Reviews by coldfish
DISCLAIMER
I bought the iems with my own money and the opinions are mine.
The Nebula/Interstellar can be purchased here at below non-affiliated link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005584432725.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.23.2c72oiUxoiUx8R&algo_pvid=bc1e115d-c704-4d27-a330-1326fd4beafe&algo_exp_id=bc1e115d-c704-4d27-a330-1326fd4beafe-11&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21SGD%2182.75%2135.58%21%21%21%21%21%402100b0d116873621806261366d0742%2112000033646287175%21sea%21SG%210&curPageLogUid=WNEy57Wy4BhK
SPECIFICATIONS
Impedance: 22Ω
Earphone sensitivity: 120dB
Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
Driver type: Single Graphene Dynamic Driver
Plug Type: 3.5mm
Choice of faceplate theme: Nebula/Interstellar
Earphone interface: 2Pin QDC type
ACCESSORIES
. 3 pairs of narrow bore ear tips
. 4-strand 200 core silver plated cable
The stock ear tips are comfortable. But they are not doing justice to the iems. The cable is of decent quality, and I found that cable rolling is not necessary but a cable with 4.4mm termination will bring out more bass presence and thickness to the overall sound. Thus, I mainly listen to it using stock cable as the bass is already thick enough for my taste and AET07 medium small tips (black stem).
I bought the Nebula version so I shall use this term in the following article.
BUILD/COMFORT
The iem is very light and has contours which should fit most ears, a classical universal shape. Such design can achieve slightly better passive noise cancellation.
The nozzle is long enough, and the bore is not too wide to cause any discomfort and so the seal is quite good.
The shell cavity is made of resin but does not feel substantial. While it may be unique to stick pictures of Nebula or milky way on the faceplate, the result is, well at least to me, a bit gaudy. Then again, it makes this iem distinguishable from other run of the mill productions.
DRIVABILITY
Followings were used to test the iem:
- iphone and PC with Spotify and Tidal
- JCally AP90
- Cayin RU6
- Fiio BTR7
- Fiio Q11
- Topping G5
- Tempotec BHD Pro
- KMERJ KM01
- S.M.S.L DL200
The iem is quite easy to drive, just need a wee bit more power than it’s brethren the KE-S so most dongles will work just fine.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
General sound characteristics and technicalities
Throughout the sound tests AET07 small-medium sized ear tips from GBVP (fit my ear better than other Acoustune clones) and stock 3.5mm cable were used.
The driver is a 10mm dual magnet dynamic unit with graphene diaphragm. Creative Technology like to use this type of diaphragm for their earlier earphones/headphones, and they tend to have warm sound signature and the Nebula’s driver seems to exhibit similar characteristics.
Man, this iem is FUN! The general characteristics are like KZ iems of yesteryear, thick bass adding nice warmth to vocals but more articulate. Instruments sound correct but separation is not it’s strongest point, Katie Melua’s Quiet Moves has all sorts of instruments and background vocals fly around but the Nebula cannot really tell what from what and exactly where they are from making this song sounding a little messy.
Instruments sound accurate and soundstage is right about living room size. No complains here.
Bass
Normally I’d like more sub bass than mid bass because if not done right strong mid bass can cause fatigue, but that’s just me YMMV. Interestingly, despite having very strong mid bass presence, the Nebula doesn’t cause any discomfort on extended listening, there is good tangible rumble but the decay is just as fast so there isn’t much sub bass presence. The sub bass is still there when needed, I can hear sub bass in Basstronic’s Sub Bass Excursion and Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass, it’s just that it falls off very quickly.
There is some bass bleed to the mid but due to the fast decay the vocal remains well discerned. The strong bass also lends warmth to the overall sound, the sort I like a lot. A good gauge is to listen to Elaine Elias’s Dance of Time album where her lush voice is well presented with warm devices and in this case the Nebula did not disappoint. The one niggle is that despite fast roll offs, the thick bass may be the deciding factor for drop in resolution with bassy songs although the driver can prove to be quite resolute, more to this later under treble.
Mid
The mid is not recessed, in fact it is quite forward, a necessity to counter the strong bass, I think. Songs with low bass bring vocals forward very prominently. Listening to Diana Krall’s Turn Up the Quiet album, it is as if she is whispering next to my ears, her breaths and lip movements are clearly heard amidst the bass strings. Stacey Kent’s voice, otherwise slightly thin, has more body to it with the Nebula. The quick fall off before 2k make peaky voice from Celine Dion very tolerable, I think this may be why I like this iem so much. The driver’s detail is quite good, the proof is that it makes Ariana Grande’s voice clearer, I can now hear what she is singing
.
Treble
The iem is never shouty nor show any sibilance, yet it is well extended giving that airy feeling. The echoes in Diana Krall’s Like Someone In Love are clearly heard and the decay drags a little longer giving a strong sense of airiness. I like it. The treble can get drowned out by the strong bass presence losing some details in EDMs and bassy music. So I tend to listen to Jazz music when putting on this iem. While 7hz Legato boosts the treble to counter the strong bass, it can sound a little artificial at times. Perhaps that is the reason why CVJ decides against it.
COMPARISONS
I like the Fiio FD11 a great deal and it is on my top 5 list. It is chosen for the similar price and for its interesting bass.
Fiio FD11
The conch-shaped passage (or Fiio calls it C-shaped acoustic flute) of the FD11 allows a controlled traveling path of the bass without interfering or interfering other frequencies resulting in holographic clean bass. Subjectively, I hear more sub bass than mid bass. But there’s more hearing than feeling the thump while the Nebula does it like a conventional DD should: you feel and hear the thump. Yet I can’t say which is better, both have their places in their music genres.
