Quick Read Conclusion

The Hifiman Jade 2 amplifier and headphones (the “Jade 2”) provide an exceptional desk based electrostatic ecosystem for your ears. If you have the kit necessary to eek the highest levels of performance out of these headphones, you won’t be disappointed. This said, the Jade 2 is not perfect – I have some questions around the build of the headphones (specifically the fixed cable - UPDATE: see post script below) as well as the practicality of integrating the Jade 2 into your set up. One of the reasons main reasons I listen to headphones is portability – spending c.£2,500 locking yourself to your desk with the Jade 2, which require an amplifier the size and weight of a typical tank to drive them, defeats the object for me. But good lord, they don't half sound good!

Introductions and General Bumf

This review follows a familiar format, but as described above, this is an “ecosystem” review. For me, with the Jade 2, the headphones are inseparable from the amplifier – none of my other amplifiers even have the right plug for driving the Jade 2 headphones, let alone the esoteric power outputs required for electrostats. As such, when I talk about the Jade 2, I am talking always about the Jade 2 headphones plugged into the Jade 2 amplifier.

I also want to add that I haven’t really made much in the way of comparisons below, as I think they are pretty meaningless in the context of my review. The Jade 2 are the first pair of electrostats I have ever heard, and I could only listen to them through their own amplifier. The only arguably meaningful comparison I could draw was therefore between a Pro iDSD>Jade 2 Amp>Jade 2 and a Pro iDSD>Sennheiser HD600. This at least allows me to illustrate some of the differences with a pair of headphones I know well in the HD600. I also tried to volume match by playing a steady 1 kHz tone and using the soundmeter app on my Samsung Note 8. I appreciate not a perfect match, but better than not trying at all, and should hopefully help to reduce, if not entirely eliminate volume bias.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am in no way affiliated with Hifiman and have received no inducement from them to write this review (other than the chance to participate in the Jade 2 tour).

Test Kit: I have tested the Jade 2s with pretty much every DAC I have in my arsenal! They got exposed to a Schiit Modi 2 Uber, RHA Dacamp L1, ifi Nano BL and A&K AK70 mk 1 (in line out mode) but I got for and away the best results using an iFi Pro iDSD (which I had on loan from iFi at the time).

Preparation: I received the Jade 2s as review samples and so relied on the fact they had been through lots of hands before mine. I therefore didn't give them much burn in.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: Test tracks noted in the review below were the TIDAL 16/44.1 available through their Hi-Fi subscription.

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Tech Specs

From Hifiman’s website accessed 11/8/2019 https://hifiman.com/products/detail/298:

Headphone

Frequency Response: 7Hz-90kHz

Bias Voltage: 550V-650V

Weight: 365g (12.9oz)

Amplifier

Weight: 6.5kg (14.3lb)

Dimensions: 276 x 270 x 116 mm³ (10.9" x 10.6" x 4.6")

You’ll note the enormous frequency response, as well as that some of the typical stats (like impedance) aren’t given – presumably irrelevant in the context of an electrostat ecosystem.

Unboxing

It was a pretty typical workday afternoon, until my PA appeared with a massive box (45cm x 45cm x 45cm) carried in on a luggage trolley. The box was around 12kg all in – material in weight then and I was glad I had chosen to drive in that day. The unboxing was unremarkable, with the amp, headphones and a manual packaged in cardboard boxes.

Build and Practicalities

The amp itself is massive and very heavy, but feels very solid and well built. The actual amplifier is housed in a central metal box, and there is then another sort of “wrap around” piece of metal which appears to act as a heatsink. The whole thing somehow put a tie fighter into my mind!



The buttons are all solidly built, and the volume control (which I never got higher than about a third) has microsteps, with the difference in volume between each step sufficiently small to allow a great degree of precision in terms of volume setting. On the front is also a balanced/RCA push switch selector and two headphone outputs.

On the rear is the power input (selectable between 240 and 120 volts) and a pair of balanced and unbalanced inputs (3 pin XLR and RCA respectively). It’s built like a tank and weighs a ton. This is very much a fixed piece of kit – not portable.



The headphones themselves are a tale of two halves for me. They are very pretty, with the electrostatic “nanotech driver” reflecting and splitting the light beautifully behind the protective covers.



The faux leather, notched adjustable headband also creates a very comfortable headphone.



However, I have some real reservations about the cable, and it is the only bit of the whole system which feels cheap. Firstly, it is non-replaceable which I simply do not think is acceptable in a high end system. Secondly, the cable itself looks thick in the pictures but this is just a plastic sheath and inside it are some very thin, very standard looking bits of wire. I struggled to get a good photo, but take my word for it – this feels flimsy, and as the cable is irreplaceable this is an expensive failure risk in one of the weakest points in the system. UPDATE: see post script below.



The earpads though were very comfortable and I had no issues with some extensive (3+ hour) listening sessions.



The Sound

Highs, Mids and Lows

In highs and mids, the Jade 2 performs spectacularly. There is a life-like quality of crispness and definition I have never quite heard in the same way through a headphone. Cymbals have a remarkable shimmer which I have never quite felt in the same way through a headphone as in real life. Take the start of Gladys Knight’s Licence to Kill, just before the first verse starts, the cymbal hit really stood out, shimmering in my ears. Another track which demonstrated the skill of the Jade 2s is James Brown’s Funky Drummer where the tapping drumline is up in the forefront of the sound you hear. Voices too, especially female vocals have a clarity and life-like edge to them, sounding rich (for a vocalist like Nora Jones) or breathy and thin (for a vocalist like Stephanie Poetri in I Love You 3000) as originally intended.

What the Jade 2’s are not however, is a basshead’s dream. The Jade 2’s bass put me in mind of good balanced armature bass – you get well described notes and clearly hear the bassline, but you get none of the impact a dynamic driver IEM delivers. Thus with the Jade 2; the bass is all there, well described and clean, but there is none of the visceral impact or weight, making the Jade 2s (to my mind) far better suited to orchestral music, jazz and acoustic numbers and far less appropriate for bass heavy dance or rock music. I understand this to be a pretty normal trait for electrostats and, if so, the Jade 2 is consistent.

Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

Detail, separation, precision and soundstage the Jade 2 has in utter abundance. The soundstage is both wide and deep, and this assists greatly with the instrument separation which is absolutely fantastic. Even on the most congested orchestral tracks… think the crescendo in Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King (from the Peer Gynt suite). Lesser headphones can get a bit confused towards the end of this piece, with the various instruments overlapping or “mushing” together. Not so with the Jade 2 which defines and places each instrument, allowing the listener to easily focus on the individual or allow the whole piece to wash over in glorious detail.

Head to something a bit more modern, and listen to The Greatest Show form the Greatest Show soundtrack. Not only are individual voices in the choral pieces identifiable, but the separation of the drumbeats from the footsteps from the bassline all separately defined and detailed. The Jade 2s are up there with the very best I have heard for detail retrieval.

The Jade 2s are also very fast – by that I mean that there is a crispness, particularly around higher frequencies (think the top ranges of snares, kicks and the top ranges of things like violins). This means that each note of each instrument has a clear start and instant end, with almost no “bleeding” of sound between (for example) drum kicks. The same is also true of lower frequencies, so if you listen to a track where there is some bass and kick flowing together (perhaps the start of Camilla Cabello’s Havana) there is a perceptible staccato to treble beat and the bass line. The best adjective I have for this sensation is “clean”.

Comparisons

As I mentioned above, I don't have apples for apples with the Jade 2s. They are cleaner, crisper and quicker than the HD600s with more separation and detail on offer, but less impactful bass.

What I would say, form a comparisons perspective though, is that the Jade 2s showed up all of my best kit, and it was only when I plugged them into a Pro iDSD I had on loan from iFi that I heard anything like their capabilities. I think it is telling of their quality that it was not until I put £2k of DAC into their inputs, that I heard these headphones sounding their best – not that they didn't sound good with the Modi 2 Uber, or my nano BL. But the level of detail, precision, separation and the “life like” sound only really came to the fore through the Pro iDSD.



Niggles

The cable is, as mentioned above, poor and the connector is uncommon, meaning these aren’t plug and play with non-electrostatic amplifiers. The amp is massive so this a desktop listening experience and the Jade 2s are very, very leaky (to the point where I woke my daughter up listening to them in my office with the door open).

Conclusion

They sound great. But they pin you to your desk. They are also scalable up to the highest level I have ever heard meaning you need great kit to hear them at their best. On re-reading my review, the most repeated feeling was "life like" and I think this is the thing which blew me away about the Jade 2 - how much they sounded like real life.

Post Script

I received a really interesting PM about this post from @ISOLordByron which i set out below. It's informative re/the cable.

As a quick note, there's a reason that the cable is the way it is. One of the major design challenges of an electrostatic system is keeping the capacitance low, as it will lead to capacitive lag that will effect impulse speed and phase linearity, among other things. Without getting into too much technical jargon, the cable needs to be very high purity copper, very thin, and insulated very densely to avoid issues. Copper also corrodes and oxidizes so a detachable connector would ideally be played in a different conductor, which, would significantly increase capacitance. So, it sadly kind of has to be this way. The Stax cables also feel very cheap.

Quick Read Conclusion

I joined the review trail for the Lime Ears Model X (universal) (“Model X”) reasonably excited about the proposition of switchable tuning. I have seen a number of IEMs including this sort of functionality over the last few years, and the Model X was the first I got my hands on. The Model X is a remarkable bit of kit – two IEMs in one really; at first, you have a very neutrally tuned detail master, then flick the switch and the corresponding lift to bass and lower mid frequencies gives a much more relaxing and (to my ear) enjoyable experience. Rounded off with (other than the cable) a solid set of accessories and the Model X offers a convincing proposition for relieving yourself of €890.

Introductions and General Bumf

This review follows a familiar format, but I have spent a little more time deliberating on the comparisons between the two switch settings of the Model X – as it is clearly a key feature, I thought worth some focus.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am in no way affiliated with Lime Ears and have received no inducement from them to write this review (apart from a bit of fudge they included with the review sample, but as it was Lent and I had given up sweets etc, my wife ate it. Apparently lovely!).

Test Kit: I have tested the Model Xs with a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both UAPP and Tidal), an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage, running Tidal), an Astell and Kern AK70 mk 1 (both balanced and unbalanced), an iFi iDSD Nano Black Label, RHA DacAmp L1 and also a Schiit Modi 2 Uber into a Vali 2 ("Schiit Stack").

Preparation: I received the Model Xs as review samples and gave them both about 50 hours of burn in before any analytical listening.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: Test tracks noted in the review below were the TIDAL 16/44.1 available through their Hi-Fi subscription.

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Tech Specs

Now this is an interesting one. I struggled to find detail of the normal specs (impedance, sensitivity, THD etc) I would expect to publish as part of a review on the Lime Ears website, so I dropped the (ever helpful) Peter a line and the response was “… we kinda don't believe in these. That’s funny considering we are a pro-audio rather than audiophile company… [and published stats] are often bogus”.

I’m a little conflicted by this response. I have always been clear in my reviews that I am an amateur reviewer, and focus on trying to describe what I hear when listening to the equipment. From this perspective I get Peter’s point. However, I think that stats and frequency response curves can be extremely helpful in helping make sense of what I’m hearing – recognising impedance mismatch as a source of distortion for example, or identifying a frequency response spike as a perceived focus on a particular part of the sound spectrum. Peter did share some internal measurements Lime Ears had, but asked me to keep them to myself. I have respected this, but I would say that:

1) they were excellent and I don’t think he should have any problems sharing them in this community; and

2) they correlated with my subject perceptions… helped to make sense of what I thought that I was hearing.

So what can I say unequivocally? The Model X contains 4 balanced armatures and utilises Lime Ears’ Passive Acoustic Resonator and Varibore technologies (more detail at www.limeears.com, but basically physically adapting the sound bores in the IEM nozzle with the intention of producing a better sound). In my experience, including plugging the Model X into my Vali 2, I didn't encounter any impedance distortion.

Unboxing

Lime Ears are another IEM manufacturer which have nailed quality, premium packaging perfectly. When I received it, I was really surprised by the weight of the box – the heaviest IEMs I have ever been shipped. On opening the box, it was clear why… the Model X come with their own solid metal tin. Nice touch and no question this will protect the IEMs adequately.

In the box then, that tin containing the Model X IEMs, and their 3.5mm unbalanced cable (more on that below), and a bunch of tips, all inside a thick card box with a magnetic flap and ubiquitous Lime Ears branding. And the obligatory warranty card etc.



Accessories

Cable

Lime Ears obviously have the same cable supplier as fellow Polish IEM manufacturer Customart… and they should both sack them off. An average, inflexible cable with poor (i.e. too much) microphonics (especially due to rub against glasses) and an overall cheap feel. I abandoned it immediately and used my Effect Audio Origin cable, including for all testing below. In my opinion, at €890, Lime Ears should be including a superior cable – the EA Origin is only US$60 but immeasurably superior to the included cable.

Tips

Conversely, Lime Ears included a fulsome set of tips including (my personal fave and the tip I settled on for testing) Comply foam tips, a number of silicon spinfit style (not sure if they are actually SpinFit), and a really interesting silicon outer, foam inner tip which I loved the idea of but found a little uncomfortable.

Practicalities, Build, Fit and Tips

You can tell the Model X is built by a custom IEM manufacturer – they are big, and consistent with a lot of the premium custom manufacturers’ universal offerings (with the possible exception of 64 audio), chunky. The nozzles are also pretty long and wide, so they go deep into your ear canal. This meant that I actually couldn't use the usual Comply tips I like to use (the ball shaped ones) as I couldn't get the Model X deep enough inside my ear canal. I also let my wife (who has small ear canals) have a listen, and even with the smallest comply tips, she was struggling to get them into her ears. Once you get the right tips though, fit, seal and isolation are all good. My recommendation on fit then – try them first if you can! You’ll see from the pictures below though, that once properly inserted they are pretty neat and snug.



Build quality is (with one small exception) great. Seamless faceplate attachment onto a comfortable acrylic body – the carbon fibre finish of the faceplate set off against the (lime!) green motifs is deeply aesthetically pleasing to my eye, and the Model Xs are a joy to hold with a sensible weight to them. My one tiny niggle (which I feel justified at this price point) is that, around the switch, the finish is a tiny bit rough. No suggestion anything will break/fall out, just that the slightly unfinished feel around the switches is noticeable on an otherwise beautifully fabricated IEM.



The Sound

The Switch

The main event here is the switchable tuning. In the switch down (reference) setting, the tuning is very neutral and (to my ear which prefers a little more warmth and bass) a little thin sounding. Unquestionably treble forward and (after a while) a little fatiguing. Flick that switch to the up (warm) setting though, and you are hearing a different IEM – the lift in the bass and lower mid provided by changing the tuning taking off some of the sharper edges and creating a much more relaxed sound, possibly at the expense of a little detail.

I had a good few weeks with the Model X (for which I thank Lime Ears), including taking them on holiday with me. Initially I only listed to them on the switch up (warm) setting, finding the switch down (reference) tuning thin, dry and a bit fatiguing. One evening however (after the best part of a bottle of a very good South African pinot noir) I decided to listen to some live guitar focused music (Barenaked Ladies live album on Tidal) and was blown away by the soundstage and detail I was hearing in the recording, really experiencing “holographic” sound stage. I then became much more experimental with the tuning switch, finding that different tracks were better suited to different tunings – the positive and negative traits of each tuning being:

Switch down (reference) – sparkly treble, massive soundstage and enhanced detail but I found I needed to listen to the Model Xs louder on this setting, and this made them a little more fatiguing. On certain tracks this setting can also sound a bit thin/lifeless.

Switch up (warm) – much more laid back, relaxed and fuller sound, but can introduce a little mud/veil to the track.

Highs, Mids and Lows

Switch down (reference)

Best suited to guitar (especially steel strung), live and orchestral pieces, the Model Xs in this setting really focus on that upper range, sparkling in “metallic” frequencies – cymbals, triangles etc but lacking a little for any sort of music which has a requirement for impactful bass (think most pop, EDM, rap etc). One of my favourite tracks for testing bass – Wiz Khalifa’s On My Level, is a very different proposition switch up. You can hear the bassline but there is no impact, and the treble snare is far more forward. Vocals, especially male vocals, can also sound a little lifeless in this setting to my ear. Pearl Jam’s Yellow Ledbetter for example losing some emotion as the vocals have less impact and power than Eddie Vedder deserves!

Switch up (warm)

For me, my default setting with the Model X, the bass enhancement creates a non-fatiguing, more impactful sound. This is still balanced armature bass, you are not being blown out of your seat, but the difference is clear. Switch to something like Fouki’s Je Positif, and there is depth and focus in (male rap) vocals with the (low mid) trombone fully occupying centre stage, not demoted below the consonant of the vocals.



Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

Switch down (reference)

The level of detail retrieval and the soundstage created by the Model X is a real strength of this IEM. The soundstage is broad with clear instrument placement, but on the right track (almost any live recording) there is a spectacular holographic soundstage, creating not just width and depth but an intriguing sense of height. These Model Xs create a truly capacious overall stage (particularly for an IEM) but manage to place instruments well on it. For example, the Santana/Rob Thomas classic Smooth sees an obvious placement of bongos left and high, Rob’s vocals up front and the washboard over right and high, with the brass section front and centre but low. This placement is palpable, almost causing you to cock your head to hear a specific direction a little better.

Switch up (warm)

The same as above, but with a little detail, space and holography missing. The cost of relaxing warmth, a little less detail, a shrunken soundstage and a less discernible physical placement with a shrunken soundstage.

Gear Matching

I found the Model X to scale beautifully with any kit I threw at them. My mixture of dacs and amps noted above all scaled will, with the Model X's able to extract the finest detail. Where they surprised me was plugged into my Schiit Stach (Modi 2 Uber into Vali 2). Given the tube this is normally noisy with IEMs, and SQ suffers. Not so with the Model X - there was the ever-present tube buzz but they maintained their signature soundstage and detail retrieval where other IEMs often fail. Usable in a desktop environment then.

