, the Arcana was one he was really happy with the sonics, and he was pretty sure I’d enjoy it.

Summing up from top to bottom, the Arcana has a very solid build and aesthetically looks gorgeous (love that wood). It has a very good cable, fits nicely, and is both light weight and looks to be very durable in the long term. Sonically its not quite to my personal tastes, but for a bassy earphone, it is a lot of fun. It is pretty energetic, displaying an impressive upper mid-range, good treble sparkle, and bass that is relatively quick but quite a bit above neutra (especially the sub-bass). With the extra bass comes a little bloom on the occasional track – but no real bass bleed. As a whole, the Arcana is vivid, a lot warmer than my usual IEMs, and a lot of fun.

The RockJaw Arcana V2 is an all-rounder and at a price around 40 pound or 60-65 USD I would recommend it without any reservation. I would certainly have no hesitation recommending the Arcana to both friends and family.

Thanks once again to Bob and the RockJaw team for giving me this opportunity.

No recommendations for change from me. At this price point, don’t change a thing.

Another excellent review from one of HeadFi's most reliably accurate reviewers (IMO). Look fwd to the Kommand assessment as (those unnecessary ear hooks aside) I'm expecting good things.

@mark2410

Thank you gentlemen. The feedback means a lot to me and is appreciated. The Kommand review is up - and also included in @mark2410 's thread (http://www.head-fi.org/t/752136/rockjaw-kommand-review-impressions-thread). Interestingly we posted within a couple of hours of each other - and our findings were very similar.

Another great review Brooko, you do indeed give other reviewers something to shoot for.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

I’ve been working with RockJaw UK for the last 12 months giving feedback on their IEM line, and providing reviews as they get to release point. So it was with great pleasure that I received a courier pack from Bob containing not only the Hydra V2, but also the Kommand and Arcana V2. I’ll be reviewing both in the near future.

The original Hydra I first tried (a year ago), I didn’t end up reviewing in the end – as the sound signature was extremely dark, bassy, and claustrophobic. The new version is sadly (IMO) similar to the original – but I need to acknowledge that it is tuned that way for a particular audience, and their tastes are completely opposite to what I personally value in an IEM.

I still wanted to post a review though – because although the Hydra V2 doesn’t meet my personal tastes, it does have strong points which some will value.

For those who aren’t aware, RockJaw is an English based audio company which although relatively new to the Head-Fi scene, has already released four IEMs and a full sized headphone. RockJaw’s service and communication in that time has been exemplary, and I really like how they have been interacting with this community to develop their product range.

RockJaw’s philosophy (http://www.RockJawaudio.com/our-story/) is that really good sound shouldn’t be unaffordable, and build quality can be obtained even at budget friendly pricing. A fantastic example of this is their Alfa Genus (http://www.head-fi.org/products/rock-jaw-alfa-genus/reviews/11243) IEM which I still believe is one of the best and most versatile IEMs at its intended price point.

The Hydras arrived almost 3 weeks ago, and because they aren’t to my sonic tastes I haven’t used them as much as I would normally do when reviewing a new IEM (preferring to spend extra time with the Arcana 2). I have clocked up around 10-12 hours with them so far though.

It has been an interesting experience as there are some parts of the Hydra I do like, but much I do not. Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the Hydra 2 and who they might be ideal for.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Hydra V2 as a review unit from RockJaw. I am in no way affiliated with RockJaw - and this review is my subjective opinion of the Hydra V2. I do want to take this opportunity to thank Bob though – he exemplifies RockJaw’s excellence in customer care in every communication we have.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83 or A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the RockJaw Hydra straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, and X1. I also used my Beyer A200p and also the E11K amplifier, but IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the Hydra, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that I am becoming more used to their signature as I use them more often (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

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Front of retail sleeve	Rear of retail sleeve

The Hydra V2 arrived in RockJaw’s new retail packaging, which consists of retail sleeve (windowed front and back). When the outer sleeve is removed, it reveals a foam insert holding the IEMs and tips, and hinged lower compartment containing shirt clip, manual, and carry pouch. The packaging is solid, easy to handle, and IMO looks really nice (I personally love the slate, grey and orange combination).

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Sleeve and inner	Inside the compartment - carry pouch and clip

The included carry pouch is essentially a draw string felt type bag – but it appears well made and is ideal for carry the Hydras in your pocket. It won’t offer a great deal of protection, but given the very good build quality, it should be sufficient and is appreciated as a great solution for avoiding cable disarray.

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Hydra IEMs and accessories	Tips in profile

The accessory pack includes 4 pairs (S,M x2, and L) single flange silicone tips, and a shirt clip. Fairly frugal – but considering the price point, understandable.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
(From RockJaw)

Type	Single dynamic driver inner ear monitor
Drive	8mm dynamic driver
Frequency Range	20 Hz – 20 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	108 dB +/- 3dB
Plug	3.5mm gold plated, right angled
Cables	1.2m twisted and sheathed, and includes inline mic + button control
Weight	14g
IEM Shell	Bullet shape, aluminium

FREQUENCY GRAPH

At the time of writing, I do not have a frequency graph – but at a guess I would suggest a very large hump in the lower frequencies, recession in lower mids, and small bump in upper mids, and larger bump in lower treble.

BUILD QUALITY

The Hydra V2 has a very light weight all aluminium shell in a bullet cartridge type shape. It measures 10mm in diameter at the base, and has a length of 18mm from bass to nozzle tip.

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Full metal chassis - very well built	Rear port

The colour is (IMO) a very attractive dark chocolate brown with silver accenting/striping. The body is micro-grooved in circles, and the RockJaw name and L/R indicator are very clear to read (silver on brown). There is a large vent/port at the rear of the Hydra, the nozzle has a generous lip, and is also meshed to protect the driver. There is generous strain relief.

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Knurling can be seen (may need to click image) - note tapered nozzle	Good strain relief, and nozzle has mesh to keep nozzle clean

The cable is brilliant, and I wish more manufacturers would adopt something similar. It is a twisted pair encased in a smooth flexible plastic sheath which is very pliable, very non-microphonic, and appears to be very strong.

From the left earpiece there is a combined mic and single button control device (1 click pause/play, 2 fast clicks track +1, 3 fast clicks, track -1). This hangs (when worn over ear) about half-way between my jaw and shirt collar. The microphone is a good for audio and in my testing voice came through loud and clear. For those preferring a chin slider/cinch, the mic unit is the reason it is missing – but a shirt clip is included instead.

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90 degree plug	Y split	Microphone/button control

The Y-split is very generic / no frills, but has reasonable strain relief at the single exit. The jack is right angled, 4 pole, very slim (ideal for smartphones with cases) and at my preferred 90 degree angle.

Overall the build quality is an extremely good standard for the cost. I can’t really fault them at all.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried the included large silicone tips, and whilst they fit OK, I was unable to maintain a seal. So I reverted to a slightly wider set of single flange silicone tips of my own which also have a very wide bore – which seems to help with the Hydra’s very dark tonality. I did try Comply tips – but these further dampened the treble that was there, so I stuck with the silicones.

Comfort is very good and they are very light weight, easy to fit (once you have the right tips), and also fit quite flat to my ears – so can be worn lying on my side. The Hydra can be worn cable over ear or cable down.

Isolation with a good insertion and correct seal was average for an IEM, mainly due to the rear exterior port. With music playing, most ambient noise is well and truly filtered out. I’m not sure if these would be my choice for a long haul flight though.

So how does the Hydra V2 sound?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Hydra V2. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (without EQ) was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, and silicone tips with a wide bore. I also (as a contrast through the review) used my iPhone 5S with Accudio Pro EQ applied (CX300 preset) to remove a lot of the mid and sub-bass.

Test equipment - X5, X1 and Hydras with wide bore silicones

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the default signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “dark”, “bassy” and “veiled”. Using the EQ’d iPhone, it becomes “warm” and “smooth”.

The Hydra V2 has likely been tuned towards the modern day generic young consumer who prefers a very bass heavy sound. I’m perfectly OK with that – although it is literally a million miles from my idea of a good signature. The problem I have with it is that although there is a nice mid-range lurking there, and a tiny bit of sizzle in the lower to mid treble, it is pretty much masked by the overpowering bass. And the bass unfortunately bleeds well into the mid-range, and makes the vast majority of my music utterly lifeless – with no dynamics or contrast.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

X5 (no EQ) - with Gaucho, the sax intro is there but in the background behind the bass guitar (it shouldn’t be). Vocals are there, very smooth, but also almost muffled – none of the timbre that I am used to is there. I can’t really hear cymbals or high hats coming through at all – just very faintly in the background. Overall just a very dark presentation. I am missing virtually all of the upper end sparkle that makes this track magic. There just isn’t enough contrast.

iP5S (bass EQ’d down) – it’s like I’m hearing the same track with a veil removed. It is still warmer than I’d prefer, but now vocals are more forward, and the mid-range is allowed to shine. Bass is punchy without being totally over bearing. Some of the upper detail is more apparent – but it still is subdued compared to my favourite IEMs.

With Sultans of Swing, it was a repeat of the above notes. With no EQ, the normal magic is missing for me. With EQ the track comes to life.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Hydra has a small intimate stage (by default) with this track, and although there is some directional imaging, the sense of space is not expansive, and the overall stage is diffuse and cloudy. The direction is there, but the pinpoint accuracy isn’t.

Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” was also quite dark and very close (intimate). Sadly Loreena’s vocals came through quite muffled, and if I didn’t know the lyrics intimately I would have had trouble deciphering them I think. Cello and piano were both quite good – but no magic for me.

Bass Quality and Quantity

I’m usually used to hearing some quite impactful and good quality bass with the recent triple hybrid IEMs I’ve been spending time with lately – but the bass from the Hydra was simply too much for my preferences. It definitely has copious amounts of both sub and mid-bass, but its problem (to me anyway) is that the decay is quite slow, and the bass bloom and overall warmth detracts from the mid-range it obviously possesses (revealed through EQ).
Amongst my test tracks is “Muddy Waters” by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is quite dark and brooding anyway – and the while Hydra really had a huge amount of impact, Mark’s vocals were almost distant. The whole track is too smooth and dark for my personal preferences. Applying EQ via the iP5S had the same sub-bass impact coming through (nice) but this time I had no issues hearing Mark, and even getting some of the texture of his voice. This presentation was actually very good, and does show what the driver is capable of.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward).

By now I wasn’t expecting great things from the Hydra – but thought the upper mid-range bump it has might perform well (possibly with EQ). One of my early litmus tests is usually queuing Agnes Obel – as some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right. With the Hydra her vocals weren’t euphonic at all, and the whole track sounded as if it was being sung in a tunnel – hollow and boomy. With EQ’d iP5S it was much better. The vocals were allowed to shine and the sense of claustrophobia was gone. Still quite warm, but I could live with this. The cello also shows promising signs – with good timbre and tone.

I then proceeded to play my normal medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, Feist, and Norah Jones. The Hydra can handle vocals nicely when EQ’d – but I would not recommend its default tuning for any of my female artists so far.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

Kicking off with 3 Doors Down “Away from the Sun”, and the vocal presentation is OK – it just doesn’t have the contrast and sparkle I’m used to in the music. Moving to Green Day, and once again the music is presented “OK”, it just too warm, no contrast, uninvolving. Plenty of bass though – and what is there is boomy. Rather than go through track by track, band by band – easier to skip to my litmus test – Pearl Jam. Compared to everything else I’ve heard so far, this is actually an improvement comparatively – but there is still no life in the track for me. Time to queue up Vedder on the iP5S (EQ’d) – and now this is really pleasant. My personal preference would be a little more detail – but I could listen to this for an afternoon with no issues. Cymbals are now easy to hear, and Vedder’s voice has emotion.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Normally I’d go through this section track by track, genre by genre – but I’d rather keep this short, as the same issues I’ve mentioned above continue to display themselves with most of the music I’ve tested the Hydras with. So for now I’m going to quickly summarise ….

Rock, Alt Rock, Jazz, Blues (apart from Beth Hart’s Paradiso album which is recorded very hot), and especially Classical and Opera all sounded dull, flat, almost toneless with the default signature. Rap was actually OK, and depending on the track, the Hydra rendered some Pop and some EDM as OK. True hardcore bass-heads may enjoy the impact with a lot of EDM and Trance.

Introducing EQ (major bass reduction) turned the Hydras into a different headphone though, and one I could happily live with – although it still would not be to my real preferences.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

I covered this in the introduction – but the Hydra definitely doesn’t need any extra amplification. It was easily powered out of all my portable devices, and with the X5 I rarely go above 30/120 in terms of volume.

ROCKJAW HYDRA V2 - SUMMARY

I read back my notes and what I’d typed so far, and I almost feel guilty as it does come across as rather negative. The Hydra V2 is not a terrible IEM per se – its default sound signature is just the antithesis of everything I personally look for in an IEM.

Looking at the good points (IMO), the Hydra has a wonderful build and aesthetics, very good cable, fits nicely, and is both light weight and looks to be very durable. Sonically (especially after EQ), the Hydra possesses quite a nice consumer friendly mid-range and enough sparkle to convey detail without harshness or brittleness.

The issue for me is the default signature. The bass is over-powering, and almost claustrophobic in its effect on many of my tracks. For me personally – being used to brighter, more detailed earphones, it is like having a wall between myself and the musicians playing.

The RockJaw Hydra V2 could suit:

Fans of Rap, Pop and EDM who like a warm and extremely bass heavy presentation
People who are severely treble sensitive
People who like a warm dark signature

The RockJaw Hydra V2 is unlikely to suit anyone who looks for:

Good contrast
A high level of detail
Good balance across the frequency

The question is now how to grade this. The Hydra is clearly not intended for the audio demographic I reside in – but for mainstream younger consumers, it may well be exactly what they are after. Today I’m giving these 3 stars – based on the build, and the capability if EQ’d. I’d actually drop this to 2.5 stars if I could – but that comes out to a negative review on Head-Fi’s system, and of anything I’d like to record my review as neutral rather than negative. These (as the English say) are simply not my cup of tea.

Thanks once again to Bob and the RockJaw team for giving me this opportunity.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

My introduction to DUNU Topsound (over a year ago) was with their triple hybrid DN-1000, which rapidly became a hit with Head-Fi buyers, and was one of the first triple hybrid IEMs to show that top quality could be achieved at an affordable price. I lost touch a little with DUNU when Rocky left the company – so it was with great anticipation and gratitude that I was offered the chance to review their new Titan 1 IEM/earbud. I just want to take this opportunity to thank DUNU (Vivian) for giving me the opportunity, and also to my friend Vic (djvkool) for facilitating the review samples and getting them to me.

For those who aren’t aware, DUNU Topsound was established in 1994 originally as an OEM supplier to other companies. Since then they have developed their own branded line of high quality earphones, and gone from strength to strength with each release. They currently have their manufacturing plant in China and head office in Taiwan. They now have more than 100 employees, and market their product range all over the world.

The name DUNU is simply an acronym of the principle design points that the company strives to implement in their product range

Delicate
UNique
Utmost

I thought I’d quote this from their website, as it really does give an insight into what drives the company:

“With advanced technology and hi-end equipments, DUNU desires to be able to provide Delicate, Unique ＆ Utmost products for Hi-Fi embracers. Delicate means extremely quality demanding on product process, from every little component to product manufacturing. DUNU has complete production line and equipments, including precise equipments, B&K frequency machine, IMD sputter, CNC machine, anechoic room, etc. Concerning design of product, DUNU also devotes to create unique outer appearance and balance in all sound frequency.

Utmost is not only the expectation on products, but also the pursuit of an Earphone Manufacturer. The founder of DUNU, himself, has years of experience in OEM/ODM earphone products in which many worldwide famous earphone Brands are included. However, in order to create the most enjoyable earphone on his own, DUNU’s president establishes the brand “DUNU” and implants many hi-end equipments and hires talented employees. From then on, DUNU takes the lead in developing the first Chinese made metal earphone, developing 5.8mm Driver unit and produce the very first Chinese Balance Armature Earphone, in 2014 DUNU release China first triple driver Dynamic and Balance Armature Hybrid earphone, All these preparation are to step on the world stage and to challenge renowned earphone brands. The ultimate goal of DUNU is to provide worldwide HI-FI embracers our Delicate, Unique & Utmost earphone products.”

DUNU’s full product catalogue can be found at http://www.dunu-topsound.com/product.html - and their products are supplied through their own storefront (globally) on Amazon.

The Titans arrived to me over two weeks ago, and I’ve been using them almost every day as one of my portable IEMs – so I’ve clocked up at least 30 hours with them so far.

Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the DUNU Titan and who they might be ideal for.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the DUNU Titan 1 as a review unit from DUNU Topsound. I am in no way affiliated with DUNU - and this review is my honest opinion of the Titan 1.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83 or A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the DUNU Titan straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, X1 and also from the Beyer A200p when at work. I did not generally further amp them (I did test them with my X1 and E11K), as IMO they do not benefit greatly from additional amplification (YMMV and it may depend on your source). In the time I have spent with the Titan 1, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), and for these particular earphones I did not require much brain burn-in at all as I very much liked their sound signature from the very first listen.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The DUNU Titan 1s arrived in an approximately 170mm x 130mm x 50mm retail box. The box “screams” high-quality product to me with s simple picture of the Titans on the front and accessory, contact, and specification information on the back and sides.

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DUNU Titan retail box - front cover	DUNU Titan retail box - rear	DUNU Titan retail box - profile

The box opens “book style” to show the IEMs, and on the inside cover gives some great information about the titanium transducer being used, and how DUNU have crafter it to contribute to the sound signature they were looking for.

Opening a second inner cover exposes the carry case, some of the tips, and also the Titans themselves. The actual retail box is extremely well made, and very solid.

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Front cover opened	Inner cover opened	Titans, some tips and carry case

The carry case is one of the best cases I’ve seen so far for an IEM, and IMO an improvement on their metal boxes (used in the DN-1000 / DN-2000). It is a sturdy moulded plastic rectangular hinged lid box (with nicely rounded pocket-safe corners) measuring approximately 90mm long, 65mm wide and 23mm deep. It has a catch/lock to keep it closed, and has a matt exterior on the rear and sides, and shinier plastic top (personally I’d prefer matt all around – better for both scratches and finger prints). The only thing missing with the case is no internal pockets for spare tips etc – but I’m OK with that considering how pocket friendly and sturdy it is. I love this case.

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All of the accessories	New DUNU carry case	Interior of carry case

The accessory pack includes 3 different varieties of silicone tips (all in S,M,L) – including some that look very close to the Sony hybrid type design, some more standard red and grey tips (again with very sturdy mounting stems) and some flatter silicones with a wider bore. It’s great to see this option as it gives plenty of opportunity for the tips to meet your own personal sonic preferences.

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Comparison old DUNU case	Tips, adaptor and shirt clip	Tips in profile

Also included is a warranty card, 3.5-6.3mm adaptor, and shirt clip for the cable.

All in all – a very good and well thought out accessory range.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From DUNU’s packaging / website)

Type	Single dynamic driver inner ear monitor
Driver	13mm dynamic titanium “nano class” driver
Frequency Range	10 Hz – 30 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	90 dB (+/-2 dB)
Plug	3.5mm gold plated
Cables	1.2m, fixed
Weight	18g
IEM Shell	Polished metal

FREQUENCY GRAPH

At the time of writing, I haven’t been able to locate a frequency graph, but for the record I’m hearing a reasonably well balanced and very clear signature. I think there is a slight mid-bass hump, slight recession in the lower mids, peaks at around 3kHz and a smaller one at around 6-7 kHz. This gives it an overall balanced but still slightly V shaped signature. There does seem to be reasonably good extension into the sub-bass, and plenty of sparkle in the upper registers.

Edit 22 May - Graph added from Innerfidelity (thanks Tyll) - as suspected, elevated mid-bass - good balance, and a slight V with an initial peak around 3kHz

BUILD & DESIGN

The Titan 1 appears to be extremely well made with a polished metal outer shell – very reminiscent of an earbud type shape – but with an angled nozzle designed to take an IEM tip and provide some measure of isolation. The circular part of the body is 15-16mm in diameter, and designed to snugly in your ear with, the rear of the Titan shell against your antihelix, and the front underneath your tragus, with the nozzle angled forward into the ear canal. It is designed to be worn cable down, and a ‘shallowish’ tip seal into the canal.

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DUNU Titan rear of IEM	DUNU Titan side view	DUNU Titan front - nozzle and vents

On the underside of the body is 11 vent holes plus there is also one more smaller one on the exterior adjacent to the cable. The right ear piece is designated with a red ring around the circumference of the main body. The left earpiece has a blue ring.

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Small vent near cable	Red and blue rings	Coiled Titans

The nozzles are approximately 50mm long, have a generous lip, and have a pinhole mesh type of opening with 7 holes to allow the sound into your ear.

The cable is a mesh cover from plug to Y split, then a smooth rubber from Y-split to each ear piece. The Y-split is metal with the top piece sliding off to form a cinch. The plug is a right angled gold plated 3.5mm plug, and is designed to be very friendly for portable devices. No issues with my 5S with fitted case. The cable shows good flexibility, with no real signs of kinking, and has excellent strain relief at all the required major points (plug, Y-split and IEM body).

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90 degree plug	Y-split	Y-split and neck cinch

There is a moderately high amount of microphonic noise present with the upper portion of the cable – but this can be alleviated by using the shirt clip, or tucking under clothes. In the next section I’ll also show you how I wear mine.

