DUNU is a highly regarded audio in-ear monitor brand from China. Over the years, DUNU has developed several successful models that have always kept the brand different from the others. They have plenty of successful products under their brand name such as the SA6 series, Zen series, Falcon series, etc. But today, I am not here bringing you another one of their IEM reviews, rather I am here with one of their latest set of earbuds, the DUNU Alpha 3. DUNU has recently revived its Alpha series of flathead earbuds or traditional earphones as we know this form factor, with the upcoming Alpha 3. DUNU Alpha 3 incorporates a large-size 14.2mm dynamic driver unit with LCP composite diaphragm. I got a pre-release sample from DUNU for the Alpha 3 and I have spent a good one-week period with the set. Today, let’s see how this one fares as an earbud in a world that is usually dominated by IEMs.

Short Disclaimer before I begin:-

This was a review sample I received as a part of a review tour in my country organized by HiFiGo. The pair is supposed to release soon with an expected price of around 100-150$, The pair will be released on HiFiGo, you can check out more information on their website from the link below(non-affiliated). DUNU Alpha 3 will also be released on their Amazon and Aliexpress platforms as well, you can grab it from Amazon US, Amazon Japan, and Aliexpress stores as well. (none of the links provided here are affiliated).

https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-alpha3

Unboxing:-

DUNU is known for its premium packaging and rich set of accessories with its products. The Alpha 3 comes in a compact package yet packs everything beautifully. We have a simple black package with an image of the pair on the front of the outer cover, on the back we have the technical information. Inside we have DUNU’s new large-sized earphone carry case that packs the pair itself.

All other contents such as the, six pairs of foam covers(three complete and three donut foams), etc. are placed in a box right underneath the case. This new carry case from DUNU is very good, it has a hint of yellowish-green textured finish and the space inside is enough to even carry a small USB DAC/AMP with the pair. Overall, simple package, but rich in contents. Now let’s move ahead to the design and build quality of the pair.

Design & Build Quality:-

I have always loved DUNU as a brand for its outstanding craftsmanship. Every product of theirs that I have auditioned/owned to date, including the DK3001 Pro(My very first premium IEMs), EST112, Zen, SA6 Ultra, and the SA6 Mk2, all have excellent build quality characteristics. Same I can say for the Alpha 3, the shells are completely metallic, and they look and feel quite premium. We have the Dunu logo printed on the back of the shells, and the rich black finish of the buds is simply eye-catching. When I got the pair 8-9 days back, I was literally blown away by its designer looks. Ah what can be said man, most earbuds in the market are usually simple looking, so this one is quite premium in its looks and the all-metallic build is premium to hold. The cable is non-detachable but feels premium(thanks to DUNU’s craftsmanship). It has metallic connectors to add to the premium feel of the cable. My unit has 4.4mm termination(personal preference), users can also get it in 3.5mm termination.

We have a properly vented structure here with multiple vents present on the back of the earbuds. There’s also a speaker grill on the top of the stem of the earbuds(I think we call it a stem, refer to the images below), what can I say more about the pair itself, it looks amazing, will just include some beautiful shots below to help you appreciate its build as well.



Fit & Isolation:-

The Alpha 3 earbuds sit comfortably into my ears, with no discomfort or anything. I used the pair with both full foams and donut foams, no issues with the fit for me even for long hours. Isolation, since it’s an earbud, I had zero expectations for isolation, and I got my expectations met perfectly lol. Outside noise is easily introduced and isolation is average just like every other earbud.

Power Requirements:-

DUNU Alpha 3 doesn’t require a lot of juice, it can be powered easily with a decent enough device. I have personally used the pair directly with my MacBook Pro output(using a 3.5mm adapter), Shanling UA3(4.4mm output), and HiBy R6 Pro II(4.4mm Direct output). It is paired well with all three of the sources with me never going on high volumes for adequate listening level. So, easy driveability is there with the DUNU Alpha 3.

Sound Impressions:-

For me, Earbuds have a different use case. While I prefer IEMs and Headphones most of the time, I prefer using earbuds when I am in my bed and need a comfortable listening session in the silence of the night. The Alpha 3 serves well in this purpose with its strong sound. Basically, the pair has a warmish sound with some prominence on the mid-bass region. Please don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t sound boomy or overwhelmingly bossy, it’s just has a little emphasis on the mid-bass adding weight to the midrange and instruments. It feels strong, powerful, and dynamic in its sound presentation. The mid-bass surely adds a punch to the output of the pair, complementing the vocals and instruments nicely. While writing this review, I am listening to some of my favorite tracks including “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, the vocal clarity, the drums in the background, and the piano as well, everything is presented in such a captivating way that it sounds really impressive.

As mentioned earlier, the sound is a little prominent in the mid-bass region. It takes the main attention in the lower end of the pair, sub-bass is a little subdued in comparison. Mid-bass also has a little influence on the lower-mids as well, but it doesn’t sound muddy or dirty, just adding a bit of weight and texture to the instruments in the mid-range. Changing the foams to Donut definitely tames the mid-bass and makes the sound more balanced, so people who are more into getting more clarity in the midrange, can opt for the Donut foams. IMO Once switched to Donuts, Midrange shows its true colors. It sounds crispy, and vocals and instruments show a good presence in the mix. I love the timbre and natural tone of the vocals here. Both the male and female vocals sound really nice and pleasing. There is no sign of sibilance or harshness present on the pair. It sounds smooth and strong throughout the midrange. Treble presence is well-rounded. Instruments such as electric guitars, violins, and flutes, have a smooth presentation, they don’t have any sharpness or harshness even on busy tracks.

Technically, the DUNU Alpha 3 sounds good. It has clear instrument presentation, Imaging, and separation are above average I would say. I enjoyed the pair for gaming as well while playing Valorant, footsteps, and location were easily recognizable. The soundstage is quite open and airy. It doesn’t feel congested or narrow at all, but it isn’t super wide either. The pair actually creates an enveloping 3D soundstage while enveloping the listener with decent enough width and depth, giving a proper 3D feel. Micro details are not much I would say, they could be a little better in their presence!!

Well, that’s about the sound of the DUNU Alpha 3 from my side, now it’s time for some comparison. I will put it straight against the TGXear Serratus, a 200$ earbud. The one I have is bell Serratus with metallic buds.

>DUNU Alpha 3 has better fit and comfort for me compared to the Serratus. The cable here also looks and feels better.

>The prominent mid-bass of Alpha 3 gives the pair a strong presentation, while the lovely midrange of the Serratus gives it a musical presentation. Serratus has a clearer sub-bass response.

>Both the pair have lovely timbre and tone. They both sound quite natural and open in their timbre for vocals giving them a lovely touch.

>Serratus has more micro-details, and its treble is crispier, while the Alpha 3 sounds rounded and has smoother notes in the treble region. I would say Serratus has more extension in the treble region as well.

>Soundstage-wise, Both have a 3D feel, Alpha 3 sounds a little wider while the Serratus sounds more immersive of two.

In comparing both, I spent hours A/B’ing the same tracks again and again. I would say both are really solid, one has more mid-bass, and a more 3D feel, while the other has more sub-bass and treble extension, they both have a natural timbre that makes vocals stand out in the mix!!

Final Words For DUNU Alpha 3:-

For many years, I have kept my distance from earbuds. Earlier in the hobby like 4-5 years back, there was a time I had like 15-20 pairs of earbuds, but with time my use case changed and I switched primarily to IEMs. But recent times have made Serratus grab a place in my everyday pouch, DUNU Alpha 3 with its eye-catching design, its impressive sound, and mainly it is a direct companion to the sound that I get from the Serratus, the pair definitely finds a place in my heart and my everyday carry pouch as well. It sounds really good, the mid-bass dive, the lovely vocals, and the smooth instruments, make the DUNU Alpha 3 an exciting package. If you are looking for a set of earbuds to add to your collection for everyday use, the DUNU Alpha 3 definitely gets my recommendation!!

Well, that’s all about the DUNU Alpha 3 from my side, I hope you guys liked reading my review for the pair, if you have any further questions or queries, feel free to ask me in the comments section below.

Last year when Effect Audio released the Signature Series of IEM upgrade cables, I grabbed two of them for myself, the Cadmus and the Eros S. I actually had tried the Eros S before and went in blind for the Cadmus. Honestly ended up liking both of them for different matters. I have posted a review regarding both cables which I will link here, hope you guys enjoy the review. Back then, Eros S paired nicely with Softears RSV while the Cadmus accompanied the IE600. Fast forward a few months to today, we have got an update to the Signature series with 8-Wire variants for the entry-level Ares S and the Cadmus. Cadmus which was initially available in a 4-wire variant is now available in an upgraded 8-wire variant as well. The core material is kept the same but the wire count is exactly doubled to bring in improved performance. Today, this blog is going to be a review of the Cadmus 8-Wire variant which I have enjoyed thoroughly for the past week. Let’s begin.

About Cadmus:-

Cadmus has always been designed as an all-rounder cable from Effect Audio. It’s made up of high-quality UP-OCC Silver-plated copper Litz wire as the core material. The 4-wire Cadmus had amazing sound characteristics delivering outstanding sound while being easy on the pocket for around 200$. The new 8-wire variant uses the same core material with just an 8-wire configuration instead of the 4-wire one as the OG model. Currently, both models are available worldwide, with the 4-wire version priced at 199$, and the 8-wire one just got launched for 299$(the same price as the Eros S cable from the same series).

A short disclaimer before I begin the review post:-

This was a review sample for the Cadmus 8-Wire from the brand. I am thankful to Effect Audio for this opportunity, the cable belongs to them and it is only with me only till they allow me to keep it. There is no monetary or any other benefit involved, and I assure I am being completely honest with my opinions on this blog. You can check out further technical details and information about the Cadmus 8-Wire on Effect Audio’s website from the link below(non-affiliated link).

https://www.effectaudio.com/cadmus

Design & Build:-

Since this is a review sample, the Cadmus came to me in a simple transparent pouch, so I will be skipping on the unboxing part today. I will be beginning the review with the design and build quality of the cable. At a far glance, the Cadmus 8-Wire looks exactly the same as the 4-wire variant, just thicker. I mean, it’s obviously the same cable but in double-wire count configuration. I absolutely loved the build of the Cadmus 4-wire back when I bought the cable from the brand, this newer 8-wire variant is even better. I mean, I personally love using thick cables, and this one is super amazing in that regard. The cable is very well-built, it uses Effect Audio’s ConX swappable connector system. I got it with the 2-pin connectors as stock. But these connectors are easily replaceable, we just need to buy appropriate connectors for our IEMs. In today’s time, this is like a blessing when you have IEMs with different connector types. Ah, I got distracted from the main point of this section, the design and build, let’s continue in the right direction now.

So coming back to the design and build quality, the cable is very, very well-built. You can look closely at the pictures that I have attached below and notice the cable in its full glory. It has a rich, white finish, and looks spectacular. It’s not stiff per se, but it isn’t very soft either. Cadmus has an appropriate amount of hardness to it. It isn’t any hard to manage, and can be easily kept in a storage case along with IEMs. Effect Audio treats the cable with a high-quality Rhodium-plated plug and a designer metallic Y-Spliiter that is nothing less than an artistic element on the cable. In both these regards, the cable is again the same as the 4-wire variant. I would like to mention here, Cadmus is probably the finest-looking cable in the signature series, and this 8-wire variant looks stunning!!

Sound Quality:-

Coming towards the sonic capabilities, The Cadmus 8-Wire variant does everything that the original 4-wire cable does and takes them to an all-new level of awesomeness. If you guys check out my review for the 4-wire variant, you might have noticed that I absolutely loved the cable for its rich tone, excellent timbre, controlled bass, and lovely vocals. Now, the 8-wire variant takes them and elevates the performance of my connected IEMs even further. It has tighter control in the lower end, adds a bit of richness to the vocals, it delivers improved separation for the instruments as well, the main thing is resolution is a tad bit improved over the original 4-wire variant. Previously, I have had the pleasure to test the Cadmus with Softears RSV, Sennheiser IE600, etc, but this time, I got my hands on some top-level cream, and some top-level IEMs to test with the Cadmus. Let’s begin with the pairings and their sound descriptions.

Effect Audio Cadmus with Noble Audio Viking Ragnar:-

Ragnar is a technical beast, it has a tremendous amount of resolution and needs proper source matching for its proper sound delivery. Thankfully, my friend has paired his unit with iBasso DX320(absolutely best for the Ragnar). Affect Audio Cadmus 8-WIre is one of those cables, that matches perfectly with the Ragnar. Compared to the stock cable, it’s richer in sound texture, has better bass control and rumble, and shows a smoother yet clearer treble response. The only point where the Stock cable of Ragnar wins might be in the resolution department although the bass and midrange are all the better with the Cadmus 8-Wire.

Effect Audio Cadmus 8-Wire with Oriolus Trailli:-

Trailli is an IEM that I consider to be all-musical, and it sounds super amazing on the Sony WM1Z MK2. Adding Cadmus to the chain tightens the lower end, I find the sub-bass to be more present with the Cadmus 8-wire than the stock cable here. Midrange is as lovely as the Trailli delivers always, but the treble is a bit on the softer side. A great combination with Trailli if you want a smooth, relaxed listening experience.

Effect Audio Cadmus 8-Wire with Kinera Nanna 2.1 Z Review Edition:-

Kinera Nanna 2.1 is with me, and it’s a fantastic-sounding set. And Cadmus 8-Wire does everything perfectly with the pair, the bass, the midrange, and the treble response, all sound super, super good with the Cadmus 8-Wire. Compared to the stock cable of the Nanna, I would say that the Cadmus 8-WIre surely brings a noticeable upgrade to the pair. It sounds tighter, better detailed, and richer in tone. Excellent, absolutely excellent!!

Let’s not keep out self with top-end products only, let’s check out some budget stuff as well.

Effect Audio Cadmus 8-Wire with Tangzu x See Audio Shimin Li Encounter Edition:-

Amazing combination here, the Shimin Li sounds crispier, better detailed, and has a better sense of lower-end slam with the Cadmus 8-Wire by its side.

Effect Audio Cadmus 8-Wire with Simgot EA500:-

EA500 is my newfound love in the budget category. This 80-90$ IEM sounds nothing like a sub-100$ pair, and the Cadmus 8-Wire brings noticeable improvements to its sound as well. The output has better details, improved resolution, improved clarity, and richer, denser vocals.

Let’s have some short comparisons now.

Cadmus 4-Wire vs 8-Wire:-

>8-Wire variant has tighter, crispier sound delivery.

>Bass feels more impactful, and more rumbling on the 8-wire variant.

>Vocals are richer and denser on the 8-Wire variant(a tad bit of difference).

>Treble has a more revealing nature here. It adds a bit of resolution over the 4-wire variant as well.

Cadmus 8-Wire vs Eros S:-

Now signature series has two same-priced cables, the Cadmus 8-wire and the Eros S(which is also 8-wire in count). A short comparison between their sound.

>Cadmus feels more natural timbre-wise.

>Cadmus has a tighter lower-end response.

>Eros S sounds more revealing, more resolving, and more detailed.

>Cadmus has better vocal tonality and texture.

>Eros S sounds more open in comparison. Don’t get me wrong here, Cadmus 8-wire doesn’t sound congested or narrow by any means, Eros S just has a tad bit more openness to its sound.

Some things that could be improved a bit with the Cadmus 8-Wire:-

>The wire is thick, if you are going for a minimal setup at your office or outdoors Cadmus 8-Wire might not be the appropriate choice aesthetically. It attracts attention with its build. I have got 3 people to ask me about the cable in the past 4 days. And this probably might be the only con that I notice with the cable.

>Second is not something of a con, but more of a personal preference, for 300$, I would have loved if the Cadmus come with TermX swappable termination plug system as well.

>Treble gets a little softened, works great for neutral to bright IEMs but already smooth treble in IEMs gets over smoothened(like in Trailli).

Final Words for Cadmus 8-Wire:-

Effect Audio Cadmus 8-wire is an outstanding cable that serves well with budget as well as premium IEMs. It brings noticeable improvements in the output bringing in tighter bass response and a smoother presentation suitable for long hours of listening. I personally prefer the thicker build and appreciate the upgrade that the 8-wire variant brings for me over the previous 4-wire cable.

Well, that’s all about the Cadmus from my side. I hope you guys liked this review of mine. Feel free to ask me any questions regarding the Effect Audio Cadmus cable in the comments section below.

AAW Ash here was provided to me for about a week as a part of a review tour organized by Goldfinch acoustics here in my country. The pair is priced at around 1099 SGD or 799 USD. All impressions in this blog are completely my own free from any interference from anyone. Hope you enjoy the read.

Design, Build, Look, & Feel:-

Ash has a rich design and feel to it. The earpieces here have quite a bulky shape but they are lightweight and aesthetically pleasing in terms of fit. They are complemented in looks by designer faceplates that have a combination of shiny gold flakes on one half and a beautiful wooden finish on the other half. The inner cavity is transparent but has a dark grey color, so the internal arrangement is only visible when the pair is lit properly. AAW has bundled an amazing cable with the pair. It is soft, sturdy, and well-finished with metallic connector casings and Y-Splitter.