Comparisons

v. Customart FIBAE Massdrop Edition (custom)

Nothing like the bass impact that the FIBAEs can deliver, but superior detail (even on switch up – warm). Far more subtle, leaving the FIBAE ME’s sounding a little veiled in comparison.

v. Campfire Audio Polaris

With switch up, some similarities to the very V shaped tuning of the Polaris. Bags more detail, quicker decay and more overall coherence creating a more physically accurate sound. Hard to describe, but (for example) an oboe sounds much more like a real life oboe as opposed to an approximation of one. More… lifelike.



Niggles

Cable is poor as noted above. Easy fix Lime Ears.

Switch bore could be a little smoother/better finished. Maybe a gromit?

Conclusion

Our friends at Lime Ears have done something a bit special here. Two premium IEMs here in one pleasing package: a reference tuned detail monster with a soundstage to die for; neatly transitioning to a warm, enjoyable leisure listener. As I sit, on the train home, flicking between switch settings to suit the tracks I am listening to, I struggle to think of a more satisfying (or greater value) method of relieving myself of (a bit less than) a thousand euros.

Quick Read Conclusion

RHA have created an amazing “audiophile starter pack” with their CL2 IEMs (the “CL2s”). A stunning set of cables, APTx Bluetooth headset, carry cases and tips galore make the CL2 pack an excellent high-end entry into this hobby. The sound is, in the words of RHA themselves a little “marmite” (meaning you either love it or you hate it). The high mid/low treble spike created, in certain tracks, a sort of metallic/tinny tinge I did not enjoy. So then, a 4 overall – 5 as a package, but a high 3 for the sound signature of the CL2s themselves.

Introductions and General Bumf

This review of CL2s follows a familiar format. As intimated above, I have also gone into a little more detail than usual on the bundled accessories, as they were pretty good!

For the avoidance of doubt, I am in no way affiliated with CTM and have received no inducement from them to write this review.

Test Kit: I have tested the CL2s with a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both UAPP and Tidal), an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage, running Tidal), an Astell and Kern AK70 mk 1 (both balanced and unbalanced), an iFi iDSD Nano Black Label, xDSD and also a Schiit Modi 2 Uber into a Vali 2 ("Schiit Stack").

Preparation: I received the CL2s as review samples and didn't give any additional burn in before any listening as I was reasonably far down the list of reviewers!

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 36 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation. As my experience broadens, my tastes are also extending into extended treble over very heady bass, especially where that treble extension helps to build soundstage, imaging and separation.

Test tracks: Test tracks noted in the review below were the TIDAL 16/44.1 available through their Hi-Fi subscription.

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Tech Specs

I have set out below the key technical specifications for the CL2s – I presume the quoted specs below are at 1kHz, but will ask RHA to confirm and update accordingly. I also note that, on writing this article, the CL2s are priced at £710 on Amazon.

Spec



I was excited to hear the CL2s. The thought of a planar magnetic earphone in a sensible IEM (looking at you Audeze with those spider web IEM monsters!) package is definitely exciting, especially if that planar fast bass was apparent.

Unboxing

You will see from the photos below that the unboxing experience is every bit as premium as the high price tag for the CL2s should demand. The box itself is a sort of “book” style box, made of premium card, and from which unfolds the main box itself. From left to right of the unfolded package are the cables and tips, the CL2s themselves and the Bluetooth headband, then a couple of carry cases (a soft pouch and a much harder magnetic latched case) and the various manuals and charging cable.



Accessories

Included in the box with both the CL2s are a 3.5mm terminated cable, 2.5mm terminated (balanced) cable, 2 carry cases, 3.5mm to 6.25mm adaptor, aeroplane adaptor, cleaning tool, silicon and foam tips (small, medium and large of each as well as some proper comply foam tips which are my personal favourite), 2 sets of double flange silicon tips and a warranty card and user guide. Some comments on a few of these are set out below.



Cables

At this price range it is great to see a couple of superb cables included. Microphonics from both are minimal. Both cables are twisted, with the 3.5mm presumably all copper and the 2.5mm looking like a silver plated copper cable. Both cables have some sheathed coiled metal wires like a spring, running back from the MMCX connectors to help retain shape. Both cables have premium, RHA branded terminations and chin sliders, giving a v expensive feel.



Tips

I was really pleased to see such a comprehensive set of tips, included Comply TSX-400 tips. I also found the metal plate that they were packaged felt premium and was a very helpful solution to how to package tips.

Bluetooth NeckBand

This was one of the “wow” items in the package. Whether or not you like the neckband format, including an APTx Bluetooth neckband with the CL2s was, in my opinion, a bit of a masterstroke. The neckband itself is rubberised black, with wires appearing with the bottom, terminating with mmcx connectors. As such, this headband can also be used with any suitably connected headphones/IEMs. The band itself has a USB-c charging input, and a small button set for power and volume.

Sound quality from the neckband was as good as I have heard from any similarly specced wireless DAC/Amps. Sure – this is not a competitor for very focused audiophile offerings like the iFi xDSD (lacking the detail, clarity, soundstage and definition of the xDSD in particular), but even so, SQ was perfectly acceptable especially if you are using IEMs on a journey where you are inevitable going to have a little background noise.

I swapped around between a few different IEMs, auditioning on my CA Polaris and SE425s. I couldn't find any stats for the neckband, but it comfortably pushed both of these IEMs with no interference or evidence of impedance issues.



Overall Thoughts

As an overall comment though, what RHA have done here, is include in one box literally everything you need to get going with this hobby. Great cables, lots of tips, a high quality Bluetooth headband and a thoroughly decent pair of IEMs is a solid gateway.

Practicalities

Glancing at the numbers above, the impedance figures for the CL2s are fairly low and they do change with different sources. Through a source with a suitably low impedance (like my AK70 mk 1 or iDSD Black Label), the CL2s sung. Plugged into my Lenovo ThinkPad X1 or Samsung phones however, the mid/low treble spike described below was accentuated. Although I don't know the output impedance of my laptop or phones, I suspect the “rule of 8” (headphone impedance should be at least 8x output impedance) is offended with a 15Ω IEM like the CL2.

I also didn't really get on with the harder shelled case included in the box. Personal preference/user error, but I found the cables fell out of it in my bag!

Fit and Tips

Despite cramming a planar magnetic driver in, the shells of the CL2s are actually pretty small – think a slightly bulbous Shure IEM, see pictures below. Consequently, I think these are IEMs that most people will find comfortable. In terms of tips, as mentioned before, RHA have gone all out supplying a full host of tips, including my favourite Comply tips.



The Sound

Highs, Mids and Lows

With the exception of a spike in the lower treble/upper mid (discussed below), the CL2s deliver an overall balanced and coherent sound. There is detail in the highs – percussive impact in Pearl Jam’s Go, clearly presented above the rapid bass – sometimes an area of confusion or congestion for lesser IEMs but the CL2s showed some of their planar talent here. To really test the bass speed on the CL2s, I threw Thundercat’s UhUh at them. For bass response look no further than this track – the speed with which note after note is pounded out of the bass guitar is often too much, even for otherwise brilliant performers, with a flabby “blurring” of notes demonstrating an inability to keep up with Thundercat’s flamboyance. Not so the CL2s, again demonstrating their talent for rapid response without losing any detail, every note clearly defined.

As indicated before however, there is a spike in the lower treble/upper mid-range, which on certain tracks can create a metallic, artificial quality to the music which I did not always enjoy. I particularly noticed this on acoustic guitar tracks – Oasis’ Married with Children taking on a tinny tinge, which made the otherwise bitter vocals feel a little thin. Move to the orchestral, and the effect was to bring to the fore the higher ranges of the string section particularly. In the right track this actually sounded brilliant – Spring from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for example. However, in orchestral tracks involving the full breadth of the orchestra (think anything John Williams/Star Warsesque, especially where there should be depth in the brass section) and the effect of this spike is to suppress other sections of the orchestra.

I did not always dislike the CL2s sound signature, which actually brightened up a number of tracks. At times though, it made them a little fatiguing, and the metallic twinge I was hearing on acoustic guitar tracks (a personal favourite) means the CL2s are not at the top of my list for this price range.



Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

Unquestionably scaling with source, and significantly more detailed through the AK70 than their supplied Bluetooth headband, the CL2s demonstrated able performance across separation and detail retrieval. As mentioned above, I found that the CL2s were able to hold lucid instrument separation together on often challenging tracks where the CA Polaris cannot keep up. Soundstage was also good, with width and depth both on show. Nothing like the size, and lacking the height and holographic nature of a TOTL IEM like the CTM DaVinci X, the CL2s nevertheless convey more space than I have heard from an IEM this physically small.

Brief Comparisons

CA Polaris – a much more neutral tuning than the “V” shaped CA Polaris, the CL2s can’t match the visceral impact of the dynamic driver bass, but outperform on PrAT, especially where the bass is moving quickly.

UE900s – the CL2s outperform the UE900s across the board; delivering more soundstage, greater definition and gleaning more detail form the source materials.

CA FIBAE ME – in a similar story to the comparison with the CA Polaris, the CL2s don't quite have the bass impact of the FIBAE ME but their sense of timing, especially on busier passages, is superior. The FIBAE ME fly away from the CL2s though with detail retrieval, musicality, warmth and instrument texture.



Niggles

Other than a small issue with the hard case, and the “marmite” tuning (both discussed above) none!

Conclusion

The CL2s are a lovely little IEM with a stand out sense of rhythm and timing, sold in a superb value package with everything you need to get going with this hobby. To be fair, the tuning of the CL2s, in some ways, make them recommendable. They sound truly different to all other IEMs I have heard and, whilst I did not always enjoy their signature, it makes them a unique point of comparison.

Quick Read Conclusion

I set out to review the CTM DaVinci IX and X to figure out if I could tell the difference between my mid-fi kit, and some properly premium, top of the range equipment. Unfortunately for my wallet I can! These IEMs are absolutely sublime and from the second you open the spectacularly pretty box to the thousandth hour of listening, you will have a smile on your face as they stun you again and again. If I was dropping this $2k+ myself, I would spend the extra and buy the CTM DaVinci X – that treble, that soundstage, that tuning… sublime.

Introductions and General Bumf

This review of CTM's DaVinci IX (the "IX") and X (the "X", the IX and X together, the "DaVincis") is written as a side by side review. Partly this is because the DaVincis are packaged identically, look almost identical and are obviously products of the same development, although they do sound quite different. As a consequence, the sections headed Unboxing, Accessories, Practicalities, Fit and Tips and Niggles apply equally to both DaVinicis and it is only the section headed Sound where the differences between the two become clear.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am in no way affiliated with CTM and have received no inducement from them to write this review.

Test Kit: I have tested the DaVincis with a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both UAPP and Tidal), an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage, running Tidal), an Astell and Kern AK70 mk 1 (both balanced and unbalanced), an iFi iDSD Nano Black Label, xDSD, and iDSD Micro Black Label and also a Schiit Modi 2 Uber into a Vali 2 ("Schiit Stack").

Preparation: I received the DaVincis as review samples and gave them both about 50 hours of burn in before any analytical listening.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: Test tracks noted in the review below were the TIDAL 16/44.1 available through their Hi-Fi subscription.

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Tech Specs

I have set out below the key technical specifications for the DaVincis, lifted directly from CTM's website. I also note that, on writing this article, the IX is priced at $2,000 and the X at $2,400. No small sum!



Unboxing

I would like to reserve my superlatives for a little later in this review, so will not spend much time waxing lyrical, when I can let the pictures below do it for me. The retail packaging for the DaVincis is simply beautiful…artful… and every bit the elite experience one would hope for if north of $2,000 had been dropped on a pair of IEMs!



How to tell the difference? The IXs have a black IX milled out of the face plate whilst the Xs have a chrome fill in their milled X.



Accessories

Included in the box with both the DaVincis are a 3.5mm terminated 50" cable, 2.5mm terminated (balanced) 4-wire hybrid cable, 3x interchangeable sound filters, a hard carry case, 3.5mm to 6.25mm adaptor, aeroplane adaptor, cleaning tool, silicon and foam tips (small, medium and large of each), a set of double flange silicon tips and a warranty card and user guide. Some comments on a few of these are set out below (and in the niggles section of this review also).

Cables

At this price range it is great to see a couple of really decent cables included. Microphonics from both are minimal. The 2.5mm cable has straight 2 pin (0.78mm) connectors, whilst the 3.5mm cable has angled connectors. Both cables are braided, with the 3.5mm being CTM's "standard" (presumably all copper, waiting for CTM to confirm) and the 2.5mm being a 4 write hybrid copper/silver number. The 3.5mm cable has some sheathed memory wire running back from the connector to help retain shape, whilst the 2.5mm cable does not. The 2.5mm cable has much more premium termination and chin sliders, giving a v expensive feel over the 3.5mm cable.



Tips

I didn't really get on with any of the included tips (see niggles), and opted instead for my trusty Comply TSX-400 tips.

Sound Filters

As you will see in the niggles section, I did not particularly like the design of the sound filters. I also found the sound quality with the DaVincis from the included reference filters so jaw dropping, it wasn't until I came to send them on, that I realised I hadn’t really played with them much. As such, I can't reasonably make comment on the effect these filters have on the sound signatures of these IEMs.

Practicalities

Glancing at the numbers above, the impedance figures for the DaVincis may seem high compared to some other TOTL headphones (CA Andromeda 12.8 Ω @ 1 kHz, EE Legend X 14 Ω @ 1 kHz, 64 Audio Tia Fourté 10 Ω @ 1 kHz), but the input sensitivities of both show they don't really need that much power, and I found my S8 was able to push both to very high volumes.

On reading the specs, I thought that the DaVincis might not reproduce some of the hiss I have typically encountered with exotic multi BA IEMs. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and so you are still going to need to find ways around this. The IEMatch function on the Micro BL was successful, but I encountered no hiss on the AK70 (balanced and non, unless v high volumes), xDSD or xCAN. Obviously the Schiit Stack (specifically the valves in the Vali 2) made a racket and so are not well suited as a pairing!



This said, the DaVincis do scale brilliantly with the kit that you use – they were able to eke out levels of performance from the iFi xDSD and Micro BL (which I had on loan for another review), that my other kit (notably the Sennheiser HD 600) could not.

Fit and Tips

Cramming 9 or 10 drivers into an IEM is no mean feat, but the result is the largest universal IEM I have ever put into my ear. The surface area is sensible for my average sized ears, and the ergonomic shaping on the inside face of the DaVincis definitely helped with fit, the moulding into the concha fitting perfectly for me. Where the DaVincis show their size is in their depth, but the lightweight aluminium constructions helps to ensure that they stay in place (at least for me) during use, and I did not find that the DaVincis induced any physical fatigue over long listening sessions.

The nozzle is pretty wide – on a par with the Campfire Polaris. This is fine if you are used to it, but may be uncomfortable for those with particularly small ears. I've noted in niggles below that I was a little disappointed with the included tips, but on a quick tip-rolling session, I found the tried and tested Comply TSX-400 worked a dream. As ever with a universal IEM, seal is key to get the best performance from the DaVincis, so this is worth spending some time on if you do decide to buy a pair.

If you are dropping this sort of cash on an IEM you are obviously going to want to try them. For people with average to large sized ears, I do not think there will be an issue with the DaVincis, but for people with smaller ears, the depth and nozzle size may make comfortable fit more challenging. For this amount of cash, the advice has to be to go to your local retailer and try before you buy.



The Sound

Highs, Mids and Lows

Mids and lows are a similar story between the DaVincis. Full and rich the mid reproduction remains sweet throughout, with no emphasis or weakness in any part of the frequency response. The result is that, no matter your choice of music the DaVincis render the sounds beautifully, whether male or female vocals, strings in the orchestra, electronica, unplugged, live or studio-produced the DaVincis deliver.

Bass is full, rich and detailed. Whilst (as with pretty much all IEMs) this is not standing next to a speaker stack at a rock concert, the DaVincis are capable of both impact and texture, without losing detail. Thundercat's show off masterpiece Uh-uh (one of WhatHifi's 10 best tunes to test your system) is held together artfully, without confusion in response at even some of the most frantic of passages. Neither DaVinci struggles to deliver a solid bassline either… to try to really make them wobble, I chucked AwolNation's Sail at them – a tune that should really rattle your bones and the DaVincis did not disappoint, with the weight of the bassline conveyed with clarity and control.

In a sense writing about the bass and treble output of the DaVincis is difficult – they just sound right! But then we come to the treble and what really separates the DaVincis. For the IXs, this is a continuation of the rest of the story. Measured and controlled with clarity in abundance. Whether the hi-hat, the triangle over a busy orchestra (think Throne Room and opening credits from the first Star Wars movie) or the metallic twang on an acoustic guitar piece (the live version of Matisyahu's Live Like a Warrior), the IXs are faithful – decay is realistic and there is no fatiguing ring. The word here is "balance", and it is the signature of the IX.

Now the treble on the X – wow. Never overdone, never sibilant, the treble on the DaVinci X is CTM's Mona Lisa. I can't wait to see some frequency responses published, as I hope they will bear out what I hear, which is a subtle but audible peak across the treble range. On top of making those hi-hats, triangles and metallic twangs more noticeable, this introduces a clarity on every single track I played on the Xs, opening out soundstage (see below) and making every other earphone I have heard (including the IX) sound a little bit muffled in comparison.

Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

Both the IX and X pull incredible level of detail and micro-detail from tracks, scaling up with source and (of course) the quality of the recording and file. Neither is unfriendly to a lower quality recording, so your non-lossless files will still have some life in them, but listen to well recorded CD quality or higher, and your ears will be rewarded.

For both DaVincis, separation is a strongpoint, with busy tracks (again, heavy orchestral like Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King form the Peer Gynt Suite, but also multi-layered numbers like Ed Sheeran or a Beach Boys harmony) never confusing the IX or becoming muddled or fuzzy.