Fiio’s mid is like an organic breeze blowing through my ears, clean and refreshing. Yeah, organic sounding comes across my mind often when listening to this iem while the Nebula likes it thick and a boosted mid making it more fun to listen but with some sacrifice in clarity and details. Not to say that Nebula is not organic sounding, it does, it is just that FD11 does it more naturally.
Treble in both iems are considered as non-fatiguing and are comparably detailed and airy although the FD11 extends a bit further and sound cleaner, especially in busy or bass heavy tracks, though some may find that a little more fatiguing comparing to Nebula.
PAIR WITH…
Fiio Q11
The Nebula pairs well with this DAC which lends extra treble to the iem. It also tones down the bass somewhat so there is good extensions in the treble region and less bleed into the mids.
Tempotec Sonata BHD Pro
Few dac companies are willing to invest in FPGA not to mention for use in dongles. But Tempotec implements it in the Sonata BHD Pro. I own a Chord Mojo and am very impressed with its rendering capability and musicality. The BHD Pro is not quite there yet, perhaps limited by the CS chips yet there is a certain sweetness to it’s sound with good details. Thanks to FPGA’s low power consumption, the dongle also doesn’t run hot. Matching the Nebula with it, there are improvement with the extensions in the treble region and they sound smoother.
S.M.S.L DL200
Yet another proof that the Nebula has good drivers as it scales well with better sources, that is, with the S.M.S.L. DL200.
Bass now sounds as if I am listening to live concert. Listening to Grateful Dead’s cover Uncle John’s Band (John Scofield, Vicente Archer, Bill Stewart), I thought I was sitting in the front row right in the center with the instruments flying all around my ears and the bass comes in different flavours to boot. Alphaville’s Call Me Down sounds rich with the singer’s voice delivered in a clear and crisp manner, one would have thought this iem costs much more if the price is not revealed.
CONCLUSIONS
My first CVJ iem was the KE-S which I found very good value for the money, even after swapping the ear tips and cable to better ones.
The second iem, Nebula is more than a pleasant surprise for its more matured tuning which I only have three words for it: Fun! Fun! Fun!
Often, fun sounding iems swap details with musicality and the Nebula is no exception. But I am more than happy with this type of tuning. After all, I just want to listen and enjoy my favourite music more of the time and this is it especially at this price it is an easy choice to bring along when traveling.
Further, there are no harshness in the mid treble, together with the comfortable shell, this iem is good for prolonged listening sessions.
So is this a recommendation? Yes indeed!
I bought the iems with my own money and the opinions are mine.
The Nebula/Interstellar can be purchased here at below non-affiliated link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005584432725.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.23.2c72oiUxoiUx8R&algo_pvid=bc1e115d-c704-4d27-a330-1326fd4beafe&algo_exp_id=bc1e115d-c704-4d27-a330-1326fd4beafe-11&pdp_npi=3%40dis%21SGD%2182.75%2135.58%21%21%21%21%21%402100b0d116873621806261366d0742%2112000033646287175%21sea%21SG%210&curPageLogUid=WNEy57Wy4BhK
SPECIFICATIONS
Impedance: 22Ω
Earphone sensitivity: 120dB
Frequency range: 20-20000Hz
Driver type: Single Graphene Dynamic Driver
Plug Type: 3.5mm
Choice of faceplate theme: Nebula/Interstellar
Earphone interface: 2Pin QDC type
ACCESSORIES
. 3 pairs of narrow bore ear tips
. 4-strand 200 core silver plated cable
The stock ear tips are comfortable. But they are not doing justice to the iems. The cable is of decent quality, and I found that cable rolling is not necessary but a cable with 4.4mm termination will bring out more bass presence and thickness to the overall sound. Thus, I mainly listen to it using stock cable as the bass is already thick enough for my taste and AET07 medium small tips (black stem).
I bought the Nebula version so I shall use this term in the following article.
BUILD/COMFORT
The iem is very light and has contours which should fit most ears, a classical universal shape. Such design can achieve slightly better passive noise cancellation.
The nozzle is long enough, and the bore is not too wide to cause any discomfort and so the seal is quite good.
The shell cavity is made of resin but does not feel substantial. While it may be unique to stick pictures of Nebula or milky way on the faceplate, the result is, well at least to me, a bit gaudy. Then again, it makes this iem distinguishable from other run of the mill productions.
DRIVABILITY
Followings were used to test the iem:
- iphone and PC with Spotify and Tidal
- JCally AP90
- Cayin RU6
- Fiio BTR7
- Fiio Q11
- Topping G5
- Tempotec BHD Pro
- KMERJ KM01
- S.M.S.L DL200
The iem is quite easy to drive, just need a wee bit more power than it’s brethren the KE-S so most dongles will work just fine.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
General sound characteristics and technicalities
Throughout the sound tests AET07 small-medium sized ear tips from GBVP (fit my ear better than other Acoustune clones) and stock 3.5mm cable were used.
The driver is a 10mm dual magnet dynamic unit with graphene diaphragm. Creative Technology like to use this type of diaphragm for their earlier earphones/headphones, and they tend to have warm sound signature and the Nebula’s driver seems to exhibit similar characteristics.
Man, this iem is FUN! The general characteristics are like KZ iems of yesteryear, thick bass adding nice warmth to vocals but more articulate. Instruments sound correct but separation is not it’s strongest point, Katie Melua’s Quiet Moves has all sorts of instruments and background vocals fly around but the Nebula cannot really tell what from what and exactly where they are from making this song sounding a little messy.