About look and design I find no complaints here. But fit might be troublesome for people with small ears as the shell size is quite on the bigger side. Personally, I have medium-sized ears and find them comfortable with an above-average level of noise isolation.

Powering Up AAW ASH:-

Ash is not a demanding set. It can be powered easily straight off smartphones without any trouble. Though I find the pair sounding better with better amplification such as with Shanling M3X or xDuoo XD05 Balanced. Most of my critical listening is done with Shanling M3X + xDuoo XD05 Bal. The pair shows brilliant dynamics with this stack. It can be powered straight off the M3X too, never had to go above 50/100 volume on low gain. But the thing with the M3X is that the Bass is not as punchy as it is with XD05 Bal as an amp in the chain. This M3X+XD05 Bal has become my permanent stack nowadays.

Sound Impressions:-

Ash has a balanced and natural presentation. It is a highly transparent and detailed set. There is no coloration, no particular frequency emphasized with the ASH, you just get a pure musical sound with a balanced tonality and excellent detail retrieval. The overall presentation is kind of laid back and smooth, there is no fatigue or harshness even at loud volume levels. AAW has tuned the Treble to be well-detailed and extended while not sound harsh or sibilant. The pair produces true-to-life natural vocals, both the Male and Female vocals have a beautiful texture. They sound simply amazing with the Ash(example, Male vocals in Miracle Sister by Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi, and Female Vocals in I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, Nightcall by London Grammar).

Another thing to praise here is the brilliant instrument separation with the pair. Each instrument can be heard separately even in complex tracks such as Billie Jean by MJ, Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons, and Hate me by Blue October.

Bass & Sub-Bass(Lower End):-

Ash features a large 13mm graphene diaphragm dynamic driver for the lower end. It produces a refined, well-textured lower-end response. The punch in mid-bass is definitely excellent with good texture to every single drum kick in “Hate Me by Blue October”. This excellent mid-bass response is complemented by a clean sub-bass rumble. The lower end complements the other frequencies with its quick precise response, though an extra bit of depth could’ve made it punchier and add more energy to the pair. Not the deepest bass I would say at this price point.

Vocals & Acoustic Instruments(Mids):-

Mids have a slightly recessed presentation. The pair maintains amazing clarity throughout the frequency range presenting the users with outstanding details in instruments and vocals. Vocals as I stated earlier have a well-textured response with excellent clarity and detail. Listening to acoustic music, vocal music is a blissful experience with the Ash. Favorite tracks here are Cannonball by Damien Rice, Hotel California by Eagles(Hell Freezes Over), Private Lawns by Angus & Julia Stone, and the list goes on and on.

The Higher End(Treble):-

AAW has played safe with the treble frequencies. They have a laid-back presentation with amazing clarity and detail. The pair complements complex tracks and presents them in a kind of tore-down version where you can experience every single beat being played separately. There is no noticeable sibilance or harshness with the Ash even at loud, uncomfortable listening volume levels. This laid-back presentation grants a smooth, non-fatiguing signature to the pair but at the same time, It kind of lacks some energy in the high frequencies.

Soundstage and Imaging:-

AAW Ash has more of a depth to the stage than Width. No, the pair isn’t intimate at all rather has a good 3D presentation with a decently wide and deep stage that has an average height. Imaging is excellent with excellent instrument separation.

Comparison Time!!!

AAW Ash Vs Unique Melody Mirage:-

Mirage is my personal pair that I own for about two months now. It is priced quite similar to the Ash(Ash is 1000 SGD, Mirage is 1000 USD). Yeah, there’s a bit of price difference but this is the closest in my possession right now.

>Mirage has a punchy, engaging signature, Ash has a laid-back relaxing signature.

>Mirage has more quantity in the lower end delivering a punchier presentation. Though the lower end of Ash feels more refined in comparison.

>Mids has a richer, forward presentation with the Mirage.

>Treble refinement, detail retrieval in Ash is exceptionally better.

>Treble energy is better in Mirage.

I would say Ash and Mirage both kind of complete each other. While the bass depths are about to reach hell with the Mirage, the refinement of treble is outstanding with the Ash. But then again I like the energy of Mirage over the smooth laid-back presentation of the Ash.

AAW Ash vs CA Andromeda:-

I had the Andromeda for about 8-10 days a few months back. I still have my memories intact of my time with the almighty Andros. Here’s my comparison between Andros and Ash.

>Ash has a more natural tonality while Andromeda has a leaner tonality in comparison.

>Vocal presentation of Ash is excellent in comparison to Andros(I find them getting very close to shouty in minutes with Andros).

>Andromeda has one of the best soundstage presentations I have listened to date.

>Treble refinement and energy of Andros is simply amazing. Though the Ash competes well in terms of detail retrieval it lacks in energy level.

>Ash is more immersive, Andros has better punch in the lower end.

I would say Ash is my pick among these two here.

Final Words:-

AAW ASH stands tall in the 1000$ price segment with its rich tonality and detailed presentation. Simply said, the smooth laid-back signature, the powerful sub-bass rumble, crisp vocals, and class instrument separation make the Ash a worthy set in its category. The takeaway here would be, its smooth laid back signature might be too smooth for some, including me. Other than that, no complaints with the pair.

Today, IKKO Audio is a reputed name in the industry. They don’t need any deep introduction as they have made a good name with their quality IEMs namely the OH10, OH1, OH7, OH2, and more. Quite recently, IKKO entered into the world of USB DAC/AMPs releasing a few well-built and decently sounding Portable USB DAC/AMPs. Today, I am going to share my impressions of one of their latest device, the IKKO ITX01. ITX01 for all those who don’t know is a multiple port USB docking station designed with a standard USB Type-C connection. It actually has 10 ports consisting of USB 3.2 ports, USB Type-C ports, and 4.4mm Bal/3.5mm headphone ports. ITX01 is priced at 99$, so let’s check it out.

Disclaimer:-

IKKO ITX01 here is provided to me by HiFiGo as a part of a review tour organized by HiFiGo in my country. Rest assured, all the thoughts and impressions made in this review blog are completely my own. If interested you can buy the ITX01 from their website from the link below:-

https://hifigo.com/products/ikko-itx01-usb-hub

Design & Build Quality:-

ITX01 has a solid metallic build in a semi triangular shape. All the ports here are made available at the sides. At the top and back, we have an image of the IKKO logo printed on the chassis of the ITX01. On the right, we have two USB 3.2 ports, a USB Type-C port, and two memory card slots(one microSD and one SD). Left side houses a USB 3.2 port along with a 4K 60Hz HDMI output, and a USB Type-C PD charging port. There is a small LED right next to the PD charging port, it glows white when we connect the charging cable here. There’s also a touch-sensitive key on the left side that helps us change the output mode cycling between HiFi music mode, Gaming mode, and Movie mode. The ITX01 has two headphone output ports located on the front side. One is a 4.4mm balanced connection port, and the other is a 3.5mm single-ended connection port. On the backside, we have a non-detachable straight USB Type-C connector cable. There are no physical buttons just one touch-sensitive mode-changing switch at the left side. I would have appreciated physical volume keys on the ITX01.

The ITX01 is a very well-built product. Of course, I expected the same from IKKO as their IEMs and other USB DAC/AMPs have shown pretty solid build quality.

Features & Usability:-

IKKO ITX01 is said to be the world’s first USB Dock to feature an in-built hi-res DAC chipset. It can be used with a variety of devices including smartphones and laptops. For my usage, I have tested the ITX01 using my MacBook Pro(M1 Chipset) and my smartphone Redmi Note 10 Pro. I also have another USB Hub for my MacBook but it doesn’t have any Audio output or DAC featured in it. I find the ITX01 to have a faster USB connection. Any USB drive I connect to it the transfer speed is faster than my previous hub. Guessing this is due to the fact that it houses new USB 3.2 ports.

Another thing I noticed good here with the ITX01 is that while charging my MacBook connected with its 100W PD charging slot, the ITX01 doesn’t get hot. I mean it gets slightly warm after a few hours but never gets too hot. My previous hub never allowed me to charge the MacBook properly. Also while using the Hub for charging and output at the same time, there is no noticeable noise introduced in the output.

I appreciate the inclusion of a 4.4mm Bal port on the ITX01. It allowed me to connect my UM Mext with the ITX01 without any connectors(I have a 4.4mm termination). One thing I must add here, the touch-sensitive button isn’t that sensitive after all. It takes a strong touch to actually register a keypress. Also, there’s no MQA decoding support on the ITX01.

Battery Drain:-

ITX01 runs off the connected source device. When using it just for music the battery drain isn’t much. I notice about 4-5% extra battery going off my smartphone when using it with 4.4mm headphone output(In an Hour). Although I have not used the 4K 60Hz HDMI Out much I am guessing when using such heavy functions, the battery drain might be a little bit higher.

Sound Performance:-

ITX01 has three modes of sound output, White, Blue, and Yellow. These can be switched by pressing the touch-sensitive button on the left side. I find the White to have a smooth, detailed sound with a wider stage presentation. The Blue mode gets a boost in the lower end with powerful bass drops, and the Yellow mode has a boosted lower end and slightly forward presentation for midrange. I have used multiple gears with the ITX01 including Tanchjim Tanya, IKKO OH2, UM MEXT IEMs, and HiFiman Ananda headphones. I also tested the CA Ara IEMs for a short while.

About the sound presentation, the ITX01 has a smooth and mostly neutral sound presentation. I don’t find the ITX01 to add any warmth or color to the output. Although it enhances the treble frequencies a bit nicer than the others. Lower end is tight and punchy, Midrange and vocals have a smooth and textured presentation, while treble has a clean and detailed approach with my tested IEMs. Soundstage presentation is a bit average in terms of width. Although the presentation has good air on the stage, instruments can be heard very well separated and detailed.

ITX01 has a fairly decent sound presentation, no coloring, and smooth, detailed output, although the pairing with sensitive IEMs is not that great. I noticed CA Ara showed a bit of noise in the background. Although I admit Ara is a quite sensitive set and needs IEMatch with most sources. The background noise is not noticeable on other IEMs and Has that I tested. ITX01 was also able to power the Senheisser HD650(although at around 75% volume on the connected source.

Final Words:-

ITX01 is a very useful device. At least for my use case. I use it on a daily basis with my MacBook, connecting my microphone, and USB drives, and at the same time using a 4.4mm bal connection with my laptop. The hub has faster USB 3.2 connections which are highly useful when you are exchanging data all the time from one device to the other. Also, both the Memory Card slots work at the same time. Surely, the ITX01 has a few flaws of its own like no MQA support, a noticeable noise floor with sensitive IEMs, but its usability and attractive price point make up for both of these minor flaws. I hope you guys liked my writeup, please leave me a like below if you like it, for any questions related to the IKKO ITX01, feel free to ask me in the comments section below.

Last month DUNU introduced the all-new Studio SA6 MK2, a multi-BA IEM and a successor to the highly-regarded SA6. It is actually the third iteration of the Studio SA6 series after the success of the SA6 and the limited edition SA6 Ultra. The driver configuration is the same, but the looks are new, and also the pair is said to have upgraded internal wiring as well. It comes stock with DUNU’s Hulk Pro Mini cable. I bought the unit because I am a fan of the SA6 Ultra, so I grabbed one during the presale period. Let’s dive into the review.

Short Disclaimer:-

I bought the SA6 MK2 from HiFiGo. The unit was purchased as a pre-sale unit, now it is available through their store at 579$, you can check out more information on the link below(non-affiliated).

https://hifigo.com/products/dunu-sa6-mkii-iems

You guys can also watch the review video on the DUNU SA6 MK2 on my YouTube channel from the link below.


Unboxing:-

DUNU SA6 MK2 comes in a simple package. You get an orange-colored outer sleeve. Inside we have the pair, a newly designed customized carry case, Hulk Pro Mini cable with 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs, and a bunch of ear tips including the XL size S&S eartips from DUNU.

Design & Build Quality:-

DUNU SA6 MK2 is quite nicely built. The wooden face covers have a strong grainy textured finish and a hint of orange color on the side. The shells sit comfortably into my ears and provide me with a very comfortable fit and isolation. The Hulk Pro Mini stock cable is also of superb quality.

Powering the DUNU SA6 MK2:-

SA6 MK2 can be powered very easily. It has high sensitivity and can be driven easily off any given source. It worked well with Sony WM1A(generation 1), Shanling M7, and even with straight Macbook 3.5mm output as well.

Sound Impressions:-

Being a fan of the Ultra’s, I was super excited to try out the SA6 MK2. My excitement was satisfied when the first time I listened to the pair. It had the charming midrange of the Studio SA6 series, smoother treble response, and a slightly added punch to the lower end. The overall sound response with the SA6 MK2 has a clean and refined presentation. The lower end sounds rich and dynamic. I won’t call it to have a heavy bass response, but the SA6 MK2 packs enough to complement the other frequencies and also deliver a fast and quick punchiness.

Midrange is where all the charm is for the SA6 MK2. The pair sounds simply wonderful, it’s rich, it’s clean, it’s well-textured. Both male and female vocals have a very lovely tone and timbre. They sound rich and natural. Female vocals are a bit more pronounced especially on the S&S tips. Nothing offensive though. Instruments are very well-separated and have good air between them. The pair doesn’t sound congested and keeps up the pace even with fast tracks.

Treble is nicely done here, it’s slightly smoother than the SA6 Ultra and has a revealing nature. I won’t call it an analytical set, but the SA6 MK2 has an excellent amount of details. The lovely midrange gives the pair a smooth musical tone.

Technically, SA6 MK2 is quite imaging, it has nicely done staging which is both wide and airy. The added punch in the lower end also adds a bit of depth compared to the SA6 Ultra. SA6 Mk2 has quite good imaging and layering capabilities. Listening to busy tracks on the SA6 MK2 like Billie Jean by MJ, Dani California by RHCP, and regional Bollywood music, feel clean and precise. There is no congestion at all.

Tuning Switch On:-

There’s a tuning switch on the SA6 MK2(similar to the Ultra and the OG SA6). It adds a tad bit more punch to the lower end when turned on.

Final Words:-

I personally love the SA6 MK2, it’s a fantastic pair that is both beautifully built and has an excellent sound as well. It has been my daily driver ever since I got the pair by my side. I hope you guys like this quick and short review of mine, you guys can go and check out my complete review on Youtube over here.

Over the past few months, we have seen a sudden rise in the Planar Magnetic Driver IEMs. Tin HiFi, 7Hz, Shuoer, have done their part in this by releasing some excellent IEMs like the P1 Plus from Tin HiFi, Timeless from 7Hz, and S12 from Shuoer. I for one, have been a fan of Planar Magnetic driver IEMs, the latest Shuoer S12, P1 Plus are two of my favorite IEMs around the 200$ price bracket. A few weeks back a new name came up in the Chinese HiFi audio industry, Muse HiFi. Entering the HiFi IEM market, Muse HiFi has introduced a planar magnetic driver set, the Muse HiFi Power. I have never heard of Muse HiFi before, and I believe this is their very first pair of in-ear monitors in the international market. So without wasting any more time, let us begin with my take on the Muse HiFi Power.

Disclaimer:-

A huge shoutout to the Muse HiFi team for organizing a review tour of the Power in my country. I happen to be a part of the tour and got the pair for auditioning for a few days. The unit has undergone about 100 hours of burn-in before it reached me(after a reviewer before me). I have used the pair for about a week now. Rest assured, all the impressions in this review blog are completely my own without any influence from anyone else. They might be affected due to my personal preferences for listening to music, which is mostly neutral with a slight sub-bass boost. If interested, you can purchase the Muse HiFi Power from HiFiGo from the link below.

https://hifigo.com/products/muse-hifi-power

Package & Contents:-

Power comes packed in a plain black rectangular cardboard box with a simple slip-on cover. The outer slip-on cover here has the Muse HiFi branding logo printed on the front along with their brand slogan. At the back of this slip-on cover, we have key features of the Power IEMs written in multiple languages including Chinese, English, and more. There’s also brand information and address at the back of this cover. Inside, the main cardboard packaging has the same front as the outer silicone cover, but here the box has a nice textured finish. Backside here is plain with nothing printed. Our latest set of planar magnetic IEMs is sitting firmly inside a foam layer with a grey-colored carry case at the top layer inside the package. The stock cable is inside this carry case. At the bottom layer, we have two small boxes with multiple sets of silicone ear tips. There’s also a user manual inside the package.


Package contents:-

>Muse HiFi power earphones.

>Sleeved 3.5mm terminated two-pin cable.

>Grey colored magnetic earphone carry case.

>12 pairs of silicone ear tips(3x White silicone ear tips, 3x grey silicone ear tips, 3x black silicone ear tips, 3x black silicone ear tips with red tubes).

>User manual.

Design & Build Quality:-

The ear shells of Muse HiFi Power have a slightly big size. They have a semi-transparent dark grey inner cavity through which we can have a look at the internals under proper lightning. The shells boast elegant and classy looks with their designer faceplates. Each earpiece has a unique design on its faceplate with waves of glittery golden and black shades. These are actually hand-painted faceplates. Around the faceplates, we have a rose-gold colored metallic frame that adds to the look of the pair. In terms of design and looks, the Muse HiFi Power has got some points in its favor. The pair looks beautiful, classy, and quite elegant. Even though they have used a glittery finish in the faceplates, they don’t look blingy or hot, the color combination here is actually very good.