The soundstage and separation with the IX are both superb. The soundstage is as wide as any I have heard (including from the open backed Sennheiser HD600) and portrays some depth. As mentioned above though, the X does something a little different, and listening to it is the first time I have experienced truly holographic soundstage. Not only does the X describe depth and width, I could hear height too, meaning that different instruments and singers could be placed in 3 dimensions. This was most pronounced on live tracks, and particularly with the background noise on those tracks, where the Xs create a sense of being enveloped by the audience in a way I have never previously encountered. I have to say I absolutely loved this, and a number of times (including on a train and in my office) I jumped as I heard somebody right behind me or next to me, only to realise it was just the Xs doing their party trick!

Comparisons

Given the price differences between my kit and the DaVincis, this isn’t quite apples for apples! Against both the CA Polaris and the FIBAE Massdrop Edition, the DaVincis felt like a more refined, more detailed… more mature sound. Against the DaVincis, the Polaris' weaknesses on lower mid-range (particularly male vocals) are brought under the spotlight, whilst the FIBAE ME sounds slightly veiled in comparison, particularly with the remarkably airy X. The only place either of these IEMs could compete was in bass, with the Polaris having more impact, and the FIBAE ME edging ahead for both detail and impact. But neither of them could touch the X for its treble, soundstage, separation and clarity.

Niggles

I have a few niggles which I set out below. Some of these may feel a bit like splitting hairs, but at $2-2,400 I think the customer can expect the very best and accordingly I set out some niggles below.

On first blush I thought that the hard carry case that the DaVincis come with was brilliant. Although it is quite large, it is solid and includes everything you need in a case of this nature – well moulded storage, a decent loom to wrap your cable around to keep it tangle free, a padded flap above the IEM storage bays which is itself a magnet-sealed compartment storing tips, wax cleaning tool and 6.35-3.5mm adaptor. Unfortunately, I found that it was impossible to store the DaVincis, with cable attached, without always squashing the foam tips when closing the box. See a couple of photos below showing how the box fouls the IEMs on closing. The only solution was to remove the cable from the IEMs each time I put them away. A bit annoying.



Unlike the sound filters with, say the Shure SE846 which require their own special tool to remove, the tiny (and therefore easily lost) filters on the DaVincis simply screw in, easily removed by virtue of their serrated ends. Using the foam tips, I found that daily use loosened the sound filters, and if I was not careful (I was as these are review samples which I don't own) the tips could get loose to the point of falling off, with filter.

Sticking with tips a moment, I was a little disappointed with CTM's choice of tips with the DaVincis. One set each of small medium and large foam and silicon, and one double flanged silicon. Personally, I don't get on with silicon tips and I didn't really like the included foam tips. At this price point, I would expect a decent selection of high quality tips – Comply and Spinfit are the obvious names, but I am sure that there are other equally decent tip makers out there!

The DaVincis are clearly aimed at audiophiles, so I suspect that the decision not to include a Bluetooth attachment or phone control cable was about increasing spend on the cables and IEMs – in my mind a sensible decision, but I thought worth noting.

Conclusion

Over the last couple of years, I have built up some decent experience of listening to high end personal hi-fi equipment. I have heard a lot of headphones, amps, DACs etc in that time, but I have never heard anything quite like the CTM DaVinci X, and from the first moment I listened to the Xs I was utterly blown away. In comparison, The IX is a refinement of a sound signature I am familiar with; that is to say, analytical without being clinical, but without a "wow" factor – it is a consummately balanced IEM, with detail retrieval levels I did not realise were possible. But the extra driver (and presumably the upgraded crossover) in the X, create something truly amazing. Not just the best IEM I have ever heard, but the best earphone. A joy. Thank you CTM – Leonardo would be proud!

Quick Read Conclusion

I set out to review the CTM DaVinci IX and X to figure out if I could tell the difference between my mid-fi kit, and some properly premium, top of the range equipment. Unfortunately for my wallet I can! These IEMs are absolutely sublime and from the second you open the spectacularly pretty box to the thousandth hour of listening, you will have a smile on your face as they stun you again and again. If I was dropping this $2k+ myself, I would spend the extra and buy the CTM DaVinci X – that treble, that soundstage, that tuning… sublime.

Introductions and General Bumf

This review of CTM's DaVinci IX (the "IX") and X (the "X", the IX and X together, the "DaVincis") is written as a side by side review. Partly this is because the DaVincis are packaged identically, look almost identical and are obviously products of the same development, although they do sound quite different. As a consequence, the sections headed Unboxing, Accessories, Practicalities, Fit and Tips and Niggles apply equally to both DaVinicis and it is only the section headed Sound where the differences between the two become clear.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am in no way affiliated with CTM and have received no inducement from them to write this review.

Test Kit: I have tested the DaVincis with a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both UAPP and Tidal), an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage, running Tidal), an Astell and Kern AK70 mk 1 (both balanced and unbalanced), an iFi iDSD Nano Black Label, xDSD, and iDSD Micro Black Label and also a Schiit Modi 2 Uber into a Vali 2 ("Schiit Stack").

Preparation: I received the DaVincis as review samples and gave them both about 50 hours of burn in before any analytical listening.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: Test tracks noted in the review below were the TIDAL 16/44.1 available through their Hi-Fi subscription.

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Tech Specs

I have set out below the key technical specifications for the DaVincis, lifted directly from CTM's website. I also note that, on writing this article, the IX is priced at $2,000 and the X at $2,400. No small sum!



Unboxing

I would like to reserve my superlatives for a little later in this review, so will not spend much time waxing lyrical, when I can let the pictures below do it for me. The retail packaging for the DaVincis is simply beautiful…artful… and every bit the elite experience one would hope for if north of $2,000 had been dropped on a pair of IEMs!



How to tell the difference? The IXs have a black IX milled out of the face plate whilst the Xs have a chrome fill in their milled X.



Accessories

Included in the box with both the DaVincis are a 3.5mm terminated 50" cable, 2.5mm terminated (balanced) 4-wire hybrid cable, 3x interchangeable sound filters, a hard carry case, 3.5mm to 6.25mm adaptor, aeroplane adaptor, cleaning tool, silicon and foam tips (small, medium and large of each), a set of double flange silicon tips and a warranty card and user guide. Some comments on a few of these are set out below (and in the niggles section of this review also).

Cables

At this price range it is great to see a couple of really decent cables included. Microphonics from both are minimal. The 2.5mm cable has straight 2 pin (0.78mm) connectors, whilst the 3.5mm cable has angled connectors. Both cables are braided, with the 3.5mm being CTM's "standard" (presumably all copper, waiting for CTM to confirm) and the 2.5mm being a 4 wire hybrid copper/silver number. The 3.5mm cable has some sheathed memory wire running back from the connector to help retain shape, whilst the 2.5mm cable does not. The 2.5mm cable has much more premium termination and chin sliders, giving a v expensive feel over the 3.5mm cable.



Tips

I didn't really get on with any of the included tips (see niggles), and opted instead for my trusty Comply TSX-400 tips.

Sound Filters

As you will see in the niggles section, I did not particularly like the design of the sound filters. I also found the sound quality with the DaVincis from the included reference filters so jaw dropping, it wasn't until I came to send them on, that I realised I hadn’t really played with them much. As such, I can't reasonably make comment on the effect these filters have on the sound signatures of these IEMs.

Practicalities

Glancing at the numbers above, the impedance figures for the DaVincis may seem high compared to some other TOTL headphones (CA Andromeda 12.8 Ω @ 1 kHz, EE Legend X 14 Ω @ 1 kHz, 64 Audio Tia Fourté 10 Ω @ 1 kHz), but the input sensitivities of both show they don't really need that much power, and I found my S8 was able to push both to very high volumes.

On reading the specs, I thought that the DaVincis might not reproduce some of the hiss I have typically encountered with exotic multi BA IEMs. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and so you are still going to need to find ways around this. The IEMatch function on the Micro BL was successful, but I encountered no hiss on the AK70 (balanced and non, unless v high volumes), xDSD or xCAN. Obviously the Schiit Stack (specifically the valves in the Vali 2) made a racket and so are not well suited as a pairing!



This said, the DaVincis do scale brilliantly with the kit that you use – they were able to eke out levels of performance from the iFi xDSD and Micro BL (which I had on loan for another review), that my other kit (notably the Sennheiser HD 600) could not.

Fit and Tips

Cramming 9 or 10 drivers into an IEM is no mean feat, but the result is the largest universal IEM I have ever put into my ear. The surface area is sensible for my average sized ears, and the ergonomic shaping on the inside face of the DaVincis definitely helped with fit, the moulding into the concha fitting perfectly for me. Where the DaVincis show their size is in their depth, but the lightweight aluminium constructions helps to ensure that they stay in place (at least for me) during use, and I did not find that the DaVincis induced any physical fatigue over long listening sessions.

The nozzle is pretty wide – on a par with the Campfire Polaris. This is fine if you are used to it, but may be uncomfortable for those with particularly small ears. I've noted in niggles below that I was a little disappointed with the included tips, but on a quick tip-rolling session, I found the tried and tested Comply TSX-400 worked a dream. As ever with a universal IEM, seal is key to get the best performance from the DaVincis, so this is worth spending some time on if you do decide to buy a pair.

If you are dropping this sort of cash on an IEM you are obviously going to want to try them. For people with average to large sized ears, I do not think there will be an issue with the DaVincis, but for people with smaller ears, the depth and nozzle size may make comfortable fit more challenging. For this amount of cash, the advice has to be to go to your local retailer and try before you buy.



The Sound

Highs, Mids and Lows

Mids and lows are a similar story between the DaVincis. Full and rich the mid reproduction remains sweet throughout, with no emphasis or weakness in any part of the frequency response. The result is that, no matter your choice of music the DaVincis render the sounds beautifully, whether male or female vocals, strings in the orchestra, electronica, unplugged, live or studio-produced the DaVincis deliver.

Bass is full, rich and detailed. Whilst (as with pretty much all IEMs) this is not standing next to a speaker stack at a rock concert, the DaVincis are capable of both impact and texture, without losing detail. Thundercat's show off masterpiece Uh-uh (one of WhatHifi's 10 best tunes to test your system) is held together artfully, without confusion in response at even some of the most frantic of passages. Neither DaVinci struggles to deliver a solid bassline either… to try to really make them wobble, I chucked AwolNation's Sail at them – a tune that should really rattle your bones and the DaVincis did not disappoint, with the weight of the bassline conveyed with clarity and control.

In a sense writing about the bass and mid-range output of the DaVincis is difficult – they just sound right! But then we come to the treble and what really separates the DaVincis. For the IXs, this is a continuation of the rest of the story. Measured and controlled with clarity in abundance. Whether the hi-hat, the triangle over a busy orchestra (think Throne Room and opening credits from the first Star Wars movie) or the metallic twang on an acoustic guitar piece (the live version of Matisyahu's Live Like a Warrior), the IXs are faithful – decay is realistic and there is no fatiguing ring. The word here is "balance", and it is the signature of the IX.

Now the treble on the X – wow. Never overdone, never sibilant, the treble on the DaVinci X is CTM's Mona Lisa. I can't wait to see some frequency responses published, as I hope they will bear out what I hear, which is a subtle but audible peak across the treble range. On top of making those hi-hats, triangles and metallic twangs more noticeable, this introduces a clarity on every single track I played on the Xs, opening out soundstage (see below) and making every other earphone I have heard (including the IX) sound a little bit muffled in comparison.

Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

Both the IX and X pull incredible level of detail and micro-detail from tracks, scaling up with source and (of course) the quality of the recording and file. Neither is unfriendly to a lower quality recording, so your non-lossless files will still have some life in them, but listen to well recorded CD quality or higher, and your ears will be rewarded.

For both DaVincis, separation is a strongpoint, with busy tracks (again, heavy orchestral like Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King form the Peer Gynt Suite, but also multi-layered numbers like Ed Sheeran or a Beach Boys harmony) never confusing the IX or becoming muddled or fuzzy.

The soundstage and separation with the IX are both superb. The soundstage is as wide as any I have heard (including from the open backed Sennheiser HD600) and portrays some depth. As mentioned above though, the X does something a little different, and listening to it is the first time I have experienced truly holographic soundstage. Not only does the X describe depth and width, I could hear height too, meaning that different instruments and singers could be placed in 3 dimensions. This was most pronounced on live tracks, and particularly with the background noise on those tracks, where the Xs create a sense of being enveloped by the audience in a way I have never previously encountered. I have to say I absolutely loved this, and a number of times (including on a train and in my office) I jumped as I heard somebody right behind me or next to me, only to realise it was just the Xs doing their party trick!

Comparisons

Given the price differences between my kit and the DaVincis, this isn’t quite apples for apples! Against both the CA Polaris and the FIBAE Massdrop Edition, the DaVincis felt like a more refined, more detailed… more mature sound. Against the DaVincis, the Polaris' weaknesses on lower mid-range (particularly male vocals) are brought under the spotlight, whilst the FIBAE ME sounds slightly veiled in comparison, particularly with the remarkably airy X. The only place either of these IEMs could compete was in bass, with the Polaris having more impact, and the FIBAE ME edging ahead for both detail and impact. But neither of them could touch the X for its treble, soundstage, separation and clarity.

Niggles

I have a few niggles which I set out below. Some of these may feel a bit like splitting hairs, but at $2-2,400 I think the customer can expect the very best and accordingly I set out some niggles below.

On first blush I thought that the hard carry case that the DaVincis come with was brilliant. Although it is quite large, it is solid and includes everything you need in a case of this nature – well moulded storage, a decent loom to wrap your cable around to keep it tangle free, a padded flap above the IEM storage bays which is itself a magnet-sealed compartment storing tips, wax cleaning tool and 6.35-3.5mm adaptor. Unfortunately, I found that it was impossible to store the DaVincis, with cable attached, without always squashing the foam tips when closing the box. See a couple of photos below showing how the box fouls the IEMs on closing. The only solution was to remove the cable from the IEMs each time I put them away. A bit annoying.



Unlike the sound filters with, say the Shure SE846 which require their own special tool to remove, the tiny (and therefore easily lost) filters on the DaVincis simply screw in, easily removed by virtue of their serrated ends. Using the foam tips, I found that daily use loosened the sound filters, and if I was not careful (I was as these are review samples which I don't own) the tips could get loose to the point of falling off, with filter.

Sticking with tips a moment, I was a little disappointed with CTM's choice of tips with the DaVincis. One set each of small medium and large foam and silicon, and one double flanged silicon. Personally, I don't get on with silicon tips and I didn't really like the included foam tips. At this price point, I would expect a decent selection of high quality tips – Comply and Spinfit are the obvious names, but I am sure that there are other equally decent tip makers out there!

The DaVincis are clearly aimed at audiophiles, so I suspect that the decision not to include a Bluetooth attachment or phone control cable was about increasing spend on the cables and IEMs – in my mind a sensible decision, but I thought worth noting.

Conclusion

Over the last couple of years, I have built up some decent experience of listening to high end personal hi-fi equipment. I have heard a lot of headphones, amps, DACs etc in that time, but I have never heard anything quite like the CTM DaVinci X, and from the first moment I listened to the Xs I was utterly blown away. In comparison, The IX is a refinement of a sound signature I am familiar with; that is to say, analytical without being clinical, but without a "wow" factor – it is a consummately balanced IEM, with detail retrieval levels I did not realise were possible. But the extra driver (and presumably the upgraded crossover) in the X, create something truly amazing. Not just the best IEM I have ever heard, but the best earphone. A joy. Thank you CTM – Leonardo would be proud!

Quick Read Conclusion

The masterpiece of the FIBAE MEs is musicality delivered through their very own sound signature. Sure there is a real emphasis on the lower frequencies, but this doesn't come at the expense of the rest. Mids are still sweet, highs fine… opulent almost and never recessed. The FIBAE MEs are not quite a "V" shape signature; I would say they are more of a "shallow U"! But what they deliver, in abundance, is a thoroughly pleasurable listening experience, with oooooodles of bass!

Introductions and General Bumf

I purchased the Customart FIBAE Massdrop Edition ("FIBAE ME") through a Massdrop drop which closed on 6 October 2018. I paid for these with my own hard earned cash and have received no inducement to write this review. On Massdrop, these were $818.99 including the shipping costs. I set out below a few basics in terms of the specification set out by Customart on Massdrop:

Drivers: 6 Customart FIBAE balanced armature drivers per side (2 super-low, 1 low, 1 mid-high, 2 super-high)

Crossover: 4 way

Impedance: 6.6 ohms @ 1khz

Efficiency: 113dB@1kHz @0.1V

Frequency Range: 10Hz-18kHz

Noise Isolation: -26dB (custom)

On the date of publications, Massdrop still had full details here https://www.massdrop.com/buy/customart-fibae.

Ordering Process

I have left a separate post about ordering process and experiences of the CIEM game here so that I could keep this review focused on the FIBAE MEs.



Test Kit: I have tested the FIBAE MEs with a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both UAPP and Tidal), an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage, running Tidal), an Astell and Kern AK70 mk 1, an iFi iDSD Nano Black Label (my own), iFi Micro iDSD Black Label (on loan for review), an iFi xDSD (on loan for review) as well as on my Schiit Modi 2 Uber into a Schiit Vali 2 ("Schiit Stack").

Preparation: I have given the FIBAE MEs around 75 hours of burn-in and I did not start any critical listening without giving them and the output source at least an hour to warm up. For clarity, Piotr at Customart says the FIBAE MEs do not require burn in.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: I've tried to keep it broad and I have cited my music sources below, so (where possible) people can download the tracks themselves.

1) Wiz Kalifah – On My Level (320k MP3, Google Store)

2) Norah Jones – Turn Me On (192/24, HD Tracks)

3) John Williams – Throne Room from Star Wars performed by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz)

4) The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (16/44.1 self-ripped FLAC)

5) Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill (320k MP3, Google Store)

6) Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King (from the Peer Gynt Suite) performed by the Zech National Symphony Orchestra (24/48, Musopen Kickstarter Project)

7) Otis Redding – Dock of the Bay (24/192, HD Tracks)

8) 30 Seconds to Mars – Stronger (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

9) Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter (320k MP3, Google Store)

10) Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up (292k m4a, iTunes)

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Technology

FIBAE is a trademark of Customart's and stands for Flat Impedance Balanced Armature Earphone. Customart have a patent pending in respect of this technology. The idea is that, by making the driver resistive instead of inductive, you remove the distortion associated with changing output impedances. Some detail is here https://thecustomart.com/fibae/ - Customart's design has been around for a few years and this is my first exposure to it.

