Firstly a big thanks to Brooko and Fiio for providing me the X5ii for review. I am not affiliated or been financially compensated for the review.
 
I have had a plethora of DAPs for review in the past couple of months so this provides an excellent base to work off and judge the relative strengths and weakenssess of the X5ii.So without much ado, lets dive into it.
 
The package was very simple but smart and had all the necessary cables and other accoutrements
 
The FiioX5ii retails at USD$349 and the accessories and the build quality feel pretty solid and well worth the price. No shortcuts here from Fiio and the X5ii should last a fair bit.
 
To start with the exterior, its nicely finished metal and carries a smooth finish and well weighted buttons throughout although the wheel like the previous version still needs a bit more finesse and better gearing as it tends to slip a bit. Other than the wheel, the rest of the buttons are great to work with.
 
The interface also seems to be much more tidier and streamlined compared to the X5 and thats a big plus point for the newer version but internally it still seemed to mess up the ID3 tags and some playlists although that might be due to incorrect tags or mistakes on my side.
 
 
Without much ado lets jump to the meat of the review.
 
Treble: The treble is best described as being very smooth with good extension but lacks the very last bit of sparkle and openeness. Guitars come across as crunchy but need just that extra bit of sharpness and sparkle alongwith the cymbals. The treble just seems to linger about without really coming upfront, something the X5 was really good at.
 
The mids are very slightly recessed compared to the original X5 and while the majority of the mids sound just fine and clean, there is just a very tiny bit of cloudiness in the upper mids which could need a bit more cleaning to standout and probably the reason why the mids seem slightly recessed compared the the X5.
 
Coming to the bass, its clean, very tight and delivers the right amount at the right time without interfering with the rest of the spectrum. Could use a bit more punch and impact but I reckon it would satisfy most overall critical listeners who might find excessive bass a turn off and intrusive.
 
The biggest roadblock in the X5iis way is the Original X5, there I said it!!
 
To elaborate, I listened to the original X5 for a fair bit and was astounded by the price to performance and the overall sound quality. The Line Out on the X5 was a revelation and the Headphone section was very clean too with barely any frequency humps or anything else out of order. As much as I tried I just couldn’t love the X5ii considering the original was an absolute 180 from the typical warm Fiio house sound and delivered a fantastic sound signature, which somehow was lacking from the X5ii.
 
I tried both the Fiios extensively in my car with a pretty comprehensive setup and the X5ii just seemed to go back to the “Fiio of old” sound which while listenable is not what I am guessing it was aiming for.
 
 
Tracks used:
ATB- See You Again. FLAC 16/44
 
Digimax & Javiera Mena - Complejo de Amor. WAV 16/44.
 
Hammer & Bennett – Lost. FLAC 16/44.
 
Alizee- Veni Vedi Vici. 320 kbps mp3 16/44.
 
Kraftwerk-Das Model. WAV 16/44.
 
Javiera Mena – Otra Era 320kbps mp3 16/44.
 
 
 
The headphones used were:
 
JVC FXZ200.
 
JHAudio JH16.
 
Sennheiser Amperior.
 
MDR-SA1000.
 
Maddog 3.2.
 
JVC-SZ2000.
 
 
 
 
 

Review for the Brainwavz Blu-100
 
Firstly a big thanks to Audrey and Brainwavz for providing me the Blu-100 for review. I am not affiliated or been financially compensated for the review except the earphones.
 
I was contacted by Audrey as always for a review and received these shortly after. The package was great as usual for Brainwavz with a set of Complys,
 
multiple tips and the famous Brainwavz hard case is a nice touch as always.
 
These retail at $40 although thats hard to predict if you look at the accessories and the packaging.These are also very competitively priced all things taken into consideration
 
To start with the exterior, its well built and should last a fair bit with straight nozzles and a connecting cable long enough to run between almost anyones ears.
 
They are slightly heavy due to the Bluetooth bits inside them as the charging/battery circuits are all housed on the right side.
 
The fit on these is pretty good as they never fell out of my ears on the medium tips and I experimented with other tips from Monster and Sony and preferred the stock tips in this case.
 
 
Lets jump to the sound quality now as Bluetooth has never been best for sound quality and see how the Blu-100 fares in this arena.
 