With resin cavities, the shells are lightweight. Although one might find them big, they are quite comfortable to wear. The ergonomics are beautifully managed here to achieve a comfy fit.

The cable here, I find it pretty good. It has a sleeved finish with a metallic Y-splitter, chin slider, connector covers, and termination plug cover. It has gold-plated 3.5mm termination and 2-pin connectors. Near the connectors, we have firm memory foam support that helps in achieving a comfortable fit. I personally like Sleeved cables, and I liked the cable as much as I liked the design of the pair itself.

Fit & Isolation:-

Shells are slightly big, but lightweight. For me, I have medium-sized ears, the fit was very good. I don’t find any issues in fit or isolation with the set. Both the shells sit firmly into my ears and don’t fall off. They don’t apply any additional pressure on my ears, very comfy wearing experience.

Driving The Muse HiFi Power:-

The biggest issue faced by Planar Magnetic driver IEMs is their power requirements. Tin HiFi P1 and P2 were very solid IEMs but they were able to take boatloads of power. But over time this thing is slowly changing with newer technologies in IEMs. 7Hz Timeless was pretty well off straight from a smartphone. And I will say the same here for the Muse HiFi Power. The pair ran pretty well straight off my Redmi Note 10 Pro. Although I always recommend using a dedicated DAC/AMP(Moondrop Moonriver 2, and more)or audio player(Shanling M3X) for best performance with Hi-Res signal decoding.

As for me, I used the Muse HiFi Power with a variety of sources including NuPrime Portable USB DAC/AMP, Astell&Kern SP2k Cu DAP, and Redmi Note 10 Pro smartphone. I never faced any issue with any given device.

Sound Impressions:-

Being listening to the Muse HiFi Power for some time now I appreciate its sound and like its presentation. The pair has got a fast lower end with decent sub-bass rumble, delicate, smooth midrange, and nicely extended treble frequency response. Muse HiFi has given a pretty smooth and in-offensive tuning to the Power. The pair shows very good clarity and resolution for its price bracket. All this is presented with a decently wide soundstage presentation. Muse HiFi not only produces a wide soundstage but also maintains pretty good air on the stage. Instruments and vocals are nicely separated and can be recognized precisely. Technically the Muse HiFi Power is quite good. Now let’s discuss different frequencies.

Lower-End/Bass Response:-

As I stated earlier, Power produces a quick bass response. The pair shows very good control presenting us with good texture on slams in the mid-bass region and at the same time having a decent rumble in the sub-bass region. It maintains a balanced presentation with its lower end, although I would have loved slightly more punch here in the lower end. Please don’t get me wrong here, Power doesn’t lack details or extensions in the lower end, it just isn’t as punchy as I prefer. Speed and decay are good, an extra bit of punchiness is needed for my taste. I tried to EQ the set, adding about 4-5dB to the 50-150Hz segment improved the output and made it more to my liking.

Midrange:-

I loved the Power for its midrange presentation. It’s actually very beautiful and smooth. Lower mids sound slightly recessed, but upper mids are decently forwarded. The transition between the lower-end frequencies and mid-range frequencies is clean. Vocals have a nice texture to them, they sound slightly forward to me too. Both the Male Vocals and Female Vocals have a clean textured presentation to them. They have good tonal weight to them too, I don’t notice them going overly warm or bright at all but they sound slightly warmer than neutral. Instruments such as guitars, and pianos show excellent details in the mid-range segment.

Treble:-

Treble with the Muse HiFi Power is clean and detailed. The extensions here are very good with a smooth and inoffensive tuning. Though I notice the notes in the treble to be a bit leaner, but they sound precise and not harsh at all. The pair doesn’t lose its resolution or clarity in high notes. There is no noticeable sibilance or harshness at all. Although a little bit of thickness in the treble section would have made it more to my liking.

Soundstage, Layering, Dynamics:-

Muse Hifi Power produces a wide soundstage presentation with good airiness characteristics. Imaging and dynamics are average as per the 200$ price bracket, they are decent. Liked the soundstage here. It creates an immersive presentation while maintaining a nice wide stage.

Muse HiFi Power Vs Shuoer S12:-

Shuoer S12 was one of the most recent Planar Magnetic IEMs that I recently tried. It became an instant favorite for me with its smooth and lively sound presentation, how does it compare against the Muse HiFi Power? Let’s find out.

>S12 has a more neutral approach to its sound. Muse HiFi Power sounds a little bit more analog in its tonality.

>S12 bass has got slightly better punch, the speed for both the units are similar.

>Power has got bigger shells, S12 is comfier for longer hours. Although both are lightweight and I don’t have any issues with either of them in fit or comfort.

>Power Treble has a safer tuning, S12 has got an extra bit to its treble. No, it doesn’t sound harsh or brittle or sibilant but has a better sense of energy in S12. Power is better suited if you are treble sensitive.

Muse HiFi Power Vs 7Hz Timeless:-

I got to listen to the Timeless a few months back. I have a brief memory of its sound. Here’s my take between the Power and the Timeless.

>Timeless has got a better punch in the lower end, deeper too.

>Power has got smoother and more natural sound presentation than the Timeless.

>Timeless also had a little bright sound, S12 is tonally warmer than Timeless.

>Timeless detailing was excellent, the same can be said for the Power although power is softer in its presentation, Timeless is snappy and a little sharp.

>Power I feel to be comfier for me out of the two.

Final Words:-

Despite their first product in the international market, Muse HiFi has given us a pretty solid performer in the form of Power. The pair packs an enjoyable sound performance. The competition for Muse HiFi Power is tough with the release of the latest P1 Max from Tin HiFi too while I have not heard the latest P1 Max yet, Muse HiFi Power has a smooth and inoffensive tuning to its sound. I hope it will keep its place in front of the P1 Max too as it has over the other two we just compared above. I find the Power to be an enjoyable set with solid built, unique design, and at the same time easy on the pocket!!

True Wireless has already become a huge market with thousands of products to choose from. While there are some cheaper ones that are easily available on Aliexpress for as low as 20-30$, some premium brands like Apple, Sennheiser, Shanling, and many more have focused on audiophile-grade Truly Wireless Set of earphones too. Today I am gonna review one such high-resolution pair of truly wireless earphones from a well-known Chi-Fi brand Tipsy, called the Tipsy TM1. To be very honest, I have not tried many TWS as I was hugely disappointed by my first pair of TWS, something called Noise X5(a TWS gifted to me by my friend from India). It was way below my expectations from an earphone of about 70$ price range. After that, I got to try Sennheiser Momentum, a very solid pair though priced heavily at about 299$(Retail price). So, basically, the Tipsy TM1 is my third pair of TWS and I am surprisingly impressed by its sound quality. It has a price tag of about 120$ at the time of writing this review. You can purchase it from Aliexpress here if you want.

Disclaimer:-
This unit of Tipsy TM1 is sent to me by my friend who is organizing an audition circle for the pair in my country on behalf of Tipsy. All the impressions in this review are completely my own based on my usage with the pair.

Tipsy TM-1:-
Tipsy is a well-known name in the industry for their HiFi IEM’s such as the Dunmer Pro. The TM-1 is their first pair of Truly Wireless earphones in the international market. Tipsy has a reputation in the market for their gorgeous looking IEMs and the TM-1 is also not an exception. The brand advertises it to have hand-made ear shells that actually look really good in real life. The pair features an 8mm Diamond-like nano diaphragm dynamic driver unit with Qualcomm QCC3040 Bluetooth chip providing Bluetooth V5.0 connectivity. It supports the latest features like cVc noise reduction tech, smart touch controls, IP54 dustproof and waterproof ratings, and many more features. It is available to purchase from Aliexpress at a price of 120$ at the time of writing this review.

Packaging & Accessories:-
Tipsy TM1 has very good packing for a pair of TWS of this price range. It is a small rectangular cardboard box with a TM-1 branding image on top of it with some technical details(like Qualcomm QCC3040 chip & more). As we open up the packaging we are directly greeted with the pair and its charging case on the first layer of the packaging. Below lies our other accessories that include a USB Type-C charging cable, some pairs of ear tips, and a setup guide for the earpieces. Well, that’s just it for the contents of the package.

Package Contents:-

>One pair of Tipsy TM-1 TWS earphones.

>One charging case.

>Three pairs of soft silicone tips(White).

>Three pairs of hard silicone tips(Black).

>One USB Type-C charging cable.

>User manual.

Design, Build Quality & Fit:-
The Tipsy TM-1 is a very beautiful-looking pair. Tipsy advertises it to be hand-made, they actually look phenomenal. The earpieces have a marble finish on the faceplates that add to the premium look of the pair. They are designed in a simple ergonomic design with light-weight aesthetics providing a very comfy fit covering the entire ear canal. The pair is very comfortable to wear even for long music sessions. Also since the earpiece covers the entire ear canal, the pair provides excellent noise isolation.


The included charging case is very compact and sturdy. One can easily carry the pair daily in their pocket without any trouble. The included silicone tips are of average quality nothing special in them. I got the best fit with the white soft silicone tips included in the package.

Connectivity:-
I used the pair with two different sources, one is my iPhone 11 and the other is my Cayin N3. I found no issues in connectivity both the earpieces got connected immediately with each other when I pull them out of the case. The best part is the connectivity range, they have a wide connectivity range, I wandered around my office space while the connected source device was on my table that too without any lag or connection break. Pretty impressed by the connectivity of the pair.

With iPhone 11:-

The TM-1 pairs well with a normal smartphone like the iPhone 11. It is at the adequate audible volume at about 60-70% of the volume range on the phone. Pretty enjoyable experience.

With Cayin N3:-

I have no idea why but the volume is very less when connected with N3. I listened at full volume at high gain for adequate volume levels on the N3. Personally liked the pairing with smartphones.

Touch Functionality:-
Both the earpieces support touch functionality on the earpieces. While playing music if I touch on any of them it gets stopped though it's not always instant and seems to lag a bit. Touching on any of them starts the music playback again. But it’s a bit laggy and not smooth.

Mic Quality:-
Tipsy advertises the TM-1 to support cVc noise reduction tech for crisp voice-over calls. It provides pretty decent voice clarity, for a TWS I am pretty impressed with its mic quality.

Sound Quality:-
Now come’s the most important part of an earphone, its sound quality. And to be honest, I was not expecting the TM-1 to sound this good. They have a very decent bass response with fantastic mids and sparkly, fun treble section. The Lower end sounds natural that is neither overpowering nor too dull. It adds the required punch to make the output enjoyable and fun. The vocal response is very pleasant and carries a natural tonality to them. It is quite amazing to see a TWS performing such well, though there is a noticeable background hiss, especially at louder volumes. Other than that the pair performs very well.

Lows:-
Tipsy TM-1 has a decent low-end response, nothing too over or heavy. The slams are precise and to the point, the sub-bass shows good rumble. It is not thunderous or ear kicking, but It is decent enough to complement the other frequencies and provide an enjoyable output. Dance Monkey by Tones & I provides a groovy output with its quick punches.

Mids:-
The mid-frequency response with the TM-1 is very good. Instruments specially Guitars, Pianos, are presented very well with a crisp, detailed, airy response. Both the male and female vocals have a good sense of weight to them. I loved listening to acoustic and pop artists like Angus & Julia Stone, Damien Rice, Taylor Swift, as the pair complements vocals with a lovely natural tonality and crisp clarity.

Highs:-
Tipsy TM-1 presents the users with an energetic treble with enough sparkle to make the output fun and enjoyable. There is no sibilance or harshness even at louder volumes. The output is very clean and detailed, producing good details in our music. The pair performs well even for complex tracks like God Of War by Tina Guo, Down With The Sickness by Disturbed, and more heavy-metal tracks.

Soundstage:-
The Tipsy TM-1 doesn’t have any super-wide or huge soundstage. It sounds just adequate, but with crisp instrument clarity, the output feels perfect. Imaging and instrument positioning is pretty good with the pair.

Battery Life:-
The Tipsy TM-1 has pretty good battery life. The pair lasts for about 5 hours on a single charge, while the charging case allows for about 7-8 full charges on a single charge. So in total, we are getting about 40 hours of battery life.

Final words:-
In my opinion, if you are looking for a fun-sounding TWS pair with good comfort and enjoyable sound output, the Tipsy TM-1 is a great option to consider. It delivers a crisp, detailed performance with good battery life. If I plan on ever going the TWS way, this might be the one where my search will end as it is quite affordable!!

IKKO Audio is mainly known for its IEMs mainly the OH series consisting of OH1, OH10, and the flagship from the brand OH7. I even recently reviewed both the OH1 and OH10, you can check them on Head-fi with my user name or you can check them out at my blog here. Recently I got to know they also manufacture some high-quality portable USB Type-C DAC/AMPs with the IKKO Zerda ITM03. So, Today I am gonna share my impressions of the same.



Disclaimer:-

I got the Zerda ITM03 through a review circle organized by Hifinage India. I am not affiliated with them. All thoughts in this review are based on my impressions of the device over the past few days. But as a kind gesture for including me in the review tour and letting me experience IKKO Audio Products, I am including the purchase link of Zerda ITM03 through Hifinage below.

https://hifinage.com/collections/ikko-audio-portable-usb-amp-dac/products/ikko-itm03

Packaging & Accessories:-

Each and every IKKO product I have used to date(OH1, OH10, and now ITM03) has impressed me with its colorful, designer packaging. Both the OH1 and OH10 had anime-designed packaging and here the Zerda ITM03 also has colorful packaging. There are IKKO and Zerda branding logos with some technical info printed on the front of the package. On the back, we have an image of the ITM03 along with its key features and technical specification. Please refer to the images below for these.





When we pull out there’s a warranty card and just the ITM03 USB DAC/AMP. I am actually kind of disappointed here as they didn’t even include a Type-C to normal USB adapter in the package. This is kind of a bummer at least for me.

Package Contents:-

>ITM03 USB Type-C DAC AMP.

>Warranty Card.

Design & Build Quality:-

One thing I am sure of now, I would never be able to complain about IKKO’s build quality. I mean I tried their OH1 fantastic metallic build, I tried their OH10 even better copper build, and now the ITM03 again a well-finished, matte-finished metallic build. The color blue is something similar to the OH1, from pictures the ITM03 might look edgy but it has a smooth texture that feels really premium to touch. The cable here is completely shielded according to the brand it is an OCC silver-plated cable. It has a Type-C connector that is non-removable. IKKO Audio says it can also be used with iOS devices using a Lightning connector, I guess for that we will be needing a Lightning to Type-C connector of some sort. Also, there’s a glowing red light inside the 3.5mm headphone port as it also supports optical output.



In terms of build, as I stated above No Complaints at all. In fact, it is a very well-built device.

Driving Power, Pairings, & Sound Impressions:-

For the purpose of this review, I used the ITM03 with my smartphone Honor View 10 and my DAP Cayin N3 Pro. While it drastically improved the sound quality through my smartphone using it with N3 Pro is kind of useless and not necessary at all. So everything that I will be writing this review is mostly based on my usage of ITM03 with my smartphone.

While the Honor View 10 still retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, it surely lacks power and dynamics for high-quality IEMs. When I tried my FiiO FD5 directly with the View 10 it was driven at adequate volume but lacked the openness and dynamics of the output. Using the ITM03 in the chain helped a lot even at like half the volume.



Since ITM03 is a source, sound impressions are mostly based on the transducer paired. So I will be including the sound impressions in this segment itself.

With FiiO FD5:-

FD5 is a highly sensitive pair. It never needs much volume though it will lack its dynamics and openness with bad sources such as a smartphone directly. And honestly, one won’t notice this unless he/she has used FD5 with better sources. With the ITM03 the FD5 is powered only at around half the volume. The pairing is quite natural and warm. There is no harshness, no fatiguing even after long listening sessions(pair FD5 to a bright source and you will understand what I am talking about here).



What’s better here with ITM03 is that the FD5 gets enough power to shine, open freely, and provide a clean, smooth, transparent output. I feel like it gets slightly colored, warmer than neutral. Vocals, mids sound airy and transparent, bass feels lacking a slight bit of punch here(I am used to using FD5 with my N3 Pro more). But overall if you ask me, the pairing is quite good and melodious.

With AudioSense T800:-

I recently got the T800 from a friend for auditioning, and man its intimacy is fantastic. About its pairing with the ITM03, it's again fantastic. It sounds musical, smooth, and engaging. I don’t find the pair lacking anything, again the pair is being driven at about half the volume at adequate listening levels for me.



Based on the above pairings, I find the ITM03 to have a warm and musical sound signature. It produces beautiful mids and great extensions at both ends. What it lacks is a slight bit of punch in the lower end that is evident in punchy IEMs such as the FD5. In terms of dynamics such as layering, Imaging, or soundstage, the ITM03 performs quite well for its price range. Overall I find the ITM03 output to be quite enjoyable and melodious. It can easily surpass some entry-level Hi-res players priced around its price segment.