I have come across impedance related distortion, when using my UE900s IEMs in a Hidizs AP200 – it created an unpleasant, fatiguing treble shrill which really spoilt the experience of the AP200 with those IEMs.

Although I did not encounter any of this sort of distortion with my FIBAE MEs in any of the sources I used them with, almost all of my regular use sources are now very low impedance (particularly the iFi kit and the AK70). The Vali 2 in low gain is c.2 ohms, so offends the "rule of 8" (a headphone's impedance should be no less than 8 times the output impedance of the source) and I could hear no noticeable distortion, though there was plenty (as with all of my IEMs) of tube buzz.



Unboxing

Clean and simple. Inside an envelope, I found a Peli 1010 case, inside of which was a small leaflet, drying pellet (the small orange thing which helps keep custom IEMs dry and clean), a wax cleaning tool and the FIBAE MEs themselves, with their cable plugged in and coiled.

This was not a "premium" unboxing experience in the way, say the UE900s was, but I have to say I really like that. I threw away almost no single use plastic packaging (tick eco credentials) and know that all of my money has been spent on the FIBAE ME rather than pleasing dense foam inserts and shiny packaging which I just chuck in the bin anyway.



Fit and Finish

Although they felt a little tight and deep at first (!) It took about an hour before i was used to the FIBAE MEs and found them comfortable. The nozzles form a seal in my ear canal and the isolation is perfect. I have no basis of comparison to other CIEMs, but I found that the FIBAE MEs fit me perfectly, the bespoke shells slotting cleanly into my ear, and comfortably sealing my ear canals – tight but not uncomfortable. The beauty of this fit and feel is that, particularly when walking around, you get none of the IEM displacement/wobble I am used to on all but the smallest universals (and that I do get from my CA Polaris which are quite heavy).

I cannot fault the finish. I love to see the interiors, so opted for all clear and you will see form the pictures that these things are beautiful. No bubbles, scratches or joins. Just a very pretty IEM.



The Sound

As usual, I have split my review into the standard format of highs, mids, lows and soundstage, with a little extra focus on separation and detail retrieval.

Highs, Mids and Lows

Oh those lows. Wow. Bass. It's the first thing I noticed and I was genuinely surprised that bass like this could be achieved from a balanced armature driver. My experiences with BA IEMs (the UE900, HiSenior B8 but especially the Shure SE425s) have so far been that BA bass is lacking in texture and impact compared to full size headphones and hybrids (the CA Polaris being my key point of comparison). But these FIBAE MEs have bass in spades – impact, clarity, texture are all there, but the bass is forward – massive – at the same time without drowning out anything else. The detail remains, clarity is untouched, but the bass is huge – at about 3:40 of Wiz Kalifah's On My Level for example, there is a breakdown with a sub-bass rumble which I have never heard as clearly – the FIBAE MEs deliver a masterful description of the low frequency waiver but maintain the thumps too, which I can almost feel in my chest. This is a visceral sort of bass I only tend to feel at live gigs.

What Customart have managed to do though, is tune the FIBAE ME so that although bass is obviously its party trick, the mids and highs are not lost or recessed. On The Verve's The Drugs Don't Work, the two acoustic guitars are both warm in their presentation, with the electric guitar pieces sounding particularly rich. Warm is definitely the word, but without the fuzzy veil to detail that I typically associate with warm kit.

Head over to an orchestral piece, and the FIBAE MEs do not shy away. The emphasis on the lower frequencies is noticeable – lower string notes hitting with an impact I am not used to, but without loss of the tingle of the triangles which is still clearly audible. I discuss detail in more depth below but suffice it to say, the FIBAE ME has this covered!

The FIBAE ME is also stunningly lifelike in its reproduction of vocals. I am hearing a level of "truth" in certain recordings I have never heard before, and it is demonstrated in both male and female voices. Particularly with the low range punch described earlier, an extra edge is added to deeper male vocals. For example, despite the extra emphasis on the bassline which the FIBAE MEs convey, Eddie Veder in Pearl Jam's Yellow Ledbetter sounds almost like he is right there next to you, even on the 320k MP3 served up by Google music. At the same time, you still have the cymbals on the drum piece and the metallic tang of the guitar.

Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

The soundstage is certainly not the widest I have heard, and for me the experience of having the CIEM inside my ear creates a feeling of closeness. This said there is precision of placement, particularly noticeable on live recordings, where the FIBAE MEs convey a clear sense of location, albeit there is limited width and height in the soundstage.

Separation is solid. To test this, my go-to tracks are anything with a full orchestra and Ed Sheeran (whose tracks are always heavily layered). Where separation is poor, I find Ed's Castle on the Hill can end up sounding quite fake/electronic. On this, the FIBAE MEs didn't disappoint, with the layers being clearly identifiable although (as is the FIBAE ME's want) the bass line takes particular precedence. Turn to a full orchestra and you can choose to focus on any instrument there. The lower frequency focus brings the larger strings and some of the deeper percussion to the fore, feeling akin to sitting a bit closer to the orchestra. The instrument I pick out more than normal is the bassoon, a sound particularly complemented by the FIBAE ME's signature!

Other thoughts

Excepting the Peli 1010, the no frills to accessories approach is matched in the cable which the FIBAE MEs come with. It is functional but unremarkable with some noticeable microphonics with my glasses. I think Customart recognise their audience though, and most people willing to drop north of $800 on a pair of CIEMS aren’t going to stick with a custom cable for long. The FIBAE MEs are my first pair of 2 pins so I didn't have any other cable to try them with. I hope Santa is kind this year!



Comparisons

As I said at the start of this review, this is my first pair of custom IEMs, and the first time I have spent anything like this sort of money on a pair of earphones. In my stable of IEMs are Shure SE425s, UE900s, HiSenior B8s and the CA Polaris. It's a bit of a waste to spend time detailing comparisons to the SE425s, UE900s and B8. These are all good IEMs in their own right, but on every subjective basis of comparison I have (save, particularly in the case of the UE900s, the unboxing experience) the FIBAE MEs are clearly superior by a significant margin.

The CA Polaris is a really interesting comparison. On practicalities, the FIBAE ME has it – the Polaris is comparatively heavy and uncomfortable, and the bass port is very noisy when you are walking around outside and the wind blows. Both have a detailed and broadly bass and treble enhanced sound, but where the FIBAE ME is particularly superior to the Polaris is vocals where the treble and bass emphasis does not result in a recessed vocal, which does happen with the Polaris.

Kit matching

I have found the FIBAE MEs to be pretty scalable. They are sensitive enough to play out the heavy buzz from my Vali 2 (no great surprise) but they really scale with the kit I have tested them with. From the bottom of the stable, with my Samsung Note 8 and S8 (which both have comfortably enough power to drive them), the FIBAE MEs find detail and bass which only the Polaris has dragged out before.

Up at the top of the range of kit I tested them with, I found a real synergy with the iFi xDSD. Paired together, I was treated to a sound quality, warmth, detail and musicality I hadn’t found with any of my other equipment, even the Sennheiser HD600s.



Conclusion

I suspect that some of my praise for the FIBAE ME is because this is a fabulously fitted pair of custom IEMs and that any well-built pair of customs may well deserve similar praise. But (as compared to TOTL IEMs with prices well over $2,000) the FIBAE ME is an accessible CIEM and I hope this review is useful to anyone thinking about making the jump to customs from mid-level IEMs.

Quick Read Conclusion

I really had to shuffle the iFi iPurifier 3 USB ("iPurifier") around my kit before I noticed any difference with it. Subtle though that difference is, once I started hearing it, I quickly came to enjoy the sound with the iPurifier more than without it. Given my current equipment, and given that I really only notice a difference using my AK70 as a DAC, which I rarely do, I struggle to justify the c.£130 (c.$170 at Google's exchange rate on the day of publishing) outlay required to drop an iPurifier into my signal path. But, if you do suffer from USB noise (or even if you don't, but want to add that extra bit of polish to your system's sound), have the chance to audition an iPurifier, and can hear the difference… it's not an enormous spend for a versatile, transferrable, handsome gadget to add a little extra lustre to your audio pride and joy.

What is it?

I have re-jigged the order of this review a little, as I think it is worth explaining what an iPurifier does before I talk about how it sounds with different equipment. According to the back of the iPurifier's box it "re-equalises unbalanced USB signals" because it "re-clocks, re-generates and repeats the USB audio stream" which "reduces the USB power supply noise by more than 100 times". More importantly, there is a picture of a Eurofighter on the front of it, pictorially representing the active noise cancellation technology which is ostensibly drawn from military technology.



Sales puff aside, the iPurifier is supposed to clean up a USB signal, eliminating things like EMI/RFI interference, jitter, frame and packet noise and output a "cleaner" USB audio signal. You plug one end to your output source using your normal (in the case of the model I tested USB B cable, but it also comes in USB A) and plug the other end into your DAC.



Introductions and General Bumf

Test Kit: In addition to the more detailed commentary below, regarding the different DACs I plugged the iPurifier into, I listened with an iPurifier in the signal chain on Campfire Audio Polaris and HiSenior B8 (ChiFi 8 BAs, review here) IEMs, and heard little discernible difference. It was my trusty Senny HD600s that actually demonstrated the worth of the iPurifier to me. Save where I used my Samsung Note 8 as a source to the AK70 as a DAC, I always used for the transport, a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 outputting to a DAC through a powered docking station plugged into the USB-C port and running the Tidal windows app (not the website).

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

Affiliations

For the avoidance of doubt, this review is my honest personal opinion, I am not affiliated with iFi, and have received no inducement from iFi (or anyone else) to write this review. I was sent the iPurifier by iFi in exchange for my honest review. Once I am done with it, I will be sending it back to iFi. Thanks to Karina and the team for giving me the opportunity to review some more of their products.

Unboxing

iFi package their products beautifully – the box has a thick card feel, with high quality printing and of course that Eurofighter picture! It shows the USB type of the iPurifier (you can have USB A or B) and contains various descriptions of how the iPurifier works on the back. In the box, you get the iPurifier, warranty card and paperwork, and a few different adaptors for the output end (micro USB, USB C and USB A so all bases covered!).



Measuring approximately 69x18x18mm this is a solid feeling, reassuringly heavy piece of equipment with a high quality finish. When plugged in, it very much looks the part too, the two lights on the front showing you clearly it is definitely plugged in and working.

So does it work?

I tested the iPurifier on a Schiit Modi 2 Uber via a Schiit Vali 2 ("Schiit Stack"), an iFi Nano iDSD Black Label ("Nano BL") and using an Astell and Kern AK70 ("AK70") as a USB DAC.

First things first, the iPurifier did nothing when plugged into the Nano BL, regardless of the headphones I listened to. This is probably a good thing, as on re-reading its specs, I saw that the Nano BL has iPurifier built in!

Turning to the Schiit Stack, I could also not hear any difference regardless of the headphones used. My thoughts on that a little further below.



So, the AK70 as a DAC. A mixed story – with the bulk of the headphones and IEMs I plugged into it, I struggled to discern much difference with or without the iPurifier. My CA Polaris, HiSenior B8 and KEF M500s yielded little difference regardless of whether the iPurifier sat in the signal chain or not. Turning to my Sennheiser HD600s though, and a different story played out. The difference is subtle but notable – a little more air, a little more space in the soundstage, slightly enhanced instrument separation, lack of "congestion" in busier tracks and all round greater clarity. It was the lifting of a veil, albeit a thin one.



To turn to specifics, I point you my test track, the Tidal HiFi version of Joy Oladokun's excellent track Sober (the normal, not acoustic version). This track has a bit of everything through it (and by that I mean stunning vocals, bass, treble, multiple instruments, rich detail, patches of silence along with high volume) and there were a few specific places where I could really hear the difference and perhaps you could too:

0:20-24 – fingers on fretboards are more clearly described;

1:21-1:23, 1:27-1:30, 2:52-3:05 – the flares on the guitar are much more clear, and placed more definitely to the left; and

2:15-18 – there is some background noise whilst the choir are singing – it sounds like a train station or something like that – the sound is more clearly picked out, individual voices more clearly separated.

Some thoughts on USB

My theory is that I don't really have an issue with crappy USB. My Schiit Stack (self-powered Modi 2 Uber) and Nano BL both include technologies aimed at cleaning up the USB source. Further, my USB outputs are powered laptop docking stations with their own DC power supplies. Simply, poor USB signal is not an issue I suffer with and I suspect this is why I couldn't hear much difference with the iPurifier plugged in.

I also had a fiddle with the Samsung Note 8 (using Tidal through UAPP)->iPurifier ->AK70 as a DAC and heard similar effects as described above, as pronounced with the HD600s and I thought I could hear it on the CA Polaris too (maybe confirmation bias).



Equally, it may not be that I have sufficiently sensitive kit to pick up the difference the iPurifier makes. So, in any event, the iPurifier is ultimately designed for solving a problem I just don't have.

Conclusion

This review (as all my reviews) is subjective and non-scientific in the sense that I do not take measurements, double blind test myself etc. When reviewing things like DACs, PMPs and earphones I think the sort of review I try to write is still valuable – plenty of people (including myself) are interested in the personal interaction of a "normal" consumer with the product… what it looks and feels like, and anecdotal comparisons to other kit.

When it comes to something like the iPurifier though, I do feel the risk of my own confirmation bias and lack of tangible evidence. What (I think) I hear is subtle – pleasant and enjoyable but not "night and day" in terms of differences.

As with many aspects of this hobby, I genuinely think you should test this product first, before deciding to buy one. If you have problems with the quality of your USB signal, I suspect the iPurifier may make a difference to you. But if, like me, you do not, then the very subtle differences in sound may not be worth the £130 asking price – and if you can hear the differences, you may not like them anyway! A personal choice for sure, but the one situation in which I thought I could hear a difference with the iPurifier (using my AK70 as a DAC) is not something I typically do. So I will be keeping my wallet in my pocket for now.

Quick Read Conclusion

The Hisenior B8 is a fantastic pair of IEMs for its price, going head to head and holding its own against IEMs costing twice its price. If you are prepared to take a punt on a Chi-Fi brand, you won't be disappointed by these 8BA marvels. What they lack in bass punch and soundstage, they nail in detail, clarity and separation, and you've got to spend an awful lot more money before you start exceeding their capabilities.

Introductions and General Bumf

This is an interesting set of firsts for me. It's my first review of a set of earphones, and those earphones being the first I bought on the HeadFi trading platform (thanks to @menuki). The headphones in questions are the HiSenior B8 (the "B8s") – a Chi-Fi, 8 Knowles BA IEM, available on AliExpress at the link below for around £250.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/His...e-Cancelling-Custom-Earphone/32826098678.html

These are not an especially well represented IEM online, so I set out some key stats below for your perusal, from the website. I haven’t done anything to verify these claims.

Drivers: 8 Knowles balanced armature Drivers per side
Frequency Division: 4 crossover, 3 precise sound bores, 3 Knowles sound filters
Impedance: 16 ohms
Sensitivity: 115dB@1mv
Frequency Range: 20Hz-20kHz
Noise Isolation: -24dB

Test Kit: I have tested the B8s with a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both UAPP and Tidal), an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage, running Tidal), an Astell and Kern AK70 mk 1 (both balanced and unbalanced) and an iFi iDSD Nano Black Label.

I have also used a variety of cables with the B8s, and you will see my conclusions on this in the "Other Thoughts" section below.

Preparation: I have given the B8s around 75 hours of burn-in and I did not start any critical listening without giving them and the output source at least an hour to warm up.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: I've tried to keep it broad and I have cited my music sources below, so (where possible) people can download the tracks themselves.

1) Wiz Kalifah – On My Level (320k MP3, Google Store)

2) Ed Sheeran and Lupe Fiasco – Old School Love (Tidal HiFi)

3) John Williams – Throne Room from Star Wars performed by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz)

4) The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (16/44.1 self ripped FLAC)

5) Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill (320k MP3, Google Store)

6) Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King (from the Peer Gynt Suite) performed by the Zech National Symphony Orchestra (24/48, Musopen Kickstarter Project)

7) Otis Redding – Dock of the Bay (24/192, HD Tracks)

8) 30 Seconds to Mars – Stronger (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

9) Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter (320k MP3, Google Store)

10) Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up (292k m4a, iTunes)

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Unboxing

As I didn't order this product brand new, I can't honestly comment on what was included in the pack. What I got in my envelope was a plastic case with foam inserts (room for 2 sets of IEMs and 2 cables), a set of silicon tips, ear wax remover, the B8s and a single 3.5mm to mmcx cable (more on that later).



Practicalities

This is the best built set of plastic IEMs I own (and a hard decision to decide between this and my Campfire Audio Polaris as the overall best built set I own). The pair I bought (and would have specced the same way, had I been ordering as brand new) are transparent acrylic, so you can see the innards.

The plastic is thick and solid feeling, but completely transparent and comfortable on the skin. The casing to the IEM itself is fantastically put together and I genuinely cannot see where the joins are! In short, this is a premium feeling IEM, and the attention to detail seems to be mirrored on the inside, with the soldering from the mmcx connector to the crossover and on to the drivers looking neat and tidy. Hisenior decided on green wires, which set off against the silver and copper colours of the other components pleasantly.

Fit and Tips

As you will be able to see from the pictures, this is an ergonomically designed IEM, pseudo custom shaped with raised bumps for the concha and cymba concha. It is all smooth edges in stark contrast to the much more jagged lines of the CA Polaris, or flat backed Shures that I am more used to.

I have pretty average sized and shaped ears so this shape suits me just fine. You will see from the picture below that, despite the earphone being quite deep in profile, it sits quite flush once inserted into my ear. I think if you have particularly large or small ears, you may struggle with fit however.