To start with the highs, the highs are in control and luckily not sibilant as I am not a big fan of sibilance and prefer a more controlled treble with just a bit of sparkle. Could use a bit more control but hard to expect much from a Bluetooth earset.
 
The mids are recessed albeit slightly as the Blu-100 seems to be aiming for a consumer oriented sound and while the mids are not thin or lacking in body, they could be a bit more forward and stand with the rest of the frequencies. I would rate these as a consumer oriented signature aiming more for a bass and treble based signature.
 
Coming to the bass it has decent punch and extension , nothing like the S5 though. It delivers the punch and thump when required but is surprisingly behaved and not overbearing to make a mess of the rest of the sound signature.
 
Battery life is also very important for wireless earphones and the Blu-100 lasts 4 hours as advertised and charges quickly too. More is always welcome though but then again at this price its nit picking.
 
Overall I would recommend them in their budget as they are very functional for the price and deliver features and sound that defy the price tag and once again puts Brainwavz firmly in the value for money category. A fully accessorized Bluetooth earbud with decent sound quality for the price is hard to come by.
 
 
 
A breakdown of the tracks and equipment used underneath to give a better understanding of the environment in which they were reviewed.
 
Tracks used:
 
HouseRockerz-Herzrasen. 320kbps mp3 16/44.
 
Digimax & Javiera Mena - Complejo de Amor. WAV 16/44.
 
Hammer & Bennett – Lost. FLAC 16/44.
 
Zazie-Larsen. 320 kbps mp3 16/44.
 
Ayla - Ayla (Taucher Remix). WAV 16/44.
 
Kraftwerk-Das Model. WAV 16/44.
 
Bob Marley-Jamming. WAV 16/44
 
Wippenberg-Phoenix. WAV 16/44.
 
 
Bluetooth output was from:
 
Samsung Note 4.
 
My Homebrew PC.
 
 

 
Firstly Thanks to Sennheiser Australia and White Lotus for being kind enough to organize a tour for the Urbanite Xls in Australia. I already own the HD-25ii,CX685 and in the line for Momentum In-Ears to give a frame of reference. No, I am not a fan of the HD800, prefer the HE-6/TH900.
 
 
Packaging: As always Senn gives a big box which is necessary to fit these. Its very high quality and reflects the pedigree and the price. The headphones come with a nylon bag to carry these around and that's about it. While a bit lacking for the price, the overall quality is a face-saver as I would have preferred a hard case, 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapt or and a second wire.
 
 

 
 
Build quality: The build quality of the Sennheiser is great with no creaks or loose ends. Nice finishing over all the surfaces and good quality pads to boot. The headphone overall exudes a very silent, a very confident feel and is sure to get attention. Being collapsible they can fit in tight spaces and the mechanism for the hinges is well damped and doesn't have any drama or sounds showing attention to detail. I expect these to last a loooong time if my HD-25 is anything to go by. The cable also feels well weighted and is detachable/flat which is always a plus if you lose it or want to upgrade a higher quality cable. The headband is well made and padded while the overall fit is very secure, well isolated and highly comfortable for hours of listening even on the move.
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Sound: The Urbanite is Sennheisers (high quality) version of Beats and as the headline says, its the Anti-Beats and here,s why.
 
The overall sound signature is on the warmer sound of things and tuned for mainstream pop/hip-hop/EDM which means a V curve and strong bass. The bass while being a few db more than the rest of the spectrum is nicely controlled and has plenty of punch. Read on for a more detailed description of the sound spectrum.
 
Bass: The Urbanite were definitely designed for a more consumer friendly and warm sound and they certainly wont be challenging the HD800 anytime soon. The bass is reasonably good and has plenty of definition and attack from a Phone/DAP but adding an amp/powerful DAP changes the equation completely and the Urbanites revel in the extra power. The punches hit harder, the attack gets quicker and the decay is snappier. The best part is that the bass always follows the music without interfering in it or becoming too boomy. There was just a slight hint of bass leaking in the mids but it would be tolerable at this level. One shortcoming of the bass were the very low end frequencies which the Urbanite simply refused to play no matter how much EQ or amping was provided. Maybe its a driver limitation or a limitation of the earcups is hard to say but it just seems to miss that very last octave. Listening to Trance with sub-bass information will reveal this characteristic as other cans I use handle those frequencies very well.
 