As for the included Optical output, I don’t have optical-3.5mm cable and as I stated earlier IKKO hasn’t included much of accessories in the package. I honestly was not even able to use it at all.



Some Final Words:-

I personally have not used many DAC/AMPs. I actually don’t like using my smartphone for music, as I listen about 5-6 hours minimum every day, and using my smartphone is not my preferred mode of music. Since my childhood, I have used iPods, MP3 players, and now Hi-res players for the past few years. But using the ITM03 surely is an enjoyable experience. It allows one to enjoy hi-res music at the ease of their smartphones and to be honest also performs quite decently for its price. If you are looking to buy a portable USB DAC/AMP, the ITM03 is a smooth-sounding, melodious device that is well-built but misses on some basic accessories in the package.

After spending a good amount of time with High-end IEMs, I personally feel that everything in the chain plays an important role in the output. Whether it be the source file or the cable that’s carrying the signal. When I tried so many high-end IEMs including the likes of Oriolus Trails, Noble Audio Viking Ragnar, Empire Ears Odin, and a few more with different cables, I kinda liked exploring different cables. Over the past few months, I have explored several cables from hand-crafted DIY cables to properly branded units. Today, I am bringing you a review of a new flagship-grade cable made in a collaborative project between Kinera and Effect Audio. Let’s begin and we will discuss the super amazing Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog, the Crystal of Truth.

Introduction Before I Begin:-

Kinera and Effect Audio, both are well-reputed brands in the HiFi audio industry. On one hand, Kinera has a reputation as an exquisite IEM manufacturer, and Effect Audio on the other has a reputation as a premium IEM upgrade cable brand. Both brands have come together for this amazing cable called the Orlog. It’s available in two different variants, a 4-strand cable for 699$ and a limited edition 8-strand cable for 999$. Only 400 units of this 8-strand cable were made and mine is unit number 239 out of those 400. The cable has a dual-material hybrid design as advertised on their website. It consists of a multi-strand gold-plated copper and silver-plated copper hybrid core mixed with a multi-strand pure-copper core mixed with a pure sterling silver core. Too much technical information, but it’s all mentioned on the website. The cable uses thin 26AWG wire cores with Effect Audio’s Ultra-Flexi outer insulation layer. It has Effect Audio’s ConX swappable connector system and includes 2-pin and MMCX connectors in the package.

Oh, I forgot to mention, this unit of Orlog was provided to me free of cost by Kinera themselves. I would like to thank them and feel super lucky to be awarded this opportunity. Please don’t worry, all the impressions here are my own based on my experience with the cable over the past few weeks. You can check out more information about Orlog on the brand’s website from the link below(non-affiliated).

https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-orlog

Let’s begin with the unboxing part first.

Unboxing:-

Let’s clear one thing here, you might have never unboxed anything like the Orlog before. Like the entire packaging is so thought after, it’s so clean and looks so impressive. I mean, it opens like a premium wedding invitation lol. We have a big square-shaped package for the Orlog. First, we remove a cover on and then we slide the internal box out. It’s joined to a small square portion on the top that stands up as I pull out the package. I mean it’s incredible to unbox. I have unboxed so many products and this is my favorite one. I personally believe I am not able to do justice to the unboxing with my words here, so I would recommend you guys check out my unboxing video on my Youtube channel. I will add the link below.



Hope you guys enjoyed the unboxing video of the Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog. Let’s talk about the contents, we have the cable, a premium zipper carry case, some interesting documents, an MMCX connector, and a ConX connector swapping tool.

Design & Build Quality:-

Effect Audio knows how to design premium-looking cables and Kinera knows how to design exquisite-looking IEMs. Imagine what we will get when both of these brands come together. Just to ease this for you, the Orlog is one of the most beautiful IEM upgrade cables I have witnessed to date. My unit has an 8-wire strand configuration that looks like a mixture of Eros S and Kinera Baldr stock cable from the looks of it. It’s neither too stiff, nor it is too soft. You get a properly balanced stiffness on the cable. The Y-Splitter, the chin slider, and the Termination plug covering are top-notch. Even has a beautiful black colored stone engraved onto the termination plug area. My unit has a 4.4mm termination, and currently, I have 2-pin connectors. But MMCX is also included in the package if it’s required. ConX is super easy to replace, I have used these before, and these are very easy to replace. Simply use the tool in the package, and change the connectors like you change screws at your home.

In terms of design and build quality, I am mightily impressed with the cable. It looks extraordinary and has a superb build. Outstanding would be an understatement, and I personally believe I am not able to do justice to the cable with the images. I seriously hope you guys like these.

Sound Impressions:-

For the purpose of this review, I have tried the cable with primarily two different IEMs. I actually tried it with a variety of IEMs but made a note with these two primarily. These two are the Oriolus Trailli and the Symphonium Audio Meteor. IMO Orlog is quite a capable cable, it’s detailed, it’s refined, it’s crisp, and it retains excellent tone and clarity with the connected pair. I find the Orlog to improve the dynamics of the connected IEMs. It drastically improves their sound in terms of details and resolution, especially noted with the Meteor here. The detail level is also noticeably improved with the Meteor when I put Orlog on to it. The lower end feels tighter and better defined with the Orlog and Meteor. I find meteor to have slightly better extensions in the sub-bass region as well.

The best part about Orlog is the fact that it increases the details and enhances the treble region. Meteor with its stock cable has a dark-ish tone to the highs, but wit the Orlog, it’s much more livelier and energetic. No, it isn’t sharp or boomy even with other IEMs that I have tested it with, so the treble response is nicely enhanced. Midrange sounds rich and has improved texture for vocals. Although the vocals get a tad bit soft with the Orlog, no they don’t lose their resolution, they are still crystal clear, they just sound smoother. I would say, Orlog has a great impact in the upper mids and lower-treble region. The clarity and definition is improved, yet the presentation is smooth and soft.

Orlog With Trailli is also quite good, it gets more refinements to its signature. But I guess the stock cable of the Trailli is also good as the improvement is not drastic as compared to the difference that comes with Meteor. Dynamically, the Orlog enhances the performance of the connected IEMs. Instruments have better separation, they sound cleaner and crispier on both Meteor and Trailli.

Well, it must be clear by now that I absolutely loved the way the Kinera Orlog presents its sound. It synergizes well with both the Symphonium Audio Meteor and the Oriolus Trailli. It sounds fantastic, now on to some points that I personally think are not the best with the Orlog.

Some Cons with Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog:-

>Pricey: Obviously it’s a flagship cable and comes with a flagship price tag. Imagine I am using this 1000$ cable with my 700$ IEM. So a little pricey.

>Mids are a little soft, especially vocals. Personal preference and nitpick honestly.

>It’s so beautiful, yeah not a con basically, but honestly, I take intense care of this cable. I mean, I just fear I might damage it somehow. Super good looking lol.

Some minor comparisons:-

Astral Acoustics Eclipse vs Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog:-

I recently got to test the Astra Acoustics Eclipse as well. It’s a pure silver cable priced at 950$, so basically priced close to Orlog but different in its build and core material. Here are my short impressions of these two.

>Eclipse has more pronounced lower-end and high-frequencies, Orlog sounds more balanced of the two.

>Eclipse sounds crispier, and Orlog feels a little softer. Resolution and detail-wise both are identical.

>Orlog maintains a good balance between the different frequency bands, Eclipse sounds slightly V-shaped in its presentation.

Final Words for Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog:-

This is no secret now that I absolutely adore the Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog. This beautifully crafted cable is super cool in design and has excellent sound characteristics as well. I am rocking the Orlog every day with the Meteor and loving these more daily. Absolutely blissful!! Well, that’s about the Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog from my side, I hope you guys liked this video of mine and I hope you guys leave me a like on this review as well.

Thank You!!

Muse HiFi is a fairly new name in the market. I got to know about them with the release of their debut IEMs, the Muse HiFi Power. I had reviewed them before and personally, liked them for their smooth, inoffensive sound and impressive build quality. You can check out my review on the Power by clicking here(head-fi link). Today, I am bringing a review of one of their recent USB DAC/AMPs, the Muse HiFi M1.

M1 is a basic entry-level USB DAC/AMP that houses a Realtek ALC5686 DAC chip. It’s super compact in build and houses a single 3.5mm headphone output port. It supports 32-Bit/384kHz PCM signals. No DSD Support. M1 has a fixed Type-C USB interface. I used it primarily with my Reddit Note 10 Pro for the purpose of this review. Let’s begin with the review without wasting any more time.

Short Disclaimer:-

I received the Muse HiFi M1 from HiFIGo as a part of a review tour in my country. I assure you all the thoughts and impressions in this blog are completely my own based on my own experience with the M1. You can check out more information on the HiFiGo store from the link below.

https://hifigo.com/products/muse-hifi-m1

Design & Build Quality:-

M1 is a super compact USB Type-C DAC/AMP with a metallic outer shell. The shell has a glossy finish with the Muse HiFI logo printed on the back. On one side, the M1 has a fixed Type-C connector to connect with the source device and on the other, it has a 3.5mm headphone output port. It looks pretty well built with its glossy metallic chassis and is also quite sturdy to hold.

Driving Power:-

M1 is a pretty good device for IEMs on the go. It produces a decent amount of output to drive IEMs. It won’t suffice for headphones. For IEMs, I have tested the Muse HiFi M1 with Kinera IDUN Golden, LETSHUOER Z12, Softears RSV, etc. M1 easily drives most IEMs, for planers like Z12, I had to increase the volume a bit, but the rest of everything was good enough. There was no noticeable noise floor with any of the IEMs that I tested the M1 with, everything sounded pretty clean and smooth.

Sound Performance:-

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from the Muse HiFi M1. To my surprise, the M1 actually sounds pretty good. It has a slightly warmish tonality and a clean noise-free output. IDUN sounded quite smooth with the M1. IMO the Muse HiFi M1 adds a little bit of smoothness to the connected earphones. M1 was also a good combination with the Letshuoer Z12, the combination sounded clean and M1 allowed enough room for the Z12 to breathe properly and present a rich sound. I can say the same for the combination with Softears RSV. The presentation was pretty good for any given IEM that I tested the M1 with.

Muse HiFi actually provides ample power to the connected IEMs to deliver a rich, tight bass response, clean & balanced midrange with a smoothen treble performance. Soundstage-wise, all my IEMs performed decently. Don’t have much of complaints about the M1 in terms of its sound performance. In fact, I find myself impressed by the capabilities of presenting a clean and rich sound with Most of the IEMs that I tested it with.

Don’t expect the M1 to drive full-sized headphones. Even with my Senn HD560S, it kinda struggled a bit. It was able to make it loud enough, but the dynamics were a little wonky. For IEMs, are super good and easy on the pocket.

Some things that can be improved:-

>Some extra power wouldn’t have hurt the M1.

>no physical volume keys.

>Can’t adjust gain mode. Is there any gain mode on this device?

>Glossy finish, I personally don’t like glossy finish for my gear. They are fingerprint magnets.

Final Words:-

Muse HiFi M1 is a pretty nicely built portable USB DAC/AMP with a super-compact structure and it has pretty good sound performance as well. TBH I was not expecting much but it delivers quite a clean sound performance with enough power to drive most IEMs on the go. Its compact size allows me to carry it around easily. Even at the gym, I can use the M1 simply with my smartphone.

Over the past few years, See Audio has made itself a great name in the international market. What began with Yume, Neo, Kaguya, is going fantastic with the Yume 2, Rinko, and even the brand-new Neko. Neko is the See Audio’s latest creation, it’s a brand new character brought to life by See Audio with a 6BA driver configuration on each side. The pair is designed beautifully and is tuned to deliver a rich and lively sound, giving a unique character to the name. I have spent a good two to three-week period with the Neko here, and today, I am going to share my review on the same with you guys, so let’s get our reading glasses on and get started.

A Short Disclaimer before I begin:-

I bought the See Audio Neko from HiFiGo upon launch. They were kind enough to offer me a decent discount, i would like to thank them for this. Rest assured there is no affiliation or payment involved to write anything positive or negative on the pair. All the thoughts and impressions on this review are completely my own based on my own experience over the past few weeks with the pair. At the time of this write-up, the See Audio Neko retails for 699$, you can buy it from HiFiGo from the link below(non-affiliated link).

https://hifigo.com/products/seeaudio-neko

Package & Accessories:-

See Audio has done a fantastic job in bringing “Neko” to life. The package of the pair is really beautiful. It has a colorful outer sleeve that depicts an image of Neko along with some branding information. On the side, we also have a character introduction for the Neko. Inside the contents are in a layered pattern, the first layer has the IEMs and the cable, and the second has the other accessories such as the round-shaped carry case, a bunch of eartips, a Neko keyring, etc. Did I tell you that the Neko comes with Effect Audio Cadmus?? Well, it does and this Cadmus cable has a TermX replaceable termination plug design. 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs are included in the package. The primary point of the start of the discussion with HiFiGo for a discount on Neko was due to Cadmus as a stock cable only LOL. I have previously used the Cadmus and several other cables by Effect Audio and the Cadmus is actually one of my favorite cables by them.

See Audio has actually brought the character to life with the packaging. On the inside of the package, we also have a comic-style representation of the Neko character right at the top(attaching the image below).


Design & Build Quality:-

See Audio Neko looks extremely beautiful. The blue-coloured shells have a beautiful pattern on the face covers. Some might even find the design a little girlish, but I personally adore the beauty of the shells. The shells are made up of resin and are kind of semi-transparent in nature. We can actually see the drivers placed inside through the blue-tinted transparent inner cavity. Face covers are charming, they have a stunning flower-like pattern which See Audio calls something as “Mother of Pearl”. I was checking the images out by the brand and it seems to me that the face covers are hand-crafted to perfection.

Simply beautiful and highly ergonomic are the two words that instantly come to my mind when looking at the pair. The shells are compact and small, they provide an excellent fit for me. See Audio has also given a vent at the top near the two-pin connectors to do ventilation and stop air-pressure buildup on the eardrums. Absolutely amazing in terms of design, and super comfy in terms of fit and isolation. I used the pair with my Feaulle Latex H570 eartips most of the time and faced no issues of air pressure or discomfort by any means.

Driving the Neko:-

The See Audio Neko is quite efficient, it works well with most sources you will treat her with. I am using her with HiBy R6 Pro II, Sony Wm1A MK2, and also with direct connection to my Macbook, which works efficiently with all of them. With Wm1A MK2, I get a slightly warmish signature with denser instruments and vocal notes while the R6 Pro II sounds more neutral in terms of timbre and tone. If you have any decent source, you will be good, I am saying this because I never had to give much volume to any of my sources. At the time of writing this, I am using HiBy R6 Pro II at just 30/100 volume on medium gain mode, so you can have an idea about its efficiency.

Sound Quality Impressions:-

See Audio Neko has a lively and musical character in terms of sound quality. It has a balanced sound tuning with a little emphasis on the midrange, no It doesn’t feel overly emphasised or take the entire focus in the output, we still have an amazing lower-end and a crispy treble, but the midrange is probably the best part for me with the Neko. The pair starts with a fast and punchy bass response with a clear sub-bass rumble and a good punch in mid-bass. Lower-mids are a little recessed, but they sound crispy and show no lack of clarity or don’t feel overshadowed by the lower end. Upper mids specifically after the 1kHz region starts coming forward bringing a lively and slightly forwarded presentation for vocals. Vocals, in my opinion, are simply fantastic here on the Neko. The pair sounds absolutely adorable in terms of vocals rendition, both male and female vocals maintain a rich, lush presentation with a hint of warmth to their timbre/ The treble region is clear and shows good energy and details as well. Notes don’t end abruptly, they have a good extension up in the high-frequencies. This makes instruments sound clear and detailed and has a good amount of air on the stage as well.

How’s the Bass?

Balanced, and Clearm the Bass response on the Neko is pretty good. it’s more on the balanced side, don’t expect a powerful, hard-hitting bass, See Audio Neko delivers a clear and refined lower-end response which delivers both, a good rumble in the sub-bass and a good punch in the mid-bass. As long as you love a balanced bass response, you will definitely enjoy the Neko.

How’s the Midrange?

Lovely, absolutely lovely especially the vocals. Vocals are so charming that even in my initial impressions I stated that I absolutely love the vocals. Heck, when i started listening to the set 2-3 weeks ago I felt like man these are the juiciest vocals I have heard to date. They definitely sound rich with tone and have a musical touch to them. Both the male and female vocals have a great textured finish, simply said, they sound really great to listen to. Instruments in their midrange have amazing clarity as well, acoustic guitars, pianos, etc. sound clear and nicely separated.

How’s the Treble?

Smoothly extended. I love how beautifully the See Audio Neko handles the high-frequencies, they have a smooth and inoffensive presentation. neko maintains good clarity, wide extension, and proper definition of details in the high-frequencies. It doesn’t lose its character and maintains its resolution in the treble region. Instruments such as electric guitar, snappy things like Cymbal crashes, thunder lightning, claps, etc. don’t feel sharp or piercing at all.

How are the Technicalities?

See Audio Neko maintains good technical performance. We have extremely solid imaging and layering characters. Instrument positioning and placement is precise, stage has good depth and height but a slightly intimate width presentation.