One of the most simple but innovative designs with DUNU’s cables is the inclusion of the rubber cable tie actually on the table. When not in use it sits unobtrusively close to the plug (I never notice it). When you’ve finished listening to the Titans, simply carefully coil the cable and use the tie. Simple, elegant, brilliant. I loved this with the DN-1000, and it works equally well with the Titan.

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Fabric covered cable below Y-split	Innovative cable tie	Nicely coiled cable

So apart from the design to be worn cable down, I can’t really fault the design or build quality. A lot of thought has gone into the Titan – and this shines through for me.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. This is often even more of an issue with shallow fitting IEMs. I initially tried the included medium and large silicone tips (wide and small bore), and whilst they fit OK, they simply weren’t to my particular preference. I did try the Sony isolation tips I have and they also worked OK. But my preferred tips with the Titans are definitely my trust Comply foams (T400s). I used both large Ts and also medium T – and in the end the slightly longer thinner medium T400s provided both a good seal and superior comfort.

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Included wide bore silicone tips	My preferred Comply T400

Some may have an issue with foams attenuating the highs a little (silicone for me is definitely brighter) – but the Comply’s added length also provided me with an opportunity to wear the Titan’s over ear. This does put the body of the IEM hard against my tragus (as opposed to underneath it), and does make the fit slightly shallower still – but I still find it very comfortable, and it all but eliminates cable noise for me.

Even over ear, they fit very flush, and are quite comfortable to lie down with – I have no problems sleeping with them intact.

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Worn as intended - cable down	My preference - cable over ear (it can be done)

Isolation is below average, but this is due to the extensive venting, which is what contributes to the Titan’s open and wide sound profile. You won’t be using these on an aircraft or in a car (at least I wouldn’t be anyway) – but they are ideal for walking where you still need to be aware of your surroundings. Also, because they are not full sealed/closed, they are ideal for exercise as I don’t get much in the way of bone conduction sound.

The one thing I wish these did have was an i-capable cable option – as they would be brilliant for phone calls I think (allow me to finally retire my earpods).

So how does the DUNU Titan sound? Are the sonics as good as everything else up to this point?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the DUNU Titan. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, and Sony Isolation silicone tips with the cable worn down. For the record – on most tracks, the volume level on the X5 was around 35-36/120 which was giving me around an average SPL around 70-75 dB and peaks at around 85dB. I am hitting up to 50 though on tracks with better mastering.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the signature in a few words/phrases – I’d choose the words “balanced” (but with slight bass emphasis), “spacious”, and “smooth but clear”.

I won’t beat round the bush, I loved the Titan’s sound signature from very first listen. It really does tick most of my boxes.

I’m finding the DUNU Titan to have a nice coherence between bass, midrange and treble – with just a slight V shape (mainly mid-bass emphasis) plus a bit of a peak at around 3-4kHz for vocal clarity. There is another small peak (I think) at around 6-7kHz which is giving snares a nice flat crack and cymbals enough body to contrast the other frequency ranges. So far I haven’t encountered any real sibilance – the upper mids and lower treble are emphasised enough to give some great detail, but not overdone or splashy (with my chosen music anyway).

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.
With Gaucho, the sax intro is natural sounding and very smooth, but definitely in the forefront. Bass guitar is ever present in the background, but it’s not overpowering anything. Cymbals and snares are coming through very clearly, and the overall impression is one of cohesion.

Switching to Sultans of Swing, and wow – this is dynamic and really enjoyable. Detail is fantastic. The constant background sound is again the bass guitar. Snares are crisp and fast – and Knopfler’s guitar is forefront and crisp – with enough edge to keep things lively. Cymbals again are present but not overstated. For my particular preferences, these opening tracks in my critical listening are very enjoyable.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The DUNU Titan (because of its design) has a spacious and expansive stage for an in-ear monitor. It is also no slouch with imaging, providing good directional cues. In this track, the only detraction was a slight bloom on the bass (drums).

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the Titan gave quite a smooth and captivating rendition of this track. Once again the tonality of this IEM is pretty near perfect for me, and the thing that is taking a little to get used to is the distance sometimes with vocals and instruments (I’m actually turning the volume up a bit from time to time). Directional cues are again very good (the cello is where it usually is to the right, and piano slightly off center). Loreena’s vocals are sweet and nicely centered.

In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the Titan, I’m definitely there in the audience – it really is a strong point of the Titans.

Bass Quality and Quantity

I’ve been spoilt recently with impactful and good quality bass from my triple hybrid IEMs which I’ve been spending time with lately – so I was looking forward to seeing what the Titan could achieve with this new driver. The Titan definitely has a little more bass than some of my more neutral earphones, and it does reach quite low (even with my hearing, I could easily hear 25Hz). Most of the time the bass is reasonably agile and well defined, but I have noticed the occasional track exhibiting tiny bit of mid-bass bloom.

Amongst my test tracks, one of the tracks to emphasise this was Muddy Waters by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is quite dark and brooding anyway – and the while Titan handled the bass exceptionally well, the kick drum just shows a slight bit more decay than my A83. It doesn’t detract from the track though – and I really like how the gravel in Mark’s voice comes through.

I wanted to see how low the bass would go in real music – so switched to Lorde’s “Royals” – and the Titan delivered – made it effortless really. Again there is some bloom from the bass guitar and kick drum – but I really think that some of this is in the recording itself. The good thing is that it doesn’t intrude into the rest of the spectrum. The amazing thing is despite the rendition of bass, the vocals are still crystal clear.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me personally, the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE were too forward/fatiguing with some tracks).

By now I was expecting good things from the Titans – especially with its upper mid-range bump. One of my early litmus tests is usually queuing Agnes Obel – as some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right. With the Titans, her vocals aren’t as euphonic as the Fidue A83 or Altone200 – but the magic is definitely there, and the cello also shows great timbre and tone.

I then proceeded to play a medley of my other tracks from artists including Christina Perri , Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and the Machine, and Norah Jones. The Titan definitely portrays my female artists incredibly well – dynamic bass, sweet vocals, powerful when it needs to be. At times I could have just queued up more albums and strayed from my carefully laid out testing tracks. Stand-outs for me were Perri’s “Human”, Sara Jarosz “Mile on the Moon”, and anything from Norah Jones – simply captivating.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

The continued theme here was good bass impact, clear vocals, and nicely balanced guitars and other instruments. Unlike my Altones which had a quite recessed lower mid-range, the Titan’s still portray male vocals really well – and they don’t sound thin or lacking life. 3 Doors Down, Green Day, Breaking Benjamin, Seether – they all sound excellent and once again the vocal quality is superb. The more I listen to these, the more I’m sure I need to compare (A/B) these with my DN-1000s. The overall coherency feels similar. Another good sign with the Titans was when I queued up Diary of Jane (Breaking Benjamin). This track has a lot of guitar distortion, and can overwhelm some drivers. The Titan has no problems with it, and still manages to be clear and detailed.

Time for my litmus test – Pearl Jam. And …. ding, ding, ding – winner. Great contrast, great tonality, and Vedder’s vocal presentation is spot on. Deep enough to have timbre, but not dark, nor lacking body and depth.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Rock – Covered this one above. Very good. No problems with anything I’ve thrown at them so far.

Alt Rock – First up (in my usual test rotation) is Pink Floyd’s “Money”, and the Titan delivers wonderful clarity and contrast. I do have to turn the volume back up for this track – but the presentation is brilliant. Again the overall balance is what really makes the track. Next is Porcupine Tree’s “Trains”, and again this is simply magic with the Titans. The bump in the upper mid-range really suits Wilson’s voice, and when the bass hits – brilliant! The dynamic contrast is stunning. No complaints at all.

Jazz / Blues / Bluegrass – Portico Quartet’s “Ruins” is always a first stop for me when testing a new IEM with Jazz, and the Titan continues to take everything in its stride. The added sense of space really helps here as well, and I have to move on before I end up listening to the whole album. Again, key attributes are clarity, contrast, and a sense of dynamism. Switching to some local Jazz/Funk (Sola Rosa) and boy does the Titan deliver on timbre and detail. The brass in this track is wonderful, and I’m sitting here tapping my feet with a smile on my face.

Time now for some blues, with Bonamassa’s vocals and guitar being a favourite of mine. The DUNU Titan is really good with guitar, and this live performance is really compelling listening. With Joe’s vocals I can hear the emotion and again I’m floored by how good these sound. I also briefly spent time with Union Station’s “Dust Bowl Children”, and the banjo was more than aptly presented. Crystal clear, and clean.

Rap / EDM / Pop / Indie – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” was very good – crystal clear, and the bass was pretty good for my tastes. Plenty of thump. I really enjoyed this one, and I’m not the biggest rap/hip-hop fan (it’s the only album I have in this genre). Next up some straight Pop – and Adele’s vocals with piano accompaniment is once again stunning. As is Coldplay, and pretty much everything else I’ve tried today. I also tried Amanda Marshall’s “Let it Rain”, and this was a genuine “wow” moment. This track normally has a holographic feel to it (must be the way it was recorded). The Titan is jaw dropping with the added sense of space. Quite possibly the best I’ve heard this track short of using full sized headphones.

For Indie, I listened to band of Horses and Wildlight – and the Titans are an Indie lover’s dream – or more correctly this indie lover’s dream. One more – vocal clarity, contrast and cohesion – magic.
Time for some Electronic / EDM – and Lindsay Stirling’s “Electric Daisy Violin” is another bit of magic. The bass is thumping, the violin is clear and this track is so vibrant with the Titans. Little Dragon’s “Little Man” is equally as impressive, and any EDM or electronic music seems to work really well with the Titans. Lighter electronic like The Flashbulb is brilliant.

Classical / Opera – I’ll keep this short as it is more of the same. Wonderful sense of space, dynamics, timbre and tone. Standouts for me were Netrebko and Garanca with the Flower Duet. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was a pretty special encounter as well.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The Titan is an interesting IEM. Despite its low 16ohm, it doesn’t have high sensitivity – so I am pushing the volume up a little further than I normally would with most other IEMs. But in a quick A/B between an amped and unamped X1 I haven’t really noticed a huge difference in dynamics. My iPhone 5S needs closer to 40-45% volume where with other IEM’s I’m often around 25% comparatively. But on all my devices the Titan is relatively easily powered straight out of the headphone out. If you have a really weak source you might have issues – I don’t.

RESPONSE TO EQ?

To be honest I didn’t try it. I didn’t want to detract from the default sound.

QUICK COMPARISON OTHER IEMS

I’ll make this quick as the review has already become overly long. On the current Titan thread there have been questions regarding a few different IEMs (some of which I have), so here are my very quick (very subjective) thoughts:

Titan vs DN-1000
Similar balance. Titan sounds fuller and more cohesive. DN1000 is thinner, more bass. I like the Titan more.
Titan vs A71
A71 is darker, warmer, boomier. Titan is clearer, more balanced, more cohesive. I’m not a big fan of the A71 – so take that into account.
Titan vs Brainwavz S5
S5 is darker but also a little hollow sounding – but still quite clear. The Titan is slightly fuller sounding but at the same time lighter tonally – more balanced.
Titan vs Altone 200
Interesting. Altone is clearer, and bass goes lower. Depending on track the Altone can sound a little thinner – but this is the first one where I don’t clearly prefer the Titan. Biggest difference is in lower-mids and of course the sound stage. Upper mids (vocals) actually sound quite close.
Titan vs Fidue A83
I thought these might be very similar but vocals are quite different. A83 are a little darker and fuller + sub bass goes much lower. Titans sound lighter and slightly leaner. Both very clear. I like balance and presentation on both – and my ears are probably too much accustomed to the Titan now to be making a definitive call.

DUNU TITAN 1 - SUMMARY

Before I first received these, I had a couple of PMs from Vic and Luke (H20fidelity) – both of them suggesting that the Titan might be a good signature for me. They both know my tastes well.

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Great design, and classy look	Sound as good as they look !

The DUNU Titan is an incredibly well designed, well built, and beautiful sounding “semi-open” IEM. It is relatively well balanced in frequency range, and has very good clarity for its price range. Its venting allows for a very open and spacious presentation of sound stage.

The Titan will likely suit:

Fans of a balanced or slightly V shaped sonic presentation
People who value clarity
People who do not need high levels of isolation

The Titan May not suit anyone who:

Requires high isolation
Prefers a darker, warmer, smoother presentation
Does not like wearing IEMs cable down (unless you can adapt like I did)

At a current probable retail price of USD 125-150, the Titan represents an incredible bargain in my opinion, and despite having the A83, I will continue to use these regularly.

A common summary question I ask myself is would I buy these, and would I recommend them to friends or family. The answer is a resounding yes.

At this price point, along with my A83, the DUNU Titan would be the best IEM I have heard (for my tastes) in the last 12 months.

Once again I’d like to thank Vivian at DUNU and Vic for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO DUNU

It really is hard to recommend any changes – these are simply “that good”. If there is anything I would like though, it would be the ability to wear them “properly” with the cable over ear. I realise this is unlikely, so at some stage I will probably simply reterminate them and swap the ear pieces.

thanks for your great review.i am using fiio x3k plus fiio ex1( dunu titan1) and they are wonderfull.
i do not use my other headphones after buying ex1.

brooko, now that you have tried both the Zen 1.0/2.0, which do you prefer on pure SQ alone?

Two quite different earbuds jrazmar - and depends on hwo you personally prefer wearing them. To those who must have foam (for comfort), no question - Zen 1. For those who prefer naked - Zen 2. For those who can wear either - depends on the level of warmth you prefer (Zen1 is slightly warmer).

This is part of a larger retrospective / review I wrote on the HM5 - which can be found here : http://www.head-fi.org/t/748855/review-revisiting-the-brainwavz-hm5-a-retrospective-plus-bonus-look-at-pad-and-cup-options

ADD-ONS PART 1 – PADS

Audrey very generously sent me two extra pad options to try with the HM5 – a set of velours (black) and a set of thicker coloured pleather (mine are the dark red).


Red pleather (L), stock pleather (C) and velour (R)	Red pleather (L), stock pleather (C) and velour (R)	Red pleather vs stock.

The velours are very close in size to the original pads and have equally good comfort and fit. The craftsmanship on the pads is excellent – quality stitching and materials used. My main problem with trying to A/B the pads is the amount of time trying to switch them – I know my sonic memory has the normal human auditory flaws – so please take the following comments with a huge grain of salt. This is what I think I’m hearing – but I wouldn’t swear on it. The velour pads IMO give a slightly airier and brighter presentation with an increase in lower treble. Cymbals seem to have more shimmer and there is more upper energy overall and maybe slightly less bass as well. If you take my earlier comments on bass into account, you’ll probably guess that I’m not a huge fan of the velours with the HM5. For me – just too much upper end energy, and for want of a better word, too much tizz. Others may love this though and at the reasonable price being charged, they are well worth trying. Even more so – if you are modding other headphones (I understand these may fit some Shures and also the T50RP.


Red pleather and velour	Red pleather	Velour

Moving onto the dark red pleathers, and this time there is more of a physical difference. These have slightly smaller internal dimensions as they are both wider and deeper (more memory foam). Once again, they are super comfortable. Again the same caveat applies re switching times. This time they are a lot closer to the original pleather – but my impression is of slightly more bass (slightly better fit / clamp?), and to me anyway, they looks lightly better. Anyway – they are my current go to with the HM5 – and I really do like them.


Memory foam is very soft and ultra comfortable	Mounting ring - would be great if spares were included.

One recommendation I would give to Brainwavz when selling these would be to consider including a pair of mounting discs. I don’t think it would cost too much extra, but would make it a lot easier to switch pads and make comparisons when using the HM5. I know I’d love an extra pair now, and would definitely be prepared to pay a little extra for the privilege.

ADD-ONS PART 2 – 3D PRINTED OPEN CUPS

These have intrigued me for a while, as I’ve often wondered exactly how the HM5 would sound as a semi-open headphone.


3D printed semi-open cup	Cup exterior	Cup interior

The cups themselves are slightly rougher in appearance that I was expecting, but I’d imagine that from these shells, you could then sand them to your own preference, and paint them if you wish. They also aren’t pre drilled – just have plastic stubs – so you really have to make the holes yourself if you are intending using these full time.

Comparisons this time were slightly easier, as I simply removed the screws, then carefully held the stock “backs” in place, and then swapped the semi-open “backs” (again held in place) to compare. So it involved a shorter time overall changing the cup rear cavities in order to get a good impression of the changes.

For a start (once I’d removed the backs), I simply held them in place with my fingertips, quickly listened, and then removed them altogether (completely open). The effect was immediately noticeable with the first change being a noticeably wider soundstage presentation, and less reverb. It was a change I very much liked. If anything vocals sound a lot more natural – less etching. Bass didn’t change a whole lot in overall impact or tonality – just slightly cleaner.


3D cups fitted - note the housing is too large for yokes	3D printed semi-open cups in place	3D printed semi-open cups in place

If anything the 3D cups sit partway between the closed and fully open. They give a hint of how good a more open HM5 can be – but unfortunately still keep a certain amount of reverb, and for my tastes anyway, strangle some of the benefits of going as open as possible. For a laugh, I removed my HD600 backs, and held them loosely in place (they don’t fit of course). IMO this should be Brainwavz next improvement – an almost completely open (i.e. mesh backed) rear cup. IMO it has better sonic qualities, and would also look a lot better than the 3D cups. They could even use the existing plastic mould for the current cups – just fit a shaped mesh instead of the existing faceplate. I’d buy them tomorrow – and I’d bet a lot of other HM5, Lindy, FA003 etc. owners would do the same.


Semi-open cup with standard - note restriction of movement	HD600 cup fitted	HD600 screened cup - more open, better sound, better looking

So for now I’m not using the 3D cups – what they provide in sonic improvement is good, but doesn’t go as far as it could, and unless I take the time to “finish” them, they do look pretty “ugly” IMO. One last comment on the 3D cups – because of their increased depth, they don’t move freely under the arms/yokes. Again this could be fixed with an open “mesh” design.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

[size=24.7999992370605px]INTRODUCTION[/size]
This is the third Fidue product I’ve been lucky enough to review, and the first dual dynamic IEM they’ve made (the others I have are the A81 single dynamic and A83 triple hybrid). My thanks go to Vic (djvkool) for facilitating the review samples, and also to Michael Lin from Fidue for giving us the chance to review their products.

For those who aren’t aware, Fidue Acoustics is a Chinese earphone company founded by Benny Tan (who has more than 20 years design experience – developing earphones for other global branded companies). The name Fidue is simply an acronym of the principle design points that the company strives to implement in their product range

Fidelity
Inspiration
Durability
Uniqueness
Enjoyment.

Fidue’s product catalogue to date has included mainly dynamic driver models ranging from the sub $50 bracket, all the way to their current triple driver hybrid A83 flagship. The A71 is a new direction for them, and is their first dual dynamic-driver IEM.

The A71’s arrived almost weeks ago, and I’ve been using them every day as my portable IEM – so I’ve clocked up around 50 hours with them so far.

It has been an interesting experience as there are some parts of the A71 I like very much, but there are others (which many people may love) that I find not to my ideal tuning. Read on to find out my personal thoughts on the A71 and who they might be ideal for.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Fidue A71 as a review unit from Fidue. I am in no way affiliated with Fidue - and this review is my subjective opinion of the A71.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5/X1 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83 or A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Fidue A71 straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, X5, X1 and also from the Beyer A200p when at work. I did not generally further amp them, as IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the A71, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (break-in), but am aware that I am becoming more used to the signature of the A71 as I use them more often (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

[size=24.7999992370605px]THE REVIEW[/size]

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The A71 arrived in Fidue’s normal attractive green and black packaging – but this time in a 2 piece box and lid arrangement. The box is medium sized 180 x 110 x 45mm. A quick note, as you’ll also see in the photos, the packaging Fidue is using is a pretty good design, and appears to be reasonably sturdy and strong. Unfortunately I think one of our couriers may have dropped my package onto something reasonably sharp – and one of the corners was slightly damaged. The good news is that the A71 had absolutely no damage, and the only casualty was a small rip on the bottom of the box.

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Front of the case	Rear of the case

The other interesting thing with the box is that the information on the outside is in 3 languages – English, Chinese and German.

Removing the lid reveals cut-out hard foam (on top of softer foam padding) with the Fidue A71 nestled safely inside the provided cut-outs. There is also a small zippered carry case. Opening this case reveals the included tips.

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Lid removed revealing the carry case and A71 IEMs	Included accessories

Underneath the foam layers in the box is a single warranty document.

The carry case is oval, about 90mm long, 65mm wide and 30mm deep. It has a semi rigid exterior, with padding on the inside, and should be sturdy enough to provide protection, whilst remaining small enough to comfortably fit into a front shirt or pants pocket. It’s a perfect for the A71, and has an inner webbed pocket for spare tips.

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Fidue case - compared to Brainwavz	Fidue case - compared to Brainwavz

The accessory pack includes 3 pairs (S,M,L) single flange silicone tips, 2 pairs of dual flange silicone tips, and 1 pair of foam tips (non-Comply – but reasonably soft).