Mids: The mids are typical of Sennheiser and very smooth and relaxing to listen to and here the Urbanite seems to be borrowing from its elder brothers, the HD650/800. They are very smooth and vocals sound just right without being shouty or harsh, a trait noticed in the above mentioned cans and a huge positive for the Urbanite and shows the family resemblance. Female vocals are very buttery and male vocals are well handled too. Looks like Sennheiser just couldn't avoid its habit and injected superb sounding mid range in whats supposed to be a semi-bass head cans. No complaints here.
 
Treble: The treble on the Urbanites again is very well controlled with not a hint of sibilance and seems to follow Sennheisers tradition of providing just the right amount of sparkle and clarity to ensure the overall experience doesn't sound muddy while avoiding the sibilance pitfalls. The treble stays well isolated and has a little bit of sparkle and fast decay leading to a smooth sound overall. Its probably the main reason why the headphone is stopped from wandering into dark-sounding/veiled territory a la V-Moda M100.
 
The test rig:
 

 

 
 
 
Doesn't get much more portable than this.
 

 
 
To sum up the sound and the headphone overall its the Anti-Beats because Sennheiser actually made a product for its target audience that's well built and will go the distance, looks great but not garish, sounds fantastic for its intended audience and is a product for mature/fashionable adults. Reverse these attributes and what do you get? Poor build, garish looks, so-so sound, teenage (or mentally teenage) audience i.e Beats.(Come at me Bro)
 
Not having a go at the Beats but the Sennheiser is simply more refined,more mature overall and reflects its Teutonic parentage. Sennheiser set out to make a Beats but ended up in exactly the opposite direction and that's not a bad thing at all. Chuck in a few more accessories worth maybe $10, a bit more sub-bass and the Urbanite could be close to portable nirvana for most of us.

 
 
Is being a Jack of all trades and Master of none really a bad thing?
 
 
 
 
 
Firstly thank you to RHA and Lin0003 for organizing the tour of the T10i as this was one IEM I was anticipating hotly after owning the MA750 and loving its sound. RHA has been impressive so far so the T10i carries a huge burden on its steel shoulders. So without much ado lets get into the review.
 
Packaging: Great as always with RHA and reminiscent of the MA750. Nice big box with plenty of tips and the three filters that lead me to the days when a Discman/Minidisc/Phone used to come with a plethora of accessories and it was an occasion to unwrap those unlike the Apples/Samsungs of today with just the phone,battery and a usb cable. A solid 10/10 for the packaging.
 

 

 
 
Build quality: RHA is known for its build quality and suffice to say the T10 carries on the tradition faithfully with its steel enclosures for the drivers , strain relief on the earphones and similar on the plug. All the bits exude solidity including the mic/volume buttons and I guess they fully justify the cost of these IEMs. The cable is pretty strong too and works with the reliefs to keep these ticking on.The soft case provided is a nice touch too with very soft materials and a classy finish.
 

 

 
 
Sound: Now onto the meat of the matter as all of the above attributes would be wasted if they didn't sound great. So how do they sound?
 
Well lets break it down then:
 
Treble: The treble on the T10 is very controlled and has plenty of sparkle without pushing into tinnitus territory. The IEMs have a warm signature so the treble doesn't dominate the scene and comes into action when called upon. Cymbals crash and decay decently fast and top end sparkle is under control at all times. Even after experimenting with the treble filter, the treble was always smooth and pleasant and a joy to listen to.
 
Midrange: This section of the T10 is something that changes very heavily with the type of filter used and with the bass filter there was a bit of bleed into the mids, nothing unpleasant but it does show how quickly the T10 can change character and turn on a dime.The standard filter brings things into perspective and the mids clear up with a nice smooth presentation and female vocals sounding fantastic without the typical sssssss sound that a lot of IEMs exhibit in female vocals.The treble filter however gave the best presentation as now the mids came into full play and seemed to have a slightly 3D characteristic to them. Great to listen to for any and all vocals.
 
