Intro

Gustard Audio is a Chinese Audio Company known for making decoders and amplifiers. In the past few years, Gustard has introduced some quite popular and well-received products like the U16 audio interface, the intro level beast X16, re-clocker C16, and its predecessor X26Pro-- X26.

X26Pro is the newest modified/upgraded version of X26 which was announced in 2019. Unfortunately, I was not able to get my hands on X26 before it is discontinued. But according to Huang (the lead designer and founder of Gustard), X26 Pro has all-around improvements over X26. In this review, I will mainly focus on evaluating the sound performance of X26 Pro.


Specifications

Sample rate supported by digital input channels:
COAX: PCM 16-24bit/44.1-192kHz; DSD DOP64
AES: PCM 16-24bit/44.1-192kHz; DSD DOP64
OPT: PCM 16-24bit/44.1-192kHz; DSD DOP64
USB: PCM 16-32bit/44. 1-768kHz; DSD DOP64-DOP256; NATIVE DSD: DSD64-DSD512
IIS: PCM 16-32bit/44. 1- 768kHz; DSD DOP64- -D0P256; NATIVE DSD: DSD64 -DSD512
BT Bluetooth 5.0: PCM LDAC, AAC, SBC, APTX, APTX LL, APTX HD, and other high frequency
encoding, LDAC can achieve 24B / 96K high code transmission
*USB input supported operating system: Win7 SP1/Win8/Win10 32-64bit; mac0S; Linux

Analog output performance:
Amplitude frequency response: 20- 20kHz /±0.1dB.
DNR: >128dB
Crosstalk: -140dB@1kHz.
THD+N: ≤0. 0001%@1kHz
IMD: <0. 0006% @-1dBFs

RCA 0utput level: 2. 5Vrms (Volume 00dB)
Output impedance 100 ohms
XLR Output level: 5Vrms ((Volume 00dB)
Output impedance 100 ohms

Other specifications:
AC Power supply: AC 115V/230V 50/60Hz
Power consumption: <60W
Dimensions: Width 330mm * Height 65mm * Depth 260mm (Excluding protrusions)
Weight: 7Kg (including packaging)

MSRP: $1499

Techs Inside



DAC

X26pro equips with the class-leading Dual ES9038Pro audio chips, one for each channel. Each ES9038 Pro chip has its independent power supply and grounding. At the price point( and even lower), it is not surprising to equipping ES or AKM’s flagship chips. It provides a solid foundation of the technical performance of these DACs. However, please keep in mind, a High-End chipset isn’t always guaranteed a good sound. Some pro DACs like the Merging Hapi which is using ES9028, but the sound is terrific.

To support the dual ES9038 Pro chipset, Gustard uses a Hybrid Discrete IV conversion circuit, which provides independent parallel circuits to each chipset. It benefits noise control and improves the flexibility of chip settings.

The SNR from X26Pro rated 127db unbalanced, 129db balanced (@1kHz), it is slightly better than AKM4499s in DACs like D90—122db unbalanced and 127db balanced. Based on my experience, ES chips generally have a more analytical sound within the same bracket than AKM. Although it is not always the truth, it is still worth mentioning, in my opinion.

Clock

Clocking/Re-clocking is just as crucial as the DAC chips in sound performance. And in many cases I have experienced, the clock often time is more critical than chips nowadays because almost all manufacturers know customers will stare at the chip model in the first place. Then, there are plenty of DACs using High-End chips but end up being a jitter bomb and sound very plasticky. X26Pro utilized K2 Ultra-Low-Noise Clock Synthesizer, which eliminates the source clock and only uses the internal femtosecond clock or an external clock as the master clock. So, it doesn’t rely on the source clock, which can be an excellent solution to the PC-Hifi system.

Decoding


X26Pro has one of the most comprehensive decoding functions at the price. It can decode up to PCM 32-bit/ 768kHz, and DSD 512. It has the NOS- No Oversampling mode, which entirely skips the digital signal sampling and sends the analog conversion signal directly to the amplifiers.

There three PCM filters—Vivid, Composite, and Gentle. In reality, all three filters sound quite differently, which I will describe in the sound analysis. The four DSD filters (47k, 50k, 60k, 70k) are not as distinguishable as the PCM filters. All digital filters are developed on the Analog Device SHARC DSP platform with a built-in anti-aliasing noise algorithm. According to Gustard, this self-developed filter system can sufficiently reshape the noise signals and deliver the purist signals.

USB Interface/ Bluetooth

The USB interface in the X26Pro is based on the XU216 XMOS chip. It supports PCM 768K and DSD 512, plus MQA Full Decoding. I find the built-in USB interface is good enough. However, there are still some audible differences between the built-in interface and Audiobyte Hydra Z and ZPM stacks. The latter sounds a bit more natural. Gustard also recommends their own interface U16 with X26pro as the official suite.

The Bluetooth is a nice add-on feature. The sound quality is not comparable with the traditional connections, but it is really convenient to use X26Pro as a DAC/Preamp and connect it with active monitors. It supports LDAC up to 24-Bit/96kHz, as well as aptX, SBC, and AAC. In this review, I did not evaluate the Bluetooth sound quality in the sound analysis.

Design

Rear Panel/ IO

X26Pro’s rear panel has all the major connection ports. What worth mentioning is the port follows the same order as the Rockna/Audiobyte order that is the most commonly used one. The additional clock input comes in handy, as it allows us to do the further upgrade by adding external clocks.



Front Panel and Remote

The front panel is straightforward and articulate. There is a power button, a screen monitor, and a menu/function button from left to right. The screen shows the current connection, volume, and decoding rate. The menu page allows you to select filters, master clock, NOS mode(on/off), phase, and adjust brightness.

X26Pro also comes with remote control. It can be beneficial with some home audio systems, but I was hoping it could be of a better quality tho.



Sound Analysis

Setup

I have paired Gustard X26Pro with Cayin HA300 and Wells Headtrip II Level 1 as two primary reference systems ( one for tube one for ss), SMSL SP400 as an alternative setup for a budget solution. I also tested X26Pro with BHSE/SR009 for the electrostatic system. The headphones I used are Abyss 1266, Hifiman Susvara, Final D8000, LSA HP-1, Sennheiser HD800s, Focal Utopia.

The DAC references in comparison are Bricasti M1SE and Prism Sound ADA-8 XR.

Tuning

X26Pro has a warm-neutral tonality. I will not describe X26Pro as a warm-sounding or soft-sounding DAC, but you certainly shouldn’t expect an ultra analytical sounding DAC as well. X26Pro perfectly sits in between these two groups. It has an incredible amount of details, a very transparent yet natural sound. It is actually sporadic at this price range. Commonly, DACs at this sup-2000 dollars range will either focus on technical performance but lack fluidity like D90 or focus on musicality but sounds a bit muddy and lack details like RME.

What I really like about X26pro is how natural it sounds. No single FR range is overstated, none of the details are pronounced too loud. The tuning is very similar to some of the much more expensive DACs I have used, such as M1SE and PS DirectStream. The biggest advantage of this type of tuning is that it is not picky about AMPs and headphones. Almost all systems would have a very good synergy with X26Pro. It is an easy plug-and-play DAC, and in my opinion, that is what a good DAC should be. Although there are still some gaps between X26Pro to those higher-end DACs, I am confident enough to describe X26Pro as an excellent introduction to the high-end game.

Bass

The bass from X26pro is naturally extended, tight but gentle. I was hoping for a little more power from the bottom end, but I found it is good enough for most POP records. It does not sound as authoritative and physical as M1SE nor 8XR, but considering there is a close to $10000 price difference, I am fine with that.

The bass quality also scales with a better source. With Hydra Z/ ZPM stack and connection, I get more natural rebounds, a more physical mid-bass attack. Compare to the built-in USB interface, which sounds a bit flat and lacks dynamic.

Mids

X26Pro has a precise and clean mid-range. It somehow reminds me of the signature mids from Aqua Audio but not as creamy as Aquas.

I have tested the vocal performance with my new discovery, “Yorushika”—a Japanese rock duo with a female vocalist. X26Pro delivers a very smooth and precise vocal performance no matter what system I plug it into. For the instrumental records, I also chose a legendary Japanese band—T-Square. I found X26Pro reproduced Saxophone perfectly. The upper-mid to lower treble has great fluidity and sounds extremely vivid. The upper-mid percussion is very refined and sounds a little artificial, and it seems Gustard purposely removed the edginess at around 6k-7k. I have to admit it outperformed Prism Sound 8XR in this sector.

Treble

X26Pro’s treble is relaxing but not necessarily laid-back. It is fun enough for high pitch violin and flute notes. The transmission from lower-treble/upper-mid to treble and ultra-high is smooth, with some nice air filling in between 9k-10k.

However, the biggest problem I found with X26Pro is that I can detect a touch of unstableness and a bit of losing control at the ultra-high, maybe a touch brittle even. I found that is more or less a common issue with lots of ES chips. It is more noticeable when VS M1SE.

Stage and Image

The most significant CON I have found with X26Pro is its stage. The overall presentation of X26Pro is kind of flat between front and back. In the headphones system, I found it is less holographic than the other DACs I have tested in this review process. It affects the separation in a certain sense, especially when playing an orchestrated symphony. Nevertheless, the horizontal stage is wide. While playing some OST and instrumental Jazz groups, X26Pro is more than capable.

How far from the high-end?

X26Pro has a very similar tuning idea to many Hi-End DACs. However, it is not there yet. It lacks some physicality and power in the bottom end, a little bit rough at the top. It is somehow less accurate in the stage and image. But after all, these “flaws” only show up while comparing with those ten times more expensive DACs. The technical performance, resolution, details, overall fluidity are very close to the top performers. It has the taste of the high-end DACs, and the quality is outstanding at its price.

Summary

X26Pro is a fantastic DAC at the price. It has a very natural and refined tuning, comprehensive functions, and an extraordinary decoding power. It is an excellent option for audiophiles who want to glance at the hi-end DACs without breaking the bank. More importantly, it leaves us the potentials for future upgrades with a better external clock. All in all, X26Pro worth recommending!



End Words

This review is the first episode of the “Wise Money” series. In this series, I will recommend some audio gears(headphones/DACs/AMPs/cables…) that I bought or tried recently. All gears that show up in this series are considered as good value products based on my experience. However, I am trying to avoid those hyped ones, and the products I selected, in my opinion, are on par with those on the hype train, if not better. My idea is to contribute my own portion to the head-fi community as this is my 5th year in this big family and my 10th year of being an audiophile. I have gained a lot from the community, and it is time to give back to it!

Summit "Guilty Pleasure"—MMR Thummim Review

Disclaimer

MMR Thummim is loaned from Musicteck.com in exchange for my honest review. MMR Thummim is now available at Musicteck.com.



Intro

MMR, Metal Magic Research, a new company formed by our old friend Joseph Mou—the man behind Jomo Audio and now MMR. My journey with Jomo Audio was full of pleasant surprises. Samba, Flamenco was my all-time favorite BA IEMs; Trinity refreshed my cognition towards electrostatics drivers. So, when I heard about MMR for the very first time, I was compulsively wondering about what Joseph will bring to us this time.

MMR has launched four IEMs so far, they are "Homunculus" and "Thummim" in the universal camp, "Gáe Bolg" and "Balmung" in the custom camp. The star of today's show is Thummim—current flagship UIEM of MMR. After about 2 weeks of critical listening, I feel the headphones Thummim falls into my "Guilty Pleasure" category no matter what God has told us. In this review, I will share my opinions and explain why I think Thummim is one of my guilty pleasures.

Thummim Specs

9 Triple Hybrid Drivers Configuration
Quad Electrostatics, 2 Vented Mid, 2 Highs, 1x Bespoke 9.7mm Foster Dynamic Driver
4-Way Passive Electro Frequency Division
TriBore Waveguide
Eletech Proprietary Internal Litz
Frequency Response: 20Hz-80kHz
Impedance: 35ohm
Noise Isolation: -18db (UIEM)

Packaging and Accessory



If you have ever been to China and bought some Chinese tea, you should be familiar with Thummim's package, at least that is what reminds me of it. The leather carrying case inside of the outer package looks premium and has a vintage vibe.

The accessory of Thummim is on the not necessarily poor but general side. The accessory package contains 1 set of Acoustune eartips (6 pairs, silicone only) and an Eletech Plato stock cable. Surprisingly enough, I didn't find the cleaning tools in the package, I am not sure if that is because my Thummim is a demo set. Overall, the accessory quality is top-notch, but the quantity and variability are very limited.

Build Quality and Fit


Thummim is built in Titanium universal shells. The shells have a pentagon prima shape which further enhances the sense of mystery. The design and finish appear extremely unique and luxurious. It truly looks like a magic stone from the unseen universe.

However, practically the shape might be a con for some. The corners are a bit sharp and the size is relatively big. As a consequence, for small and medium ears, it hurts. If you have large ears, then it should be fine, it is fairly lightweight as a metal shelled IEM. Unfortunately, I cannot get a good fit with Thummim, I can bear the sharp edge for around 30-40 mins, then I have to take them off. It is such a shame, because Thummim sounds truly amazing and attractive, which I will talk about in detail in the next section.
Sound





Overview

Thummim has a warm, engaging sound signature. The soundstage and bass are almost speakers alike. The sound from Thummim is huge and yet refined. I feel I am listening to stand floor speakers or a high-quality car audio system instead of tiny IEMs.

The tuning leans more towards musicality instead of reference. The energy is heavily distributed in the bass while the mid is slightly recessed by just a touch. The treble from Thummim is on a perfect neutral level with a silky-smooth texture. There are some nice sparkling nuances in the treble that makes the Thummim sound engaging instead of gloomy. The overall signature of Thummim somehow reminds me of the original Final D8000 which is one of my favorite full-size headphones throughout the years.