It took a little time finding the right tips for me. My normal Comply T series tips just didn't seem to secure the B8s in place, as comfortably as with the Shures and Ultimate Ear UE900s I normally use them with. Rotating through some different silicon and foam tips I have knocking around, I eventually settled on the spherical Comply Comfort Plus TSX 400. I wouldn't bother with the wax guard Complys next time I have to order some because the B8s have a built in mesh wax guard. However I use the same tips with the CA Polaris and had some knocking around. Seal does make a difference with the B8s so I think it is worth spending some time finding the most comfortable and best sounding tips.

The Sound

I have decided to split my review into the standard format of highs, mids, lows and soundstage. I am also going to focus a little on separation, as it is something I enjoy hearing.

Highs, Mids and Lows

Starting with lows, I think I should make it clear that this is not a basshead's IEM. That is not to say, however, that there is no bass. Rather, I would describe the bass as clear, well-articulated and impactful without slamming. The bass is well described and detailed, for example, the bassline of On My Level utterly clear and at the fore of the track. There just is not quite the punch and low bass rumble, the physicality perhaps, that I have got used to hearing from the CA Polaris.

Mids are decent, with both male and female vocals well rendered. Male vocals sound full, with the rasp of Zack de la Rocha in Wake Up, and Eddie Vedder's soulful rendition of Yellow Ledbetter both capable of making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Female vocals are also rich and engaging, my 24/192 copy of Norah Jones' Come Away With Me, for example, silky smooth.

Highs are again clearly presented and airy. Cymbal crashes and ripples are clear and precise, with a realistic shimmer perceptible in certain, particularly orchestral tracks.

Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

Soundstage is actually quite small with the B8s, the stage flat and narrow, and instrument placement on well recorded orchestral tracks much less clearly described than with some of my other headphones.

Instrument separation and detail retrieval are both brilliant though, especially when the price of the B8s is considered. Standing head to head with the CA Polaris in this regard, and retrieving bags more detail than the SE 425 and UE900s, the B8s express the recordings exceptionally well.

I think the B8s though, are probably a bit recording and source specific here. Generally, this detail retrieval was sympathetic to the tracks I was listening to, but they pick up the crackle and imperfection on some of my older self-recorded vinyl to FLAC. Listening through the AK70 and Nano BL, the B8s sound great, even with lower quality recordings, but some of the detail in layered tracks (like Ed Sheeran) start to sound a bit faded and confused when played through a less capable source like my Note 8.

Other thoughts

The stock cable that the B8s come with is crap – lots of microphonics and kinked at the mmcx jack, so I always end up popping out the mmcx connectors (see niggles). I played with lots of different cables and eventually settled on the 3.5mm CA Litz cable that came with the CA Polaris. I also played with my 2.5mm balanced tinsel cable, but the microphonics and slight thinness of sound that these created mean I stuck with the Litz in the end.

I didn't find the B8s monstrously sensitive to output sources from a noise perspective however – they even sounded pretty decent out of the headphone port of my work laptop – Tidal HiFi through a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon. Sure, you can hear buzz when listening through the Vali 2, but except for my Senny HD600s, everything I've ever listened to buzzes in that little valve amp!



Comparisons



v. Shure 425

Given their similarity in price point this is a no brainer. In every subjective category (except soundstage) and especially detail, clarity, separation and bass, the B8s blow my 425s out of the water.

v. UE900s

Another similarly priced IEM, and another win for the B8s. This is a slightly more difficult win to describe, but the B8s simply sound fuller, warmer, more real than the UE900s. On comfort too, they blow the UE900s (which I generally find quite an uncomfortable IEM) away.

v. CA Polaris

Now this is a much more difficult comparison. The Polaris is almost twice the price of the B8s, but side by side the B8s is able to hold its own. Ultimately, I like the sound signature and sheer punch of the CA Polaris above and beyond the B8s. However, I am keeping both in my travel set now – the Polaris better suited to dance, pop, rap and bassy tracks, the B8s my new go to especially for classical, jazz and acoustic.

Niggles

As described above, fit and tip rolling are a must to get the most from the B8s. Perhaps not a niggle, but something to be aware of.

The mmcx connectors however, are not brilliantly implemented. They don't lock on orientation, and I regularly find myself, when readjusting the B8s, knocking the mmcx connector out of the socket. This is exceptionally annoying, and I worry about them falling off if they are out of my ears and around my neck for any reason.

Conclusion

Five stars then – at this price, the performance of these IEMs is just astounding, and the niggles and issues above pale into insignificance when you think how much more money you need to spend to start seeing improvements. Alongside my CA Polaris, these are my new all day, every day listeners.

Quick Read Conclusion

Musicality and detail abound in this remarkably flexible DAC/Amp from iFi. With Bluetooth (full fat aptX, not weedy standard bluetooth), optical and USB inputs available, most people's requirements are catered for in a single unit. Couple this with xbass+, 3d+, MQA (at least in theory, see below [updated 26/10/18]), portability and iFi's proprietary s-balanced output technology, this little jack of all trades proves itself the master of most. The few niggles I set out below, and the fact this is a £400 piece of kit, do just edge off half a star. But if you can afford it, and the niggles below don’t bother you, this fabulous sounding DAC/AMP will find detail in your music you have not heard before, putting a big smile on your face as you reach for another old record you want to hear for the first time again!

Introductions and General Bumf

I would like to thank Karina and the team at iFi for inviting me to take part in the tour for the iFi Audio xDSD ("xDSD"). For clarity, I am in no way associated with iFi and have received no inducement (other than the chance to use an xDSD for a week) to write my review.

Test Kit: I have tested the xDSD with Shure SE215, SE425, Sennheiser HD600, Ultimate Ears UE900s, Campfire Audio Polaris and KEF M500 headphones/IEMs. Sources have been a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both USB audio player pro and Tidal), an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage, running Tidal) and an Astell and Kern AK70 mk 1. I also ran the line out through a Schiit Vali 2 to compare against the Modi 2 and into a Dali Katch to compare the Bluetooth implementations.

Preparation: I have given the xDSD around 50 hours of burn-in (as I've said before, I'm unsure if I believe in burn in, but figured this should help for people who do) and I did not start any critical listening without giving it at least an hour to warm up (I think warm up of DACs does help, and have read a couple of papers on this, but given this is a "mobile" DAC I don’t think real world use will involve having had this thing plugged in for 24 hours before listening).

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 35 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: I've tried to keep it broad and I have cited my music sources below, so (where possible) people can download the tracks themselves.

1) Wiz Kalifah – On My Level (320k MP3, Google Store)

2) Ed Sheeran and Lupe Fiasco – Old School (Tidal HiFi)

3) John Williams – Throne Room from Star Wars performed by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz)

4) The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (16/44.1 self ripped FLAC)

5) Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill (320k MP3, Google Store)

6) Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King (from the Peer Gynt Suite) performed by the Zech National Symphony Orchestra (24/48, Musopen Kickstarter Project)

7) Otis Redding – Dock of the Bay (24/192, HD Tracks)

8) 30 Seconds to Mars – Stronger (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

9) Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter (320k MP3, Google Store)

10) Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up (292k m4a, iTunes)

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Unboxing

iFi do an excellent job of packaging their products and with the unboxing experience. As my fourth iFi unboxing, I knew what to expect but enjoyed it nevertheless. In the box, you get the xDSD, a tactile "crushed velvet" (suspect not actually velvet) carry bag for it, some Velcro sticky back strips for attaching it to (presumably) a phone, some cables and adaptors (including a toslink to 3.5mm toslink adaptor for the optical input), a few (very basic) booklets and a little bag of silica gel. And iFi's "Thank You" smiley sticker under the xDSD of course! In the postage box the xDSD arrived in, there was also a usb-micro usb cable for the charging port. I presume this is included in the main packaging on the retail unit, and was out of the xDSD's box as this was a tour unit.

One notable absence, especially at this price point, is the lack of an OTG. I take the point that the user base for the xDSD is likely to be a mixture of Apple (lightning) and Android (usb-c or micro usb) so whatever they could include is not going to work for everyone, but at £400 it seems a little bit stingy not to include. I did not see this as an unforgivable omission, especially as I have a bunch of them.



Practicalities

I got my ruler out to check the measurements of the xDSD, and make it approximately 9.5cm long, 2 cm high and 6.5cm wide. This makes the xDSD reasonably portable in real world use – I give you that, bolted to the back of a phone, this is pretty deep unless you have big pockets, but if you want mobility you can just use Bluetooth; on its own, the xDSD is definitely pocket sized. It's reasonably light, and gets warm (but not hot) in operation, so ticks "portable" for me.



The body is ridged (a little like corrugated roofing) however, so the xDSD feels smaller than its dimensions belie. One criticism raised already, which I echo, is that the shiny surface is a fingerprint magnet. It doesn’t bother me, but it might you.



On the front of the unit is the 3.5mm stereo (s-balanced so compatible with both SE and balanced 3.5mm set ups) output, input indicator and source type indicator, volume control with Chord MoJo-esque volume knob (more on that below), 3d+ and xbass indicator lights and function buttons. On the top, nothing but those ridges and on the bottom, are some more ridges and some silicon feet to stop it scratching your kit. On the back are the optical and USB inputs, filter switch and micro usb in charging port.

Onto that volume control – iFi are proud of the "pure analogue" volume control, and the bright light which indicates volume (from 100%, red->yellow->green->cyan->magenta->blue), but honestly I feel it looked a bit cheap and feels a little tacky. I also think "pure analogue" is slightly misleading, because the volume control only turn up or down at set steps/increments (although in iFi's defence there are enough steps to make the volume properly controllable). I don’t know why iFi decided to edge the volume control with cheap black ridged plastic, nor why they felt the light was necessary. I would have been very happy with a recessed milled metal control, both to avoid the slightly unnecessary light, but also because this volume control catches in my trouser pockets. If I walk around with the xDSD in my pocket, I am very quickly deafened.

Battery life is claimed to be up to 6-8 hours using IEMs by iFi in the manual. My experience, with the volume at cyan (in reality c. 40%) I am seeing a shade over 7 hours. Also worth noting is that if the xDSD runs out of battery life, you can charge it on the fly through the micro usb port which is awesome. It is worth noting specifically though, that it does not recharge when a cable is plugged into the USB input port. Although this flummoxed me once (because I listened to it for a day or so over USB and couldn’t work out why the battery was still dead), overall I think this is a good thing, as it doesn’t periodically rinse my phone battery like the iFi iDSD Nano Black Label ("Nano BL") can, and it keeps the power and data inputs separate.

USB implementation matches that used on a number of other iFi devices. USB A male, means if you are using an OTG cable from a phone or android device (I suspect most people reading this review would do this) it simply plugs straight in (provided the OTG cable isn’t over chunky). The xDSD comes with a little rubber cover for its USB input, which I am certain I would lose very quickly if I owned one.



Across my devices (listed above) I have had no problems with instant recognition of the xDSD, and the firmware seems very stable. I have not had any problems with disconnects, track pops or Bluetooth losing connectivity (even when my phone was in a breast pocket and the xDSD in the opposite trouser pocket). It also connects automatically using AptX where available (at least confirmed by my AK70, hard to know for sure on the Samsung phones).

The Sound

I have decided to split my review into the standard format of highs, mids, lows and soundstage. I am also going to focus a little on separation, as it is something I enjoy hearing and enthuse about detail retrieval, which I found to be a real highlight for the xDSD.

Highs, Mids and Lows

Highs, mids and lows are all well presented, and well balanced. The best description I can find for the sound is "full". The overall sound signature, to my ears, has a slight emphasis in the bass, delivering the extra hit on a rumbling bassline (like on My Level), but mids are smooth and clean, with no discernible weaknesses (or specific strengths). Vocals are clear and full, at both ends of the scale, and the top end of the spectrum is well represented – you can hear the triangles over the cacophony of the orchestra in the peaks of In the Hall of the Mountain King, along with the gentle ripple of the tide in On the Dock of the Bay.

Combines with the soundstage, separation and detail (which I describe below), the overall sound was simply pleasurable to listen to in every way, enabling long listening sessions (5-6 hours plus) with literally no fatigue.

Soundstage, Separation and Detail Retrieval

Soundstage and instrument separation was exemplary with the xDSD. It has one of the widest and deepest soundstages I have ever heard, without ever sounding artificial or unreal (a minor criticism I have of its little cousin, the Nano BL). Instrument separation is also fantastic, and combined with the detail retrieval (see below) I found myself revisiting track after track from my music collection, hearing new detail which was both well-defined and articulately placed.

This brings me to one of the most notable qualities of the xDSD over any source I have ever listened to, is its ability to find detail in tracks I simply did not know was there. If this thing had a motto it would be "in vero sunt vera" – even from my 320kb MP3 files, the xDSD was able to produce a degree of detail and placement I have not heard in the same tracks before. Orchestral pieces sounded fuller and more real, to the point where it almost felt like there are an orchestra in front of me. This meant that listening to music I had previously exhausted myself with became a new game, the xDSD willing me to hear nuances and sounds I had just not heard in the same recordings before. It's the small stuff… the sound of the finger slides on Yellow Ledbetter, the studio and movement noises on the Live Lounge performance by 30 Seconds to Mars, the constant lapping of the water on Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. The xDSD does this subtly, with the additional detail (subject to my one comment below) never detracting from the underlying track. In short, there is a new depth of detail which does not sacrifice musicality.

Generally, this detail retrieval was sympathetic to the tracks I was listening to, but there was one specific area which, although I was happy with the sound, may become tiresome. I have a decent selection of 48/16 FLACs which are self-recorded from vinyl. Decent (consumer) kit was used to make these recordings, but they are not perfect. There is crackle on older vinyl and other slight imperfections which the xDSD definitely picks out and emphasizes more than my AK70, XDP-30r and Nano BL do. This is part of the vinyl sound which I find endearing, but that I noticed the emphasis, makes me think that some people could find this a little too much.

The xDSD's ability to re-cast my existing music collection with depth, width and detail, was probably my favourite thing about it, and I even found myself digging out some of my old teenage angst tracks, just to hear the xDSD do them new justice!

Other thoughts

I fiddled with the "semi balanced" output, using a 3.5mm to 2.5mm adaptor cable I have. It worked, but other than the greater volume output, I couldn’t pick up a noticeable difference between the two with any of my equipment. Absent the electronic noise I describe below, the xDSD was silent, even with my CA Polaris, which seems to pick up noise more than my other kit.

Measure/Listen switch – all testing was done on listen.

xBass and 3d+ - I remember, back in the day, having a Walkman with a "bass boost" on it. The bass boost made everything flabby and fuzzy, and I have been deeply suspicious of these osrts of EQ enhancements since then. On the xDSD though, it is fabulously implemented. The xBass enhancement is subtle, creating extra kick but in no way overpowering music. Honestly, I found myself listening to it more and more as time went by. The 3d+ system is supposed to enhance width and soundstage. I found it just seemed to emphasize the treble a little, so didn’t use it too much. Again, it was a small, subtle addition as distinct from any totally artificial EQ. Well worth continuing to play with!

Comparisons

v. Nano BL

For me, this was the big comparison. Do I think the xDSD is worth two Nano BLs? Simply put, yes I do… the sound quality was noticeably better. Both the xDSD and Nano BL have a warm sound, with a noticeable emphasis on the bass, but the clarity and micro-detail form the xDSD were noticeable when swapping between the two. The additional features (particularly Bluetooth and charging whilst using) also make the xDSD the better value proposition form my perspective.



Schiit Stack

The xDSD retrieves oodles more detail than my Schiit rig (Modi 2 Uber into Vali 2). It doesn’t have the output power that the Schiit Stack has, but makes up for this with an all-round better sound.



AK70

The xDSD provides a little more detail and refinement than the AK70. It is a much more subtle difference, but ironically (given the AK70 is a portable player) I found the best solution was using the AK70 as a transport for the xDSD. The wider soundstage, slightly detail enhancement, and more musical expression, mean the xDSD (just) pips the AK70 in my ears.



Niggles

In addition to the minor gripes about aesthetics noted above, I have three additional niggles to pick up one. One easily solved, one not a real problem but slightly strange and one I don’t really care about but may annoy some people. In that order then:

1) I pride myself on being a pretty gadget savvy guy. Out of the box though, I excitedly wired the xDSD into my Note 8, but all I could hear was some weird electrical noise (see point 2 below). It was clear that the phone and xDSD weren't talking to each other; did I have a brick? In short, switching between USB and wired input modes requires (from the device being off) the volume switch to be held down for about ten seconds. I actually had to read the manual, imagine the shame!

2) If you are not playing music to the device, there is a lot of electrical noise, especially when charging. As soon as you engage your source, this dies immediately and you have silky black silences. This is not therefore a real problem, but it seems that whatever isolates the power input from the audio output is only activated when a source is connected and engaged on the xDSD. I actually recorded this noise and sent it back to iFi who are going to send me out another unit to review. I will update on the new unit, and also on iFi's response re/the first xDSD; and

3) I simply could not get the device to confirm it was playing MQA. For all my tweaking in Tidal on my Mac, and (per the pictures below) the Mac saying Tidal was playing masters, that elusive iFi magenta LED never appeared. I played with all the setting the online forums offer help with (including exclusive mode). It didn’t actually bother me that much, but it does seem a bit annoying I can't get the device to confirm it is doing something the computer says it is doing, and is so conspicuously marketed on the packaging. [Updated 26/10/18: I had been using the standard windows USB class 2 driver. On installing iFi's driver in Windows 10, using Tidal's windows application and exclusive mode on, force volume on and passthrough MQA off, MQA now works perfectly. Conclusion: download iFi's drivers].



Conclusion

I have still not heard a Chord Mojo, and so cannot comment on the xDSD's most obvious competitor. It is a big step up in cost from the Nano BL, but I don’t think anybody would be disappointed with the additional spend. Indeed, for me, the sound quality of the xDSD edges ahead of the AK70 (which is brilliant in its own right), and is the best DAC I have listened to yet. If you have the cash, and aren’t concerned about the niggles I raised above, I don’t think this fabulous, shiny box of tricks is going to disappoint.