Bass: The T10 does a Mr Hyde here and unleashes its evil (and highly likeable) side. The bass is fantastic and possesses a very nice rumble or punch depending on the kind of music being played.
Listening to bass heavy music with the treble filter kept the bass in check with a nice smooth punch and the standard filter turned up the bass a bit more.Putting on the bass filter suddenly unleashes the inner beast and when paired with a good amp the bass can be monstrous and oh so satisfying. The punch is hard and fast, no doubt aided by the dynamic driver and the rigid steel enclosure and when there's a rumble while watching a movie, the T10 bring a smile on your face again as the drivers digs deep and brings it all without missing a beat.
 
 
 
The two major factors besides the filters that can affect the T10s sound is tips and amplification as running it off a phone resulted in pretty average performance while putting an amp in the equation tightened up everything and gave it a sense of coherency and balance. The Arrow 4G and the Cayin C5 definitely met its needs very well while the Note 4 gave an average presentation simply because it couldn't power them properly.The tips also make a huge difference as bigger tips seem to clear these up a bit while smaller tips again messed with the sound. The tip sizes are in relation to my ears so YMMV.
 

 
 
 
To conclude, the RHA T10i definitely has a tilt towards the warmer side but with diligent usage of filters you can change its nature to suit your music so no matter if you listen to classical or techno, the T10 will perform admirably in all situations with just a switch of its filters. I tried it with a fixed set of tracks I use to gain a proper perspective and the T10 rarely if ever was found lacking in a particular area and considering its overall package such as the build, accessories,filters and RHAs customer service it is definitely something to consider in its price range and
a great deal at its current price.

Review for the Brainwavz S5.
 
Firstly a big thanks to Audrey and Brainwavz for providing me the S5 for review. I am not affiliated or been financially compensated for the review except the earphones.
 
I was contacted by Audrey to review these and received a package very quickly after our communication on Headfi. The package was very simple but smart and had all the accessories and even a set of Complys which is a great inclusion. The hard case is a nice touch too as it provides someplace to tuck these away and the flat cable ensure they stay untangled.
 
These retail at $100 and the accessories and the build quality would rate it much higher. The expectations of an earphone in this heavily crowded market are very high and there is no shortage of competitors so what makes the S5 so special?
 
To start with the exterior, we have the nozzles which are at angle to the main body and surprisingly enough very comfortable and lightweight to stay in my ears. My Sony XBA-H3 sticks out like an eyesore and the S5 solves that problem very elegantly with its angled housing.
 
The wire as previously mentioned is a flat affair and great for day to day usage as it stays out of trouble and is usable straight out of your bag instead of the usual fidgeting around after putting a set of earphones in your pocket/bag/purse etc.
 
Lets jump to the sound quality now as see where the S5 stands in this fiercely contested market.
 
To start with the highs, the highs are very smooth with good extension and crunch but seem to limit themselves to that very last bit of detail and extension. Guitars are crunchy but could use just that little more crunch and extension. Mind you the average customer cares more about the bass more so that might not be as big a shortcoming for the average customer as I will elaborate further.
 
The mids are slightly recessed as the S5 seems to be aiming for a consumer oriented sound and while the mids are not thin or lacking in body, for their intended consumer they might just be perfect since the vocals are smooth and clear they are just mildly recessed and that is not a bad thing especially for electronica/trance/techno. I would rate them as easy listening and the mids simply flow but once again just need that bit more forwardness to be perfect and after experimenting with tips, they do change their sound signature for a slightly more forward midrange.
 
Coming to the bass its very punchy, very well defined and hits the right notes. A decent amount of texture and quantity makes it a very fun listen without being boomy or having a one note bass and having decent amplification makes the S5 shine even better in this area. My Arrow 4G would push the bass to stupid levels and the S5 would happily put up with it while the E12DIY controlled the whole scenario and gave the bass a bit more control and punch with its superior power. Overall this will easily satisfy bassheads provided they feed it well enough with a decent amp.
 
Overall I would recommend them at their price as they are pretty non-offensive in their sound signature especially for bassheads as they are very satisfying in that regard and really shine with an amplifier. Trance and other electronica are a pleasure to listen to as are drum and bass. They have a very warm presentation and I guess Brainwavz is aiming for the mass market and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
 
A breakdown of the tracks and equipment used underneath to give a better understanding of the environment in which they were reviewed.
 