Soundstage & Image

The soundstage of Thummim is absolutely huge and holographic. It is probably the largest soundstage I have ever heard from IEMs. Despite the soundstage is unbelievably huge, I never feel a hollow in its presentation. The image is still very accurate and well placed. The only downside I've found in the image section is the low-frequency instruments like bass, bass drum, and floor toms are a little bit fatter than they should be. It is not a big flaw, I found myself still easily fall in love with this world-class soundstage and image.

Bass

Thummim is all about bass but beyond just bass. Obviously, the bass is the highlight spot for Thummim. When I say Thummim is "speaker alike" that is not only limited to the soundstage, the bass also sounds like a high-quality subwoofer. The bass is very powerful and detailed, it is very easy to detect many layers from sub-bass to upper bass.

The sub-bass from Thummim has a very nice and clean rumble. From 20 to 50hz the sub-bass seats steady underneath holding all the other parts above. It creates a very solid foundation with a nice amount of bass decay. Meanwhile, it doesn't upstage the mid-bass attack or upper bass texture and transition to the mid.

The mid and upper bass has great texture. The mid-bass provides great boomy sounds and slow but hard attacks. The mid and upper bass also create a nice cozy vibe that is very suitable for modern POP and EDM genres. However, I do find the bass does bleed into mid a little bit when listening to the bass-heavy music.

Overall, I would say the bass performance on Thummim is clearly world-class. It is similar to the Legend X in terms of quantity. However, Thummim focuses more on mid-bass warmth. The bass definition and layers are even better than Legend X. Best of the Best.

Mid

The mid is actually very good. Although some bass notes bleed into mid, it sounds very artistic stand alone. For both male and female vocals, it sounds very dense and clean. I personally prefer female vocal out from Thummim, especially some crispier Asian singers. I was really enjoying listening to two of my favorite City Pop bands—Awesome City Club and Shiggy Jr. The nice sweet vocals plus the nice jumping bass line from City Pop's Funk rhythm, both of them cohere perfectly. However, for some powerful female vocal and baritones, it sounds less exciting, sub-bass, and treble sparkles grabbed most of my attention.

For instruments, I tested some acoustic guitar and instrumental jazz. I found Thummim is quite "record depending" for some records, the mid is very resolving and relaxing. Also benefit from the enormous soundstage, the instruments seat in a proper distance, breathe smoothly between each note. Generally, I found Thummim is better suited with slower tempo instrumental music. When the music speeds up, Thummim sounds a little unprepared. It might because the bass biased my impression.

Treble

To be treble is the most enjoyable part of my personal taste along with the soundstage. It is so well-tuned! The treble sounds very natural, not too dark and laid-back nor too bright or restless. It is spot on! The upper-mid lower treble presence at around 4k-6k is very full and solid, the piccolo trumpet has a great figure at this range. Pianos at this range are also well defined with great, transparent resonance. Meanwhile, for high pitch percussions like cymbals and handbells, they are actually breathing. It is a purely joyful experience when listening to some big band funk or smooth jazz.

At the upper treble, Thummim provides me tons of exciting sparkles and air. It is so attractive. Thummim can easily go up to 10k and above like a piece of cake. Meanwhile, it never makes me feel tired even I am a human sibilance detector, it never bothered me. It goes really high and then bursts into bloom naturally, smooths out all the noisy edges, brings in nice air, remains the detailed, well-defined body. That would be how I describe a perfect ultra-high and Thummim's treble as well.

Pairing

I have paired Thummim with HiBy R8 and AK SPKM. I found Thummim slightly prefer R8.

With SPKM Thummim sounds great for certain genres, mainly in POP and its subgenres. SPKM put the mid a little bit more forward and the vocal has more presence. However, in the lower frequency, I found SPKM is a little bit less controlled and overly warm and soft. Thummim is already a very warm sounding IEMs, the extra warmth makes it sound less refined.

With R8, Thummim sounds more neutral and balanced. Although the sub-bass doesn't reach as deep as SPKM, it is still very clean and well defined. In the mid, R8 puts the vocals slightly backward, and it seems to lift the vocal position upward, that might be the only downside of this pairing, but the MSEB EQ function in R8 can effectively solve this problem without too much distortion. The treble, with R8, extend even further, I got more sparkles from this combo. The soundstage is boundless yet still realistic with enough air fill in.

Comparison



EE Legend X vs MMR Thummim: The soundstage on both IEMs are wonderful. Thummim is even larger in both width and depth. Thummim also has more details and clear transparency and resolution. Legend X sounds very similar to Thummim in the bass. Both of them are "basshead heaven" IEMs that are offered in the Hi-End market. But they are slightly different in the bass structure, where Thummim has more warm touches in the mid-bass, Legend X has more physical attacks (in both speed and texture). Thus, they are for different bass lovers, Thummim suits better for "Pop Bass" while Legend X suits better for "Metal Bass". Both of them have bass bleeding issues more or less. In the mid, I found Thummim is slightly more forward, it is also sweeter for mid centered records. In the treble, Thummim is a clear winner, no competition here.

VE Elysium vs MMR Thummim: These two IEMs are legends of different fields. Ely is more of a bright, vivid sounding IEMs with a touch dryness in between each note. Thummim is a huge, smooth-sounding IEMs with a fluid transition in between. Thummim offers a significantly larger soundstage, and smoother transition from bass to treble. Ely has a smaller staging, but the images are more focused, and the body is also a touch denser in mid and treble. Thummim offers more bass rumbles. Ely has less bass quantity and slimmer bass figures. But for BA bass, Ely is great too. Ely offers a more forward mid and vocal. I also found Ely has more sweet spots when playing mid-heavy tracks. In the treble, I would say they are tie break but different. Ely sounds more vivid and youthful, Thummim sounds smoother and more mature. Again, they are very different.

FiR M5 vs MMR Thummim: Both of them have great soundstage depth, but Thummim goes significantly wider. Compare to Thummim, I found M5's bass is better controlled, it sounds tighter and no bleeding issues. Thummim has more quantity, but sometimes it is out of control. M5's mid is more neutral and less colored, it is also more upfront than Thummim. Thummim has more vocal sweetness and flavors, though the position is one step back from the stage. M5's treble is not bad, but when goes to the ultra-high, it becomes weaker and less sparkling. Thummim's treble is extremely natural and extends very high.



Conclusion

Thummim is a world-class performer. It has a very unique yet enjoyable tuning that I have never heard before. In the summit level IEMs, I have to say MMR had a very brave take on Thummim, it doesn't fall into the "generic", "reference" tuning like other flagships. On the contrary, it goes to the direction which focuses a lot more on musicality, especially for modern genres. I do wish I could have a better fit with Thummim, if they are going to have a custom version of Thummim, I will be on the boat!

Intro

Luxury & Precision is a relatively young Chinese high-end DAP manufacturer. However, this young company had made some well-known DAPs like LP5, L5Pro, and the luxury limited editions: LP5LTD and LP6ti. In 2020, Luxury & Precision announced their new P-series after the L-series and the flagship LP-series. According to Luxury & Precision, P-series will purely focus on sound performance. The key objective of P-series is to deliver an ultra-analog sound to the customers. P6 is the first and the flagship DAP of P-series. In this review, I will cover the key features and sound impressions of this great DAP.

Note: The P6 is loaned from Musicteck.com in return for my honest review. Luxury & Precision is available at Musicteck.



Design

The Luxury & Precision P6 utilizes 24 Bit full resistance network discrete R2R design, which can usually be found in full-size desktop DACs. However, in recent years, R2R design has sprouted from portable players. The Luxury & Precision has earlier used this technology in their flagship model—LP6, Hifiman applied a similar design on R2R2000 even earlier.

Compare to the often-seen delta-sigma chip design, R2R generally sounds more analog, however, the building cost is also higher for R2R. According to the Luxury & Precision, the R2R matrix they used in the P6 is equivalent to using 8 PCM1704K chips in parallel for ideal dynamics. We will find out how it sounds like in the sound analysis section.

Beyond the R2R design, Luxury & Precision has also refined the traditional Bluetooth technology and applied that on P6. The Bluetooth clock of P6 is directly generated by the stop-moment crystal vibration of P6 processed by FPGA, and then the parsed audio data is aligned to the accurate clock generated by FPGA and sent to DAC for lower jitter.

As a summary, Luxury & Precision has applied almost all their loftiest design language to the P6 to achieve the best sound quality that they can make.

Packaging & Accessories



The P6 sits in a solid wooden box, covered by thick foams nicely and securely. However, the package is kind of disappointing for a $2999 high-end DAP. A user manual, a USB Type-C cable, a cleaning pad, and that is it. You will need to spend an extra $79 for the leather case, you will not have a screen cover by any chance. For $3000, I was expecting there would be at least a cotton soft case/bag, but no, none, nothing!

Build Quality

Luxury & Precision is always a top performer in build quality, P6 with no exception. The P6 has a nice, solid aluminum frame, all the buttons are nicely mounted on that frame. The power button on the top is a bit too tight for me, other buttons are smooth. The volume wheel has a similar "gears design" like AK’s players, the P6’s volume wheel has a slightly lower resistance though. The 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced headphone jacks are very tight; you shouldn’t worry about the unexpected unplug issue which I have with my old SP1000M 3.5mm.





Screen

P6 uses a 3.5-inch IPS screen with 480x320 resolution. I have to say, for a $3000 modern-day high-end DAP, it is a little shabby. For outdoor use, you may have to turn the lightness to maximum, otherwise, it will be very hard to see the information from this poor screen. Also, this screen does not support touch screen operation. You need to do everything with buttons and the wheel. So, it is not very user friendly when you are using this device, and the buttons are relatively small, which makes the operation even harder.



Size & Weight

P6 has dimensions/weight: 124x67.3x20mm/248g. It is slightly bigger but lighter than SP1000M. I think Luxury & Precision did a good job in size control, considering the other new releases are way larger and heavier (SP2000, DX220 Max, R8, etc.).




User Interface/Usability

P6 uses a non-Android old fashion operating system. That’s being said, you are not able to use any streaming service directly from the device. However, for a non-Android device, P6 has a fast response, and the system is relatively stable. The only issue I have found with this OS is that when I was switching sounds, it will have random boom noises. The good thing with the non-Android system is that the battery life is extraordinarily long, I have a good 14-15 hours of use with no problems.

The Bluetooth connection is surprisingly fast, and it has ultra-low latency. I find the Bluetooth has no connection issues within 5 meters. Keep in mind, you can only use P6 as a Bluetooth receiver, not a sender. You can stream music from your cellphone APPs, but you cannot pair Bluetooth headphones or TWS earbuds with P6.

The user interface is very simple — a slightly fancier Hifiman style. It is not appealing, not even close to other non-Android DAPs like Cayin N8 or Lotoo Paw Gold Touch. Meanwhile, because of the “wheel and buttons” operation logic, it will usually take a long time to find the song you are looking for. The software design language is telling you, P6 is purely chasing for the sound quality.

Sound

Sound Signature

P6 has a very analog and natural sound which I think it is largely benefited from the R2R design. Before burn-in, the treble of P6 sounds a bit shy. After about 50 hours burn-in, it sounds more open and has more air in the treble. The mid and bass sounds very dense and full. So, P6 has a very authentic performance when playing some jazz and blues music. Overall, I think P6 is an outstanding player for long listening sessions.

Timbre & Tonality

P6 is neutral with a touch of warmth in the mid-range. It has great transparency from the bass to the treble, images are presented spotlessly. However, the size of images is on the larger side, sometimes I do feel stressed, especially when listening to some mid-heavy music. But I believe there are tons of audiophiles that would enjoy this inviting tuning. The timbre of P6 applies a modern take on the traditional LP style, where P6 combines the old-school creamy sweet signature and the modern technical performance. P6 is able to give all the headphones I paired with a romantic aura.

Stage

P6 has a relatively large soundstage in width and depth. I got some good “out-of-head” sounds. Even though the images are on the larger side, you won’t feel the sounds cluster together as a big mass. You can still get some good air breath in and breath out. However, also due to the relatively large image size and the upfront vocal position, you will have a more centered presentation with all the details sound the main body rather than a holographic presentation.

Dynamic & Transition

Before burn-in, the dynamic is a bit gentle, and both ends extension is kind of shy. After about a week’s burn-in the bass becomes a lot punchier, mid also becomes denser, and I also got a much livelier treble. The whole frequency is now fuller and more energetic, both ends extend a lot further too. For R2R DACs/DAPs a burn-in is critically important! Meanwhile, the transition is perfectly smooth with no digital harshness. It is hard to believe that a DAP can have a great dynamic and transition like this. I was very much impressed.

Bass

P6 has a very full and deep bass right out of the box. The bass becomes deeper after burn-in. P6’s bass focuses more on the sub-bass rumble instead of mid-bass attack which helps P6 build a solid bass foundation without interrupt the transition smoothness. Overall, I think P6’s bass is suitable for most genres except some heavy metal tracks which require hard attacks and faster response. Of course, pairing with Empire Ears Legend X or Sony Z1R these combos can easily nail the heavy metal.

Mid

In my opinion, mid-range is the sweet spot of P6. The vocal position is handled very well, it is upfront but not in your face. The vocal image is on the larger side compared with other DAPs I have used. As a result, the mid, especially vocal, sounds very inviting. When playing instruments, P6’s mid sounds very fluid and lively. The full-bodied mid presentation would deliver a very physical feel when playing strings. It is almost perfect when pair with some reference tuning headphones or V-shaped headphones, but if your headphones already have upfront or thick mid-range, P6 may turn the sweet sound to a greasy one.