How’s the Tone and timbre?

See Audio Neko definitely has a rich and dense character. The overall tone and timbre for the pair are slightly on the warmer side with lush and rich notes. Every instrument note has a good weight to it, same can be said for vocals with their lush presentation. It feels like a smooth ride throughout the frequency band.

See Audio Neko Vs Night Oblivion Butastur:-

Night Oblivion Butastur is getting some solid reviews worldwide. It is also a multi-BA set but instead of 6 BA’s like the Neko, this one has a 10BA arrangement on each side. The Butastur retails for 599$, close to Neko, I got the Butastur thanks to a friend(for the purpose of this comparison), let’s see ahead what i noticed.

>Neko has richer notes, instruments and vocals feels more weighted and has a better body.

>Butastur maintains a more neutral and more balanced sound presentation.

>Butastur has a wider and bigger stage, and Neko is more immersive and engaging in staging with a little intimate width.

>Bass on the Butastur has a faster response. It hits harder as well.

>Midrange definition and tonality for vocals is simply amazing and better on the Neko, they feel slightly recessed on the Butastur in comparison.

>Treble has more energy in Neko, and Butastur is slightly relaxed in comparison.

>With a bigger stage, Butastur also feels to have more air between instruments and has slightly better separation for instruments.

See Audio Neko and Butastur both offer great sound, Neko on the one hand has richer, denser presentation with more note weight, and Butastur on the other has a wider stage and better separation. I would say vocals are still the best on the Neko!!

Final Words:-

See Audio Neko sounds lovely, looks lovely, and comes in a lovely package as well. I personally loved the rich and dense character of the Neko here, Vocals are my favorite part of it and the Cadmus cable is just like an icing on the cake. It has been in my daily rotation for the past few weeks, and it is still going to get a place here. But some of my friends are interested in listening to the Neko, so I might send it to them to have a try and I will listen to some other sets in the meantime. But this is definitely a sound which I will miss when this goes out to my friend(probably gonna send it to my close proximity people only so that i can take it back whenever I want lol). Well, that’s about it, I hope you guys loved reading my review on the See Audio Neko. Please leave me a like if you enjoyed it, for any questions or queries you might have related to the Neko, feel free to ask me in the comments section below!!

Thanks for Reading till the end!!

See Audio started 2022 with its latest collaboration with Crinacle at the beginning of this year with their latest Yume Midnight. Well, both See Audio and Crinacle need no introduction in the industry, See Audio has given us some tastefully done IEMs like the Yume, the Bravery, and more, and Crinacle is a widely renowned HiFi audio gear reviewer who has recently partnered with multiple brands for different IEMs including the CRN by KZ, Eclipse by FiiO, B2 Dusk by Moondrop, and now this Yume Midnight by See Audio. The project Yume(Yume Midnight) is exclusive to HiFiGo, priced at 199.99$ just a slight bit premium over the original Yume price(169.00$). Background story tells us, Crinacle gave its tuning suggestions to See Audio upon the launch of Yume laying the foundation of this project Midnight. While keeping the same 1DD+2BA driver config, the new Yume Midnight was born. I had the pleasure to listen to the OG See Audio Anou(Yume before its international release), it was an absolute favorite set of mine, an ideal pair for relaxing listening sessions. Now, I got the chance to audition the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight courtesy of a review tour organized by See Audio. Today, I will be putting up my impressions in the form of this blog, so without any further ado let’s begin.

Disclaimer:-

I have received the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight courtesy of a review tour organized by See Audio. I am in no way affiliated or paid by them to affect my review in any way. All impressions in this blog are completely my own based on my own usage with the pair. If you are interested, you can buy the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight from their exclusive selling partner HiFiGo from here.

Build Quality & Design:-

We lost the package of Yume Midnight courtesy of our custom departments lol. The package was torn upon receiving. But luckily the contents of the package were perfectly secured and safe. So, I received the IEMs with their stock cable and a few pairs of silicone ear tips. The pair has solid resin cavities with a metallic nozzle and carbon fiber face covers. The best part here is that the pointed shape design of the OG Yume shells is now rectified. Now the pair has an ergonomic shape similar to that of the Bravery by See Audio. The right cavity has MIDNIGHT written at the corner on the faceplate while on the left we have SeeAudio’s branding logo at the center. There’s SeeAudio X Crinacle printed on both the ear shells near the nozzle. At the top, we have two-pin connectors along with a pressure vent. The cavities have a unibody design with just a joint at the nozzle that is metallic here. The carbon fiber faceplates here are reflective, they add elegance to the Yume Midnight design. OG Yume had more fun and colorful look, the new Yume Midnight looks more classy and elegant.

The cable here is a high-quality silver-plated OCC copper cable. It is soft and doesn’t get tangled often. The connectors, termination plug, and Y-Splitter have chrome metallic shielding. Cable look and feel is good, it serves well with the pair. Other accessories include a metallic case identical to the one with the OG Yume and Bravery.

Fit & Isolation:-

See Audio has kept an ergonomic and lightweight design for the ear shells of Yume Midnight. The pair provides a comfortable and firm fit for me. IMO Yume Midnight has a better fit compared to the OG model. The reason behind this is because the OG Yume had a pointed design, that gave me issues. But the new Yume Midnight has got smoothened edges similar to their recently launched Bravery IEM shells. If you look closely the design of the Yume Midnight is low-profile same as with the Bravery. With the right-sized ear tip, isolation is also good. I use S/M sized stock ear tips, they serve me well with a comfortable listening experience allowing me to use the pair for long hours.

Powering The See Audio Yume Midnight:-

Yume Midnight is an efficient pair of IEMs with low 32Ω impedance and high 106dB sensitivity ratings. It doesn’t require or take a lot of juice from any source. Even if you have a regular smartphone with a 3.5mm headphone output like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro that I have, the Yume Midnight works perfectly fine. For the purpose of this review, I used the pair with my Redmi Note 10 Pro and My DAP Astell&Kern SE100. While the sound with my phone was completely acceptable, it gets improved with better extension in the lower-end, a bit of sub-bass boost, and better detail retrieval with my SE100.

See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight Sound Impressions:-

Before I begin to tell you about the sound of the latest Yume Midnight, I would like to tell you people, I absolutely adored the OG Yume. I loved the lovely midrange and the smooth treble response of that IEM. But one thing it lacked and that was a decent punch in the lower end. It made the instruments such as Bass Guitar, Piano, Cello, and more similar to lack a heft or weight to their tones. With the Yume Midnight, I was expecting See Audio to rectify that. And with all honesty, they did it. The latest Yume Midnight has got a better punch in the lower end. It’s not just for the punch but the lower end also has better texture here. I wouldn’t say it puts emphasis on the lower end, but the presence in the bass can be felt better here with the new Yume Midnight.

See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight has a balanced sound tuning with a hint of warmth to the output. The pair maintains good resolution throughout the frequency range with the main focus on lovely, lush vocals placed right in front of the listener. I personally love the vocals of the Yume Midnight, they sound crisp, they are nicely detailed, they retain good texture of the vocalist for both male and female vocals. Treble is more or less similar to the OG Yume, it is smooth, it is relaxed, it has a good airy presentation. Personally, I liked that we have got a better, punchier bass response here. Now on to different segments of the frequency range.

Bass/Lower-End:-

Yume Midnight makes good use of the dynamic driver with a punchy lower-end response. I find the sub-bass to have a better presence here than the mid-bass region. This is actually what I prefer too, I like the sub-bass rumble while Mid-bass surprises us with a good punch at every single beat. The pair has a tightly controlled lower-end response, I don’t hear it going loose or leaking into the lower mids. And with its improved extensions, we also get better tonal weight for instruments such as Piano, Cello, and Bass Guitars. But don’t expect an overly punchy, or thunderous bass response with the Yume Midnight, rather you get a clean, precise, and punchy lower end.

Midrange:-

For me, Midrange is where all the magic is with the Yume Midnight. The pair produces mesmerizing vocals, both male and female vocals sound crisp and detailed. They have a very slightly warm, smooth touch to them. There is a slight bit of BA Timbre present here in the mid and high-frequency regions. Midrange also has good amounts of air on the stage. Different instruments such as Acoustic Guitars, Pianos sound cleaner, notes have good separation and air between them. I will try to put this in simple words here, Midrange with the Yume Midnight is charming and beautiful. IMO midrange is Yume-Midnight’s strongest point.

Treble:-

Treble or high-frequency response on the Yume Midnight is mostly identical to that with the OG Yume but with better extensions. It sounds soft, mellow, relaxed. But for my taste, I find the Treble here to be extra-soft, if only it had an extra bit of energy or sparkle, I would have loved this even more. Although I would still recommend this as a great set for a relaxed listening session. There is no harshness or sibilance present with the pair, it’s clean and inoffensive even at louder volumes. Treble detail retrieval is also quite good with the Yume Midnight.

Soundstage & Imaging:-

The soundstage has good width here, it's decently wide. Won’t say it is super wide or humongous but it maintains good width and never sound narrow. Even with complex or heavy tracks, you won’t notice any congestion thanks to pretty good airiness on the stage. The stage also has a good sense of depth and height. Imaging and separation with Yume Midnight are very good, You can recognize different instruments in a fast track easily.

Test Tracks Playlist for this review:-

>Homecoming Queen by Hinder.

>Last Good Time In Town by Eagles.

>You & I by Enrique Iglesias.

>Light Of The Seven by GOT OST.

>Strong by London Grammar.

>Home by Jack Savoretti.

>Knocking’ On Heaven’s Door by Guns N’ Roses.

>Blow Out by Radiohead.

>Tangled by Maroon 5.

>Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.

>Speak Softly Love by Yao Si Ting.

>Dance Monkey by Tones&I.

And more.

See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight Vs See Audio Anou(OG Yume):-

When See Audio debuted in the international market, they debuted with the triple driver hybrid Yume which was known as Anou in the China Market. I got my hands on a unit of Anou, So how does the latest Yume Midnight stands against the OG model. While I think Yume Midnight rectifies most of the shortcomings of the OG Model, Here’s my take between them:-

>The latest Yume Midnight delivers a better lower-end response. It’s not just about the punch or speed, it has also got a better and cleaner texture.

>I find the midrange to have a better sense of air on the stage with the Yume Midnight.

>Vocals are slightly warmer here on the newer model.

>Treble has got better extension with the Yume Midnight.

>Soundstage width is more or less the same, but we have got a better sense of depth here with the new model.

>Cosmetically I find the Yume Midnight to look more elegant and classy with its carbon fiber faceplates. This is a personal preference.

>With smoother edges, the Yume Midnight has a better and more comfortable fit.

Final Words On The See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight:-

Lastly, I would like to say that the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight is a pretty good set of in-ear monitors. In most of the cases, I find it to outperform the OG Yume like we have got better bass, better staging, better extension, better build, and even better fit. Yeah, it has some flaws of its too like the missing sparkle in the treble region, but all in all the See Audio X Crinacle Yume Midnight delivers you with a charming sound experience that can be felt with a lovely vocal presentation and airy instruments. The Yume Midnight is actually a three-way collaborative project between See Audio, Crinacle, and HiFiGo. The pair is only available with HiFiGo priced at 199.99$, Lastly, I would like to thank See Audio and HiFiGo for arranging this tour.

Yesterday, I posted my review for the Muse HiFi M1 portable USB DAC/AMP, today, I am bringing you a deep insight on its sibling, the M1 Smart. M1 Smart is IMO a different version to the M1 with an extra USB Type-C female socket for charging. It supports high-resolution 32-Bit/384kHz PCM signal decoding. M1 Smart also houses a small RGB LED. As for headphone output, we have the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Let’s begin with the review.

Short Disclaimer:-

Same as the Muse HiFi M1, I received the M1 Smart from HiFiGo as a part of a review tour in my country. All the impressions and comments in this blog are entirely my own based on my own experience with the set. You can check some information on HiFiGo from the link below.
https://hifigo.com/products/muse-hifi-m1-smart

Design & Build Quality:-

M1 Smart is a bigger version of the M1. It has a long-form factor with a black glass top and silver metallic chassis. The M1 Smart is a little on the heavier side but still manageable. It has a fixed Type-C connector cable with a nylon braided sleeve on the connector cable. M1 Smart has a Type-C charging port and a 3.5mm headphone output jack. The glass top on the front has a small O-ring LED that glows up when the DAC is connected to a source. Build quality is quite solid and robust, everything from the connector cable to the DAC’s chassis has a solid built structure.

Driving Power:-

Muse HiFi M1 Smart is again an entry-level USB DAC same as the M1. It provides enough power to drive most IEMs on the go although it won’t suffice for headphones. I personally tried it with Kinera IDUN Golden, Softears RSV, LETSHUOER Z12 Gold Edition, Sennheiser HD560S, etc. It’s good enough for driving IEMs straight out of a smartphone like Redmi Note 10 Pro in my case.

Sound Impressions:-

M1 Smart sounds pretty clean and warm. It has a smooth, noise-free output with all the IEMs that I tested it with. In my experience, the M1 Smart sounds quite identical to the M1 with a warmish tone. It provides enough power to most IEMs to deliver a tight bass response, clean and accurate midrange, and smooth treble performance. Treble extensions are decent but could be better. The soundstage is again decent with the M1 Smart. I don’t find it to be lacking in terms of sound performance, everything sounded pretty decent and smooth. Although I won’t recommend it for use with IEMs that require more power or headphones.

Charging While Using It For Sound:-

The main attraction of the M1 Smart is the ability to charge the connected source while using it for music. It performs well, Although with sensitive IEMs you might notice a little bit of hiss introduced while charging. But quite a good feature to have at our disposal.

Things that can be improved:-

>It could use more output power for better drivability.

>Sound is clean and smooth but lacks dynamics in the long run.

>A little on the heavier side.

>No DSD support.

M1 Smart vs M1:-

>Sound wise both are quite identical.

>M1 Smart is heavier.

>M1 Smart provides charging support while listening to music.

>M1 is a lot more compact.

Final Words:-

M1 Smart is more about convenience and ease rather than sound. Please don’t get me wrong here, M1 Smart sounds clean with no issues as such but the main attraction with the M1 Smart would be the ability to charge while using the device for music. Enjoy good music and charge at the same time!!

Muse HiFi is a brand that recently popped up in the audiophile industry with a bunch of products. From affordable portable USB DAC/AMPs to IEMs, Muse HiFi has brought quality products to the market. They are still a rather new name with a handful of products under their name, while their earlier products were limited to entry-level segments offering average performance, they recently upped their game in recent products like the M3 II premium USB DAC/AMP, East6 Single DD IEMs, etc. These products got some good reviews in the community especially the East6 IEMs which were the talk of the town upon their release. Muse HiFi has now come up with its first Bluetooth USB DAC/AMP, the Muse HiFi M4. Priced at 139$, this portable DAC/AMP goes head to head with some acclaimed names such as the BTR7 from FiiO. I got a sample of the M4 courtesy of a review tour in India organised by HiFiGo, so here I am today sharing my thoughts and review on the M4. Let’s not waste any more time on any other blabbering and get started.

A Short Disclaimer:-
I would like to thank HiFiGo for the sample for this review. YOu can purchase the M4 from their store from the link below(It’s non-affiliated). Other information such as DAC chip, etc is also available on the link.

https://hifigo.com/products/muse-hifi-m4

Let’s See What’s Inside The Box:-

M4 comes in a small package with everything to get you going straight out of the box. The device itself sits at the bottom in its cutout casing, while other accessories including a USB Type-A cable and the user guide are in a small box at the top layer inside the package. And well, that’s it, these are the only three things we have in the package. There’s no USB Type-C to Type-C cable included in the package of M4.

Package Contents:-

>M4 itself.

>USB Type-A to Type-C cable.

>User Guide.

Design & Build Quality:-

Muse HiFi m4 is a treat to the eyes. The device is stunning to say the very least. We have a glass window at the front through which the entire circuitry is visible. It has two LEDs at the top to denote gain level(Blue denotes low gain, red denotes high gain), a Bluetooth logo on the front that glows when Bluetooth mode is used. The best part is that we have separate power and data USB ports, so users can charge it at the same time we are using it as a USB DAC. On the left side, we have volume keys and media control keys, on the right we have a Gain switch, and play/pause function key, and a USB indicator light(this light only glows when USB input is connected). This function key is used to turn the device on/off as well. At the top we have three headphone sockets, 4.4mm, 3.5mm, and 2.5mm. The entire frame here is metallic and the front and back has glass surface. Overall an impressive build. I would have loved it if Muse HiFi had bundled a carry case together as well lol.



I faced some issues using the DAC with USB connection. A few cables did not work for me but they worked fine on the other DACs, Like the Aune Yuki cable doesn’t work with the M4 but the Hidizs S9 Pro Plus cable works perfectly fine.