Instruments sound accurate and soundstage is right about living room size. No complains here.
Bass
Normally I’d like more sub bass than mid bass because if not done right strong mid bass can cause fatigue, but that’s just me YMMV. Interestingly, despite having very strong mid bass presence, the Nebula doesn’t cause any discomfort on extended listening, there is good tangible rumble but the decay is just as fast so there isn’t much sub bass presence. The sub bass is still there when needed, I can hear sub bass in Basstronic’s Sub Bass Excursion and Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass, it’s just that it falls off very quickly.
There is some bass bleed to the mid but due to the fast decay the vocal remains well discerned. The strong bass also lends warmth to the overall sound, the sort I like a lot. A good gauge is to listen to Elaine Elias’s Dance of Time album where her lush voice is well presented with warm devices and in this case the Nebula did not disappoint. The one niggle is that despite fast roll offs, the thick bass may be the deciding factor for drop in resolution with bassy songs although the driver can prove to be quite resolute, more to this later under treble.
Mid
The mid is not recessed, in fact it is quite forward, a necessity to counter the strong bass, I think. Songs with low bass bring vocals forward very prominently. Listening to Diana Krall’s Turn Up the Quiet album, it is as if she is whispering next to my ears, her breaths and lip movements are clearly heard amidst the bass strings. Stacey Kent’s voice, otherwise slightly thin, has more body to it with the Nebula. The quick fall off before 2k make peaky voice from Celine Dion very tolerable, I think this may be why I like this iem so much. The driver’s detail is quite good, the proof is that it makes Ariana Grande’s voice clearer, I can now hear what she is singing
.Treble
The iem is never shouty nor show any sibilance, yet it is well extended giving that airy feeling. The echoes in Diana Krall’s Like Someone In Love are clearly heard and the decay drags a little longer giving a strong sense of airiness. I like it. The treble can get drowned out by the strong bass presence losing some details in EDMs and bassy music. So I tend to listen to Jazz music when putting on this iem. While 7hz Legato boosts the treble to counter the strong bass, it can sound a little artificial at times. Perhaps that is the reason why CVJ decides against it.
COMPARISONS
I like the Fiio FD11 a great deal and it is on my top 5 list. It is chosen for the similar price and for its interesting bass.
Fiio FD11
The conch-shaped passage (or Fiio calls it C-shaped acoustic flute) of the FD11 allows a controlled traveling path of the bass without interfering or interfering other frequencies resulting in holographic clean bass. Subjectively, I hear more sub bass than mid bass. But there’s more hearing than feeling the thump while the Nebula does it like a conventional DD should: you feel and hear the thump. Yet I can’t say which is better, both have their places in their music genres.
Fiio’s mid is like an organic breeze blowing through my ears, clean and refreshing. Yeah, organic sounding comes across my mind often when listening to this iem while the Nebula likes it thick and a boosted mid making it more fun to listen but with some sacrifice in clarity and details. Not to say that Nebula is not organic sounding, it does, it is just that FD11 does it more naturally.
Treble in both iems are considered as non-fatiguing and are comparably detailed and airy although the FD11 extends a bit further and sound cleaner, especially in busy or bass heavy tracks, though some may find that a little more fatiguing comparing to Nebula.
PAIR WITH…
Fiio Q11
The Nebula pairs well with this DAC which lends extra treble to the iem. It also tones down the bass somewhat so there is good extensions in the treble region and less bleed into the mids.
Tempotec Sonata BHD Pro
Few dac companies are willing to invest in FPGA not to mention for use in dongles. But Tempotec implements it in the Sonata BHD Pro. I own a Chord Mojo and am very impressed with its rendering capability and musicality. The BHD Pro is not quite there yet, perhaps limited by the CS chips yet there is a certain sweetness to it’s sound with good details. Thanks to FPGA’s low power consumption, the dongle also doesn’t run hot. Matching the Nebula with it, there are improvement with the extensions in the treble region and they sound smoother.
S.M.S.L DL200
Yet another proof that the Nebula has good drivers as it scales well with better sources, that is, with the S.M.S.L. DL200.
Bass now sounds as if I am listening to live concert. Listening to Grateful Dead’s cover Uncle John’s Band (John Scofield, Vicente Archer, Bill Stewart), I thought I was sitting in the front row right in the center with the instruments flying all around my ears and the bass comes in different flavours to boot. Alphaville’s Call Me Down sounds rich with the singer’s voice delivered in a clear and crisp manner, one would have thought this iem costs much more if the price is not revealed.
CONCLUSIONS
My first CVJ iem was the KE-S which I found very good value for the money, even after swapping the ear tips and cable to better ones.
The second iem, Nebula is more than a pleasant surprise for its more matured tuning which I only have three words for it: Fun! Fun! Fun!
Often, fun sounding iems swap details with musicality and the Nebula is no exception. But I am more than happy with this type of tuning. After all, I just want to listen and enjoy my favourite music more of the time and this is it especially at this price it is an easy choice to bring along when traveling.
Further, there are no harshness in the mid treble, together with the comfortable shell, this iem is good for prolonged listening sessions.
So is this a recommendation? Yes indeed!
Intro
Hidizs recently reduced the price of the MS3 by a whopping 30%! It is already a very competent performer at it’s original retail price so getting this is really a no brainer. But hey, I digress, this is not a place for sales pitch, then again, read my review and you will know what I meant.