Treble

Follows the muscular sound signature in bass and mid, P6’s treble also has a very full presentation. But the treble does sound a tad slimmer than mid and bass, especially in the upper treble, which brings more air into the sound and makes the entire presentation very natural yet consistent. However, in the crossover between upper-mid and lower-treble, I feel P6 sounds a little too dense and forward, which ultimately gives me some pressure. It is not a big problem with L-shaped or V-shaped headphones like Legend X, but it is a problem for headphones like Mason V3+ which already has a peak in that frequency.

Bluetooth

P6 has a fairly good Bluetooth module. According to Luxury & Precision, the Bluetooth clock of P6 is directly generated by the stop-moment crystal vibration of P6 processed by FPGA, and then the parsed audio data is aligned to the accurate clock generated by FPGA and sent to DAC for lower jitter. In reality, the Bluetooth mode sounds quite clean and detailed, but it also sacrifices some mid and bass weight and treble extension compare with the native play mode. It can easily outperform my cellphone, that’s for sure.

Power

P6 is a powerful DAP, it quoted high gain 2.45Vrms, low gain 1.55Vrms for the single-end; high gain 4.9Vrms, low gain 3.1Vrms for 4.4 balanced output. It has no problem pairing with most IEMs and portable on ears cans. But it is not powerful enough for all full-size headphones.

Pairing

Empire Ears Legend X (5BA, 2Dynamic hybrid): Legend X is a typical V shape IEMs. In my experience, it most shocking IEMs that I have paired with P6. As I described in the earlier section, P6 has a forward mid-range which adds more body to Legend X’s mid. Paired with P6 Legend X sounds more balanced and completed. I prefer to use balanced mode with high gain with Legend X, which further elevates the upper frequency.

Unique Melody Mason V3+ (16 BA): This combo has a pretty neutral and balanced sound. Mason V3+ has a great treble extension, which is the airiest IEMs I have tested with P6. However, both Mason V3+ and P6 have an emphasis at around 6k-7k, so when they stack together, it is a little too hot. Mason V3+ has a slightly narrow but very deep soundstage, with P6 the soundstage sounds more very dimensional. Personally, I prefer balanced mode with the low gain on Mason V3+, which sounds smoother, the hotness at 6k-7k is largely reduced.



Dita Dream XLS (single dynamic): Dita Dream XLS has a neutral yet slightly treble-heavy signature. With P6, the treble sounds full and dense but without overly bright. However, similar to the Mason V3+, at 6k-7k the sound is a bit too forward. In terms of the soundstage, I can get some good layers, instruments are separated very well, but it is on the narrower side compare with the other two IEMs. I prefer balanced mode with high gain with XLS which provides more body in the mid and bass.



Ultrasone Tribute 7 (portable on ears): Tribute 7 has 30ohm resistance and 96dB SPL, which is not very hard to drive on the paper. In reality, Tribute 7 seems to need more power to get a full and smooth sound because of the 40mm Mylar/ Titan driver’s signature. P6 can give Tribute 7 a very full and healthy sound, however, the treble is slightly darker than it is on the desktop AMPs.



New Firmware Ver 1.0

The new firmware expands the capacity of the media library to 12k songs. It also eliminates the automatic rescan process when updating the content in the local storage. There are also some refinements in media library displays. I do not find any change that has been made in sound.

Comparison

At this moment, I only have SP1000M on my hand is at a similar price range of P6. SP1000M is a smaller but heavier player compare with P6. SP1000M also has a very sensitive touch screen and the close-end Android operation system supports streaming services which is a lot more user friendly. In the sound, I found P6 has a fuller and thicker sound, SP1000M has a slimmer figure and sounds more vivid in the treble. Both of them have great resolutions, SP1000M has more pronounced details though. The soundstage is very similar in width, P6 is slightly deeper and has cleaner layers. There is a big difference in dynamic, where SP1000M sounds somewhat too soft compare with P6. Both of them have good output power under the balanced mode, where P6 quoted 4.9Vrms with high gain, SP1000M quoted 4.2 Vrms.

In summary, if you prefer a full, natural sound with great resolution and spectacular dynamic; meanwhile, you don’t care about the streaming service, P6 is the way to go. If you need a touch screen, great user experience, and on-device streaming services, SP1000M is the better choice.

Conclusion

In terms of sound quality, P6 is one of the most enjoyable players I have used in the recent two years. The sound is very natural and analog. Sometimes I feel I am listening to the music on a desktop system instead of a portable player! It is so close to the perfect sound that I’m looking for. However, it is still far away from a perfect DAP. The old fashion operation system and UI is not very easy to use. Often time it will take me over 1 or 2 minutes to find the songs I’m hunting for. In the current DAP industry, a touch screen is essential, only a few DAPs don’t have it and P6 is one of them. It is so sad that the user experience is nowhere near the sound performance of P6.

Therefore, if you think the sound is the most and basically the only important thing, then P6 won’t disappoint you. But if you are looking for a user-friendly all-rounder DAP, there are some better choices.

I received the Meze Empyrean back to late April as a part of the Empyrean tour. I was supposed to finish my review in the middle of May. However, I was extremely busy for the last 2 months, I don’t even have too much time log into my head-fi account. All the scheduled review was delayed in these two months, including the earlier Solaris review, which I received the AMP in February, but the review was done till the end of June. Luckily, I have written a review outline and took enough notes during the testing session which can help me to complete this review.

Anyway, I must sincerely apologize to Meze, I’m sincerely sorry about the delay. But guilty will not bias my judgment to the headphones, I will still be as objective as possible.

Intro

A few years ago, a friend of mine blind bought Meze 99 Classics and send them to me for a try. I was immediately impressed by the quality/price ratio of 99 Classics. Thus, in 2018 when Meze released their flagship planar headphones Empyrean, I had a very high expectation on them and tried them quite a few times here and there. But this the first time I have tested them on my own setup. Thanks to Meze for giving me this opportunity!

Packaging and Accessories

Open up the outside shipping box, there is a nicely built metal travel case right in front of you, it seems made of aluminum, I’m not quite sure on this. The headphones and all accessories are nicely placed in their spots.

The demo kit comes with 3 cables: stock 1.3m OFC 3.5mm cable, 2.5m SPC PCUHD balanced 4-pin upgrade cable, and 2.5m copper PCUHD 6.35mm single-end upgrade cable. All these cables are in good quality, especially the SPC PCUHD cable which is ultra-soft, and the sound is quite good too. Also, there are 2 pairs of earpads are included in this kit, one pair of Alcantara pads and one pair of leather pads.

Design and Comfort

In terms of design and comfort, I have to give full credit to Meze. Empyrean is the most comfortable headphones that I have ever tried, there is no "one of", it is the best of the best. They perfectly cohere with my head and ears with no uncomfortable pressure. I can easily wear them for hours and possibly days if I don't need to sleep. I prefer fabric materials for ear pads over leather in terms of comfort, but both pads are extremely comfortable. The size of the headphones is big enough to cover my whole ears, and there is some extra space that allows them to breathe.

Although the design of Empyrean is relatively simple, the quality is at the top of the roof. All the joints move freely and the joint levers between drivers and headband are tight enough to prevent unexpected movement. Moreover, the copper/brass color driver shells look so stylish, aren't they? Overall, I would give a 10 out of 10 to Empyrean in this section, undisputed.


Sound Impressions

In this review, I have tested Empyrean on Cayin HA300 and Auidovalve Solaris as two main AMPs, Bricasti M1SE as the main DAC.

The music albums (tracks) I have used for this review are:

Classic (strings): La scala di seta-- Gioachino Rossini recorded in 100 Essential Pieces of Classical Music

Classic (piano): Sonata facile-- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart recorded in 100 Essential Pieces of Classical Music

Classic (symphony): Symphony No.5 -- Ludwig van Beethoven recorded in 100 Essential Pieces of Classical Music

Classic (wind orchestra): Swan Lake Op. 20, Act II No. 10--Tchaikovsky recorded in Tchaikovsky music

EDM: Songs by Martin Garrix, Mike Williams, David Guetta, Alesso, etc.

Funk/Smooth Jazz: Live from the inside--Brian Culbertson

Metal/Metalcore: What the Dead Men Say--Trivium

Progressive Metal: Handmade Cities--Plini

Rock: Dirty Honey--Dirty Honey

POP: Continuum--John Mayer + Pop Life playlist on Tidal (sorry I really do not listen to nowadays Pop that much)

Vocal, male: 1973--James Blunt

Vocal, female: I Will Always Love You (compilations)--Whitney Houston



Tonality & Timbre

Empyrean has a warm tonality. It is more noticeable in the lower frequency, the touch of extra warmth from the mid-bass to the lower mid makes Empyrean a great choice for good school rocks like Aerosmith/Led Zeppelin. Also, I found that the extra warmth makes pianos sound almost creamy at lower keys. It is very comforting and relaxing. In the upper mid to treble region, Empyrean has a small dip at around 1-2khz which is a common issue for most planar headphones. Seemingly, the dip is more significant on Empyrean than D8000 Pro or Abyss 1266, it is closer to HEKv2. Therefore, Empyrean sounds very laidback, unaggressive. Similarly, there is a treble roll-off at around 10khz which further enhanced the laidback signature of Empyrean.

Overall, I would say Empyrean is very coherent from the bottom to the top. It implements the laidback signature throughout the entire frequency range. It is warm, laidback, and sounds full, rich at the same time. For some reason, Empyrean reminds me of HD650 in terms of timbre and tonality.

Bass

When you put on Empyrean, you will immediately notice that there is a lot of bass. It would be bass heaven for bassheads. The bass focuses more on impact than physical attacks. Although the bass quantity might be too much for some, I never feel a sense of pressure coming from the bass region. I think that’s mainly because Empyrean offers a good amount of bass decay, which creates a cozy feeling.

Quality-wise, Empyrean's bass is good but not the best. It has top-level bass details and a very good bass texture. The sub-bass can reach very deep and still maintain a good figure. It also sounds pretty linear from sub-bass to upper bass. However, I do wish it could be a bit faster. The bass size is also a bit too big for my preference.

I think the biggest issue of Empyrean’s bass is that it limits the genre versatility of the headphones, and it also makes Empyrean a little bit picky to the source. The warm yet mild (in terms of speed) mid-bass from Empyrean makes it a good choice for rock and POP genres, but not so much for metal which requires a much faster response. Similarly, Empyrean is great for some EDM genres like traditional house, deep house, or even some future house tracks, but it is not so good with hardcore, dance and electro house. Also, you need to be careful to choose the right amplifier. You will need an amplifier that has good bass control, clarity, and vertical stage, otherwise you might face the bass bleeding issue.

I prefer the bass from leather pads. It sounds tighter and has more control. With the Alcantara pads, it sounds warmer but slower in the mid-bass.

Mid

This the most beautiful part of Empyrean! God, I wish words can describe how beautiful it is. The vocal from Empyrean is extremely smooth and with the right amount of warmth and sweetness. The vocal presentation is upfront, but not in your face. You can get lots of details in the mid-range, but the details do not take place in the major part of the music.

Instruments sound very full, rich, and vivid. As a musician, I would say the instruments are embellished but in a good way, they sound unreal but very natural. Empyrean ideally expressed what I wish the instrument should sound like instead of what they actually do. It is more significant when compared to headphones like Kennerton Thror. Where the instruments from Empyrean sounds smoother, more euphonic, and more fluid; they sound more realistic but raw from Thror.

Ultimately, I think the mid from Empyrean is about perfect in a music enthusiast/ audiophile’s perspective. Because when we are listening to the music records with hi-end headphones we only care about how beautiful the "reinterpretation" is, so we will need some "artificial flavors" more or less. I think Empyrean added just the right amount of spice to the music in the mid-range which makes the mid sound not necessarily “real” but very “natural” and beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, Empyrean doesn’t sound fake by any means. It just perfectly balanced the tonality and the reducibility.

The leather pads offer a touch more details than Alcantara pads. The Alcantara pads make Empyrean sounds slightly warmer and fuller than the leather pads. The difference is not as significant as it is in the bass region.

Treble

The treble of Empyrean follows the overall signature. The small dip at around 10khz makes the treble a bit dark but very smooth. The treble quantity is not aggressive compare to other headphones in my collection. However, the treble is full-bodied with excellent texture and details. There are some sparkles in the upper treble which makes the sound relaxing but not boring by any sense.

Overall, the treble is tuned naturally and nicely coherent with mid and bass. But I really hope the treble could be more energetic and denser. Sometimes, I feel Empyrean is a little bit lack of transparency, or in other words, it is not as vivid as I expected.

Stage and Image

Empyrean's soundstage is large enough, it is capable of large-scale symphony. It is three-dimensional with a touch extra horizontal width. The soundstage is a lot more natural than HD800. The image size suits very well with the stage size, the instrument separation is just right. You can hear all the instruments placed in the right positions. It is not the airiest headphones in my collection, both Susvara and D8000Pro is slightly airier than Empyrean. But I don’t find it lacks air or too dark.

Pairing

Empyrean is not hard to drive, it is rated 31.6Ω and 101dB SPL. I paired Empyrean with Cayin N8 during Canjam NYC, the sound is fairly healthy. However, I do think a desktop setup is necessary to reveal all the strengths of Empyrean.

I tried Empyrean on both Cayin HA300 and Audiovalve Solaris. With HA300, the bass is more controlled the bass figure is leaner. 300B tubes also add more sweetness to the mid and vocal, this combination delivers an extremely euphoric and enjoyable sound. The treble now has more air and sounds more refined.

While Solaris adds more body to the Empyrean from the bottom to the top, I felt the sound is fuller and harder. The bass becomes tighter and has more physical attacks. The mid is more upfront, but it is not as smooth as it is when paired with HA300 especially in the upper mid. Similar in the treble, Empyrean sounds slightly more energetic and edgier compare to HA300+Empyrean combo.