Sound Impressions & Pairing:-

Muse HiFi M4 has strong output signal amplification. It sounds big and strong with a big soundstage presentation. Tonally, the M4 maintains a smooth and musical sound signature with a bit of added warmth to the output. Bass feels a little stronger, a little more slamming, adding a bit of heft and weight to the notes. Midrange has a smooth and warm touch to the tone, vocals sound solid and mesmerising. The instruments are decently detailed, I won’t call the M4 a super-detailed DAC, but rather a musical DAC that presents a smooth and warm tone throughout the frequency band. On the USB Mode, the Background is quite clear and crisp with no audible noise floor, Although Bluetooth mode has some noticeable background Hiss with some IEMs on loud volume(tested IEMs include Fudu Verse 1, Penon Turbo, Softears Twilight, Kinera Freya 2.0, and a few more).

This is my basic impression of the M4’s sound, now there are seven digital filters on the M4 that allow to play around the signature a bit. The difference between these filters is a bit minor, like the bass speed, and bass decay, these take most effect. Changing filters is a bit easy, simply press and hold the volume down keys and the two lights on the front of the device will start blinking. They will cycle the filters in 1-7 with the number of blinks indicating the active filter. After testing these for most time, I noticed the 1st filter has the warmest sound, the bass is a little strong, and the decay is a little slow in this filter. The seventh filter is the cleanest with fast bass decay speed and clean overall sound. I personally prefer the 3rd and 5th filters, 3rd has the adequate fun like bass with forwarded midrange, while the 5th sounds the most adequate for me with clear bass with good punch and clear midrange(that is not as forwarded as on the 3rd filter).

Now on to the pairings that I have tested with the M4:-

Muse HiFi M4 with D’s Audio Fire Phoenix:-

Fire Phoenix is my TOTL single DD monster with a speaker-like massive sound. The impressive output power of the M4 does justice to the Fire Phoenix driving it decently at low gain and about 30% volume level only. It becomes very loud even at low gain only. I find the pairing to be decent, even though my Fire Phoenix already has a warm sound, it doesn’t get boomy or overwhelming with the M4, and it maintains good clarity as well. On USB mode there is no audible noise floor although I hear a bit of hiss in Bluetooth mode.

Softears Twilight:-

Twilight works wonderfully well with the M4. The combination is crisp, defined, and clear. No audible noise floor here in any scenario(USB or Bluetooth). Midrange sounds charming and stunning. Treble here sounds clear and defined as well, a good companion for everyday pairing I would say. Again did not have to go anywhere above 30% volume on low-gain mode for the Twilight.

Kinera Freya 2.0:-

Freya works decently well, I hear a bit of hiss in the background while using the pairing with Bluetooth mode. IDK why but the Freya 2.0 with M4 sounds quite natural, smooth, and neutral-ish in tone. A good combination with between these two.

BQEYZ WIND:-

This one is a great combination with the M4. The M4 provides it ample juice to open up completely and sound its best. Wind is a beautiful IEM with a beautiful sound, the combination with the M4 is amazing, it provides a strong lower-end and a 3D-like enveloping sound stage. The BCD with that added warmth does a great job, hitting you to your cores haha. Brilliant combo, out of about 80-90 hours i have spent with the M4 during the past 10 days, about 70% is with Wind only.

Gizaudio Chopin:-

Chopin with the M4 sounds good, a little hiss with Bluetooth mode, but the USB works perfectly fine. The added slight warmth by the M4 benefits the Chopin in presenting a strong lower-end response. Midrange maintains a smooth and warm touch, while the open treble sounds amazing with the M4. Another Good combo i would say. Yes a little hiss in Bluetooth mode, but doesn’t sound distracting when the stock IEM is so good sounding haha.

Now some comparison time!!

Muse HiFi M4 vs Aune Yuki:-

Yuki is recently bought by a friend of mine, i just happened to receive the shipment and now auditioned it for a few hours comparing with the M4.

>Aune Yuki is a USB Portable DAC/AMP, no Bluetooth thing available here.

>Yuki sounds cleaner than the M4, no noticeable background hiss.

>M4 sounds warmer of the two, Yuki maintains more clarity and has slightly better details as well.

>Instrument notes on the M4 are a bit heavier and weighted than on the Yuki.

>M4 sounds bigger in terms of stage presentation, Yuki has a more airy stage, and instruments and vocals sound better separated.

Final Words:-

Muse HiFi M4 is a big and powerful device. IMO it’s a versatile device that can be used in both Bluetooth as well as USB mode. It’s a little big in form factor, but it is very well-built. The structure and ergonomics are quite premium with an exquisite in-hand feel. ABout sound, I liked the musical and warm tone of the M4, it works well with most of my IEMs, although it has some flaws of its own. Like doesn’t work with all Type-C cables for me, noticeable background hiss in Bluetooth mode, slightly bigger form factor than a regular USB DAC, etc. All-in-all, a device that is quite handy in every day use if you want a deviec that sounds good, is versatile, and has excellent in-hand feel.

A little background story:-


You know every hobby has something or the other that has got a premium price tag and is said to be a legendary item to experience. In our small world of audiophiles, this tag is given to only one IEM in my experience, known widely as the Anole VX from QDC. For all those who don’t know QDC(also known as Shenzhen Qili Audio Application Co., Ltd. is a premium boutique IEM(In-ear Monitor) brand from China. They have a decade of history in designing high-tech police and military communication instruments. Today, They have made a name worldwide as the manufacturers of high-end premium in-ear monitors and upgrade cables.


The Anole VX is one of their flagship offerings designed with an all-BA configuration. The pair houses 10 BA drivers on each side. Now we have also got a successor for this legend with the V14, but still, the name Anole VX glows in the industry as one of the most refined and detailed sets. My love for audio and music goes back to my childhood days, but I started exploring my sound like an audiophile about 3 to 4 years back. I came to know of the QDC Anole VX about 2 years back via a friend who said this pair of earphones is considered to be one of the most detailed on the planet. I was intrigued the moment I heard those words. But since the price tag for Anole VX has a legend of its own, I could never manage to get my hands on a unit. But thankfully, this year 2022, I got an opportunity of a lifetime, an opportunity I have always dreamt of, an opportunity to audition the Almighty QDC Anole VX came to my doors. And without a blink, I agree and got my hands on the pair for a few days. So here I am, Pulkit with my dream IEM into my ears, writing this blog for the Anole VX. Won’t bore you with any more stories, let’s start with the review.


A Short Disclaimer:-

QDC Anole VX was sent to me as a part of an audition tour organized in my country by Concept Kart. I am in no way being paid or compensated for writing a positive or negative review on the pair. All the impressions made in this blog are completely my own based on auditioning the pair for about five days. They might be affected by my personal sound preferences that are, balanced with a slight sub-bass boost. If interested you can order one via their store from the link below or by clicking here.
https://conceptkart.com/products/qdc-anole-vx-standard-wired-iem

I will be skipping over the Package part, and we will start directly with the design and build quality. But before we begin, here’s what I got in the package.

Package Contents:-

>QDC Anole VX in-ear monitors.

>Stock 2-pin cable with 3.5mm termination.

>Four pairs of silicone tips.

>Three pairs of double flange silicone ear tips.

>Cleaning tool.

>Magnetic carry case.

The Legendary Design(Design & Build Quality):-

Anole VX has got an exotic design and a super lightweight build for its shells. The shells have a glittery silver finish that looks simply spectacular for the pair. The entire housing is made up of high-quality resin material designed in an ergonomic shape. There’s QDC logo at the corner and VX with a chrome finish at the faceplate of the Anole VX. The pair has QDC styled 2-pin connectors(QDC styled here means angled 2-pin connectors with a transparent plastic case around the connectors. Both the earpieces have three tuning adjustment switches at the back. These switches allow one to adjust the tuning a bit which we will discuss later on in the sound portion. Overall, a very beautiful design I must say for the QDC Anole VX.

The stock cable is soft and high-quality. I was just wondering why there’s no balanced cable included with pair. The stock tips are also of very good quality. The included case here has a light blue color that complements the exotic silver finish of the earpieces.

Wearing The Legend:-

QDC Anole VX earpieces are lightweight and ergonomic. They are neither too huge nor too small, in fact, I get a perfect seal and fit with them using the stock tips only(used small-sized white silicone ear tips). Both the earpieces cover my entire ear canal, providing me isolation from the surrounding noise.

Driving The Legend:-

QDC Anole VX is quite a sensitive pair. I remember last night I was watching a video on Youtube on my laptop(MacBook Pro) I just plugged it in and only 20% volume was decently loud for the Anole VX. It sounds fairly decent off any given source, but I find it to sound best with a decent source like the SE100 that I personally used. I also tried the Anole VX with ITX01 from IKKO Audio. But the resolution and clarity through the SE100 is simply an amazing match for the Anole VX.

Legendary Sound(Sound Impressions):-

To sum up my entire sound impressions in a single line, “I listened to the Anole VX straight for about 4-4.5hours the first time I put it into my ears”. One can call it excitement for the pair, but man I love how smooth, how detailed this pair sounds. It produces every single nuance in our music with full clarity and resolution. Resolution-wise it comes very close to the KSE1200 that I had a chance to listen to (thanks to a dear friend for it). QDC Anole VX is not just a resolution monster, it has equal amounts of musicality to it too. Bass is fast and punchy with a main emphasis on the sub-bass portion. Vocals sound full-bodied and crisp. Instruments are rich and detailed. The pair never loses its resolution or clarity throughout the frequency range. Tuning wise the Anole VX is a nicely tuned IEM, but it has a few flaws of its own. Mainly, the soundstage is a little bit intimate, although it’s subjective to the listener. For me, it matches exactly my listening preference in terms of tuning(Balanced with a hint of sub-bass boost). Now on to different frequency parts.

Lower End/Bass:-

As I mentioned earlier, QDC Anole VX has a fast, punchy lower-end response. Lower end goes deep, Anole VX retains all the texture one might expect from an IEM in the lower end. Mid-bass is fast and well-articulated. Sub-bass portion produces a Smooth and Powerful rumble. VX’s bass response shows its authority and complements the other frequencies very well. Although the bass response is fast, it isn’t as fast as a dynamic driver. Drum hits are registered precisely with each hit producing a refined bass slam. Bass Guitar and Cello also have a clean Rumble to them.

Tracks Tested:-

>Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.

>Royals by Lorde.

>The Dark Knight Theme by Hans Zimmer.

>As We Fall by Klergy.

And more.

Midrange:-

The charm of Anole VX is mainly in the midrange and treble region. The midrange here sounds so clean, that I felt like I have never heard such a midrange before. Even though I have heard several top-dogs in the market including the VE6XC, VE7, VE8, all these are from Vision Ears, Shure KSE1200, or Sony Z1R, and a few more. But the midrange with the Anole VX is exceptionally clean and airy. Yes, the soundstage and image are intimate, closer to the listener, but the pair shows excellent clarity between the instruments with an airy stage. Vocals, both male and female are rich and detailed. They might not be as lush as with the U12t, but they are nicely detailed. I personally feel U12t has warmer than neutral vocals, Anole VX sounds closer to neutral vocals in comparison. Listening to Acoustic tracks, Live recordings, Vocal-centric, and Pop music is absolute bliss with the Anole VX.

Tracks Tested:-

>Hotel California by Eagles.

>Hey Now by London Grammar.

>I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.

>Candlelight by Jack Savoretti.

>Addicted by Enrique.

>In The End by Linkin Park.

And more.

Treble:-

Anole VX has an excellent treble frequency response. It is super detailed, it is super clean, it is not fatiguing or harsh, it maintains superb resolution, and it is superbly extended. You are gonna hear every single detail in your favorite tracks. It’s like we are hearing our favorite music in a completely new way, hearing details we actually missed before. I remember, one of the first tracks that I heard on the Anole VX was the Hotel California by Eagles(Hell Freezes Over album), and man the acoustic intro in the beginning has never sounded this good. Personally, I am very sensitive to harsh treble response, but I find the QDC Anole VX to sound smooth and rich with details here.

Tracks Tested:-

>Californication by RHCP.

>Billie Jean by Michael Jackson.

>Heavyweight by Infected Mushroom.

>Knights of Cydonia by MUSE.

And more.

Dynamics, Layering, Imaging, & Staging:-

In terms of dynamics, the QDC Anole VX is quite a quick pair. Every transition is so clean and fast that it will leave your mouth open in awe. Layering, positioning, imaging of different instruments and vocalists are again top-notch with the pair. Staging is as I mentioned earlier a bit close and intimate to the listener. No, it doesn’t sound congested at all, it’s just not as grand as something like the Sony Z1r or the 64audio U12T.

Tuning Switches:-

There are three tuning switches on the Anole VX ear shells. These are located at the back of the cavities. They allow the user to easily adjust the output as per their taste. And to my surprise, they actually bring some noticeable changes with them. First switch reacts to the lower end, the second to the midrange, and the third to the treble region. Here’s my take with them.

First Switch On:-

It makes the bass boom a little bit more. Turning the first switch on elevates the lower-end which results in a powerful lower-end punch. I liked the balanced stock lower-end response of the pair so this switch is always off for me.

Second Switch On:-

This switch affects the midrange. Out of all the three switches, this one brings a minor change in the output performance. With this one on, there is a very slight hint of forwardness to the midrange.

Third Switch On:-

The third switch here adds energy to the treble frequencies. And I love the energy in the treble. If not for these switches my only complaint in sound with the Anole VX would be its smooth treble response. During my usage, I kept the third switch in on position, love the extra energy here.

QDC Anole VX Vs Campfire Audio Ara:-

Currently, Ara is in my arsenal of IEMs. I love the pair, it also has an all-BA configuration with 7 BA drivers per side. Ara is also said to be a highly detailed set, but in my experience, it sounds very different from the Anole VX. Here’s my take between these two.

>Anole VX sounds cleaner and smoother among the two.

>VX has got a better punch in the lower end, Ara is flatter sounding in front of it.

>There are better extensions with the VX, though Ara also has excellent treble extensions, Anole VX takes them up a notch.

>Anole VX allows you to adjust the tuning a bit by tuning switches, no such option on the Ara.

>Ara is brighter and fatiguing in comparison to the Anole Vx.

>I considered Ara to provide excellent midrange and treble performance, but the Anole VX has made me change my mind with a much better performance.

I know there is a huge price difference between these two, but believe me the Anole VX just delivers a top-quality experience.

Is the QDC Anole VX Truly A Legend(Final Words):-

We are back to the beginning of the blog, we have heard so many things about the legend, about the QDC Anole VX. Now I have got a good 4-5 days with the pair, do they sound that good? Are they really worth the tag of a legendary IEM? Well, to answer it simply I would say yes, the pair performs. It lives up to its name in my diary. I am in love with the QDC Anole VX. Surely it has a few flaws of its own like the Price, but rest assured, it’s a brilliant pair. Till now I dreamt to audition this, now I have started working to buy this beauty soon. Well, that closes it up for me, If you guys have any questions or queries do write to me in the comments section below.

CCA and KZ have one of the widest collections of IEMs in the industry. CRA from CCA has got an amazing rep in my country for both its excellent sound performance and its pocket-friendly price tag. The pair is available for a mere 14$ in the international market. I have also heard some good praise for the set from fellow audiophiles in my country. CRA packs a 10mm dynamic driver unit on each side that is said to deliver a quality performance. It is widely recommended as a pretty solid set that can be recommended to people who are looking for anything around a 25$-30$ price bracket. So, I got to check it out. I am late to the party, but I have enjoyed the pair well enough. Let’s begin without wasting any more time.

A Short Disclaimer:-

CRA here came to me as a review sample provided by HiFiGo alongside a few other purchases made by me. But that doesn’t affect my judgment on the set, all the impressions, and comments made in this blog are completely my own based on my own experience with the pair. You can check out more information about CCA CRA on the HiFiGo store from the link below.

https://hifigo.com/products/cca-cra

Design & Build Quality:-

One might expect cheap plasticky ear shells under the 20$ price tag. But considering that, the CRA has got pretty-looking ear cavities. CCA has designed it with transparent resin material ear shells that have a glossy finished metal covering half of their face cover area. The shells are lightweight and have a universal fit-like shape. The pair adopts standard 2-pin connectors like every other CCA/KZ IEM. Overall, a pretty-looking set that also fits nicely. CRA actually fits perfectly with me, the shell shape is good for me and its lightweight design works in its favor. It covers my entire ear canal and provides me with a good level of isolation from the surrounding noises as well.

The included cable is what you get with most KZ/CCA IEMs. It’s a two-core flat cable with a 3.5mm termination.

Driving the CRA:-

Super easy peasy. You don’t need any kind of special gear or audio players for the CRA. It has a fairly low impedance rating of 34Ω and a high sensitivity of 105dB. CRA can be driven straight off a smartphone without any trouble. I used it with my Redmi Note 10 Pro, HiBy RS2, and Shanling M7. Runs pretty well straight off my phone with no issues.

Sound Impressions:-

What does one expect from an IEM priced at 20$? I personally expect an IEM with a fun, bass-oriented sound signature that I can use roughly on a daily basis. Well, that’s exactly what the CRA delivers. It packs a punchy bass response. What makes the CRA stand apart from IEMs in this price range is its clean midrange presentation. Even with such a punchy lower end, the midrange sounds clean and precise. It reproduces some actually good vocals in my favorite tracks. Instruments are well-separated and the stage presentation is decently wide. I won’t call it super wide or anything like that, but it creates an immersive experience for me by captivating me with its presence.