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Included tips	Included tips

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From Fidue’s Packaging)

Type	Dual dynamic driver inner ear monitor
Drivers	10mm (exclusive woofer) + 6.8 mm dynamic driver with titanium composites
Frequency Range	13 Hz – 23 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	104 dB
Max Input Power	30 mW
Distortion	<1%
Plug	3.5mm gold plated
Cables	1.3m 7N-OFC copper, fixed
Weight	16g
IEM Shell	Moulded plastic shell

FREQUENCY GRAPH

At the time of writing, I haven’t been able to locate a frequency graph, but for the record I’m expecting a graph somewhat similar to the shape of Fidue’s A81 single dynamic driver – boosted sub and mid-bass, possibly slightly forward upper mid-range, but quite a subdued treble with some roll-off

BUILD QUALITY

The Fidue A71 has a moulded shell quite akin to the bullet design of a lot of single dynamic driver earphones. Where it differs radically from most is the exit of the cable from the body of the IEM, which is shaped to exit slightly forward of the outer body, then loop around the back of the ear via memory wire. So OOTB it is designed to be worn with the cable over the ear. I do know that at least one enterprising modder has already taken a steady pair of hands and sharp knife to his pair and removed the memory wire enough to be worn straight down – but for those of us less inclined to take a knife to our brand new IEMS – these are essentially over ear. The good news is that I always use my IEMs over ear, so they are ideal for me.

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A71 very good build quality for the price	A71 dual dynamic IEMs

The body of the A71 is 25mm from tip to rear, with an actual insertable length of around 16mm. The diameter is a reasonably large 12mm. For comparison the Altone200 triple hybrid is 10mm and Dunu DN1000 is 13-14mm. The actual nozzle is a reasonably small 4-5mm, but designed with a good lip, so that tips stay on very securely.

There are two ports or vents – one at the base of the nozzle and the second adjacent to the cable exit.

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A71 port adjacent to nozzle	A71 port close to cable exit

There is a very good (strong but pliable) 75mm section of formable memory wire from the IEM body, and I have found that it keeps its form extremely well, and is very easy to adjust.

The cable is OFC cable with a synthetic rubber sheath which is very smooth, very soft, appears very well made, and does not tend to hold kinks. So far (with over the ear wear), it has exhibited reasonably low microphonics. The Y split is a nice metallic tube with “Fidue” printed on it. It looks very elegant, and has good strain relief at both ends. There is also a chin slider – but on my unit, it is quite tight, and takes some effort to move/adjust. I don’t know if this is just my unit or not – but in the meantime I have taken to not using the slider – and just tucking the cable securely under clothes if walking.

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Cable, jack and Y split	Formable ear wire and L/R marking

The jack is a standard 3 pole 3.5mm, very slim, extremely well built and has very good strain relief.

Overall the build quality is a very good standard for the cost. I can’t really fault them too much on build – apart from the cinch.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried the included large silicone tips, and whilst they fit OK, I was unable to maintain a seal. I next tried their included foam tips, and they fit me well enough but because of the size, I could not go very deep with the A71 without causing discomfort. They also tended to attenuate the highs, and considering the minimal air in the default signature, lessening what was there did not see a wise idea. I tried the dual flanges but they were a little too deep – again causing discomfort. So I finally settled on a pair of single flange large wide bore tips which fit extremely well, allowed full insertion, and gave me a great seal. The wide bore also helped with making sure I was getting all of the available midrange and treble – which did help the overall sonics for me.

Single flange wide bore tips - with the A71 and X5

So after playing around for a while, I managed to get a great seal, and reasonably deep fit, that is also pretty comfortable. I also naturally favour an over the ear IEM – so far the A71 ticked all my boxes. Caveat emptor though – if you have smaller canals, you may struggle getting a deep fit with the A71, and this means having them stick out of your ears (similar to the old triple fi 10). And if you’re not an over ear fan – you’re going to struggle with the memory wire.

Isolation with a deep insertion and correct seal was average for an IEM, mainly due to the 2 ports. With music playing, most ambient noise is well and truly filtered out. I’m not sure if these would be my choice for a long haul flight though. With the length of the body, I would also have difficulty sleeping with the A71 in place.

There can be driver flex on initial insertion – but this is minimal. I also experienced this with the Fidue A81 and A83.

So how does the Fidue A71 sound?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Fidue A71. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X5 as source, no EQ, and silicone tips with a wide bore.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on General Signature

If I was to describe the signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “warm”, “smooth” and “bassy”.

I’m finding the Fidue A71 to be a very interesting IEM to try and categorise. On one hand there is a beautiful lush smooth midrange and lower treble, with great body and fullness, and absolutely no treble fatigue. On the other hand, there is a lot of sub and mid bass which makes the A71 borderline ‘dark’, and for me (unfortunately) detracts from the good points it brings to the table. The bass has reasonable extension, with an additional mid-bass bump. The mid-range sounds quite full – but I suspect there may be a slight hint of slight recession in the lower mids, emphasis on the upper mids, and a smooth lower treble – with not a great deal of treble extension. This combination gives a reasonably clear mid-range with north of neutral bass slam. The A71 is a very warmish sounding IEM that sounds a little thick on the bottom end (the mid bass has a slow decay with many tracks). It is definitely a coloured sound overall.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.
With Gaucho, the sax intro is natural sounding and very smooth – with more bass guitar emphasis than I’m usually used to. Vocals are also smooth and lush – but the cymbals and high hats are quite subdued – almost lost in the background. I can definitely hear the bass guitar, and thump of the kick drum coming through. Overall – a smooth and warm listen. I am missing some of the upper end sparkle that makes this track magic though. There just isn’t enough contrast.

Switching to Sultans of Swing, and again it’s a really warm and smooth listen. The constant background sound is the bass guitar. With other IEMs, this is usually punctuated with the crunch of Knopfler’s guitar and the polite splash of cymbals, but this time that crunch doesn’t have edge, and the cymbals are a gentle ‘tish’ – hardly there really. The bass is reasonably good overall, with a slight mid-bass bloom and longer decay. Vocals are clear – and this is where the A71 shines, but all the upper end detail is being masked by the overly warm signature. I know the detail is there – I can hear it, but I’m straining to get it – and normally the contrast is what supplies this track its dynamics. The contrast is missing. Sadly so is the magic.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Fidue A71 has an intimate stage with this track, and although there is reasonably good directional imaging, the sense of space is not expansive, and the overall stage is diffuse and a little cloudy. The direction is there, but the pinpoint accuracy isn’t. It is an enjoyable enough listen though.

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the Fidue A71 gave quite a dark and overly warm rendition of this track. Once again the tonality of this IEM is a lot darker than I am used to – and although it still delivers reasonable direction (the cello is where it usually is to the right, and piano slightly off center), once again the overall accuracy of the stage is a little diffuse. I am missing most of the sweetness of Loreena’s vocals that the A83 delivered (in comparison). The portrayal of timbre with the piano on the other hand is actually pretty good.

In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the Fidue A71, the applause doesn’t take me into the audience (it’s quite lifeless really) – I feel more of an observer than a participant.

Bass Quality and Quantity

I’m used to hearing some quite impactful and good quality bass with the recent triple hybrid IEMs I’ve been spending time with lately – so I was looking forward to seeing what Fidue could do with a dual dynamic driver set-up. The A71 definitely has copious amounts of both sub and mid-bass, but its problem (to me anyway) is that the decay is quite slow, and the bass bloom and overall warmth detracts from the beautiful mid-range it obviously possesses.

Amongst my test tracks, one of the tracks to emphasise this was Muddy Waters by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is quite dark and brooding anyway – and the while A71 really had the bass thumping, and Mark’s vocals were relatively clear, the whole track is so smooth and dark, there is just no magic. Usually Mark’s vocals have a rough gravelly texture to them. This is lost in the warmth – it renders his vocals smooth – and they are not supposed to be.

I wanted to see how low the bass would go – so switched to Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” – and the A71 delivered – but just too much boom for me. The bass is effortless and the quantity is copious – but the quality is not tight and it quickly became fatiguing. Once again the quality of Amy’s vocals is lost - overpowered.

Female Vocals – A Special Note

I have added this section simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the sign of a successful IEM is how successfully it conveys emotion and timbre with my female vocalists. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward).

I didn’t really know what to expect with the A71 – but with its slight upper mid-range bump, I suspected it may perform well. One of my early litmus tests is usually queuing Agnes Obel – as some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right. With the A71, her vocals aren’t as euphonic as with some of my brighter IEMs – but the magic is there, if lost a little in the overall warmth. The cello also shows promising signs – great timbre and tone.

I then proceeded to play a medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi (the track Safer was absolutely beautiful), Florence and the Machine, and Norah Jones (almost too smooth and buttery). The A71 definitely does vocals incredibly well – and it shines when there is less bass in the track to mask the mid-range.

Male Vocals

At the other end of the scale sits a lot of my rock tracks.

Kicking off with 3 Doors Down “Away from the Sun”, and the vocal presentation is very good – intimate and very pleasant to listen to. Moving to Green Day, and once again the vocal quality is very good – it’s just a pity that some of the guitar crunch is AWOL. By now I’m getting pretty used to a continuing theme – good vocals, but no magic in the rest of the track. Time for my litmus test – Pearl Jam. Either I’m getting fatigued – or this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Vedder’s voice is lifeless. At least I’m hearing cymbals in the background – but there is no emotion in the track.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Rock – Vocals are good for the most part – and the bass is always there, so if you like smooth and thumping they may well tick your box. They don’t do it for me – not enough contrast.

Alt Rock – First up (in my usual test rotation) was Pink Floyd’s “Money”, and the A71 delivers no contrast. So I quickly move on. Porcupine Tree’s “Trains” starts well enough – Wilson’s vocals are nice with the A71. But when the bass hits it is too much mid-bass oriented and just delivers more warmth than dynamic contrast.

Jazz / Blues – Portico Quartet’s “Ruins” is always a first stop for me when testing a new IEM with Jazz, and the A71 sadly continues where it left off with other genres. It’s too smooth, too warm, and loses all contrast. I quickly switch to Miles Davis and Miles trumpet is the star of the show – really good. Cymbals are usually a nice punctuation in the background on this track – sadly these are more of an afterthought. I’m struggling to hear them.

I quickly switched to blues – with Bonamassa’s vocals and guitar being a favourite of mine. The A71 was pleasant to listen to – but again missing the crunch of Joe’s guitar. Everything continues to be too smooth. I also tried Beth Hart’s “Live at Paradiso” album – which is mastered very hot (bright). On the A71 it was superb – smoother than I’ve ever heard it. Beth’s vocals were the focal point and the bass was actually reasonably tight this time. A little bit of magic.

Rap / EDM / Pop – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” was one of the standout tracks with the A71. Hard hitting bass but very clear vocals. I actually really enjoyed this one, and I’m not the biggest rap fan. Time to try some straight Pop – and Adele’s vocals with piano accompaniment is once again very good. Two for two – are we on a roll? Time for some Electronic / EDM – and Lindsay Stirling’s “Electric Daisy Violin” = magic. The bass is thumping but the violin is clear and this is somehow smooth and also vibrant at the same time. Next track in the queue is Little Dragon’s “Little Man” and it’s equally as impressive – although I’d like to dial the bass back just a little. In fact any EDM or electronic music seems to work really well with the A71, and even lighter electronic like The Flashbulb is enjoyable. If there is a single genre that the A71 performs well in for my tastes – this is the one.

Classical / Opera – I’ll keep this short. Kempff’s solo piano – tick. Zoe Keating’s cello – tick. Opera and orchestral – nope. Too dark, no dynamics.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Tested with iPhone 5S, X1, X5 and X1+E11K (above)

The Fidue A71 is easily powered straight out of the portable devices I have, and I haven’t experienced any issues with the X1, X5 or iPhone 5S. As a reference with a typical rock track (Seether’s Immortality from One Cold Night), I’m at 26-27 on the X5, and I wouldn’t want to go much higher – my SPL meter is showing an ave SPL of around 75 dB and peaking at 85-90 dB. Normally I’d even dial it down a few notches.

RESPONSE TO EQ?

The iphone and EQ (bass reduction) provided a needed SQ lift

I know the A71 have a really good mid-range, so time to get rid of some bass and see what happens. This time I switched to the iPhone and just used the bass reducer EQ preset. Bliss. I then went back to revisit a lot of the tracks I’d had issues with previously and all of a sudden the missing contrast, and more importantly emotion is there. Vedder’s voice is wonderful, and I don’t have to strain to hear cymbals. Best of all is that the mid-range is magic. If this was the default signature, I’d buy these in a heart-beat.

QUICK COMPARISON OTHER IEMS

I was originally going to try and give a comparison with some of the other $70-$120 IEMs I have on hand – to give my thoughts on comparative value. My issue is that without EQ, the default signature of the A71 is one I simply do not like. As such, it would be handily beaten by Brainswavz S0 and S5, and flat out slaughtered by the sonics on Brainwavz R3 (which is also a dual dynamic) and RockJaws Alfa Genus.

L to R : S0, A71, R3, S5 and Alfa Genus

The problem is, if you EQ the bass back, the A71 becomes one of the best IEMs I’ve heard in this price range, and would best most of the afore mentioned IEMs. So what is a fair comparison? At this stage I’ll leave this section – except to say that if you like contrast and clarity, and don’t like to EQ – then there are better IEMs out there. Especially look to the R3 and Alfa Genus. If you are happy to apply EQ - then these are definitely worth considering.

FIDUE A71 - SUMMARY

When I first listened to these, I can remember commenting to Vic that I fully agreed with his initial excitement regarding the clarity and value of the A71. As you’ve read above, those impressions were very premature, and my excitement waned the more I listened to them.

First up I want to thank both Vic and Michael Lin for including me in the review process. I don’t like writing reviews that find a lot of fault with IEMs and sadly I’ve done that twice in the last couple of weeks. First with the RHA T10i, and now with the A71.

I’ll qualify my comments by saying that in this case I’m really at the opposite end of Fidue’s intended audience for this IEM. I think the A71 has been deliberately tuned for a younger generation looking for a bass heavy and warm presentation. Where the A71 shines is in its mid-range and smooth non-fatiguing treble.

The A71 could suit:

Fans of Rap, Pop and EDM who like a warm and bass heavy presentation
People who are severely treble sensitive
People who like a warm dark signature

The A71 will not suit anyone who looks for:

Good contrast
A high level of detail
Good balance across the frequency

However, for someone prepared to use simple EQ to tone the bass down, there is a lot of magic still there. I’m still listening to the same PJ album 30 minutes later with this EQ applied, and I’m loving every minute of it.
The build and fit is pretty good for me, and the value proposition once EQ’d is extremely good.

The question is now how to grade this. It is a hidden gem if the bass is dialled back, and would represent real value to me. Today I’ve given these a 3.5 star rating (primarily based on the default signature, and how much it masks natural detail) – but it would easily be 4.5 stars if I didn’t have to EQ these to achieve the sonic signature I prefer. I hope that makes some sense.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO FIDUE

As I’m clearly not the intended demographic, I find it difficult to make any recommendations except one. If you think there is value, and you can achieve the tuning, consider a drastic cut in the mid-bass and release an additional model (A73?) tuned closer to reference. I’d be the first in line to buy a pair.

I wonder how they compare with IM70.

Sorry Rontant - I haven't heard the IM70. There is a full list of gear in my profile in case I can help with a direct comparison with anything you have heard though.

Thanks Brooko. Unfortunately we only have Altone 200 in common but after going over your review one more time particularly about the imaging and sound-stage, I think I can safely conclude that A71 is not for me since I have already had IM70 which is warm as well but has great sound-stage and imaging.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

The first I heard about RHA (or Reid Heath Acoustics) was a thread on Head-Fi calling for applicants for 3 reviewers to test their newest earphone - the RHA T10i. Some of the initial press was extremely encouraging, and the images being circulated looked downright gorgeous, so I quickly applied and waited to hear. Unfortunately I wasn’t among those chosen – but RHA arranged with David (lin0003 on Head-Fi) to stage an Australasian tour with another set. So here I sit, with the T10i in my ears, ready to give you my take on this IEM.

Reid Heath Acoustics (RHA) is a Scottish based headphone company. Their core values (from their website) are described as follows:
“We stand for true-to-life audio reproduction and lasting quality. With these values at our core, we work to deliver the most accurate, comfortable and unobtrusive listening experience possible. Every RHA product combines high quality materials, precision engineering and our fundamental commitment to design.”

Their current product catalogues ranges from the budget oriented MA350 (~ USD 40) to the current flagship T10i (~ USD 200) which I have the pleasure of reviewing today.

In the last 4 days I have tried to spend as much time as possible assessing the RHA T10i. In that time I have also listened to my Fidue A83, A81, Altone200 and DN-1000 so that I can reference differences, but the T10i has taken most of my listening time – and it has been a very different experience, as the T10i’s default tuning is not my preferred signature type. This T10i’s default signature disappointed me from first listen – but over the course of the week, and with some EQ applied, it has become an enjoyable IEM. I have some comments at the bottom of the review – and I do hope RHA taken them on board – as they have the potential for an absolute winner here.
I’d estimate that so far I’ve logged around 20-25 hours with the RHA T10i to date.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the RHA T10i (as part of a tour) from RHA and lin0003. I am in no way affiliated with RHA - and this review is my subjective opinion of the T10i.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone 5S) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83 and A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced, but I do have a fondness for clarity, and suspect I might have slight ‘treble-head’ preferences. I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. I do use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 if space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, have never heard a difference with different cables, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

For the purposes of this review - I used the RHA T10i straight from the headphone-out socket of my iPhone 5S, and also from the Beyer A200p when at work. I did not further amp them, as IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the T10i, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (burn-in), but am aware that I am becoming more used to the signature of the T10i as I use them more often (brain burn-in).

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The RHA T10i arrived in a reasonably large, but attractive black retail box (with orange highlights). The front flap is hinged to reveal the inner compartment - which really does look very spectacular, with a full window view of the IEMs, accessories and tuning filters.

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RHA T10i - front of retail box	RHA T10i - rear of retail box

The outer box holds a wealth of information including a frequency graph, information on the drivers, and also the moulding if the housing.

The initial feeling I got on opening the flap – was “wow – this is a premium item”.

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RHA T10i - side of retail box	RHA T10i - inside retail box front cover

Opening the retail case reveals an open inner box with foam inset which holds the T10i (cable nicely wrapped around the foam), filters and tips.

Lifting the foam inset out further reveals a lower plastic compartment housing the carry case, manual and a shirt clip. There are few companies to include this many accessories, and virtually none (I know of anyway) to present them in such a premium manner.

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Foam insert - holding the T10i, tips, and filters	All of the accessories

The user guide is a mini multi-lingual booklet and is superbly designed, and informative, including a response graph, and full information on everything you may need to know about the T10i – from cleaning to getting the proper fit. A lot of thought obviously went into this. Kudos RHA.

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Well designed manual	Carry case - with tip tray

The carry case is a large soft zippered case measuring approximately 125mm x 80mm x 30mm (at its deepest point) – so it’s not pants pocket friendly. It is well padded though, with generous inner pockets and a very soft outer covering which feels like soft Lamb Nappa leather – not sure if it is synthetic or not. The case is large enough to hold the tips in their steel display tray.

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RHA carry case compared to Brainwavz case	Inside the carry case

The tip selection is generous, and includes 2 pairs of dual flange silicone, 6 pairs of single flange silicone, and 2 pairs of foam tips. The mounting tray is stainless steel, and once again gives a feel of something upmarket.

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Extremely good tip selection	Tip selection in profile

Lastly there is another stainless steel plate which houses the metal filters. Like everything else, it is both functional and stylish – and clearly states (treble, reference, bass) which filter is which.
Impression so far – 10/10.

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Filter system and holder	Filter system and holder

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From RHA)

Type	Dynamic Driver Inner Ear Monitor
Drivers	770.1 Dynamic
Frequency Range	16 Hz – 22 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	100 dB
Rated / Max Power	1/5 mW
Plug	3.5mm gold plated
Cables	1.35m reinforced OFC
Weight	41g
IEM Shell	Metal Injection Moulded (MIM) stainless steel shell

FREQUENCY GRAPH

At the time of writing, I’ve been unable to find a frequency response graph for the T10i – apart from the one included in the manual. The problem with the one in the manual is that the step are in 20 dB increments – so it’s really not much use. It portays things as flatter than they actually are. For the record – what I’m hearing with the reference filter is a very large bump in both the sub-bass, but especially mid-bass, a reasonably flat mid-range, and quite a steep drop-off in treble. If/when a graph is published (eg from Innerfidelity), I’ll try and include it.

BUILD QUALITY / DESIGN

The RHA T10i has a two piece injection moulded stainless steel body which is one of the smoothest, and well designed IEM shells I’ve ever had the pleasure of wearing. The shell is a shade under 20mm in length, 19mm in height, and 11 mm in depth (18mm if counting the nozzle length). So it is comparatively small. The nozzle features a threaded cavity to house the screw in filters for personal tuning. On the exterior of the IEM body, next to the “RHA” engraving is a small mesh covered port – I’m assuming this is to vent the dynamic driver.

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Steel T10i body - marvelously crafted	Smooth edges a feature - for very good comfort

The ear guides attach to the housing with excellent strain relief (blue for left, red for right). The ear guides themselves have been patented by RHA, and are formable, and appear to be spring steel with a soft and malleable protective outer sheath. I’m not sure what materials are involved, but they are the best example of formable ear guides I’ve encountered – and for me, are very comfortable. In case you haven’t noticed, the T10i are designed to be worn over the ear only (my preferred method).

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Formable ear guides	Formable ear guides - bend to any shape

The formable guides end with a strange 20mm plastic/rubber section which joins to the cable proper. I’m not 100% sure what the reason for these is – but sadly, they do detract visually from the overall look.

On the right side of the cable approx 260 mm from the body of the IEM is an integrated iDevice 3 button control and microphone. I’m pleased to say that this works brilliantly with my iPhone and controls volume as well as play, pause, next, back. The strange thing with the T10i is the placement of the controls/mic as it sits about 60mm below my chin when worn (most other IEMs have the controls considerably higher. The issue with the T10i configuration, is that I can’t use the cinch all the way to my chin to tighten the cables.