Here is the link to the product:
https://www.hidizs.net/products/hidizs-ms3-2ba-1dd-hybrid-3-drivers-hifi-in-ear-monitors
DISCLAIMER
Hidizs’s Zoie was kind to suffice me a copy of the iems for my honest review and the opinions are mine and HIdizs have not set any conditions.
SPECIFICATIONS
Impedance: 18Ω
Earphone sensitivity: 112dB
Frequency range: 20-40000Hz
Driver type: Single PU+PEEK Dynamic Driver, 2 Knowles BA
Plug Type: choice of 3.5mm or 4.4mm
Earphone interface: 2 Pin 0.78 type
ACCESSORIES
3 sets of bass, balanced and wide bore ear tips
192 core OFC cable
Soft pouch
3 tuning nozzles
While the stock ear tips come supplied aplenty, they are generally too soft. So I stick to my BGVP small-medium AET07 ear tips (Accoustune clones) and also tested with W01 wide bore tips. The copper cable is lovely, very well built, thick rubber-like insulation wrap without feeling too sticky, the chin slider doesn’t move freely so it is easy to adjust to any desired length and it’ll stay right there. My copy comes with 4.4mm termination, it is so good I did not bother to roll cable. I also think the cable must have taken up a good chunk of the product costs.
BUILD/COMFORT
At 15g it feels substantial in the hand and is good enough to stay in my ears without sliding out over time.
The nozzle is long enough, and the bore is not to wide to cause any discomfort and so the seal is quite good.
DRIVABILITY
Followings were used to test the iem:
- iphone and PC with Spotify and Tidal
- JCally AP90
- Cayin RU6
- Fiio BTR7
- Fiio Q11
- Ifi Hip-dac 2
- Topping G5
- Tempotec BHD Pro
- KMERJ KM01
- S.M.S.L. DL200
Although the iem is quite easy to drive, it scales well with 4.4mm termination and more power.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
General sound characteristics and technicalities
The driver is Hidizs’ own 10.2mm dual magnet circuit dual cavity dynamic unit, slightly larger than average drivers giving that bigger than usual solid bass thump. Two Knowles SWFK-31736 BAs catering for the high and extremely high frequencies with lots of details to boot. I would consider this a mild U or W shaped sound signature, there is focus on mids on both ends.
There are three pairs of tuning nozzles provided, the usual Low Frequency (Charm Red), Balanced (Rose Gold) and High Frequency (Quiet Silver). This is a sparkly bright iem so with the treble nozzle it can sound overwhelming, so I do not use it much. Strangely, the standard nozzle focuses too much upper mid frequencies resulting in sounding less airy than the bass nozzle. Yes, I hear more treble extensions with the bass nozzle with not much more elevation in the bass region than the balanced nozzle. Thus, I suspect what the bass nozzle does is to bring down some mid treble sparkle with a pleasant side effect of much better airiness and treble extension! So, most of the review is based on the bass nozzle.
Bass
The DD drives hard, but it mainly focuses on the mid bass so there is sharp roll-off in the sub bass region making this ideal for EDMs, trance and rap music. Listening to Ghost Rider’s Can’t Sleep, the bass is grand, enveloping, and fast thanks to it’s fast sub bass roll-off. The extra bass gives body to bass guitars, this is quite apparent in Blank & Jones’ Coastline adding a level of atmospheric satisfaction. Similarly electrifying is Lizzo’s About Damn Time. Fat Larry’s Band’s Act Like You Know bass now sounds decisive with good elasticity. The fast bass bleeds very little into the mid giving vocals ample room to breathe.
Mid
This iem is mid forward so vocals are clear and precise, partly thanks to the clean bass. Sleeping At Last’s To Be Enchanted and Some Kind of Heaven has the right tonality with the singer’s voice placed in the forefront with the weighty piano positioned just a touch behind, though I would love a little more warmth in the vocal which is my preferred taste, this clinical trait is most apparent in Diana Krall’s Album Turn Up The Quiet. While the voice is crystal clear, breathing can be clearly heard and good airiness, her contralto sexy voice is not presented with this iem.
Treble
The treble is the part of the frequency range that splits camps, or at least this is how I feel. The BAs are detail monster, so good that details are laid bare for scrutiny. Well recorded music will rejoice with intricacies and nuances brought to fore. But of course everything has a double edge sword and this is no difference; badly recorded music will sound really bad, especially pop songs from the 80s and 90s (even newer tracks) sounding brittle and flat. Kanye West’s Power is a fine example of bad mastering exposed. The iem is mid treble focused, although the bass nozzle helps to tame the mid treble, this region is still much emphasized comparing to most Harmanish tuned iems. While lots of details are revealed, it can sound congested with busy tracks like Lady Gaga’s Born This Way (starting from 2:07min). Therefore, despite good quality drivers which do not distort easily at higher volumes, these are not iems for longer listening sessions.
COMPARISONS
I only have the KZ AS24 at hand (hopefully my Celest Phoenixcall arrive in time to add to the party) to compare with in this price category although they do not have similar driver setups. Moreover, AS24 has tuning switches with at least one configuration suiting my listening tastes.
KZ AS24
KZ has come a long way from producing fun, bass heavy V-shaped sounding iems to more sophisticated tuning the likes of AS24. My favourite settings for the AS24 are: Main, Down, Up, Up, Up. Auxiliary, Up, Down, Up, Down.
Drivability, both are comparable. On S.M.S.L. DL200, both are at a comfortable volume level set to 20.
Bass, the MS3 is clearly the bassier one. While AS24 will provide bass when needed, the approach is more of complimenting the other frequency spectrum. The MS3, on the other hand, thumps confidently in abundance.