Comparison

Empyrean vs D8000 Pro

Empyrean and D8000 Pro have similar power requirements. However, the sound signatures are quite different. Empyrean has a fuller and warmer sound, while D8000 Pro is more neutral and flatter. D8000 Pro has more bass attack, hit harder and faster, Empyrean has more sub-bass rumble. In the mid, D8000 Pro doesn’t have the sweetness that Empyrean has, the vocal is also more distant. D8000 Pro has more treble sparkles, it sounds slightly airier and more energetic. Both of them sound smooth and refined. Empyrean has a wider soundstage, D8000 is deeper.

Empyrean vs Susvara

Susvara requires a lot more power than Empyrean. Signature-wise, Susvara is calmer and more distant. Susvara has less bass, but the bass is also tighter and has more details. In the mid, Susvara’s vocal is more distant and thinner. The treble is a touch smoother on Empyrean, well Susvara is brighter and airier. The soundstage is about the same on both headphones, Susvara has better resolution and transparency, Empyrean has more organic sounding harmony.

Empyrean vs 1266 TC

Similar to the Susvara, 1266 TC requires lots of power too. 1266 TC’s sound is more backboned and also more balanced. The energy is almost perfectly distributed between bass and treble. In the bass, 1266 TC reaches deeper, slams harder. Empyrean has warmer mid-bass, more quantity but hit softer and slower. In the mid and vocal, Empyrean sounds livelier, the vocal is more upfront, you will have a more realistic mid image on 1266TC though. In the treble, both are very smooth, the lower treble from Empyrean is fuller and more natural. 1266 on the other side has more upper treble energy and more impactful extension.

Conclusion

Empyrean is a great yet unique offering to the market. Nowadays, most TOTL planar headphones or dynamic headphones are trying to be as "impressive" as possible. They either offer huge expansive soundstage or a crazy amount of details. But Meze impressed me in a different way. There is no insane soundstage or details, but they are so reliable and comfortable for long listening sessions which is one of the most important things to the users but often time has been overlooked.

Every time I put them on, I feel my ears are at home. The sound is warm, cozy, and refined. No matter what songs I throw to Empyrean, it can perform them at a very high level. Empyrean might not be the best-sounding headphones in the market. It is not a headphone that you can show off to your friends and easily impress them, but if you like the signature of Empyrean, it can be one of your lifelong patterner.

Intro

Audiovalve has been a long-time member of the headphone community. I have tried Audiovalve rkv back to the days when I just built up this hobby. It was a great honor to meet with Mr. Becker – the man behind Audiovalve—during Canjam NYC and had a very nice conversation with him. To be honest, I wasn’t intended to buy the Solaris initially, because I have owned Cayin HA300, and I love it. After about 20 mins on spot listening, I decided to buy the Solaris, it is simply amazing in terms of sound quality and versatility. I will introduce more of the details in this review!

(Note: This review unit selected AMP only trim with the gold exterior, you can add DAC to have the full setup.)

Build Quality

The overall build quality of Solaris is outstanding. The exterior looks concise and classic. On the left side of the front panel, there are 4 headphones jacks—two single end 6.35mm which can also be used as dual 3-pin connectors, one 4-pin balanced jack, one 6-pin STAX jack which is capable for electrostatic headphones like STAXs and VOCE.



Under the headphone jacks, there are 5 knob switches (from left to the right): Output Mode, Gain, Input channel, Volume, and Balance (left and right channel). All these switches are very smooth and durable. On the backend, Solaris provides a total of 5 RCA input channels, 2 XLR balanced channels, 2 speaker output channels, 1 pre-out channel. Again, the build quality of these jacks is great, with no loose parts and very smooth.



Features & Specs

For details of features and specs, please refer to Solaris online user manual: http://www.audiovalve.info/solaris/2015 solaris eng.pdf as well as page 4 of headfonia.com’s review: https://www.headfonia.com/review-audiovalve-solaris/4/.



Sound Impression

Just like the name suggests, Solaris is like the sun—warm, powerful, and full of energy. I completely fell in love with this amp the first time I plug my headphones into the amp. I have tested Abyss 1266TC, Hifiman Susvara, Final D8000 Pro, Meze Empyrean, Focal Utopia, Fostex TH900, Beyerdynamic T1(unfortunately I do not have electrostatic headphones in my collection). All these headphones sound very satisfying with no background noise at all even with high sensitivity headphones like Utopia and TH900. It is very impressive because high output tube amplifiers usually have humming issues, but there is no such noise with Solaris, none.

Solaris has a very balanced sound, with a slight emphasis in bass and mid. The overall sound signature is very imposing and well structured. The soundstage is in an excellent 3-dimensional figure, however not very tall compare to another headphone amp I have—Cayin HA300.

As a tube amplifier, Solaris provided outstanding resolutions, details, dynamics, and speed. In these categories, Solaris can beat most tube amps I have heard including the more expensive WA33(standard version). I was quite surprised because initially, I think ECL85 tubes are not famous for their resolution and dynamic, etc. Apparently, Mr. Becker and his team paid lots of effort in designing and tuning this outstanding amplifier.

I had used RKV3 for a while many years ago, in my opinion, Solaris sounds a lot smoother than RKV3. Solaris is more balanced and has better resolution and details. Although I found Solaris is still a little edgy in the top end, in my opinion, it is completely tolerable.

For music genres, I think Solaris is good for all genres. I find Solaris is extremely good with classic (especially large-scale symphony), metal, rock, funk, POP, and EDM. But Solaris is not my first choice for acoustic or piano solos.

Abyss 1266TC/Hifiman Susvara

I put these 2 headphones in one category because both of them are extremely power-consuming planars. Thus, I mainly used OTL mode with mid or high gain with these headphones. Solaris has up to 12W per channel output power which is sufficient for both headphones (from my experience, an amp with 5-6w per channel can power up 1266 to an acceptable level, while Susvara requires at least 8-10W, however, no one knows exactly what is the optimal output power for these 2 beasts).

1266TC is my favorite headphones with Solaris. Solaris has enough power to drive 1266TC and reveal all its potential. The overall presentation of this combo is leaner and balanced. I can get a deeper bass from this combo than any other I have tried. More importantly, I have heard more bottom end details than ever before. The mid is also very full and rich, especially the lower mid. It is very enjoyable to listen to male vocals using this combo. The treble extends very far and still being very nature without too many artificial flavors.

I have tried one of my favorite smooth jazz albums Live from the Inside by Brian Culbertson which requires great dynamic, speed, image and control, this combo has interpreted this album perfectly. The trumpet is full of energy in the treble region, and piano notes, bass slaps, and drumbeats are staying super clean no matter fast or slow.

Another beast Susvara is even harder to drive. I have tried many AMPs to power up Susvara including some power amp like First Watt J2 and Byston B135-SST2. So far, the best AMP I found for Susvara is still Cayin HA300 with Psvane ACME 300B power tubes and Ken-Rad 6s7n vt-231 driver tubes.

With Solaris, Susvara is able to provide outstanding bass extension, it can reach very deep when required and I found it reaches noticeably deeper than HA300. The mid is full and forward, however, compare to HA300 Solaris sacrifices a touch of smoothness for a cleaner and fuller image. Similarly, with Solaris Susvara’s treble sounds very energetic and vivid but again the smoothness was sacrificed.

Personally, I prefer 1266TC with Solaris and Susvara with HA300. Solaris can fully elevate all the strength of 1266TC, unbounded soundstage, clear and accurate image and positioning, deep and solid bass, spectacular dynamic… Listening to the metal songs with this combo, I feel like I am standing right in front of the stage of a metal live. That’s being said, both Solaris and 1266TC are terrific in performing magnificent scenes. While Susvara is another story, Solaris makes Susvara sound full and rich but also a bit too serious and aggressive. Solaris uses a straightforward way to interpret music, it is completely fine with Abyss but not with Susvara. Susvara doesn’t have the boldness and momentum that Abyss has, but it interprets music beautifully and euphemistically. Solaris is considerably a good match with Susvara in terms of the degree of completion. However, I do prefer the euphonic sound and the ultra-smoothness that HA300 offered to Susvara.

Final D8000 Pro/ Meze Empyrean

D8000 Pro and Empyrean are not hard to drive compare to 1266TC and Susvara. I tend to use impedance mode (IMP) and low gain more with them, but I do find the OTL mode also sounds pretty good with them. With the IMP mode, I find both D8000 Pro and Empyrean sound more natural; with the OTL mode, D8000 Pro and Empyrean sound more forward and energetic.

D8000 Pro is my favorite headphones for Metalcore/Progressive Metal/Funk/EDM. With Solaris, D8000 Pro’s bass sounds fast, tight, and punchy. This type of “shotgun” bass is ideal for high speed, rhythmic music genres I mentioned above. You will get a forward, full, rich mid with a touch of warmth. The vocals and guitars have very good textures. The treble is reasonably smooth, the brightness is right to the point, very balanced to my taste. The treble extends very far with a good amount of sparkles. The only downside I could find is the vocal size is a bit too big, which sometimes gives me some pressure. But overall, I truly love this combination. I believe, every metal lover will love this combination too.

Empyrean is known as the vocal master, both male and female vocal are perfectly presented. But as many enthusiasts (including me) described, the bass from Empyrean is too much. Solaris has a very good bass control; the bass is not as loose and soft as it was on some other AMPs that I've tried, but I still think it is too much not Solaris's problem, the headphone's. The mid and vocal is heavenly good, it is easily the best vocal I have ever heard. It is full of emotion and details, the voice has great size and distance, it is upfront but not "in your face". Also, benefits from the excellent treble extension of Solaris, the Empyrean's treble sounds not only smooth but also vivid.

Focal Utopia/Fostex TH900

Both Focal Utopia and Fostex TH900 are ultra-sensitive dynamic headphones. Naturally, the IMP mode is the right way to go. I was worried about the hissing issue that happened on my other amps. But the background of Solaris is deadly quiet, I don’t catch any hissing problem with Utopia or TH900.

I paired Utopia with Dana Lazuli Reference cable which polished the treble of Utopia and largely eliminated the "metallic tones" at the top end. Solaris added more warmth to the Utopia makes Utopia sound smoother, fuller, thicker, and a lot more natural. There are two problems I found with this combo, one is that the vocal is too upfront, the other is that the mid-bass is a little overwhelming. They are not big issues, just not in my personal preference. The outstanding dynamic, incredible amount of detail is all presented clearly. The soundstage is kind of intimate horizontally, but it is very tall vertically. Overall, I think Solaris has good synergy with Utopia.

TH900 is a classic V shape headphone, the unique signature of TH900 makes it very picky about AMPs. Solaris is a very good match with TH900. Solaris can add some extra warmth to the TH900. The mid and treble sounds smooth and refined. Although Solaris is not able to fill up the recessed mid of TH900, it makes the mid and vocal much more enjoyable than other AMPs I have tried. Also, Solaris has a very nice bass control, you will get a deep, fast, and tight bass and the bass does not bleed into mid-section.

Beyerdynamic T1

Beyerdynamic T1 is 600 Ω high impedance dynamic headphones. I used IMP mode with high gain for testing. T1 sounds great on Solaris. Solaris adds more flavors to T1, especially at the top end. My previous impression with T1 was quite contradictory. I think it has a very nice sound quality technically but flavorless musically. Thus, I used T1 more with some calm or serious tracks. With Solaris, T1 sounds more colorful and harmonically beautiful, sounds more approachable.

Summary

Unfortunately, I was not able to test electrostatics headphones for this review, but I can tell Solaris is a great all-rounder headphones AMP with both dynamic and planar headphones at least. In terms of sound quality, Solaris has a full and balanced signature with a touch of extra warmth and some classic "tube flavor". Bass is rich, weighted and powerful, mid and treble are smooth and sweet, plus there are some nicely tuned sparkles in the treble. Simply put, Solaris sounds so beautiful in a natural way. Solaris's technical performance is also outstanding. Details, micro-dynamic, and the expansive soundstage are organically put together.

The only limit I have found on Solaris is that the way of Solaris interpreting music may not be appreciated by all headphones and all genres. From my experience, I found Solaris doesn't fit well with soft/gentle genres or headphones that have a soft/gentle signature. Other than that, Solaris is so close to perfect.

Bonus Comparison

It is a little bit hard to write a comparison review on headphone AMPs because there will be so many headphones involved. In this review, I will briefly compare Cayin HA300 and Solaris.

The sound signature differences between HA300 and Solaris are like Yin & Yang. HA300 has a classic 300B tubes' house sound. It has a very beautiful mid-range tonality, very rich harmonic, and holographic presentation. However, the soundstage is kind of intimate, the bass is soft and not as impactful as Solaris. Solaris on the other hand has a powerful and impactful bass foundation. The mid and treble are more forward and energetic. The soundstage is very expansive, and the dynamic changes are more dramatic. But compare to HA300, Solaris lacks a sense of artistry. It is not as smooth as HA300 in treble and mid. Therefore, I found HA300 has a better performance in almost all vocal and strings tracks, where Solaris is better for classic and rock/metal genres. Both AMPs are very appealing to my ears, but for different genres and headphones, I will choose different AMPs. As a summary, I have classified my personal preferences of these two AMPs with different headphones and genres:

Intro

The original Final D8000 was one of my favorites headphones. I was planning to write a review about the original D8000, however, when the review was scheduled I saw this brand-new beauty coming up and so I made my immediate purchase purely based on how much I love the original.

After 2 months of experience with D8000 Pro, I can finalize my thought and share some of my impressions with the community. This impression will mainly focus on sound impressions as well as some comparisons with the original D8000 and some other high-end headphones.