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icontrols (mic is on other side)	Mic (icontrols are on other side)

Well below the microphone (another 240mm from the bottom of the control unit) sits a small Y split – with excellent cable relief, and an integrated cinch. The weird thing is that the apex of the Y-split sits just above my belly button (I’m 6 foot tall) which is really far too low. And of course the cinch doesn’t work 100% because of the mic/control. So some things for RHA to consider when they eventually design the successor to this IEM.

The cable is relatively thick and sturdy, well sheathed, and best of all does not display any memory or kinking. It is virtually microphonic free below the Y-split, but there are some microphonics above. Of course use of the shirt clip, and keeping the cable underneath clothing relieves most of this.

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Y split and cinch	4 pole plug - extremely good quality - note rubber protector

The cable terminates in a straight 3.5mm stainless steel 4 pole plug – with once again excellent strain relief. One thing I did notice is that there is slight rubberised ring between the plug body and tip of the plug. Yet another example of RHA thinking outside the box. I can only assume this has two uses – to protect your device (and the plug) from metal on metal scratching, and also to accommodate plugging into your average smartphone (with case attached). Anyway – it works incredibly well with my iPhone 5S.

So apart from a few design “misses”, the build quality and attention to detail is incredible.

FILTER SYSTEM

For tuning, RHA includes a 3 filter system on the T10i – bass (black), reference (white/silver) and treble (amber/gold). It is a very similar system to that used on Rock Jaw’s Alfa Genus IEM. The filters are very easy to swap in and out – utilising a simple screw in thread. They have a rubber washer to ensure a secure fit. The bass filter is supposed to bump the lower frequency response by 3db above reference, and the treble filter is supposed to bump the frequency above 1 kHz by 3dB. The reference filter is for their default or reference tuning. Looking inside each filter, both the reference and bass filters appear to have acoustic foam or dampening material. The treble filter has none.

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Filters (L-R) Treble, Reference and Bass	Acoustic foam inside the reference filter

I’ll leave the sonic effects for the sound section.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried the included large silicone tips, and whilst they fit OK, I was unable to maintain a constant seal. I didn’t try their included foam tips, but opted instead for the large dual-flange tips, and they fit perfectly with a brilliant seal, and great comfort. The angle of the nozzle and design of the housing create the perfect angle for my ears, and I could (and have) used these for hours at a time. Despite their weight, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of trying a more ergonomically well designed housing – including the Shure SE series which I loved – or my current Fidues (A81 comes close though). I even put the small tips on, and asked my 11yo daughter to try them. Despite not being an IEM wearer, she also thought they were “pretty comfortable”.

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Ergonmically designed shells .......	........ are a perfect fit for both big and small ears

Isolation with the T10i is better than average for me (not quite near Shure’s almost perfect isolation – but very effective), and I think they’d be good enough for long distance air travel (despite the vent). They do isolate better than my Fidue A83, and are probably on-par with my A81. Because of their flat profile (when worn they do not extend past my ear), I have had no issues at all relaxing or sleeping with the T10i. They would rank up there as the most comfortable IEM I’ve worn to date.

There is no driver flex present.

So what does the T10i sound like?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the RHA T10i. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my iPhone 5S, or PC > A200p as source.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and most can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Thoughts on Default Signature

I need to state this one early, so I can then concentrate on the positives. I really do think that RHA missed the mark completely when tuning these IEMs. If I was to describe the default signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “dark”, “bassy” and “fatiguing”. Their problem is simply that there is too much bass, it overpowers everything, and for me it simply becomes too fatiguing. Please remember though, that I usually prefer a neutral signature, or often a shade brighter than neutral.

My issue with them is that I expect a reference signature to be reference – for the most part balanced, but clear. For example, I know my Fidue A83 are reasonably balanced but brightish. The Sony XBA4 I used to own were also reasonably balanced, but also very smooth – and if aiming for a smooth, and slightly bassy sound, this is the sort of reference sound I’d expect. My Fidue A81 are dark, and warm IEMs (quite bassy in fact), but even they do not have default bass, bass, bass emphasis that the T10i exhibit.

Once I’d got the initial shock out of the way (from first listen), I immediately changed the filters – trying the bass filter (it was even worse), and then switching to the treble filter. The treble filter was better, but still had too much bass present.

Dilemma – how do I review these, when I very much dislike the default signature, and listening for any length of time just brought on fatigue?

Answer – Get used to the signature a little more, and then EQ the bass down.

Over the next few hours I tried to spend as much time as I could with the T10i – but it was a very difficult experience. Bass heads might love these – but I really struggled. As I started to brain-burn into their default signature, I did start to notice quite a nice mid-range coming through – so there were encouraging signs that these drivers had potential.

Using my iPhone 5S, I switched in the bass reducer preset EQ (and before anyone throws their toys out of the cot, the bass reducer does precisely that – reduces a lot of bass, and is one of the few useful presets included with the iP5). After the bass assault, it was almost too much (by then I’d acclimatised a little), so I gave myself 20 minutes to adjust, and then took more stock of what I was hearing. The first thing I did was switch back to the reference filter …… and …… OMG this is so much better, and it sounds “reference”. Bass is still slightly north of neutral, but rather than overpowering everything, it’s just providing good impact. Best of all, the vocals and mid-range are now crystal clear, slightly warm, very smooth. Treble is still a little subdued overall, but very enjoyable. These now remind me a lot of the XBA4’s default sound – and I really like the change.

For others with a modern iDevice, if you have Accudio Pro – try the Sennheiser CX300 preset with flavour set to reference. It’ll give the T10i a big cut in the mid-bass, and is another way of applying simple EQ to reveal what this IEM is really capable of.

From this point on – I’ve used my iPhone 5S with bass reducer. So all below comments should be taken with this in mind.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

The T10i’s detail retrieval is now good on both tracks. With Gaucho, the sax intro is quite natural sounding and very smooth – and now the bass guitar is where it should be. I can definitely hear the bass guitar, and occasional thump of the kick drum coming through, but it’s not overpowering things now.

Switching to Sultans of Swing, and it’s a really dynamic and fun listen. The constant background sound is the bass guitar, but it’s contrasted nicely with the bite of Knopfler’s guitar and the polite splash of cymbals. The bass is still very good overall, with a slight bloom but generally pretty tight. Vocals are really clear now – but Knopfler’s vocals definitely sit very slightly behind the bass guitar and his own lead guitar. Detail is mostly all there – but the subtle hits of snare and cymbal are quite subdued still. Separation of instruments is good, and there is no evidence of smearing.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The T10i has an intimate stage with this track, and with the bass reduced the imaging is OK (directional cues are there), but the sense of space is not expansive.

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the EQ’d RHA T10i gave a nicely smooth and cultured performance. The tonality of the T10i is still just a little darker than I am used to – but the vocal presentation is very clear, and although the stage I intimate, the overall cohesion / tonality works. In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the T10i, I was surprisingly getting some immersion – so this is better than expected.

Genre Specific Notes

Rock / Alt-Rock – The EQ’d T10i handles this genre well with good balance between vocals and bass line. Male vocals in particular are very good – and I found myself really enjoying most artists. Standouts among the artists tested were 3 Doors Down, Seether and Pearl Jam. It’s amazing how well this driver performs on vocals when it’s given a chance to shine. The only detraction was that some higher level details (cymbals) are very underwhelming still. Porcupine Tree’s “Trains” had good dynamics with the bass, but sadly for me Wilson’s vocals were just a little too subdued. Pink Floyds “Money” was a lot better though, with nice overall balance – but still losing that extra detail in the high end.

Jazz / Blues / Bluegrass – Portico Quartet’s “Ruins” is always a first stop for me when testing a new IEM with Jazz, and the T10i expresses most of the dynamics well – but again the cymbals are just a little too underwhelming, and the sax is too smooth (no bite). Switching to female vocal jazz, and Norah Jones is actually really good – smooth, silky, husky – enjoyable (track was “Don’t Know Why”).
Switching to Blues, and Joe Bonamassa’s “India/Mountain Time” was pleasant, but once again missing something. The normal “bite” from Joe’s guitar was the casualty this time. It was still enjoyable – but just seemed to be missing something. Vocals were really good though, and once again this EQ’d cut in the native bass I’m using is allowing male vocals to really shine.

Rap / EDM / Pop – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” is really good with the T10i – with bass hitting low and hard – and the vocals clear. I can see bassheads really enjoying this. Time to switch to some pop and this time Adele’s “Turning Tables”. The piano on this track was brilliant, and a really good portrayal of Adele’s vocals, smooth and enveloping. On to some electronic music, and here the T10i is shining really well – especially with artists like The Flashbulb. Great bass line – and although the overall presentation is different from what I’m used to, it is enjoyable enough to continue listening. I tried briefly some Little Dragon and Lindsey Stirling – but in both cases, even with the bass EQ’d down, I still found it quite boomy. Vocals good with the Little Dragon tracks – but still just too dark for my tastes.

Classical / Opera – Kempffs Beethoven Sonatas were quite enjoyable, but anything else I tried just didn’t gel at all. And the attempt at opera (Netrebko/Garanca) was simply flat – no dynamics, no magic. Avoid.

Indie / Female Vocals – Although this covers a couple of different genres, they make up a lot of my current listening, so it made sense for me to concentrate on these to see how the adjusted T10i handled things. I started with Agnes Obel’s Aventine, and although the T10i got close, the vocals sounded a little hollow. Switching to Angus & Julia Stone, and this was a lot better – probably due to the fact that the vocals are the main focus for much of the track (“For You”). Next up was Lianne La Havas – and once again impressed with how this driver can do vocals. This is really pleasant – very smooth, nice tonality – I could chill out to this with no problems. I briefly tried London Grammar, and while the presentation was OK, Hannah’s voice deserves an IEM with a little more upper end emphasis. I finished with Wildlight and Band of Horses. Both Indie groups were very good. Again darker than I’m used to – but different rather than better or worse. All in all, some hits, some misses.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The T10i is easily powered straight out of the portable devices I have, and I haven’t experienced any issues with the iPhone 5S, or from my A200p (at work). With typical pop/rock songs on the iP5S I’m usually at a volume level of around 40%. So far I’ve had no issues with hiss.

RHA T10i - SUMMARY

When I first saw the T10i, I was immediately attracted to its build and simple good looks and design. Wearing the T10i continues the initial impression – these are superbly comfortable.

However – that’s where the attraction for me ends.

I have never come across an IEM (especially at this price point) which is as dark, bassy, and disappointing sonically. I’m also very surprised at all of the positive reviews around the net – especially the ones that call the T10i balanced. Thankfully the drivers used do have a very capable mid-range that can be unlocked / accessed simply by EQing down the sub and mid-bass. Doing so reveals the potential for an absolute winner for RHA. Sadly, with its current tuning – it simply misses the mark, and unfortunately the filters remain largely unusable – simply because the 3dB adjustments they make are lost in the continual bass.

If you don’t mind tinkering with EQ or are a huge basshead, you might find some value in the T10i. Otherwise, I’d suggest there are much better options out there – especially with some very good triple hybrids now being priced around the USD 200 mark.

I really struggled grading these for this review – because the build, fit, accessories, and design would all get very high marks. Sadly the sonics let it down – and the only reason these get a 3.5 stars from me is their potential if EQ’d. If you take the EQ out, they’d be much lower.

Once again thanks to RHA and David for including me as part of the tour.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO RHA

Cut the bass – by a lot. Reference should be reference, and your drivers actually handle vocals really well when they are allowed the freedom to do so.
Move the icontrol/mic further up the cable – this will also fix the cinch issue.
Consider moving the Y split higher.

NOTE TO RHA

I really don’t like giving overly critical reviews, and I do hope you take my comments on-board. You have incredible potential with this IEM, and if you could get the tuning right, I’d definitely line-up to buy one.

I'll be interested to read your comments once you've had a chance to try them . And I really do hope that RHA do release a retuned model as everything else about the T10i is first class - except the current sonics.

In refererence to @getclikinagas - an improvement on MA750 was what a lot of us were hoping for. Instead, a lot of MA750 owners who "upgraded" to T10i on the T10i thread are returning them. Unfortunately, MA750 seems to be the neutrali-ish anomaly from RHA. At least they stick to their guns, right!

@Brooko - The rubber ring on the headphone jack is a step-down to allow it to plug into your iPhone without removing your case. With the MA750 there is no ring, and you have to remove your iPhone case just to plug in the darn earphones. I (and I'm sure many others) brought this to RHA's attention, and I'm glad they responded by making T10i more iPhone-friendly than its predecessors. Now, they just need to bring out MA750's real successor.

@nmatheis

@nmatheis - good to hear they were listening to their audience with the step-down. The funny thing is that I loved everything about the build and design of the T10i - just not the sonics. If they could release the next version with better tuning, I'd be all over them.

[size=24.7999992370605px]INTRODUCTION[/size]
Brainwavz is a well established manufacturer of headphones in the value for money category – offering many different options (especially for IEMs) that suit almost anyone’s sonic preferences.
I’ve had regular contact with Audrey from Brainwavz, and when she asked me to consider reviewing an entry point mini amplifier (the AP001), I immediately agreed – intrigued by a possible new direction for them.

I received the courier pack a few days ago – and although I haven’t had a lot of time with the AP001 , its basic functionality doesn’t take a huge amount of time to test, so I thought I’d pass on my thoughts before I start working on my next major review projects.

I have already spent as much time as I could with the AP001 – logging about 18-20 hours so far with a variety of different earphones.

I’ve listed price at USD $29.50 (current MP4Nation price at time of writing) – however this is not what I paid for them (they are a review sample).

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the AP001 as a review sample. I am in no way affiliated with Brainwavz - and this review is my honest opinion of the Brainwavz AP001. I would like to thank Audrey for making this opportunity available.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'.

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, X1 and iPhone5) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs, and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I also formerly owned several portable amps including the Arrow 4G, GoVibe PortaTube, Fiio’s E7, and E11. I own the Fiio E11K (currently on a mini tour of Australia with my X1) and Beyerdynamic A200p but generally do not use portable amps – especially since buying the Fiio X5.

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced. I am neither a bass nor treble head (you could argue that I do like clarity though). I am not treble sensitive (at all).

For the purposes of this review - I used the Brainwavz AP001 with both my iPhone 5S and Fiio X5. In the limited time I have spent with the AP001, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (I do not believe in 'night and day' burn-in). I will respect others choice if they believe in physical burn-in, but I am yet to experience it.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The unit arrived in a compact all plastic outer retail package. The front is quite plain with just the name and picture of the product. The rear has a clear window showing the AP001. Below that is a list of its features and specifications.

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AP001 retail package - front	AP001 retail package - rear

Removing the outer packaging exposes a simple plastic tray housing the AP001 and 2 cables (charging and interconnect).

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AP001 inner tray	Ap001 with charging cable and interconnect

The micro USB charging cable is quite short (about 22 cm plug tip to plug tip), but appears well made. The interconnect (3.5mm to 3.5mm) is approx 12 cm in length. The actual cable is very thin but very flexible.

Overall, quite a spartan but practical offering – especially when you consider the price point.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The table below lists most of the available specifications. I have asked Audrey for the impedance measurements for the headphone out, and will post those once she comes back to me.

Playback time	12+ hours fully charged
Charging interface	Micro USB port (cable supplied)
Input	Single 3.5mm line in (cable supplied)
Output	Dual 3.5 mm headphone out
Output Impedance	To be advised
Frequency Response	10 Hz – 100 kHz (really ???)
Suggested Headphone Impedance	16 – 150 ohms
Built In Battery	120 mAh
Dimensions / Weight	38 x 38 x 12.87mm / 15.5g
Warranty	1 Year

Unfortunately there is no information on output voltage, distortion, SNR or channel separation.

BUILD / DESIGN

The build quality is generally very good.

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AP001 clean but unique design	Source socket 3.5mm

The outer body appears to be a hard plastic and it is pretty solid – and very light weight. The front plate however seems to be some sort of alloy. Despite the square form factor, the edges are not sharp.

The casing itself is square with a center notch. I’m honestly not sure what this design is for – the only thing I can think of is that you can slot the interconnect cable through it so it stays with the unit when not in use – the plug seems to be sized for it anyway. Edit - apparently it's so you can wind the cable of your IEMs around it to keep it tidy - or at least that's one of the possible uses anyway.

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USB charging socket	Dual headphone outs

The unit has 4 ports or sockets – all clearly labelled. At the bottom is the 3.5mm socket for the line-in (or source). On the left hand size is the micro USB socket for charging. On the top of the AP001 are two 3.5 mm headphone sockets.

All of the sockets are relatively firm, and appear to do their job nicely.

There is no volume control, or EQ control. What you see is what you get.

BATTERY / INDICATORS

Charging is done via the supplied micro USB cable. When plugged and powered (charging), the light inside the center glows amber. When fully charged the light goes out. Charging takes somewhere between 1.5 and 2 hours.

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Amber light - charging	Blue light - amp in use (with Fiio X5 and Fidue A83)

Battery life is quoted at 12 hours – and I have been using it for 6-8 hours at a stretch with no signs of depletion, so those numbers look solid.

When in use (audio signal engaged), the central light glows blue. It is possible to have the unit charging and playing at the same time – and both lights are shown.

AUTO ON / OFF

The design of the AP001 is switchless, so when an audio signal is recognised, it switches on. When the audio signal stops, it goes into a timed shut-off mode, and switches itself off after a preset time. Sounds very good in theory, and most of the time it works well – but there is a caveat which I discovered, and it is one of the most annoying things about this unit. The auto on/off is not sensitive enough. When I was using it with my T1’s (high impedance – requiring plenty of volume), the AP001 turned on with no problems, and ran with no problems over the space of several hours (sounded really good too). But when I ran sensitive earphones (my Fidue A83) with the Fiio X5 as source, I had issues to get the AP001 to turn on (had to either “hot-plug” it to create a static pop loud enough for the device to turn on, or boost the volume enough for the device to recognise the audio). I’m a relatively quiet listener – so with the Fidues, actually keeping the unit playing was another issue. After the preset shut-off time, and in the midst of my listening, the unit would simply click-off. This happened with theX5 with my A83 and Altone200. The Dunu1000 needed just a little more power, so they were OK. Strangely, it also played better with the iPhone 5S (as far as recognition of audio goes), than it did with the X5. Anyway – it was pretty annoying. It was good when working – but caveat emptor for those with sensitive IEMs and low listening habits.
Edit : the issue with low volume from source has been confirmed by Raz at MP4Nation. It appears the X5 isn't the ideal source for this particular amp, so I'm amending the review up 1/2 a star, as they'll bring out a list of compatible devices eventually. So far it has worked well with the iPhone 5S. The additional 1/2 star simply because I shouldn't be downgrading based on the X5 not being an ideal source.

OTHER ISSUES / NOTES

The other issues that need to be mentioned are"

A loud static pop (mainly on sensitive IEMs) when plugging or unplugging the source plug from/to its socket. It’s loud enough with less sensitive gear, but with IEMs like the A83, it’s actually almost pain inducing. Again caveat emptor – you can avoid it as long as you know it’s there.

Also it seems to be prone to some EMF – not all the time – but when it strikes it’s annoying. It had been clear with the X5, but at work yesterday plugged to my iPhone, and sitting close to a phone and PC, I could clearly hear static from time to time. Moving it away from the PC helped. I haven’t had the same issues at home, so I’m wondering if it’s just the basic poorly shielded budget work PC.

And a note of interest – this amp is not actually a Brainwavz design – but rather an OEM generic design. Hopefully it is a direction that Brainwavz expands upon (by introducing their own designs in future), as we know what they are capable with earphones of their own design.

SONIC COMPARISONS / IMPRESSIONS / POWER

OK – that’s my little gripes out of the way – how did it sound?

To me it was relatively clear, and just seemed to add some mid and sub-bass to the base sonics of whatever I used it with.

One of the first things I tested when I got the unit was the actual amplification circuit, and location of the bass boost (using test tones and an SPL meter). This is not going to be hugely accurate – but should give us an idea. I didn’t go lower than 100 Hz (was too difficult to measure accurately – my meter is not that sensitive), but what I did find was volume boost as follows:

100 Hz	+ 10 dB
150 Hz	+ 5 dB
200 Hz	+ 4 dB
300 Hz	+ 4 dB
500 Hz – 10 kHz	+ 3 dB

So it’s clear that the actual amplification supplied by the amp is subtle (specs say 120% increase of audio – but that’s not what I’m measuring – unless you take that measurement in the bass area). And the bass boost seems to be centered around the 100 Hz area – which is why it’s adding a nice thump to headphones that need it – and not bleeding into the mid-range.

Pairing the AP001 with my Altone200 and Dunu1000 was bordering on too much bass for me. It added a darkness to both IEMs that simply did not gel with my tastes. The A83 was much better (apart from the sensitivity issues – on/off conundrum), and so was the Alfa Genus from Rockjaw (with the black treble filters fitted).

I also tried a couple of portable headphones. My son’s Momentum On-ear was pretty good – I find it a little thin for my tastes - and the AP001 helped, although it did become slightly boomy, and on a couple of tracks it was distorting slightly. I also tried the UE6000 and this made an already relatively balanced (but warm) headphone quite bassy and too dark again for my tastes.

The real surprise for me was with my T1. I know an iPhone can’t power it properly – it gets loud enough, but ends up anaemic in the bass. Adding the AP001, and the beautiful mids and detail were still present, and this time the AP001 was able to supply what was missing in the bass from being underpowered. It was probably the only combination I really enjoyed during my time testing the AP001. It wasn’t just good, it was very good.