Mid, the MS3 reproduces clear and crisp vocals while the AS24 is a little more laid back and relaxed.
Treble, AS24’s treble is smooth, mature and sophisticated. The MS3 is more forward mainly due to elevated mid treble which can be exciting to listen to EDMS when listening to alone. But when listening with AS24 side by side, it can sound brash at times. AS24 is also a lot more forgiving while careful pairing with MS3 is recommended.
PAIR WITH…
Fiio Q11
The Q11 is a very neutral dongle with tilt to the bright side. Interestingly, the MS3 pairs very well with the Fiio. Perhaps because the Q11 has emphasis in the upper treble, it brings out a nicer balance in the overall treble. The Q11 is also powerful when connected to the 4.4mm jack and the MS3 likes it.
S.M.S.L. DL200
The MS3 clearly loves power. The Dl200 churns out 1.5w worth of power at 4.4mm and the MS3 not only delivers all frequency spectrum effortlessly, but as if there are rooms to spare, no doubt making them the best pair.
CONCLUSIONS
Detail, detail, detail; this is the first impression comes across your mind (yes, even with the Charm Red nozzle) when putting these iems in their ears. Indeed, this is a detail monster which also makes it a specialist because it will not tolerate badly mastered recordings and is fussy with sources. Conversely, once paired with the right sources, it transforms into a helluva iem you just cannot put down!
The bass is no slouch either: Impactful and textured. The dynamic driver is definitely not from one of those a dime a dozen diaphragms.
Half point is shaved off from an otherwise excellent iem for its niche target group.
another half a point would have been shaved off for it's soft pouch, which, although feels premium, is not something you will want to bring along for traveling. Then again this is a personal preference. 😀
Hidizs recently reduced the price of the MS3 by a whopping 30%! It is already a very competent performer at it’s original retail price so getting this is really a no brainer. But hey, I digress, this is not a place for sales pitch, then again, read my review and you will know what I meant.
Here is the link to the product:
https://www.hidizs.net/products/hidizs-ms3-2ba-1dd-hybrid-3-drivers-hifi-in-ear-monitors
DISCLAIMER
Hidizs’s Zoie was kind to suffice me a copy of the iems for my honest review and the opinions are mine and HIdizs have not set any conditions.
SPECIFICATIONS
Impedance: 18Ω
Earphone sensitivity: 112dB
Frequency range: 20-40000Hz
Driver type: Single PU+PEEK Dynamic Driver, 2 Knowles BA
Plug Type: choice of 3.5mm or 4.4mm
Earphone interface: 2 Pin 0.78 type
ACCESSORIES
3 sets of bass, balanced and wide bore ear tips
192 core OFC cable
Soft pouch
3 tuning nozzles
While the stock ear tips come supplied aplenty, they are generally too soft. So I stick to my BGVP small-medium AET07 ear tips (Accoustune clones) and also tested with W01 wide bore tips. The copper cable is lovely, very well built, thick rubber-like insulation wrap without feeling too sticky, the chin slider doesn’t move freely so it is easy to adjust to any desired length and it’ll stay right there. My copy comes with 4.4mm termination, it is so good I did not bother to roll cable. I also think the cable must have taken up a good chunk of the product costs.
BUILD/COMFORT
At 15g it feels substantial in the hand and is good enough to stay in my ears without sliding out over time.
The nozzle is long enough, and the bore is not to wide to cause any discomfort and so the seal is quite good.
DRIVABILITY
Followings were used to test the iem:
- iphone and PC with Spotify and Tidal
- JCally AP90
- Cayin RU6
- Fiio BTR7
- Fiio Q11
- Ifi Hip-dac 2
- Topping G5
- Tempotec BHD Pro
- KMERJ KM01
- S.M.S.L. DL200
Although the iem is quite easy to drive, it scales well with 4.4mm termination and more power.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
General sound characteristics and technicalities
The driver is Hidizs’ own 10.2mm dual magnet circuit dual cavity dynamic unit, slightly larger than average drivers giving that bigger than usual solid bass thump. Two Knowles SWFK-31736 BAs catering for the high and extremely high frequencies with lots of details to boot. I would consider this a mild U or W shaped sound signature, there is focus on mids on both ends.
There are three pairs of tuning nozzles provided, the usual Low Frequency (Charm Red), Balanced (Rose Gold) and High Frequency (Quiet Silver). This is a sparkly bright iem so with the treble nozzle it can sound overwhelming, so I do not use it much. Strangely, the standard nozzle focuses too much upper mid frequencies resulting in sounding less airy than the bass nozzle. Yes, I hear more treble extensions with the bass nozzle with not much more elevation in the bass region than the balanced nozzle. Thus, I suspect what the bass nozzle does is to bring down some mid treble sparkle with a pleasant side effect of much better airiness and treble extension! So, most of the review is based on the bass nozzle.
Bass
The DD drives hard, but it mainly focuses on the mid bass so there is sharp roll-off in the sub bass region making this ideal for EDMs, trance and rap music. Listening to Ghost Rider’s Can’t Sleep, the bass is grand, enveloping, and fast thanks to it’s fast sub bass roll-off. The extra bass gives body to bass guitars, this is quite apparent in Blank & Jones’ Coastline adding a level of atmospheric satisfaction. Similarly electrifying is Lizzo’s About Damn Time. Fat Larry’s Band’s Act Like You Know bass now sounds decisive with good elasticity. The fast bass bleeds very little into the mid giving vocals ample room to breathe.