Tracks used:
 
HouseRockerz-Herzrasen. 320kbps mp3 16/44.
 
Digimax & Javiera Mena - Complejo de Amor. WAV 16/44.
 
Hammer & Bennett – Lost. FLAC 16/44.
 
Zazie-Larsen. 320 kbps mp3 16/44.
 
Ayla - Ayla (Taucher Remix). WAV 16/44.
 
Kraftwerk-Das Model. WAV 16/44.
 
Bob Marley-Jamming. WAV 16/44
 
Wippenberg-Phoenix. WAV 16/44.
 
 
The amplifiers used were:
 
Headstage Arrow 4G.
 
Epiphany Acoustics O2.
 
Fiio E12DIY.
 
Bottlehead SEX.
 
Sources used were:
 
Geek Out 1000.
 
Sony NH1
 
Galaxy S3/Note 4 with Viper installed.
 
 
P.S.
 
My review was late as I was waiting for some of my equipment to come back so I could listen to these earphones properly( I always have stuff coming and going to/from other headfiers) and in the meanwhile my two cats managed to get a hold of a couple of my earphones/headphones and chewed them out. The casualties included the S5 and my Fischer Audio FA-011.
I had to get a second pair to review these again just before finalizing and posting my review as it wouldn't be fair to Brainwavz to do a half cooked assessment. I don't write a lot but try to be thorough so heard them again and finally penned my thoughts.Apologies again to Audrey and the Brainwavz team.
 
Here are the furry culprits:
 

Hello everyone, My late review of the X5 due to PC issues.
 
 
Headphones used: AD900X, MDR-F1, HD25-ii, JVC SZ2000, Fischer FA-011, JH16 and FXZ200.
 
 
To start with, no pictures since they were all lost along with the review so I will keep it short and sweet.
 
 
To begin with, the player feels sold and well built compared to the X3 and should be able to hold its own against the rest of the DAP bunch.
 
The buttons feel well built and nice to the touch although the wheel could use a more rigid gearing compared to the one it has now as it feels too loose at times.
 
 
Moving on to the display, the display seems nice and clear and sufficiently lit to see in the sunlight too very important due to the fact that it will be used outside.
 
Could use a bit more brightness or maybe its just me going blind.
 
 
The layout of the X5 with all its ports and buttons is very easy to use after fiddling with it for 15 minutes and as with most things you can just feel the buttons and do your thing.
 
So a big benefit for future X5 users as the wont have to deal with esoteric buttons and myriad menus.
 
 
Now coming to the most important part, the sound. The Fiio X5 seems fairly well balanced overall with no nasty spikes or unnatural boom.
 
Just clean and clear audio with no surprises.
 
The treble is well defined and articulated for a very pleasant presentation, midrange just needs a bit more body but that could possibly be changed by using different headphones.
 
The bass is just about right with no bloom or looseness. You get tight punchy bass and very good speed/impact for most tracks.
 
The soundstage is very precise and large though not huge.
 
 
I also tested it with my E12DIY and that only helped it to get even better. The E12 adds some more bass impact and punch to the whole sound while helping out with harder to power cans.
 
 
The X5 surprised me most however when it came to plugging it in my car and boy oh boy, it was amazing how good it was.
 
I have a comprehensive triple amp car setup with a HX-D2 headunit,Focal Kevlars, JL Audio sub and sound proofing all around.
 
The X5 literally was the cheapest piece of kit in the whole setup and it also had the biggest impact.
 
The whole system seemed to have cleared its throat and the sound was simply mesmerising.
 
It was crystal clear, sharp and very very enjoyable and seemed to unlock hidden potential in the whole setup.
 
I still haven't gotten over the fact and will get an X5 just to keep in my car.
 
 
 
To conclude, the X5 is something that is well worth the price and even more importantly for Fiio, a shot across the whole DAP field.
 
Having owned the X3 and currently running the E12DIY, the X5 pushes Fiio in a newer and bigger direction as I always liked Fiio products (E7,E12 and E18)
 
but had that nagging feeling that something was missing or not right but not anymore.
 
The E12DIY and the X5 have progressed Fiio to a higher playing field and everyone else, watch out.