CONCLUSION

So, we’ve come to the end of my few days with this unit – what are my thoughts?

The AP001 may appeal to people on a very restricted budget, who need a modest volume increase to their portable set-up, who want a permanent bass boost, and who might like to share their listening with another person via the dual headphone outs. Mainly I suspect it will be sold to the curious (it’s cheap enough to take a risk on).

But for the reasons I listed in the review, I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone I know. In this case I don’t think it’s particularly good value. No volume control, a weak amplifier, EQ always on, and a sometimes iffy (in my case) auto on/off. For the same money you can get a Fiio E6 which is a similar size, but has better amplification, volume control and a switchable EQ. The only thing that I can see as a plus over the E6 would be the dual headphone outs. And if you can stretch the budget to $60 you can get a real amplifier in the E11K, or a CMOY.

Two and a half stars from me.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

PREAMBLE

Brainwavz is a well established manufacturer of headphones in the value for money category – offering many different options (especially for IEMs) that suit almost anyone’s sonic preferences. I’ve previously had both good and bad experiences with their headphones / IEMs – I previously reviewed and owned their B2 IEMs and HM5 headphones, and both were stellar performers. I also sampled their R1, R3, S5 and R3 V2 IEMs – and whilst the R3 V2 and S5 were also solid performers, the R1 and R3 originals weren’t quite as well aligned with my preferences.

I’ve had regular contact with Audrey from Brainwavz, and when she asked me to consider reviewing the S0, I immediately agreed – as at half the price of the S5, they were an interesting price point for me.
I received the courier pack last week – and have already spent as much time as I could getting to know the ins and out of these IEMs. I’d estimate that so far I’ve logged around 20 hours with the Brainwavz S0. I’ve also spent time tip rolling and using different genres to really get a feel for what the S0 offers to different music tastes.

I’ve listed price at USD $49.50 (current MP4Nation price at time of writing) – however this is not what I paid for them (they are a review sample).

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Brainwavz S0 as a review sample. I am in no way affiliated with Brainwavz - and this review is my subjective opinion of the Brainwavz S0. I would like to thank Audrey for making this opportunity available.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, and iPhone5) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs, and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced. I am neither a bass nor treble head (you could argue that I do like clarity though). I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Brainwavz S0 straight from the headphone-out socket of my Fiio X5, and iPhone5, and also from the Beyer A200p when at work. I did not further amp them, as IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the S0, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (I do not believe in 'night and day' burn-in). I will respect others choice if they believe in physical burn-in, but I am yet to experience it.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Brainwavz S0 arrived in a very smart retail box (book type), similar to the retail box of the S5 – with an inner container housing the IEMs and accessories.

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Brainwavz S0 - front of retail box	Brainwavz S0 - rear of retail box

The packaging is attractive and I think Brainwavz have a winner with this styling. It is functional, but also has a quality (or sophisticated) look to it. The colours simply convey something special. The retail box contains the catch phrase “clear and balanced sound, accurate sound reproduction, and durable metal housing” on the front cover. Straight forward and simple messages – we’ll address each one in the review. On the rear of the box is a list of accessories included plus the earphone specifications. On the inside of the front page is a really nice touch – and shows that Brainwavz are proud of what they are delivering – an expanded internal diagram of what makes up the S0. Once again, the inner audio-nut in me loves this sort of thing!

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Brainwavz S0 - outer cover opened	Brainwavz S0 - close up of driver housing design

The accessory package is very typical Brainwavz – very comprehensive, and quite exceptional, especially for this price range. It still amazes me that even in the sub $50 price bracket, they offer far more accessories than a lot of other manufacturers do with their pricier models.

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Brainwavz S0 - inner packaging	Brainwavz S0 - S0 revealed + accessories

First up you get the Brainwavz carry case – which is a hard fabric covered pouch – and easily carries all your tips and the S0. The case is really good because it does offer a lot of protection to the IEMs – but it is definitely more suited to transport in a jacket pocket or bag rather than a trouser pocket – simply due to its height. This is definitely a quality carry case though.

Along with the case you also get a small combined instruction plus warranty information sheet (reverse side), a short clip, a huge selection of silicone tips (including single, bi and tri flange), and a genuine set of comply S400 medium tips.

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Brainwavz carry case and S0	S0 - note the new cable tie - nice!

The silicone tips include 6 sets of standard tips, 1 set of double flanges, and one set of triple flanges.

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Excellent tip selection - single, double and tri-flange + genuine Comply foams.	Excellent tip selection - single, double and tri-flange + genuine Comply foams.

New (from the other Brainwavz offerings I’ve tried) is a nifty little velcro cable tie. I definitely like this addition, and shows Brainwavz are continually looking for ways to innovate. Hint for Brainwavz – take a look at the Dunu “attached” cable tie some time. For me – it is best in class and incredibly handy – but yours is definitely a big step in the right direction.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From Brainwavz)
For comparison, I’ve also listed the S5 reviewed previously so that you can see any differences.

	Brainwavz S0	Brainwavz S5
Drivers	Dynamic, 9mm	Dynamic, 10mm
Shell	All metal	All metal
Rated Impedance	16 ohms	16 ohms
Frequency Range	18 Hz – 18 kHz	18 Hz – 24 kHz
Sensitivity	100 dB @ 1mW	110 dB @ 1mW
Cable	1.2m, flat copper cable	1.3m, flat copper cable
Plug	3.5 mm gold plated, straight	3.5 mm gold plated, straight
Weight	16g (with comply tips fitted)	21g (with comply tips fitted)
Fitting	Straight down or over ear	Over ear

FREQUENCY GRAPHS

Unfortunately I’ve been unable to find a frequency graph for the S0 so far but will add it later if I can find one. For the record – I’m expecting a relatively flat mid-range, elevated bass - especially mid bass, and also elevation in the lower treble, with some roll off in the upper treble.

BUILD QUALITY

Like the S5, when you first look at the shells of the S0, you’re likely to conclude (at the price level they’re targeting), that the body is hard moulded plastic. Up close – it even looks like black shiny plastic – but when you actually handle them, you realise that it is actually an aluminium alloy. The build quality on the S0 shell is extremely good – smooth, nicely shaped, and (like the S5 before it) one of the best I’ve seen at any price point. The S0 forgoes the ergonomically Shure type design, and revert back to a more standard straight design which can either be worn over ear or straight down.

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S0 housing - smooth and all metal	S0 strain relief and cable

The S0 is also extremely light weight and comfortable to wear – weighing in at a meagre 16g, and I think a lot of the 16g is (like the S5) in the cable (more on this below).

The strain relief from the IEM housing is relatively rigid rubber moulded onto the housing, and looks of sufficient quality to last for considerable time, and protect the cable very well. L/R markings are printed in very clear white on the S0 shell – and are very easy to read against the black background.

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S0 nozzle filters	S0 flat cable

The cable is a 1.2m flat copper cable in an outer rubbery (TPE) flat sheath. It is very solid, but leads to my only real complaint about the build on the S0. The cable is quite microphonic compared to a lot of the IEMs I’ve tried. It’s not the flat design either – it’s simply the rubbery sheath. This can be negated through use of the supplied shirt clip, or using the in-built cable cinch. Another way to alleviate this is to tuck the cable well inside clothing. Whilst there are ways of fixing this, it is unfortunate IMO that the design was not altered. It’s one common trait on the Brainwavz S series I’d really like to see changed eventually. The flat cable is comfortable for me to fit over ear – but has to be cinched to avoid flopping.

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S0 strain relief + cable cinch	S0 straight 3.5 mm plug

The splitter this time has been reduced to a more manageable size (compared to the S5), is flat and does have a cinch (neck slider) which works well. Strain reliefs are very good.

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S5 V-split (top) and much more practical S0 split (bottom)	S0 housing (top) vs S5 housing (bottom)

The plug is a straight plug which is relatively petite – and I had no issues fitting it to my iPhone with cover intact. Once again, strain relief at the plug is excellent.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried both large silicone tips included, and they actually fit pretty well, but did not isolate fully. So I then switched to the Complys, and ….. perfection (for me). Really good comfort, and good isolation.

All tips stayed intact with the S5 during insertion and removal, so the design of the nozzle definitely gets thumbs up from me. Isolation with the Comply tips is good enough for air travel, and the comfort is brilliant. They do have a rear vent/port – but it doesn’t seem to affect isolation too much. I’ve already slept with the Brainwavz S0 – they do not protrude past my outer ear when fitted.

So what does the Brainwavz S0 sound like? Is it a cheaper version of the S5?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Brainwavz S0. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with both my Fiio X5 and iPhone 5S as source.

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S0 with Fiio X5 - nice sounding combo, but at times too bassy	S0 with iPhone 5S and Accudio Pro (EQ to reduce bass) - perfect!

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.
Thoughts on General Signature

I’m finding the Brainwavz S0 (like the S5) to have a mild V shaped frequency response with a boost to the bass presence (mainly mid-bass, but slightly weightier sub-bass also), quite flat and balanced mid-range (nice cohesion between lower mids and upper mids), and a very small bump in the lower treble for clarity. The sound is very tip dependent, and with a good seal, they can sound clear but dark and warm. If the seal is not 100% (eg with silicones for me), I get a little bass leak, and a much cleaner more balanced sound. I occasionally get a little ‘hollowness’ or “honkiness” with certain tracks which can indicate a notch in the upper mid-range – but this seems to come and go, and is very track dependent for me.

Overall Detail / Clarity

For this I used both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

The Brainwavz S0 displayed good detail retrieval with a mellow and smooth sound, and quite a laid back lower treble – enough bump to give detail, but not too much sizzle. With Gaucho, the cymbals are there, but in the background (not spot-lit). It is a very smooth presentation, with no real peakiness. The sax is really good – not splashy or overdone. Switching to Sultans of Swing, and once more the focus is more upper mid-range than actual treble. This track shows a little more crispness – and this time there is the occasional splashiness coming through. Knopfler’s guitar Is allowed to sing and my only real complaint would be that there is some lower end bloom (boom) from the mid-bass that could be dialled back a little.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I used Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I used this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Brainwavs S5 for me is a typical IEM in this regard. The sound – while relatively clear (the drums are probably the most focused), is still very much ‘in your head’ – but still enjoyable. Directional cues are OK (positioning of the violin was “off” from what I am used to) – so for a value priced IEM its imaging is OK – definitely not as accomplished as some of the more detail oriented IEMs I’ve tried recently.

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the S0 again delivered a smooth and easy to listen to performance. In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the S0, the clapping did have a little distance – but there was no real sense of space. At this point I retried the ending again, this time giving the S0 an EQ cut on the mid-bass, and all of a sudden the crowd sprang into life – and the some of the realism I hear with the HD600 was apparent. More on this later.

Genre Specific Notes

Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Rock – For me, the S0’s perform reasonably well with this genre - smooth, with good vocal clarity and also very punchy bass. 3 Doors Down “Away From the Sun”, and Alter Bridge’s “Broken Wings” are both presented well vocally, but I was finding that when concentrated guitar kicked in, the S0 tended to close in a little, and almost become a wall of congestion. Overall though it is very easy to listen to the S5 for extended periods of time, and there is simply no fatigue with any of the tracks I’ve listened to. On the much faster “Diary of Jayne”, the presentation is warmer than I am used to – and there is some slight smearing of the lower mid-range. Vocals are still well presented, but I can’t help thinking that the mid-range is being slightly choked by themed-bass though.

Alt Rock – First up was Pink Floyd’s “Money”, and the S0 kept up quite well – but unfortunately the bass guitar tended to overshadow some of the detail that should be present. The sax was exceptional though – really smooth, and very easy to listen to. Gilmour’s electric guitar was stellar and shone nicely. Overall more pass than fail with this track. Switching to Porcupine Tree’s “Trains”, and here is a track that suits the S0 really well (from memory it also did with the S5). The bass is very good (again – might need a cut in the mid-bass) – and there is nice overall balance. Wilson’s voice really suits the S0’s relaxed vocal presentation. I need to explore more PT with this particular IEM.

Jazz / Blues / Bluegrass – I started with Portico Quartet’s “Ruins” and this is one of those tracks I encountered some hollowness through the upper mid-range which unfortunately took something away from the overall presentation. Detail overall was good though. Once again, too much bass for my particular preference. Moving to Miles Davis “So What”, and this is a little better – although I would personally like a little more detail from cymbals and high-hats. Miles trumpet sounds very good – smooth as always.

Switching to Blues – I fired up Joe Bonamassa’s India-Mountain Time, a track that I like immensely. The guitar work has less sparkle and crunch than I am used to, but the S0 is particularly good with Joe’s vocals (just the right tone and contrast), and this is a presentation I could definitely just sit down and enjoy for the entire album. Switching to “Dust Bowl Children” (Alison Kraus and Union Station), and the S0 also does this pretty well. Again, acoustic instruments (for my tastes) need more edge – but the vocals are clear – and the overall presentation is pretty smooth.

Rap / EDM / Pop – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” next, and this is where the S0 nails things – everything works together very cohesively (vocals, bass, guitar), and it’s surprising how much bass these drivers can deliver with the right song (too copius for me – but others will love this). What surprises me though is how clear the song is despite the copious bass it’s putting out. I also tried Feist’s “Bad In Each Other” (another track with a thumping bass line) and again the S0 performed well. The contrast between vocals and bass was very good. Switching to Norah Jones “Light as a Feather” (a fusion of pop with jazz undertones), and it is three for three. I personally would like a touch more air in the upper registers, but it almost seems that the S0 was tuned for more modern music. In fact most Pop in my library sounds pretty good with the S0 – vocals shine, bass is impactful (although for my personal atses, I could live with a little less “boom”), the word cohesion does come to mind. Switching to EDM – I tried some Little Dragon and some Flashbulb – and it is clear to me, most electronic music also shines with the S0. Bass has good impact, but there is also enough detail to provide contrast.

Classical / Opera – after being surprised last time with the S5, I was hoping for good things with the S0. Kempff’s Moonlight Sonata was captivating, very good tone and pace – able to convey some of the emotion from the performance. Netrebko and Garanca’s “Flower Duet” was smooth and easy to listen to – but I did find that with full orchestral tracks I was missing some of the air I’d normally experience with brighter IEMs. Overall though with the mid-bass taking a break for a while, I was finding the S0 really easy to adapt to with classical – and for someone on a budget, I could see these fitting the bill quite nicely.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The S0 is very easily powered straight out of virtually any portable device, and I didn’t experience any issues with the 3 DAPs I tested (iPhone 5S, or Fiio X5). Of the two – my personal preference would go to the iPhone 5S – but simply because of the Accudio Pro app (read next section).

RESPONSE TO EQ?

I was really keen to see what the S0 could do by applying a little EQ – as I feel these have just a little too much bass (especially the mid-bass). For a quick fix, I often use the Accudio Pro app, and apply a preset EQ for a headphone/IEM that I know which has similar “issues” to what I am trying to correct. So I Ioaded the preset for the Sennheiser CX300 – an older IEM with notorious mid-bass issues – and reloaded some of the tracks I’d been listening to.

For my tastes the improvement was astonishing. The missing detail suddenly leapt to life, and instead of having the overpowering boominess, I was left with a much smoother and more balanced response. All the detail was there – but still smooth. If this was the default signature, I would buy these in a heart-beat. Tracks I use for sound staging had more zip and sense of space. So the S0 responded really well to EQ for me.

COMPARISON S5

Rather than trying to compare the S0 to other more expensive IEM’s, I thought it best to simply reference it alongside it’s reasonably well known older brother – the S5. I would have perhaps tried it against the Tekfusion Twinwoofers I had, but unfortunately they are still on tour in Australia, and nothing else I currently have with me is in a suitable price bracket.

For the comparison, I used a standard test tone (3 kHz), SPL meter, and the digital volume on the X5. Interestingly at 3kHz, there was less than 1dB difference between the two which made my job very easy.
The S5 (to my ears) has a more splashy treble / upper mid-range and deeper overall V shape, whilst the S0 appears more balance (less splash and more cohesion). Both have elevated bass – and removing some of the hump in the mid-bass does help both IEMs, although it does more with the S0 simply because it doesn’t have the same splash in the treble.

If I could take some of the mid-bass out of the S0, and put it in the S5 body (but keep the S0 slightly more petite cable V split etc), it would make a killer IEM in this price range (hint, hint Brainwavz).

Without EQ – personally I still prefer the S5 – but with EQ, definitely the S0.

BRAINWAVZ S0 - SUMMARY

The Brainwavz S0 (likes its sibling S5) is an extremely well built IEM with a mildly V shaped sound signature, good tone and timbre, and excellent comfort and fit. It is an IEM that belies its $50 price range – delivering superior sonics at an incredible value (especially when considering both build quality and accessory package) . It has an emphasis on bass impact, which can be reduced nicely by EQ. The mid-range itself is quite linear, the lower treble has some good detail and is quite smooth, but the upper treble is polite (definitely not a focus). The S0 has a very smooth overall signature which suits many genres. Treble-heads, or people preferring brightness and etched detail should definitely look elsewhere – unless they are willing to rely on some EQ (which the S0 responds to quite nicely). Rather than tweaking the upper registers, just subtracting mid-bass really helps these IEMs. The continuing fault I do find with the Brainwavz S series is that the cable is perhaps a little too bulky, and is definitely microphonic – but this can be managed to minimise the effects.

The litmus question again for me would be “would I buy these for myself”, and “would I recommend them to my family”. The answer to this question is maybe – with EQ applied, the S0 offers very good sonics for a bargain price.

And here is perhaps a good note to end the review on. It’s evening as I put the finishing touches on the review before posting, and although I’m pretty much finished, the S0 remain in my ears. I’m listening to Wildlight’s album “Hers Was A Thunder” on my iPhone 5S – through Accudio (so the EQ is on). I could easily switch to my A83 triple hybrid at this point, but I don’t need to. I’m thoroughly enjoying what I’m hearing without switching. And that is the magic of the hidden potential of the S0.

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The S0 is a very good bargain for under $50	S0 build quality - extremely good in this class

RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRAINWAVZ

Again - consider changing the cable to something lighter and less microphonic
I’d love to see an S0 with less mid and sub-bass, and housed in the S5 shell. Pricing between the S0 and S5 current RRP could quite possibly make a winner. Worth thinking about?

On Massdrop for another day at $29.99, for anyone who's interested.

Just cruising through this, and realized that perhaps your recommendations to Brainwavz prompted them to make the S3. What do you think?

Would be a nice thought - and I know Brainwavz genuinely watch the reviews and listen to the suggestions. I like the fact that they've looked at something a lot more balanced with the S3. But I'm only one small voice among many - and possibly not their real target audience. Regardless - I see the S3 as a step in the right direction.

Click any image for full size (1200 x 800) resolution

INTRODUCTION

I’m a proud owner of the Fiio X5 – it’s been my go to DAP for some time now, with the only drawback being ultimate portability if I’m jogging, or just out and about wanting a really simple set-up. So when Fiio started talking about a new entry level DAP in the sub $100 market, and already knowing what they are capable of developing, I was immediately interested. I was originally supposed to be part of one of the X1 tours – unfortunately we had some “personnel issues” along the way – and the X1 never made it down to our part of the world. So with the help of James and Joe from Fiio, I arranged to purchase a new unit, and we’ll be using that for a tour through Australia and New Zealand.

Everyone on Head-Fi should know about the Fiio Electronics Company by now – but if you don’t, here’s a very short summary. Fiio is a relative newcomer to the audio scene, first founded in 2007. Their first offerings were some extremely low cost portable amplifiers – which to be honest were often scoffed at by some seasoned Head-Fiers. But Fiio spent a lot of time with the community here, and continued to listen to their potential buyers, adopt our ideas, and grow their product range. They debuted their first DAP (the X3) in 2013, and despite some early hiccups with developing the UI, have worked with their customer base to continually develop the firmware for a better user experience. The X3 was followed by their current flagship DAP (the X5) – which despites its reasonable cost (300-350) has been able to compete with models from other manufacturers costing hundreds of dollars more. Fiio’s products have followed a very simple formula since 2007 – affordable, stylish, well built, functional, measuring well, and most importantly sounding wonderful.

DISCLAIMER

Although the X1 (and E11K) that I was provided by Fiio are about to embark on an Australasian tour, they are units that I have pre-agreed to purchase at the end of the tour. I am in no way affiliated with Fiio, and this review is my honest opinion of the X1. I would also like to thank Joe & James for assisting and facilitating the tour (and making a second set available due to the numbers involved).
Note - I later purchased the review sample direct from Fiio

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (This is to give any readers a baseline for interpreting the review).

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, and iPhone4) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs (I do also have the Beyer T51p, but IEMs command most of my portable time) - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83 & A81, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced. I am neither a bass nor treble head (you could argue that I do like clarity though). I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880. I also formerly owned several portable amps - the most notable being an Arrow 4G and GoVibe PortaTube. I have also in the past owned Fiio’s E7, E9 and E11.

My experience with DAPs in the past have been initially with very cheap Sony offerings, then step-ups to the Cowon iAudio7, my iPhone4 and iPod Touch G4, HSA Studio V3, and Fiio’s X5. I've also listened to various other devices along the way - including Cowon's J3.

I have extensively tested myself (abx) and I find aac256 or higher completely transparent. For my portable listening – it has been my preferred format (for space vs quality), but for my X5 I use exclusively redbook 16/44.1 as space is not an issue. All of my music is legally purchased (mostly CD – the rest FLAC purchased on-line).