Comfort

The original D8000 is reasonably comfortable. However, to me personally, the original pads are a bit too soft, thus, sometimes my ears can touch the drivers. The newer earpads are slightly firmer and it seems that I can get more ear space. The original pads are also a little bit stuffy in the hot and humid summertime. It seems that the newer open-type earpads would provide better breathability, but it needs to be tested when summer comes.

Both original D8000 and D8000 Pro are on the heavier side compare to other hi-end headphones I have. However, the weight is very well distributed, I don’t feel any hot spot on the top of my head. Both D8000 and D8000 Pro fits very tight and secure, I can easily use them for hours. As a matter of fact, D8000 Pro is probably one of the most comfortable headphones I have used, only slightly behind Empyrean and HD800s due to the extra weight. They are lighter than headphones such as LCDs and Abyss and they are more secure than Susvara and Utopia.

Sound Impressions

D8000 Pro has a sensitivity of 98dB/mW, and impedance of 60Ω, same as original D8000. They are certainly not power-consuming. I heard they can be used on portable players or with portable amps though I never tested them on portable equipment.

This review is based on PC -> Burl B2 Bomber Dante -> Cayin HA300 as the main amplifier/ SMSL sp200 as the alternative amp.

Soundstage and Imaging

The stage out of D8000 Pro is very well scaled. It doesn't have huge dimensions like HD800(mainly width) or 1266 TC but it is very three dimensional. The soundstage from D8000 Pro is more natural and intimate than Susvara, while Susvara has more air (D8000 Pro has enough air for my taste, Susvara just has a little bit more).

The separation for D8000 Pro is outstanding, instruments are not separated too far like HD800 nor stay too close with each other like Utopia. The separation is just about perfect for genres like rock, metal, EDM, and pop. I can easily catch a clear yet concentrated image from D8000 Pro.

The overall imaging stays close enough to let me feel emotionally engaged, unlike Susvara which is a bit distant. It is also very clean; I would say much cleaner than the original D8000 which sometimes makes me confused when listening to some extreme genres like thrash metal and metalcore.

Bass

The bass from D8000 Pro is almost perfect if we consider Abyss 1266 has the perfect bass. Deepness, clarity, rumble, impact, speed… D8000 Pro can meet almost every desire you wish from a headphone.

There are only a few things that D8000 Pro can’t beat Abyss 1266 in the bass such as the “subwoofer alike” plangent bass from Abyss 1266, and Abyss 1266 reach slightly deeper in the sub-bass. However, in my opinion, D8000 Pro has a faster and fuller mid-bass.

D8000 Pro has noticeably less bass quantity than the original D8000, but the bass from D8000 Pro is better controlled with significantly better clarity. D8000 Pro is never a "basshead" headphones, it focusses more on quality than quantity. If you desire lots of bass quantity with relatively decent quality, you might want to check out the original. To me, enough is enough, original D8000 is too bassy for my taste.

Mid

The mid from original D8000 is my favorite part. It is not overly pronounced, and it is very sweet and creamy. The mid-range of the original D8000 is quite unique. You can catch all the details behind the warm and musical tonality. It is like twilight when you can see the sharpness of moonlight behind the afterglow. I won't deny the original D8000 is slightly V-shape in terms of energy distribution. But in my opinion, D8000 is one of the most artistic V-shaped headphones. I haven't heard any other V-shaped headphones better than D8000.

The mid from D8000 Pro is slightly more pronounced with better clarity and better separation. The overall mid-range sounds a lot more energetic, and it is no longer a V-shaped headphone. When listening to metal tracks, the snare slams and guitar riffs are cleaner and more concentrated. I can't stop headbanging when listening to Lamb of God, fortunately, D8000 Pro fits tight enough on my head.

There are some tradeoffs from the D8000 to Pro edition. From the original D8000 to D8000 Pro, you will lose some warmth and uniqueness I mentioned above, but you will get a cleaner and more energetic presentation in D8000 Pro. That’s being said, if you want a relaxing sound signature, go for original, if you want a fun and engaging sound signature, go for Pro.

Treble

The treble from D8000 Pro is slightly warmer and thicker than the original D8000. In my opinion, this is a good thing. From my experience, the original D8000 sometimes delivers some unexpected sharpness in the treble. It happens no matter what quality or genre of music. D8000 Pro cut off some edges in the treble, it now sounds better controlled and more coherent with mid and bass. D8000 Pro still has enough beautiful sparkles and treble decay to remind me it comes from D8000.

Comparison

D8000 Pro vs D8000

I have stated enough differences between Pro and OG in the body of sound impressions. Here I just want to summarize some main points:

· D8000 Pro has better clarity, better separation where is the biggest improvement from the original to Pro. You paid extra money not only for different tastes but also for some honest improvements.

· D8000 Pro is more towards “mainstream” tonality, it is clean and very well balanced. D8000 OG is one of the most unique yet appealing headphones I have heard, it is lush, musical and attractive.

· D8000 Pro is professional in rock and metal, so far, the best headphones for these genres I have ever heard. D8000 is better for jazz, old school pop and rock, and some small to medium scale classic. Both are capable of most music genres.

D8000 Pro vs Utopia+ Dana Lazuli Reference

Utopia+ Dana Lazuli Reference is one of my most familiar setups. I have used this combo for about 2 years. For a very long time, Utopia with Dana cable is my "go to" headphones. The Lazuli Ref adds just the right amount of warmth that makes Utopia unexpectedly versatile and suit almost all music genres. However, I have to point out, Utopia has a very intimate soundstage, it is narrower than most headphones in this price range. With Lazuli Ref, Utopia does not sound as "metallic" as it is with the stock cable, but it does sound a little bit unnatural compared with high-end planars.

D8000 Pro is the replacement of Utopia+ Dana combo. D8000 Pro is at least as versatile as Utopia if not better. Besides, D8000 Pro sounds a lot more natural without sacrifices in detail and resolution. In direct comparison, D8000 Pro has a warmer tonality while Utopia is more analytical. Utopia has a brighter treble and a more forward image in mid, D8000 Pro has a slightly roll-off treble but a lot more natural in both treble and mid. D8000 Pro has a more linear bass, while Utopia has a noticeable mid-bass boost. Also, the sub-bass from D8000 Pro reaches deeper, has more impact and sounds clearer. The soundstage from D8000 Pro is wider and deeper.


D8000 Pro

Pros:

· Larger soundstage

· Natural tonality

· Very impactful in the sub-bass

· Smooth transition from bass to treble

Cons:

· Too heavy in comparison

Utopia

Pros:

· Brighter treble (could be a con for some)

· More forward mid

· More comfortable fit

Cons:

· Narrow soundstage




· Lack of sub-bass impact




D8000 Pro vs Susvara

I have owned Susvara for about a year. In my opinion, a well-driven Susvara has a perfect treble, it is pure enjoyment when listening to acoustic guitar, violins, and pianos with Susvara. Despite there is a small dip at around 1k, the overall presentation of Susvara is rather smooth. To me, Susvara is a perfect headphone on its own. Susvara has its clear music preference, it is like the Muse is singing beside you when playing with elegant genres. Such an enjoyable and divine experience. However, if you play metal genres with Susvara, it soon becomes an endless nightmare.

D8000 Pro is much more versatile in terms of both music genres and drivability. The smooth and natural tonality gives D8000 Pro the ability to handle almost all the genres, it might not get a perfect score for all music but a solid 80+. Also, you will never have to use a powerhouse amplifier for D8000 Pro, even a portable player is capable of D8000 Pro. In comparison, D8000 Pro has more sub-bass decay, while Susvara has a tighter bass. The mid from D8000 Pro is a little bit flatter, Susvara is livelier. The treble from D8000 Pro is noticeably darker, while Susvara is brighter yet extremely smooth. Susvara has better resolution and more details. The soundstage is slightly wider and deeper on Susvara.


D8000 Pro

Pros:

· Natural tonality

· Very impactful in the sub-bass

· Richer and fuller in mid

· Easy to drive and capable of various music genres

Cons:

· Too heavy in comparison

· Might be too dark for some

· Slightly fall behind in resolution and details in this comparison

Susvara

Pros:

· Bright yet smooth treble

· A clear image in mid

· More comfortable fit

· Excellent clarity and resolution

Cons:

· Extremely hard to drive

· Limited music adaptability



D8000 Pro vs Abyss 1266 TC

I recently acquired the 1266 TC. I had owned 3 versions of 1266 (OG cross screw version, Phi w/o CC pads and TC), TC is the most balanced version. 1266s are always the attention-grabbing headphones in my collection. The enormous soundstage and the speaker-like image are always impressive no matter what music I'm listening to. Not mention that 1266 also has the best bass in headphones so far, it is like the anger from the thunder lord.

D8000 Pro could be a great complementary headphone for your 1266 TC system. Unlike Susvara which is almost the opposite side of 1266, D8000 Pro shares some similarities with 1266. Both of them have a very solid bass performance with a great amount of bass rumble, which to lots of 1266 fans is an essential requirement (not saying Susvara has a bad bass, but the bass from Susvara focus more on speed and texture). However, their tuning focuses are completely different. D8000 Pro focus more on coherency from bass to treble, it delivers music mildly and fluidly. 1266 focuses more on horizontal expansion and momentum, the sound from 1266 TC is magnificent but sometimes too aggressive. Thus, for many genres like POP, country, old-school rock, and EDM I tend to grab D8000 Pro. For classics, progressive metal and thrash metal I will put on 1266 TC. I use D8000 Pro when I want to have a rest, or I am multi-testing; I use 1266 when I need to cheer up my mood.

Also, D8000 Pro is very flexible to the amplifier, so it shouldn't be a problem for these two headphones to share the same system. So, for budget concern, I prefer D8000 Pro over 009s or Susvara as the partner of 1266TC.

Summary

D8000 Pro is a great subsequent work after D8000. It fixed the existing potential technical limitation on original D8000 and brought out some noticeable improvement in clarity and resolution. But what indeed impressed me is how versatile D8000 Pro is. It can be played on powerhouse tube/SS amplifiers, it can be played on portable players and even cellphones can give it a reasonably good sound. It is multitalented in various music genres. I have used D8000 Pro for two months, but I haven't found one single track that D8000 Pro can't handle properly at a high level.

Technically speaking, I would rank D8000 Pro slightly behind 1266 TC and Susvara due to the comparative limitation in resolution, transparency, and soundstage. But practically speaking, if I have to choose only one pair of headphones for the rest of my life it has to be D8000 Pro. D8000 Pro is ideal for audiophiles who have a varied music taste and seeking ultimate headphones for both house and portable use.

Intro

Cayin is one of my favorite brands in making amps, dacs and portable players. My experience with Cayin starts from 2014—my first flagship portable player N6. Later, I owned Cayin I5, portable dac C5, and off course my personal favorite HA300 tube amp. In a way, I am one of a few Cayin fans who has witnessed the revolution of Cayin’s tuning ideology.

Back to the date, Cayin N6 to me was a crystal clear but cold and sharp reference machine. I5 on the other hand was an extremely warm, meaty but a little muddy player. However, both of them have a great inviting mid-range, at that point, the mid-range was the only remnant that maintained my faith on Cayin. Until last year, I tried and immediately bought HA300. That was a heavenly moment, HA300 gives all my headphones the sound I exactly want (I can’t stop myself every time talking about HA300, but that will be another review coming soon). Also, on that day, I noticed the revolution is done. Today, Cayin’s sound is very refined, smooth and elegant. It is a now a stable and comfortable sound instead of wandering between ice and flame.

This year I purchased N6ii without hesitation, as for the confidence to Cayin and as a salute to N6 that has served for 5 years.

Finally, thanks to Musicteck for the great shopping experience as always.

Packaging and Accessories

Cayin N6ii comes with a giant box, the player, type-C cable, 2.5mm(f) to 4.4mm(m) adapter and instruction handbook were lying in there quietly and safely. There is nothing special about the packaging or accessories, nice and handy.


Build Quality

Cayin is always superb in this section. Each part is very solid built onto the player. There are no wobble parts or rattles at all. Juncture are tight and smooth. The only problem I have with the design or build is it is a little big/thick for me.



Sound Tests Equipment

Headphones: 64 Audio A18t (BA, reference tuning, slight U) &

Tia Forte (BD, slight V shape, treble concentrated),

JH Audio Layla (BA, flat with bass concentrated),

Rhines Stage 7 (BA, warm mid concentrated),

Ultrasone Tribute 7(portable cans, V shape, slightly power consuming in comparison)

Cables: 1960s 4 wires 2.5mm (A18t)

Plussound Tri-copper 4 wires 2.5mm (TF)

Plussound Tri-copper 4 wires 3.5mm(T7)

TWag V3 8 wires 2.5mm (Layla)

TWag V3 4 wires 3.5mm (for A18t, TF and S7, for single-end PO test)

Other Players: AK SP1000m, Hiby R6, Echobox Explorer

Records: Brian Culbertson—Live from the Inside (Funk, Smooth Jazz, test for EQ balance, micro-dynamic, separation and more)

Erra –Neon (Metalcore, test for speed, separation and control)

Hans Zimmer – Mountains (OST, test for soundstage and macro-dynamic)

Céline Dion— My Heart Will Go On (Pop? , test for female vocal)

Kane Brown—Heaven (Country, test for male vocal)

Don’t be critical on me for my vocal records selections, I’m a drummer so I really don’t care about vocal that much lol.

Bass:

The music I used to test bass is called “so good” from the album “Live from Inside” by Brian Culbertson. In the middle of this song, there is a bass(instrument) solo performed by Lamar Jones. That part is ideal to test bass clarity, response speed and overall bass quality.