Lower-end shows some prominence in the mid-bass region. It sounds slamming and deep-hitting in bass-heavy tracks. But it doesn’t lose its character and its tone. Sub-bass has a clean and rumbling presentation. Overall, I would say the bass response is pretty clean and well-textured. There is no muddiness or graininess introduced with such a heavy bass response.

The midrange sounds a bit recessed to me. Lower mids are pushed back while the upper mids are more expressive with the CRA. This expressive upper midrange presentation gives the set its immersive feel. The vocals sound crisp and well-textured. The midrange is complemented very well by a punchy bass response for an engaging presentation.

CRA surprises with its treble performance as well. It delivers quite an inoffensive presentation with a smooth treble frequency region. Percussions and Cymbal Crashes sound pronounced with the set, but at the same time, the CRA sounds quite smooth. It goes a little peaky at times when listening to heavy metal or rock genres with a lot of treble details.

Dynamically, CRA sounds decent with average imaging and layering presentation. Personally, I find the set good enough for regular day-to-day rough usage with a fun, engaging sound tuning but lacks a bit of dynamics.

Final Words:-

CCA CRA lives up to my expectations. It delivers quite an amazing sound with good punchy bass and a clean midrange. Treble region is also mostly inoffensive and delivers a decent amount of details for the price point. If you are looking for a set for day-to-day rough usage, CRA delivers a pretty good performance!!

BQEYZ has brought the latest into its weather series of IEMs with the release of the BQEYZ Wind. Things that started with the Spring Season followed great performance in Autumn and winter, and now we have the Wind. An IEM with a unique driver combination featuring a dynamic driver and coil-based bone-conduction driver on each side. I love how BQEYZ always experiments all around and brings products that are great in terms of sonic performance and at the same time, don’t break the bank. It is not the first time BQEYZ is here with a BCD driver, Winter also featured one and I liked the set. Although the BCD driver in the Winter was implemented above the 200Hz mark. In the Wind, they have implemented a 10mm coil-based BCD driver responsible for lower-end and midrange. I got a sample sent my way by BQEYZ themselves, and today I am going to share my review on the same. So let’s get our reading glasses on plug in your favourite IEMs and begin with the review.

Disclaimer:-

BQEYZ sent me the Wind for the purpose of a review tour in India. I will be forwarding the unit ahead to the next reviewer, not being benefitted by them in monetary ways by any means. The unit belongs to them until they let me keep it after the tour. You can buy the BQEYZ Winter from the online retailer(will be adding the HiFiGo link below). It’s a non-affiliated link. At the time of this write-up, the product retails for 239$.

https://hifigo.com/products/bqeyz-wind

Design & Build Quality:-

BQEYZ Wind looks good, really really good. The entire shell is metallic and has a semi-open back grill design. The Blue colour that I have is spectacular, it looks vivid and bright, just the way I personally like. The design of the pair is similar to QDC Tiger which is a premium flagship IEM. The face covers have BQEYZ Wind branding(BQEYZ on one side and Wind on the other). On the inner side, we have the BCD driver, we can see where it is located as it is covered by a separate panel with two screw kinda things. Will add the images below so that you can also have a look at that place. We get a detachable cable with 2-pin connectors and a preferred choice of termination, no swappable plugs here.


Fit and Isolation:-

For any IEM with a BCD driver, Fit plays a crucial role. If the BCD driver doesn’t touch your skin, it won’t work for you. BQEYZ Wind for me is the best fit for their IEMs. Out of Spring 2, Autumn, Topaz, and Winter, the Wind is the one that fits me the best. And the BCD driver also touches my ear, so I can actually feel that bass rumbling hard lol. Although I must add here, the stock tips were not the best fit for me, I am using the BQEYZ Wind with Softears UC eartips. They bring the IEM closer to my ear making the BCD area touch my ear. So I suggest you try different tips and then choose the one that is most comfortable and also helps you to feel the BCD driver.

Driveability:-

BQEYZ Wind does love some extra juice sent her way. Although works well with most sources that I have treated her with including my MacBook Pro, Hidizs S9 Pro Plus, AFUL Snowy Night, Questyle CMA18P, Questyle QP2R, etc. I would suggest using a decent-level USB DAC as a minimum with the set I tested with Questyle CMA18P and QP2R for most of this review.

Sound Quality:-

The unique combination of DD and BCD drivers here on the BQEYZ Wind is implemented nicely. It sounds cohesive as a single unit, the BCD driver produces a strong and slamming lower end just make sure it touches your ear when you wear the set properly. Bass has good reach and definition. It reaches deep in the sub-bass region and produces a good rumble along with a good punch in the mid-bass section as well. The midrange has a clean and crisp presentation. Vocals show good clarity and resolution. The same can be said for the instruments in the midrange. In my experience with their products so far, BQEYZ tunes with an open and detailed midrange section. Instruments such as Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonium and wind instruments such as Trumpets, organ, etc. show amazing details and lovely tones in the midrange section. The overall tone on the Wind is quite natural and lively, Vocals sound full of life, they are well-textured as well.

Treble region is smooth and inoffensive. No harshness or sibilance is present on the Wind yet it received good micro details in the sound. Treble region has good air as well and doesn’t sound congested or intimate for busy tracks such as Billie Jean by MJ. I would personally love a little more energy into the Treble section, but hey where will I put the Simgot EA1000 then? lol. Overall, BQEYZ has treated the pair with an amazing sound tuning, it packs a sound that will complement most genres. I personally tested it with multiple genres including EDM, Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, Classical, and some regional Bollywood, I never found the BQEYZ Wind to sound lacking at all in any given department. Technically, again I find the BQEYZ Wind to be highly efficient. It has good note weight, accurate imaging, and a wide+Tall soundstage. With its open-back cavity design, the soundstage also has good depth giving a full 3D feel.

BQEYZ Wind’s sound finds a place in my best IEM around 200-300$ price bracket. Heck, it can compete with some IEMs priced above its range(will share my comparison with Tangzu Nezha ahead) and will have some points going there in its favor. For me, BQEYZ Wind is probably the best BQEYZ has offered us so far.

Let’s summarise this review with some basic points.

>Excellent bass, fast, snappy, and deep-reaching.

>Clear and crisp midrange. The vocals sound well-textured and well-detailed.

>Handles even busy tracks easily, nicely executed treble.

>The soundstage has a good 3D feel.

>Excellent Imaging and instrument detailing.

>Instruments also have a decent amount of note-weight.

>Tone and Timbre are simply excellent, smooth and natural.

Some things that I feel could be improved here:-

>Fit, Yes the fit is very good for me. But unless the pair fits you perfectly, you won’t be able to feel the proper bass response of the BQEYZ Wind. So mentioning it for the team.

>Requires a decent amount of power. If you don’t have a decently powerful source, you won’t be able to feel the proper sound of the BQEYZ Wind.

>Treble is too smooth for me, personally I would love a little bit more energy into that section.

Now on to some comparisons.

BQEYZ Wind vs Simgot EA1000:-

Both these IEMs have a dual-driver hybrid configuration. The Wind has a DD+BCD combination while the EA1000 has a DD+PR configuration. Let’s take note of how these two compare.

>EA1000 is more sensitive than the Wind, so easy driveability.

>EA1000 have a tad bit more mid-bass slam and weight. The wind has more refinement and a crispier lower-end definition.

>Wind has a faster and snappier bass response.

>Both the pair have clear midrange, but Wind sounds better definition and slightly more clarity.

>Treble on the EA1000 is on the brighter side. It is more defined and extended. Wind handles a smoother approach in treble. EA1000 might sound offensive to some.

>Wind has a more 3D feel to the soundstage.

BQEYZ Wind vs Oriveti OD200:-

OD200 packs a single dynamic driver setup while the Wind brings a DD+BCD combination. Here’s my take on these two.

>Wind’s bass has more slam and weight to the bass. Oriveti is a little thin in comparison. Both have identical speeds and extensions.

>Oriveti’s midrange is a little thin in comparison, Wind has more weight to the vocals and instruments.

>Both maintain a good treble region with the OD200 presenting more energy, and the Wind presenting a smoother response.

>Wind’s soundstage is more 3D.

BQEYZ Wind vs Tangzu Nezha:-

Nezha the latest flagship from Tangzu packs a multi-BA+PZT hybrid configuration and retails for 400$. Here’s my take on these two.

>Wind definitely has more lower-end presence. It is faster, snappier, and punchier.

>Midrange is the charm of Nezha, Vocals sound really good. Although Nezha have a little BA texture to them and Wind sounds more natural.

>Vocals and midrange on the Nezha is more forward in comparison.

>Treble on the Nezha is more extended, crispier and has a slightly better definition than the Wind.

>Wind has more instrument and vocal weight thanks to the added bass response.

>Soundstage of Wind is more 3D, and is taller.

Final Words:-

BQEYZ Wind is an IEM that brings us a taste of Bone-Conductiuon Drivers in a pocket-friendly price bracket. And they have nailed it with the sound of the Wind. I have been using the set for quite a while now, and never even once have I felt like I should listen to something else. Right from the comfortable fit to the amazing sound, Wind packs it all in a beautiful metallic shell. For around 200$, BQEYZ Wind is one of my top recommendations alongside the Simgot EA1000 and Oriveti OD200. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my review, if you have any questions or queries related to the Wind, feel free to ask me in the comments section below.

BGVP Acoustics is a well-recognized brand from China. They specialize in HiFi In-Ear Monitors with multiple successful models such as DM6, DN3, and more. Quite recently they released their five driver hybrid IEM in the affordable price segment(Under 100$), called the BGVP DH5. DH5 is said to feature a 10mm BE plated dynamic driver with four BA units(2 from Knowles and 2 Custom-tuned). The drivers are arranged in a three-way frequency crossover. The pair features 3D-printed resin cavities with wooden face covers. I got the DH5 for audition courtesy of a review tour being organized in my country by BGVP. I have spent the past few days exploring the sound of DH5 with a variety of sources and music. Today, I am going to share my impressions on the same, so without any further ado, let’s begin.

Disclaimer:-

I got the pair for an audition for about 10 days as a part of the review tour organized by BGVP. I will be 100% honest in my impressions of the same. If you are interested you can purchase the BGVP DH5 from HiFiGo from the link below.

Unboxing & Accessories:-

BGVP has featured a designer-looking slip-on cover over a plain black cardboard box for the DH5. The slip-on cover has the BGVP DH5 branding logo printed right on the front along with the Knowles logo and Hi-Res sticker. On the backside we have the technical specifications of the pair printed in English and Chinese languages. The contents are placed inside the black box right under this slip-on. There are six pairs of silicone ear tips, one pair of memory foam ear tips, one carry case, and a cleaning brush in the package. Quite commendable to BGVP for offering so many accessories even for the budget earphones.

Package Contents:-

>One pair of BGVP DH5 IEMs.

>One two-pin cable with 3.5mm termination plug.

>Three pairs of Vocal ear tips.

>Three pairs of Bass ear tips.

>One pair of Memory foam ear tips.

>Cleaning brush.

>Zipper carry case.

>User guide and Warranty card.

Design & Build Quality:-

BGVP DH5 ear shells are made up of medical-grade resin material. They are translucent in nature and have designer faceplates. The faceplates have a unique design with small fragments of wood arranged in different colors. There’s also a shiny silver BGVP logo placed at the side of the faceplates. The cavities are quite light in weight, they are also small in size so they fit with them is quite good. I don’t find any issues in terms of fit with the DH5 though I have to use “L” type ear tips for proper isolation as the shell size is small(I usually use “M”). Overall I would say DH5 is a neatly designed set with solid resin shells. The stock cable looks well-built. It has a Rose Gold and White texture. The cable has 2-pin QDC connectors and a 3.5mm termination plug.

Driving The BGVP DH5:-

BGVP DH5 is quite a sensitive set with a low impedance rating of just 19Ω and high sensitivity of 119dB/mW. It runs great straight off a smartphone(Tested with my Redmi Note 10 Pro). I tested the pair with Redmi Note 10 Pro, Luxury & Precision W2, and HiBy RS6, I can assure you the pair is fairly easy to drive.

Sound Impressions:-

Tuning wise the DH5 is not a nicely tuned IEM I would say. It has a V-shape profile where bass and treble are elevated and mid-range takes a step backward. My previous interactions with BGVP have been with the DM6, DM7, DM8, and even the recently launched DN3, all these were amazing sounding IEMs but the DH5 has a strange tuning to it. Mid-bass sounds boosted, too boosted for my taste that I find it boomy in some tracks, Midrange is being overshadowed by the elevated mid-bass response. The treble region sometimes has a smooth inoffensive tone and then all of a sudden for cymbals and flutes it becomes sparkly.

Lower-end/Bass:-

As I mentioned above, the lower end has a main emphasis on the mid-bass region. The slams go deep, leaving an impact with every single beat in our music. Sub-bass presence can be felt but it is hidden under the punchy mid-bass response of the DH5. DH5’s lower end can be described as fast and punchy, with decent extensions.

Mid-range:-

In order to protect the output from muddiness caused by boomy lower end, the midrange takes a step back with a recessed V-shape presentation on the DH5. Vocals and acoustic instruments sound crisp with a warmer than neutral tone to them. Both the male and female vocals have a clean presentation with good clarity. Though my take here is that vocals sound too distant for my taste.

Treble:-

Treble presentation is elevated and detailed. The pair retrieves good details but with an added sense of sparkle and punch. Instruments such as Flutes, cymbals sound splashy, especially in the high notes. But the good part here is that the Treble rolls off quite early in the upper treble region presenting an inoffensive tuning for most of the tracks.

Soundstage & Dynamics:-

Soundstage with the DH5 has good width and height but average depth. Dynamics such as layering, imaging, spaciousness, are decent enough with the pair.

A Few Final Words:-

BGVP DH5 excels in build and accessories, the wooden fragments in the faceplates look extremely beautiful. But the tuning on DH5 needs improvements. If only the mid-bass was a little bit controlled the scenario for the DH5 would’ve been entirely different. Currently, most of the sound signature is being controlled by the powerful mid-bass response on the pair. Being a fan of the DM6, DM8, I think BGVP could tune the DH5 for a better experience for the users.

TForce Audio is a new entry into the world of high-fidelity IEMs, where the brand has debuted with its very first pair of single dynamic driver IEMs, the TForce Audio Yuan Li. TForce Audio is founded by experienced audio engineers with years of experience in the industry. They planned and based their debutant IEMs on the legendary Chinese Dynasty. Yuan Li their very debutant IEM is named after the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China. This shiny beauty houses a 10mm dynamic driver with DLC(Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm coil. I am a sucker for single dynamic driver IEMs with my favorites being FiiO FD5, DUNU Zen, KBEar Believe, and many more. So when I got to know TForce is planning on organizing a review tour for Yuan Li in my country, I instantly grabbed the opportunity to be a part of the tour. Let’s check out whether this beauty marks a good entry point for TForce or not?? I will be answering at the end of this review.

Disclaimer:-

I received the Yuan Li as a part of the review tour being organized here in my country by TForce themselves. I am in no way associated with TForce to write positive or negative about Yuan Li all the impressions in this blog are completely my own based on my own usage with the product over the past week. I will be shipping the unit ahead to the next reviewer after this review is complete. If you are interested, you can buy the TForce Yuan Li from HiFiGo Store for just 119$ from here(Not affiliated).

Design, Build Quality, Fit:-

Yuan Li has full metallic CNC machined earpieces with a shiny mirror finish to them. Despite being full metallic, the pair is quite light in weight. The earpieces have a T-Force branding logo printed at the center of the earpieces close to which we have an air pressure vent. Another air pressure vent is located at the inner side close to the ear nozzle. The ear nozzle here is also fully metallic and has a golden finish to it. The earpieces feel solid and sturdy to hold. It looks like they will withstand a fall without breaking a sweat at all. Though with a full metallic, shiny mirror finish, the earpieces are fingerprints magnets, every time I hold them, I see myself rubbing them against a cloth or something to clean. Overall the design, look, and build quality of the pair is pretty good.

I received the pair with its original carry case, which is a Faux Leather case. It is extremely good, has enough space for another spare cable even with the Yuan Li with its stock cable and a few pairs of ear tips. I received seven pairs of ear tips, three pairs of white silicone(thin material and wide bore), three pairs of grey silicone(narrow bore, high-quality), and one pair of memory foam ear tips. The stock cable with the Yuan Li is a copper cable with two-pin connectors and 3.5mm termination. The carry case is the best part among the accessories of Yuan Li.

In terms of fit, the pair is ergonomic & lightweight. I find no issues in fit even for long listening sessions(Up to 4-5 hours on a single sitting). The pair covers my entire ear canal blocking any external noises(with M size ear tips). Isolation and fit-wise, Yuan Li has no errors.

Ear Tip Rolling:-

I had some issues with earpieces slipping out of my ears on stock white silicone ear tips, plus the Vocals were too into the face with their wide bore design. I tried and found the Yuan Li best with Spinfit CP100 tips. They have a medium bore with better silicone quality than the stock white ones. Spinfit CP100 also improved the bass response with better rumbles and better depth extension. I mainly used CP100 with Yuan Li and would recommend everyone to use it.