Mid
This iem is mid forward so vocals are clear and precise, partly thanks to the clean bass. Sleeping At Last’s To Be Enchanted and Some Kind of Heaven has the right tonality with the singer’s voice placed in the forefront with the weighty piano positioned just a touch behind, though I would love a little more warmth in the vocal which is my preferred taste, this clinical trait is most apparent in Diana Krall’s Album Turn Up The Quiet. While the voice is crystal clear, breathing can be clearly heard and good airiness, her contralto sexy voice is not presented with this iem.
Treble
The treble is the part of the frequency range that splits camps, or at least this is how I feel. The BAs are detail monster, so good that details are laid bare for scrutiny. Well recorded music will rejoice with intricacies and nuances brought to fore. But of course everything has a double edge sword and this is no difference; badly recorded music will sound really bad, especially pop songs from the 80s and 90s (even newer tracks) sounding brittle and flat. Kanye West’s Power is a fine example of bad mastering exposed. The iem is mid treble focused, although the bass nozzle helps to tame the mid treble, this region is still much emphasized comparing to most Harmanish tuned iems. While lots of details are revealed, it can sound congested with busy tracks like Lady Gaga’s Born This Way (starting from 2:07min). Therefore, despite good quality drivers which do not distort easily at higher volumes, these are not iems for longer listening sessions.
COMPARISONS
I only have the KZ AS24 at hand (hopefully my Celest Phoenixcall arrive in time to add to the party) to compare with in this price category although they do not have similar driver setups. Moreover, AS24 has tuning switches with at least one configuration suiting my listening tastes.
KZ AS24
KZ has come a long way from producing fun, bass heavy V-shaped sounding iems to more sophisticated tuning the likes of AS24. My favourite settings for the AS24 are: Main, Down, Up, Up, Up. Auxiliary, Up, Down, Up, Down.
Drivability, both are comparable. On S.M.S.L. DL200, both are at a comfortable volume level set to 20.
Bass, the MS3 is clearly the bassier one. While AS24 will provide bass when needed, the approach is more of complimenting the other frequency spectrum. The MS3, on the other hand, thumps confidently in abundance.
Mid, the MS3 reproduces clear and crisp vocals while the AS24 is a little more laid back and relaxed.
Treble, AS24’s treble is smooth, mature and sophisticated. The MS3 is more forward mainly due to elevated mid treble which can be exciting to listen to EDMS when listening to alone. But when listening with AS24 side by side, it can sound brash at times. AS24 is also a lot more forgiving while careful pairing with MS3 is recommended.
PAIR WITH…
Fiio Q11
The Q11 is a very neutral dongle with tilt to the bright side. Interestingly, the MS3 pairs very well with the Fiio. Perhaps because the Q11 has emphasis in the upper treble, it brings out a nicer balance in the overall treble. The Q11 is also powerful when connected to the 4.4mm jack and the MS3 likes it.
S.M.S.L. DL200
The MS3 clearly loves power. The Dl200 churns out 1.5w worth of power at 4.4mm and the MS3 not only delivers all frequency spectrum effortlessly, but as if there are rooms to spare, no doubt making them the best pair.
CONCLUSIONS
Detail, detail, detail; this is the first impression comes across your mind (yes, even with the Charm Red nozzle) when putting these iems in their ears. Indeed, this is a detail monster which also makes it a specialist because it will not tolerate badly mastered recordings and is fussy with sources. Conversely, once paired with the right sources, it transforms into a helluva iem you just cannot put down!
The bass is no slouch either: Impactful and textured. The dynamic driver is definitely not from one of those a dime a dozen diaphragms.
Half point is shaved off from an otherwise excellent iem for its niche target group.
another half a point would have been shaved off for it's soft pouch, which, although feels premium, is not something you will want to bring along for traveling. Then again this is a personal preference. 😀
Attachments
This is my first iem review and for sure it is wildly unpolished, thus, I would love to hear from you on how I can improve on my writings and analysis.
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank CVJ for providing this review unit but they have not thrown in any terms and conditions so the opinions are solely mine.
The KE-S can be purchased here at below non-affiliated link:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...023925805!sea!SG!0&curPageLogUid=SkzaSEEDc78f
DRIVABILITY
Followings were used to test the iem:
- iphone with Spotify and Tidal
- JCally AP90
- Cayin RU6
- Fiio BTR7
- Fiio Q11
- Ifi Hip-dac 2
- Topping G5
At 22Ω the KE-S is very easy to drive making it unsuitable for JCally AP90 as the dongle does not have independent volume control making the iem either sounding too loud or too soft.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
General sound characteristics
First off, the sound characteristics described in the following paragraphs are based on AET07 medium sized ear tips and KBear Glaze 4.4mm cable.
The KE-S has that V-ish, mild U-shaped sound with strong mid bass, prominent mid and somewhat dark treble.
Imaging and soundstage are average. I have a good idea the placement of the instruments but will not be able to pin point their exact locations while music plays in a moderately large lounge but without much depth.
Bass
The dual magnetic dynamic unit appears to be a good DD despite what the price and the plastic shell suggest. The mid bass has good punch and hardly bleeds into the higher spectrum. I can hear as well as feel the thumps. The quality is good too and the decay is natural. However, the sub bass rolls off a little too soon so when listening Ellie Goulding’s By the End of the Night I would have hoped the sub bass linger a tiny bit longer. Perhaps CVJ tunes it this way so the iem sound fast.