I tend to be sceptical about audiophile ‘claims’, don’t generally believe in burn-in, and would rather test myself blind on perceived differences. I am not a ‘golden eared listener’. I suffer from mild tinnitus, and at 47, my hearing is less than perfect.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

WHAT I LOOK FOR IN AN ULTRA-PORTABLE DAP

I thought I’d list (before I start with the review) what I was looking for from the X1.

Small form factor
Great (neutral) sounding – but with body (not thin)
Good build quality
Reasonable battery life
Easy to use interface
Good pairing with my main IEMs
Bonus (if it was possible) - able to drive both low impedance and (within reason) higher impedance cans without additional amping.

Did I get all of this with the X1? Well yes – it exceeded my expectations in many areas, and the rough edges should (hopefully) be solved with firmware updates. Read on for an in-depth look at the X1.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The X1 arrived in a flat retail carton, with a simple red and black design – featuring a picture of the X1 on the front, and some specifications (in English and Mandarin) on the back.
Quick note here – the box on my unit arrived slightly torn – not Fiio’s fault – I think someone from customs in NZ might have been a little rushed opening it.

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Box and inner tray	X1 and accessories

On opening the retail outer box, you are presented with an inner tray containing the X1 (already sheathed in its silicone cover for added protection) wrapped in plastic. The X1 sits inside a foam cut-out and appears to be fairly well protected. Alongside it is a narrow white box which contains the charging/data cable (micro USB). In a bag underneath the X1 are spare screen protectors, three different stick on covers, and the warranty info and quick start guide.

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Stick on covers	Carbon cover

The stick-on covers are interesting, as they are designed to cover the entire player. It’s an interesting concept, but I wasn’t too sure how good they would actually look until I saw a couple of examples in the X1 threads – where other users have applied the included stickers. See below for examples of the wood and carbon – thanks to users @phillipwareham and @Dogmatrix respectively for the photos.

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Wood stick on cover	Carbon stick on cover

The entire package is IMO pretty good, covering everything you initially need for the player. Materials are all good quality. The cable seems sturdy – and can also be interchanged with the X5 cable. The black silicone case fits the player perfectly, and looks pretty good in place. It also provides very good protection – with the only drawback being that it can pick-up a little dust/lint from time to time.

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Black silicone case	The naked X1

One last note – the X1 does come with a screen protector intact. This protector is in two pieces – the actual protector and a plastic cover with tab attached. When you pull the tab, the top cover is supposed to come off – leaving the actual protector below it. Some new users have confused this will the actual protector coming off – but I can assure you that it remains securely in place.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The table below lists most of the relevant specifications. I’ve collated these from information on the box, information found on and line, my own personal experience with the X1

Dimensions	57mm x 96.6mm x 14mm
Weight	106g
Display	2.0” TFT Colour LCD (320x240)
DAC	TI PCM5142 (supports up to 192/24 res)
Amplifier	Intersil ISL28291
Outputs	Combined 3.5mm Headphone Out & Line Out (software switchable)
Storage	1 x microSD (max support 128gb at time of review)
Battery	1700mAh Li-Polymer, up to 15 hours playback (~12 hours currently)
Charge Time	< 4 hours
Supported Formats	APE, WAV, FLAC, WMA, ALAC, MP2, MP3, AAC, OGG
Headphone Output Impedance	<2 Ω
Crosstalk	>70 dB@1KHz
THD+N	< 0.004%@1KHz
MAX output voltage	> 4.2 Vp-p
MAX output current	> 46 mA
SNR	> 110 dB
Output Power	100 mW@16Ω THD<1%, 65 mW@32Ω, 8 mW@300Ω
Line-out Output	> 1.46 Vrms
Left/Right Channel Adjmt	5 dB
Recommended HP Impedance	16-100 Ω
Volume Control Type	Digital – 100 steps
Not Present	Gain Selection, Bass/Treble Boost, USB DAC, Digital Audio Output Jack

For graphs of X1’s performance, as measured by Fiio, go here and choose specifications from the menu: http://fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000060437344&MenuID=105026016

BUILD

The build on the X1 (IMO) is incredible for a DAP in this price bracket, and a lot of thought has gone into the overall design. The casing looks to be a 2 piece aluminium alloy chassis – with a clean silvery finish (somewhere between a gloss and a matte). The corners are nicely rounded, and the bevel on top and bottom adds a touch of design class. The headphone/line-out socket is firm fitting, as is the microUSB port at the bottom.

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Headphone out	Micro USB charging / data port

The buttons give a really nice tactile response, and for my hand, are nicely located within easy reach. Nice to see that this time they are also labelled (this was a fault corrected from the X5). The only thing I don’t like about the button placement is that if adding an amplifier (like the E11K) – using a rubber band is not ideal, as it partially covers the buttons. The only way around this is with a stacking kit – which I understand Fiio will be bringing out.

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X1 button layout - side and top	Problem with add-on amp, no room for band (covers buttons)

Personal preference – I would have preferred the on/off button at the top like the X5, and just the volume buttons on the side. This would have created more space for attaching an amp via rubber band + also stopped me (often) going to change the volume and instead turning the screen on and off (a little frustrating!).

Next to the side buttons is the reset hole. The only issue I’d have with this is that it is quite small, and would need a pin or needle to press the internal reset button. A paper clip is actually too wide. If Fiio do make a revision, this is one thing I would change – just slightly. Just for the record, I’ve had no freezes at all so far.

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Screen comparison X1 and X5	Size comparison X1 and X5

The screen has a good resolution, and is relatively clear and easy to read. It does suffer a little in direct sunlight, but just shading the screen with your hand helps, and you can also turn up the brightness. It was also not until I compared the X1 with the X5 screen that I noticed it was definitely not as vibrant – but by itself, you don’t notice at all.

The scroll wheel flows nicely, and is easy to spin. Like the X5, there is some side-to-side play with this unit – not much but it is there. Less than my X5 – but this is probably due to its smaller size. Probably the only part of the unit that feels a little flimsy. The wheel itself is (like the X5) relatively sensitive, and takes a little getting used to – but practise makes perfect, and the buttons are also very easy for advancing and reversing through menu choices. One neat thing I noticed that when using the wheel, the main menu comes up circular. When using the buttons it appears banded (or linear) – just another of the little surprises, and proof again that Fiio were really looking to innovate with the user experience.

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Micro SD port	X1 alongside E11K

Finally the micro SD port – no cover this time, but this is OK as it provides easier access and suits the overall aesthetic a little better.

Overall – the build for me is a solid 4.8/5. I can’t really see how Fiio could have improved the X1 further – apart from adjusting the button locations, and reset hole. It really is incredibly well made for $100.

UI (USER INTERFACE) / USABILITY

Please note that this is with beta firmware 1.03.

Let me preface by saying that for me the overall usability of the X1 sits above my experience with the X5, well above my former Studio V3, but still falls a little short of the benchmark (Apple). However – the surprising thing for me is how good the interface is – I guess I’ve got used to Fiio’ layout pretty quickly.

On starting the X1, you are greeted with an animated “welcome” screen – before moving to the menu. The menu can be navigated using either the scroll wheel or buttons. At the top of the menu is a status bar which shows (left to right) : volume, output mode (headphone or line-out), current screen, play status, sleep timer (if set), TF card, and battery level indicator.

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Theme selection	Main menu screen

The main menu choices include: now playing, category, folder mode, audio/play settings, and system settings.

The system setting and audio setting screens are straight forward, and pretty much include everything you’re likely to need.

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System settings menu	Audio settings menu

System settings include media library updating, lock screen settings (3 options), timeout settings, brightness and power off settings, sleep timer settings, output settings (H/O vs L/O), 6 colour theme options, settings to adjust display and language, info about the X1 including storage, tracks and FW version, and a format option (for the TF card).

Audio settings give access to the play and resume modes, gapless on/off, volume default settings, and access to the built in equaliser and also balance modes.

The equaliser is 7 band, and comes with 9 presets including ‘off’ and a custom one you can save. The presets are OK – I probably wouldn’t use them – but the custom one is handy, especially if you have a headphone that needs a tweak. My only wish would be that there was an option to add more custom EQs, or simply ditch / override the presets, and replace them with your own. I would rather have 3 or 4 EQs for different headphones rather than different music types. It would have been nice to have a parametric EQ setting – but the 7 band is functional and works OK (and the presets are much better than Apple’s). Unlike the X5 – using the equaliser does not drop the output by 6dB.

Folder mode works very well, and is essentially the same as the folder mode on the X5. It is also the only mode you can access externally made playlists at this time. There is still no option to play sub all folders from the root folder – which is a bit of a shame.

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Folder view on the X1	Options in tagged view - all songs, album, artist, genre and favourites

For those who prefer to keep their players on permanent shuffle – setting the play mode as shuffle then going to “all songs” works quite admirably, and I’m pleased to report that it is a true shuffle. Restarting again from the first track brings up a new random list – nice!

In tag (or category) mode you can select one major level of operation, and then two minor levels – e.g. choosing artist brings up the artist list, then album list, then the files are shown. In album mode – there are two levels – album and track. In genre mode, you get a genre list, but then all songs with that genre are lumped in filename order. It would have been nice to have genre > artist > album > track, but I guess this is expecting a little too much at this early stage. The good news is that Fiio is continuing to work with the community on the UI. In all songs mode – again the files are just listed in filename order.
I’ve had no issues with either folder or tag mode – but I need to stress that all my files are meticulously tagged (I own an X5 so I know what works). I use hierarchal folders Artist > Albums, and my file naming always goes track # - title. I use very few tags – just artist, album artist, album, title, track #, genre, year and artwork. All my artwork is embedded and standard 600 x 600.

The upper left button brings up a context menu that is dependent on the menu you are in. Amongst this is an add to playlist button (circle with a plus sign in it) so that you can save a song to a playlist. This works OK, and it is quite easy to add and remove songs using the context button. The good news is that you can now save multiple playlists - but you have to do this song by song. The other method is to create them externally. Externally created playlists work well – but you need to navigate to them from folder view (they don’t appear in the playlists category yet).

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All songs - needs work, but shuffle works nicely!	On screen info

The upper right button is a back button, and puts you back up one hierarchal level. The bottom two buttons are forward, back / up, down / fast forward, rewind – depending on your application.
The middle button is simply to select (i.e. action button). Like the X5 – if you want to change volume – hold this button in (when screen is active) and the wheel volume control is activated. Nice little touch.

The side volume buttons (when in lock mode 1) double as both volume buttons and also as track up/down buttons. Tapping the volume buttons raises or lowers the volume. Holding the button down advances or goes back one track.

Overall the UI is quite responsive – much better than the X5 with very little lag. There can be slight delays on screen when moving from track to track (whilst playing), but overall I am extremely happy with the UI.

A final note on the UI – gapless play is seamless for me so far. All my tested albums have worked well.

Overall – if the Apple (think iPod Touch 4 / iPhone4) UI is a 10 (and that’s what I’d give it) – this initial release would come in about a solid 7 or 8. It’s usable, has plenty of features, and I believe will continue to get better with more firmware releases.

TEST GEAR USED

During the course of the review, I have used:

Fiio X1, Fiio X5 and iPhone 4
Fiio E11k
Audio gd-NFB12 (PC)
Fidue A83, Altone200, Dunu DN-1000, Beyer T51p, Sennheiser HD600
Some of the test tracks used for critical listening can be found here : http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

SOUND

Probably best if I preface this section with a small note so that you are aware of my thoughts on audiophile type DAPs. I like my iPhone4. It is linear, user friendly, sounds pretty good actually – and I can tailor the sound via apps. When I had my Studio V3, I was very surprised in the increase (to me) of perceived SQ. Sonically the Studio seemed to have a more holographic/spacious sound to it. Now I’m not sure if this was crossfeed, a dsp they were using, or simply in the frequency response (I know the Studio was a bright DAP). All I know is that I liked it. Sadly I don’t have the V3 to compare any more. Nowadays most of my listening is with the Fiio X5 (and I love this unit) – it has a fantastically black background, and sounds simply wonderful with whatever headphones or IEMs I pair with it.

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iPhone4, X1 and X5	iPhone4, X1 and X5

When doing comparisons – to make sure I’m comparing correctly – I equalised the volume on all 3 devices with an SPL meter, and used the same files for all 3 devices (X1 and X5 were FLAC, iPhone 4 was aac256 encoded from same master). The volume matching was done with constant test tones.

So without further ado ….

The X1 (IMO) sounds phenomenal for a $100 DAP. It’s been quite hard to characterise the overall sound without directly making comparisons, so the following impressions are all in comparison to both the X5 and iP4. For this section I’ve mainly used my Fidue A83 triple hybrid IEMs – as they are nicely balanced, and are both easy to drive, and also detect contrasts.

The X1 (to my imperfect ears) is quite a neutral sounding DAP – with a slight touch of warmth, very similar to the X5. Where the X1 differs is that it has a very slightly thicker, or fuller overall sound compared to the X5 – the X5 sounds comparatively cleaner, instruments sound more precise, with more space. The differences are there – but they are not huge – but to me they are noticeable. This can give the X1 the impression that the mid-range might be ever so slightly forward, but with the volume matching and constant back and forth during testing, I think that’s just an impression. I personally think what I’m hearing is the X5’s blacker background, and greater refinement – it’s simply more effortless in its presentation.

Queuing up bassier tracks (some hip-hop and electronic) and I’m finding similar contrasts with the bass. The X5 remains slightly cleaner and more defined – and the X1 is slightly more confined – but the overall tonality is very, very close. For those who already have the X5 – but want a more portable solution for an active lifestyle – you’re going to love the X1.

Moving to Amber Rubarth’s binaural track Tundra to check soundstage – and level matched, the stage is very similar between X1 and X5. The overall width and depth of stage is slightly better with the X5 – again that beautiful black background is the major difference – but the X1 is again really close.

Switching now between iP4 and X1 – and now the differences are easier to spot. The X1 comparatively is a lot smoother, warmer and fuller – especially through the mid-range – where the iP4 just has a slightly thinner edge to it. Tonality is similar in its overall neutrality, so it really comes down to your preference on signature. I like both. To me this is the beauty of this little DAP – it doesn’t strive to shine in any one area – it just present s a beautifully smooth and balanced presentation. No, it doesn’t have the effortless detail of higher end DAPs like the X5 – but for the price I’m not complaining.

X1 LINE-OUT

For the next section, I paired the X1 with the Fiio E11K portable amp.

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X1 and E11K	X1 and E11K

This was far harder to objectively compare – mainly because I couldn’t fast switch. Each time I changed, I had to plug and replug the amp and IEMs, plus also switch the setting between headphone out and line out. Because I couldn’t rapid switch – it just became too hard to reliably detect any differences (and this was after very accurately volume matching). So all I can say so far is that:

The Fiio E11K is to my ears a really nicely neutral amp, and if this is the way Fiio are going with their house sound (IE away from some of the very warm offerings in the past), then I am definitely impressed.
The difference between line-out and headphone-out (to my ears) is very minimal – with the obvious difference simply having additional power on tap for harder to drive headphones.

I’ll leave the speculation that the line-out is cleaner to other reviewers. I’m not hearing it. Both H/O and L/O sound very similar to me – and also very good quality.

POWER

The X1’s amp section is surprisingly good. The power output is listed in the specs earlier in the review. We already know the X1 has no problems driving low power IEMS, so how does it do with something more demanding – like the HD600 at 300 ohm? Again after some careful volume matching using test tones and an SPL meter, I put the X1 up against my NFB-12, just to see how well it could drive the HD600.


X1 with Fidue A83	X1 with HD600

After a lot of A/Bing, I came away really impressed. Yes, the X1 was requiring around 60% of its power to drive the HD600, but I wasn’t finding a huge loss of dynamics. This little DAP really packs an incredible punch – and I’d be almost as happy listening to the X1 unamped with the HD600s on a Sunday afternoon, as I would be sitting at my desktop. I needed to find out how the E11K would affect things though, so I tried again with the line-out engaged, E11K plugged, and the same tracks queued on the X1. The difference now is the amount of power available. I’m about 33-35% on the pot with the E11K (on low gain) and still getting the same glorious sound. Switching to some really dynamic classical, and there is plenty of headroom – and this is where the X1 + E11K combo shines. These two look like they were made for each other, and pair together really well. I simply can’t think of a better combination right now - $100 DAP and $60 amp – and the result is sonic bliss able to drive most mid-fi headphones.

BATTERY PERFORMANCE

Fiio rates the battery life under current firmware at around 12 hours, and thinks they can get up to 15 hours once the firmware matures. I apologise as I’ve been traveling with clients since the X1 arrived and haven’t had time to I run a ‘real world’ test. But I can say that I’ve been playing the X1 for around 7-8 hours a day, and it’s having no issues. Charging is relatively quick – around 3 hours. And you can play the X1 whilst it’s charging.

SD MICRO CARDS (PERFORMANCE/SCANNING)

From first power on, it’s taking the X1 around 9 seconds to get from cold start to the menu screen. That’s plenty quick enough for me. So far I have 825 tracks loaded onto a 64Gb card. When running a manual scan – the 825 tracks take approx. 9 seconds to run a full update. Compared to my old Studio V3 this is pure bliss!

FORMAT SUPPORT

In order to test the X1’s performance with different formats, I took one of my Dylan albums (Infidels) originally purchased at 24/96, and transcoded the album into the following formats – 24/96 WAV, 24/96 FLAC, 24/192 FLAC, 24/96 ALAC, 24/96 AIFF, 16/44.1 MP3 (320 kbps), 16/96 aac (256), and 16/44.1 ogg – each track a different format. The X1 played them all admirably with no issues at all – except for a slight noise (clicking) when switching between some of the formats.

SUMMARY

The interesting thing I found when Fiio first announced the X1 was that they advertised it as the DAP for the young. I’m guessing this may be more a reference to the beginning audiophile, or maybe someone who can’t afford any of the emerging HQ DAPs being offered in the $300+ range. Now I’m probably not going to be (at the ripe young age of 47) considered as their main demographic audience – but as I stated earlier, I’ve already committed to buy this unit, and I have absolutely no regrets. Maybe the reference should be to the young at heart – then I’m a definite qualifier.

For $100 + the price of a micro SD card, you get an incredibly well built and stylish DAP, which sounds extremely good, is very well sized for portability, has a really good UI, and has power to burn – at least enough for any IEM and most portable headphones. Add Fiio’s E11K amp for another $60 and you have a portable solution that’ll drive most mid-fi headphones out there (at least up to 300 ohms).
What’s more, the X1 has no right sounding as good as it does at this value point. Fiio has (like they did with the X5) set a new bar for cost / performance ratio on a budget.

The X1 is not just for the beginner though – it’s for everyone. The worst part for me now is that I have to pack both the X1 and E11K up tonight, and send them through Australasia on their 4-6 week tour. I’ll really miss the ultra-portable solution over the coming weeks – but at least I can look forward to the fact that I will be getting it back in the near future (and then it’s permanently mine).
I would unreservedly recommend this DAP to anyone looking for a low cost ultraportable solution. In my mind, this IS the bargain of 2014.

Well done Fiio – you've reset the standard once again.

Great Review. Let me start by saying I'm not an audiophile, but I do enjoy my music. I had an I-Pod classic, which has recently bitten the dust, so I am in the market for a new DAP. The reason I liked the I-Pod was the storage and also the ability to connect to my car audio via the USB connection, but since I use a Windows computer, I dislike having to be tied to I-tunes. After reading this review, (I have read others too), I am almost sure I'll be purchasing the X1. My question is, I read somewhere that there are issues with the X1 and Windows 8, can you clarify this for me? Again, thanks, and great review.

Would help if you clarified what issues you are talking about

When I was on Windows 8 (now using 10), I never had any issues with the X1.

I wish I could find the article. I believe it had something to do with a digital signature, unfortunately I can't remember. I think I'll jump in and buy one, if I like how it sounds, I may upgrade to the X3. As I stated, I dislike using I-tunes, and from everything I've read, I can use the Fiio's for my music (have over 20 GB) without having to download my CD collection all over. Thanks.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

I’d read a little about the Fidues products on these forums, but really knew nothing about the company or their IEMs. And whilst I’d looked at a couple of the reviews of their products, and was genuinely interested, their TOTL Hybrid (A83) and Dynamic (A81) were both reasonably pricey at USD 279+, and considering I already had a set of Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200 (both also triple hybrids), I was a little reluctant to take the plunge.

Then Vic (djvkool) contacted me and generously offered to send me his pair of A83 to trial and review them. I jumped at the chance, and ended up buying a pair from Fidue. They remain my favourite IEMs at this moment in time. Vic then asked me if I’d like to also review the pair of Fidue A81 Dynamic Driver IEMs that he’d also been sent – which of course I said yes to. I’d like to thank Vic once again for the opportunity to have these for the review.

Fidue Acoustics is a Chinese earphone company founded by Benny Tan (who has more than 20 years design experience – developing earphones for other global branded companies). The name Fidue is simply an acronym of the principle design points that the company strives to implement in their product range

Fidelity
Inspiration
Durability
Uniqueness
Enjoyment.

Fidue’s product catalogue to date has included mainly dynamic driver models ranging from the sub $50 bracket, all the way to their current triple driver A83 flagship (which at present is also on Amazon at $280). The A81 is their top Dynamic Driver IEM.

In the last week I have tried to spend as much time as possible assessing the Fidue A81. In that time I have also listened to my Fidue A83, Altone200 and DN-1000 so that I can reference differences, but the A81 has taken most of my listening time – and it has been a very different experience (as the A81 is not my usually preferred signature type). This earphone did not “wow” me from first listen – but as I’ve come to get to know their signature, they have slowly “grown on me”.