Final Audio Type-E is also an excellent pair to try on the Yuan Li. Its narrow bore increases the bass response even further. Personally, I find the pair sound best with the CP100.

Driving The Yuan Li:-

I don’t find Yuan Li to be a demanding set at all. It performed quite decently straight out of my Samsung Tab S6 Lite. The pair was sounding adequately loud for me at around 60-65% volume level. Though I will say the pair misses out on its capabilities such as bass punch and overall clarity with the S6 Lite. Once you plug the pair into a half-decent source such as a USB Dongle DAC such as Audirect Atom 2, the pair scales well enough. I personally paired the TForce Yuan Li with S6 Lite, S6Lite + Atom 2, Cayin N6ii(A01), and Cayin N6ii(A02)+Topping NX4.


I would say, the pair sounds decent enough straight out of regular smartphone output, but pairing it with better sources rewards a better punch in the lower end, wider stage, and better overall dynamics. Even adding a small Audirect Atom brought Yuan Li to improved dynamics, so I would recommend using at least a Dongle DAC/AMP or Hi-Res Player for taking the full benefit of Yuan Li.

Sound Impressions:-

Yuan Li has a sweet musical tonality to its sound. It delivers a quick and punchy lower end whenever called upon, sweet & melodious vocals, and a wide soundstage. Tforce has done a safe, smooth treble response for its debutant IEM. It doesn’t have any harshness or sibilance to itself. It looks like the pair has a slow roll-off in the upper treble region. This though benefits the users by maintaining good energy in the output without it being fatiguing or harsh at all. Yuan Li’s sweet tonality, the warm powerful presentation make one appreciates and enjoy their music for countless hours. I would say, the pair has a dead silent noise floor with no noticeable hiss or background noise. Pitch dark background allows the music to be more enjoyable for the listener.

Lower End:-

Yuan Li delivers a well-extended fast and punchy bass response. The lower end has a good body with fast slams and a tightly controlled presentation. No, the pair doesn’t feel overpowering in the lower end. In fact, the pair maintains a well-defined presentation in the lower end. I would say mid-bass slams have a slight prominence in the lower end as compared to the sub-bass region. Though that doesn’t mean it lacks rumble or power, the pair will surprise you with its lower-end response even in quick tracks such as Dance Monkey by Tones & I or Billie Jean by the legend MJ. Super satisfied with the lower-end response of Yuan Li(for the best experience I would recommend CP100 ear tips and a decent source(like Shanling M3X or maybe a Dongle DAC such as Lotoo Paw S1).

Mids:-

Yuan Li holds its magic in its mid-range. The presentation here is slightly forward with a warm melodious tone to vocals and instruments. I love the well-textured presentation of both male and female vocals with the pair. They sound sweet, listening to vocal-based tracks such as “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, “Cannon Ball” by Damien Rice, is a mesmerizing experience. Acoustic instruments have a good sense of air between them. I would say the Tonality and presentation of midrange with the Yuan Li are exceptional for the price segment.

Treble:-

TForce has Gove with a safe bet for the treble region. It has a smooth, non-fatiguing presentation with a slow roll-off in the upper treble region. Treble extension for the price is good, there are no sudden spikes or peaks in the treble that might make the pair sound harsh or fatiguing. There is no noticeable sibilance to any of the instruments such as Violins, Electric Guitars. All-in-all a smooth presentation.

Soundstage, Layering, Instrument Separation, & Imaging:-

In terms of soundstage, the TForce Yuan Li excels with a deep & wide soundstage. It has enough air to provide a good separation between the vocalist and instruments. Imaging is average for the price segment. One can identify different instruments in a track, but pin-pointing them on the stage is sometimes not possible with fast & complex tracks such as “Dark Necessities” by RHCP.

TForce Yuan Li vs Hisenior T2 Classic:-

Both the IEMs are priced at 119$. I have Both right now with me. Yuan Li is the debutant product for TForce, Similarly T2 Classic is one of the first universal IEM from Hisenior launched recently. Here’s my take between these two:-

>Yuan Li has a more fun tuning while Hisenior has a dead-neutral tuning.

>While Yuan Li has a slightly forward presentation for the mid-range, Hisenior has no emphasis on any particular frequency.

>Soundfield has better width & depth with the Yuan Li, Hisenior has an average soundstage presentation.

>Yuan Li has a warm, sweet tonality, Hisenior T2 Classic has a completely natural tone.

>As per me Hisenior is more suitable for professionals with a taste for natural, neutral sound, Tforce Yuan Li is suitable for end consumers with a sweet and melodious sound.

A Few Final Words:-

To explain the TForce Audio in a few words, It’s an absolutely brilliant set starting off the journey for TForce Audio worldwide. I loved its musical tonality, Sweet vocals, and wide soundstage presentation. The lower end & the mid-range are the charms here. Treble extension could have been slightly better here. And while the included carry case is extremely good, the ear tips are not up to the mark in quality especially the white silicone ones. I preferred using CP100 with the pair. Once you get it right with the ear tips, You are in for a great time with the TForce Yuan Li!!

The products from Kinera have always intrigued me, especially their IEMs. Not only because of their sound which is praised widely by the audience but also because of the linkage to Norse Mythology in design and naming, not the mention the outstandingly beautiful hand-painted designer ear shells. A few weeks back, I got an opportunity to try Kinera’s latest Nanna 2.1, a sub-flagship multi-driver hybrid set of in-ear monitors. Today after spending a good 2-week honeymoon with the set, I feel like I should write and share my impressions with you guys, so let’s begin.

About Kinera Nanna 2.1:-

Nanna 2.1, is a strange name. It’s the third installment for the Nanna. Originally, the Nanna came out a few years back. The pair boasted outstanding sound capabilities with a 4-driver tribrid configuration(1DD+1BA+2EST). Back then when the OG Nanna was released, it was the flagship of the brand. Later it got the Baldr as the main flagship, but Nanna has always been a favorite of the brand. I was super interested to try this beautiful pair out when it got the 2.0 variant back in 2020. But had to miss due to some other commitments. Fast forward to 2023, we have got the Nanna 2.1 as a collaboration project between Kinera Imperial and Zeos from Z Reviews. It’s a minor tuning upgrade over the 2.0 variant and houses the same configuration as the OG model. This new Nanna 2.1 is limited to only 500 units worldwide, and here I have a unit with me.

A Short Disclaimer before I begin with the review:-

Nanna 2.1 was sent to me as a review sample as a part of a tour in my country. I feel thankful to the brand for the same, and I would like to assure the readers a free audition sample doesn’t mean I will mince my words. I will try my best to write the review true to my words, and experience with the set. For more information, you guys can check out the product details on Kinera’s website from the link below(non-affiliated).

https://www.kineraaudio.com/product/kinera-nanna-2-1-z-tune-edition

Unboxing Nanna 2.1:-

Nanna 2.1 comes packed in a colorful cardboard box that has a hexagonal shape. It has a small outer slip-on cover with Z-Review branding information. The main box has a smokey pattern and looks quite beautiful. Kinera has printed technical information, a frequency graph, and some more brand and Nanna-related information on the back of the package. Inside all the contents are securely stored in foam layers. We have a booklet that has the story behind Nanna’s inspiration, tuning, and design. The earpieces sit firmly into foam cutout along with five pairs of Final Audio Type-E eartips, two pairs of memory foam ear tips, a carry case, and 3.5mm+2.5mm connectors on the side. Other contents including the cable, 4.4mm termination plug, a few more pairs of silicone ear tips, and a cleaning tool are all secured and packed inside the carry case.

That’s all about the package of the Nanna 2.1, we get all we need, earpieces, a cable with swappable termination, a bunch of eartips, a carry case, and a bunch of eartips. I have also posted an unboxing video for the Nanna 2.1 on my Youtube, you can check that out as well. Let’s move ahead and we will start with the design and build quality of the pair.


Design, Build, Form Factor:-

One thing I always praise about Kinera is their design for their IEMs. The shells are beautifully crafted with premium hand-painted face covers. Both the shells have a stunning smokey pattern on their face covers. From my understanding, these are hand-painted by a skilled artist. On the right shell, we have the Z-Reviews logo printed, and on the left shell, we have the Kinera logo printed. By no means the pair will allow you to have a minimal design, it’s eye-catchy and will grab the attention of a crowd. Great looker imo.

With a four-driver tribrid setup, the pair is quite compact and has a small form factory. The shape design is universal and ergonomic which allows for a comfortable wearing experience, atleast for me. While the pair don’t exactly disappear into my ears, the fit is comfortable and I get no issues even after 2-3 hours of continuous usage. Along with a good fit, the Nanna 2.1 also has excellent isolation. Thanks to this proper isolation, I never had to raise the volume to higher levels apart from testing.

I would say, I am impressed in all these regards, Design, Fit, & Isolation. The included stock cable is also quite light in weight and has a simple build structure. It has a swappable termination plug system which is pretty useful if one wants to use the pair with multiple sources. I have used it with included 3.5mm and 4.4mm plugs and the response was solid. Now, let’s go ahead to the power requirement section.

Power Requirements For Nanna 2.1:-

If I compare the Nanna 2.1 with other IEMs in terms of power requirements, I would say that the Nanna is a power-hungry set. It loves some extra power thrown it's way. Kinera has designed it with a moderately high impedance of 60Ω and a high sensitivity of 110dB. The high-impedance wants us to give it a powerful source, but the high sensitivity helps a bit. It sounds pretty good out of a dedicated USB DAC/AMP or a dedicated digital audio player with decent enough output power. Like it sounds amazing with Jcally AP90(4.4mm Balanced), Sony WM1Z MK2, Sony ZX707, and the Sony WM1A MK1. Although I recommend using it with a portable amplifier when using the set with low-power devices such as the Sony Walkman players. My personal setup for critical listening for this setup is as follows.

>Sony WM1A MK1 with HUM MA1B fully balanced class A portable amplifier(My favorite combination).

>Sony WM1A MK1 with Topping NX7 portable amplifier.

Sony WM1A MK1 also powers it efficiently through its 4.4mm output, but adding an amp surely tightens the lower end and opens the stage a bit as well. The difference is easily noticeable with both the amps attached to the WM1A, but the synergy of using WM1A as a DAC with Nanna 2.1 is simply amazing. It complements its sound and the resulting output is lovely. Let’s discuss more in that regard in the sound impression section now.

Sound Impressions for Kinera Nanna 2.1:-

Nanna 2.1 is a pair that instantly captivates its listeners with its exceptionally good sound output. The pair simply packs an impressive sound that is rich for vocals and instruments, detailed and textured for again vocals and instruments and has an expansive 3D soundstage as well. It hits the perfect sweet spot between analytical and musical sound. The vocals on the Nanna 2.1 have that charming musical touch to them while the level of detail retrieval on the Nanna 2.1 is outstanding as well. Nanna is an experience that instantly creates a gripe for the listeners with the first few tracks only. It honestly has become one of my favorite sets around the white price bracket(under 1k$). The best part about Kinera Nanna 2.1 is that it sounds fuller and immersive, Vocals, Instruments, and everything on the set has such a good body and definition that they sound spectacular for almost all the genres that I listen to(Vocal-centric, Regional Bollywood, Pop, Rock, etc). Let’s begin with the sound part according to different frequencies.

Bass-Response:-

Kinera Nanna 2.1 extends deep into the sub-bass region and produces a rumbling response. The definition and texture in the lower end are nicely done with good slams in the mid-bass region that genuinely complement the rumble from the sub-bass. Although, I would say a tad bit of more punch in the mid-bass would have made it a perfect bass for my taste, still the Nanna produces an amazing lower-end. But I guess that would take the output from being balanced to a bit Bassy. Listening to my favorite tracks to test bass response on the Nanna 2.1 like Limit to your love or Bad guy, I find Nanna 2.1 to maintain a good resolution and speed and never lose its clarity or introduce any kind of distortion.

Mid-Range:-

The mid-range response on the Nanna is clear, crisp, and well-detailed. The instruments and Vocals have a charming tone that is close to natural, atleast to my ears. Lower mids are a bit relaxed and recessed, but the upper mids have a bite and bring the vocals in a slightly forward manner. But the position is nicely controlled to maintain a balanced output, and the vocals sound sublime, never going shouty or fatiguing even at louder volumes(done this only for the sake of testing). I would like to praise now nicely Nanna maintains its resolution even on loud volume levels, especially in the midrange. If vocal-focused tracks/artists like Damien Rice, and Gloria Gaynor are a part of your everyday listening tracks, Nanna will be a solid companion for you.

Treble Response:-

Treble is done beautifully on the Nanna 2.1. It has excellent details and presents in a perfectly smooth manner. I mean, you can listen to the pair for hours and hours and won’t feel any kind of tiredness at all. The EST drivers on the Nanna do their magic in the higher end, the pair has an extended treble response showcasing an airy sound. Nanna reproduces every minute detail beautifully and still maintains a smooth, lively response. It’s one of the only few sets around the 1000$ price bracket that does Treble this beautifully. The other contender would be the Thieaudio Monarch MK2, delivering such a detailed and crisp treble.

Soundstage, Imaging, Instrument Separation:-

Well, Nanna 2.1 produces an expansive 3D soundstage presentation. The pair sounds simple and lovely with a wide and deep stage. If I have to compare the staging to something closely priced, I would say the Monarch MK2 has a bit more width, but the depth and full 3D feel is better created with the Nanna 2.1. Imaging and Instrument separation is crisp and very well done on the Nanna 2.1.

Somethings I Think Can be Done Better on Nanna 2.1:-

>Nanna 2.1 produces lovely sub-bass, it’s exceptionally well done. But I would need a bit more, just a tad bit more punch in the mid-bass.

>Nanna 2.1 is demanding in terms of power, being an IEM, it shines best with a powerful DAP or a DAP+Portable AMP combo. Though with its sound, I don’t mind stacking.

Ummm doesn’t matter how hard I try, I can’t find any more flaws with the Nanna. And after a lot of experience with many 1000$ and above-priced IEMs, I can simply state that Nanna 2.1 is one of the best-sounding IEMs priced around the 1000$ bracket, atleast to my ears.

Let’s check out some cable rolling with the Kinera Nanna 2.1.

I have tested the Kinera Nanna with three cables mainly, the stock cable, the Cadmus 8-Wire from Effect Audio, and the Kinera x Effect Audio Orlog premium upgrade cable. Here are my thoughts on them.

Nanna+Cadmus 8 Wire:-

To unleash the full potential of the Nanna, Cadmus 8-Wire is my absolute recommendation. The pair not only sounds expansive but has better details, buttery smooth treble, and a tighter lower end. Cadmus 8-Wire and Nanna 2.1 are an absolute bliss to listen to and they are probably my favorite portable combination with prices set to no bar.

Nanna+Orlog:-

Orlog improves the detail level a bit over the Cadmus 8-Wire, although it’s a bit dark in its presentation. So the Treble is a little soft. Orlog sounds a tad bit clearer and cleaner than the stock cable as well.

Some Short Comparisons!!

Kinera Nanna 2.1 Vs Thieaudio Monarch MK2:-

Monarch MK2 is a highly-acclaimed set for 1000$. Many people find it to be an end-game set, and probably it is because it sounds wonderful. Let’s check out how does this beautiful pair sounds with the Nanna 2.1 as a competitor.

>Nanna 2.1 has a more pronounced lower-end response. It sounds clearer and more refined in the sub-bass region than the Monarch MK2.

>Both the pairs have a crisp midrange response, although I would say that the vocals are a bit lush, and the instruments a bit better defined, just a tad bit better on the Nanna. Though, Monarch is the one with a more natural timbre and tone.

>Treble on the Monarch MK2 extends a bit better, Nanna has a smoother treble. Both retrieve an excellent amount of details.

>Soundstage as I mentioned earlier in this blog, is a bit wider on the Monarch but more 3D on the Nanna 2.1.

Kinera Nanna 2.1 Vs Oriolus Szalayi:-

>Szalayi has a lot more punch to its lower end. It’s kind of bass-head level and even beyond that with its strengthful bass.

>Nanna 2.1 has a cleaner, crispier sound throughout the frequency band.

>Szalayi the midrange tone is lovely, though Nanna is more resolving and clear.

>Treble on the Szalayi is a bit soft, Nanna has more extensions and is better defined as well.

Final Words:-

Kinera Nanna is a wonderful-sounding set, it's adequately rich, it’s exceptionally well-defined, it has excellent resolving capabilities, and it pairs well with almost all the different genres of music that I have thrown at the set. It’s kind of an all-rounder pair that does everything nicely and presents an amazing listening experience. The only con that it might have for the masses would be its power requirements, it surely requires a good source to deliver the best performance. For me, as a personal preference, Nanna 2.1 is going to be in my collection as one of the best sounding 1000$ IEM!!!

Well, that’s all about the Kinera Nanna 2.1 from my side, I adore the pair every day, It’s going out on a review tour now, and I don’t know what I will listen to when this beauty is gone. Hope you guys liked this review of mine, for any further questions and queries, feel free to connect with me in the comments section below.