N6ii is able to present every note very clean and with power. I was literally shaking my body when Lamar is slapping. When he was the doing the walking bass part, N6ii was able to present overtone the very well. I found the bass from N6ii is very lively and reaches very deep, it is not the cleanest bass I have heard but it is clean enough. Compare with my other players, N6ii’s bass is significantly more bodied with more weight and color. Overall, I will give it a 9/10.

Mid:

Mid is my favorite part of N6ii just like all Cayin’s device it is sweet, inviting and refine. Meanwhile, I found Cayin actually improved their mid which is already outstanding.

I used “Get It On” and “All About You” also from “Live from the Inside” to test instrumental parts of mid-range, and those 2 vocal songs for vocal portion.

In the “Get It On” there is a brass winds trio (tenor sax, trombone and trumpet) in the middle section which covers from lower mid to upper mid. N6ii is really good in separating each other when they are playing altogether, I can clearly get each instrument and the layer it is serving. The saxophone really stands out when N6ii was playing this entire album. No matter tenor sax or bari sax, no matter fast or slow, N6ii is able to give them a warm cozy feel, I was completely drowned by those attractive winds sounds. “All About You” is all about the interaction between piano and tenor saxophone. Although the piano part is not as beautiful as brass winds, it is still very enjoyable. Due to the overall warm signature of N6ii, piano sounds a little artificial to me.

As for vocals, especially these two singers, I think N6ii did a perfect job. Its powerful lower mid can hold Kane Brown’s sound nicely. The solid clarity performance in the mid-range allows me to get any detail from Kane Brown’s unique voice line. The warm signature of N6ii at here played a very important rule when I was listening to Céline Dion, the little extra thickness has made Céline Dion’s voice livelier.

I would like to describe the mid from N6ii as warm, lively and attractive. Overall, I will give it a 9.5/10.

Treble

The treble from N6ii is on the darker side. The treble notes from trumpet, piano and cymbals are a little thicker than my preference. However, the treble from treble from N6ii is extremely smooth, even smoother than my sp1000m. After about 1-hour listening, I actually think the slightly darkness on treble is actually a good thing. It makes the overall sound from N6ii more coherent and musical. With more listening goes on, I feel myself really fell in love with N6ii’s treble, it reminds me a lot of Audeze LCD series headphones.

Indeed, the treble from N6ii is dark, but in my opinion, it is in a good way. If I only pick out the treble from N6ii without considering other frequencies I will probably give it an 8/10, but on the whole “music” standpoint, I will give it a solid 9/10.

Dynamic & Speed

Dynamic basically describes how your device reflect the sound from none to loud, speed reflect the sound from slow to fast. Personally, I like to combine these two concepts together and review. Because often time these two concepts decide whether the device sounds “vivid” or not.

Drum and strings are two great indicating instruments when measuring these two concepts.

I usually focus on drum tracks when testing micro-dynamic. Drummers always play in different volume in a song or even in a bar of music. N6ii is able to pick up those tiny little changes pretty clearly when I was listening to drum solos. However, when I listen to “Mountains” the macro-dynamic of N6ii wasn’t very impressive. The volume changes of strings group were not that significant when compare to the sp1000m especially. It is a little bit rigid in some regard.

Similarly, in speed section, due to the nice clarity in bass region, it can present a clear imagine even when double bass drums are really fast. But for some fast metal guitar riffs N6ii sounds a little vague to me, which in comparison sp1000m did a lot better.

Therefore, in this section I would probably only give it a 7/10. N6ii still sounds very lively it has clearly more fluctuates than player like R6. I can notice there are changes in volume and speed, but just not significant enough to say it is beautiful (just imagine Dwayne Johnson dances like Michael Jackson).

Soundstage

The soundstage of N6ii is about average, again, not as outstanding as its EQ balance. It is significantly better than R6 and similar intro to mid-range players, but it is also not as large as sp1000m.

In the similar price range, I recently tried Colorfly U8 and R6pro for a very short period of time. I would say N6ii falls in between of these two players, slightly smaller than U8 and larger than R6pro. N6ii is spacy enough for most genres, but probably not for OST and classic.

I would give sound stage a 7.5/10.

Additional Information about Pairing

N6ii is very versatile in terms of pairing IEMs. It is very powerful, and I have to say it drives Tribute 7 better than sp1000m. I also find that it is quite BA friendly, all pure BA IEMs I tested are pretty good on N6ii, especially A18t, there are seems some magics. A18t sounds very musical on N6ii which is hard to believe (A18t was never a musical IEMs to me). The Tia Forte is not very good on N6ii. N6ii has such a power to drag the treble of TF down a little bit. However, TF was trying to push the treble back to where it was. In result, the treble of this pair usually located at a very weird region. I had the same issue with A18t and sp1000m.

I cannot detect any background noise from these pairs, but I do feel the background is not as dark as sp1000m.

(End of sound tests.)


Operating System & Others

The operating system is really clean and smooth. It is pretty close to Hiby’s player. Google Play Store is pre-installed. The download speed is actually faster than R6 when downloading Apps. It cost me 1 second or even less to download Tidal! The in-App download speed is faster than sp1000m too. I think that is because it has a better Wi-Fi signal receiver. I placed my router in my living room, I got full signal on Samsung S10, 85% on N6ii, approximately 75-70% on R6, a little less on sp1000m.

For battery, I haven’t used a full cycle, but I played it overnight, it still has 38% when I woke up, so I would say at least 12 hours should be no problem. I haven’t taken it outdoor, so I don’t now how hot it can go to, for indoor use the heat is not a problem (I did read some review says it is a little bit hot when use outdoor in summer).

I haven’t experienced any system failure. The screen is very smooth, nothing like dx200. I do have one lag when it was updating system and I was downloading music from Tidal and listening to local music. There was about 3 minutes lag, after the system was updated everything works just fine.

Summary

I think N6ii is a great release from Cayin. It keeps all the good traditions of Cayin, reliable build quality, mature and refined tuning. At 1k price range which is probably one of the most competitive battlegrounds in the portable player market, I believe N6ii has enough good features to stand out from others. I also believe Cayin will release some amps that can improve some current downside in sound. As for now, I’m kind of regretting paying double price purchased sp1000m. N6ii is good enough for me to enjoy the music while walking to wherever I want.

Intro

Last week I was asked to do a review of Sendy Audio Aiva—a new comer planar headphones to the mid-range market. To be honest, I have never heard of neither Sendy nor Aiva before, and I was out of sub $1000 headphones quite a while, so by all means I was not that excited about hearing them.

When Aiva was still on the way to my home, I did a little bit research online about Sendy Audio and Aiva. Sendy Audio is a new Chinese headphones manufacturer, Aiva and her litter sister Aiya (a planar IEMs) are their first two products. Aiva is a full-size planar headphones with driver size of 97mm x 76mm, 32 Ohm impedance, 96dB sensitivity. From the reference, I can pretty much tell Aiva can be driven on both portable players and desk top systems, and I will provide my impressions on both systems in the later sections.

I also read some reviews from various reviewers before I actually hear them. From those reviews, I had a basic idea about how they sound like, but words can never express how much I was surprised by them.

In this review, I will provide sound impressions of Aiva on three audio systems: DX200 with amp8, JDS Atoms and Topping D30, Cayin HA300 and Burl B2 Bomber. I will also provide impressions from two of my friends, both of them are experienced audiophiles.

Before going into the review, I want to thank Andrew provides me this demo, and the Sendy Audio Aiva is now available at Musicteck or Amazon.

Build and Comfort

The build quality and appearance of Aiva is almost luxury considering they are only $599. Aiva is very well build with nice looking wood cups, cloud or fish scale shape metal covers, and soft fabric-leather hybrid pads, it is just beautiful. The wood cups are very shiny and smooth, I feel the quality is even better than the wood on my Susvara.

The size of Aiva is similar to Aeon, slightly smaller than hd600/650/660s. With weight of 480g, Aiva is on the heavier side, but I don’t have any issue of wearing them for 3 to 4 hours. The head band distributes the weight very well, which makes me feel that they are way less than 480g.







Sound Impressions

With DX200: I think DX200 is sufficient to Aiva. The details, clarity and sound stage is able to stand out. However, I do find the overall sound signature is darker compare to both two desk top systems, especially the Cayin and Burl combo. Also, I need to turn the volume up to 80 and I just need about 60-65 when pairing with Ultrasone Tribute 7.

Although Aiva is not as easy to drive as those mainstream portable headphones, they are still quite enjoyable. Bass quantity is just about right, not too much but enough. The bass is soft but elastic. The mid is a little recessed but still with good body and very clear. The treble is very smooth and detailed. I was quite surprised by the treble from this combo, because dx200+amp8 usually gives me a sharp impression when pair it with other IEMs or portable headphones. But the treble from Aiva is very well controlled, there are some peaks in the treble region, but those peaks rarely affect the overall presentation. The soundstage is fairly large and 3 dimensional. The vertical dimension is limited due to the power of dx200, the overall soundstage is way more natural when pair with ha300.

With JDS Atoms and Topping D30: This entry-level desk top set up is sufficient for most dynamic headphones and some planars, from my experience, it is more than enough to drive Aiva.

Bass: The biggest difference I got is from bass. When pairing with JDS and Topping combo, the bass is significantly deeper. Also, the quantity is a lot more than it with dx200 which makes the overall sound more V shape.

Mid: The mid is slightly more bodied but because of the increasing quantity in bass, it is still more V shape than with dx200. Under this combo, even though the upper mid is slightly recessed, it is still very well textured, plus the extraordinary clarity and details, the overall mid presentation is very elegant and pleasant.

Treble: The treble is brighter by a just a little bit on this stack, there are more peaks or sparkles in treble region. I didn’t hear significant more details or larger soundstage when switching between these two. The extra sparkles make Aiva sound more fun, and it has an unbeatable performance in genres like funk and blues.

Tonality: The overall tonality is slightly warmer and more musical. I feel this combo gives Aiva flesh and bones compared to dx200. Under this setup, I’m able to get Sendy’s tuning ideology that they are trying to make a headphone that is relaxing and fun. I can never imagine a headphone that can be relaxing and fun simultaneously before I tried Aiva. In this industry, often time “relaxing” and “fun” are two opposite tuning approaches, that relaxing headphones like Hifiman He1000, Mr.speakers Ether flow are laidback, slow and gentle, fun headphones like Fostex TH900 and Focal Utopia are engaging, speedy and sharp. Aiva has found a perfect balance between these two approaches. It has a gentle bass with enough quantity then transmits to a clean, well textured mid then to a bright, transparent treble with right amount of sparkles which add enough fun factors. Finally, all the elements mingle with the slightly warm and colored tonality plus 3D soundstage coheres everything smoothly.

With HA300 and Burl B2: This is the main source I’m using in my home. HA300 is a great amp that is capable from low impedance headphones like th900 to power consuming monster Susvara. From my experience, this combo is able to make Aiva to another level.

Bass: Compare with JDS and Topping combo, the bass quantity is somehow reduced, but it is way better controlled and noticeably tighter and punchier. However, I don’t think the bass from Aiva is mean to be powerful, it is still relatively soft and very relaxing. The bass style is pretty close to HEK or Mr.speakers instead of LCDs.

Mid: The mid from this combo is bumped up a little bit. I no longer have a V shape feel when pairing Aiva with HA300 and B2. On the contrary I found the mid is actually my favorite part under this setup. Don’t get me wrong, Aiva’s mid is still not that presented, it is at a right place cohered with other frequency perfectly. As many other headfiers’ reports, there is a dip in the upper mid at around 5Khz -6Khz. I think this is the reason why I felt the mid is somehow recessed from the JDS+Topping and DX200. However, with more and more experience, I think this is a little trick played by Sendy. The 5-6Khz frequency range is mainly the overtone of snares and strings instruments as well as the harmonic of vocals. So how it affects the sound? I found there are 3 major effects.

1. It increases the overall clarity without downgrade in smoothness. As we all know every driver has its own capacity, at this price range anyone of us shouldn’t expect headphones have the capacity that can match Susvara or Abyss 1266. I think it is a clever move to make a compensation on some less important range. The dip of that range reduced some overtones, but the main body of vocals and instruments are not affected. The transition from mid to treble is dry and clean, the planar driver gives Aiva ability to maintain the smoothness.

2. It limits the genres that Aiva can fit with but emphasizes what Aiva is good at. For genres like metal, rock and classics the reduce in overtones makes these genres less exciting and incomplete. Aiva can do so many good things, but if you are a metal fan or classic lover, I can’t recommend Aiva for you. Aiva is mean to be a relaxing, smooth and clean sounding headphones just let them do what they are good at.

3. The vocal may sound recessed in some record. Most of vocals are under 3khz, however when producing music, producers tend to push the vocals to about 3.6khz-4khz and the harmonic is at 5kbhz-6khz. However, in some recent records, I found some vocals are pushed to around 5khz, these records may have recessed vocals with Aiva.

One of the most pleasing things I could ever do is to put on Aiva and listen to Celine Dion’s albums. The vocal is lively and without pressure, all the details of instruments are put at the right place without interruptions.

Treble: The treble from Aiva is simply amazing, I could never imagine headphones at this price range could deliver a treble like this. It is clean, detailed, smooth and fast. It is not overly bright and not dark for sure. What else can we expect?

Tonality: The overall tonality of Aiva is super musical, slightly warm but not too much. It is very clean and relaxing. I can find lots of similarities in tonality when comparing Aiva with Susvara and HEK, it is so matured and well done.

Comparison

I have to say Aiva put me into a hard case when I was choosing competitors for her. I thought about to compare Aiva with headphones in the similar price range, but first I no longer owning another headphones in this price range, the only two planars I have right now is Susvara and D8000, second I think Aiva will just simply beat headphones at this price range to nowhere based on my impressions. So, to be rational and think as a buyer seeking for headphones in this price range, I will mainly compare Aiva with headphones that originally priced around $1000 and now you can get a USED at around $600(usually more than $600). Luckily, I have friends and I borrowed some headphones for this comparison. So, I selected 2 planars and 2 dynamics to make these comparisons.