I’d estimate that so far I’ve logged around 20-25 hours with the Fidue A81 to date.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the Fidue A81 as a loaner from dkvcool. I am in no way affiliated with Fidue - and this review is my subjective opinion of the A81. Price listed as the purchase price is actually the Amazon price at time of writing the review.

PREAMBLE - 'ABOUT ME'. (or a base-line for interpreting my thoughts and bias)

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, and iPhone4) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs (I do also have the Beyer T51p, but IEMs command most of my portable time) - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I generally tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced. I am neither a bass nor treble head (you could argue that I do like clarity though). I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Fidue A81 straight from the headphone-out socket of my Fiio X5, and iPhone 4, and also from the Beyer A200p when at work. I did not further amp them, as IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the Fidue A81, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (I do not believe in 'night and day' burn-in). I will respect others choice if they believe in physical burn-in, but I am yet to experience it.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The Fidue A81 arrived in a reasonably large, but attractive green and black retail sleeve over an inner hinged (but extremely well made) black cardboard box. The box was larger than I was expecting – even bigger than the box from the A83.

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Front of retail sleeve	Rear of retail sleeve

Sliding off the sleeve reveals the inner box, which in turn opens to reveal an attractive stitched leather case with a metal clasp. The inner box is completely foam padded, and also holds the warranty card and instruction manual. The innermost leather case exudes quality and style and gives the immediate impression that the A81 are going to be something special.

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Carboard inner box	Leather case

Opening this case (once again foam lined) reveals the A81 IEMs, and an oval zippered pocket case. Inside the case are the accessories and 2 sets of cables. At this point I should note that oval zippered case would be ideal for day to day carrying of the IEMs – and I wish this had been included with the A83 accessories.

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Leather case + manual + waranty card	Inside the leather case - carry case + Fidue A81

The accessory pack is a little spartan – especially compared to what was included with the A83, and simply includes 3 pairs (S,M,L) single flange silicone tips, and 1 pair of foam tips (non-Comply), and one shirt clip. It does however include 2 cables – one of which is designed for smartphone use with microphone and button.

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Carry case + A81s	Inside the carry case - accessories and 2 cables

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All the accessories	Inside the carry pouch

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
(From Fidue)

Type	Dynamic Driver Inner Ear Monitor
Drivers	10mm with Titanium Composites
Frequency Range	13 Hz – 25 Khz
Impedance	16 ohm
Sensitivity	103 dB
Max Input Power	20 mW
Distortion	<1%
Plug	3.5mm gold plated
Cables	1.3m silver plated OFC copper, removable 1.2m coated OFC copper, removable, microphone + play/pause button
Weight	19g with cable, 6g A81 units (no cable)
IEM Shell	Molded plastic shell with separate face plate.

FREQUENCY GRAPH

The above frequency graph is from Innerfidelity’s website – and my thanks to Tyll for providing it. I sourced the frequency graph after writing the review – but it does show some of my findings from the sound section (emphasised bass – especially mid-bass, recession in lower mids, peaks in upper mids and upper treble).

BUILD QUALITY

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A81 molded shell	A81 molded shell

The Fidue A81 has a molded shell designed to be worn with the cable over the ear, and the body of the A81 sitting inside the outer ear. It is a tear drop shape – and is a somewhat similar shape to the UE900 IEM. When I’m wearing the A81, the shell sits relatively flat against my concha with the nozzle protruding on an angle into the ear. As stated in the specifications, the shell is a molded plastic which is very smooth and seamless, with a plastic separate faceplate. The A81 is approx. 19mm long and 15mm deep at its widest point. It is approx. 13mm from the faceplate to the base of the nozzle, and the nozzle itself extends approx. 7mm from base to tip. The nozzle has a generous lip, and tips are held very securely. The nozzle does seem to be wider than standard (I measure 5mm diameter), and I have experienced some problems getting tips to actually fit on the nozzle. Once they’re on though – they stay in place. There is a single port or vent adjacent to the base of each nozzle.

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2 prong connectors	Sockets - notice raised ridges - fit is excellent

The cable is connected to the A81 housing using 2 prong connectors. The plugs are shaped so that they actually fit over a raised ridge on the IEM body – and this keeps them extremely secure once fitted.
The standard cable is once again (like the A83 cable) extremely well built, and should be extremely durable. The only issue I have seen with Vic’s pair is that they so not have a tight twist close to the Y-split (becoming slightly unravelled?) – but this could be easily rectified with a little DIY. Comparing this to the A83 cable (which has a clear outer sheath), I do wonder whether this is one of the upgrades (the addition of the clear sheath) to eliminate unravelling for subsequent models.

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Y split on the standard cable	Braid below the Y split

From the twin prong connectors, there is a 6 cm length of memory wire (on both cables) which is both soft and extremely pliable, yet still holds its shape. Above the Y split, the cable is a twisted pair encased in a soft and pliable sheath. Below the Y split – the cable is beautifully braided until it reaches the 3.5mm plug. The Y split is extremely minimal on the standard cable – just a piece of heatshrink. The plug itself is straight, slim, and is both stylish and has very good strain relief. The entire cable appears to be extremely sturdy, quite flexible, and is not prone to tangling. Microphonics are minimal (worn correctly over ear) unless it comes into contact with textured (ribbed) clothing, or a zip – and then the contour of the cable can create quite a bit of noise against the contours of clothing. So far I have had no issues with walking – having the A81 cable tucked inside my shirt. There is no neck cinch – but a shirt clip is provided. I’ve found the standard cable hangs pretty well without a cinch anyway.

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Formable ear guides - quite flexible	3.5mm plug - excellent build quality

The smartphone cable is once again extremely durable, but this time encased in a shiny plastic sheath (not sure of the material). It has similar connectors and memory wire as the standard cable – but this time has a microphone unit with button. When worn, the microphone hangs approximately 4-5cm above my mouth on the right hand side of my face. The button is easily accessible and uses a standard format – one push pause or play, two pushes to advance one track, three pushes to go back one track. I tested the cable with an incoming call, and it was very clear – both at my end, and for the caller (so it’s a good microphone).

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Smartphone cable microphone and control button	Smartphone cable Y split

This cable does have a proper Y split with excellent strain relief (no cinch though). The jack is a 4 pole 3.5mm, once again very slim, extremely well built and has extremely good strain relief. My only comment with the smartphone cable is that with the outer casing, it tends to have a lot of memory, and retains kinks. This is minimised by tucking the cable underneath clothing – so for me is a bit of a non-issue. So far (again) when worn correctly over ear, microphonics are very minimal.

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Smartphone cable covering	Smartphone cable above the Y split

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Smartphone cable jack	Smartphone cable formable ear guides

Overall the build quality is an extremely high standard. I can’t really fault them too much.

FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that usually single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. I initially tried the included large silicone tips, and whilst they fit OK, I was unable to maintain a seal. I tried their included foam tips, and they fit me well and were relatively comfortable – but did irritate a little when worn long term. I tried a lot of other tips with varying success. The biggest problem was the large diameter of the nozzle – which meant getting tips on was sometimes quite tricky. Large Monster Super Tips worked quite well with a high level of isolation – but again, long term listening caused irritation. I finally grabbed my trusty Comply T400’s and although it took some quite hard pushing to get them on, once in place they completely solved seal and comfort issues – and I could now wear the A81 for hours.

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Included tips with the Fidue A81	Included tips with the Fidue A81

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Tip rolling - single flanges from one of my other sets	Fidues included foams worked reasonably well at first

So the fit may be a little tricky at first until you find the right tips for your own ears – but with the T400s it takes no time at all for me to get a perfect seal every time.

Isolation with the T400s fitted is much better than average (not quite near Shure’s almost perfect isolation – but very effective), and I think they’d be good enough for long distance air travel (yet to try it). Because of their flat profile (when worn they do not extend past my ear), I have had no issues at all relaxing or sleeping with the Fidue A81. They would rank up there as one of the more comfortable IEMs I’ve worn – with the T400s fitted.

There can be driver flex on initial insertion – but this is minimal. I also experienced this with the Fidue A83.

So what does the Fidue A81 sound like, and why has its signature “grown on me”?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the Fidue A81. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X5 as source.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

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Fidue A81 ready for testing	The X5 goes well with any IEM - the A81s included

Thoughts on General Signature
If I was to describe the signature in a few words – I’d choose the words “warm”, “fun” and “dynamic”.

I’m finding the Fidue A81 to be quite a bassy V shaped IEM with pretty good bass extension, a mid-bass bump, a slight recession in the lower mids, emphasis on the upper mids, and again in the upper treble. This combination gives a reasonably clear sound with north of neutral bass slam. The A81 is a warmish sounding IEM that can sound a little thick on the bottom end (the mid bass has a slowish decay with many tracks). It is definitely a coloured sound overall – but for a lot of genres (more on this later) it provides a very energetic and dynamic presentation. In a word – “fun”.

Overall Detail / Clarity
For this I always use both Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.

The Fidue A81’s detail retrieval is good on both tracks. With Gaucho, the sax intro is natural sounding and smooth – with maybe a little more bass guitar emphasis than I’m usually used to. Vocals are exceptionally smooth – and there might be a slight glare or brashness in the upper end (cymbals) – but it’s not annoying. I can definitely hear the bass guitar, and occasional thump of the kick drum coming through. But overall – a really enjoyable listen. Biggest comment I could make here is that there is a real contrast between the brighter upper end and darker bass lines – but overall the sense is of warmth and smoothness.

Switching to Sultans of Swing, and once again it’s a really dynamic and fun listen. The constant background sound is the bass guitar, but it’s punctuated with the crunch of Knopfler’s guitar and the polite splash of cymbals. The bass is reasonably good overall, with a slight mid-bass bloom and longer decay. Vocals are clear – but Knopfler’s vocals definitely sit very slightly behind the bass guitar and his own lead guitar. Again it’s not a bad thing – just different to what I’m used to. Detail is all there – and the subtle hits of snare and cymbal are quite vivid. Separation of instruments is good, and there is no real evidence of smearing on any track I’ve listened to so far. The only real critique is that some of the bass can be just a little loose.

Sound-stage & Imaging
For this I use Amber Rubarth’s binaural recording “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.

It’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is often quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The Fidue A81 has an intimate stage with this track, and although there is reasonably good imaging, the sense of space is not expansive. I am wondering if this limitation may be due to the instruments and their bassier focus with the drums and cello (maybe the longer bloom/decay having an effect).

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” and the Fidue A81 gave a very smooth and enjoable performance. Once again the tonality of this IEM is just a little dark for what I am used to – and although it still delivers good imaging within the intimate stage it sets, I am missing some of the sweetness of Loreena’s vocals that the A83 delivered (in comparison). In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the Fidue A81, the applause doesn’t take me into the audience – I feel more of an observer than a participant.

Bass Quality and Quantity
I’m used to hearing some quite impactful and good quality bass with the recent triple hybrid IEMs I’ve been spending time with lately – so switching to a full blown dynamic driver has been an interesting contrast. The A81 definitely has a V shape – but with more of a mid-bass bump than my other IEM’s – although it does have an impressively extended low end as well.

Amongst my test tracks, one of the tracks to stand out was Muddy Waters by Mark Lanegan. This blues rock track is quite dark and brooding anyway – and the A81 really just made this track thump. I wanted to see how low the bass would go – so switched to Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” – and the A81 delivered without breaking its stride. Bass is effortless – if a little boomy in the mid bass. Quantity is copious – quality is not quite as tight as I’m used to with my other hybrids. But the nice thing with this track is the contrast between Amy’s vocals and the thumping bass – nothing is understated, and the track just really works with the A81.
Switching to Zoe Keating’s “Escape Artist” (Zoe plays Cello – and has a Bandcamp site – definitely worth looking her up!), and the cello’s depth is really good here. The decay may be slightly more than strictly natural – but the performance is very enjoyable.

Going to a more contrasting track – I queued up Seether’s version of “Immortality” and the impact of both drums and bass guitar is very good – always there supplying texture and perfectly balancing out the bite of the acoustic guitars and crash of cymbals. This is the sort of track that the A81 really excels with – great impact, but enough contrasting brightness to balance things out.

Overall the A81 delivers more bass than I’m used to, and it’s not as defined or tight as some of my other IEMs – but for sheer raw power – let’s just say that sometimes it really does hit the spot.

Female Vocals – A Special Note
Around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. For me the most captivating thing about the Altone200 I reviewed previously was how it rendered female vocals. Other IEMs I’ve owned in the past had sometimes struggled with some of the artists I like – and this includes IEM’s like Shure’s SE535 LE (upper-mids on the SE535 LE are quite forward). The Altone200 just nailed everything though – often bringing an almost euphoric quality to the overall presentation.

I didn’t really know what to expect with the A81 – but with its upper mid-range bump, I suspected it may perform well. One of my early litmus tests is usually queuing Agnes Obel – as some of her recordings can become quite strident or shouty if the mids aren’t quite right. With the A81, her vocals aren’t as euphonic as with the Altones – but they are by no means unpleasant. The overall tone of the track though is much darker than I’m used to – but the cello is pretty good though. I then proceeded to play a medley of other tracks from artists including Christina Perri (Human was really nicely presented – man that bass!), Gabriella Cilmi (the track Safer was absolutely beautiful), Florence and the Machine (great contrast between thumping bass and Florence’s vocals – although I would have preferred the vocals to be just a little more forward), and Norah Jones (smooth and buttery – but I prefer the A83 with Norah). The presentation of the A81 is definitely different than anything else I’ve heard. Mostly it’s the contrast between bass and vocals. On some tracks it performs extremely well, on others I’d personally like a slightly lighter sound (especially with slower tracks).

Male Vocals
It’s only fair that I contrast my comments above with the other end of the spectrum, and again with the A81 it’s sometimes hit and miss. Kicking off with pure rock (3 Doors Down “Away from the Sun”), and this presentation is very good – although the vocals are very slightly distant. The A81 so far seems to nail many Rock tracks quite well. Most of the male vocals I listen to are rock based in some form or other, and most of them play nicely with the A81. Green Day especially was really good – visceral bass, great vocal contrast, a lot of fun. About the only thing I’m noticing is that I’m listening sometimes louder with the A81 than I would be with other IEMs – and this is especially noticeable with some male vocals if they’re slightly recessed (Joe Bonamassa was another example). Nils Lofgren was very good though, and Pearl Jam really shone with the A81.

Genre Specific Notes
Again for tracks, albums, artists – please refer to this list: http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks

Rock – The Fidue A81 mostly nail this genre for me – and although on some tracks the bass can be a little strong and bloomy (boomy) the overall fun factor is pretty high. I’ve already mentioned quite a bit of this in the male vocal section – so I won’t recover old ground.

Alt Rock – First up (in my usual test rotation) was Pink Floyd’s “Money”, and the A81 delivers nicely – it often seems to when tracks are reasonably dynamic with good contrast. It’s a smooth delivery, somewhat darker to what I’m used to – but everything in the track appears to be presented. Cymbals and bells are coming through nicely and the sax is portrayed nicely. Switching to Porcupine Tree’s “Trains”, and wow – this presentation is pretty good. It’s still warmer and darker than I’m used to – but when the bass hits …. really good, stunningly good in fact. I think it helps that Wilson’s voice is slightly higher pitched anyway – so vocals are really clear, and the bass is just magic. This is one track where the A81 even trumps the A83.

Jazz / Blues / Bluegrass – Portico Quartet’s “Ruins” is always a first stop for me when testing a new IEM with Jazz, and the A81 is impressing me with jazz tracks so far. I think the secret here is the contrast between the bass and upper mid-range and treble. Cymbals are punctuating things nicely – and the only criticism is that the sax (while smooth) sounds a little subdued. Time to switch to Miles (the track is “So What” from the album Kind of Blue), and once again a very smooth and easy to listen to presentation. I do find I’m pushing up the volume just a little bit more (once again) but the overall track presentation is very nice.

I covered blues previously – with Lanegan’s “Bleeding Muddy Water”portraying well, but Bonamassa’s vocals being lost a little in some of his tracks. I also tried Beth Hart’s “Lifts You Up” from her live performance (Live at Paradiso). This is a recording that was mastered quite “hot” or bright – and this really suited the A81 well (for my tastes anyway). At last a little brighter tonality, which further added to the overall dynamics. Nice listening experience.

Rap / EDM / Pop – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” is really good with the Fidue A81s – with bass hitting low and hard. Personally I’d prefer it dialled back a little – but the vocals are clear, and I can see bassheads really enjoying this. Time to switch to some pop and this time Adele’s “Turning Tables”. This track was actually really nice with the A81s – great portrayal of Adele’s vocals, smooth and enveloping. On to some EDM – and Lindsay Stirling’s “Electric Daisy Violin” = magic. EDM often sounds better to me with a V shaped IEM and the A81 really deliver – pumping bass, but also a sweet upper end. On to Little Dragon’s “Little Man” and it’s equally as impressive. In fact any EDM or electronic music seems to work really well with the A81, and even lighter electronic like The Flashbulb is really enjoyable. If there is a single genre that the A81 masters for my tastes – this is the one.

Classical / Opera – Unfortunately this was the one genre that for me just did not gel at all with the Fidue A81’s. With opera, the vocals were a little distant, dark and flat – especially Netrebko and Garanca. There simply wasn’t the magic I’m used to. I hoped that solo piano might be better but even Kempff’s Moonlight Sonata wasn’t giving me it’s usual “goose bumps”. The tonality was just a little dark, a little off. I hoped some full orchestral music might be the answer – and whilst Julia Fischer’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D was enjoyable, it was also darker and smoother than it should be. For my tastes anyway – the A81 just doesn’t play well with any of the classical pieces I own.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The Fidue A81 is easily powered straight out of the portable devices I have, and I haven’t experience any issues with the 2 DAPs I’ve tested (iPhone 4, or Fiio X5), nor from my A200p (at work). With typical pop/rock songs on the X5 I’m usually at a volume level of around 30-35 on low gain, but this is louder than I would normally listen with the A83. So far I’ve had no issues with hiss on the X5 or iPhone4.

RESPONSE TO EQ?

I haven’t played around a lot with EQ with the A81, and really all I wanted to do was see if I could turn the signature quickly into something that would be more suitable to my ideal signature. So I fired up Accudio Pro on the iPhone4, loaded a CX300 preset (bassy IEM with serious mid bass issues and issues with recessed vocals). Accudio automatically corrects the issues based on the preset chosen so effectively it was giving the A81 a cut in the mid bass, and a bump in the mid range. Using this preset actually enhanced the A81 quite a bit for my tastes – and going back to the track Aventine revealed a much sweeter mid-range. Much closer to what I am used to – and very pleasant for my preferences. I think with further experimentation I could really hit my ideal EQ with the A81, and to the credit of the drivers, they responded really well.

EDIT : Additional note - strangely enough with further listening I haven't EQ'd these, and actually prefer not to for now. Their signature smoothness is what is unique - and to EQ that out of the A81 would be taking away one of its strong points. For now I'm just enjoying its native signature!

QUICK COMPARISON OTHER HYBRID IEMs – Fidue A81 vs Fidue A83, T-Peos Altone200 and DN-1000

For this exercise I’ll try and give you a rough general comparison with my other Hybrid IEMs which I have on hand, and which range in value from around USD 180 – 280. Rather than referencing particular tracks – I’m trying to make this general. This test was made with no EQ enabled, and I’ve volume matched as closely as possible when performing the comparisons (using test tones and an SPL meter) – but it is relatively difficult to do this without a perfect set-up, and I fear that the results may not be entirely accurate. So as always – take the following with a large grain of salt. Remember these are my preferences only.

Vs Altone200
The Fidue A81 has a similar V shaped frequency response, but the main difference is that A81 are a lot darker and warmer – where the Altone200 is slightly clearer with a sweeter top end. The Altone 200 has vocals a little more forward, but this does come at the expense of some upper end peaks. Both have a similar tonality though. The A81s do have more bass thump and impact with bassy tracks.

Vs Dunu DN-1000
This one is a lot more contrasting. Although both are still V shaped IEMs, the A81 are very definitely warmer and darker – where the DN-1000 actually feels more balanced. Vocals are definitely clearer and more forward on the DN-1000. Although vocals are smoother on the A81, they also sit further back comparatively. Bass impact is a lot stronger on the A81.

Vs Fidue A83
The biggest contrast of all of the IEMs. The A81 show their V shape more fully in this comparison, and when first switching the A83 appear quite bright, and dear I say it a little thin in the vocals. The A83 still has good bass impact (sub) – but not as much bass thump. Switching back to the A81 after a couple of minutes with the A83, and vocals are definitely back a little, and more subdued – but thicker and warmer with fuller body.

Add-On Vs Brainwavz S5
It occurred to me toward the end of the review that the overall signature of the A81 may come quite close to the S5 – another V shaped dynamic driver with a bass emphasis and lower treble splash. The two were actually a little similar except once again the A81 were darker, warmer, and much smoother – with its upper end splash centering more in the upper treble (whereas with the S5 it is more lower treble and more peaky). The A81 is definitely more full-bodied - no sign of some of the thinness or dryness that the S5 can sometimes portray.

FIDUE A81 - SUMMARY

When I first saw the A81 I was once again struck by the quality of build – really top notch. And although the fit took a while to get right (quite a bit of tip rolling), I am finding it really comfortable with the Comply T400 tips. It is at least as comfortable to wear as the A83, and maybe even a little more so.

I wasn’t so enamoured with the initial sound though – but this is probably due to the amount of time I’ve spent with the A81’s hybrid brother – an altogether different sounding IEM! But I persevered and tried to listen as much as possible to the A81 so that I could truly appreciate its unique sound signature, and I’m actually glad I did.