Mid
This is not a mid-centric iem but its not recessed either perhaps due to strong mid treble. This is not a warm iem so male vocals do not carry much weight. At this price we certainly cannot expect a resolving, highly detailed sound and this iem is just that so voices do not come off as crisp and clear. Nevertheless, the iem performs a good level above most iems in this price range.
Treble
This frequency region is a bit of a mixed bag in performance. While there is a strong presence in the mid treble, perhaps CVJ attempts to soften down the pinna gain, there is a slight dip at 3k, back again in 4k. Nothing wrong here and in fact for someone who is sensitive to mid treble, I do not feel any discomfort whatsoever, so I really appreciate it. But what comes next is a steep roll-off after 4k where some information go lost so some songs can sound a little dark in which means some information got attenuated. Then it goes all good again at the higher treble, airy and well extended. Diana Krall’s Like Someone In Love with the echo far to the left and lingers there, one area where it is on par with 7Hz’s Salnote Zero.
COMPARISONS
I have chosen KZ EDXS and Simgot EW100 (not the P version, the OG with un-removable cable) as they are very similarly priced.
KZ EDXS
KZ’s new iems have gradually moved away from strong V-shaped curve with strong thumpy bass. The EDXS is the latest implementation of their ‘legendary’ DD and their new favourite zorbel network tuning started with the ZVX, then the D-Fi and now this EDXS.
The EDXS comes off as smooth and balanced. The highlight is the linear treble which might sound thin to some. Perhaps due to unfiltered sound, the treble can sound a little ‘raw’.
In comparison, the KE-S is more musical and more forward sounding. It also has stronger bass.
Tonally, the CHU and JIU both follow the VSDF curve, though the JIU is slightly bassier and is a bit smoother in the treble and upper mids, which were pitfalls in the original CHU's tonality (ie CHU is more shouty).
In technical chops, these 2 siblings are pretty close, the JIU shades it just a bit, and the JIU isn't as nasal sounding, with better timbral accuracy. The JIU has better dynamics and is a bit more natural in note weight.
Simgot EW100
This entry Simgot has good bass note without the weight and a detailed treble. It has that easy and natural listening quality that punches way above its price point making it my go-to iems when I need to travel light and fast. It is also one of those iems where I do not need to swap out any accessories (well the cable isn’t removable anyway) such as the stock ear tips which are very comfortable to wear. It is also no picky with sources so I would connect it with JCally’s JM7 further reducing the weight and space.
The KE-S is more musical in comparison with stronger, thumpier bass and a more extended treble. However, the EW100’s treble is more consistent and better tuned making it suitable for most genre. The KE-S is a little more picky with sources too which I will describe below.
PAIR WITH…
JCally AP90
The AP90 has the uncanny ability to highlight all the shortcomings of the KE-S and amplify them. The KE-S sounds too bright yet to thin, very strange.
Fiio Q11
I like to test new iems with this dongle for its neutrality. But because it’s slightly bright, if an iem sounds very bright it becomes shouty when pairing with this dongle.
While the KE-S has strong mid treble presence, it’s treble is neither shouty nor sibilant. But for some reasons it does sound too bright with this dongle.
Cayin RU6
The RU6 quite an opposite of Q11, warm and organic with much less emphasis on treble. This is not an easy dongle to pair with because if the iem is warm, the combo can sound thick and muddy.
Not so with KE-S. In fact, the CVJ iems loves it! The mids comes a little more forefront and making this iem sounding warm and musical, exactly mine kind of taste, sweet!
Ifi Hip-dac 2
Similar to the RU6 this is a warm dac with more power in reserve so it is expected that it pairs well with THE CVJ. Unfortunately, the analogue volume control creates channel imbalance at lower volume. Thus, in order to sound balanced many sensitive iems sound too loud for comfort. Also, KE-S’s treble sounds grainy.
Topping G5
The G5 is a beast in every way. Its, big, its heavy, its got 1200mW worth of output power at 32 Ω and sounds damn good. It even flatters many iems and headphones with no except in this case with KE-S. Interestingly though, it doesn’t synergize with the CVJ as well as the RU6. Sound fuller bodied, sure, but just not as exciting.
CONCLUSIONS
The KE-S comes as a real surprise. The first impression was meh, the shell is hard plastic, the ear tips fit my ears well, but they make the treble sounding like loudspeakers with drives made of paper cones, the stock copper cable does absolutely no justice to what the KE-S can do. To further annoy me the sharp edges on the faceplate scrap against my ears when wearing the iems and adjusting the fit. But once replacements are made and enough hours invested in burning in, the KE-S is good sounding. Is this for bass heads? No, I don’t think so. Is this for treble heads? No, I don’t think so either. But it might be for you if you like something musical and if you like more focus on mid treble. It’s got good treble extensions, but it is no detail monster. But do I recommend it, yes I think its worth an audition.
DISCLAIMER
I would like to thank CVJ for providing this review unit but they have not thrown in any terms and conditions so the opinions are solely mine.
The KE-S can be purchased here at below non-affiliated link:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...023925805!sea!SG!0&curPageLogUid=SkzaSEEDc78f
DRIVABILITY
Followings were used to test the iem:
- iphone with Spotify and Tidal
- JCally AP90
- Cayin RU6
- Fiio BTR7
- Fiio Q11
- Ifi Hip-dac 2
- Topping G5
At 22Ω the KE-S is very easy to drive making it unsuitable for JCally AP90 as the dongle does not have independent volume control making the iem either sounding too loud or too soft.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
General sound characteristics
First off, the sound characteristics described in the following paragraphs are based on AET07 medium sized ear tips and KBear Glaze 4.4mm cable.