Quick Read Conclusion

The Aune B1s ("B1s") is a head turning pocket amplifier very well suited to more sensitive headphones, including IEMs that benefit from a little more oomph and a low noise floor. Although it makes a lovely, warm sound it is hard to recommend without question because it suffers from mobile phone interference, and does not drive that loud. An IEM only amplifier is a niche offering!

Introductions and General Bumf

Test Kit: I have tested the B1s with Shure SE215, SE425, Sennheiser HD600, Ultimate Ears UE900s, Campfire Audio Polaris and KEF M500 headphones/IEMs. As input sources, I hooked the B1s up to a Schiit Modi 2, iFi iDSD Nano BL, Samsung Galaxy S8, Note 8, Pioneer XDP-30r and an Astell and Kern AK70.



Preparation: I did not give the B1s any burn it, but as I was about the fifth person on the tour to use it, I figure it should have had a decent burn in by the time it got to me. It gets reasonably warm in operation, so I always gave it an hour or so to warm up before trying to listen critically.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 34 year old.

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: I've tried to keep it broad and I have cited my music sources below, so (where possible) people can download the tracks themselves.

1) Wiz Kalifah – On My Level (320k MP3, Google Store)

2) Norah Jones – Turn Me On (24/192 FLAC, Qobuz)

3) John Williams – Throne Room from Star Wars performed by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz)

4) The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (16/44.1 self-ripped FLAC)

5) Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill (320k MP3, Google Store)

6) JS Bach – Brandenberg Concertos, 1 (allegro) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

7) Hilltop Hoods ft. Sia – I Love It (256k m4a, iTunes)

8) 30 Seconds to Mars – Stronger (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

9) Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter (320k MP3, Google Store)

10) Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up (292k m4a, iTunes)

Disclaimer: The B1s was temporarily provided to me for review, as part of the European tour organised by @tenedosian. I am in no way affiliated with Aune and have received no inducement to provide this review (other than the chance to participate in the tour).

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Unboxing

This is another premium experience. Well packaged in good quality, thick card, the Aune B1s is an absolute treat to open. From popping off the lid, you are greeted by a warranty cards and instruction card, followed by the amplifier itself (packed in matte effect plastic covering). The box I received had already been opened and as a result, the included 3.5mm male to male cable, usb charging cable and rubber rings were sent to me in a separate bag. I presume in the original retail boxing, these are packaged below the main unit.



I didn’t bother with the included 3.5mm cable, much preferring a sturdier Fiio cable I bought myself on amazon a while ago. In particular, the included cable fouled on the covers to my mobile phones whereas my Fiio cable does not. I also particularly liked the charging cable – it was a well manufactured cable, with gold coloured (presumably gold plated?) connectors. Given these are not intended to carry data to the unit, only power on recharging, this seemed an unnecessary but aesthetically pleasing addition.


mmmmmm golden

Practicalities

My measurements, match those on the Aune website (125x65x18). That makes the B1s sort of chunky iPhone SE sized! The biggest to say though, is that the finish on this thing is absolutely beautiful. Reminiscent of the Continental dual mono (including the light up side by side windows to the internal electronics – lit by LEDs in the B1s rather than valves in the much more expensive Continental amp) the brushed, anodised all metal exterior and (in my test unit, black) pu leather on the rear of the unit create a real high quality feel.


So what if I'm a magpie. Shiny impresses me!


The back is beautifully tactile

The satisfyingly solid switches to the sides of the B1s also add to this, and the only criticism of materials I have is that the conveniently wedge-edged circular volume control is made from a cheaper feeling plastic than anything else on the B1s. As this is the part of the B1s you touch the most, one would have thought Aune might have gone knurled aluminium or similar – but this is splitting hairs on an otherwise beautifully built piece of kit.


A focus on that average volume wheel, but did I mention it's shiny?

It feels solid in the hand, and is a real eye catcher. I had more questions about this unit in my office than just about any other piece of audio kit I have had in there… perhaps because of those shiny front LEDs and window panels.

On the top of the B1s are the 3.5mm in and out sockets and that volume control. Worth noting here, that that 3.5mm output is single ended only, and the B1s has no ability to drive headphones in a balanced configuration. To the left side from the front, the gain, voltage and power switches, to the right (from the front) the slightly weird battery charge indicator light (which gives a number of flashes to indicate charge rather than a more customary red, yellow green set up) and button, and on the base the micro usb charging port.



In my test the unit took around 5 hours to charge from a normal phone USB charger, and I was getting 6-8 hours of playback depending on what headphones (and volume) I was using. So battery life is about 1 day of normal use for me, which is fine, but if you buy a B1s you will also need to ensure you don’t stray too far from a wall socket if you will be using it more heavily.

So then, on to the first of my two main criticisms of the B1s. RF interference. It wasn’t until I took the B1s on a train trip with me, having forgotten to charge my AK70. As the DAP died, I thought the time was perfect for having a play with the B1s hooked up to my phones. Unfortunately, the results were a little disappointing. Whilst the sound quality and amplification were in line with comments further below, there was the noticeable click and buzz of mobile phone interference. I tried a few tricks to resolve, but found that turning off 4g data was the only solution. Which meant no Tidal. I suspect the majority of people who will be purchasing a B1s will be doing so to use alongside a mobile phone (see criticism 2 below) and hence I think this is a material issue for anyone who wants to stream music on the move.

And the second criticism? Volume. This is an amplifier, but it does not amplify that loudly. Whilst it does a good job of amplifying the output of a mobile phone, and pushes well beyond comfortable volumes when driving IEMs, it simply did not drive my HD600s to unlistenable levels. I cannot therefore recommend this for anybody with low sensitivity cans. This said, there is a plus here, which is sweet, sweet silence. On maximum voltage, gain and volume there was no audible hiss from any of my IEMs (including the CA Polaris, which tends to be less sympathetic than my other IEMs). So an amplifier for IEMs perhaps?

The Sound, Comparisons and Matching

As this is an amplifier, I haven’t done the standard highs-mids-lows review. Ultimately, this is an amplifier and so should just be making the existing signal louder. It undoubtedly helps some kit perform a bit better – the Shure SE425s for example, I always think sound better amplified, and the B1s drove them well, creating that wider feeling and greater clarity which the SE425s only deliver under amplification.

This said, there is a definite colouration of sound from the B1s, placing a greater emphasis on mids and low mids, and delivering a warmer sound. I have seen reviews which compare the B1s to valve amps, and compared to my Vali 2 (with the stock Schiit tubes), it sounds good – warmer than the Vali, with a greater emphasis provided on (especially male) vocals.

The net effect of all this, is that I found the B1s a little picky with headphones, especially when running from a source which has a lean to the warm anyway, like the Nano iDSD BL. With the Shure SE425s and to a lesser extent the Kef M500s, mids swamped out both the bass and the treble, resulting in a harsh almost shouting quality to music that I have not heard before. This was most evident on Yellow Ledbetter on the 425s, with guitars lost in the background and the soft vocal jarring in my ears.


Too long a chain to sensibly be mobile, but it did sound good.

In complete comparison though, the B1s sounded great with the CA Polaris, which is a little light in the low mid range. This was a dream pairing, sounding airy and clear on every track I listened to, but (from my phones and XDP-30r particularly) bringing the voices of Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Frank Turner back to the front of the recording. It also sounded very good with the HD600s, where I heard a noticeable clarity and separation compared to other sources, especially my phones.


The CA Polaris and B1s played together very nicely. So well, I'm seriously considering buying a B1s just for the Polaris.

Other thoughts

The problem is, I just don’t get who buys a B1s as their first foray into mobile amplification…if you want pure amplification, the Nano BL and the XDP-30r and AK70 (esp. in balanced mode) drive louder, and there are any number of more versatile DAC/Amps in a similar price band that provide more amplification and do the DAC stuff. But don’t get me wrong – I want one. It is beautiful, it lights up and it does make a satisfying noise, especially with my CA Polaris.

Finally, one more thing I knew I would missing when sending the B1s on for the next leg of its tour. When you switch the B1s on, there is obviously some sort of reed switch circuit performing some internal sorcery. For the first second or so on turning on the B1s, it does nothing but light up – then you hear (and feel if you are holding the unit) a solid and thoroughly satisfying click as the reed switched circuit is engaged. It sounds and feels like an old valve amp clicking on. Puerile exuberance ensues. Honestly, it is beautiful, and adds to that quality feel that the B1s constantly exudes.

Conclusion

Plain and simple, I want one. It makes my CA Polaris sound even lovelier, looks great and oozes "quality product". Well matched, with the right IEMs, this is a wonderful amplifier, but the low power output and electrical interference move this from 5 stars to 4 for me.

Quick Read Conclusion

The iFi Audio iEMatch (the "iEMatch") is a handy little device which helps to eliminate hiss and hum for sensitive earphones (and is particularly focussed on IEMs, hence the name). It does the job well, at a reasonable price, and has the added benefit (in 3.5mm form) of being suitable for both SE and balanced cabling. If you are plagued by hiss and buzz from your sensitive IEMs, or want to use IEMs with kit which is normally a bit too noisy (like a valve amp) an iEMatch may well be worth a look at, especially given its reasonable price point.

Introductions and General Bumf

Test Kit: I have tested the iEMatch with Shure SE215, SE425, Ultimate Ears UE900s and Campfire Audio Polaris IEMS. I didn't bother using it with my proper cans (KEF M500 and Sennheiser HD600) as I've never heard hiss or buzz on them. In terms of source components, I have plugged the iEMatch into a Samsung Galaxy Note 8, S8, Schiit Vali 2, Pioneer XDP-30r, an iFi Audio Nano iDSD Black Label a random aeroplane and a low quality dell computer monitor speaker.



The switches on the 3.5mm unit let you choose between balanced and se modes, and high and ultra sensitivity. The 2.5mm unit is fixed in balanced mode so only has 1 switch.

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 34 year old.

Affiliations

For the avoidance of doubt, this review is my honest personal opinion, I am not affiliated with iFi Audio, and have received no inducement from iFi Audio (or anyone else) to write this review. I was sent the iEMatch (both 3.5mm and 2.5mm versions) by iFi in exchange for my honest review. Once I am done with them, I will be sending them back to iFi. I would like to thank Karina and the team for giving me the opportunity to review some more of their products.

What and Why?

You know that feeling when you have an awesome pair of £2,500 IEMs but their ultra-sensitivity creates annoying buzz and hums? Me neither! But this is a truly first world problem which iFi are trying to solve with their iEMatch.

You will have seen from my kit list above that I don't own any IEMs which fit into the ultra-sensitive bracket, but I still found quite a few uses for what turned out to be a handy little piece of kit!

Unboxing

Unboxing of the iEMatch is a lovely experience with a quality feel. The boxes for the 2.5mm and 3.5mm versions are (almost) identical, with the exteriors noting the differences between the two. The only specific difference is that the 2.5mm unit does not contain the airplane adaptor. Not sure if this is just because these are testers but will update once I have heard from iFi. In the box, you get the iEMatch, warranty card and paperwork, (in the 3.5mm box) an aeroplane adaptor, a pair of earplugs (see below) and a crushed velvet type bag to hold it all in.



A noisy amp? Problem solved.

I have a Schiit Vali 2 in my home rig, a lovely amp, which I use predominantly to drive my HD600s. Every now and then, it I useful to be able to listen to IEMs on this set up, but I rarely do, because (even on the low gain setting) there is a very audible buzz at low music volumes. The iEMatch completely resolves almost all buzz, even on high gain, including on my CA Polaris (which is, to my ear, the most sensitive of my IEMs and certainly reproduces the Vali 2 buzz the loudest). You can still (just about) hear the buzz at high gain with the volume cranked up, but this would be so loud it would probably explode the IEMs!



Only got a line out/overly powerful output? Problem solved.

I also have a monitor speaker at work which has a pretty loud electrical buzz on it (so bad that it makes the headphone port on that speaker completely unusable to anybody who cares about what they are hearing) and also has such a bad volume control that it either pumps out dangerously high volume or nothing at all! The iEMatch both cuts the electrical noise out below my hearing level, and enables the volume to be turned up, making the speaker jack usable.

Just for laughs, I also plugged the iEMatch into the line out from my Nano BL, and the result was a listenable volume.



Want to use good IEMs on an aeroplane? Problem solved.

On a recent flight, I plugged the iEMatch into the aeroplane's inflight entertainment system (which is often a big mistake due to high volumes and electrical noise). The iEMatch performed admirably, eliminating the unpleasant noise and emitting sensible volumes direct into my UE900s.

Got a child who cranks up the volume? Problem solved.

My 3 year old cannot watch anything on the iPad without the volume at max. No matter how many times she is told to turn it down, you look back a moment later and she has cranked it up! I worry about her ears… but the iEMatch deals with this quite well – insert it between the iPad and her headphones, and the volume is much more limited meaning max volume is no longer too loud!



Need good, comfortable earplugs? Problem solved.

I just want to mention how good the earplugs which the iEMatch ships with are. Their ergonomic shape, and firm foam mean that I have worn them for hours with absolutely zero ear fatigue. In an open plan office environment, I have also found their bright colour helpful, as people can see I not just being rude! These are the best set of foam earplugs I have ever used, and I will be buying more.



And the sound?

This is a tough bit. Honestly, I can say I have found the sound transparent. That is, other than reducing volume and hiss, I don’t find that the iEMatch materially alters against the source. I even tried plugging into the Nano BL's normal headphone output and 1-2ing against the Nano BL's built in iEMatch, with no discernible difference to my ears.

When I first reviewed the Nano BL, I said "If I'm being very picky, I would say that the IE Match port sounds ever so slightly veiled compared to direct, particularly in the mids with guitars. But it's slight, barely noticeable, and wouldn’t stop me from using it for IEMs."

I stand by this in respect of the standalone iEMatch. If I am being ultra-picky, there is a very slight veil but I can only notice it on a track I really know very well, and am used to listening to good recordings of, on good sources. Otherwise I simply can't hear a material difference, other than a lowering of volume.

Conclusion

I found the iEMatch to be a really useful gadget, especially in 3.5mm form (switchability from SE to balanced mode means I would recommend buying one of these and a 3.5mm->2.5mm adaptor rather than both the 3.5mm and 2.5mm versions, and also the 3.5mm version comes with an airplane adaptor where the 2.5mm version does not). If you need to eliminate hiss or buzz (whether or not using ultra-sensitive IEMs) from an audio source, or you want to reduce the volume from an overpowered output, the iEMatch is a wonderful little contraption.

Quick Read Conclusion

The Pioneer XDP-30r ("XDP-30r") is an entry level, MQA capable DAP with capacious storage options, a simple and effective user interface, flexible output options (including 2.5mm trrs balanced) and most importantly great (if a little laid back) sound quality. It absolutely nails everything you want a DAP to be, and even manages to look great while doing it! With no meaningful faults, I absolutely recommend this player.

Introductions and General Bumf

Test Kit: I have tested the XDP-30r with Shure SE215, SE425, Sennheiser HD600, Ultimate Ears UE900s and KEF M500 headphones/IEMs. I also ran the line out through a Schiit Vali 2 to compare against the Modi 2, and ran USB out into both the Modi 2 and ifi iDSD Nano BL.

Preparation: I have given the XDP-30r a shade over 50 hours of burn-in (unsure if I believe in burn in, but figured this should help for people who do) and I did not start any critical listening without giving it at least an hour to warm up (I think warm up of DACs does help, and have read a couple of papers on this, but given this is a mobile DAP I don’t think real world use will involve having had this thing plugged in for 24 hours before listening).

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 34 year old (my hearing cuts off around 17.5 kHz per my frequency generator).

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: I've tried to keep it broad and I have cited my music sources below, so (where possible) people can download the tracks themselves.

1) Wiz Kalifah – On My Level (320k MP3, Google Store)

2) Norah Jones – Turn Me On (24/192 FLAC, Qobuz)

3) John Williams – Throne Room from Star Wars performed by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz)

4) The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (16/44.1 self-ripped FLAC)

5) Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill (320k MP3, Google Store)

6) JS Bach – Brandenberg Concertos, 1 (allegro) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

7) Hilltop Hoods ft. Sia – I Love It (256k m4a, iTunes)

8) 30 Seconds to Mars – Stronger (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

9) Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter (320k MP3, Google Store)

10) Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up (292k m4a, iTunes)

A bit of context: I want to start this review with a confession. I love gadgets. There, I said it; I suspect I am not the only frequenter of these forums with that confession to make but nevertheless, it is pertinent in the context of this review (which is written following my review of the Hidizs AP200 (here) and real disappointment in a gadget which promised so much, was a lovely thing to behold, but sadly, for me, terminally flawed). The AP200 is not the first gadget I have purchased which filled me with buyer's remorse – my drawers are full of them (an iPhone 5 projector I have barely ever used, a remote control light bulb that is too dim to be useful, a cycle computer that is so fiendishly complicated it is unusable, the list goes on). From that, you may draw the fair conclusion that I don't really learn my lesson... however for every failed gadget, there are some wonderful successes... the Logitech Harmony Ultimate, Nest thermostat and Schiit Stack to name a few. So, I plod on, make (and occasionally repeat) my mistakes and try to learn from them.

I bought the XDP-30r as a direct replacement for the AP200 to serve as my main mobile listening source. The lesson I learnt from the AP200 was that the key things I need from a DAP are:

1) sound quality;

2) ease of use (drop in a pocket, on shuffle and never touch again); and

3) battery life.

I realise that, at my price point, I genuinely can't have it all, so the list above summarises what I really need a DAP to do well. I was therefore less concerned with (amongst other things) the need to operate as a USB DAC (I have a DAC for that), Android (I have a phone for that), WiFi and internet connectivity, hi-res screens, output to DAC (I have a phone and computer for that)... and so on.