The A81 is a very warm, smooth and darkish sounding IEM – but it is still able to convey a lot of clarity without appearing peaky and this is its overall strength IMO. If you’re treble sensitive and prefer a smooth warmish but clear sounding IEM, then you should really consider trying this IEM. It does display a lot more bass than I’m usually used to – but for a lot of music this makes them extremely dynamic and fun sounding, and I think even bass heads would enjoy these.

The good news is that they also respond very well to EQ – and as Vic has suggested I hang onto these for a while, I’m going to try to find an EQ on both my iPhone and X5 that will do these justice (Fiio – please allow the option of saving more than one EQ on the X5!).

The question of value is an interesting one and at $280 the asking price is pretty steep considering you can buy some very good triple hybrids at around the USD 200 mark. But they don’t have the A81’s overall build or removable cable options – so that must be factored in. Ultimately if my preference was for a smoother and darker IEM, even at $280 I’d recommend them as a viable option – they do a lot of things right. But for my personal taste OOTB I’ll stick with the A83 for my day-to-day listening. But the A81 will be on hand for those times when I feel like just jamming out.

I’ve given these a 4 star rating – and I do think they fully deserve this.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO FIDUE

Just a couple of things that I’d recommend if they are updated at any stage in the future:

Include an airline adaptor and 3.5-6.3mm adaptor. At the price bracket they’re currently measuring against, these should be standard accessories.
Perhaps think of including some more tip options – again at the value point they’re being pitched, it would be a small cost but deliver considerable perception benefits.
Consider adding the same clear sheath above the Y split as is used for the A83.

For larger views of any of the photos (1200 x 800) - please click on the individual images

INTRODUCTION

I first reviewed the original Brainwavz R3 back in December 2013, and unfortunately although I did (and still do) like the sonic qualities of the R3, at the time I pretty much slated them for their unwieldy cable and almost impossible fit issues due to the ridiculously long memory cable.

I have to give Brainwavz due praise here, as they listened to the comments from quite a few of us, and re-released an updated version which sought to address some of these issues. My original review of the R3-V1 can be found here : http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-r3-dual-dynamic-driver-earphones/reviews/10143. At the time I gave them 2.5 stars. Most of the deductions had to do with the cable issues.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Audrey at Brainwavz (and also Raz at MP4 Nation) for the initial chance to try the original R3, and also for remembering me, and giving me a chance to review their updated version.

DISCLAIMER

I was provided the R3 (V2) as a review sample. I am in no way affiliated with MP4 Nation or Brainwavz - and this review is my subjective opinion of the R3 (V2). I have listed price as $129.50 which is the current delivered price offered by MP4 Nation. I did not pay this – this pair of R3 were supplied as a free review sample.

PREAMBLE - 'about me'. (This is to give any readers a baseline for interpreting the review).

I'm a 47 year old music lover. I don't say audiophile – I just love my music. Over the last couple of years, I have slowly changed from cheaper listening set-ups to my current set-up. I vary my listening from portable (Fiio X5, and iPhone4) to my desk-top's set-up (PC > coax > NFB-12 > LD MKIV > HP). I also use a portable set-up at work – either X5 > HP, or PC > Beyer A200p > HP. My main full sized headphones at the time of writing are the Beyer T1 and Sennheiser HD600. Most of my portable listening is done with IEMs (I do also have the Beyer T51p, but IEMs command most of my portable time) - and up till now it has mainly been with the Fidue A83, Dunu DN-1000 and Altone200. A full list of the gear I have owned (past and present is listed in my Head-Fi profile).

I have very eclectic music tastes listening to a variety from classical/opera and jazz, to grunge and general rock. I listen to a lot of blues, jazz, folk music, classic rock, indie and alternative rock. I am particularly fond of female vocals. I tend toward cans that are relatively neutral/balanced. I am neither a bass nor treble head (you could argue that I do like clarity though). I am not treble sensitive (at all), and in the past have really enjoyed headphones like the K701, SR325i, and of course the T1 and DT880.

For the purposes of this review - I used the Brainwavz R3 (V2) straight from the headphone-out socket of my Fiio X5, and iPhone 4. I did not further amp them, as IMO they do not benefit from additional amplification. In the time I have spent with the R3, I have noticed no change to the overall sonic presentation (I do not believe in 'night and day' burn-in). I will respect others choice if they believe in physical burn-in, but I am yet to experience it.

This is a purely subjective review - my gear, my ears, and my experience. Please take it all with a grain of salt - especially if it does not match your own experience.

THE REVIEW
(small note – I will be borrowing some parts of my former review as many of them still apply to the new R3)

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

The R3's once again arrived in a simple retail box - consisting of an outer case over a clear plastic inner - which shows the R3, but hides the supplied carry/storage case, and accessories. The specific sales messages on the box are very much straight forward and to the point:

twin driver configuration (tick, definitely true)
bass and clarity (tick again, but not what I originally expected)
rugged metal housing design (tick, definitely true)


Original retail box left, new retail box right	Original retail box left, new retail box right

The box also has a list of specifications on the side, as well as a list of included accessories. On the rear of the box (which is a fantastic touch) is an image of the driver design (cut-away image of the shell). They also have a blurb regarding the design, and what they were aiming for.

A couple of things I noticed comparing the two boxes is that the new version has a slightly different (updated logo), some print differences (see photos), and some small changes to the printed specifications (more on that later).


Original retail box bottom, new retail box top	Original retail box left, new retail box right

On opening the outer box, you're presented with the inner clear plastic 'tray' (which is pretty flimsy but functional) the (fantastic) Brainwavz carry case, and the very shiny and rugged R3's. On opening the Brainwavz carry/storage case you discover once again the extremely good accessory range shipped with the R3s – which I might add is typical of Brainwavz headphones, and something they are to be commended for.


Inner packaging	R3 and accessories - once again excellent

For accessories, included is the excellent semi-rigid red and black case (dimensions approx 90 x 70 x 45mm). The case is strong enough to fully protect your IEM's, has twin pockets on the inside for tips etc, and is very roomy. One of my criticisms last time was that with all of the bulk of the cable, the coiled R3 would not fit properly inside the case. I’m pleased to advise that this has been rectified with version two – and although it is a reasonably snug fit – I’m not having to force the R3 inside the case to get the zip closed.

The R3 also comes with an excellent 3.5 to 6.3mm adaptor, warranty form, and a variety of tips. The design of the adaptor is slightly different from the original but still extremely well made. One noticeable omission from the accessory package this time is the airline adaptor.


Old adaptor left, new adapter right	Old accessory package - similar except for missing airline adapter

The R3 warranty card is still the standard warranty/RMA form because it states 12 months on the form - but 24 months on the box.

The R3 also comes with an excellent range of different sized tips including triple flanges, dual flanges, single flange standard silicone (two types in S/M/L), and also some comply foam tips (which were originally in a sealed comply pouch).


Very good tip range including genuine Comply T400s	Very good tip range including genuine Comply T400s

Once again, the accessories included are highly impressive. I applaud Brainwavz for this.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

(From the packaging – note I have listed original V1 and new V2 to show differences)

	R3 Original	R3 Updated
Drivers :	Twin dynamic drivers (10mm x 2)	Twin dynamic drivers (10mm x 2)
Crossover :	Passive	Passive
Impedance :	32 ohm	32 ohm
Sensitivity :	95dB at 1 mW	110dB at 1 mW
Rated Input Power :	2 mW	30 mW
Frequency response :	20hz-20 khz	16hz-22 khz
Jack :	3.5mm angled gold-plated jack	3.5mm angled gold-plated jack
Cable :	1.3m, Y-cord, copper	1.3m, Y-cord, copper

Notes –

I have no way of measuring the frequency range, so I have to take Brainwavz at their word that either the frequency range was incorrectly stated on the original R3, or that they have somehow retuned the drivers to change it.
The sensitivity is also different. This intrigued me – so I attempted to measure the volume output from my X5 using a standard 3k Hz test tone and an SPL app from my iPhone. I know this is not the most accurate means of measurement – but it is the best I have currently. There was a very slight difference with the test tone with the original R3 measuring 79 dB and the new version at 81 dB. I repeated the test a couple of times, and it was consistent.
Rated input power also changed – but I have no desire to put this to the test.
Finally – I noticed that the cable on the original R3 appeared significantly longer, so I conducted a rough measurement. The original R3 cable measured 1.5m from IEM body to plug. The new version is significantly shorter at the correctly stated 1.3m.

FREQUENCY CHART

The above chart was taken from Innerfidelity and my thanks to Tyll for the work he does in providing these measurements. I added this chart to the review after it was already written/complete. Interesting to note that Tyll's measurements - particularly on the upper mid-range (recession) - do agree with my comments later in the review.

BUILD / FIT / COMFORT / ISOLATION

The R3 is still built like a tank. The shell is an aluminium alloy. It's approx 1.3cm in diameter and 2.7 cm in length, with a further 1.2cm for the nozzle. The IEMs are a little heavier than standard IEMs (because of the shell size), but so far I haven't found the weight obtrusive in any way. The casing is very shiny, and has the Brainwavz logo printed on one side of each casing, with the word "Brainwavz" on the opposite side. At the tip of the IEM shell is a port (bass port?), and there is another one at the taper toward the strain relief. There is an interesting seam above this port where you can see the connecting wires between the two drivers. This is intentional, and the wires are completely sealed. It all makes for a very interesting design. L&R markings have been moved to the top taper of the body (toward the cable), and are much easier to find.


Solid 'industrial type' build. Top port shown.	Extremely robust build quality (Monster tips fitted)

The cable is where the biggest changes have been made with the R3, and this has improved on my some of my original issues with the R3 V1.

The formable wire from the body is now gone, and replaced by a flexible section measuring approximately 10cm (compared to the original 16cm forming wire). It does fit reasonably comfortably over my ears, and no longer causes the IEM’s seal to be broken by the slightest movement. This is a very welcome improvement.


Cable improvement - old left, new right	Cable still kinks - too thick!

Onto the cable itself, and unfortunately not too many changes. It's still thick - very, very thick. Once again to give you an idea of how thick - it's still very close in diameter to the cable on my former Beyer DT880s. The problem still is that it's slightly rubbery, and it's still microphonic. Worn over ear (which is advisable with this IEM), the microphonics can be minimised by tucking the cable inside clothing and using the neck cinch. Again because of the cable width, it still has a lot of memory (ie it remains kinked).


R3 cable vs SE535, DN1000 and HSA Living	Examples (old review) of DN1000 vs SE535 vs R3 cable

I've repeated some photos from my initial review which show the cable difference between the R3, my SE535 (as wide as I'd want to go), the DN-1000 (excellent) and HiSound Audio's "Living" earbuds. The 535 and DN-1000, even after rolling reasonably tight, smooth out to a completely straight line again. The Living is very light but still very tough, and only shows light kinking. The R3 with it's 'industrial' design kinks all over the place and still will not straighten. I know that this is part of the overall “industrial design” of the R3 – but I have to admit, I’m still not a fan. Yes it’s very durable – but I really do think Brainwavz could have improved this one area a little better. Bravo on the changes they have made – IMO they still haven’t quite gone far enough.

Cable relief is very good at all points. The cable cinch and Y split is extremely similar to the design on my former SE535 and works well. It's at about the limit I’d go to on size though. The plug is angled. Some will like it, some will not. Most angled plugs I've come across have the angle closer to 90 degress (ie right angles). This one is around 45 degrees. I don't mind either way.


Robust Y split and cinch	45 degree 3.5mm plug

Unfortunately I have one ear canal slightly different to the other one (my right is very slightly smaller) - so I tend to find that single silicon flanges don't fit overly well. The included dual flanges and triple flanges weren't too bad - but still didn’t give me a perfect seal. The comply tips are almost a perfect fit (don't seal 100%), but are easy to insert, and the most comfortable of the included tips. I also tried my Monster super tips which give me the best combination of isolation, seal and comfort with the R3s. Very late in the review I switched to Sony hybrid tips – and these worked really well (seal and comfort).

Once the R3 are correctly inserted, I find them (despite the 'funky design') to be pretty comfortable. The change to the flexible cable (over my ears) has really helped. They still sit flush enough with my ears that I can easily lie down with them still in place - and I think I'd have no issues sleeping with the R3 still intact.

As far as isolation goes - these are quite good with both the Monster tips and Sony Hybrids – much better than the original R3 which was always being dislodged by the earlier cable issues. I think this is very much tip dependent though, and your mileage may vary dramatically. Without the Monster super tips or Sony Hybrids I’d be having some serious fit issues – and you need a good seal for these IEMs to shine.

So how are the sonics – and how do they compare with current offerings?

SOUND QUALITY

The following is what I hear from the R3. YMMV – and probably will – as my tastes are likely different to yours (read the preamble I gave earlier for a baseline). Most of the testing at this point (unless otherwise stated) was done with my Fiio X5 as source.

Tracks used were across a variety of genres – and can be viewed in this list http://www.head-fi.org/a/brookos-test-tracks.

Detail / Clarity

For this I’m using my normal tracks: Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” and Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” as there is a lot of micro detail in both tracks, and the recording quality for both is excellent.
The R3 displays very good detail with a definite (but polite) crispness, and enough balance so that detail is present without having the treble overly highlighted. Cymbals are nicely present – but it's not overdone, and I'm not detecting sibilance. There is nice cohesion between vocals and instruments – but perhaps a touch of stridency in the upper mid-range.

Sound-stage & Imaging

For this I use a binaural recording – Amber Rubarth “Sessions From The 17th Ward” - “Tundra”. I use this because it’s a pretty simple way to get comparative data on sound-stage.
IMO it’s usually difficult to get a reasonable stage size from an inner ear monitor. The stage is usually quite small / close – with an average impression of space. The R3 impressed me last time with its ability to project slightly out of my head – and it still delivers here. I’m not sure how they do this (is it the use of the chamber?), but it remains one of the most impressive features of this IEM. Imaging is reasonably good within the soundstage – especially for an IEM at this value point.

I also used Loreena McKennitt’s “Dante’s Prayer” – and the R3 is very good with this type of music – slower, “ballady”, acoustic. This is an enjoyable presentation and sounds quite natural and tonally correct. In this track, the applause at the end is so well presented that with some headphones (HD600) I can actually close my eyes and imagine myself in the crowd. With the Brainwavz R3, I do get a nice sense of space and applause washing over me – so this is once again impressive.

Bass Quality

The original R3 was a surprise to me, and although I know now what to expect, I still find it interesting that with dual dynamic drivers, I’d expect more quantity than the R3 actually deliver. Don’t get me wrong though – bass here is not underdone. It’s just that it still reminds me more of a BA than a dynamic.

My new tests for bass start with Zoe Keating’s “Escape Artist”. Here I’m looking for control and texture, and with Zoe’s cello you can tell easily if a driver is not delivering the right timbre and decay. The R3 doesn’t disappoint – and the presentation is enjoyable.

Switching to something with bigger sub-bass impact like Lorde’s “Royals” and the impact goes up – but it is far more polite than I’m used to with my current hybrids. Sub-bass is there (just) but it’s rolling off quite quickly and not reaching as low as I’d normally expect. Again this reminds me more of a BA than dynamic. It still sounds Ok – just doesn’t have the visceral impact that this track normally delivers.

Change to Little Dragon’s “Little Man” and the bass line is definitely there. Everything is still very clear and well defined – it’s just a little more “polite” than I’m now used to. This is not necessarily a bad thing – but worth noting. Perhaps I’ve been spoilt with the hybrids I’ve been listening to lately.

Female Vocals

I add this section now simply because around 60-65% of my music revolves around female vocals – be it jazz, pop, rock, electronic, or even opera. I’m an unabashed fan. One thing I have noticed is that with some of the artists I listen to, it can be very easy for IEM’s in particular to become shouty or strident if their tuning is not in line with my tastes.

Starting with Agnes Obel’s “Aventine” and the stridency (almost a little hollowness) is the first thing I notice. It’s not unlistenable – it’s just doesn’t have the same sweet presentation that I’m used to now with this track. Immediate thoughts are that the upper mid-range may have a little recession or gap for this to occur.

I then proceeded to play a medley of different tracks from artists including Christina Perri, Gabriella Cilmi, Norah Jones, and even Dolores O’Riordan – and each time while the track was enjoyable (great clarity), tonally I have to admit I prefer alternative IEMs for female vocals. This is probably just my own preference at play – but the R3 would not be my pick for female vocals.

Male Vocals

It’s only fair that I contrast my comments above with the other end of the spectrum, and it’s here that the R3 begins to shine. Kicking off with pure rock (3 Doors Down “Away from the Sun”), and all is forgiven. The R3 nails male vocals for me – really able to convey texture, timbre and tonality. Once again I fire up a quick mini-medley including Alter Bridge, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Lanegan, Seether, and Pearl Jam. With Pearl Jam especially, the R3 are brilliant, and I could easily sit and listen to my PJ collection for quite a while with these.

AMPLIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The R3 is easily powered out of my iPhone4, and on most tracks I am around 35-45% on the volume slider. With the X5 I’m around 30-35 on low gain.

RESPONSE TO EQ

IMO - the R3 don't need a lot of tweaking - for my tastes, just a slight lift in the 3-5K area. They responded extremely well to this slight bump, and even elevating the bass worked well.

VALUE / COMPARISON TO OTHER IEMS

In order to get an idea of how the Brainwavz R3 rates value wise against the competition, I’ve put it up against some similarly priced IEMs I have on hand and compared the main points I look for in an IEM – build, design, fit, clarity/detail, vocals, bass, cohesion (tonality). The IEM’s I’m comparing with are the RockJaw Alfa Genus ($80), Brainwavz S5 ($100), and Altone200 ($145 shipped). The Brainwavz R3 is $130 shipped.

In comparison I’ve used the same tracks each time – a bit of Pearl Jam, Agnes Obel, Dire Straits and Little Dragon.

Build – as in sturdiness: R3 > S5 > A200 > RJ AG
Design incl cable : S5 > A200 > RJ AG > R3
Fit : A200 > S5 > RJAG > R3
Clarity/Detail : A200 > RJ AG= R3 > S5 (all are actually pretty good)
Vocal male : RJ AG > R3 > A200 > S5
Vocal female : A200 > RJ AG > R3 > S5
Bass quantity : A200 > S5 > RJ AG > R3
Bass quality : A200 > R3 > RJ AG > S5
Cohesion : RJ AG > A200 > R3 > S5
Overall SQ : A200 > RJ AG > R3 > S5

Now the above is very subjective but based on SQ alone, my recommendation would always be to simply increase your budget by $15 and purchase the Altone200, or if budget limited, buy the RockJaw Alfa Genus (it is an incredibly well priced, versatile, and well designed IEM). The problem with the R3 is not that it sounds bad – it actually performs very well sonically. But combine the tricky fit with the cumbersome cable – and I simply can’t recommend it.

SUMMARY

The R3 has a very pleasant signature, very clear and detailed (almost more like a BA than a dynamic), with a much better than normal sound-stage presentation for an IEM. The odd shape is actually OK for comfort once you get the right tip - although that will be an issue for many.

Sonically I think there is a very slight mismatch between lower and upper mids (and after writing the review I found a frequency chart at Innerfidelity – thanks Tyll – which shows a dip in the upper mids) - leaving female vocals sounding slightly unnatural to me. This was easily fixed with EQ. Even without EQ though - the R3 is a very pleasant sounding IEM to listen to.

My main issue still lies with the cable design and fit. And I still can't really put a positive spin on it.

Sonically these are good for their price – but when compared to some other models close in range, and taking into account the design and fit issues, I’d find it hard to recommend the R3 over some other earphones I own. I still wouldn’t buy these myself – nor would I recommend them to my family. There are simply better options out there.

If I could take the sonic signature from the R3 and put it in the S5 housing – and pitch it around the $100 mark – it would be an IEM I could absolutely recommend.

Thanks once again to Audrey for allowing me the chance to try these again. Worth an increase from 2.5 to 3.5 stars – but simply not enough good to override the remaining issues.

Great review I am happy to know the r3 was updated in a good way just like BW did with the R1

Are you sure the measurements at Innerfidelity were done for V2, and not for the original model?

I can't honestly tell you - but I had both side by side and they sounded the same to me. I also understand that Brainwavz updated the cable on the R3 - but didn't touch the Chamber or drivers, so there should be no sonic change anyway.

Reviews by Brooko

[size=24.5699996948242px]INTRODUCTION[/size]

THE REVIEW

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

THE REVIEW

COMPARISONS TO X1 AND X5

VALUE & SUMMARY / CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

DISCLAIMER

THE REVIEW

URBANITE - SUMMARY

THE REVIEW

DUNU ALPHA 1 - SUMMARY

THE REVIEW

DUNU DN-2000 - SUMMARY

HAVI B3 PRO1 - SUMMARY

THE REVIEW

OSTRY KC06 - SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

THE REVIEW

SOUND QUALITY

KOMMAND - SUMMARY & THOUGHTS ON IMPROVEMENT

INTRODUCTION

THE REVIEW

BRAINWAVZ M1 - SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

THE REVIEW

ARCANA V2 - SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

THE REVIEW

ROCKJAW HYDRA V2 - SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

THE REVIEW

DUNU TITAN 1 - SUMMARY

ADD-ONS PART 1 – PADS

ADD-ONS PART 2 – 3D PRINTED OPEN CUPS

FIDUE A71 - SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

RHA T10i - SUMMARY

THE REVIEW

CONCLUSION

PREAMBLE

THE REVIEW

BRAINWAVZ S0 - SUMMARY

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INTRODUCTION

THE REVIEW

SUMMARY