The KE-S has that V-ish, mild U-shaped sound with strong mid bass, prominent mid and somewhat dark treble.
Imaging and soundstage are average. I have a good idea the placement of the instruments but will not be able to pin point their exact locations while music plays in a moderately large lounge but without much depth.
Bass
The dual magnetic dynamic unit appears to be a good DD despite what the price and the plastic shell suggest. The mid bass has good punch and hardly bleeds into the higher spectrum. I can hear as well as feel the thumps. The quality is good too and the decay is natural. However, the sub bass rolls off a little too soon so when listening Ellie Goulding’s By the End of the Night I would have hoped the sub bass linger a tiny bit longer. Perhaps CVJ tunes it this way so the iem sound fast.
Mid
This is not a mid-centric iem but its not recessed either perhaps due to strong mid treble. This is not a warm iem so male vocals do not carry much weight. At this price we certainly cannot expect a resolving, highly detailed sound and this iem is just that so voices do not come off as crisp and clear. Nevertheless, the iem performs a good level above most iems in this price range.
Treble
This frequency region is a bit of a mixed bag in performance. While there is a strong presence in the mid treble, perhaps CVJ attempts to soften down the pinna gain, there is a slight dip at 3k, back again in 4k. Nothing wrong here and in fact for someone who is sensitive to mid treble, I do not feel any discomfort whatsoever, so I really appreciate it. But what comes next is a steep roll-off after 4k where some information go lost so some songs can sound a little dark in which means some information got attenuated. Then it goes all good again at the higher treble, airy and well extended. Diana Krall’s Like Someone In Love with the echo far to the left and lingers there, one area where it is on par with 7Hz’s Salnote Zero.
COMPARISONS
I have chosen KZ EDXS and Simgot EW100 (not the P version, the OG with un-removable cable) as they are very similarly priced.
KZ EDXS
KZ’s new iems have gradually moved away from strong V-shaped curve with strong thumpy bass. The EDXS is the latest implementation of their ‘legendary’ DD and their new favourite zorbel network tuning started with the ZVX, then the D-Fi and now this EDXS.
The EDXS comes off as smooth and balanced. The highlight is the linear treble which might sound thin to some. Perhaps due to unfiltered sound, the treble can sound a little ‘raw’.
In comparison, the KE-S is more musical and more forward sounding. It also has stronger bass.
Tonally, the CHU and JIU both follow the VSDF curve, though the JIU is slightly bassier and is a bit smoother in the treble and upper mids, which were pitfalls in the original CHU's tonality (ie CHU is more shouty).
In technical chops, these 2 siblings are pretty close, the JIU shades it just a bit, and the JIU isn't as nasal sounding, with better timbral accuracy. The JIU has better dynamics and is a bit more natural in note weight.
Simgot EW100
This entry Simgot has good bass note without the weight and a detailed treble. It has that easy and natural listening quality that punches way above its price point making it my go-to iems when I need to travel light and fast. It is also one of those iems where I do not need to swap out any accessories (well the cable isn’t removable anyway) such as the stock ear tips which are very comfortable to wear. It is also no picky with sources so I would connect it with JCally’s JM7 further reducing the weight and space.
The KE-S is more musical in comparison with stronger, thumpier bass and a more extended treble. However, the EW100’s treble is more consistent and better tuned making it suitable for most genre. The KE-S is a little more picky with sources too which I will describe below.
PAIR WITH…
JCally AP90
The AP90 has the uncanny ability to highlight all the shortcomings of the KE-S and amplify them. The KE-S sounds too bright yet to thin, very strange.
Fiio Q11
I like to test new iems with this dongle for its neutrality. But because it’s slightly bright, if an iem sounds very bright it becomes shouty when pairing with this dongle.
While the KE-S has strong mid treble presence, it’s treble is neither shouty nor sibilant. But for some reasons it does sound too bright with this dongle.
Cayin RU6
The RU6 quite an opposite of Q11, warm and organic with much less emphasis on treble. This is not an easy dongle to pair with because if the iem is warm, the combo can sound thick and muddy.
Not so with KE-S. In fact, the CVJ iems loves it! The mids comes a little more forefront and making this iem sounding warm and musical, exactly mine kind of taste, sweet!
Ifi Hip-dac 2
Similar to the RU6 this is a warm dac with more power in reserve so it is expected that it pairs well with THE CVJ. Unfortunately, the analogue volume control creates channel imbalance at lower volume. Thus, in order to sound balanced many sensitive iems sound too loud for comfort. Also, KE-S’s treble sounds grainy.
Topping G5
The G5 is a beast in every way. Its, big, its heavy, its got 1200mW worth of output power at 32 Ω and sounds damn good. It even flatters many iems and headphones with no except in this case with KE-S. Interestingly though, it doesn’t synergize with the CVJ as well as the RU6. Sound fuller bodied, sure, but just not as exciting.
CONCLUSIONS
The KE-S comes as a real surprise. The first impression was meh, the shell is hard plastic, the ear tips fit my ears well, but they make the treble sounding like loudspeakers with drives made of paper cones, the stock copper cable does absolutely no justice to what the KE-S can do. To further annoy me the sharp edges on the faceplate scrap against my ears when wearing the iems and adjusting the fit. But once replacements are made and enough hours invested in burning in, the KE-S is good sounding. Is this for bass heads? No, I don’t think so. Is this for treble heads? No, I don’t think so either. But it might be for you if you like something musical and if you like more focus on mid treble. It’s got good treble extensions, but it is no detail monster. But do I recommend it, yes I think its worth an audition.