Planar Round 1: Aiva vs Hifiman HEXv2

This is the cheapest competitor I can get that is close to Aiva’s price in planar category unfortunately. You can possibly get a used HEXv2 around $600 if you are lucky.

Build Quality and Comfort: I really don’t have much to say. From Aiva I can only see quality and luxury at least in this price range, but from HEXv2 I can only see “quality issues”. Although one is new, the other is used for about 2 years, anybody can tell the differences. Solid wood vs simple plastic, twisted thick cable vs lab looking cable, where is the question? Both are very comfortable, Aiva is on the heavier side, but the head band distribute weights very well.

Sound: Well, if a headphone has a good sound and it is comfortable to wear, build quality is not an issue for me. But HEXv2 can’t beat Aiva sadly. HEXv2 has slightly more bass, Aiva has tighter bass, in bass region these two headphones are basically equally good, Aiva sounds a little bit more aggressive. The mid from HEX is slightly more presented, but Aiva is cleaner and has more details. I got a way more focused presentation from Aiva than HEX, I think HEX is a bit too loose in the mid-range, yes HEX is more relaxing, but I think it sacrifices too much in imaging and clarity. Similar in the treble, Aiva is just clean and exciting, well HEX is relaxing but muddy.

I do use Susvara as an overall reference, when I switch from Susvara to Aiva, I do notice I’m switching from a hi-end headphones to a cheaper headphones. Susvara has higher resolution, even more details and better density and micro-dynamic in every frequency, but Susvara is 10 times more expensive than Aiva at MSRP, the difference is not that huge, it is more like switch from Susvara to a HEKv2 with portable device if make any sense. However, when I switch from Susvara to HEXv2, the difference is huge, largely because what Susvara is good at is HEX’s weakness.

Planar Round 2: Aiva vs Hifiman HEKv2

I know this is an unfair matchup, I was trying to borrow an Aeon or Ether(non-flow) or LCD2 but I just failed to do so.

Build Quality and Comfort: Similar in the previous comparison. HEKv2 has slightly better quality than HEXv2 but it still has some minor issues like the cable connection problem on the headphones side (it is still there on Susvara…).

Sound: To make this review short (I know this is already fairly long), I can simply tell you the winner is HEK as you expected. I like HEKv2, and I used to own them for a very long time. HEKv2 is just a unique exitance in the market, it is the true relaxing master. From the bottom to the top HEKv2 is just soft, gentle and comfort, Hifiman played a game of comfort tuning to an unbeatable level on HEKv2.

Now the question is do I think Aiva is a cheaper alternative to HEKv2? Yes, I do. Aiva is like a “youthful” version of HEKv2, Aiva is more aggressive in bass and treble, I immediately notice the sharpness from Aiva when switching between Aiva and HEKv2. Both of them are a little thin in the upper mid like most of planars, Aiva is a bitter thinner. Therefore, the overall presentation is smoother and more mature on HEKv2, and more fun and rawer on Aiva. One thing we do need to keep in mind that is HEKv2 consume more power, on Topping+JDS combo, HEKv2 sounds weak and lack of dynamic.

There are roughly $1000 price difference between a USED HEKv2 and a NEW Aiva. The difference is there, and I don’t think Aiva can completely replace HEKv2, both of them have great value in their price range if you are looking for relaxing and comfortable headphones. But if you have already owned a primary headphones has different tonality like abyss-1266 or utopia and you are looking for a secondary headphones, I do recommend you to save some money and buy a Aiva, it won’t let you down. $1000 can buy 200 burgers, you know what I mean.

Dynamic Round 1: Aiva vs Beyerdynamic T1

Build Quality and Comfort: Both of them are very well made, Aiva looks fancier. T1 on the other side is very simple and practical. I think T1 is probably the most comfortable headphones that I’ve every wore. It is light and the pad is extremely comfortable and sealed very well without any pressure, Aiva is heavier and a bit tight in comparison.

Sound: These two headphones are completely different by any means, no where close. Aiva is a relaxing and fun, T1 is analytical and serious. The fun factors on Aiva can stand out immediately in this comparison which makes Aiva more likeable. T1 is one of few headphones that can match the clarity and details with Aiva. T1 has a more stable and stronger sound. T1 doesn’t have any fancy tuning approach, it is objective uncolored, almost studio monitors alike.

My opinion on these two is that it depends on your preference. It is very simple, both of them are in crazy value right now, and both of them can outperform other headphones in this price range easily. However, the issue is Beyerdynamic has 600 ohms impedance, it is hard to drive, and you also need a lot more investments on sound related accessories like headphone cables, interconnection cables, tubes for tube amps to adjust T1 to a more likeable sound. Basically, I’m saying Aiva is a simple “buy and enjoy” type headphones, T1 need a system for it, but from my experience T1 probably will have more potential (I did build a system for T1 and it sounds amazing, but I only tested Aiva for review purpose).

Dynamic Round 2: Aiva vs Sennheiser HD800s

Build Quality and Comfort: Both of them are very well made, and I like both appearances. If T1 is the most comfortable headphones I’ve tried, HD800s is a close second. It is lighter, almost no weight, the pads large and soft. Aiva again is on the heavier side, it is not that heavy if no comparison.

Sound: HD800/HD800s is known for their soundstage especially width. They are almost unbeatable in this sector (probably abyss-1266 is the only one as far as I know that may be larger). Aiva has narrower soundstage width, but it is slightly deeper which makes Aiva sounds more 3 dimensional. I can get more details from HD800s, Aiva comes very close though. HD800 has larger dynamic range, bass reaches deeper on HD800s, the treble is also more expanded. HD800s sounds a bit serious and analytical like T1, however, HD800s sounds a little hollow in mid-range, Aiva is more bodied and warmer. Both of them have a bright and smooth treble, where HD800s is brighter.

I like both of them, every time I put on HD800s I was impressed by its great dynamic, large soundstage, and neutral and lively tuning. I was impressed by Aiva as well, I like the relaxing yet fun tuning and how settled they sound. You can probably get a USED HD800 at around $700-800 or HD800s around $1000. The difference is there but not that much, you need to consider you preference and current equipment to make a right choice. In my opinion, HD800/HD800s are “must try”, but not everyone will love them, some may feel the treble is too sharp some may feel the bass is not enough, but they still defined what $1000 level headphones should be, they are solid references. On the contrary, Aiva is such a unique and enjoyable headphones. Although, I don’t think you have to try Aiva, if your preference doesn’t fit with Aiva, for example, you only listen to metal or large-scale symphony, I doubt anyone will dislike Aiva. Sometimes we need music to give us power or inspire us, but often time we just want to relax with music surround us Aiva does a perfect job for relaxing purpose.

Afterword and My Friends’ Opinions

I think I’ve released enough impressions and my opinions. I have never written a review long like this, even in my mother language. I was so impressed by Aiva. After I passed the Aiva to another member to do the measurement I started to miss her. I was always thinking if I am owner of headphone brand targeting this price range, what should I do to compete with Aiva? But my brain limited my ideas, that’s why I can only be a buyer instead of a creator of headphones. I’ve asked Sendy Audio when they will release higher end level headphones, they do not have a schedule yet. I think they need to improve their productivity first lol, they need 7 days to make 1 Aiva, this will be a big issue.

When I received Aiva, I invited two of my friends to try them. I can’t exactly recall their words, but I can still remember their impressions. Both of quite impressed by Aiva, especially when they heard the price (neither of them has heard Aiva nor Sendy Audio before). Here are their opinions:

Ang: He was initially impressed by the outlooking and build quality of Aiva. He tried Aiva with DX200, after few songs he noticed the upper mid dip. I asked him to try on my HA300, and he said Aiva somehow similar to his 009. He also mentioned that if Sendy is going to release higher-end level headphones, he will try them immediately and he hope the next headphones from Sendy can keep the same tuning ideology.

Jacob: He is the most impressed one among us. He said Aiva touched him a lot, he was not that impressed when he was trying my Susvara and D8000. He said Susvara and D8000 are just what they should be at their price, Aiva is way beyond that, he had the same feel when he was trying HD800s.

Aiva is a great release from Sendy Audio, as their first headphones, I think Sendy did a great job. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is enjoying Aiva and looking for their next level headphones. Welcome to the headphones community Sendy Audio!

New Standard of Reference Tuning Flagship IEMs—QDC Anole VX(s) Review

Intro

In recent years, more and more hi-end IEMs came out to the market. With the technology improvement, nowadays hi-end IEMs are able to deliver a sound as good as full-size headphones. Meanwhile, since JH audio engaged “the game of switches” more and more brands like 64 Audio, Jomo, UM as well as today’s star QDC started their own way of developing sound adjustment systems which give customers to adjust their IEMs closer to their preferences.

With more and more experiences in hi-end IEMs game, I found most of hi-end IEMs are tuned in 3 major approaches:

1. Mainstream HiFi Tuning: With a little artificial flavors and significant bass, treble, soundstage extension while keep the tonality as neutral as possible. Representatives are CA Andromeda, UM Mentor V3, 64 U12t, Hifiman RE2000.

2. Entertaining Tuning: Usually has lots of deep and punchy bass, slightly U shape, very deep soundstage with lots of good layers, smooth treble and overall slightly warm tonality. Representatives are EE Legend X, Rhapsodio Zombie, VE8.

3. Reference Tuning: Focus more on clarity and transparency, very balanced and realistic sound. Lots of details, great imaging and positioning. Usually has a neutral or analytical tonality. Representatives are: InEar PP8, U18t, QDC VX.

Each of them has certain focus and shortcomings, it is hard to find one IEMs to fit everybody’s taste. However, we could always find a IEMs that can be relatively balanced or has the potential with proper cable and player combo.

Today, I’m going to introduce one masterpiece that in my opinion is one of the most “balanced” IEMs at least in its own tuning group—QDC Anole VX.

( IEMs loaned from Musicteck, QDC Anole VX will soon be available at Musicteck. My impressions will be completely honest and won’t be affected by any outward reasons.)


Build and Fit

The build quality of VX is outstanding. The plastic shell is very durable, the printing and default artwork is rather attractive. The switches are very tight and perfectly hidden in the shell that won’t bother the overall appearance and fit.


The size of VX is about the medium, they are slightly larger than U series and about one size down from LX, about the same size as PP8s. They can perfect seal my ears with most tips. I had no issue of wearing them, and I can easily use them for hours with no issues.

Tuning Switches:

VX has 3 tuning switches. From my experiences, s1 is for bass adjustment, s2 is for vocal and mid, s3 is for treble. There are total of 8 modes for everyone to try. In my opinion, these switches can significantly change sound signatures, they are very fun to play with. I will list several modes that I think are useful for most.

1. 3 switches off: This is the out of box default setting. This is also the most balanced tuning and my personal favorite; my later review will be based on this setting.

2. S1 on, S2&3 off: Bass boost mode. I mainly use this mode for some metal and EDM tracks occasionally. I think the default bass is right enough for me. When the bass switch is on, you will get more bass quantity(mainly mid-bass), the overall quality is not affected by much. The bass is slightly punchier but not as tight as the default, the overall tonality become slightly warmer.

3. S2 on S1& off: Vocal master mode. I have to admit with this mode the vocal sounds amazing! With the default setting, I’ve already got a very clear vocal image. However, when I turned on the vocal switch, I can hear and feel every breath of the singer, it is that close. But for some tracks, the singer is a bit too close, or feel too much “in your face” pressure, and that’s why I still prefer the default setting.

4. All switches on: Engaging mode. This is my second favorite mode. I usually use this mode when I was listening to some fast instrumental funk or progressive metal. It is very fun to listen, also this is the most open and transparent mode.

Sound Impressions

1. Transparency and Details

As I mentioned above, I classify VX as a reference tuning IEMs, so without doubt, their transparency and details are at top tiers. Although VX are extremely transparent, smooth and with lots of details, the details from VX are not as present as U18t. I can pick up the same amount of details that U18t give me, but the details from VX is politer and hidden behind the major instruments or vocal. Overall, U18t is even more clean and analytical, VX is more neutral.

2. Soundstage, Separation and Position

The soundstage of VX is about average in width, but it is very deep. VX do not have a holographic image as U18t, the soundstage is wide enough to separate instruments and give them a right position, however, it is not very impressive especially when listen to classics. On the contrary, VX have a very deep soundstage, I got lots of out of head effect from VX more than most of the IEMs I heard.

3. Bass

VX has a very tight and textured bass, it is very linear from bass to mid. The quantity is just right, not a basshead IEMs but definitely enough for most. The bass speed is also very fast. It has slightly boost in mid bass, but the sub bass could be a little more and deeper.

The bass switch makes VX more versatile in this situation. When the bass switch turned on, the bass quantity is increased by a significant amount, the bass also become more impactful and punchier, it can be satisfying for bassheads I think.

4. Mid

Mid is the most attractive part of VX, and I’m very confident to say, it is the best mid-range I’ve ever heard.

The mid from VX is lively, detailed, smooth, and every elegant. It is very fluid and juicy when listen to acoustic guitar and violins. I can get a very clean vocal, and almost have a vision of singers’ figures and movements. The lower-mid is natural and refined, the upper treble is smooth and crystal clear.

Personally, I can’t really find anything that I don’t like from VX’s mid, but I heard someone says they feel VX’s mid is too analytical, but I don’t get it at all. It might be not as colorful or beefy as some other IEMs for example VE8, but certainly not analytical. VX’s mid is just beautiful in a very elegant way IMO.