Finally, back in the late noughties, I was quite into my car audio (and for any Brits who fancy a chuckle at my expense, I put a dual voice coil JL audio sub-woofer into a first generation Ford KA, and popped the back windscreen out!). I had a couple of Pioneer head units (including one which took mini discs, remember them?!) over that time, and both were very good. I therefore had some high expectations for the XDP-30r.

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Unboxing

Having had some pretty impressive unboxing experiences recently (in particular, the UE900s and AP200 were packaged beautifully) this was a little underwhelming. The XDP-30r sits on a flimsy, white, cheap feeling plastic tray, with a usb a to micro cable and a few manuals underneath. Notably absent is that compressed foam that I’ve seen a fair bit of recently, and that makes the unboxing experience that bit more premium. I’ve set out photos below so you can see what I mean.



Practicalities

Ignoring the various notches, by my measurements, the unit is 62mm x 94 mm x 13mm. So it is small – about the size of a deck of cards - and therefore properly pocket portable. Indeed, thin enough to carry in a breast pocket without spoiling the line of your suit. On the left of the unit are a play/pause, skip forward and back physical buttons and two micro SD card slots each compatible with cards up to 200gb (see below). On the bottom is a micro usb port. To the right a very tactile volume control that rolls in reassuring steps and a hold switch. On the top, the power button, a 3.5mm unbalanced output and a 2.5mm trrs balanced output. Pictured below next to a Samsung S8 to give a feel for size.



In terms of storage, the XDP-30r only comes with 16GB built in, but with up to 400gb in total, in the micro SD card slots, I don’t think this is a problem.

Battery life is pretty impressive too. Using the balanced output and volume at about 12-15/60, I'm getting about 14 hours (so for me, a couple of days of use in the office).

The XDP-30r is also capable of a number of other handy features which I set out below:

1) USB out to a DAC – no problems outputting to my Modi 2 Uber or IfI iDSD Nano BL, some thoughts and sound comparisons below. Worth noting it only outputs DSD though;

2) Line Out – no problems into my Vali 2; and

3) Bluetooth Out – again, no problems into my Samsung soundbar or my JBL Flip 2.

The XDP-30r can also be controlled by a smartphone (other reviewers have commented this is great, I got this to work fine with my Note 8 and S8, but didn’t really use it!).

The XDP-30r does NOT work as a USB DAC.

My last, non-audio comment is on the screen. It is low resolution (esp. when compared to the current crop of smartphones and the old AP200) but, it was never a problem for me. The screen is completely clear, easy to read, simply organised and easy to understand. I don’t feel the need to experience album art in high resolution on the screen, so the slightly blocky pictures and visible pixels were no concern. I suspect this also helps with the excellent battery life. Customised android implementation is hard to get right, and can create a complicated device. Pioneer's own OS for the XDP-30r means that there are no redundant or hard to understand menu options – everything in its place and a place for everything.

In terms of output power, XDP-30r comfortably powered everything I threw at it, including my HD600s. With high gain selected (from the options of high, mid and low) pleasant listening volume for me, for the HD600s was 30-35/60 from the unbalanced port, and for all my iems in the balanced port (SE215, 425, UE900) and also the Kef M500s from the unbalanced port, 20 was absolute tops required to clearly hear quiet orchestral tracks on busy trains and more typically my iems sat at 10-15/60. In short, it should have the beans to push most cans reasonably comfortably. I did not notice any hiss from the XDP-30r on any gain setting in either port with any of my iems. I don’t own anything mega sensitive, but hopefully this is encouraging for those of you who do.

The Sound

I have stuck with the tried and tested format of highs, mids, lows and soundstage. I will also focus a little on separation, as it is something I enjoy hearing.

Highs

The best word I can find for the highs on the XDP-30r is "relaxed". They are clearly presented, with that upper end "tingle" noticeable, and never recessed. This said, I do feel that the XDP-30r does not have the same attack at the high end compared with some of my other sources. Percussion in particular, is not the tightest, with less pronounced staccato at the front and rear edges of the sound. To exemplify, the harpsichords in the Brandenberg Concerto track above are delivered with clarity and sparkle, never lost in the busy mids and high mids from the strings. Equally, the guitars in the Drugs Don’t Work and Yellow Ledbetter keep that metallic quality which you absolutely want to hear. Conversely, the percussion in Hilltops Hoods' I l Love It does not stop and start with absolute impact, flowing and "bleeding" together, rather than having a clearly delineated beginning and end.

What this means, and whether this constitutes a criticism is a matter of personal taste. For me, it creates a unit whose sound I can listen to 7-8 hours on the trot, with absolutely zero fatigue. I suspect the relaxed presentation up top is not going to be a treblehead's dream, but for everyone else I think you will find the XDP-30r delivers clarity in treble, without overpowering.

Mids

Mids are forwards and clean on the XDP-30r, with no sense of veiling or lack of clarity. I particularly like the way that the XDP-30r deals with string heavy orchestral music such as Throne Room from Star Wars. On the KEF M500s, which are mid and bass heavy, the strings are section clear (i.e. you can pick out the violins, cellos etc. clearly) without losing detail in the overlaying brass. From other sources (esp. smartphones) the M500s can lose some detail in this sort of performance, but the XDP-30r keeps them true. The XDP-30r also does a great job of acoustic guitars – The Verve's Drugs Don’t Work never losing a note as Ashcroft delivers the vocal. Female vocals too, are well provided for, with Norah Jones sounding velvet smooth through the HD600s.

Lows

Lows are an interesting bag on the XDP-30r, and I think consistent with the sound signature evident in the highs. On a consistent bass line (Wiz Khalifa's On My Level for example), the bass is clean, with suitable impact right down at the bottom. Indeed, the XDP-30r creates a sense of real rumbling bass through the M500s and HD600s, and even creates good bass impact with the SE425s (which I can find a bit bass light through unamped sources).

Much like my comments re/highs, I do think the attack of the XDP-30r is a little light, when compared to some other sources. Where you have a thumping bass line (I appreciate not in the track list above, but a good example is the early part of Rudimental's I've Been Waiting All Night where the bass starts to kick in) the XDP-30r does not deliver each thump with the impact of other sources (the Nano BL being a notable example).

As with the treble, this makes the XDP-30r a little more laid back and relaxed, but on balance, I would prefer more impact and definition both in the lows and highs.

Soundstage and Separation

Soundstage on the XDP-30r is reasonable, packing in far more width than my smartphone, but not as much as my Schiit Stack or particularly the Nano BL. Separation is good, especially with busy orchestral tracks and layering. Ed Sheeran's Castle on the Hill in particular, lacking the "compressed" sound I sometimes hear from other sources when the layering has really built.

Comparisons

I struggled to describe the XDP-30r without making some comparisons which you will see above. Compared to my Nano BL and Schiit Stack (Modi 2 Uber, Vali 2) there is less attack and gentler decay. As I have said, this creates a far more relaxed sound than some other sources, and I am listening to mine for 8+ hours on some days without fatigue. I do though, think that this means the XDP-30r is much better set up as an everyday listening device rather than being used for highly critical listening. But this is exactly what I bought it for and for me I don’t mark it down.

Other thoughts

The wedge shaping and choice of materials (brushed aluminium with a tactile matt plastic rear) mean the XDP-30r is a real joy to hold. As said before, it is properly pocket portable with the notches making it much more ergonomically successful. The decision to place the headphone ports at the top was also, to my mind, sensible – any straight jacks (such as on my cheap Fiio 2.5mm balanced cable below) run far less risk of damage. Pioneer have really thought about the user experience of the XDP-30r and it shows, as it is a joy to hold and simple to use in one hand.



Pioneer have taken a slightly different approach to a number of other DAPs which sit in this sort of price point. Rather than running a customised version of Android, they have instead opted to utilise their own operating system. This was a brilliant decision and is part of what makes the XDP-30r so good at what it does. The small touchscreen is super-responsive, with no noticeable delay. Track skipping, including between tracks with different bit depths and sampling rates (which would cause freezing on my old AP200 and can even sometimes make my Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 have a bit of a paddy) is seamless. I have not yet had the device crash once, and I have been using it for a couple of weeks now.

The XDP-30r is also MQA compatible, with a software update. The process for this was dead easy (hook up to wifi, say yes when asked, unit does the rest) and as you can see from the below, it recognises and plays MQA files. I'm not convinced I have noticed a giant difference between MQA and standard FLAC, but I thought worth mentioning if you have invested a fortune in MQA tracks and will only accept a compatible player! Shown below playing MQA.



Niggles and Solutions

Literally none – from the moment I took it out of the box it has worked perfectly. I'll update if I come across anything!

Conclusion

As an ultra portable, MQA compatible DAP with compatibility for vast amounts of storage and both balanced and unbalanced outputs, it is hard to find fault with the pretty little XDP-30r. A cracking battery coupled with sound quality that is great – if a little relaxed –mean this is genuinely a DAP you can listen to all day. As a package, the combination of size, ease of use and real world hassle free listening, means the XDP-30r comes highly recommended. It is my player of choice.

Quick Read Conclusion

An unbelievably versatile piece of kit that promises far more than it can competently and consistently deliver. The numerous fundamental glitches and so-so sound quality make it impossible to recommend at its price point. If Hidizs can get the firmware right, this moves from unusable to average, but for now I have to warn people to stay clear as I feel my money has been wasted.

Introductions and General Bumf

I was a subscriber to the IndieGoGo campaign for the Hidizs AP200, and paid my US$269 for a Hidizs AP200 ("AP200") with a leather case included. For clarity, I am in no way associated with Hidizs and have received no inducement to write my review.

Further, Hidizs have a very thorough description of internals on their website so I point you (for a full set of specs) to:

http://www.hidizs.com/product_ap200.php

Test Kit: I have tested the AP200 with Shure SE215, SE425, Sennheiser HD600, Ultimate Ears UE900s and KEF M500 headphones/IEMs. I have also tested it as a USB DAC with a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both Hiby music and UBS audio player pro), Dell E7270 running Windows 7 and an 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage). I have also used it as a USB transport for the Schiit Modi 2 Uber and iFi Audio nano iDSD Black Label ("Nano BL") and finally I ran it through a Schiit Vali 2 to compare against the Nano BL.



Preparation: I have given the AP200 a shade over 50 hours of burn-in (unsure if I believe in burn in, but figured this should help for people who do) and I did not start any critical listening without giving it at least an hour to warm up (I think warm up of DACs does help, and have read a couple of papers on this, but given this is a "mobile" device I don’t think real world use will involve having had this thing plugged in for 24 hours before listening).

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 34 year old (my hearing cuts off around 17.5 kHz per my frequency generator).

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: I've tried to keep it broad and I have cited my music sources below, so (where possible) people can download the tracks themselves.

1) Wiz Kalifah – On My Level (320k MP3, Google Store)

2) Norah Jones – Turn Me On (24/192 FLAC, Qobuz)

3) John Williams – Throne Room from Star Wars performed by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz)

4) The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (16/44.1 self ripped FLAC)

5) Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill (320k MP3, Google Store)

6) Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King (from the Peer Gynt Suite) performed by the Zech National Symphony Orchestra (24/48, Musopen Kickstarter Project)

7) Otis Redding – Dock of the Bay (24/192, HD Tracks)

8) 30 Seconds to Mars – Stronger (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

9) Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter (320k MP3, Google Store)

10) Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up (292k m4a, iTunes)

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Unboxing

I have to say that this was a premium experience, and leave the photos below for you to make up your own minds. The solid card box, well-engineered packaging and classily understated product packaging all contribute to making this a special experience. In the box are the AP200 (with anti-scratch film fitted in factory front and rear), a usb a-c cable, usbmicro-c cable, clear plastic shell case, serial number card and quality control card and a spare set of anti-scratch films. I particularly liked the little bit of ribbon underneath the device which made the "pop" out a tactile experience.

First thoughts on unboxing are that this is a quality piece of kit. The CNC machined body which Hidizs have banged on about is chunky and has a good weight in the hand. I also like the leather case which it came with, and fits snugly inside – it has a lovely recessed Hidizs logo stamped in, and adds to the overall quality feel of the product.

Finally, there is a note inside the lid, telling you to update the firmware… more on that later.



Practicalities

By my measurements, the unit is 106x60x16mm, add about another 2-3mm each way with the leather case on. It has a decent weight but is definitely pocket friendly. I like the little notch which is recessed for the 3.5mm standard headphone socket, and the recesses at the bottom for the USB (type c) port and micro sd card slot. I find the usb port a little lose with cables other than the one it came with, which is surprising as my other cables (OTG, and some decent quality a-c cables) fit my Samsung phones without issue.

There is a power button on the top and volume control (which doubles as track skipping) and play/pause buttons on the left hands side (more about these in the niggles section below).

Battery life is solid – I'm getting about 8-9 hours with the volume at 25 listening to flacs on iems on high gain.

The screen is high resolution (960x640) and the quality is reasonable, no dead pixels on my unit, although there is light bleed around the edges. On a phone this would not be acceptable, but on this unit I think fine given it is for listening to more than looking at. It is a little dim in bright sunlight, but just about legible and (again) amply sufficient for a DAP.

The unit is a real "one stop shop" running a slightly customised version of android, and capable of downloading additional apps via the Google Play Store (WiFi File Transfer Pro works fine) as well as being able to:

1) bluetooth out, works fine;

2) USB data out to a DAC, sort of works, see niggles below;



3) operate as a USB DAC, subject to the proviso in niggles below re/bit rates, works fine with Windows, Android and MacOs but you need to download the driver to get the full benefit of its output potential.

In theory, you could download all sorts of additional apps to use on this, but the small screen space coupled with the fact I always have a Note 8 on me, means I haven’t really done much else with it (it is capable of browsing the web, jittery YouTube playback but I haven’t tested this extensively as it is not what I bought the device for).

There is also sufficient power for my HD600s. On a volume scale of 0-100, 70-80 (high gain) is a nice listening volume and 100 simply loud but not completely ear splitting. I suspect therefore that for most cans this will be sufficiently powerful but doubt the AP200 has the required oomph to push something very hard to drive,

The Sound

I have decided to split my review into the standard format of highs, mids, lows and also soundstage and separation, as it is something I enjoy hearing.

Highs

I find the highs on this unit a tale of two halves. Played through my M500s, SE425s and SE215s they are prominent and a little more forward than, say, through my Schiit Stack (Modi 2 Uber and Vali 2) or Nano BL, but still pleasant. This is true across the board for certain tracks, where there is an obvious and entertaining "tingle" on the high end.

On the HD600 and on the UE900s however, there is a noticeable harshness, with a metallic tinge which (emphasized on certain tracks like Ed Sheeran's castle on the hill and anything guitar heavy, especially steel strung acoustic) I find unpleasant. It's an experience I would compare to sitting on the train sitting next to someone whose headphones are bleeding highs; if you concentrate, you can hear the rest of the track, but the ear is a little overwhelmed by the tinny percussion.

Mids and Lows

There is not a huge amount for me to say here. Competent, clear, detailed but unremarkable is about the best I can do. There is a little enhancement at the lower end which is noticeable in some of the bassier tracks noted above (Wiz Kalifah for example). I think the sound signature is broadly U shaped then, with an emphasis on the bass and treble, and the mids present but nothing specifically identifiable to my ear.

Soundstage and Separation

Soundstage is definitely wider than the outputs on my S8 and Note 8, with (for example) the guitars on the Verve's Drugs Don’t Work placing themselves noticeably to the left and right of centre. I would put it on a par with my Schiit Stack, but there is not the breadth of stage (nor the clarity of instrument separation) that I get with the Nano BL. In some more busy or layered tunes (Ed Sheeran and the Throne Room tracks noted above being good examples) the sound gets a little muddled or blurred, with specific instruments in the orchestra or layers of Sheeran's vocals barely distinguishable.

Sound Conclusions

Outside of this community, most people these days listen to average quality MP3 music on their phones. The AP200 is undeniably a step up from that experience across the board – the sound more refined and clearer, the "veil" lifted, especially with higher quality files. The problem for me though, is that I have heard, at similar (and lower) prices a hell of a lot better for the same money. In terms of portable solutions, my old dragonfly v1.2 and my Nano BL both leave the AP200 in their dust. In short, I was underwhelmed and disappointed, especially given the hype… 2 gold shielded DACs must make it sound amazing, right? Erm… nope.

Niggles and Solutions

My biggest issue with the AP200 though, is it feels rushed to market and exceptionally poorly implemented – indeed, spend 5 minutes in the forums and you will find a snag list as long as your arm. Before I give my list, I confirm I am running the most current firmware (as at 2 January 2018) and that all of these issues remain on that version of firmware. Some of these issues are fundamental to the experience, and so I tried to organise in running order of serious to incidental.

1. problems in sound during playback – on top of the harsh treble I have already described, the AP200 randomly pops and clicks when playing (it's the sound you sometimes hear from a DAC when it is changing from PCM to DSD and/or bit rates/frequencies) but it happens mid playback and substantially detracts from the enjoyment of music;

2. stops playing randomly – mid track, the AP200 (reasonably regularly) clicks, pops then stops playing completely. Sometimes these resolve and playback starts again, sometimes you have to fish it out of your pocket, and press play/reboot to bring it back to life;

3. volume/track selection – this is ridiculous and horrendously implemented. By making the next/previous track a double click on the volume button, I often randomly turn up/down when I am trying to skip and skip when I am trying to turn up/down;

4. USB out is buggy – I can only get the AP200 to play nicely as data transport to my Modi 2 Uber/Nano BL intermittently. I don’t know why it doesn’t always work/how to resolve this;

5. screen presses inexact – the AP200 regularly misses button presses on the screen meaning you have to jab a few times around the relevant button, at which point it registers multiple inputs (and doesn’t do what you wanted it to);

6. screen use is difficult - small text on a small screen, along with a lot of options at the screen extremities lead to a lot of frustrating missed inputs, exacerbated with the leather case on;

7. slow response to button presses – especially using next/previous track or pause during playback on the screen, you can have 3-5 second waits before the AP200 does what you asked it to;

8. firmware updates – despite the claims that you could, I could not get the AP200 to update firmware from an SD card (landing on an android green screen with text input). It did work fine from the internal storage however but I did think I'd bricked the thing;

9. output rates not shown properly – when operating as a DAC and in normal playback, the output bit depth does not match the source (when native, it says everything is 32 bit, when a USB DAC, 24 bit);

10. SD card write speeds are slow despite onscreen claims; and



11. volume controls backwards – the onscreen volume controls are the wrong way around, with the plus on the left… why oh why oh why?