5. Treble

The treble from VX is neutral in both quantity and quality. It is smooth and clean. VX is not as bright as U18t, TF or RE2000, but more realistic and natural. It is also a little dry and less airy as than those. When listen to guitar distortion in upper mid and treble, I feel the VX is extremely realistic without overly bright or sibilant, I always feel excited when listen to this part. However, I do find VX is lacking a sense of relaxing, in a certain level, due to the lack of air.

Overall the sound signature of VX is realistic, balanced and highly detailed. Well, I do understand that they might be “straightforward” for some, but I don’t think they should be classified as an analytical IEMs by any means.

Comparisons

1. VX v.s. U18t

U18t has a brighter presentation, wider sound stage, while VX is more natural and has a deeper soundstage. U18t’s bass is deeper and faster, VX has more mid-bass and more impactful. The mid from U18t is more objective and less colored, VX is smoother and juicier. U18t has a brighter treble, with more quantity and crispier; VX is much smoother and fluid.

2. VX v.s. PP8

VX and PP8 shares lots of similarity in tonality. However, VX is more musical and slightly warmer than PP8s. In comparison, VX has deeper soundstage, and the width is about the same. Bass are almost identical from both when switches are off, while when both switches are on, VX’s bass is more impactful and has more quantity and slightly warmer, PP8 is faster. Mid is where the most different part, where VX is smoother and more musical, pp8s is calmer and more textured. I found VX is overall more enjoyable than pp8 in mid. The treble is also similar, where VX is a touch smoother, pp8s has more sparkle.

3. VX v.s. UM Mentor V3

ME3 has wider sound stage, while VX is slightly deeper. VX is more linear and more transparent than ME3, ME3 is slightly warmer and more emotional. The bass from ME3 and VX has similar bass quantity, while VX hit harder and faster, ME3 goes deeper. Both of them have a enjoyable mid, while VX is slightly more forward. VX’s treble is leaner and drier, I got a touch more details from VX than ME3, however, ME3 is airier and relaxing.


(comparison based on DX200 AMP1 and 8)

Scoring




Conclusion

QDC Anole VX is a very well balanced and highly coherent flagship level IEMs. In compression with other TOTL IEMs, VX is able to stand out by its own features. The sound adjust switches may not be a unique approach anymore, but it is very efficient in doing its job, and actually it is one of the best sound adjustment system that I’ve played with. Furthermore, VX is able to deliver a sound with great density that makes it to be a good all-rounder. You can really hear the quality of each note the VX send to you. As a reference tuning hi-end IEMs, VX is extraordinarily musical which makes it to be the new standard of reference IEMs.

Intro
I've been in the Head-Fi for years, but this is my first review. I decided to choose ProPhile 8/8s(pp8) as my first review because I got plenty of questions from other members about this great headphones. Therefore, I think it might be a good idea to write a review to explain everything I know pp8.
However, this might not be a full or serious review, since English is not my first language, but I will do my best to explain everything clearly. Also I don't have a great camera to take fancy pictures, so if you want to know how pp8 looks like, go ahead google it!
Packaging & Accessories
Mine is pp8s which is a small version of the original pp8. What I found interesting is that pp8s has a totally different packaging from og pp8. The og pp8 comes with a very generic low quality paper box which remind me the old UE5pro. The pp8s comes with a very decent larger box, the size and shape is just like V281 Amplifier. It is still a paper box, not as fancy as Rhapsodio Zombie which comes with a solid bamboo box. But the quality is fair enough for a $1000+(I paid a little less than $1400 which including shipping and import taxes).
The accessories are A LOT. They come with many cleaning tools, the tools to sound adjustment tool. A whole bunch of tips(spin spots, comply and some I don't know, I hope it came with final tips but nope). A lot of filters and changing tools. You can never complain with the accessories that InEar provides.
Fit/Build
Before I was going to purchase pp8, it really takes me some time to decide whether buy pp8 or pp8s. There really is not much reviews and comparisons between these two, since they have exactly the same sound. But one of my friend told me he bought a sd4 before and changed to sd4s cause sd4 is a little large for him. I don't want to take the risk of buying a headphones oversea and return it because it doesn't fit, so I bought pp8s, simple.
I would say pp8s can fit most people whether you have small or large years. They do looks weird but they fit my ears perfectly, The Best out of custom. The size is smaller than Legend X and Zombie, but slightly larger than U18t.
The build quality is TOTL, the scrub finish just made them unique and beautiful. The 2pins cable connectors(female) are super tight, it does cost some time to cable rolling. IMO, the build quality is better than most of the current flagships, truly outstanding.
Sound
I know you guys are interested about this part, so double highlighted this subtitle, for those who want to skip the previous parts. (This sound impression is based on both switches on which I think can show the most potentials of PP8s)
Bass
The bass from pp8s, is right there, nothing more nothing less. For reference, I feel U18 is a little less, Legend X is a little too much. The bass speed is almost as fast as U18t, but somehow I feel pp8s go deeper and harder by a very very small margin tho. Also the bass and the overall sound signature of pp8s is studio alike. It doesn't mean that pp8s is flat or colorless. It's just a perfect balance, objective.
Key 3 Words here: Accurate, Fast, Studio Alike.
Mid
The mid and vocal reminds a lot of HEKv2 with less mid upfront. PP8s has a slightly lean but little warm mid range, this is very unique and comfortable. Usually a lean mid range provides a fake or plastic alike vocal and snares, but it does't happen on pp8s just like it doesn't happen on HEKv2. PP8s has just enough flesh and muscle to present a clean yet full bodied mid range. PP8s added a little color and sweetness in the mid range which makes me love this headphone, it's just perfect. So the mid from pp8s is just like a beautiful collage girl in a perfect figure.
So Key Words here: Clean, Beautiful, Young(Enthusiastic).
Treble
The treble from pp8s is crazily smooth. Although they are slightly to the bright side, but they have a great great sibilance control. However, I do find the treble is a little dry, and straight foward, if they have a match amount of "air" as U18 provide, they will be perfect. Even though, they still provide a overall good treble, which is better than its price range.
Key Words here: Smooth, Dry, Straight Forward.
Transparency&Transition
PP8s is a very clean headphones, the added sweetness or warmness doesn't affect the transparency. There is no veil need to be removed, again, studio alike.
There are plenty of IEMs or big cans are studio alike, for example most of Byerdynamic's products, UE iems, Ultrasone IQ(a little bit), U18(also a little). Most of them has one significant issue, that is they are too separate in terms of EQ balance. Yeah, those headphones or iems are made for stage or studio, those music producers need a separate EQ, so they can identify the problems or make adjustments in each frequency. But this is actually not a good excuse for them to have a poor transition from bass to mid to treble. Music is still one entity, both professions and audiophiles need a full image of the music as a whole. PP8s and U18 are the only 2 iems that can do this part properly among those studio alike iems, you won't feel the any parts of frequency is separate from others, you can easily draw a constant line of the sound, without breakpoints.
Key Words here: Clear, Constant, Pro
Details& Resolution
PP8s has a lot of details, but they are not as "in your face" as U18. The details are handled at a distance, IMO it's hard to say which approach is better. The first time I hear U18 I was totally shocked by the details, they are present almost right in front of your face,very clear. But should details sounds like this, I don't know, you like it than it should. PP8s use a different approach, those details stay at where they should be, they still give you a good image of musicians movements. To me it's easier to get a more "wide&full" image of a band or a single musician, instead a focus on a single player of a band or a single part of a musician on pp8s.
Key Words here: Well handled, More than enough, Comfortable.
Sound Stage
This is actually the only part disappointed me a little bit, especially compare with those flagships. The sound stage is wide enough to separate all instruments. It is deep enough to give you a decent 3D image. It has acceptable air to do not make you feel tired. But that's it. To be honest, I was expecting more, a lot more, maybe because I mostly compared pp8s with $500 or $1000 more expensive gears.
Key Words here: Good sound stage image, But, That! Is! It!

Overall: PP8s sounds like younger Byerdynamic T1, with more fun tunes, better mid and smoother treble, less density and dynamic, similar sound signature. It's stable, yet fun, very well balanced.
Comparisons
PP8s vs U18t
1. PP8s has more bass, almost identical in speed and deep.
2. PP8s has a slightly warmer and more colorful(by a good margin) than U18t.
3. PP8s has a drier more straight forward treble, U18t's treble is better extended, has larger image, more space.
4. Both PP8s and U18t are TOTL in terms of transparency and transition, not too many differences here.
5. PP8s has a better handled detail, less stressful. U18t is more in your face. There is no clear winner here, but to me I prefer pp8s for long term listening.
6. Sound stage, U18t wins in this part, no questions. However PP8s is not narrow as well. They still have equally good image.
OVERALL: These 2 are close, very similar. It's sorta like T1(pp8s) vs HD800(U18t). Both are reference level iems. In my opinion, pp8s is slightly more versatile too multiple genres due to pp8s has more color and more musical than U18t.
PP8s vs Legend X
1. Lenged X has more bass for sure, but PP8s is more accurate and tighter, faster, slightly deeper but very cable depending.
2. PP8s has a leaner mid, more presented, more clean. Legend X has a very unique mid, it's fall back but still very full bodied, so I feel LX is more bodied, with more density, I don't know whether this make sense to you guys are not.
3. Both has a very smooth treble, PP8s is brighter, LX is darker and way more relaxing, way more.
4. Both are not veiled. LX may have a little veiled feel, but I think it's due to the dark and smooth sound signature.
5. pp8s has slightly more details, but LX gives way more than enough details as a bass monster.
6. The are equally wide, both have a decent 3D image, pp8s has a deeper both with stock cables. But LX with Twag4 silver cable has a significant deeper sound stage, while pp8s doesn't have a match improvement with Twag 4 or Eros 2 or PW No.5. But pp8s has a wider soundstage when pair with Ted T2 silver cable.
PP8s vs Rhines Stage 7
1. S7 has more bass, but hit not as hard and deep as pp8s.
2. S7 has one of the best mid I've ever heard, it's warm, attractive, shine like gold but not as clean as pp8s.
3. PP8s has a significantly brighter treble, while S7 is super dark and laid back.
4. S7 is slightly veiled, it's hard to match pp8s in the transparency, but both has good transition.
5. pp8s has slightly more details, S7's details stay a little backward hard to get.
6. pp8s is wider, S7 is deeper.

The rest comparisons I will writhe in short cause I'm tooooo tired......

PP8s vs Zombie
pp8s is brighter less weighted, zombie is more bodied and darker.
PP8s vs Vega
pp8s is more uplifting, vega is more relexing
PP8s vs Solar
pp8s is more detailed has more density, solar is bassier

PM me if you want more comparisons but those above are my most familiar IEMs (still own or sold recently).
Rank By Genres:
I write this section cause many members ask me this question, however this is very subjective. I will only list top 5(IMO) for each genres.

Before we start, I want you guys to know my music preference.
I was a metal drummer and work for couple metal bands for years, now I play with some jazz musicians, but still learning. So in my DAP there are about 30% metal(progressive metal, djent, metalcore), 30% jazz, funk and blues, 20% pop(vocal based), 10% EDM for workout, 10% classic and new ages.

Metal List:
1. LX (Great bass and fast enough for metal,super powerful, dynamic and bodied, very smooth treble still with good amount of sparkles makes metal to a art level, really enjoyble. )
2. Solar (Ideal for metals with lots of guitar rifts)
3. PP8s (The mid is almost ideal for guitar solos, the fast bass is also good for metal, did a good job no significant weakness, not so many highlights either)
4.U18t (Very like pp8s, but treble extension makes some songs have "divine" sound, it's a unique feeling in a good way, but sorta lack of bass or the bass is not as impact. I feel bored at least not as excited after about 1 hr.)
5. Zombie (Full bodied but a little too much for metal, the bass is not fast enough for those metal sub-genres I enjoy, but if you prefer old school metals the rank will definitely be higher.)

Jazz, Funk, Blues List:
Well it's might be weird to someone to put these 3 together. The reason is prefer those funky jazz and some Japaneses Jazz which is faster and brighter than regular jazz.
1. PP8s(fast bass in right amount, little sweet mid, bright yet smooth treble, good sound stage image, just put these words together)
2. Rhines S7(very warm and seductive, it's very close to NO.1, but not as clean, may feel tired tired for long term listening)
3. U18t(Overall good performance, but the sound stage is too wide, feel a little empty, and less colored)
4. Vega( Relaxing but too soft and too much bass)
5. LX( the treble is good enough, but not as bright as pp8s or U18 where the trumpet couldn't shine out, it's relaxing but not as vega, it has some enjoyable, fun elements but not as enjoyable as S7)

Pop List:
1. S7( like LCD-3, smoothest vocal I've ever heard)
2. PP8s( perfect for female singers, but a little be lean for male singers)
3. LX( I know it's weird to put a V shape at this position, but to me the vocal is still acceptable and the great bass and relaxing feature add points)
4. U18( just need more colors, need to be more musical, need more emotions)
5. Zombie ( somehow like a son of S7 and LX, V shape but very musical and warm, but not a little bit too weighted and thick to enjoy)

EDM List:
1. LX(all about bass, EDM standard, Code of EDMs IMO)
2. U18t( ye, they are a little lack of bass, but the the great treble extension + the boundless sound stage+ greatest dynamic= Dancing in the Air, it's a very unique feel hard to say)
3. pp8s( U18t-the largest soundstage= dancing in the air with a wire.
4. Solar
5. Zombie

Classic& New Age:
1. U18t(divine and authority)
2. pp8s (great for Mozart, Chopin and Yanni)
3. LX(did a good job for Hans Zimmer)
4. Xelento
5.Vega

Basically that's all I want to say, thanks for watching, really appreciate it! I wish this review is helpful!!!
(I'm so tired after 4 straight hours writing. This review may contain many language and spelling errors, but I hope it's still readable.)