Conclusion

As currently implemented, I cannot recommend this device to anyone. The so-so sound quality means I would probably use it alongside the Nano BL as a playback device if it could play nicely. However, with the numerous fundamental bugs (most annoyingly the intermittent but frequent random stopping during playback) the average sound quality means this little box will be consigned to a drawer for the foreseeable future. I think my $269 would have been better spent elsewhere and this is a clear lesson to me that a "too good to be true" stats list for the price is just that, too good to be true.

Quick Read Conclusion

A superb sounding compact DAC/Amp that really packs a punch. Less suitable for pockets than some DAC/Amps, it is still a portable winner for me. Sound quality is fantastic, slightly warmer than purely neutral, with one of the best soundstages I have (in my admittedly limited experience) heard. Most of all, at £200 it is epic value for money, making it very easy to recommend. In fact, I recommend it so highly, I put my own money where my big mouth is and bought one.

Introductions and General Bumf

I was originally part of the tour for the iFi Audio nano iDSD Black Label ("Nano BL") but have actually purchased one for myself. Read into that what you will. For clarity, I am in no way associated with iFi and have received no inducement (other than the chance to use a Nano BL for a week) to write my review. I would like to thank Karina and the team at iFi for allowing me to take part in my first tour.

Test Kit: I have tested the Nano BL with Shure SE215, SE425, Sennheiser HD600, Ultimate Ears UE900s and KEF M500 headphones/IEMs. Sources have been a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8 (using both Hiby music and USB audio player pro), Dell E7270 running Windows 7 and 11" Macbook Air (2012 vintage). I also ran the line out through a Schiit Vali 2 to compare against the Modi 2.

Preparation: I have given the Nano BL a shade over 50 hours of burn-in (unsure if I believe in burn in, but figured this should help for people who do) and I did not start any critical listening without giving it at least an hour to warm up (I think warm up of DACs does help, and have read a couple of papers on this, but given this is a "mobile" DAC I don’t think real world use will involve having had this thing plugged in for 24 hours before listening).

Me as a listener: I am not a pro by any stretch of the imagination. I have always enjoyed my music, and my tastes are pretty broad. I go to live music ranging from rock and pop concerts to orchestra and opera. I would not describe myself as having a trained ear, but I am attentive and my ears are in pretty good nick for a 34 year old (my hearing cuts off around 17.5 kHz per my frequency generator).

My tastes: neutral to warm, but I do like good punchy bass and I love to hear decent instrument separation.

Test tracks: I've tried to keep it broad and I have cited my music sources below, so (where possible) people can download the tracks themselves.

1) Wiz Kalifah – On My Level (320k MP3, Google Store)

2) Norah Jones – Turn Me On (24/192 FLAC, Qobuz)

3) John Williams – Throne Room from Star Wars performed by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (16/44.1 FLAC, Qobuz)

4) The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (16/44.1 self ripped FLAC)

5) Ed Sheeran – Castle on the Hill (320k MP3, Google Store)

6) Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King (from the Peer Gynt Suite) performed by the Zech National Symphony Orchestra (24/48, Musopen Kickstarter Project)

7) Otis Redding – Dock of the Bay (24/192, HD Tracks)

8) 30 Seconds to Mars – Stronger (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover) (16/44.1, self-ripped FLAC)

9) Pearl Jam – Yellow Ledbetter (320k MP3, Google Store)

10) Rage Against the Machine – Wake Up (292k m4a, iTunes)

So, on to the main event. [/General Bumf]

Unboxing

There are plenty of videos on youtube and some pictures below, so I won't bore on about this. Suffice to say, a good experience which felt suitably special. In the box, you get the Nano BL, a tactile "crushed velvet" (suspect not actually velvet) carry bag for it, a couple of silicon bands for attaching it to a phone, some cables and adaptors, a few (very basic) booklets and a little bag of silica gel.

I've seen a few criticisms about the lack of an OTG cable and/or lack of a shorter cable. To be honest, I think iFi would struggle to win here – their user base is likely to be a mixture of iPhone (lightning) and android (usb-c or micro usb) so whatever they could include is not going to work for everyone (and at £200 I don’t think you can reasonably expect a full complement of cables). They're only a few quid after all, and I am sure iFi recognised that most of their target audience would either have one already, or could easily source one. I did not see this therefore as a massive omission.



Practicalities

From the tip of the volume nob, the Nano BL is (by my approx. measurements) 9.5cm long, at its peak it stands 2.5cm high and is 6.5 cm wide. iFi tell us this is a portable unit, and that is broadly true, but there's portable and there's portable. Bolted to the back of a phone, this is not (in my opinion) practically "pocket portable" unless you are wearing a coat/clothes with very large pockets. I don’t really like attaching to my phone using rubber rings, so I don’t do this. For me, portability relates predominantly to my train commutes and for this it is perfect as I can set it on my table with my phone and drop it in my bag when not in use. It's reasonably light, and does not get particularly warm during use so I don’t see any bar to using the Nano BL on the bounce, other than general size.

Battery life is claimed to be up to 10 hours by iFi on the packaging. My experience, with the volume at about 9 o'clock (off is c. 7 o'clock) I am seeing a shade over 7 hours. Also worth noting is that if the Nano BL runs out of battery life, you can continue to run it so long as the USB port can provide it with sufficient power. It won't charge the battery at the same time however. I think iFi have missed a trick here as being able to recharge on the fly whilst listening, would have been a great inclusion.

I want to take a minute to talk about the USB implementation too. I have to say this is brilliant – the USB port is USB A male, meaning if you are using an OTG cable from a phone or android device (I suspect most people reading this review would do this) it simply plugs straight in. One note of caution though, watch your OTG cable as the one in the pic below fits perfectly, but I have a chunkier plastic one I had to shave with a Stanley knife to achieve a fit.



I have seen a few comments on forums, complaining about non compatibility. Across my devices (listed above) I have had no problems with instant recognition of the Nano BL.

*EDIT* a few people have noted on forums that their bag has a hole in the bottom which they consider a fault. Have a look here from about post #415 https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ifi...-participants-page-26-post-386.864211/page-28 i think it is meant to be there, for poking cables through when you are out and about. See below.



Finally, I'm not going to list out all of the functions available, stats etc. – you can see them here on iFi's website https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/nano-idsd-bl/, or discussed excellently in @glassmonkey 's frankly brilliant review (I especially like what he had to say about MQA) https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/ifi-audio-nano-idsd-black-label.22770/reviews#review-19505 .

The Sound

I have decided to split my review into the increasingly standard format of highs, mids, lows and soundstage. I am also going to focus a little on separation, as it is something I enjoy hearing.

Highs

I'm yet to experience sparkling or fatiguing treble and so whilst I have read a lot about it I can't say I have a reference point for it. Of the Nano BL I cannot say the highs are not disproportionately pronounced or notable to my ears. I enjoyed clearly hearing the triangle and cymbals in Throne Room, distinguishable through the entire orchestra. This is particularly notable on the SE425s which, along with the M500s, have probably seen the most use with the Nano BL. Similarly, the crashing waves and whistling through Dock of the Bay are right where you want them to be – present and clear but in no way overpowering.

Mids

From the headphones and tracks listed above, you can probably tell I'm a sucker for mids. And the Nano BL does not disappoint. Its performance of Yellow Ledbetter almost left a tear in my eye, the guitar absolutely consuming, ringing clear with the Nano BL faithfully re-creating the interplay of an increasingly complex fall off against each new note; a sound interplay which is often lost on lesser sources, particularly straight from my smart phones. Norah's Turn Me On is delivered with all that wonderful richness, the Nano BL evidently talented with this sort of track, I think assisted by the fact that its silences are really, really silent (subject to the below), no buzz or machine noise at all – just sweet, sweet silence! Even Rage's Wake Up is served up competently, each riff distinguishable amongst the constant noise of the track.

Lows

Here, the Nano BL again shows itself to be a class act. With the HD600s and M500s, the rumbling bassline in On My Level is suitably huge, creating that real sense of big bass I think can be hard to recreate without a chunky subwoofer. Where it really shows itself to be ahead of the pack though is how it covers the same song with the SE425s – these IEMs are definitely lighter (albeit usually tighter) with bass, but with the Nano BL pushing, that Wiz Kalifah bassline is still the leading sound to the song, with the rest of the track following. Each note is delivered with impact and more tremor than I've heard the SE425s deliver elsewhere. I wonder if iFi have enhanced the bass a little with this DAC? Not so much it's unpleasant, but with my setup it is noticeable.

Soundstage and Separation

So whilst the tonality and musicality are definitely sweet, something I really noticed with the Nano BL is its pronounced soundstage and instrument separation. This is the first time I have listened to music from an in-ear source and have felt anything like the sense of size you get when sat in front of an actual orchestra. I don’t particularly experience height of sound, but I definitely perceive width very clearly, especially on the orchestral pieces. I would also say separation is the most exceptional I have yet heard. In the verve's Drugs Don’t Work, both guitars are very clearly there, in no way blending as they often do, especially direct from phone outputs. Similarly in 30 Seconds to Mars' Stronger cover from Radio 1's Live Lounge, not only is there width, with each layer of the track sounding like it is physically placed somewhere else, but as the track layers up every drum tick, cymbal, guitar note and synth sound is clearly distinguishable, with the vocals holding everything together. I've posted previously how I've been really disappointed with Ed Sheeran's divide album on good earphones, but particularly my 425s. The complex track building has sounded very muffled and confused, with an overall effect of clashing. The Nano BL managed to hold it together here, with the layers distinguishable but coherent and complimentary without clashing.

A criticism (which is probably down to recordings rather than the device) is that the pronounced separation and width of soundstage can occasionally sound artificial. A couple of the Otis Redding tracks on the same album as Dock of the Bay end up with a sort of "half-half" effect where all the vocals are in the left ear and everything else in the right. This was distracting for me, and took away from the enjoyment of the track a little, but I only noticed it on a few, older tracks. Further, it can pick up the odd thing it isn’t meant to – the musopen kickstarter's high res files have a few noticeable turns of page, musicians shuffling etc. and you can hear each and every one in In the Hall of the Mountain King.

Comparisons v. Schiit Stack

As you'll see from the photos below, I had a bit of fun feeding the Nano BL's line out into my Vali 2 and listening to the Nano BL v. the Modi 2 Uber (and for the below, "Schiit Stack" means the Modi 2 Uber and Vali 2) to see if there was much difference just in the DACs. For the purposes of this test, I only used my HD600s. Now, let's be clear about this, the Schiit Stack reopened my music collection for me, delivering clarity and detail I had never heard before. It was a massive upgrade for me, and so, for a portable £200 unit, I am really pleased to say that, across the piece, I think these two are pretty close. The Nano BL is possibly a little tighter and more impactful with bass, and the Schiit Stack perhaps a little more "tingly" in the highs, but not much in it. Where there is a difference is in the width of soundstage, the Nano BL definitely wider, and with more pronounced separation. My preference depends on mood, and I can't honestly give a "better" opinion – not better, not worse, just different and equally enjoyable.



Other thoughts

iFi are making a lot of their "semi balanced" output. I started a thread here a while ago on unbalanced v balanced and know that it is an emotive issue for some and not a debate I am going to enter into (due to self-recognised ignorance on the topic). Technical implementation aside, and subject to the buzz point discussed below, silents are silent so for example, in In the Hall of the Mountain King, the almost silent start of the track, with very quiet plucking is not detracted form by any sort of buzz or hum. For clarity, I have not tested with a 3.5mm TRRS cable and so cannot comment on any difference between unbalanced v (sort of) balanced on this device.

If I plug my IEMs into the direct output and crank the volume up there is a hiss. However this would be a listening level that would probably burst my head, so not a real world problem. This is not noticeable at low level/with non-IEMs/from the IE Match port.

For all headphones I tested in both ports. The IE Match port doesn’t go loud enough to drive the HD600s at a pleasant listening volume for me, but the direct port definitely does. If I'm being very picky, I would say that the IE Match port sounds ever so slightly veiled compared to direct, particularly in the mids with guitars. But it's slight, barely noticeable, and wouldn’t stop me from using it for IEMs.

Measure/Listen switch – switched this a few times and couldn’t discern a difference. All testing was done on Listen.

Niggles and Solutions

Early on I was experiencing a mixed amount of battery drain on both my S8 and Note 8. Intermittently, the Nano BL seemed to suck a big chunk of juice out of the phone, and then the phone goes back to operating normally. I couldn’t explain this initially, but have now realised that if you turn it off and leave it plugged into the phone (certainly on the S8 and Note 8) it will pull power and recharge itself, rinsing your phone!

I also experienced a pronounced clicking and popping (not interference, just intermittent pops and clicks) for a while. I isolated this to one of the cables (in fact, the one I shaved down so it could fit the USB port), but I don’t get the same issue with this cable on other devices so perhaps a fit issue? In any event, it was the cable not the Nano BL but one to watch for.

Conclusion

All in all, the Nano BL delivers some of the best sound I have ever heard, standing shoulder to shoulder with my Schiit Stack. That it does this in a reasonably portable package is remarkable, but when it does that for £200 I find almost nothing to fault. This game is all about compromise and personal taste for me, as I will probably always be able to buy "better" than I have. The question I ask myself is, can I tell the difference, and if so, is it worth it? Hence, compromise. At this price point though, there is little or no compromise on sound and in fact I suspect a number of manufacturers making similarly priced and even more expensive devices are, correctly, a little worried. If the compromise for this product is that it is a little chunkier than would be absolutely ideal, it is one I am happy to live with – so much so, I have bought one with my own, hard earned dosh.

This is my first review, but I have such a conflicted relationship with this device, I wanted to put it down in words! As this review focusses on use as an amp, I'm not going to use the typical "highs miss lower structure. If you read this you'll see why.

Firstly, this unit was give free to me by hifiheadphones.co.uk in the UK, who had a bit of a service failure with an order of mine, and so (following a joking request from me to customer service) delivered this as a "present" (along with the HD600s I had ordered) . I am in no way affiliated with either Topping or hifiheapdhones (save as a customer) and this review represents my honest opinion. I have received no inducement to write this review.

Kit: I tested the NX2 as a USB DAC/AMP from both a windows laptop, a Samsung Note 8 and Galaxy S8. I have used it with Shure SE215s, 425s, KEF M500s and Sennheiser HD600s. Here's a nice picture... it's tiny!



DAC: after about 10 minutes of using as both a DAC and AMP, I stopped and almost chucked this unit away. Whilst it delivered volume, the sound (using as a dac) was not good. There was a lack of detail, as if the music was far away and veiled, with a muddy/flabby feeling. Honestly, I nearly wrote the unit off there and then. I slung it in my bag and didn’t think anything more of it. I wont even bother with test tracks, highs-mids-lows etc. Trust me, the answer in each column is "awful, just awful".

Redemption: A few weeks passed, and I was working away from my normal office, listening to my music on my 425s direct from my note 8. I have always thought the 425s do better with a little amplification (and my dream pairing had always been my dragonfly until I lost it). I suddenly remembered the NX2 and plugged it in as an amplifier using the 3.5mm male to male it came with (crappy, swapped out for a fiio one i had lying around). And I was seriously pleased with the results. I can't profess to have volume matched, but sticking the NX2 between the phone and the 425s gave them that much wider, fuller feeling sound the 425s reproduce under amplification. Where I really notice it is in soundstage (width) and bass response. Without amplification I think the 425s can be a little shy of bass, but with amplification (including with the NX2) that tight, clean bass they deliver has an extra level of oomph I really enjoy. The first time I ever experienced this degree of clarity from my 425s was after having first bought my dragonfly 1.2 which retailed at about 5 times the cost of this little NX2. I genuinely cannot fault its incredible value for money.

The other headphones I have in the office are the KEF M500s. These get plenty loud from a phone, and so I wasn’t expecting much to change. And it didn’t really – the NX2 drives them louder and there may be a feeling of wider soundstage, but it is negligible. What it does do though, is add clarity. Don’t get me wrong, the M500s don’t have a muffle issue, but I do notice from direct outputs from both the S8 and Note 8, a muffle that amplification seems to clear.

When I got home that night, I also gave my HD600s a bash with it – and you know it does a good job! The phone itself doesn’t drive my HD600s to a nice listening volume for me, but the tiny little NX2 comfortably provided all the noise I needed!

So, a £30 box which delivers ridiculous amplification for such a tiny, compact, convenient unit (crap DAC or no) is a sure fire 5 stars, A++ right? Not quite…

Unfortunately, the NX2 suffers from 2 issues:

Firstly, the battery charging port is USB mini. It is literally the only USB mini device in my house, and I cannot understand why Topping would not simply use the ubiquitous USB micro standard.

Secondly, this unit suffers from massive and unforgivable electronic interference. Given it is marketed as a mobile device, any time it is near a phone, you have (with no music playing) the tell-tale clicking and buzzing of mobile phone interference. Add music playback to the mix, and the ripping/tearing/clicking/popping is unlistenable. This can be noticed when stationary in an area of good signal but makes the device totally unusable on train journeys where the phone is regularly trying to contact the network. This flaw makes the Topping NX2 practically unusable whilst travelling which is (considering how convenient and effective it otherwise is) a real shame.

Conclusions

I love and hate this Topping NX2. As a DAC it is terrible. As a straight amp, its size, convenience and the simply fact it does a great job of what it is there for, give a lot to recommend it for. And I love it for making my 425s sparkle. I could even overlook the nonsensical use of the usb-mini format. But I cannot forgive the RF interference – it makes it, when using a phone as a source (which, lets face it, the vast majority of us will be doing) totally unusable.